Wild Flowers

The kids just take over the computer when they get home, so while I waited for my turn, I worked on my wild flower book.

My 9, 12, and 14 year-old daughters were sitting around the table watching me.  It's turning out pretty nice too. I just need to label each page and write down where they each grow.

After I worked on that, and got my turn on the computer (he he, I needed to see how to bind off with knitting on YouTube again, I just forgot how to do it already), I went out to pick more wild flowers.

We came back in with this flower, and honeysuckle. 

I saw bushes that had clusters of white berries on them.  I am pretty sure it's White Baneberry - a completely poisonous plant.  I'm working with a park district expert to see if I am correct on the baneberry, and will have to remove it somehow.  The word "bane" is typically found in names of poisonous plants. If it stops raining, I will pull on my mucking boots and go get a few photos of it.

I have no idea what the first white flower that I posted is.  In my wild flower book it looks similar to White Snakeroot.  I guess I'll just have to wait and she what they tell me.

There are approximately 7 wild flowers in our area that are threatened or endangered.  They are:

~Blue-Eyed Grass (Endangered)
~Grass Pink (Threatened)
~Kalms St. Johns Wort (Threatened)
~Prairie Rose (Threatened)
~Prickly Pear Cactus (Potentially Threatened)
~Wild Lupine (Potentially Threatened)
~Wood Lily (Threatened)

I found it interesting that one of the threatened plants, have not been growing here in the wild, since the 1980's.  That plant is the Wild Lupine.  Due to constant weed control and other maintenance techniques, the plants have been eliminated.  Large parks and local preserves have re-planted some of them, starting a recovery program to protect them.


Here are photos of a wild flower display that my 12 year-old put together.  

The flower display turned out very nice.  Imagine who special the pioneers felt, when they woke up to a vase of these in their cabin. 

Homemade Noodles

It's noodle making day.  I hand roll my noodles, so it took all morning - 2 dozen egg yolks.  The barred rock's eggs are still a bit smaller, so I use 2 of them for every egg in a recipe now.

I have noodles drying every where in my kitchen today.  Since we were gone most of the day yesterday, it's a mess and difficult to maneuver in.

My oldest daughter has reminded me that we have not had "tea time" all summer long.  It was just way too hot or we had too many mosquitoes to enjoy the front porch.

Today, I am making them iced green tea with a bit of peppermint in it.  I'm not sure what I will bake yet, as I need to put two whole chickens in the roaster still.  

We have a good strong wind today, so I need to get as much on the clothes line as I can.  The weather is turning much colder and it with the storng wind, should dry fast.

I saved my egg whites for another angel food cake.  I just don't have the counter space to bring my mixer out and make it.  That will have to wait for tomorrow, and I'll have to come up with something else for today.

Update:  I decided to make the kids another batch of zucchini banana bars.  We like to call them brownies.

I used Swiss chard stalks, in place of buying celery, in my roaster pan.  We'll see how it tastes.  

I still have a few carrots in the garden, but will use those for muffins this week.  The ones in the roaster are from the store, but organic.


Speaking of food, we grilled burgers with our tomato jelly last night.  It really doesn't have a ton of flavor like I thought.  It's good, but I think I will try a tomato jam or preserves next time.