August Review = Food from my friends garden – Plus Peach Pie, Banana Bread Cookies and Dave’s Dahlias

We were social distancing outside, when I met up with Alicia, Louis and their son, Jasper and their Jack Russell Terrier, Otto, who is a major character. Jasper was very grateful for the sketchbook I brought him. He loves to draw. We had a very nice visit talking about their new house. They have just started painting inside. “We have a lot to do.” Said Louis.

I met Rocky the American Bull Dog and we really clicked. Rocky jumped in my lap. He’s a large, magnificent dog. The breed is an American dog that was bred in the 1860s. It would be fun to do a portrait of him. I don’t have a photo of him yet to share. He’s a long legged, muscular dog who is mostly white in color with brown markings on his head. His head is much larger than a boxer. Rocky is so friendly. He hangs out with Maggie, an aging Mastiff.

As I prepared to leave, Alicia asked me would I like some cucumbers and I said yes. They have bees and have given honey for presents. They have their own chickens. I asked if they were planning on having chickens at the new house. They didn’t know if they were allowed to yet.

Alicia surprised me, when she gave me six fresh eggs, two giant cucumbers, a massive zucchini and some incredible green beans to take with me. All of which I have enjoyed and cooked with. Just look at the color of the scrambled eggs! Can’t find better eggs than from the home grown and fed chickens.

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  Alicia’s eggs

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  Alicia’s cucumbers

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  Alicia’s Zucchini

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Scrambled eggs, Tzatziki, Stuffed Zucchini, eggs with Salmon, Sauerkraut, Mixed green salad, & fresh Cucumber with Baker’s field Rye bread Toast.

And the hits keep rolling on…

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  Banana Bread Cookies

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Banana Bread Cookies from Alan’s Recipe

Here’s a link to a previous post of mine for Alan’s recipe for Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are really delicious.

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Peach Pie Ckatt 8-22-2020

Here’s a the Peach Pie Recipe that was new to me from Taste of Home. The only addition I made was adding cardamon to the spices and doing an egg wash on the crust. This was a Trader Joe’s crust, which I had never used before. It took a while to thaw in the air conditioned room. Impatience did not pay off, when I tried to roll it out too soon. Word to the wise…

In these times of Covid we had another round of protest followed by looting and burning in Minneapolis. It is more than anyone will tolerate here. African American Civic leaders took a stand against the destruction of property, as well as standing in front to stores, whose windows had been broken, and stopped people from looting in the heart of downtown.

In the face of chaos, I keep busy. My focus has been to paint working in acrylic. Acrylic paint is a challenge, but I persevere to learn this medium. Here’s the latest phase. It is unfinished but parts of the vision are beginning to work. It’s from an old photo I made in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California at the Golden hour of sunset.

Golden Hour Painting Phase 3 CKatt 8-2020

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Dave’s Dahlia’s are a tradition for me to view and photograph in August. Dave always comes out of his house to visit with me. This time I lowered my mask so he would recognize me. This year he has many new Dahlias, which he pointed out to me and named them off. Dave has such a talent and knowledge of Dahlias. When I asked him names he began to reel them off to me along with which ones are new and which ones were not the color he ordered. To me they are all exquisite.

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Dave’s Dahlias © CKatt 8-2020

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Dave’s Dahlias © CKatt 8-2020

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Dave’s Dahlias an Old Standby © CKatt 8-2020

Bees and Dahlia © CKatt 8-2020

A New Addition to Dave’s Dahlia’s © CKatt 8-2020

Dave and Skylar © CKatt 8-2020

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen.

Have a fruitful week wherever you find yourself.

Peace

Keep on Keepin’ on!

Favorite quote: Dog Days #26 = From Across the Pond – William Golding’s Thoughts on Women

Thinking of you all, dear readers, hoping that you are all well. The weather is perfect today. I thought this was an appropriate reblog as we are honoring women this month in history.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen.
Enjoy the day
Keep the Peace

pensitivity101

The favourite quote that comes to mind is this one

In response to today’s FDDA

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A Contemplative Life – August Roses = Lyndale Garden – A Place of Peace in 2020

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A family explores the Lyndale Gardens in Minneapolis by Lake Harriet

People wander and stop to enjoy the flowers and peace of the gardens. A magic garden of busy work where gardeners with volunteers were prepping the flower beds.

A group of people standing in a circle with a teacher in the center were doing some Tai Chi exercises, when I arrived. I stopped to watch them for a time. It was a nice place to be doing Tai Chi.

Many photographers with large, long camera lenses are to be seen looking for shots of the blooms day.

Tai Chi is called the “Supreme Ultimate”. It is a moving meditation and martial art that I practiced for many years. I miss the connection to movement. Recently, I am working on renewing my Tai Chi practice. It has many health benefits.

August has brought some storms our way, but there are still some roses blooming. There was a blight on the roses. Some are past blooming. Here’s what I saw.

In the Magic Garden

There is comfort in the roses’ beauty, which heals sadness

Clouds scudding overhead block the sun in peek-a-boo game

For a time I forget my cares and my ‘self ‘

There are the roses, only the roses

Bathing in the sun and blooming for the bees

Ckatt 8-14-2020

 

Bee in Alum Flower CKatt 3-15-2020

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Roses Lyndale Garden 8-13-2020 CKatt

Red Rose Lyndale Gardens Minneapolis, MN © Ckatt

Paper Wasp and Rose @ CKatt

The Paper Wasp “Description: 5/8 – 3/4 inch long (queens, sometimes from late summer to spring, are a little larger). Slender wasps; generally black with yellow stripes; smooth body with few hairs.

