For you, Kathy, Happy Birthday, a little late! This Hosta is Frances Williams, one of the first I ever bought, and a split of my original, brought here from my other house. I raked up the Cenotaph garden today, took about ten minutes, and a good thing too, as it is absolutely freezing cold, and really windy. The sun is out though, so all is not lost. Gee, Eden, that Bella is a sweetie! I chuckled though, at the egg-hunt photo, because I could tell that you had had many pots on those steps in the past! We got TCS to church on time this morning, shirt and tie, understanding that he has to be quiet and not squirm too much. It was a communion Sunday today. In the past, TCS has always declined, but, feeling very grown up he decided to participate. Who in their right mind would give a seven year old a small plastic cup of grape juice and make them sit there and hold it for 15 minutes? By the time he got to have it, he had split the cup and had to drink out of the side of it. He got his piece of bread and played around with it until it no longer looked like bread. He ate it anyway, and pronounced it delicious. How spiritual. DH and I could hardly keep a straight face through the whole service. Having a lovely quiet day today, counting my blessings and thinking about my gardens. I had lots of stuff I wanted to say to you folks, but I have been interrupted so many times that I forget what I was going to say. So, on that happy note, I am off to cook a wonderful meal of mac and cheese (home made, at least) and hotdogs for the masses. Cheers, Julie

Interesting thread! I don't mind being told what to bring but in my group of friends, it's pretty much understood that we'll bring something when invited. I'm also one who means it when I say Don't bring anything, so when someone tells me not to bring anything, I don't. But when someone tells me what to bring, I prefer it to be a category, such as appetizer or dessert. Then I can decide what I want to make. Unless they are specifically requesting a particular dish I've made before and want me to make again, which is fine too. But recently I was invited to a party and asked, what can I bring? and they told me a specific thing. Now the reason I didn't like that is because it was something that didn't require cooking, and I'm known in my circles as someone who cooks and I usually get compliments on whatever I make. This was a party where there would be several of my regular circle of friends in addition to a lot of people I don't know (or know very well). I did bring what they wanted, thinking that they probably had a set menu in mind, and this was the exact thing they needed to fill the bill. Well it turned out that it was a huge party, lots and lots o' food, no matter what I brought it would have been fine so the specific thing they requested was not specifically needed and I would have been happier bringing something I'd figured out on my own. No biggie really but I wondered if they weren't used to people asking WHAT to bring, and didn't really get that the best answer would have been a category instead of being so specific. I do believe most everyone just brought whatever they wanted because there was a pretty big overabundance of desserts, which, IME, is what you get when people decide what to bring without at least some guidance. Anyway, this party is an annual event, we went again this year and when I RSVP'd I just said, I'll bring an appetizer & wine, and left it at that. Easiest all around. It's a fun party and the savory food gets eaten as if locusts have descended and desserts are overflowing.

Maureen; here is the recipe I use, it is a bit detailed but the results are worth it. Here is a picture of the first aging, This was a triple batch. Homemade Limoncello Recipe Ingredients list: One Bottle (750 ml) Everclear (95% alcohol 190 Proof) ÂOne Bottle (750 ml) good but not necessarily premium vodka (40% alcohol 80 Proof) If you cannot find Everclear you can use 100 proof, Smirnoff Blue label. Or just 2 bottles of 80 proof vodka Â15-20 lemons (without scars or flaws in the skin if possible, & NO pesticides) Âabout 3 cups filtered tap water or distilled water (not mineral water) Â4 cups pure cane white sugar. SUPPLIES: Âvery clean and dry gallon glass jar cone shaped coffee filters. (#4 size) ÂLarge glass pitchers. ÂOne cup sized measuring cups Âladle. Âfunnels (to fit the #4 coffee filter,) Âsmaller bottles for bottling into. Step One Day 1: Pour the bottle of Everclear and/or the bottle of vodka into the gallon jar. ÂWash off & dry lemons. ÂUse a potato peeler to peel just the yellow part of the skin off the lemons. Make sure you have NO white pith on the back of the peels, because this causes bitterness in the finished liqueur. Try to make the peel pieces as large as possible, because this will make the straining process easier. ÂPut the lemon peels in the gallon jar and stir gently. ÂCover tightly and put away in a cool (not cold) dark place for alcohol to extract oils from peels, creating an infusion. ÂOccasionally stir or swirl to mix up the oils. ÂLet it set for at least 15 days, preferably 40 days. Step Two ÂDissolve sugar in water and bring to boil over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Â*If you want to make the Crema version use the milk, water, sugar mixture below instead of the water sugar mixture above. Or you can do a recipe of each. To have both kinds. (You may end up with leftover syrups.) ÂSet syrup aside to cool. (Must be cool to cold before adding to infusion.) ÂUse a slotted spoon to scoop lemon peels from the infusion and discard. Âstrain the infusion thru the filters to make sure all the peel is removed ÂMeasure and add the syrup, (either crema or clear) to the alcohol ÂTHE PROPORTIONS ARE 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 OF SYRUP TO 1 OF ALCOHOL INFUSION. Or to taste, IF IT IS TOO STRONG IT COULD CURDLE. Why this varies is if you cannot find the 100 proof vodka you could use regular vodka, it will not be as strong, so you will use less syrup/crema. ÂIf it does curdle add more syrup until the curdles dissolve. ÂStrain the mixture again through filters into large pitcher. (This is a messy process. If it is the cream syrup I filter it at least twice. The filters will clog quickly and you will use many of them.) In this step I may add a drop or 2 of yellow or orange food color & sometimes a drop or 2 of CLEAR vanilla extract. ÂYou should taste it to see the strength, and adjust it if necessary, but watch out cause it will getcha!!  ***it does mellow out as it sets.  Return to cool dry place for at least for 40 days to begin mellowing process that combines alcohol infusion with syrup to create Limoncello. It needs this setting time. ÂThen Drink (always serve very cold) & enjoy!!! ***This liqueur is homemade and for private use only. Not intended to be sold or served commercially Crema di Limoncello ________________________________________ This is a Cream variation on the standard Limoncello, Âa quart of milk, Best to not use whole milk. Use 2% Do not use low or fat free Âa pound of pure cane sugar, Âa pint of distilled or filtered water: Combine the water, milk, and sugar and bring it to a boil 4-5 times, removing it from the burner & stir it down each time it boils up. (do not let it scorch) This helps it from curdling subsequently. Once the milk has boiled up for the last time, remove it from the fire and let it cool to room temperature. Stir in the alcohol, at which point the mixture should become thick and creamy. Then start pouring it through a coffee filters in the funnels to filter out any curds or film, that may have formed. Let it sit in the fridge or in a cool dark place for 30 days, and it's ready to serve. Best if kept in the refrigerator. When making the crema version after mixing the cooled milk mixture with the alcohol, I strain it 2 more times, or you may get a cream layer at the top of the bottle. Also I use a drop or 2 of yellow food coloring to brighten up the color, just like the regular version. You can also use oranges in the same way, then use a drop or so of orange food color. It will taste like a frozen orange crème-cicle.

Sorry to be late to your party AM, maybe I'll join in Friday night. For sure I'll clink to you and your friends. What a wonderful gift from your family...let me see and guess which number birthday this is! LOL Happy Birthday, Sharon