[RiversideLen]

Thank you BakerAunt.

Chocomouse, I have 2 tomatoes in each planter although it probably would be better with just one. In the planter on the right, I also have one mint in the front. And I have one parsley in each container but they are not shown.

A problem I have had with this arrangement is blossom end rot which I believe is a calcium deficiency. So I use a liquid calcium magnesium supplement and also give it a steady diet of Miracle Grow.

I picked my first ripe tomato today, just a small one.

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[RiversideLen]

My tomato plants are getting pretty big. Lots of little fruits on them.

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[RiversideLen]

I have some Ryobi battery operated tools including a line trimmer and leaf blower. I get plenty of run time on the line trimmer. The leaf blower goes through the battery pretty fast but I have a several batteries so it works for me. If you have several acres to deal with I think you will need gas powered equipment.

[RiversideLen]

Strip steaks on the grill today, served with pasta salad.

[RiversideLen]

Today I made a pasta salad to be served tomorrow, with small penne pasta, grated carrots, chopped celery, red bell pepper, shallots and grape tomatoes.

[RiversideLen]

I was just going based on the label. I don't know what the process is to make "natural maple flavor" though.

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[RiversideLen]

Is maple flavor a natural product?
"Ingredients: Natural Maple Flavor"
It appears so.

[RiversideLen]

A quarter cup of maple syrup is only 2 ounces. I have subbed a half cup of maple syrup for all the sugar in Quaker Oats Low Fat Chewy Fruit & Oat Bars and it still doesn't have a pronounced maple flavor. To up the maple flavor, try adding a 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon maple flavor (available from King Arthur as well as other outlets).

[RiversideLen]

Yesterday I made potato salad using tahini sauce. I made the sauce too thick, lesson learned for next time. It tastes good though. Also made a round roast. So dinner for the next several days are thin slices of roast beef with potato salad, just need to make a fresh veg. Nice easy meals.

[RiversideLen]

On the 4th, I cooked strip steaks on the grill, served them with potato salad and asparagus.

[RiversideLen]

Baker Aunt, "emergency desserts", I like the way you think!

Mike, the red cake wasn't a deep red, maybe slightly pink but more red then pink. I didn't use a lot of food color, I think 3 or 4 drops.

[RiversideLen]

Re my Red White and Blue cake, do you know what happens when you add blue food color in a yellow cake batter? I do, it turns green. So my Independence Day themed cake looked more like a Christmas cake. That didn't detract from the taste, though.

[RiversideLen]

After much debate about delivery or cooking something, I decided to cook a hamburger. I wanted to use up my potato salad.

[RiversideLen]

I baked a layer cake today, one layer red, the other blue. I'm going to pop it in the freezer until Wednesday when I will decorate it with white frosting.

[RiversideLen]

Whenever I've made that kind of salad, I just used a vinaigrette dressing. My way is to dissolve a little sugar in the vinegar, then mix it with equal amount of olive oil. I don't use salt but do use a little fresh ground pepper and maybe a pinch of oregano or fresh basil. Not from a recipe, it's just the way I do it.

That's interesting about Genius Kitchen, Baker Aunt, I go there all the time. Have you run scans on your computer?

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