Making Maple Confectioner's Sugar

It was Mother's Day this weekend but it was also my daughter's birthday.

My grandson and I worked very hard to make his mom a birthday cake. It was a gluten-free yellow cake with a gluten-free icing that was surprisingly good.

My daughter's only request was to make a cake her youngest son could eat. This was a difficult task since he can't have honey or cane sugar. He is allergic to yeast so he has to eat things that don't feed yeast to help keep the yeast at bay.

He can have maple sugar, agave nectar and corn syrup in small amounts.

He wanted to make a yellow cake--not cupcakes--with chocolate decorator's icing. The only thing I could use was maple sugar and make my own version of Confectioner's sugar. This is what I did.

I used my Vitamix blender and poured a cup of maple sugar in at a time and then whizzed it until it was a fine powder. I then added a cup of maple sugar two more times. Be the end, I three light cups maple confectioner's sugar and then I added 3 tablespoons of corn starch and mixed it into the powdered maple sugar.

In a mixing bowl, to the newly powdered maple sugar, I mixed in 3/4 cup of cocoa, 3/4 cup of butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla flavoring and 1/3 cup of almond milk. I mixed all of this well. The resulting frosting was silky smooth and make a very good decorator's frosting.

I was quite amazed that I could make Confectioner's sugar this way. I know that if I was short on regular Confectioner's sugar, I could make it out of regular cane sugar with my Vitamix blender. I was very surprised by how well it worked.

We did have one very happy boy who loved his cake, by the way. My daughter loved making him happy.

Mosquito plants

 My daughter moved this summer and some of our wonderful friends from church gave her a couple of mosquito plants for her deck as a going away preset. It is actually a member of the geranium family and if you brush the leaves, they release a citronella fragrance that is very pleasing.

The leaves are shaped a bit like geranium leaves but they are kind of rough and prickly and it is a plant that has done really well in hot and dry weather. This year has been a true test for potted plants because it has been so hot and dry. It's a great plant for any deck that is not shaded.

Does it repel mosquitoes? I would think it does because the odor is exactly like citronella extract. I haven't seen any bugs on the plant and I would think it would at least be a help for insects that are don't like the smell. I don't think any kind of citronella candles will keep them away if there is an infestation. But, even if this plant didn't do much to keep the bugs at bay, it would matter because it is a great smelling plant.

I do know that it is a semi-tropical tender perennial and will have to come in when the weather changes. I don't think it will survive a frost but it should live inside through the winter. Meanwhile I just love it when the leaves flutter in the breeze because I like the lemony smell of citronella.

Mountain Laurel

I've have rarely ever seen mountain laurel in our neck of the woods. I have seen it at Callaway Gardens, south of us and been mesmerized by the beautiful blooms when hiking in the mountains of North Carolina but my mother pointed out this brilliant display recently on the edge of her back yard.

She said she has fertilized it and worked on it year after year with mixed results, but this year it was a real treat.

 I couldn't stop taking photos of it. It was brilliant and made a showplace of her shady spaces. I had to make a note to myself before I was finished. Shade and Mountain laurels go together. At some point this year I will be trying to root one of these beauties to see if it can grow in the shady canopy that is my back yard.

When I could tear myself away from the beauties growing overhead, I noticed the pretty ferns growing all under the laurels. What a beautiful treat. I hope you enjoy the view, too.

Another look at my strawbales

I pledged to give updates about my squash straw bale garden and here is another peek. I am growing some squash in my straw bales as an experiment. My strategy is that I can avoid the early infestation of squash vine borers if I can just get my bales going, since as far as I know, there aren't any squash vine borers in my area because there are no gardens in my neighborhood.

I did prepare my bales differently than regular bales because of my desire to make them as organic as possible. I used blood meal rather than the regular recommended fertilizer, ammonium nitrate.

My straw bales are doing only slightly better than last week. I have four squash plants and some of my seeds didn't sprout. I think I might have made the dirt a little too deep and I have noticed that birds were just flocking around my bales. I don't know what is up with that but either the birds might have gotten some sprouts or they didn't get quite the water they needed as they sprouted. The other problem could be that I watered too much and the seeds rotted.

I now plan to sprout some seeds indoors under grow lights and then plant them in the bales. (That is my, "if at first you don't succeed" plan B. I still have plenty of summer left to grow my squash and the bales should be perfect.

It is interesting to me that the bales are kind of mushy inside. I am also seeing quite a bit of mushroom growth on the bales. I guess it will eventually turn into mushroom compost and that is supposed to be a good thing. If they also make their own fertilizer I should be left with some very healthy plants.

Sugar Pea Pods

They are later than they were last year, but we finally have Oregon sugar pods from our garden. Last year we planted sugar peas and sugar pods but we definitely like the pods best. Why? No shelling--enough said!

