Deer hate the taste and/or smell of Brugmansia, Datura, Amaryllis, and Ajuga, so they usually stay completely clear of them. However, they are particularly fond of Camellia. Camellia isn't poisonous to them, so you'll probably have to find some way to guard your Camellias against browsing.

I have a new favorite guilt free munchie! I had way too much eggplant on hand the other day and started experimenting. I've always liked hummus, but the texture tended to be a bit grainy for me. I also like a variety of eggplant dips, but often the texture is a bit slimy. So I sort of combined the two. I'm sure others have done the same thing, but this came out very tasty, and served with fire roasted Pappadoms or vegetables for dipping, it is pretty low in calories and fat, and has significant food value as well! Eggplant-Bonzo bean dip 1 can garbanzo beans (15.5 oz) 1 T zaatar (optional) 4-6 cloves 1 T olive oil ½ t red pepper flakes 1 pound Japanese or Chinese eggplant 3 T tahini ½ t salt 1 T black sesame seeds, toasted & lightly bruised in a suribachi* 1 T white sesame seeds, toasted & ground to a paste in a suribachi. Drain & rinse the garbanzo beans. Slice the garlic and saute lightly in the olive oilÂyou just want to take a bit of the raw flavor away, not brown it. Roast the eggplant over an open flame or in a broiler until the skin chars, then let it sit in itÂs own heat until cool enough to handle comfortably. When you poke them at this point they should be quite soft. Peel them without worrying if some blackened flakes remain on the meatÂin fact, if they peel too well I often keep a bit of the blackened skin on purpose as it adds a nice smoky flavor. Put all the ingredients except the sesame seeds into a food processor and puree until smooth. Stir in the sesame seeds, taste and correct for seasonings. *A suribachi is a Japanese style, pottery mortar and pestle that has ridges inside the bowl of the mortar that makes grinding things like sesame and spices easier. ItÂs a real pain to grind the sesame seeds in a normal mortar, so if you havenÂt a suribachi, youÂre better off grinding them in a mini processor or spice mill. You have to be careful with the black sesame, as it needs to be only a bit bruisedÂground enough to release the aroma but not turned into a paste. If you canÂt find black sesame, white can be used interchangeably, as it wonÂt affect the flavorÂthe black is just pretty.

Sounds like a fun get-together! Here are some ideas. Vegetable Pizza 2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls 11oz cream cheese 3/4c mayonnaise 1/3 pkg dry ranch dressing mix 1tsp dill weed 1 tsp garlic powder Chopped fresh vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cucumber, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, green onions, tomatoes, etc.) Bacon bits (optional) Sunflower seeds (optional) 1c grated cheese (cheddar, american or swiss) Press crescent roll dough into bottom and up sides of jelly roll pan. Bake according to package directions. Cool. Mix together cream cheese, Mayo, Ranch Dressing, Dill and Garlic until smooth. Spread over cooled crust. Chop vegetables into small pieces and sprinkle over pizza. Top with bacon bits, seeds and cheese. Refrigerate for several hours, then cut into squares and serve. For this one I have made it without cutting the shrimp and just served it up in a large serving dish. I have also frozen used pre\-cooked shrimp (thawed, of course). (There's vodka in it tho, not sure the ages of your nieces and nephews. Mine are all adults) BLOODY MARY SHRIMP Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 hr Servings: Makes about 50 hors d'oeuvres For shrimp 1 pound medium shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery (3 to 4 ribs) 1 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 6) For sauce 1/2 cup ketchup 1/4 cup vodka (preferably Absolut Peppar) 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons bottled horseradish (not drained), or to taste 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Tabasco Prepare shrimp: Bring a large saucepan of salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 2 quarts water) to a boil. Add shrimp, then remove from heat and let stand in water until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cut shrimp into thirds and transfer to a large bowl with celery and scallions. Make sauce: Whisk together all sauce ingredients, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste. Just before serving, stir sauce into shrimp mixture. Spoon 2 shrimp pieces with vegetables and sauce into individual Chinese soup spoons and arrange spoons on a platter. Cooks' notes: • Shrimp can be cooked and tossed with vegetables 4 hours ahead, then chilled in a sealed bag. Bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before tossing with sauce. • Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. This one is Seagrass' recipe and we love it! FALL APPLE DIP (8 servings) 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped, salted peanuts (without skins) 3 apples, sliced but not peeled (I like to use a Golden Delicious, a Granny Smith and a red\-skinned variety for the most color) 1/2 cup orange juice Combine cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla in a bowl \- mix until smooth. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. Dip apple slices in orange juice and arrange around the cream cheese mixture. (Can transport apple slices in a container or ziplock bag in the orange juice, then arrange when ready to serve). Linda

Here is my Spiced Nut Recipe: Spiced Nuts 2-TBSPs. Butter 3- cups nuts ( I use a combo of walnuts, pecans,peanuts and almonds) 1-TBSP. Worcestershire sauce 1-tsp. Chili powder ½-tsp. Garlic salt ¼- tsp Cayenne pepper Melt butter in pan in a 300 degree oven. Add Worcestershire sauce and nuts. Mix well. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove nuts from oven and sprinkle with spices.