Dragon's Orchid Garden

Black Sapote Brownies

2023-01-02T17:31:00.000-05:00

Do you like brownies? Do you like fruit? If yes, then you will love these rich chocolate brownies made with black sapote fruit. My friends, Jimi and Leon, have a black sapote tree. When they give me fruit, I make these delicious brownies. One good sized fruit will provide about a cup of pulp - enough for a batch of brownies. This fruit is not easy to find in stores or even farmer’s markets. One reason is that it ripens REALLY fast. One day it’s hard, the next day, squishy - perfect for scooping out that creamy black pulp. If you are lucky enough to have a tree, try this recipe!

Pistachio Pecan Cookies

2021-12-30T14:59:00.001-05:00

This is a recipe that I’ve used for at least 20 years. A coworker brought these cookies in for a staff holiday party at the library. I loved them so much, I asked her for the recipe. She found the recipe in a magazine such as Ladies Home Journal or Good Housekeeping. Every Christmas, I make these and mail them to far away family. You can find the recipe here. They are scrumptious with a cup of tea or coffee. Enjoy and happy New Year!

Pie is love

2021-03-19T18:08:00.002-04:00

I am set in my ways, but since retiring, I am becoming more open to trying new things. Today, I decided to try a different way to make pie crust. I used a recipe from a cookbook I’ve had for years - Baking with Jim Dodge. The recipe for Flaky Pie Dough was a little more work than the dough I usually make. It turned out beautiful and was so much easier to work with and roll out that I will make it my go to crust.

Recently, I read an inspiring article in the Tampa Bay Times. Pie, once despised, became her pandemic salvation: Brittany Volk of St. Petersburg found solace in meticulous baking of pie, pie and more pie.

This blueberry pie isn’t as pretty as Brittany’s, but the sentiment is heartfelt ❤️.

The Pumpkin Purée Preparation Perplexity

2020-11-13T21:10:00.005-05:00

Several weeks ago, I purchased 3 smallish pumpkins from a display at Bearss Groves that had a sign - “sugar pumpkins” - intending to make pumpkin purée from scratch. They were easy to carve open and roasted quite nicely, yielding about 7 pounds of purée. I froze some, made pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie.

Great! I hadn’t done this for many decades, since I lived in New England and tried it. The purée I made then was pretty awful - not the taste, but the texture, which was stringy. I’m older and I hope, wiser.

Yesterday, I went back to purchase a few more since they were on sale after Halloween. They’d moved them, I thought, so I asked and was pointed to the baking pumpkins. I bought 4 for 10 dollars. At home, I prepared to roast 2 of the 4. First step is cutting out the stem and splitting them in half. I thought, hmmm, these are kind of hard, as I tried to stab my paring knife into the top of the gourd. It was so hard, I tried the other pumpkin. It was the same as were the other 2. This prompted me to wonder if they were actually not quite ripe.

Research after the fact tells me that baking pumpkins can have a harder shell. Ya Think?!! I managed to get a Ginsu steak knife to saw a circle around the stem since I didn’t want to break my good paring knife. I then tried a series of knives to see if I could saw the thing in half. By this time, I was sweating and swearing up a storm. Various knives used to little or no avail:

At this point, my husband came in and suggested a machete. Fine. Either that or a chainsaw. I suppose a machete is less cleanup. He took the gourd I hadn’t already butchered outside and managed to cut it relatively in half after a few glancing blows which cut off some shards.

I can see the difference. Baking pumpkins, besides having a shell like a freaking macadamia nut, have a lot less stringy flesh and roast beautifully. I tried to cut a bit off the bottoms so that they wouldn’t roll on the baking sheet. HAHAHA. Just lean the damned pieces against each other.

I completely understand why people buy pumpkin in a can.

water lily

2014-07-26T20:38:00.001-04:00

The Star of Zanzibar water lily is doing so well that we've had to thin it. Wayne removed a few pads as they were covering the whole pond. We can see Moby again. Littler Orenji is in the lower left and Ghost is hiding, as usual.

it's a bird!...

2014-04-16T22:18:00.000-04:00

As is our habit, my husband and I were sitting on the back porch watching birds at the feeders earlier this evening. He said, "what kind of bird is that?", causing me to look up from my ipad and squint at the faraway feeder. "IT'S A ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK!", I fairly yelled. "You're making that up", responded the spouse. Into the house for the camera...an older Panasonic Lumix...I tried to take a picture of the rare bird sighting. Here is the result:

Okay, so I didn't hold the camera perfectly steady, and the 10x optical zoom didn't work magic by capturing a perfect image of this beautiful male specimen. These birds are not seen in central Florida often, in fact, rarely south of Georgia. They love oil sunflower, like cardinals, their kin. They have several lovely songs. Here is a picture that someone else took...

