Ed's Orchids

Ed has been raising orchids in his upstairs office at Cedar Bluff. All three plants have come into bloom this month. The yellow orchid was Ed's birthday present from me two years ago. It came from McDonald's Food and Family Center in Bad Axe.

The center plant was an 80th birthday present for Ed's mom, Pauline Eichler. Given to her by Jim and Joanne Christner, the orchid came into Ed's guardianship when Mom moved to Country Gardens in May. This plant has blossomed several times for Pauline and is now putting on a show for Ed.

The third orchid also belongs to Pauline and is in Ed's care. We're pretty sure that it is one of the floral gifts that sister Beth has been sending to Mom.

We both are attracted to orchids and often stop to admire orchid displays in the grocery or big box stores. Usually they are priced $20-$30. That's not much to pay for those who are willing to water and watch over these gentle plants.

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This is Ed's photo. He uses an Olympus point and shoot camera. Great job!

Blazer Mileage Update

The 1997 Blazer is still ticking! Like the Energizer bunny, this marvel (well, maybe) of GM engineering is approaching 250,000 miles. Purchased in the fall of 1997, my Chevy Blazer (four door model built on Chevrolet's S-10 chassis) has made many, many trips to Houston for Quilt Markets and to Wisconsin to see my family.

I'm driving a Buick Rainier now, but The Blazer (Michigan State green) gets weekly use around our farm and Huron County as Ed uses it for lawn mowing and hauling chores in the summer. When the BNB (Big New Buick) needed body work recently, I drove The Blazer. Here's the mileage as of Friday, March 4, 2011.

You Go, Chevy Girl!

Copyright 2011

Wanda Hayes Eichler

Mudroom Lineup

I. Ankle high boots with side zippers -- Love to wear these boots with long pants or jeans. These boots make me feel dressed up and young.

II. Golf shoes that tie -- Saddle shoe style, brown and white, my golf shoes are waiting for the first round of the spring. Maybe in April?

III. New Balance waterproof hiking boots -- Wintertime walking shoes, these boots have seen quite a few seasons. Sometimes I wear them for gardening and shoreline wading, too.

IV. Slipon Merrills -- Wouldn't be without these shoes for shoveling snow. They are klutzy and sturdy and warm.

Copyright 2011

Wanda Hayes Eichler

Succulent Cactus

A member of the succulent family of plants, this echeveria is thriving in its original pot. Probably Echeveria (ech-eh-VER-ee-a) Agavoides "Ebony," the plant now has a long blossom stem with four buds. The leaves, which form a rosette, are pointed and stubby.

Left outside in the cold nights of Tucson's desert winter, this plant has developed red margins along its thick leaves. Maybe it is saying "put my red scarf around my neck before you put me out in the cold."

Copyright 2011
Wanda Hayes Eichler

Good Food: Cheddar Cornmeal Muffins

Here's a first for this blog -- an ode to cornmeal muffins. I use the recipe for Easy Corn Bread that is found on the back of the Quaker yellow cornmeal round box. It goes like this:

1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 egg whites or 1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 8 or 9 inch pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm. Makes 9 servings.

Okay, that's the basic recipe. Here's what I do to accomplish my Cheddar Cornmeal Muffins:

++ I make muffins, not cornbread, this way.

++ I use vintage muffin pans that my Dad and I found at an antique dealer's shop in Fond du Lac years ago. These are different than the pecan tassie size pans and well worth the search for them. Stamped "NU-BRITE," one pan makes nine muffins. So, two pans use this recipe and make 18 smallish muffins.

++ I use fresh buttermilk when I have it. Or stir 2-4 tablespoons of yogurt into the skim milk for some extra probiotic punch.

++ I use Magic Baking Powder which I buy in Canada. Magic BP doesn't use aluminum sulfate. It has monocalcium phosphate in it as well as bicarbonate of soda (baking powder) and cornstarch. Bob's Red Mill has a non aluminum baking powder, too.

++ I use CSA eggs whenever possible. Usually I use a whole egg that's been beaten with a fork so that the white and yolk are well mixed.

++ I use Pam spray -- the canola version, I think.

++ I use either canola oil or (our favorite) melted butter -- the fresher the butter, the better.

++ I use a skimpy 1/4 cup of sugar. Remember that by baking yourself, you are not taking in the corn sweetners used in most commercial baked goods.

++ I use coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese, about one cup, that is stirred in at the end of the mixing process. We like Wisconsin cheddar. Use sharp or extra sharp for flavor that you can find.

++ One more thing -- these muffins are good with a generous grinding of black pepper, probably a half teaspoon or more, right in the batter. Add with the dry ingredients.

These are good straight from the oven. You don't even need butter on them. A bit of homemade jam (raspberry suggested) is great. Freeze the leftovers. Microwave the frozen muffins for 30 seconds and they're great with strong coffee or your favorite tea.

Photo Copyright 2011
Wanda Hayes Eichler

Bobcat!



Bobcat ignoring Joanne's lovely cactus planter

 Big kitty. That's what the desert bobcat that strolls through our back patio looks like. On the morning of these photos he was preoccupied and even the sound of the digital camera would not break his concentration.


Leaving patio perch

Bunny? Ground squirrel? Pack rat? Mr. Bobcat had a tasty breakfast in mind.



I see the Bunny!

Beautifully marked with sleek fur, this cat is healthy and happy here in the Sonoran desert with the golfers and the bunnies. He has no Social Security worries; his mortgage is probably paid; he gets to eat well. Bobcat life is good.



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Desert Snow

The mesquite tree bows in the wet February snow

Today's post highlights the wonderful desert snow that hit the southern part of Arizona on Sunday morning. Snow watches and warnings were posted on Thursday already; by Saturday the winds had picked up but the temperatures had been in the sixties and it was hard to imagine a snowstorm of the magnitude that was forecast.

Rain began around 2 am on Sunday morning. When I got up at 5am I couldn't hear the rain and knew that there might be snow. I got up, turned on the coffee pot and looked out the front door. Already I could tell that the mesquite tree in the front patio was bowing under the weight of the wet snow. At dawn the scope of the storm was apparent; a considerable amount of snow had fallen, blanketing the desert and the mountains with white wonder.



Northwest of Tucson -- Twin Peaks in Snow

"Ed, I'm going to walk up the street and get some shots of the mountains, " is what I told Ed around sunrise. I bundled up in jeans, hiking boots, gloves and a fleece. Armed with my Flip video camera and the point-and-shoot Sony, I headed up North Heritage Canyon Drive. When I got to the top of the hill I kept on going down the road, up onto the thirteenth and fourteenth holes of the golf course.

The views were stunning. I almost filled an entire 2 gigabyte memory card with bracketed shots. My walk lasted more than an hour. By noon, the snow had almost completely melted. Today (Monday) there was still a little snow on the distant mountainsides but most of the white had disappeared even from the mountains. When we golfed this afternoon there were lots of spongy wet areas on the course. The snow had melted and left wet turf behind.

It was a wonderful snow -- quite a reminder of the majesty of weather.

Copyright 2011

Wanda Hayes Eichler