Blueberry Squares Recipe

Since it's blueberry season, sharing a recipe.

Blueberry Squares

A little extra effort

but it will be worth it.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 9x13 glass pan.

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

zest from lemon or orange

2 egg whites, beaten stiff

In mixing bowl with whisk attachment,

blend together to resemble small peas:

2 cups flour

¾ cup butter

1 ¼ cups sugar

Reserve 1 cup for crumb topping.

Add to flour mixture in mixing bowl:

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 egg yolks

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend until very smooth.

Gently fold in beaten egg whites

with lemon or orange zest.

Pour dough into greased and floured 9x13 glass baking dish.

Sprinkle 2 cups blueberries on top.

Cover with reserved crumb topping.

Bake 40 minutes until lightly golden.

(Or make 17 muffins.)

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Robbers

ROBBERS

My neighbor buys birdseed

and field corn on the cob.

Who is it that comes to feed?

The squirrels and chipmunks come rob.

Then across the yard they run

to hide millet and field corn

where it will grow in the sun.

It looks like someone’s having fun.

Did the squirrels and chipmunks know

when they hid the millet and corn

that those seeds would one day grow

with help from the rain and sun?

Did these robbers realize?

Or are they in for a surprise?

Will they come back to investigate

what’s growing behind the garden gate?

Here’s millet growing in the green beans.

Growing taller every day it seems.

It’s in a race with the field corn.

Are the robbers hungry and yearn?

It didn’t pay to rob.

It’s not a paying job

for in the end they lost

a free dinner at no cost.

* * * * *

To rob means to steal.

Slander also steals.

It steals someone’s good name.

It leaves that person defamed.

Slanderers try to demean

and end up being mean

while they try to make themselves appear

better or wiser or superior.

Remember: Set a guard over your mouth,

or keep your opinion to yourself,

will save someone’s reputation –

mostly yours if you slander often.

He who guards his mouth and his tongue

keeps himself from calamity.

Proverbs 21:23

Lancifolium Lily

Bulblets in each leaflet to propagate.

Miraculous!

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Vegetable Humor

VEGETABLE HUMOR

Can you guess who I am?

Lettuce now begin.

Plant five seeds together in a hill.

In a few days green leafs will spill.

You’ll find bees in our blossoms.

Soon you will see our fruit zoom.

If you carrot all for me

you’ll very cauliflowerly

watch your manners, peas do not squash.

Otherwise I’ll end up squashed – ouch!

Here’s a clue to recucumber as I’m a good treat:

Tommorato I’ll be ready to eat.

Try me with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and garlic.

I’ll be yonion and very good to the last lick.

I can be eaten raw, or fried, or steamed.

I can be grated for cake with ice cream.

I can be made into pickle relish,

even though I’m not very ticklish.

The corn is listening with their ears so don’t lie.

The potatoes are watching with their eyes, oh my.

You’ve bean strung along on a string in the heat.

If you goof you’ll turn as red as a red beet.

Look behind the cabbage.

Can you now spinach, huh?

You’ve now run out of thyme.

Just who do you think I am?

Here I am. It’s me.

Now do "zucchini" (you see me)?

(Maybe I’m just a little bit funny?)

* * * * *

Just a little bit of humor goes a long ways

as it will brighten any weary day.

Ecclesiastes says there’s a time to laugh.

Laughter can be quite healing. How about that!

I pray you’ll have more laughter than tears

for joy will lessen any fears.

I pray you’ll have more good times than bad

so that you will rarely be sad.

I pray you’ll have much happiness

with peacefulness and quiet rest.

I pray you’ll have contentment.

I pray these blessings are sent.

You’ll find laughter and happiness and contentment

are blessings from a loving heavenly Father sent

to everyone of us

when we learn to trust.

When you count your blessings

I know you’ll be filled with joy.

You might find yourself laughing

with much thankfulness and joy.

