Saturday Meanderings

Sox (our beagle)and I are here at our cabin in the mountains and enjoying the peace and quiet. Leaves are changing colors and it’s a chilly 57 degrees inside. It will take a while for the walls to warm up but in the meantime, it is definitely fall here in Pinetop, Arizona. It’s that time again for another Saturday Meanderings, where we chat about all good things this week. I hope it has been a wonderful one for you so let’s get started.

Beautiful Roses

As I have mentioned in the past, I subscribe to The Bouqs for a monthly flower subscription. I have never been disappointed with their roses. Here is the bunch I got this week~a combination of coral, peach and white roses and they are just stunning. These roses are flown in directly from Ecuador and open beautifully within a day. This bouquet is so breathtaking, I may try and dry them so I can enjoy them longer. To see my post on drying roses, click here.

I prefer their roses to their market bunch as I am 100% satisfied with their roses vs. 85% satisfied with their other arrangements. If you order flowers and want to try them, please click on their logo on the right side of this post and I will get some credit for your order.

Growing Lettuce from your Lettuce Core

I have never done this before, but wanted to try it to see if it works. We go through LOTS of lettuce here because I try and have a salad every day. Instead of tossing out the lettuce core, you can salvage it and actually grow more lettuce!

Here I am using a Romaine lettuce core, which I usually chuck into the composter. But instead, I submerge the bottom in a glass of water and wait. Within a few day, new lettuce leaves are growing out of the cut end. This is my second one, as I planted the first sprouted one in my garden. However, I just read that it will not thrive in dirt without roots (not sure mine had roots).

Steps for How to Regrow Lettuce from a Stem

1. Eat your purchased lettuce, cutting the leaves at about 1 inch from the bottom.
2. Place remaining stem in a shallow dish of water (about 1/2 inch).
3. Place on a window sill or under grow lights.
4. Change water in bowl every 1 to 2 days.
5. Watch your lettuce grow.

Lots of Apples

Our Anna apple tree in Phoenix bears fruit in June. The apple tree at the cabin is chock-a-block full of apples now, however, I don’t know what kind. Depending on the spring conditions, we can go for years without any apples. But this year we have so many. Taste-wise, they remind me of a Pink Lady. I’ll need to do some research, but I thought I would ask if any of you know what type of apple this is? They are mostly yellow, but the ones with the most sun exposure have a pinkish blush.

Focusing on Pollination

This gardening season I want to focus on having more plants that will attract bees and butterflies. Over the summer, my enormous watermelon plant only produced 4 watermelons, so I’m guessing the problem is with pollination.

There is a good selection in seed packets specifically designed to increase the beneficial insects in your garden. From what I understand, the monarch butterfly is endangered (could that be?) so I want to do my part to help. I am getting ready to plant them and will let you know what happens.

Our coral vine is currently FULL of bees and if you look closely at this photo, you can see a couple of them.

Bread Baking

Whether it is a quick bread or one that requires longer preparation, I am starting to bake again. It is the season for pumpkin bread, or quite frankly, anything warm and yummy out of the oven. Even if you don’t bake much, you can find good quick bread ingredients all ready to go in a box.

Trader Joe’s has a very good pumpkin bread and muffin mix. Typically, I will use this but add a few more ingredients to make it my own~dried cranberries, dried cherries, walnuts or chocolate chips (my daughter’s favorite). Plus baking it in a decorative loaf pan makes it all the more special.

Lately, I am making a loaf of sourdough bread each week. I’ve been experimenting with a new recipe and adding shredded gruyere cheese, rosemary and garlic. For some reason it’s a bit different every week so once I feel like I can share the recipe I will. It certainly makes the kitchen smell great (and the quick breads do too!).

Gorgeous Home for Sale

Well, it’s way out of my price range, but I love the fact that someone has preserved all the unique historical attributes. Built in 1926, typically, over time, these older homes get gutted and all the charm and detail is removed. Designed by the first African-American architect west of the Mississippi, Paul R. Williams. He also designed homes for Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, Howard Hughes and Sharon Tate. Such beautiful detail in this one.

If you love look at historical homes, you can see more of it here.

Preserving Your Carved Pumpkins

Here is a great tip on preserving your carved pumpkin. If you want them to stay fresher longer, here is a great tip on how to do so without using bleach. You can see the post here. I’ve not tried this yet but it looks interesting.

If you missed any posts this week, you can find them here.

Learning How to Make a Mesh and Ribbon Wreath

Halloween Ideas for Spook-tacular Decor

Well, that’s a wrap! I am already feeling more relaxed being up here in the quiet mountains. Hope to stay for the next 5 days! Have a fabulous weekend.