Hi kathy, sorry for my delay in my response, I have been so over whelmed with excitement with all the stuff I've received I told my wife I don't know where to start or finish. She told me just start at one corner and go around the yard. Lol.. I am really excited tho I've gone to H/D to get soil,.perlite and now I can start filling pots and making more cacti & succulent projects :) Kathy so this greyish colored plant, is it easily propagated by cuttings the and what are the watering trixs? & does it like full sun or bright light? And thank you for your experience too, its much appreciated. Rosemarie, thanks again as always, your help with the plants names is invaluable. This last picture is a nice wheel barrel pot carrier that also was part of the load, of can't wait to get all settled in there is just so many pots and other goodies I haven't even posted half of um. Greg

You and I both have our pears come in about the same time, which seems to be earlier than other folks. Here's what I put up, and you might want to try some of these. Canned pear halves, also did quarters and diced for other batches. Pear Honey (So Easy To Preserve, page 225) Pear Sauce (Ball Blue Book), page 22 I could live without this, but I don't eat a lot of apple sauce, either. Pear leather (after I realized I didn't care all that much for pear sauce, I used the pulp in my excalibur dehydrator and made some good tasting fruit leather. I roll & cut into tootsie-roll size chunks and wrap in parchment paper. As good as candy. Pear Jelly (Ball Complete, page 111) Very, very good. Tastes like apple jelly. Made two batches of this. Linda Lou's Apple Pie Jam Pear Juice (Ball Blue Book, page 21) for drinking...and adding to iced tea Pear Preserves (So Easy to preserve, page 40), two batches Pear Mincemeat (Ball Blue Book, page 21) based on licking the spoon afterwards, will make really great pies, tarts, etc. More canned pears... And...for the piece de resistance... Upside-down Gingerbread pear cake. Wow, yummy! Still on my list...more canned pears (I had no idea I'd like these so much since I don't care all that much for store-bought canned pears), ginger pear preserves, brandied pears (the Spirited Pears recipe in the Ball Complete book), and probably some more pear honey and pear jam and/or preserves. I'm guessing I still have about 120-150 lbs of pears left to process. All picked and waiting on me. I'm pretty tired. I have also given away a few boxes of pears. BTW...I found out my pear tree is the Pineapple Pear variety, which is an old-timer cooking pear often found on old homesteads and farms. I live on the family homestead and this pear tree has been here for a very long time. Your pear looks just like mine. I beat the squirrels this year, yay! Jill

Made the Southern Living Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake and it was wonderful - and it looked just like the picture! I thought the bananas were a bit too soft; mine were just getting a few brown spots. I think it would work better if the bananas had just turned yellow. Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake One quick flip and this cake tumbles from the skillet perfectly golden and party ready. Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake Photo by: Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell YIELD: Makes 8 servings HANDS-ON:20 Minutes TOTAL:1 Hour, 18 Minutes COURSE: Desserts, Cakes/Frostings Ingredients 1/2 cup chopped pecans (We used walnuts) 1/2 cup butter, softened and divided 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons rum 2 ripe bananas 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose baking mix 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 350�. Bake pecans in a single layer 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring once. 2. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a lightly greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 9-inch round cake pan (with sides that are at least 2 inches high) over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar and rum. 3. Cut bananas diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices; arrange in concentric circles over brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle pecans over bananas. 4. Beat granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add milk and next 2 ingredients; beat just until blended. Beat in baking mix and cinnamon until blended. (Batter will be slightly lumpy.) Pour batter over mixture in skillet. Place skillet on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan. 5. Bake at 350� for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in skillet on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate, spooning any topping in skillet over cake. Southern Living NOVEMBER 2011