We are a little relieved because a couple of weeks ago it looked like we might not have a harvest at all. The vines were ranging between 3 and 6 inches tall with no blooms. They were a bit spotty so we didn't have as many vines as usual because of the drought.

One mistake we probably made was in not mulching the peas. Mulching is always a good idea, especially in a year where warmer than normal temps and partial drought is a problem.

Now, as you can see, they are making up for lost time.

To prepare the peas ...

Actually there is no real preparation required, unless you want to cook them. Some of the larger pods may need stringing but they are sweetly delicious just like they are. You can eat them straight off the vines. I think it is a good idea to wash them but it is a real treat to have them this way.

You can also serve them on a vegetable tray with a veggie dip. I usually use ranch dressing.

We also love to add them to a tossed salad. They are SO crunchy and sweet in a salad.

You can also cook them in a microwave, a serving at a time. Just add a little water and microwave for a couple of minutes until done, then add salt, pepper and a touch of butter.

Then you can saute them. Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan, brown a chopped up green onion and add the pods and stir for a few minutes. It won't take long since they are very good with minimal cooking.

I know we will really enjoy them because they are the perfect taste of spring!

My Mexican food favorites

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo and though I don't really celebrate the holiday as if I were a descendant of Mexico, I can at the very least celebrate Mexican cuisine. It has become a large part of our culture. I think every town in America has at least one Mexican restaurant and most school children will be having a fiesta today. I am the designated party goer for my 6-year-old grandson who wore a sombrero in honor of his Cinco de Mayo party this afternoon.

That is why I am suggesting a couple of my hearty Mexican inspired dishes for your fiesta tomorrow. This is a hearty dish featuring peppers

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

1 pound ground beef
1 8 ounces package Mexican-style saffron rice, prepared according to directions (I used Vigo Mexican rice, but it does have MSG and corn solids. I think any kind of rice mix would work.)
2 cloves garlic, chopped (or green onions)
1 can black beans, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (use more if you like it hot)
1 teaspoon Adobo seasoning (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cups mild salsa
6 green bell peppers, washed and halved, lengthwise with seeds and cores removed
cilantro, chopped
4 to 6 ounces Mexican cheese, grated (I used Sargento Artisan blend)
4 to 6 tablespoons water

Cook rice according to directions. Brown ground beef in large frying pan until well browned and "scrambled." Drain ground beef. Add garlic and brown. Add rice, beans, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, seasonings and salsa. Mix well. Pour half of the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish and pour 4 to 6 tablespoons of water over rice mixture. Stuff peppers and place on top of the rice mixture in casserole. Sprinkle with cilantro and bake, covered at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, or until peppers are soft. Uncover and sprinkle grated cheese over the top. Bake for 15 minutes longer and the dish is ready to serve.

What to serve with this. I think a salad with shredded lettuce tomatoes, topped with guacamole and sour cream. Also to round out the meal, Mexican cornbread. Here's my easy recipe.

Mexican Cornbread Muffins

2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1 cup  mild salsa

Mix cornbread according to the directions on the box (add buttermilk and eggs and blend well). Add chopped green onions and salsa. Spoon the mixture evenly into a twelve-count muffin pans, sprayed with baking spray.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.

Don't have time to make a dish? My favorite local Mexican restaurant is Chylacas. They have the best fajitas. Our old stand by restaurant in downtown Newnan, La Fiesta is almost as good. They have a mouthwatering chicken quesadilla I could eat every day!

An idea for Mother's Day

I know my mother and my mother-in-law may get tired of the present I give them almost every year, but I usually make them a mixed pot of summer plants. The one above which is actually my daughter's plant is what I will try to put together for gifts next weekend.

I always like to add a tall tall plant for the middle, a plant with colored foliage, some kind of vine and a flower like the petunias above. It doesn't cost nearly as much to put your own mixed planting together since most of the plants can be purchased for under a dollar. You may also include fragrant herbs like lavender, basil or mint.

It is a good thing to buy potting soil that also has some kind of fertilizer in it already. Miracle Grow and Jungle Growth are both good brand names. Both can be organic, too. I don't mix it with anything, just plain. The plants love it.

The pot doesn't have to be fancy either. I have been known to pick up an oval-shaped tin bucket and put individual pots of flowers in the bucket. It is better to have a pot with drainage holes. Keep in mind whether the plant should be kept indoors or outdoors. The petunias above will need some sunshine. It is probably not a good idea to mix full-sun and full-shade plants together unless you know something about flowers that I don't know.

Some places to look for pots--discount stores, second hand stores and yard sales. I have purchased some of my favorite pots for a dollar each at a yard sale.

Keep the plant well-watered but don't water right before you give it away. In your card or on a separate paper you could write care instructions. I am sure that would be appreciated.

The main thing is that you don't forget Mother's Day. Moms are special and deserve to be treated that way.