Thunbergia. 8.12.22

 Well, now we know.  Thunbergia grows nicely in the summer climate here.  These were a seed mix of different colors.  Unofficially, "Black Eyed Susan Vine".  I'm told that in Holland these are called "Suzanne with the lovely eyes".

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Star Quilt Progress. 9.9.22

 I finished the star quilt top side.  It still needs a border and backing, then to be sandwiched with cotton batting and quilted.

The stars look a lot nicer up close.  The big picture obscures so much detail.

Now I'm working on the backing.  I think most quilters use a plain fabric or even a bedsheet for the backing.  I don't want to buy more fabric.  Plus, there was a lot in my fabric stash, and I want to clean out the majority of that stash.  So, I'm making a simple patchwork backing using mostly the same fabrics and some others I had squirreled away.

Technically, this will make the quilt reversible.  However, the backing is much simpler and will go much faster compared to the front.

Lots of Flowers. 9.9.22

 I went around the yard looking at some of the flowers.

Harvest! 8.9.22

 Here is the tomato, zucchini, summer squash, fig, cucumber and pepper harvest today.  Plus some tiny "Orchard Baby" sweetcorn.  

Puttering. Heat. Bean Care. Drip Irrigation. 7.31.22

It's above 100F now.  I didn't feel like going outside to check the thermometer when it rose above 90F.

I installed drip emitters for the last row of bush beans, and placed cardboard mulch next to the row.  I also installed drip emitters for the four o'clocks.  They were looking droopy in the heat. mI was hauling ten buckets of water each day.  These emitters have a stated 1/2 gallon per hour rate, six inches apart.

The other bush beans looked so dry.

So I cut cardboard strips to cover between the rows.  There wasn't enough, so I also cut kraft paper.  Spring was too wet for kraft paper - it rotted.  I think summer will plenty dry enough for it to last as long as needed.

I thinned the beans in the container planter, taking out about half of the plants.

Coreopsis is blooming now.  First year from seeds.

I Made A Willow Tripod For Thunbergera. 7.31.22

 Thunbergera was one of my bucket list plants this year.   They are finally taking off and growing vines.  They must love this heat.

I made a tripod using willow sticks.  It's about three feet tall.  I bet they will climb it in a month.

The plants have lots of buds.  The first flower opened yesterday.  

Echinacea With Visitors. 7.31.22

This echinacea continues making more flowers.  It's really a remarkable flower.

There are four other echinacea plants, that I started from seeds. I don't think they will bloom this year.  They are building up to bloom next year.

Cleome Is Not What It Looks Like.

 Somewhere I saw cleome listed as the plant most likely to be mistaken for something Willie Nelson probably had too much of.  But it's not.  Not even close.  It's just a flower.

Once it's blooming there is no mistake about it.  I think it's funny, but I do worry about nosy, loopy neighbors calling the sheriff.  It will need another month to start blooming.  Then they are very nice,

Pizza, Cast Iron Skillet Method. 7.30.22

It's nice having an outdoor stove to do this.  It's too hot otherwise to be heating up the kitchen.

First the dough.  I make it in advance and refrigerate until used.  Easy, 3 cups bread flour, 1 1/4 cups water, 1 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp yeast.  I add the yeast and salt to the water, plus one cup of flour, mix.  Ket sit a while for the yeast to activate.  Maybe 15 to 30 min.  Then mix in the other two cups flour, knead 7 min using dough hooks.  The original recipe said don't knead but I like it that way.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled.  I can probably get away with using half as much yeast, it would just take another 30 min to double.  When doubled, put the covered bowl in fridge.  It can be used in one to 14 days.

It's way too hot to make pizza indoors.

Rufus wont even come out to see what the crazy guy (me) is doing out in the heat.

The chilled pizza dough is much easier to roll out, than fresh made.  I divide it in half. I roll out one half larger, to make a thinner crust pizza.  That goes onto a greased cast iron tortilla griddle.  I roll out the smaller, thicker half for the greased cast iron skillet.

The sauce is one cup plain tomato sauce, plus 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp Italian herbs, some pepper.  Then mozzarella.  The toppings are mushroom, and paper-thin sliced onions, garlic cloves, summer squash (mandolin and good safety glove).  The garlic cloves and mushrooms are drizzled with olive oil before adding to pizza.  The squash gets a good sprinkling of seasoned salt and pepper, then toss with olive oil and some Parmesan, and add to pizza.

Preheat oven to 500 F, and have tray on top rack,  I start that when rolling out the dough.  Then put the cast iron tortilla griddle and skillet containing the pizzas,  on the burners and cook on medium to high flame.  I use setting 7 out of 10.  After 4 to 5 minutes, transfer to hot oven.    

Bake about 7 minutes.  That's not usually quite enough.  I turn on the broiler then and bake two more minutes.  Then remove from oven.  Hot, hot,  use good mitts!

Then sprinkle on oregano, and those are very good pizzas.  I forgot oregano this time and didn't notice LOL.

If there is left over the next day, heat a cast iron skillet on stove top, lightly oil, fry pizza slices for a crisp crust.  Very tasty.

Working on a Quilt Top. 7.29.22

 Here is the star quilt in shades of grey and blue.  I arranged the pieces to see how it would look.  There will be many changes in how things are arranged.

 Some of the star blocks will be moved around.  Also, I think I'll  change the light blue  diamond on the lower left block to something different.  

I actually have mixed feelings about this one, and it's not even done.  I like the design a lot.  But I think I should have used richer colors.  Maybe I'll do it over with something deeper.  

But, first it needs to be completed.