Thursday, July 29, 2010

More Zucchini Recipes!

Here are the rest of the zucchini recipes that I promised. Just an interesting tidbit: I was in my Wegmans store yesterday, and the zucchinis are being called, "green squash." I wonder why. Any ideas? Please post, because I'm curious. :-) Anyway, happy cooking!

Zucchini Fritters - from Rebekah, who runs a soap supply business:
Zucchini Bread Recipes - From Tina, who publishes The Essential Herbal Magazine.
http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2005/07/couple-zucchini-bread-recipes.html

Zucchini and Orzo Salad with Basil - From Maryann, who sells soap wholesale, and also makes jewelry:
Stuffed Zucchini: From Pat, who sells handmade potpourri and other herbal and sundry items:
Zucchini Pizza - From Karen, who sells cool garden items:
www.gardenchick.com/garden-blog/2010/07/zucchini-blog-party.html http://www.gardenchick.com/garden-blog/2010/07/zucchini-blog-party.html


Calabacitas: From Cindy, who sells goods she makes, sells books she's written, and tests products for safety:
http://sagescript.blogspot.com/2010/07/calibacitas-blog-party.html

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Yummy Zucchini Brownies

It's a blog party! A bunch of us bloggers are posting our favorite zucchini recipes, and who doesn't need more ways to use the prodigious zucchini? One of my best recipes follows.


Yummy Zucchini Brownies
Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 cups zucchini, grated

1/2 cup extra-virgin coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 - 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 x 15" jellyroll pan. In a large mixing bowl, measure out flour, salt, soda, cocoa, and sugar. Combine eggs, zucchini, coconut oil, and vanilla. Blend into dry ingredients. Stir in nuts, if desired. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

This is a quick, easy treat for your family or friends!


Keep an eye out for links to other delicious zucchini recipes.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Sadness & Joy

I had been busy getting ready for the upcoming CNY Bubbles & Blazes Gathering. It's both stressful and fun for me to plan an event and execute the details in getting there, step by step.

Immersed in my preparations, I was floored just a short time ago to receive an email from Abbie, informing me of the death of Kim Hughes, a fellow b&b artisan. This news really stopped me in my tracks. Kim was young and full of personality. We all enjoyed her at our gatherings, with her southern accent and witty comments. To hear of her passing was surprising and sad.

What can we learn from this? A couple of things that came to mind for me were these:

Most importantly, what is your eternal destiny? Do you know? I believe with all my heart that Jesus died for my sins, died, and rose again so that I had the opportunity to accept that and be forgiven. He did that for anyone who will choose Him.

While we're still here, live like you won't always be here. Love other people, don't carry grudges, forgive others and yourself, work hard and have fun, hug your children, live a life that you don't regret, make sure your life is going in the right direction.

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I know that Monday is usually my day to post my sale, but it just wouldn't be right to post it today. Please see my last post if you need anything and please check back.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Wandering Wisteria

Be sure to check out the great July sale at the bottom!

You can't blame me. I'm a northerner. I knew it grew like crazy in the south, but I would see small, well-behaved wisteria trees here in NY, so I thought it would be a beautiful addition to my garden. It took years to do anything, and finally bloomed after about 7 years. Suddenly, it took off, spreading runners everywhere! I didn't realize the full extent until I discovered it growing into the house siding today. Yikes! I got my clippers out and began pulling and clipping it out.

I got everything I could, and will pull more wisteria out of the siding once it dies. I also hunted for and pulled runners out of the soil, as close to the original trunk as as possible. This one is going to need constant checking!

Does Wisteria have any herbal usages? I'll have to do some research. Maybe I should make wreath bases with the vines.

What about you? Have you ever planted anything you've regretted?

It's time to harvest the catnip. I've got Jewelweed infusing and drying, and lemon balm drying. Love lemon balm tea, and using it in lip balms. I really should cook one of my daylily blooms and see what it tastes like. Have you ever eaten them?

What are your flowers and herbs doing now? I'd love to hear.



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Celebrate your independence by making your own sale. Take 50% off any one item with a $30 order (before shipping). Just let me know which item you want 50% off of. Check out www.SoapAndGarden.com, and see me on Facebook.


Soap scents include: Lavender*, Gingered Orange, Lilac Breeze, Groovy Patchouli*, Black Raspberries & Vanilla, Rice Flower, Mint Medley*, Sultry Sandalwood Vanilla, Fresh Clean Herbs, and Spun Sugar. (*essential oil), Daybreak* (spearmint & eucalyptus), Oatmeal, Milk & Honey, Black Raspberry Vanilla, Midnight Merlot, Peppermint Breeze, Pina Colada, Gardener's regular, Cedar & Sage,and Petal Power Salt Bar, Cucumber Mint, Biergarten, and Rice Flower.

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Not on my site:

Herbal Bath Teas: Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey, Purely Herbal Blend, Four Milk Blend, and Relaxation Blend - just $2/ea.
Liquid shower gel: All natural. 2 oz. for $4; 4 oz. $6.00. In any scent listed above.
Lotion: Hand and body lotion - 4 oz, $7
Foaming Soap: Comes in the seasonal Apple Pie, plus Gingered Orange, Summer Tropical, and Lavender. Just $7/bottle for 6 fl. oz.

You must email me to get the savings. Simply mention GMB.
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Did you know that many people in the world cannot afford the basic necessity, soap, and that many become ill and die simply from the lack of something we take for granted? We at Soap and Garden participate in efforts to provide people with life-saving soap.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Time Flies!





Yikes! So much has taken place since I last blogged. My daughter graduated high school, her grad party is an event of the past, my other daughter and her family came to visit have have returned home, and everything that was blooming in June is gone and deadheaded, LOL.

I thought you might enjoy a couple of photos of my family.

First photo: we got to the grad. ceremony early, so we had a lot of time on our hands for silliness.

Second photo: Emily with Ken and me before the ceremony. Em was almost too tired from her trip to Kansas City to go!

I want to add more photos to this post, but it's not letting me, so I'll post the ad and quit for now.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Celebrate your independence by making your own sale. Take 50% off any one item with a $30 order (before shipping). Just let me know which item you want 50% off of.


Soap scents include: Lavender*, Gingered Orange, Lilac Breeze, Groovy Patchouli*, Black Raspberries & Vanilla, Rice Flower, Mint Medley*, Sultry Sandalwood Vanilla, Fresh Clean Herbs, and Spun Sugar. (*essential oil), Daybreak* (spearmint & eucalyptus), Oatmeal, Milk & Honey, Black Raspberry Vanilla, Midnight Merlot, Peppermint Breeze, Pina Colada, Gardener's regular, Cedar & Sage,and Petal Power Salt Bar, Cucumber Mint, Biergarten, and Rice Flower.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not on my site:

Herbal Bath Teas: Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey, Purely Herbal Blend, Four Milk Blend, and Relaxation Blend - just $2/ea.
Liquid shower gel: All natural. 2 oz. for $4; 4 oz. $6.00. In any scent listed above.
Lotion: Hand and body lotion - 4 oz, $7
Foaming Soap: Comes in the seasonal Apple Pie, plus Gingered Orange, Summer Tropical, and Lavender. Just $7/bottle for 6 fl. oz.
Shower Glow: 10 oz./$10 in any scent I carry.

You must email me to get the savings. Simply mention Blog.

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