I did it all today, and I'm going to drag you along rather than pick one thing.
I spent about three hours in my flower beds. I know... it really doesn't look like much of a garden. But I am enjoying finding what's still alive. There will be another story eventually about the bare stalks in the middle.
While I was working out there, I also found these:
I've spent a lot of time hunting for what they might be. My best guess is the eggs of the milkweed bugs that I showed you last summer. If so, they are close to hatching. They start out more yellow and become deeper orange as they approach hatching. Maybe I can take a picture every day and figure it out.
My next goal was to make a double batch of rhubarb muffins, and Om helped with that project. It looks like they have frosting. It's only a little butter-sugar crumbly topping, but it really reflected the light, I guess. Most of them are already in the freezer. To accomplish that storage feat, I had to get a new toy.
My vacuum sealer was really and truly dead. The hot sealing bar no longer would heat. As we were getting ready to make the muffins, I discovered that we were out of brown sugar and that Om had just drunk the last of the milk! So I made a run to Meijer, and hopefully got all my groceries for the week too (I HATE shopping). I decided that I'd get a new sealer. I use it all the time, and we like to seal the muffins in cheap sandwich bags before stacking in a Tupperware box. It keeps them from drying out so much.
Who knew! They now make a deluxe model as well as the regular one. I stood there and read the boxes and wondered if it was worth the extra money. In the end, I bought the one with more features. I really use this gadget a lot, so perhaps more options will be worth it. I'm sure I'll do a review on Shared Reviews after I use it a little more.
Not a very focused post, but a very productive day! Thanks for coming along.
 | See Another Orange Bug for the Milkweed Bug |
Rhubarb muffins... mmm. Makes my mouth water. I hate shopping too. I only go long after it is absolutely necessary.
ReplyDeleteHeres another who dislikes shopping. Especially supermarkets. Give me the village shop every time. Rhubarb muffins are making me hungry.
ReplyDeleteYour flower garden looks like flower gardens should look. At least that's what I think -- for what that's worth (if anything at all).
ReplyDeleteI love rhubarb and those rhubarb muffins look way beyond yummy!
I don't think I've ever had rhubarb anything, but the muffins sure look yummy. Speaking of food, those bug eggs look like jelly beans. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's muffin time.. I'm not sure what's rhubarb is but I'm pretty sure I will be able to eat five of them. It looks really delicious.
ReplyDeleteoh yum look at those muffins. I've wanted one of those vacuum sealers. We have one of those cheapo things that Ziploc makes. It works but not always that well.
ReplyDeletea hiker, a gardener, a baker, and much more. your garden doesn't look bad at all, though mine is very full but doesn't mean it's well taken care of either :(
ReplyDeleteThat was a good, fun, productive day!!
ReplyDeleteEmma- I know! I have to be either completely out of coke or ice cream or veggies to get me into the store, usually.
ReplyDeleteJohn- I found out from Carol (Duxbury Ramblers) that rhubarb is very popular with you folks too.
Chuck- Glad you like my garden- someone needs to!
Ivy- Nice tiny jelly beans! Sorry that rhubarb doesn't like hot climates. It's yummy.
borris- you are young, and can afford to scarf down 700 calories worth of muffins!
Ann- I have really mixed results with the Ziploc pump.
betchai- I keep trying to put more plants in, but I have to get most of them for free, so it's a slow process
Ferd- it was productive! Once in a while I need one of those.
I could really go for a muffin right about now, and those look great. Also I noticed that you said you can use cheap zippy bags with the food saver, how does that work?
ReplyDeleteI would love to try one of your muffins, they do look good but I will have to settle for a slice of rhubarb pie :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE rhubarb and, in the past, during the short season it was available in the grocery, I made dozens of things from pies to cakes to fruit molds, etc. Fortunately, my boys really liked it as well so all those rhubarb calories were not mine alone.
ReplyDeleteJohn- I don't vacuum seal the cheap bags, but just push out most of the air and then use the heat sealer bar only. It's not enough protection for the freezer alone, but then in another tub they keep well for a couple of months. You don't want to vacuum seal bread anyway or you'll squish it.
ReplyDeleteCarol- Feel free to grab one!
Carmen- I have a whole book full of recipes. Of course we aren't eating that much food here anymore. Am promising us one of our fav desserts. Maybe tomorrow night.