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy…

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Psalm 126:2-3

…A time to weep and a time to laugh…

Ecclesiastes 3:4

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Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Go to my Life Is a Garden Party facebook page for recipe.

Well Watered

WELL-WATERED

Have you noticed a garden grows much better

from rain poured down from the clouds

then it does from hand watering just so?

Have you noticed your day seems to turn out better

when you spend time in God’s Word

then when you are too busy to do so?

Being well-watered,

with sun and soil mixtures

causes every garden to flourish

Being well-versed

in God’s Word, the Scriptures,

causes the gardener to flourish.

Every garden needs sun

and good ground to grow in

as well as being watered from above.

The gardener needs the Son

and God’s Word to stand on

and He will be blessed from the Lord above.

* * * * *

A well-watered garden produces abundantly.

A life well-watered from scriptures lives abundantly.

For a well-watered garden will flourish

as a life honoring God does flourish.

Now don’t compare to the world’s definition

of living abundantly - their equation.

Living abundantly in the world is possessing more and more.

Sometimes it might even be building more in order to store more.

God’s definition of abundant living

is peace and joy and contentment with thanksgiving.

Contentment that God knows what is best

and that He will take care of all the rest.

One way to know God will take care of you

is to seek His kingdom for God says

all these things will be added unto you –

what you eat and drink and the clothes you wear.

You’ll find your cup will be overflowing

for you will receive God’s many blessings

all from seeking God truly

for your every need daily.

As God supplies rain and dew for the gardener

He will always guide and protect the gardener.

That is a faithful promise from God’s Word

for God says He is WITH us in His Word.

One characteristic of God is His faithfulness

meaning He faithfully will provide and protect us.

Now never compare yourself to someone else –

that’s called envy and jealousy – it’s prideful self.

Let God satisfy you personally

with His best for your personality.

You’ll have a storehouse of God’s faithfulness to recall

when sometimes it seems you are up against a hard wall.

Did you notice Isaiah said sun-scorched?

That doesn’t sound like sitting on a porch.

That sounds like problems in tomorrows

and possibly days filled with more sorrow.

It’s the hard times that strengthen us

for adversity teaches us

that God will remain faithful

even when we’re unfaithful.

So God who is our guide will protect us always,

He will amply provide for our needs everyday,

while at the same time He will preserve us by making us grow stronger

so that we will be productive – like a well-watered gardener.

Productive in giving God all the glory

for we are part of His continuing story.

Our spring will never run dry

for God is with us, that’s why!

The Lord will guide you always;                             Protector

He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land  Provider

 and will strengthen your frame.                              Preserver

   You will be like a well-watered garden,                   Productive

like a spring whose waters never fail.                                    

Isaiah 58: 11

Do not worry, saying, What shall we eat?

or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear?

Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness

and all these things will be given to you as well.

Do not worry about tomorrow.

Matthew 6:31-34

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Pots of Gold/Recipes

Always happy to see Pots of Gold here at Rainbow's End:

 Zucchini

Summer Squash

Zucchini Pizza

4 cups shredded zucchini

1/2 t salt

Let stand 10 minutes.  Squeeze.

Add 2 eggs

garlic 

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Bake in 9x13 at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Add pizza toppings and bake 20 minutes longer.

Sliced tomatoes or tomato sauce

Cooked ground beef or turkey or sausage

with diced onions and peppers

and herbs.

Top with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Summer Squash Casserole

4 summer squash, sliced thin

1 large onion, sliced thin

Cook vegetables in 1/2 cup water until tender.

Drain. Cool slightly.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter 9x9 glass baking dish.

To hot squash mixture, stir in:

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

2 beaten eggs

1/4 cup butter

1/2 t salt

1/2 t garlic powder

4 oz shredded cheese

Pour into prepared baking dish.

Top with favorite crumbled butter crackers if desired.

Bake 1/2 hour or until puffed and crumbs are browned.

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Green Thumb

GREEN THUMB?

Have you ever seen a gardener’s green thumb?

