Mark - Malabar spinach is an ornamental for me too, I don't like the slimy texture but for sure it looks pretty! I have to see the u-tube video from Echo, it is a good place to visit at least one time, interesting. Tom - Smarty seeds will follow. About the callaloo, the ones that I originally planted were kind of green and Maxine told me just sprinkle, I didn't think they were going to come up but they did, seeds are very small. Now I have them coming up by themselves where I had them before. I think you can use them fresh(green) or mature and they come, just sprinkle them where you want them to grow, you can probably mix them with fine starter medium or peat moss and just put them on top, press so when you water the seeds don't run. Louie was recovering for over a month and gained weight,I told him welcome to the club,lol. He said too many pringles and not enough vegetables plus he was bored,lol. Silvia

I'm with Judi! I need a pre-hug because I am SOOO dreading the whole thing. Hubs is going out east to spend the holiday with his kid and grandkids. I am totally FINE with that, there's not really room for me in the house, and I don't want to take the risk of covid exposure for me and my 90 year old Dad. I don't usually enjoy long visits there anyway, it's a chaotic household so really best if we keep visits short and sweet. Hubs wants to spend a lot of time there, so he'll be happy and I'll be happy. I really can't be away from my Dad for a long, long time anyway, particularly far away. So I would really love and enjoy a quiet holiday ALONE. But on the downside, I will have to be around my Dad, who takes every opportunity to be miserable and remind everyone why they should be miserable, and make issues about things that aren't issues. He'll spend the whole time lamenting that we are "alone" on the holiday, because I guess I am just chopped liver. He'll revisit every death and estrangement and person who ever spent the holidays with us and isn't there. He'll claim he has no appetite and doesn't feel like eating whatever I make, complain that I made too much, and the only thing worse would be if I didn't do anything. He's clinically depressed and refuses any treatment for it. Which is fine, but he needs to make everyone around him miserable too. Oh, and he has a lovely invitation to spend Christmas with his godson, but insists that I have to come too. I don't want to go due to covid exposure and besides I don't even want to go, it's a long drive. They are lovely people but I would prefer seeing them at a time that is less pandemic complicated. But if my Dad wanted the whole Hallmark Christmas scene he could have it there. But he insists on me going, even though I really really don't want to. Frankly having him gone would give me some much needed rest, but he refuses to take that easy route. So now he's off in search of some public party and gathering at Christmas, Lord knows why he feels like he has to do that. I guess a little covid or flu risk is the way to go. We live in a very high transmission area. So I'm just dreading the whole affair because no matter what I do, it will be wrong/bad,/problematic. Hubs and I are having vegetarian lasagna for our Christmas dinner before he leaves. Not sure what else I will make. Probably just a salad and maybe some cranberry pistachio biscotti and tea if I can get the darn things made in time . . . Dad and I will be having cornish hens, sweet potatoes and wild rice pilaf, with an apple bundt cake for dessert. If I don't feel like fussing I might just make a small apple coffee cake in a square pan instead. I love my apple bundt cake but it takes five thinly sliced apples in layers so it's a lot of work. Or I might make cranberry cherry cobbler, that's always easy peasy but also impressive.

My plate of favorites would include white and dark meat turkey, rustic (made with unpeeled potatoes that are not mashed until they no longer resemble potatoes) mashed potatoes with a bit of whole milk and butter, kasha (buckwheat) stuffing, fresh green beans with mushrooms, turnip puff, cooked carrots with a hint of maple syrup and browned butter, turkey gravy for the stuffing and potatoes, and a raw fruit salad with a touch of lime juice and honey. I’m not much of a dessert eater, but I like a creamy lemon pie with a crushed animal cracker crust, usually called North Carolina lemon pie, I think. I may have to make one tomorrow. I first had the kasha stuffing when I went home with a college friend for T-day and have made it since then. Wonderfully flavored with everything you’d put in a bread dressing, it is a delicious alternative to a festive feast. Buckwheat is gluten free for those that are interested, by the way.

Lizbeth: For my Green Chile Pinwheels, I use one drained, 4-ounce can of chopped green chiles (Hatch or Bueno are my preferred brands for quality). Here's my recipe for my Biscochitos. Biscochitos Ingredients ¨ 3 cups butter (originally called for lard) ¨ 1 1/2 cups sugar ¨ 2 large eggs, beaten ¨ 1 teaspoon anise extract ¨ 3 teaspoons vanilla extract ¨ 7-8 teaspoons anise seeds ¨ 1 teaspoon salt ¨ 1/’4 cup brandy ¨ 5 cups all-purpose flour ¨ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder ¨ 1/4 cup sugar + 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for topping Directions: 1) Cream sugar and butter. Add in beaten eggs. 2) Next add in the anise and vanilla extracts, anise seeds, salt and brandy. Mix well. 3) Mix in the flour and baking powder. Roll out your cookie dough, thick or thin depending on your preference. 4) Cut into star or flower shapes with cookie cutters, and sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Move to cookie sheets. 5) Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for approximately 12-15 minutes, BUT WATCH THEM! Bake only until golden. Browned cookies will taste terrible! ** This baking time is for our high altitude here at 6,000 ft. You may need to adjust it for lower altitudes!