From Shrub to Tree

Hello, Darlings

I thought it was about time that I  shows the growth of my Benjamina Ficus tree that  I bought back in June 2020. After three years of letting it grow untouched and reaching a height of 4 feet and 2 inches, I finally trimmed it, repotted it and entwined its branches.  I wanted to wrap the lower branches, but I could not find the wrapping material. I know it is among my plant supplies. I just have to reorganizes them … again. In addition, I do not know what is best, wrapping the lower branches or entwining them. I will have to research the subject. However, and as  it has been said, “ A picture is a thousand words”, so below are photos of my Benjamina Ficus tree starting when I first got up to the today. 

Click to enlarge.

 

06/18/2020

 

02/05/2021

10/08/2021

09/12/2023

Benjamina Ficus  & Indoor Calamondin

I also took some cutting from the Benjamina Ficus to try to propagate them. This is my first try, so it will be interesting to see if they root with the organic soil and the rooting medium I have used for years with other plants, including  Fred, the Indian Laurel. It has been three years since I had it plucked from the roof as a young sapling and potted it.

 

Benjamina Ficus cuttings

Fred, the Indian Laurel

 

Until next time,

      Chow Darlings

Evelyn’s Patio Furniture Makeover: Assembling and Painting the New Pack Bench

Hell, Darlings

As you know back in July of this year, I started my restoration project on my lawn furniture. During that period, I discovered the two iron rockers were fixable but the iron bench and the two recliners were not cost effective to fix as two tubes of the Por Patch filler and seam sealers cost me $53.14 just to do the two rockers and that not include the cans rust preventive Rust Oleum. Now the Por Patch is $34.71 a single can. See previous post: Evelyn’s Patio Furniture Makeover and Evelyn’s Patio Furniture Makeover - My Mary Garden. Therefore, I after patched up and painted the rockers, I bought new recliners and a new park bench, which sat in the house until today, because the weather was too hot the work in the yards.

 I am posting some pictures and a few videos that will show the steps I took the put the new park bench together, and how the new recliners look with their decorated covers. 

 

Once this new bench dries, it will be covered and placed in the Mary Garden alongside the two rockers. Then my husband and I will clean up the debris left by the high winds and rains of hurricane Idalia.

 

Below is the remains of our greenhouse, another victim of the hurricane's winds. It too will be replaced.

Until next time,

      Chow, Darlings

What to do with the mush??!

Hello, Darlings

We have all done this.

For tonight’s dinner, I made a pot of my Quick Two Serving Gumbo Soup . However, and while using the 5 to 10 microwave method to cook the rice, I became so busy that by the time I remembered to set the second setting of 10 minutes, the rice had absorbed the remaining water. To fix it, I had a great/dumb idea of adding more water. I ended up with a casserole dish of mushy rice.

That sucked. I detest mushy rice and pasta, and normally I would throw it out and cook another batch. However, today I decided to bake the dish of rice pudding pictured below.

I used the old classic Betty Crocker's rice pudding recipe, except I added ¾ cup of raisins instead of the normal ½ a cup, and then 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon stirred into the rice mixture. after pouring the mixture into the casserole dish, I topped it off with the nutmeg. I then covered the casserole dish and baked the pudding for 75 minutes. After that I removed the lid, I baked the pudding for an additional 5 minutes to brown and set the top a little more. 

What began as mushy rice, turned into one of the most delicious rice pudding that I ever baked.

You can find the classic Betty Crocker's rice pudding recipe most of the old recipe books, 

 

Betty Crocker's Classic Rice Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

2 eggs or 4 egg yolks

½-cup sugar

½ raisins

2 cups milk

½-teaspoon vanilla

¼-teaspoon salt

2 cup hot cooked rice

Ground nutmeg

 

Directions

• Cook rice per directions. Set aside
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a large bowl until combined; stir in cooked rice and raisins.
• Transfer into a 10x6x2 inch baking dish. Stir and sprinkle with nutmeg
• Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes
• Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Serve warm or cold, and if desired with cream
• Refrigerate any remaining pudding.

Betty Crocker's Classic Rice Pudding Recipe.pdf 

Below is the microwave rice recipe.

Microwave  Rice

This recipe works best with short grain white rice.  It can be found on many rice cooking directions.

• Combine 1-cup rice and 1-1/2cup water in a 2 quart casserole dish
• Partially cover the dish to reserve some of the steam
• Microwave on full power for 5 minutes
• Then stir rice and microwave again on 50 percent power for 10 minutes. 
• When done. fluff up the rice with a fork
• Cover  the casserole dish with a couple of paper towels to absorb the moisture and then top the paper towels with the casserole lid.
• Set aside until ready to serve

 Microwave Short Grain White Rice.pdf

 

 Until next time, 

        Chow Darlings