Posted on 06/01/2024 6:22:03 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
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Chiffon Cheesecake
A good way to gourmandize cheesecake to another level of deliciousness.
Ing 16 oz cr/cheese 8 oz sour cream 2-3.4 oz pkg vanilla pudding
(not instant) 4 Tbl butter 1 Tbl vanilla 20-25 butter cookies, crushed
Steps Beat cr/cheese and sour cream fluffy. Cook pudding as per package, using 3-1/2 cups milk. Offheat, add butter and vanilla, then cheese mixture. Pour into greased 9" springform w/ cookie crumb crust. Cover/chill 24 hours before serving.
WOW! Thanks for reminding me to bake more cheesecake. That looks wonderful. :) Very ‘New York’ style.
They’ll thank you for bringing a little bit of NY to Wisconsin.
I do love my gas cooktop & I also have cast iron grates. The grates are heavy, but easy to lift off for cleaning. I have a large farm sink so I have room to wash the grates (yesterday they had Cranberry Apple Preserves splattered on them) & with the grates off, cleaning around the burners is easy.
Bunch of shooting going on nearby - small arms & something a lot bigger. It sounds like target practice - usually happens on Sunday mornings back on the mountain - this sounds like on the river & a lot closer.
That’s the cultivar we have down in the pasture and it is stunning when in bloom - been very wet this spring, so the blooms are delayed for a bit.
Beau usually lets me know when they’re in bloom - he travels down to the pasture quite often to make sure the water tank for the cows is filling/refilling properly.
After three days in a row of no rain, it’s raining again, today. I really need to fertilize the tomatoes, but they’re already waterlogged. :(
Beautiful!
You cannot beat that ‘Lieutenant’ broccoli! (Bonnie Brand) We’re having a sunny day today, so I’m going to check mine and maybe harvest this evening if it puts on a little more growth, today. ;)
I’m going to have to be VERY mindful of bugs in it - with our wet season, they are a real PITA. Bugs love wet. Jerks, LOL!
Salad Bars: A Holiday Party Spread Your Guests Will Rave Over
When it comes to holiday dinner prep (Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, New Year), I’m all for finding creative cheats and hacks to make the process a lot easier. Because who wants to be stuck in the kitchen all day? One of my favorite ways to slash kitchen time is by replacing some time-consuming side dishes with a robust salad bar!
The 5 Components to an Amazing Holiday Salad Bar
When assembling your salad bar, group the following ingredients together. Have your guests start with the leafy greens for their base and work their way down the table, ending with dressings. Just think about a restaurant’s salad bar!
Leafy Greens
Spinach
Kale
Romaine lettuce
Butter lettuce
Collard greens
Or any of your favorite greens
Crunchy Veggies (Cut into bite-size pieces or shredded)
Cucumber
Carrots
Shredded Brussels sprouts
Shredded cabbage
Radishes
Bell pepper
Or any of your favorite raw veggies
Healthy Add-Ins (to boost flavor and texture)
Diced avocado
Cooked, cubed pumpkin
Cubed, baked sweet potato
Cherry tomatoes
Nuts
Seeds
Olives
Dried cherries
Proteins
Turkey
Chicken
Tuna salad
Salmon
Tofu
Hard-boiled eggs
Dressings
Set out 3-4 dressings so your guests have options!
Make Your Salad Bar Look Good
Always remember: We eat with our eyes first. Food almost always tastes better when it looks good … don’t you agree? So, when creating your DIY salad bar, think about the color and sizes of your serve ware. Use varying size bowls to create dimension and always set out serving tongs and spoons.
Diana here: My BFFs of 45 years are coming out to the farm in two weeks so we can celebrate ALL of our Birthdays (April, April, June & July) because we’ve all been really busy this Spring and can FINALLY get together. I plan on doing a Salad Bar for our lunch. I think it will be a lot of fun and I can use a number of things from the garden, too.
https://theflexiblechef.com/salad-bars-holiday-party-spread/
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/cherry-pie-bars/print/124000/
Our whole garden is pretty much bug free all summer. We attract a lot of insect eating birds. Haven’t seen a tomato worm in years and the broccoli was super clean. The center stalk was so thick and long, like a tree, So I saved them and will shred them to put in something raw.
Gas is the best! If I ever have to go back to electric, it will be on an old coil type, or an induction stove top. I really hate the glass top stoves even if they are easy to clean. They have to cycle on and off so whatever you cook isn’t consistent. Gas is truly the best, and so reliable. That Joe and his friends would like to get rid of them for us, and not them, just gets me so angry.
Beautiful!
I can never get cilantro to do well for me here. I must not get enough sun.
Well...came home from 2 week vaca to Montana...all unprotected kohlrabi, brocc & brussel sprouts denuded of their leaves. Oh, and peas completely decimated. I hate California ground squirrels...aka grey diggers.
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