I haven’t yet. I tend to have a brown one.

A brown thumb will the dry brown soil comb.

No weeds will escape from a brown thumb – none.

A brown thumb plants seeds and seedlings. Green plants will come.

When the gardener is working, you might hear him hum.

He’s planning for harvest and thinking yum yum.

He knows that blessings from the Lord will soon come.

It takes a brown thumb to grow flowering mums.

A brown thumb divides plants to share with someone.

How do you clean your well-earned brown thumb?

Scrubbing and washing dishes helps some.

I also tend to have two green and brown knees.

I don’t intend for this to happen to me

but each year another pair of jeans

ends up sporting green and brown stained knees.

It’s so much easier to weed down on your knees.

You can pull out the tall grass and little weeds – wee.

You can listen to the bees

and grubs in the soil see.

When you’re done with the weeding, you’ll be pleased.

Take a moment to stand back and look, see

your hard work paid off and thankful you will be

for being able to get up off your knees.

A brown thumb and green knees are a sure sign

of a dedicated gardener like me.

Next time you’re at the nursery, make friends

with those who sport brown thumbs and green knees. You’ll be pleased.

* * * * *

You and I were fearfully and wonderfully made -

for on the 6th day of creation plans were laid

to create male and female,

to be born without any ails.

When sin entered in

so did aches and pains.

Sin was the original cause of pain.

It has been said there’s no gain without pain.

Gardener’s know this to be true

for at the end of the day

when they finally sit down to survey

they creak and snap and have a few aches too.

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

Yesterday's welcome garden guest here at Rainbow's End.

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Bunny

It was 10 years ago today, July 4th, that I started writing in rhyme.
Didn't know I could.  Here's one of the first poems written:

Sedum smells like honey.
If you think that's funny,
wait until it's sunny
and there you'll find bunny.

Bunny comes a-hopping,
his long brown ears a-flopping,
his white puff tail a-bopping,
in my garden he's a-stopping.

Bunny takes a nibble here
and another over there.
Can't tell if its flowers he likes
or vegetables bring more delight.

Bunny came to visit
then in the road he's hit.
I need to dig a burial pit
before I can relax and sit.

I wanted bunny to move on
but not to heaven so soon.
What a sad, sad tale
no more bunny tail.

Photo of a "crazy daisy".

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Daniel

Daniel

Daniel loves to eat vegetables.

He doesn't wait to set the table.

He eats what he wants

as often as he wants.

Daniel likes sweet green peppers the best.

He eats them before he eats the rest.

He hasn't tried hot peppers at all.

Perhaps he's too smart, that Daniel.

One of his favorites is snow peas.

Green pole beans also seem to please.

Daniel has never said no to beets either.

He likes butternut squash when its tender.

Daniel will try potatoes

and nibble on tomatoes.

Green seems to be his favorite color.

Though he wears a tan coat and collar.

Yes, Daniel loves to eat vegetables.

This is a true tale, not a fable.

Then again, the eater might be Danielle, who knows

for they come in the middle of the night, you know.

Daniel or Danielle are unwelcome guests.

Who are these midnight guests? Can you guess?

They are deer

who are not dear.

But they do have a lesson to teach us:

vegetables are very good for us.

They give us strength to jump up high

and endurance to run fast, bye bye.

* * * * *

The Bible tells us a true story about another Daniel.

This Daniel asked for vegetables to be served at the table.

Daniel and his friends were healthier looking

and God gave them all a keen mind for learning.

It is a good idea to follow Daniel's example.

Daniel, God's servant; not Daniel the deer's example

because Daniel the deer steals his vegetables

and you know, of course, that stealing is illegal.

Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink...

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished...

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding

of all kinds of literature and learning.

Daniel 1:12, 15, 17

What last night's vegetarians dined on:  wild violet leaves, gloriosa daisy, lilies, campanellas, rudbeckias, and more.

Praying the much needed rains come later today, which means I'll be spraying more deer-terent tomorrow.

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