Do I need a bigger, badder camera or RTFM for the one I've had for years? At least, I know I have to have the camera out in the yard, just in case the unusual happens...oh, and look up from the ipad now and then.

a little clarification

2014-02-09T17:40:00.000-05:00

In 2009, we built a small koi pond. Last year we made it bigger. It's about 300 gallons and is home to our one koi, Moby. We have a good filter system, but lacked a clarifier. Thanks to my brother, Paul, who sent an Amazon gift certificate for Christmas, we were able to buy a TotalPond UV Clarifier for the pond. Wayne installed it a week ago. What a difference! Here's what the pond looked like before:

(except without the carrots, and not as yummy).

The filter was easy to install and will fit 1/2, 3/4, or 1 inch filter hose. We chose to install it outside the pond just in back of the waterfall. It can also be submerged. It will be hidden by plants behind the pond. It has an indicator light that glows blue to let you know it's working.

In just one day the pond was a lot clearer, you could just see Moby.

Today, just 5 days after installation, the water is almost completely clear.

Moby can now see us and tries to hide when we get near. You'd think after 5 years of feeding the ungrateful fish, he'd not be afraid of us. Perhaps he never got over the fright of having his mate attacked by a raccoon.

One day after UV filter installed.

5 days after filter installed.

orchid

2013-11-21T13:23:00.000-05:00

mystery orchid

bookmark obsession

2013-10-04T16:59:00.000-04:00

I collect bookmarks. I knit bookmarks. I design knitted bookmarks. I use bookmarks. My little metal dpns (double pointed needles, usually used for knitting socks) are constantly in my hands. My latest bookmark design is called 'crocus pocus'. The pattern for it is available on Ravelry. It's just a buck.

I've knitted 6 of these so far, given away a couple. The third one in the picture has a big old mistake. Can you spot it? The one on the right was knitted on #3 dpns, instead of 2s, so it's a little bigger. The finished size is about 2 1/4 by 6 1/2 inches without the tassel. The pattern consists of two simple lace charts and is a wonderful way to learn lace knitting and reading charts, which is essential for knitters who would like to tackle more involved lace projects like shawls.

Blocking lace is easy and necessary. Just wet the bookmark and stake it out with blocking pins. Use lots of them, so you don't create peaks. See below:

And now for something from the garden. It's one of my favorite orchids, Bulbophyllum Doris Dukes.

whale, ho!

2013-09-14T17:45:00.000-04:00

We built a small backyard pond four years ago, originally to hold our large Butterfly Peacock Bass, Jack. After Jack's demise, we bought koi for the pond. Moby is now almost four years old and 2 feet long. Last summer we enlarged the pond, replacing the rigid pond liner with flexible liner. We also upgraded the filter system. The one piece we haven't had in the budget is a UV filter. We've had such a hot rainy summer, that the pond has had a perpetual algae problem. Cleaning it is a big job.

Wayne saved the rigid pond liner, which he set up and used to hold the fish while emptying the pond. Lots of muck on the bottom was removed and the filter medium thoroughly cleaned. After refilling the pond with water from our well, we let the filter work for a day. In the meantime, Wayne set up a sun screen so the temporary pond wouldn't get too hot.

Shaded temporary pond on the left

a really big net

Moby now has a nice clean clear pond, as do the 2 large Plecos and the frogs.

We can see him again, and sometimes we can hear the waterfall when the cicadas shut up for a minute.

Moby

Fire pit area, bird feeders and pond

recycled garden - turn trash into pleasure

2013-09-02T21:44:00.001-04:00

Today a neighbor gifted us an old cast iron sewing machine base. It is exactly the right sized base for a piece of granite we had been saving. The granite was cut out of a counter top to fit a sink. For the 100th time, my dear husband stated, "this is why I never throw anything away". You should see our garage...stuffed with stuff just waiting to be used again.

Here is the sewing machine base...

and here's the granite...

and here's the finished plant table with my variegated oregano and a couple of orchids.

Cast offs that would otherwise end up in a landfill can enhance and add a bit of whimsy in a garden. Bowling balls decorate a new planting bed.

A rickety seatless rocker, painted white, frames a plumbago.

More great ideas for junking up (I mean enhancing!) your garden can be found in Garden Junk by Mary Randolph Carter. Your local library will loan you this book and many more absolutely free! How awesome is that?

Next up...what to do when the pond is so green that you can't see a 2 foot long great white koi named Moby.

oh hai

2013-07-23T20:59:00.000-04:00

Are you still there? It's been a while. My friend, CRC, talked me into resurrecting this blog.
Today is her birthday. Happy birthday, my friend. You are exactly one day OLDER than me.
This orchid began blooming this week for our birthdays...yours, mine and Karyn's. I have no clue what it really is because the squirrels stole the tag long ago. I named it Karyn, because her birthday was first.