I remember my great-grandmother baking a chocolate pudding cake when I was a child, though I don't remember if she made hers from scratch or from a box. Anyhow, here is our family's favorite recipe. Chocolate Upside Down Pudding Cake 1 cup flour 1 tablespoons baking powder cup cocoa powder ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup sugar ½ cup margarine ½ cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Sauce: ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup cocoa 2 cups boiling water Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Add the sweetener, margarine, milk and vanilla and mix together until Âjust mixed. Spread in a lightly oiled casserole dish. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and cocoa. Sprinkle evenly on top of the cake mixture. Carefully pour the boiling water over top. NOTE: DO NOT MIX THIS TOGETHER! It will do its own thing in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. To serve, scoop out portions  the cake will be on top and the pudding will be on the bottom. If you are interested in more pudding cakes - here is a post I saved from a year or so ago on the cooking forum regarding pudding cakes. (Sorry, I didn't save who posted what recipe.) I have only made the blueberry pudding cake and it was excellent. Lemon Pudding Cake 2 eggs, separated 2/3 cup milk (increase to 1 cup if you like lots of sauce) 1 tsp. grated lemon peel 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup flour 1/4 tsp salt Beat egg white until stiff and set aside. Beat egg yolks slightly; beat in milk, lemon peel and juice. Beat in dry ingredients until smooth. Fold into egg whites. Pour into ungreased 1 qt casserole or pan. Place casserole into square 9x9 pan, on oven rack, and pour in 1" very hot water. (I dont always do this and it turns out ok) Bake at 350 until golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. Can serve warm or cold. GINGERBREAD PUDDING CAKE 2-1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 1-1/2 tsp. Baking soda 1 egg 1-1/4 tsp. Ginger 1 tsp. Cinnamon 1/2 tsp. Salt 1/2 tsp. Allspice 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg 1/2 cup softened butter 1 cup molasses 1-1/3 cups melted butter 1 cup water 3/4 cup brown sugar 1-1/2 cups hot water Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and nutmeg, and set aside. In a large bowl beat ½ cup softened butter and sugar on medium until creamy; add egg and continue beating until well mixed. Continue by adding flour and alternating with molasses and 1 cup water. Pour into greased 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. In medium bowl combine 1-1/2 cups hot water and melted butter. Gently pour over batter. Bake for 40-55 minutes or until top cracks. Serve hot with cool whip or whipped cream. Yummy! Recipe by Jennifer Jeffries of Texas. APPLE PUDDING CAKE A fruity, crusty, gooey version of the crusty, gooey and more familiar chocolate pudding cake. Cake mixture: 1 cup chopped pecans 2/3 cup vegetable shortening 1-1/3 cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground nutmeg 2 cups all-purpose flour 6 cups peeled and chopped apples (about 5 medium apples) Sauce mixture: 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar 2 Tblsp. flour 1/4 cups (1/2 stick) butter 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup water 1 cup heavy cream, optional Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease a 13- x 9- x 2-inch pan. In a frying pan over low-medium heat, toast the pecans until they begin to color and become fragrant, about 7 minutes. Pour into a dish and set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour, and beat into the sugar mixture. Fold in the chopped apples and the nuts. The mixture will be stiff. Spread into the prepared pan. (Don't bake it yet.) In a medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar and the 2 tablespoons of flour. Add the butter, vanilla and water, stir, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil gently for 3 minutes, stirring often. Pour this hot sauce evenly over the batter. Do not stir. Bake 1 hour. Serve warm, with whipped cream if desired. Serves 10 to 12. From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 6/14/01. BLUEBERRY PUDDING CAKE 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw) 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 cup milk 3 Tblsp. butter or margarine, melted Topping: 3/4 cup sugar 1 Tblsp. cornstarch 1 cup boiling water vanilla ice cream, optional Toss the blueberries with cinnamon and lemon juice; place in a greased 8- inch square baking dish. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder; stir in milk and butter. Spoon over berries. Combine sugar and cornstarch; sprinkle over batter. Slowly pour boiling water over all. Bake at 350° F. for 45-50 minutes or until cake is golden and tests done. Cool a bit and serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6. Recipe from: Taste of Home magazine. DATE PUDDING CAKE 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1 tsp. Baking powder 1/2 cup milk 1 cup chopped pitted dates 1-1/4 cups boiling water 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1 Tblsp. Margarine or butter 1 tsp. Vanilla Unsweetened whipped cream (optional) Grease a 2-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and the baking powder. Add milk; mix well. Stir in the chopped pitted dates; spread the batter in the prepared baking dish. In a medium mixing bowl stir together boiling water, pecans or walnuts, the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, margarine or butter, and vanilla; pour over the date mixture in the baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350° F. oven for about 30 minutes or until set. Serve warm with unsweetened whipped cream, if desired. Makes 12 to 16 servings. CINNAMON PUDDING CAKE 1 3/4 c. brown sugar 1 ½ c. cold water 2 Tbsp. Butter 1 c. milk 1 c. sugar 2 Tbsp. Butter 2 c. flour 2 tsp. Baking powder ½ tsp. Salt 2 ½ tsp. Cinnamon ½ c. chopped walnuts ( optional ) Preheat oven to 350° Combine brown sugar, water & 2 Tbsp butter in small saucepan, bring to a boil, remove from heat & set aside. Cream together 2 Tbsp. Butter and sugar, add milk, then add flour, baking powder, salt & cinnamon.Spread in ungreased 9 x 9 x 2 in. Pan or oven proof dish. Pour reserved brown sugar syrup over batter-sprinkle with nuts. Bake 35-40 min.