I set out with ambitious plans on what I was going to cook this weekend. I picked three recipes from Stews, Bogs and Burgoos - a pork goulash, a beef stew and Brunswick Stew. Needless to say, my plans quickly got modified. Friday and Saturday ended up being more hectic than I'd planned, so today was the only day that I really had time to do intensive cooking. So since the Brunswick Stew had more of the different meats that were taking up room in the refrigerator I decided that's what it would be.
For those not in the know, Brunswick Stew is a regional specialty found in various locations in the South. It started out as a hunter's type stew that had squirrels, pork and beef. Since squirrels aren't exactly popular and easy to get these days, chicken has taken their place. Let me aside here and say that I was first introduced to Brunswick Stew eating at a Smithfield's restaurant in eastern North Carolina. Often we would make a Smithfield's run and I would get a couple of bowls of stew and eat it with hushpuppies. So I have very preconcieved notions of what Brunswick Stew should taste like. When we moved to Alabama, I found that there were some differences. The stew that I was used to was more tomatoey and thick. It only had pork and chicken in it (I'm assuming because the restaurant didn't have anything else with beef in it so it wasn't practical).
So I started cooking at around noon. The recipe started out with browning some bacon, then browning the chicken and beef in the bacon grease. Then sauteeing the onions and green peppers. Then you combined it all in a pot, along with a ham hock, tomatoes and spices. Then it had to simmer for an hour. Then you took out the chicken and let the rest simmer for an hour and a half. Then you took out the ham hock and picked out the meat from it. Then added in lima beans, corn and okra and cooked for another half hour. Then added in some mashed potatoes that you cooked in the meantime. Unfortunately when I was skimming through the recipe I missed the part about the additional hour and a half, and it was already around 4:30 and we still had forever to go. We gave up and ended up going out for takeout since the Gnomeslayer was getting cranky and hungry and so was the husband. So I finished it off when we got home.
It turned out pretty good, different than what I am used to, but good. I had never had beef in the stew before so that was definately interesting. This was the first time I'd ever cooked anything with a ham hock and it did add in a lot of smoky flavor and some body to the stew, once you get over the creepiness factor of the way that they look. I can safely say that if I want the stew again I am going to find an easier recipe because this one took WAY too long. I have made easier recipes that tasted as good to me.
I figured that I would take a break from lots of pictures of flowers with raindrops on them and talk about something else. Back in the late 90's we went back to Arkansas for a visit and while we were there we stopped by the Ozark Folk Center. One of the things that I was fascinated by was the brooms that one of the crafters was making. They are truly works of art. I picked one up, and for years it was the broom that I used to sweep our floors. Now we have updated to a Swiffer sweeper and don't use it, so I have it out on the back porch to sweep off the patio. It has stood up remarkably well, at least until the GS discovered it and started playing with it every time she went out in the back yard. It has been left out in the rain a couple of times now, but still does the job. Next time we head up that way I will have to see if I can find another. :)
I actually thought it was kind of pretty and was growing better than some of the plants in my gravel pathway. I even entertained notions of letting it go for a while and see what it would do. But I am very strict on what I put in my gardens and let live there, so if I didn't plant it, it normally doesn't stay there. I realized by mid-summer that the scree garden idea hadn't been executed very well. I had to spend large amounts of time weeding out unwelcome visitors. And then back about a month ago I was finishing up a class and work was stressful so I didn't get out weeding like I should. And then when we got back from our trip to Arkansas and walked into our back yard we saw the disaster that was left behind.
The Spotted Spurge had covered the entirety of the gravel pathways, you could barely see the stepping stones and couldn't even see the gravel in some places. I decided to go do some internet research and figure out what the heck was growing in my garden. After going through some identification guides, I got the ID. Then I started reading about it with a sinking heart. Spotted Spurge is poisonous. It is low growing so mowing doesn't stop it. It produces copious amounts of seeds. Once it gets started in an area it is difficult to eradicate. I went into the back garden and started working on reclaiming it. My heart kept sinking lower every time I pulled up a mat and saw all of the seeds left behind.
It has started growing in the sod in our front yard too, and I'm going to have to go hand pull it because otherwise it will start to take over there too. I guess I have learned another valuable life lesson. :)
It looks like it is going to be another rainy weekend. I know that we need rain, but it has all of the weekdays to do that. So I might try to get out and get some work done in betwen showers. On the bright side, Neptune has been covered with blooms and they have started opening. Considering that it was bare of leaves a month ago, I'd say that's pretty good. 
In other news, the toad lily on the porch is still blooming away, in spite of my sporadic watering. :)
The Gnomeslayer woke me up this morning before 6:00 a.m. We had some breakfast, and then Q watched her while I went outside and did some garden maintenance. I didn't feel up to the task of the scree garden, so I worked on the front beds. It was a cool morning, and dew was all over the grass. I spent about an hour or so, pulling weeds and trimming hedges. Poison ivy had started growing again by the bush that I evicted it from, so I (carefully!) pulled it and tossed it in the garbage. It was the first time I have been able to fully focus on what I was doing, instead of having to chase the GS around the yard and get her out of things that she shouldn't be getting in to. Usually I give up in frustration and go back in the house before I get much done.
I took her out for several walks today to keep her busy and occupied. The first I took her for a ride in her Fire Truck, then two times we went for a walk around the block. My GS has an obsession with rocks now, and collects them as we walk. She has discovered pockets, and the rocks end up in either hers or ours. We went in the back for a bit and I got the camera out to get some pictures. While I was going in for a closeup of the honeysuckle I realized that I was standing in a fire-ant hill. Ouch! I thought I had gotten them off but missed one so I have a big ant bite on my big toe. The evening was perfect, and the cool weather made me think of fall. Too bad that's still a long way away. :)
Horsetails had started popping up everywhere.
I kept repeating to myself "We were only gone two days!" It seemed that everything had fallen apart. I guess my task this weekend is to do try to do damage control and get it as cleaned up as I can. On the bright side, my Japanese Anemone finally opened up!
There were fresh flowers:
There were musicians and artists: 
And we ate at an area set up with small street food vendors and a common eating area:
It was an interesting place to go, but it was waaaay to hot to be walking around outside. If we go again it will be in the fall.
This place was way off of the beaten path, with fields and woods around it. There was a pasture with horses so I took GS over so that she could see them. While we were standing by the fence I looked down and saw this:
There was a passionflower vine growing along the bottom of it and was in full bloom. I tried growing one of these in my backyard and it didn't work, and here is one growing wild along a fence. Go figure. :)
The Gnomeslayer also had her first encounter with a cat. I don't think the cat was too impressed, but my little girl loved it. :)
The bee balm has finally started blooming too. Funny what happens when you aren't watching. :)