"Best in the West" Baked Beans

     The title of last night's dinner is slightly misleading. The recipe is an old one that I've had for years and it does call for a can of baked beans, one of kidney beans and of navy beans, but just as important is the ground beef, onion and bacon that is browned initially and then simmered with the beans in a tasty sauce that includes ketchup, bbq sauce, molasses, mustard and chili powder. So I think that what we have here is really more of a sweet, smoky version of chili, and for me the signature and star of the dish is bacon (yum), not beans.

     As a post script: I believe that chili is NOT a summer dish but the weather has been extremely unseasonable these last few days of July, with temperatures dropping into the fifties overnight. A hot bowl on the menu proved to be quite appropriate.

Rangpur Reigns at a Summer Party

     I like to think that summertime drinks are unique because of the plethora of fresh fruits available in the markets and the real need to actually slake a hefty thirst on a warm day. Dr. J is a friend who obviously agrees. At a recent gathering, he served a cocktail that was new to me: Rangpur gin and a splash of ginger ale on ice with a fruit garnish.  Unlike a common dry gin, this spirit is distilled with Rangpur limes, juniper, bay leaf, ginger and other botanicals. (Rangpur lime is not like an ordinary lime, it is a unique fruit has the zestiness of a lime but the look and juiciness of a mandarin orange.) The result is refreshing and tasty, especially with Dr. J's trademark addition of an array of colorful fruits. I get thirsty just looking at the picture...

Mimosa Tree - To Prize or Despise?

     Friends always remark on the beauty of the tree that graces our front yard and we do agree that it is gorgeous. It is covered with pretty pink flower puffs that make the area smell heavenly, it attracts dozens of hummingbirds, and creates an interesting contrast with the neighbor's Golden Rain tree. However...

there are two reasons we have begun to dislike this tree. Reason one is that those pretty flowers begin to drop in early July and they drop continuously in profuse amounts until September. The ground becomes carpeted quickly and the flowers turn brown, staining the concrete and smothering the grass so that it is necessary to use a rake/leaf blower at least weekly. Cars parked anywhere near the tree are identifiable by the decaying flowers on windshield and hood. Reason two is that the seed pods fall just as profusely and germinate easily so baby trees sprout readily in every available piece of ground and even in sidewalk cracks, much like noxious weeds. (The photo below was taken one day after a major cleanup!)

Recovered Quilt

   Our everyday quilt has suffered from puppy love. Although we had originally planned to keep Dunc off our bed and in his own, as soon as his legs were long enough to propel him, he hopped up there quite often. Now he is eighteen months old and doesn't sleep there all night but likes to snuggle awhile at bedtime, wake us up in the morning with kisses, and pout with sad eyes if we are preparing to go out. I temporarily  retired a beautiful sage green embroidered quilt, thinking I could replace it as Dunc matured but now I only put it out when we have a party or visitors. Therefore the inexpensive alternate has become a little tattered in some areas. Luckily the tears and rips are in the middle, and the outside strips are perfectly intact, so I decided to add a coordinating layer to the quilt. I found a length of cotton cloth  printed with a vintage-look cabbage rose pattern at the local fabric store, cut it to fit the center of the spread, and sewed it in place, somewhat like a large applique! Now the surface is smooth with no quilted stitches to catch little claws; Dunc is happy (unless he happens to be pouting) and Mama is even happier.

Strawberry Lover's Ice Cream Cake

     Sister, Carol, hosted a lovely lunch for Mom's eighty-sixth birthday, that included a very generous variety of cold sliced meats, cheeses, bread, fresh vegetables and fruit. I volunteered to make the cake, with an idea already in mind that simply needed a special occasion to warrant making it. After baking and cooling a strawberry cake, I sliced it in half horizontally. Prepackaged frozen ice cream sandwiches were arranged tightly atop the bottom cake layer, then whipped cream spread over. The top layer of cake was then replaced and more whipped cream topped off the whole thing, which was then covered and placed in the freezer for a couple of hours. Sis lives a good distance away  so I waited till party time to decorate the top with sliced fresh strawberries and small chocolate-covered peppermint patties.

     The cake looked so pretty upon presentation and Mom was delighted. Each serving displayed all of the  layers and were attractive as well as tantalizing. Young nephew, Nathan, even requested a replication for his birthday which is eight months away!

     A funny little story to add here concerns Nathan again, and the placement of the birthday candles. As can be seen in the picture below, we placed six of them together at one end of the cake. Why? The answer is two-fold. Usually aided by an oxygen tank, Mom hasn't much air in her lungs these days and the closely spaced candles would be easier for her to extinguish. Secondly, it was entirely possible that more than air would be sprayed as Mom blew out the flames. That gross little thought was not broadcast among the party attendees until I teased Nathan with the suggestion that his piece had been cut from that end of the cake. If only a camera could have caught the ghastly expression on his face!

 

Potted Hostas

     For years this shady area of my backyard has plagued me. As the maple tree grew and grew and grew, the soil at its base became thinner and thinner and thinner. Only a few little clumps of grass have survived, and even ground covers like Vinca major, liriope and goutweed have failed to thrive. Last summer's drought and heat devastated any attempts at greenery and I thought perhaps we were doomed to just build a circular bench around the trunk to cover the roots and dry dirt patches. But then a friend told me that she pots hostas to fill in problem spots like this. I was skeptical until I divided some existing Albo Marginata about a year ago, bought some matching pots and placed them around the base of the maple. Although they were a little skimpy then, they survived the winter and emerged this spring and quickly became  quite full and beautiful. Now the ground is still gray and dry but the color and texture of the pots and plants (that seem to be cradled by the large roots) draw the eye away from the uninspiring terrain.