Volunteer!

Yes!  I am growing vegetables this summer! 

 Well, this one tomato which was a volunteer I found in an outdoor planter.  Last week I transplanted it to a larger pot.  And look!  It has flowers!  I am most hopeful that I will actually have a few tomatoes.... eventually.  I will bring it into the sunroom if it looks worthwhile.

Many years ago I had a volunteer in my garden with fruit just a bit larger than cherry tomatoes.  I saved the seed for years....until I did. not.  Toes crossed that this little guy puts out something worth saving.

 Meanwhile I am enjoying messing around with the green plants, making new cuttings, encouraging bamboo., and all that jazz!

And the not so enjoyable process of getting the pool back to normal.  It went completely bloooey while I was down with Lyme and turned a lovely shade of green  which is great for plants, not so great for swimming pools.  The way things have been going I should get it clean and balanced in time to shut it down for the winter.

We are having cool nights.  It's been in the very low 60ºs when I go out to feed the birds at dawn. It warms up during the day so I spend as much time as I can on the deck, (I bought a nice, big umbrella to replace the one that was shot) or out by fish pond or pool.  Even though the pool is not swimmable it's still enjoyable to sit by the water.

The hummingbirds just came to the petunias.  I don't put out feeders due to squirrels and other fauna messing with them.  The love the flowers petunias, fuchsias, wild impatience to name a few.  Wish I could get a good photo but so far they are just too fast.

So odd to think that we are in the latter half of August.  I still have my toes crossed for a long, warm autumn.

We'll see, grasshopper............we'll see.

P.S.  Special birthday shoutout to my FB friend Barb Rogers.  Happy Birthday!  Keep on truckin'

Cake and......

A Tomato.

We picked this big beauty last night for a BLT supper.  Home grown tomato, locally cured bacon and farm stand lettuce on beer bread.  The ordinary elevated to the extraordinary by choice of ingredients.

The sandwiches were delicious!

Plum Cake......it came from the Food 52 site.  Unfortunately the site is not connecting today.  Fortunately I printed the recipe.  So without further  ado.....

PLUM CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Prep nine by two inch round cake pan.  Butter pan, cut parchment paper to fit bottom of pan and butter. Dust with flour.

Measure and sift together in small bowl:
1&1/2 Cup flour
1 Tsp. baking powder
1/4 Tsp. baking soda

Beat together until light and fluffy:
1/2 Cup soft butter
2/3 Cup granulated sugar

Beat in one at a time:
2 Large eggs
3/4 Cup sour cream (I used whole milk Greek yogurt)
1/2 Tsp. Finely grated lemon zest

Beat in flour mix at low speed (I did this by hand)

12 small plums
2 Tblsp. Brown sugar

Cut plums in half and pit.

Spread half the batter in the pan.  Sprinkle with 1 tblsp. brown sugar.  Place 12 halves, cut side down on batter.  Dollop and spread remaining batter.  Arrange remaining plum halve cut side up.  Sprinkle with remaining sugar.  (Depending on size and variety of plums you may need fewer than 12.  I used eight.  The recipe originally called for prune plums, but any variety will work.)

Bake 50 - 55 minutes, turning pan halfway through baking time.  Inserted toothpick should be clean.

Let cool 20 minutes.  Invert onto plate, then invert again onto serving plate.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or plain.

This recipe can be found on Food 52-Your Best Plum Recipes.

(As I mentioned before the link is not working, but this is a site worth visiting.)

Later edit:  The link is working.  There's a nice how-to pictorial there Plum Cake.

And finally.....KikiLaSois looking disgusted at Winter's antics.

And more fish, which all the kitties would probably enjoy 'meeting.'  Thankfully they are all indoor cats!

 Enjoy what  looks to be a beautiful day.

As always, thanks for stopping by..............*s*