I promised you I would write today, and I promise myself that I will continue. Next up, goings on in the garden, the craft room, and maybe even the library.

everblooming valentine orchid

2012-03-08T20:58:00.000-05:00

It has been more a year and the Phaleonopsis we bought on Valentine's Day last year is still blooming. The bloom spike, unwound, measures 61 inches.

From orchids

Bearss Groves is on my way home from work. I stop there every week for fresh squeezed orange, or tangerine, or grapefruit juice. Lately, they've also had Phaleonopsis orchids by the register, one for 8 dollars, or two for 15. I cannot resist! I've bought four of them in the last two weeks. Maybe there will be another perpetual bloomer.

hand painted t-shirts

2012-02-09T19:58:00.000-05:00

Thanks to R.Balliot for the phrase, "there's a book for that". I painted two more shirts recently. I make them for friends. They're not for sale. I painted the first one for me over a year ago. I wear it occasionally on casual Fridays. It never fails to get comments from library patrons.

I use Neopaque acrylic paint by Jacquard and a stiff synthetic bristle brush. Masking tape helps me to keep the lines straight. After painting, the fabric air dries for a day. Ironing for 30 seconds front and back sets the paint. I've washed mine dozens of times and the paint is still fine.

name the bookmark

2012-01-31T22:24:00.001-05:00

What the hell happened to the month of January? I blink and it's gone.

I've been busy knitting, drawing, writing with an actual pen on paper...more about the pen and the paper later. I did make a new bookmark, but haven't graphed the pattern, yet.

This is a picture of the 2 test knits for said bookmark. The third and the one I like best is blocking. I need to name it. I'm open to suggestions.

happy chocolaty new year

2011-12-31T19:21:00.002-05:00

Hershey's Special Dark makes a superior s'more. The new fire pit works great. We spent hours last night talking, imbibing and making s'mores with our neighbors, Rick & Melinda. In case you've never made s'mores, roast a couple of marshmallows to your preferred level of doneness. We used some bamboo sticks cut to a point and soaked in water so they wouldn't catch on fire easily. Take two halves of graham crackers and place a generous piece of dark chocolate on one. For a special treat, use peanut butter to glue the chocolate onto the graham. Smash the roasted marshmallow on top with the other graham cracker. Enjoy.

We're going to do it all over again tonight. The weather is calm and warm. Happy New Year to you and yours.

fire good.

xmas tree parts make it sizzle.

fire in the garden

2011-12-29T21:50:00.002-05:00

Shopping list:
marshmallows (chocolate ones, too)
hershey bars
graham crackers

There's nothing like a toasty fire on a cold Florida New Year's Eve. Thanks, Dave and Kim, for the fire pit. Purchased at Home Depot, this fire pit comes with a pivoting ceramic grill (not pictured). We'll post pictures of the first good blaze.

Tibetan singing bowl o'nuts

2011-12-18T19:07:00.000-05:00

From Blogger Pictures

Things have been a bit hectic of late, what with baking and knitting and putting up the holiday bling. I haven't had time to check in here. I will have a new bookmark design up after the holiday. In the meantime, here are pictures of what we've been doing around the homestead.

From Blogger Pictures

I found these beautiful little boxes at Pier1. They're a perfect size for a gently rolled up bookmark.

From knitting

This fun dish or wash cloth is from KrisKnits.

From knitting

I baked six loaves of Zucchini Bread and six loaves of Cranberry Orange Nut Bread as well as dozens of Pistachio Pecan Cookies this weekend. The breads are from Beard On Bread by James Beard. They are delicious and make the house smell fantastic.

holiday knitting delay

2011-11-30T22:01:00.000-05:00

Cats and yarn. I usually knit at my kitchen table. My cats (we have 4), mostly do not bother me when I'm knitting. Sasha, the youngest at five, has decided that evenings are best spent in my lap. This never happens if I'm reading the paper. Or if I'm eating dinner, or if I'm painting at that table. It only happens if I have needles and yarn in my hands. She then feels compelled to gradually get as close as she can. She may try to go for the yarn, but mostly just wants to stop me from knitting. Or so it seems.

murmuration

2011-11-13T19:28:00.001-05:00

What a delightful word for a fantastic avian display.

It's alive!

2011-11-11T22:17:00.000-05:00

Unseasonably cool weather has orchids popping in our back yard. This cattleya hasn't had a bloom since we bought it at an orchid show 5 or 6 years ago. What did we do right this year?

