Secret Sleuthing Santas are always fun too! Ha, maybe I just sent mine out today, or maybe I'll wait till next week to just get y'all into confusion! :-) BUT, I do admit, waiting just gives you more opportunities to practice patience! :-) Waiting to open a present requires patient discipline. (Or maybe the giver is torturing the recipient! :-) Love, Jules

Just planted my cukes, hubbard squash and melons - durned skunks already found the nice cool damp soil for digging, but I think they missed the biggest areas. As luck would have it, I harvested some promising dill weed a few weeks ago, as I didn't notice any promising new dill sprouting. It hung in the kitchen corner on a nail, and this morning I took scissors to it, as it was nice and dry. The smell was mouth-watering, and I think it will be strong enough to flavor cukes, in case I can't find any later. Still prefer fresh tho. Also harvested some horseradish the other day. There was some talk about harvesting at certain times, but I've never noticed any difference. Whenever its done, it smells and tastes just as pungent. (and don't put your nose in the blender when grinding - huh Ken?). I usually add a bit of white vinegar when I do, and then refrigerate. Seems to stay fresh-tasting for long time. This year, I planted some red type garlic (from grocery store - where else?), and though it was smaller than my usual growth of soft neck types, I thought the taste was much more pungent - and garlicky. It may be hard neck - couldn't tell - which usually doesn't like our climate as well. This deserves a bit of research, however, as I really do like the flavor of it. Will harvest some thyme and oregano today - to dry hung in my kitchen corner along with the other dried stuff. So festive - my corners are with the garlic, dried peppers, mints, and dill weed, all on their respective hooks. The thyme and oregano were both planted as ground covers - under my fruit trees. Not sure if they will eventually rob the trees, but with our water problems (and the city looking over my shoulder - to conserve, conserve - or else!), I like the idea, cuz it helps preserve moisture, and they take little water as well. We have had some very dry winters - and I note also that the water smells more chlorinated all of the time. Wonder what effect it is having on the more susceptible plants. The new peppers seem to be a bit more yellowish than I'd like them - although weather is foggy and cool too. Zabby - that Sauvignon Blanc sounds like fun - my only attempt at wine making was a simple balloon type - not especially outstanding - and I figured it was so expensive and bad tasting, that almost any box wine could have beat it by a mile. But then - considering my amateur standing, I wasn't expecting it to be for the connoisseur crowd. Just my 2 c's. Bejay

Here's some info on flax seed. I just recently purchased some, and have added a little to some wheat bread and to some raspberry jam bars. I just bought wheat germ today, so I haven't used it yet. Flaxseed Information INGREDIENTS: Flaxseed Meal Flax Information Sheet: Flaxseed Meal in Recipes- You can use BobÂs Red Mill flaxseed meal as a stand in for some or all of the oil or shortening called for in a recipe. Cooks recommend a 3:1 substitution ratio. For example, 3 tbsp. Of flaxseed meal added to a recipe can replace 1 tbsp of the butter, margarine or cooking oil. When flaxseed meal is used instead of oil, baked goods tend to brown more rapidly. Vegetarian Baking- BobÂs Red Mill Flaxseed meal mixed with water can replace an egg in selected recipes like pancakes, muffins and cookies. These baked goods are gummier and chewier than usual, and the volume is decreased. When using replacement formula, test a recipe first to determine if it meets your expectations. Egg Replacement Formula- 1 tbsp BobÂs Red Mill flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water = 1 egg Mix BobÂs Red Mill flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and let sit for one to two minutes. Add to a recipe as you would an egg. A 3-1/2 ounce serving of flaxseed provides 21g of protein, which is similar to that of soybean. While flaxseed is rich in protein, research suggests the health benefits of this seed probably have more to do with its fat and fiber profile. A healthy diet- Scientific evidence now confirms that flaxseed has three main health benefits: a high content of alpha-linolenic acid, as essential omega-3 fat; large quantities of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber; and the highest plant source of lignans. Nutritional Information- 3-1/2 ounces Food Energy 450 calories Fat 41 g Total Dietary Fiber 28 g Protein 21 g Although about 42 percent of flaxseed is oil, very little of that fat is saturated. More than 70 percent of the fat in flaxseed is of the healthful polyunsaturated type. In fact, a unique feature of the polyunsaturated fats in flaxseed is the high ratio of alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fat) to linoleic (an omega-6 fat). If you click the link, and scroll down the page, they have some recipes there too. Here is a link that might be useful: bob's red mill flax recipes

I love your Golden Meadows and hope mine grows up to look like it . Mine was new last year and is in the left foreground of this photo. I think I have to shift it a little further away from World Cup. I am new to this site and love all your photos and shared experiences.