Saturday Meanderings

It is the last Saturday of August 2024 and the beginning of Labor Day weekend. Just like that another month vanishes. There is a slight shift in temperatures in the morning and soon, fall will be well on its way. As we say goodbye to August, I am still cherishing the pace of summer in the mountains. So happy you are here for another edition of Saturday Meanderings, where we chat about all good things this week.

Taylor Corn is Here

Some of the best sweet corn available is grown in Taylor, Arizona. Harvesting is happening now and we are enjoying the delicious ears in multiple recipes this week.

I typically don’t eat much corn, however, this is certainly worth the splurge. A few weeks ago, I mentioned a cooking class (with Judith King) where the star of the show is fresh corn. I made this delicious Corn, Avocado, Cherry Tomato and Romaine Salad with Feta Dressing and Zucchini Fritters. It is so yummy and healthy. Below is Judith’s recipe and I know you will love it.

Finishing up the Last Pinecone Wreath

I hope you were able to read my Wednesday post about making pinecone wreaths (you can see it here). Admitting to be a little pinecone-d out, I am happy to get the final wreath finished. With a green theme (my husband’s favorite color), it will be suitable to hang by the cabin front door, as we are surrounded by beautiful green forests.

At least I think it is finished. It will take a few days to noodle but hoping I can put all the pinecone wreath making materials away until next year!

On a side note, in this week’s blog post is a pinecone bird seed wreath. This wreath is so successful with the birds and squirrels, that after one week, there isn’t much left. The squirrels ripped the pinecones away from the wire frame while being dive bombed by aggressive woodpeckers.

Sorry for the blurry photo as it is part of a video with this little squirrel being bombarded by 3 woodpeckers. As you can see, half the pinecones on the wreath are gone. Needless to say, I am reconstructing it, knowing that it will probably only last another week, but it’s nice to know that critters are loving it.

Baguette Making

Years ago, I tried my hand at making baguettes. Without the proper equipment, my recollection is the process is time-consuming with questionable results. This time, I purchase a 2-loaf baguette pan and give it another go.

The recipe makes 3 baguettes, however, my pan only holds 2. In retrospect, I do wish I bought a 3-baguette pan. However, I proceed with more dough/less pan anyway. They are not perfectly shaped, being a big chunkier in the middle, but the bread is delicious.

Will use this recipe again and will try and perfect the conventional baguette shape!

Rim to Rim Hike

My daughter, Julianna, did the Rim to Rim hike in the Grand Canyon last Saturday. It’s a 24 mile hike which she and two friends, started at 3:00 in the morning with head lamps.

Here are some of the beautiful photos she took along the way. They finished the hike later that same evening, tired and sore, but elated with reaching their goal.

Unfortunately, the Grand Canyon has been in the news lately, with deadly flash floods, lack of water, and a high number of deaths. I am happy and relieved they completed the hike without incident.

Propagating Wildflowers

I consider myself a vegetable gardener but not necessarily a flower gardener like my friend, Kim from Shiplap and Shells and Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms. Now those gals know how to produce a beautiful flower garden!

This week, I take some flower heads that look like they are producing seeds and mix them in with some potting soil. I spread them around the natural yard (forest floor for the most part) in hopes that they will bloom at some point in the future. These are perennial wild flowers that grow abundantly up here in USDA growing zone 6B~black eyed Susans and yellow daisies.

Since it’s raining every afternoon, the goal is to get them to sprout or lay dormant until next season. Keeping my fingers crossed but if anyone has done this with success, please let me know.

Murder Mystery Dinner

Last Saturday, we attend a murder mystery dinner supporting White Mountain Helping Hands, a local food bank. The theme is set in the old west during the railroad expansion and the sheriff is mysteriously shot and killed. Whodunnit? Even though this isn’t Broadway and the sets are a bit underwhelming, the locals did turn out to support this great charity.

Some of the characters are spoofs of original Western ones like Calamity Jill, Annie Croakley and Wylie Arp.

All in all, good food and a new experience for us here in the mountains. The next one is a Halloween theme and you can see it here.

From the Internet

If you love color, you will enjoy the enchanted world from designer Charlotte Gaisford. Charlotte is a fabric and wallpaper designer who lives on a farm in rural Northumberland, England. I love the fact that at age 47, she returned to school to pursue her artistic passion.

Even though I am drawn to the mixture of colors and patterns, I somehow hesitate to have this bold of a style…but I do LOVE it. You can see the article and more photos of her work here.

Unique and Creative Invitations

In my opinion, receiving a beautiful and unique invitation helps build excitement and anticipation of an event. I know online invitations are easier, cheaper and get the job done, but I am still a hold out for an invitation I can touch, open and enjoy.

My friend, Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate has a great blog post about Unique and Creative Invitations for your next event. As we are approaching the season for entertaining, you may get some ideas on how to personalize your invitation to promote excitement. After reading Chloe’s post, I am ready to throw a party!

Delicious Fall Recipe

As we approach the end of summer and with fall on the horizon, it’s hard not to dream about all things apples. From apple pie to apple cider donuts, I love having apples available to celebrate the season. Lisa, from Celebrate Creativity shares a Pastry Covered Baked Apple recipe with a salted caramel sauce. Oh yum!

It’s been many moons since I made baked apples and I look forward to serving this at a fall dinner.

Happy Labor Day!

Though Labor Day is seen as the unofficial end to summer, it is really a holiday to celebrate and honor the American worker.

Many people have Monday off and we all love a 3-day weekend! What are your plans for the Labor Day? Personally, I don’t have any but I am hoping to stop doing chores and enjoy some simple moments.

Have an enjoyable holiday, be healthy and stay safe out there.