Baffled Again!

Lately the squirrels have gotten more aggressive. We've had to resort to using a baffle (dome-shaped device) to thwart their attacks on our feeder. Of course, they do have two feeders of their own but, as the population has exploded this year, they empty those quickly and head for the bird feeder. They cannot get into this tubular feeder, so they chew the wire to break it. The feeder drops to the ground and it's "belly up to the buffet" time for the whole squirrelly neighborhood! You can make your own baffle or, as we did, purchase one that is pictured here. How it works is that when the squirrel jumps onto the baffle, it tilts sideways and dumps the squirrel off. 

Pink Salad for Cookouts, Pink Hibiscus

You just can't go wrong with this dessert-like fruit "salad." It'll go great with those ribs from the last post, and kids of all ages will love it. I can vouch for that, because it's made an appearance at every family cookout at the lake for decades. Here's the super simple recipe:

BBQ Pork Ribs with Sweet Rum Glaze, Rio Samba Rose

Just in time for Memorial Day, here's one of my favorite recipes. Hope you enjoy it, too! 

Easy Barbecued Pork Ribs

with Sweet Rum Glaze

Serves 4

Westminster Chimes & Aunt Vida's Whole Fried Potatoes

What are the sounds and aromas that conjure up happy memories for you? Just let me roast a chicken, fry potatoes, and hear Westminster chimes from our mantel clock and I'm transported back to the Victorian house where my Great Aunt Vida & Great Uncle Jimmy lived. Sadly, Uncle Jimmy's been gone for a long time. Aunt Vida turned 104 years old this year. She taught 3rd grade Sunday school for 70 years and worked alongside her husband in their photography studio. She never had children but she had lots of toys and games for me to play with when I visited. She was a great cook, too. See her recipe for Whole Fried Potatoes below.

This isn't her clock but it has the same chime, and that's what counts. Every time it rings, I get all warm and fuzzy....and happy...inside. :-) 

Sugar Snap Peas from the Garden & Recipe

The first time I ever remember tasting sugar snap peas was at my grandmother's house. She served them with stewed new potatoes, all mixed together with lots of sweet, creamy, salty butter. I've loved them ever since, and the recipe is after the photos below.

Get Back Here, Gnomeo!

Warning! If you have an irrational fear of garden gnomes, please watch this video before exploring the rest of this post. (It will make you smile, it's so darn cute!)

There is a whole generation of us who were scared witless by that old Twilight Zone episode about the evil garden gnomes, but when I saw this little guy at Big Lots years ago, I knew he was the perfect gnome for my garden. You see, he carries a bell, so I knew that I'd be able to keep track of him if he decides to move around the yard....and stalk me in the dark.