Spicing up Vegetables, Today's Flowers, and Critters, September 27, 2014

Welcome, today I am linking with-

Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen

Today's Flowers hosted by Denise

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma and Mystical Magical Teacher

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

A Delphinum at Yard 'n Garden nursery is one of those rare blue flowers.

Roses continue to rebloom, the delightful mini Dream Waltz-

The eccentric mini Green Ice-

Some of the annuals are still blooming, Nasturtium and Browallia-

Nasturtiums have delightful streaking as bee guides, rather like eyelashes-

I hope you are enjoying fall.   Once fall fell the 90ºF / 32ºC temperatures cooled off and we have even gotten a little rain.  Last year I was depressed at the beginning of Fall because I was having a nice summer, but the hot dry summer this year had me wishing for cooler temperatures and rain, so I am happy.  I prepared for the rain by picking all the beans and especially dry beans I could find, the papery pods mold in wet weather.  Insuk's Wang Kong and other runner beans finish out well from summer's end and into fall, they like cool weather.

Most productive regular bean at this point turned out to be Grandma Robert's Purple Pole, it has slight strings but otherwise stays tender.

Chicory that had self-seeded from last year is getting big enough to harvest, it has beautiful blue flowers the second year.

I'm cooking up some Broccoli Raab at about a month after sowing today to see how I like it.  I couldn't tell the leaves from the radishes so I pulled a few of those too, they were tasty-

I've been exploring the health benefits of some foods so have been using them minced finely in all my vegetable dishes (home-grown squash, green beans, kale or other greens) this summer- fresh ginger root, fresh Turmeric root if I can get it or powdered if I can't, garlic, Oyster or Shiitake mushrooms, and lemon pepper.  

I'm happy to say that joint problems involving strain to my thumbs' tendons from my weeding activities with a knife or shears are surprisingly much improved after suffering with them for 2 summers previously.   I was also noticing that lower back pain I was experiencing for the first time in many years, in August, is gone, as well as occasional neck pain from old whiplash injuries.  Plus I like the flavors together.  I usually alternate cooking rice or buckwheat to go with them, and either eggs, dried beans, or meat.  Sometimes I roast or broil buttered eggplant, the brown stuff in the photo, to act as kind of a meat-like taste substitute.  

I like to put sour cream or soft goat cheese on it.  I also like to add microwaved banana or presently the abundant applesauce from my trees.  What healthy foods do you like?

Meanwhile in the critter category, this week I found one of those stylistically designed bugs, the lovely Candy-Striped leaf hopper, who graciously posed-

What design would you paint on this bug?   -Hannah

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