From orchids

We're still learning. Maybe it's the weather. All of our orchids live outside. We live in central Florida. It's a good place to grow orchids. Lc. Evirett Dirkson is the name of this purple beauty and its scent is as beautiful as it's appearance. We may have been a bit more steady with the fertilizer this year. I try to remember the 'weakly/weekly' rule. That means to dilute your orchid fertilizer by 1/4th and water once a week with it.

Orchids can be found on every continent on Earth with the exception of Antarctica. There is at least one that will thrive where you live. Contact a local nursery/florist and ask for native orchids. You just have to try not to kill it :-) Generally, no direct sunlight, and don't overwater! Overwatering kills most gift orchid plants.

From orchids

This is our ever-blooming valentine orchid. I gave it to Wayne on 2/14/2011. It looks like it will still be in bloom through Thanksgiving!

Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder

2011-11-03T22:25:00.000-04:00

Where the hell did the last month go? I've been busy knitting 'stealth projects', as Wendy says on her blog. I recently purchased Wendy Knits Lace and discovered that I don't yet have enough needles. I have several sets of interchangeable circular needles, addi clicks and knitpicks options as well as dpns and straights. I look to the interchangeables to do most everything, but there is a reason they are not normally used for small things like hats and cowls. I think that needs a remedy. The needles on interchangeable sets are longish to account for the joining hardware for the cables. When a 16 inch circular needle is called for, that includes the length of the needles, not just the cable. I've got to purchase a 16 inch circular in every freaking size now, because I have Wendy's book. And I want to knit everything in it, especially Elizabeth's Cowl.

Hey, KnitPicks, why don't you come up with a small interchangeable set?

In the meantime, I want to share my son David's new hobby. He's been making pens with his lathe. Most of these pictured are made from the little blocks of wood used as spacers in cigar boxes. They have wonderful weight and balance. I really like writing with them.

From Blogger Pictures

The Amazon Lily that my friend Tom gave me is blooming for the first time.

From Blogger Pictures

The bulbophyllum Marv Reagan is going nuts with blooms.

From Blogger Pictures

And...the Valentine's Day Phalaenopsis (Chlan Xen Lady) is still blooming with no sign of letting up.

From Blogger Pictures

That's an orchid that has been blooming now for almost 9 months. I'm thinking of contacting Guinness. I could us a case of stout.

autumnal knitting

2011-10-07T21:22:00.001-04:00

This time of year, I miss New England. Though the weather has just turned to a slightly cooler shade of summer in central Florida, it's still subtropical. There are no changing colors and falling leaves. That happens here in the spring when the live oaks drop massive amounts of old brown leaves and bushels of acorns.

Since we don't have the brightly colored maple, birch and elm leaves I grew up with, I knitted some leaves.

From knitting

These can be used as dish or wash cloths, trivets, doilies, potholders, bookmarks, legal tender or replacement leaves for a bare-ass tree. I found two different pattern sets on Ravelry. I'm disappointed that I didn't find a great (free) pattern for a maple leaf, so I'll just have to make my own. These patterns are great for beginning knitters.

The first leaves I knit were from a two pattern set by Tricksyknitter.

From knitting

I then found the Leaf Cloth Trio by Theresa Jones.

From knitting

These are made from Lion Cotton and Peaches and Creme yarns. Small projects like these are perfect for someone with KADD (knitting attention deficit disorder). Leslie Stanfield's book, 75 Birds, Butterflies & little beasts to knit and crochet contains many more wonderful tiny patterns taken from nature.

Plato the Play-Doh Dragon

2011-09-09T21:54:00.003-04:00

Once upon a time, on a balmy Florida Christmas evening, after all of the guests had gone home except for my brother Paul and Patti, I got out the Play-Doh. We turned into children, molding the colorful modeling clay. A tiny dragon was born. Plato is one inch tall. She's about 15 human years old, which is 150 in Play-Doh Dragon years.

From Garden

Obviously stunned by being outside for the first time in her life, Plato contemplates the hand that made her. Before I put her back in the curio cabinet, she muttered, "the measure of a man is what he does with Play-doh".

knit a dragon

2011-09-05T22:16:00.001-04:00

I've been in love with dragons since I was a little girl. I collect them in all sizes, shapes and materials. I draw, paint, knit, or make them with Play-Doh. I just finished this washcloth, made out of my stash of original Peaches and Creme cotton yarn, bought when the company was still based in North Carolina. A Canadian company now owns the brand.

From knitting

I love knitting pictures! This one was found on Ravelry. You'll need to be a member to download it for free. It's called Chinese Fireball Dragon by Michelle Wright. The finished cloth is pictured with a dragon made from dyed hemp fiber.