Kathy, when thrips move in they do mess up the pristine beauty of roses, but I think it'll get better if we don't try to use insecticides (which don't help much anyway) and give the beneficial insects time to eat 'um up. Indu, thanks! The roses by the rustic bird house are Valentines, which along with the Knockouts, are among the most prolific blooming varieties that I grow. Incidentally, Valentine will grow as a short climber if they have something to lean on. My neighbor Georgianne has one planted against the trunk of a tree and it's gorgeous. I need to get a picture of her's sometime. It's nice that Valentines are nearly thornless as opposed to Knockout's thorny canes.

I believe you, Rachelellen, that the fish sauce will make especially good kimchee. I am eager to try that in my next batch. It won't take long to use up the current batch. I will add more red pepper next time also. What I made is kind of mild for my taste. I got a BIG bag of the red pepper from an Asian store run by a Korean family. When I told them I wanted it for kimchee they quickly showed me the right one. There was nothing in English on the package which would have helped me to know it was for kimchee. It is just a bit courser than most powdered spices, similar to course ground black pepper. I have several large daikon radishes in my garden. I will use some for kimchee. Rachelellen, do you know if it is possible to make the Japanese pickled radish at home? Regarding the, er, pungency of kimchee, it's one of those odd things about tastes. Why are we repulsed by spoiled food but attracted to foods that are "spoiled on purpose"? Stinky cheese, for example, is very close to repulsive, and is repulsive to some, but many people love it. Jim

How about rum balls made with oreo cookies (found at Chowhound): Midnight Rum Balls 1 small package (8.5 oz.) Oreo cookies 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar 1 cup finely chopped nuts (optional - I leave 'em out) 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (sweetened cocoa is fine, too) 2 Tbsp corn syrup 1/3 cup rum (don't use more!) granulated sugar Put whole cookies in food processor and whiz until finely crushed. In medium bowl, combine crumbs, powdered sugar, nuts, and cocoa. Blend in corn syrup and rum. Wet hands and shape mixture into one-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Store covered, in a cool place. (Rum balls are better after they have "mellowed" for a day or two.) Variation: Prepare marinated cherries: soak a jar of sour cherries in rum or kirsch for a week or two. When ready to use, drain cherries well, then pat dry. Wrap mixture around a cherry and roll in sugar as above. I've also made these cookies with a different alcohol - Chambord (black raspberry liqueur) is really nice. I'll bet an orange liqueur would be good, too.

Hi, Anna. Here is my recipe for Pumpkin Bread, which comes out a dark color and is very moist and stays that way for several days. It also freezes well. The original recipe called for (and I used to make it that way) baking in 1# coffee cans, but we quit buying coffee in 1# cans. Enjoy, it was passed down to me by a beloved Aunt! 1 c. wesson oil 1 c. water 1 can pumpkin (I use Libby's) 4 eggs, slightly beaten 1 t. vanilla (I use Mexican vanilla) Mix together above ingredients. Stir together the following ingredients and add to your wet mixture. 3 c. sugar 2 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1 t. nutmeg 1 t. allspice 2 t. cinnamon 3 1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. pecans Pour combined mixtures into 2 large loaf pans, which are well-greased and floured. Bake at 325 for approximately 1 hour. It seemed every house I've had since I've had this recipe, cooked the bread different. Just check when the top springs back or the old toothpick trick. Don't overcook. Brenda