“We were on a break!” Ah, but Thanksgiving beckons…

Mom "Aurora"

Need I say more?... Except that I am glad to be back on the blog. With the holidays moving our way, I will opt out of cooking for Thanksgiving Day. There are benefits to having a mom in assisted living. Along with exemplary care of their entrusted population, The Villas of Casa Celeste in Largo, Florida, serves a superbly delicious, homemade feast prepared by the most loving folks you can imagine! We really lucked out finding this community.

Not cooking for Thanksgiving won’t stop my mouthwatering curiosity for recipes

Amazing Grace (& Greens) of Okra Leaves

Well  “I just went ahead and did it!” No--though not as exciting as a facelift--I ate okra leaves. Now you probably have to be fairly desperate to eat okra leaves, which I found out through firsthand experience, since they are not easy to soften up for eating.

The Garden Seasons at Raccupine Farms

Travel through the seasons at Raccupine Farms by clicking on the photo above... Enjoy!

The Abundance of Avocados

Have I mentioned that our 30-foot avocado tree has yielded at least 30 avocados so far this summer? All have been a little over a pound and, when they ripen, their nuttiness is a taste of heaven and they spread like butter. Nathan planted this treasure from one avocado pit in a pot when he came to live here. We have waited about eleven years for this tree to bear this much fruit.

Volunteers for the Harvest

Lucky us! We have volunteers that show up from time to time in our garden. But ours don't sign in when they arrive; they just pop up out of the ground. Last winter's frost put a dent in their production but a few have managed to linger and recover. So we have spurts here and there of last winter's crop mixed in with this summer's bounty. 

Yesterday, I gathered some winter friends