There are quite a number of irises that look like Eleanor Roosevelt to me. Here in CA, they go by names like Grandma's Purple Flag. They tend to grow very well here, bloom a lot, and be quite small plants. People with extensive experience can usually identify them and tell the differences. One thing you can do to prepare to ID your irises as best as possible: start a log book. Make a map and label the plants with markers. In the spring, record how tall the plant is, how tall the flower stalk is, how big the flower is, how many buds it gets and whether they are single- or double-socketed, how many lateral branches come off the main stalk, and whether the base of the plant has a purplish tinge to it or not. You should also record when it begins blooming and how long the bloom period is. Take lots of pictures; clear close-ups help. Note the colors of the beards and the other parts of the flower. Once you look that closely and write down all of the details, you start to notice the differences when you are looking at photos on the Internet. It's fun. Then you can post photos here and Irisgal and others will help you ID them if possible. Renee

Cherry Eggnog Quick Bread 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 1/4 cups eggnog or half and half 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon pure vanilla 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup coarsely chopped candied red cherries Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 5 1/2 by 3 inch mini loaf pans with no stick cooking spray. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir until well blended. Combine the eggnog, butter, eggs and vanilla in medium bowl, stir until well blended. Add to the flour mixture. Mix just until ingredients are moistened. Stir in pecans and cherries. Spoon into prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes when tested with a wooden tooth pick and it comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes and then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks before wrapping with plastic wrap. Wrap when room temperature tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Sue

Made this last year and it was a keeper! Individual Pumpkin custard 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 large eggs 1 can (15 ounces) 100% Pure Pumpkin 1 can (12 fluid ounces) Evaporated Milk Directions PREHEAT oven to 300 F. MIX sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. If desired, cover and freeze filling for up to one month. When ready to bake, simply defrost, mix well and proceed with recipe. POUR into eight 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins on baking sheet. BAKE for 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in custard halfway between center and edge of ramekin comes out almost clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with dollop of light whipped cream, if desired. ***Served mine at room temperature

I was married for 15 years before my daughter was born. Once I became a mother, I tried to be a "super mom" and do everything I thought a mom should do. That included baking cookies. Odd because I didn't raise her eating a lot of sweets, and she wasn't (and still isn't) big on eating sugar. But, I liked homemade cookies and like everything else I do (all or nothing), I took to it in a BIG way. I had never liked store bought cookies particularly, and when baking, if the recipe called for margarine, instead of butter, then I wouldn't even try the recipe because I felt like their standards didn't measure up to mine. Cookie snob. ;) I baked cookies and if they were really good, I added them to my permanent recipe files. I used to make cookie platters for my friends and neighbors at Christmas. Since I live in a super humid climate, and didn't have central heat, which might have helped take the humidity out of the house....always lived in very old houses...candy recipes could be difficult. But divinity seemed like it belonged at Christmas, but when I made it, it was more apt to be like marshmallow whip. This recipe is a meringue type cookie, but a little bit like divinity. (I said "a little bit"). I got it in one of those Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookie magazines that come out this time of year. Somehow or another, I lost the recipe, and I couldn't remember which magazine it was in, and over the years, some of the magazines had been tossed when I cleaned house. I searched for it on line for a long time, and decided I'd finally have to go on line and try to find the magazine, and buy it, but not knowing what year, I still couldn't be sure. One day I searched for it, and it came up! I am sure this is much to do about very little to most people, but I was really happy to find it again. Black Walnut Drops (I find black walnuts at Kroger.) 2 egg whites 2/3 c. sugar 1 c. finely chopped black walnuts 2 tbsp. flour In a small mixer bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff. Toss the black walnuts with flour; fold into egg whites. Drop the meringue by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 325 degrees until edges start to brown.