Newsletter 4 (4 /12/2007 )

  Recipe Bookmark

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. Maya Angelou

Everyone reading this is faced with challenges every day of their life.  Rainy days, liquid or frozen, can change our outlook, if we allow them to.  This week we had truckloads of trees and shrubs arrive, in preparation for the gardening season.  Unloading them in the cold, snowy weather was uncomfortable, but our staff did not complain, because they know that when the trees and shrubs are here, spring is too.  Just playing a bit of peek-a-boo with us.

Nature’s delay of warm days has given us more time to prepare for our annual Open House, this Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15.  We look forward to the opportunity to show off our beautiful plants, as well as our selection of the latest and greatest garden-related merchandise the industry has to offer. 

Please join us, rain or shine.  We will have free hot dogs and popcorn for all, so bring your friends and family.  We guarantee you will leave absolutely convinced that Spring 2007 is here.  Even if it doesn’t know it yet.

Inspirational Thought of the Day – I called my lawyers office today with a tax question. His secretary, one of my favorite people, answered my traditional – how are you – with the following.  Well, I think I’m even better than I was just an hour or two ago.

Garden Sense by Ilene Isenberg

Being a gardener in Wisconsin requires patience and faith. The patience to wait for spring to arrive – and the faith that it will!  Our tulips and daffodils have been blanketed in snow but bulb expert Jan Vermeer assures us that most spring flowering bulbs will recover. The pansy faces will soon be smiling again.

While you’re itching to get your hands in the dirt it’s time to think about tools.  You remember garden tools.  You tossed them on a shelf in the shed or garage thinking you would clean them over the winter. Well, now is the time to get them out and do it before you want to prune roses or plant perennials.  Wash the blades clean and wipe with light machine oil, like WD40 or sewing machine oil. 

Take inventory.  Determine which of your tools need replacing.  Are you using the correct tool for the job?  Do you attempt to cut through woody branches with shears meant for flower stems?  Do you find yourself using serving spoons from your kitchen because the handle has fallen off your favorite trowel?  Are your watering wands rusty or corroded?  Americas Best Flowers can help. We have everything you need, including Oxo ergonomic hand tools, Dramm watering wands and sprinklers, Hound Dog hand-tillers to save your back, and even a line of children’s tools to get the kids into gardening. We hope to see you soon.

Even when I have pains, I do not have to be one. Maya Angelou

Bonnies Kitchen

Cheesy Apple Pizza

This is so good, especially if served warm.

Taken from The Great American Bake Sale by Alison Boteler

7 medium size tart apples, cored, unpeeled, and thinly sliced

½ c sugar

1 t cinnamon

¼ t nutmeg

1 c grated sharp cheddar cheese

Pastry for double-crust pie

Streusel Crumb Topping

¾ c all purpose flour

½ c sugar

½ c cold butter, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 425.  Mix flour and sugar in bowl.  Using pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs.

Form pastry dough into large ball.  Roll out into a 15 inch circle and ease into 14 inch round pizza pan.  Pinch up crust edges to form smooth rim, like a pizza.  Cover crust with rows of overlapping apple slices.  Combine sugar and spices and sprinkle over apple slices.  Scatter cheese evenly over top.  Sprinkle with streusel topping.  Bake 30-38 minutes until edges are golden brown.  This is best served warm.

While getting dressed one morning, I decided I have been spending waaaaay too much time on the computer, when I caught myself checking the lower-right corner of my makeup mirror to see what time it was. unknown