Where/When: Paper wasps can nest on or around homes. They are active from spring until fall. They may enter homes in search of overwintering sites.” ~ From the University of Minnesota Extension ~ John Hahn

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen

Wishing everyone a calm day.

Peace.

Butterflies Lyndale Garden 8-13-2020 CKatt.

Holland = West Friesland Farmers Sell Direct to The Public | Minnesota = Linden Hills Farmer’s Products to order – Two Solutions to Selling Farm Fresh Foods in the Time of Covid

Dutch Farmers of West Friesland “Holland” have a cash and carry pick-up service from ‘Fabio The Man’

This youtube video is about the farmers of North Friesland Holland, The Netherlands who have a unique approach to selling their products directly to the public during the time of Covid. Here is a glimpse into Dutch rural life and the unique approach to saving their farming businesses. Enjoy the nice scenery as the friendly Mario narrates his shopping adventure. This video was sent to me by my niece, Sabina, to cheer me up!

It may remind you of the roadside stands that you may have grown up with where farmer’s have produce on the side of the road. That still exists in some places in the USA.

The products the farmers of Holland have are more than fresh fruits and veggies.

West Friesland is an area that lies north of Amsterdam. Sabina lives in Hoorn with her husband, Jos. They make regular trips to the farmers roadside markets. The difference between the farms of North Holland and Minnesota is the proximity to large populations. The province of North Holland ‘s population as of 2019 was 2.853 million people.

The province of North Holland is a smaller than Minnesota farm country. It’s total area measures “4,092 km² (1,580 sq mi), of which 1,430 km² (550 sq mi) is water.”

Map of West Friesland North Holland The Netherlands – Google Maps

On my side of the Pond: Frank and Ernest’s Linden Hills Neighborhood Farmers’ Market brings goods to the patrons for pick up! That’s great service. Considering the hours of distance patrons would have to travel in Minnesota and Wisconsin to have fresh produce and food products, this is a great idea. Local food products brought to you. Online ordering made easy.

Linden Hills Online Farmers Market from Frank and Ernest Markets

Frank and Ernest run a Farmer’s Market in Linden Hills, which has moved online. I receive weekly emails of the offerings of local farm fresh produce, meats, baked goods, specialty foods and crafts that can be ordered online between Monday and Thursday each week. Pick up is offered in Minneapolis, Linden Hills and Burnsville and other locations in the cities in this week’s offerings. Link to website.

Linden Hills Delivery Service Bakery Goods

Map of Linden Hills Neighborhood Minneapolis

Innovative ideas for getting the farmers’ goodies to the people are popping up everywhere. European and here in Minnesota producers are adapting to our “new normal”. It’s summer! Don’t pass up a chance to enjoy some locally produced fresh foods.

So what’s happening in your part of the world with farmers ans markets? It would be fun to hear from you, dear readers.

Sabina’s Smarties Cookies – to cheer you up!

Smarties in Europe, which are made by Nestle, are like our M&Ms, but with pretty colors!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen.

Enjoy your day wherever you find yourself.

Peace.

July’s Midsummer Idyll – Lake of the Isles Walk in Minneapolis

i·dyll/ˈīdl

noun plural noun: idylls

1. an extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque episode or scene, typically an idealized or unsustainable one.”the rural idyll remains strongly evocative in most industrialized societies”
2. Similar: perfect time, ideal time, wonderful time, moment of bliss

Our sunny days are receding as the summer moves swiftly along. The pall over the nation of the continuing rampaging Covid 19 virus made me feel awkward capturing these summer scenes. I share them with you, dear readers, as a reminder that nature moves us to relish moments of beauty of Minneapolis, our lakes and a Midsummer idyll.

Lake of the Isles Bridge Jumping July 2020

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  View of the bridge that connects Lake of the Isles to Bde Maka Ska Lake

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  Lake of Isles summer Idyll

View to one of the bridges of Lake of the Isles

View from the bridge of Lake of the Isles and downtown Minneapolis

Lake of the Isles distant view of Minneapolis Minnesota

View from the bridge of Lake of the Isles of”Mike’s Island in the north and Raspberry Island, are protected wildlife refuges which contain virgin woods.”

Lake of the Isles Inlet 7-17-2020

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Waterlilies and Canada Geese Lake of the Isles

Widow Skimmer Dragonfly 7-17-2020

Inspired by one of my favorite artists Winslow Homer a Photo of boys diving from the bridge at Lake of the Isles

According to Pacer , Lake of the Isles walking trail is three miles long. Considering my life as a mushroom this year, I was feeling tiptop when I started out on this walk. I thought I could do the whole walk. After reaching about halfway around the trail, the humidity and the heat rose to above 90ºF very quickly. By the end I was dragging and looking for shade trees to walk under. Arrived at the street where I parked, thankfully, in a shady spot; turned on the air conditioning and sighed in relief. I’m more used to the cold. (My brother who lives on the east coast, tells me every winter, “You must have Siberian genes.”)

The Memory of What Remains

In a couple of months the cold winds will come down from across the northern plains

Memories of Midsummer are whisked away to usher in the everlasting change

Flying in from farmers’ fields fattened on fallen grains, hear the crows warning call,

As they sweep through the cities crying, “Caw, Caw, Caw.”

With an eye toward the sky, Fall’s crisp days of blue sky suddenly bring rain

Then it seems that overnight the freezing winter arrives at our doors.

Here in the cold and snow on the edges of human habitation, we remain

Believing in nature’s eternal returns while deep in the winter snows’ maw.

CKatt 8-6-2020

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Thanks for stopping by my kitchen.

Smile at someone today.

Peace