SWEET HOME AND GARDEN CHICAGO
December 22, 2007
December 21, 2007
A CHRISTMAS MEMORY
Truman Capote's A CHRISTMAS MEMORY is one of my favorite stories. He grew up in Alabama and was taken in by his cousin who, although poor, always scraped enough money together to make 30 fruitcakes which she would send to deserving folks, among them the Roosevelts in the White House.
Our christmases as a child were about simple pleasures -gathering holly and pine boughs from the woods, making a sock doll for my younger sister, carving birds out of wood scraps, making christmas tree ornaments and going to church for the Christmas pageant about the birth of the christ child.
One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories was of my sister Wilma creating the Lane Cake she baked each year. The three or four layers were composed of buttercream frosting, egg yolks, sugar, raisins, pecans, fresh coconut and bourbon. The smells that filled our little house were wonderful and we could hardly wait for Christmas day to sink our teeth into that heavenly creation.
It seems that a Mrs. Lane of Alabama wrote a cookbook around the beginning of the 20th century called Some Good Things to Eat and the cake recipe which won the state fair's first prize became known as Lane Cake. McCall Magazine featured it in an issue and declared that it was one thing you had to taste before you died. It's probably 2,000 calories a slice ! It became an integral part of Southern culture and was mentioned in To Kill A Mockingbird.
FOOD AND WINE Magazine ran a recipe in its February 2007 issue. At the end of the recipe they correctly stated : " Bourbon is key to the filling and a good glass of bourbon is also key. " Just be sure to drink the bourbon after the cake is done or both you and the cake will be soaked.
Our christmases as a child were about simple pleasures -gathering holly and pine boughs from the woods, making a sock doll for my younger sister, carving birds out of wood scraps, making christmas tree ornaments and going to church for the Christmas pageant about the birth of the christ child.
One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories was of my sister Wilma creating the Lane Cake she baked each year. The three or four layers were composed of buttercream frosting, egg yolks, sugar, raisins, pecans, fresh coconut and bourbon. The smells that filled our little house were wonderful and we could hardly wait for Christmas day to sink our teeth into that heavenly creation.
It seems that a Mrs. Lane of Alabama wrote a cookbook around the beginning of the 20th century called Some Good Things to Eat and the cake recipe which won the state fair's first prize became known as Lane Cake. McCall Magazine featured it in an issue and declared that it was one thing you had to taste before you died. It's probably 2,000 calories a slice ! It became an integral part of Southern culture and was mentioned in To Kill A Mockingbird.
FOOD AND WINE Magazine ran a recipe in its February 2007 issue. At the end of the recipe they correctly stated : " Bourbon is key to the filling and a good glass of bourbon is also key. " Just be sure to drink the bourbon after the cake is done or both you and the cake will be soaked.
December 20, 2007
AMAZING AMAZON
I am a frequent shopper at Amazon.com but had never visited their Home and Garden section until a few days ago. Boy was I surprised and amazed at their seed collection - over 17,000 different varieties.
Looking for something special ? Here are but a few unusual varieties :
A Black Sea Man Tomato ? What a colorful salad this would make .
Black Squash
Purple Spinach
A Mum that you cook with ( Chinese and Korean Cuisine )
Lemon Cucumbers
Purple Cauliflower
Purple Carrots
And my personal favorite - The Hillbilly Tomato . Shouldn't that be Redneck Tomato ? Seems it was re-discovered growing in the hills of West Virginia and when sliced open it reveals a starburst pattern.
EVERY thing you need in seeds-heirlooms, new varieties, for those who have large acreage there's seeds sold in the thousands, seeds for rare trees and plants, and every kind of seed accessory you can imagine.
Looking for something special ? Here are but a few unusual varieties :
A Black Sea Man Tomato ? What a colorful salad this would make .
Black Squash
Purple Spinach
A Mum that you cook with ( Chinese and Korean Cuisine )
Lemon Cucumbers
Purple Cauliflower
Purple Carrots
A Weird Shaped Broccoli
And my personal favorite - The Hillbilly Tomato . Shouldn't that be Redneck Tomato ? Seems it was re-discovered growing in the hills of West Virginia and when sliced open it reveals a starburst pattern.
EVERY thing you need in seeds-heirlooms, new varieties, for those who have large acreage there's seeds sold in the thousands, seeds for rare trees and plants, and every kind of seed accessory you can imagine.
December 18, 2007
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
I was invited for a consultation to the garden below . The homeowner, an avid gardener, wanted my advice on how to improve it. She had been gardening for many years and already had a very good beginning. Wiith a few additions and re-arrangements the garden was completed. The most unusual thing about this little urban sanctuary is that it is smack dab in the middle of tall skyscrapers. Imagine hundreds of eyes peering down on you from above.
Urban courtyard with winding paths and planter beds is perfect for small garden.
A lovely low deck with a bench and overhanging Hawthorn tree .
The front garden needed the most help-the bed was too narrow and needed enlarging and there was also hardly any structural shrubs so we went shopping at the garden center and selected a Korean lilac and some large boxwoods for evergreen interest.
I haven't been by the grand old mansion that has been on that busy street for a hundred years. I heard that she sold the house. I can't bear the thought that the beautiful garden she worked so hard on for many years is gone. No doubt there's a huge condo building there now.
Urban courtyard with winding paths and planter beds is perfect for small garden.
A lovely low deck with a bench and overhanging Hawthorn tree .
The front garden needed the most help-the bed was too narrow and needed enlarging and there was also hardly any structural shrubs so we went shopping at the garden center and selected a Korean lilac and some large boxwoods for evergreen interest.
I haven't been by the grand old mansion that has been on that busy street for a hundred years. I heard that she sold the house. I can't bear the thought that the beautiful garden she worked so hard on for many years is gone. No doubt there's a huge condo building there now.
December 17, 2007
REALLY BIG SHOW
You can see why I love Viburnum-beautiful structure even when bare
My pond - a giant size bird bath
Pots of Snow
The Yews looks great with a snowy face
The Rhodo has been wiped clean of the heavy snowfall to prevent breakage
It takes the poets to write about the glories of winter and the rest of us to shovel them.
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