I started out by helping Grampa with his garden. As I was growing up Mom had a garden as well. I helped out with that as well. Several years ago when I lived in the eastern part of the state I was working for a cattle ranch. I mentioned my love of gardening to the owner's wife. The next day I was given orders to make her the nicest garden in the county. I did just that. It took two weeks of work to the get the 1 acre fenced garden for row crops done. As well as the 12 raised beds near the house done. A landscape company did the work for installing the irrigation system with timers for everything. I planted lots of different things throughout all of the beds. Two were for peppers. One bed of sweet peppers, one bad of hot peppers. I also did 6 large planters (Half wine barrels on rollers that could be taken into the garage for cold snaps.) The large planters were planted with jalapeno, pablano, bell, gypsy, and one habanero.) The ones in planters lived for 4 years. The hab plant wound up looking like a tree. They said they had to use a t post to support it when it started setting fruit. Fast forward a couple of years to the house I moved into, and still live in. Two years ago my wife wanted a garden. Her attempts just were no working so I stepped in to help out. I then added one for myself. The next season I go to have it all for me. She just helps out with harvesting. This past season I had a way better than expected harvest of everything. Last year my heat level for growing was Mexibell, jalapeno, and pablano. I picked up a couple of super hots at grocery store that I stumbled into. They are inside now. And have pods ripening now. I was in on the holiday seed swap here. I now have a heat mat, and thermostat with 20 seeds started. As those sprout they will be taken off of the heat, and others placed there to replace them. I will continue with this as long as I have room. I am bad enough I have even given thought to renting a community garden plot from the city to have a little more space to plant some more peppers.

Dusty: niiiiiice work on them hab cookies! They look a little more polished than our rustic batch, but with the same cool little orange hab pieces sticking out of the top and sides! mudman: you'll definitely get more heat if you put in more habs. It's hard to say why your cookies aren't very hot. Could be the habs (mild plant, or hot plant but a mild batch of habs after a rainstorm - mine do that), or the mix of ingredients, or your heat tolerance, etc. I've found it's just kind of a crap shoot. That's why I usually just put 5 habs, 3 with seeds/ribs removed, into almost any mid-sized recipe like these cookies - there's a randomness factor involved with the heat, so I figure that quantity provides an average, everyday hot-but-tolerable heat level that can then be tweaked as needed. The butter and sugar in this recipe definitely absorbs and disperses some of the heat, but still, it shouldn't be mild with 4 habs w/ seeds and ribs. Maybe try 5 or 6 next time. I should note that the tapenade has a higher perceived heat level than the cookies, so if you're trying to make something brutal and cruel, that might be something else to try ;) Also, have you tried a raw hab off your plant to verify the heat level? Sometimes they come off the plant milder, due to weather. good luck!

A friend of mine sent me this recipe, and she makes them. She's never baked them in the microwave. I doubt if I would either because I wouldn't bake just one, but it might be worth a try. It sure would be a handy dough to have on hand. Refrigerator Applesauce Wheat Muffins Favorite Recipes --The Muffin Cookbook Mix up this batter and refrigerate in a tightly covered plastic bowl. If you cook for one, you can scoop out batter for one muffin at a time. Bake in the microwave oven for 30 to 50 seconds, or in conventional oven. 3/4 cup All-purpose Flour 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp Salt 1 cup Quick-cooking Rolled Oats 1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar 1 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 3/4 cup Buttermilk 1/4 cup Applesauce 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil 1 egg, beaten 1/4 cup Raisins Directions: In large bowl, combine flours, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In small bowl, combine buttermilk, applesauce, oil and egg until blended. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in raisins. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 10 days. Microwave: Line 6 microwavable muffin-pan cups with double paper liners. Spoon batter into each cup filling 1/2 full. Microwave at HIGH (100%) power, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Rotate dish 1/2 turn halfway thru cooking. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure. For last 3 muffins, line 3 muffin cups with double paper liners. Microwave at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Makes about 15 muffins. Conventional: Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease or paper-line 12 (2 1/2 inch) muffin cups. Spoon batter into cups. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean Makes 12 muffins. Note: Have never cooked in the Microwave

Thanks for the vote of confidence, plllog! I do love shortbread (my old boss said it was just sugar, held together with butter, LOL), but my kids really prefer chocolate chip and those flourless peanut butter cookies. They do like the peanut butter cookies baked in a mini muffin cup and then when still hot, they stick a mini Reese's cup in the middle. MmmmHmmm. lpink, I do can it because I have pears on the trees in the fall, and they don't last until Christmas. It's actually a recipe that's meant to be canned, but it could easily be reduced and just used when made. I do reduce the sugar, depending on the ripeness and sweetness of the pears, I add half the sugar, cook a few minutes, taste, add more sugar until it is to my liking. It does thicken as it cools, as it's actually a conserve type of mixture. I don't always have to cook the entire 40 minutes, as sometimes it reaches a suitable thickness in less time, depending on the juiciness of the pears. I like the spicy flavor, it reminds me of mincemeat. It's good in pies but I actually like it best in filled cookies, like the filled date nut type, or in a thumbprint cookie. Bud likes a dollop of it baked in the middle of a bran muffin. Old Time Pear Mincemeat (Farm Journal Freezing and Canning Cookbook) 7 lbs. ripe pears 1 lemon 2 lbs. seedless raisins 6 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup vinegar 1 tbls ground cloves 1 tbls ground cinnamon 1 tbls ground allspice 1 tbls ground nutmet 1 tsp ground ginger Cor and quarter pears. Quarter lemon, removing seeds. Chop raisins, lemons and pears (If you use the food processor be very judicious, the pears will puree easily. I leave the peels on the lemons, and I put the lemons and the raisins in the food processor, but I chop up the pears by hand so they stay in definable pieces) combine remaining ingredients in large kettle. Add chopped fruit mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer 40 minutes. Pack into hot jars and process in a hot water bath 25 minutes for pints. Annie