By Carol Cichorski, on November 18th, 2012 I can do better than canned cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong, I like canned cranberry sauce, but I love Mom’s cranberry jello. I’m also including cranberry recipes from Heidee, Marjie, and Marian. Their recipes were in the Do-able Dahlia Dishes cookbook that was published by the Central States Dahlia Society.
Cranberry Jello Mold
Compliments of Ardie Cichorski
1 pkg fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 large package raspberry jello
1 medium orange
1/2 cup walnuts in small pieces
Wash and sort cranberries, removing white ones. Place cranberries in pot. Add 1 cup sugar. Add water till just covered. Heat over high, removing from heat when the cranberries start popping. Add 2 cups boiling water to jello and mix. Reserve juice from cranberries. Add cranberries to jello and place in the mold. Cut orange up into small pieces. Add it and walnuts. Add enough of the reserved juice (about 1 – 1/2 cups) to fill the mold.
Cranberry Banana Mini Loaves
By Heidee Manrose, as published in Do’able Dahlia Dishes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium)
2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mashed banana and mix well. Combine the flour and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Fold in the nuts, chocolate chips, and cranberries or cherries.
Transfer the mixture into 4 greased 5 3/4 x 3 x 2 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 32 – 37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the loaves from the bans to a wire rack.
Cranberry Pear Chutney
By Marjie Kaplan, as published in Do’able Dahlia Dishes
3 cups (1 package) fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
3 Bosc pears, peeled and cored
1 T lemon zest plus 1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried, pitted, dates – coarsely chopped
Combine the cranberries and the sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the berries release their juices (approximately 8 minutes). Do not let the berries scorch.
Cut the pears into 1/2 inch diced pieces and transfer to a bowl. Toss the pear pieces with the lemon zest and lemon juice.
Add the orange juice, raisins, and dates to the cranberries. Stir occasionally and add the pears when the mixture begins to bubble. Cook, stirring until the mixture thickens and pears turn red and are cooked through (approximately 10 minutes). Transfer the chutney to a bowl. Let in cool. Refrigerate.
Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
By Marian Landerholm, as published in Do’able Dahlia Dishes
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar
4 t pumpkin spice for pies
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
4 eggs
1 large can solid pack pumpkin (15 oz.)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, thaw)
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, beat the eggs and then add the pumpkin and the oil. Stir into the dry ingredients just until everything is moistened. Fold in the cranberries and nuts.
Spoon the mixture into 2 greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 70 – 80 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the loaves from the pans to a wire rack.
By Carol Cichorski, on November 15th, 2012  “Job well done”, or in my case, “job whale done”! Those are words that are written on the bottom of this cute little whale. I checked my notes to see when I did a 6 week contract training/help desk job for Baker & Daniels in Indianapolis. It was 9 years ago. Wow. And still I have this little token of appreciation from Eliza Purvlicis and crew. There is something about the human spirit that relishes the feeling of accomplishment, sharing the fruits of our labor, and receiving recognition for it.
Today, I share the award with my garden, complete with a hardy “Job whale done”. The gardening season is coming to an end, and my garden has earned a great big thank you.
My garden just keeps on giving. From the joy of anticipation to the creative arrangement of blooms, I enjoy my toils in the soil. I get dirty, really dirty. I get tired, really tired. I get sore, really sore. Still I love every minute of it, and there is always a reward.
I was continually bringing in and sharing cut flowers. This last group was from a few weeks ago, and though it will be spring before the vase is filled again, my garden gave and gave and gave.
Right now, my kale is still going strong, and looked lovely with a touch of frost this morning.
My spirea continues to show its colors…
October Daphne sedum is glowing in the November sun…
I’m sure you’ll agree with me that my garden deserves a great big thank you.
Do you want to know what else is blooming in the November garden? To see what other bloggers have blooming on the 15th of every month, visit May Dreams Gardens – Bloom Day for our Garden Bloggers’ Bloom day entries.
By Carol Cichorski, on November 10th, 2012  Have you ever lost a job? I did. Yesterday.
Have you ever planted a garden? I will. Today.
Yesterday was the last day for most of our Corporate Training Department, including me. Today, I am going to spend some much deserved time outside considering my options. I know there is no place I’d rather be, and the whole ‘gardening as a business’ option is up for consideration. It’s an option that I never took seriously enough to quit a job that I liked. A job that helped pay the bills nicely.
What words of wisdom have others imparted upon me in the last few weeks? I think the most thought-provoking has been this much quoted quote and its variations…
When God closes a door, He opens a window.
– or –
Sometimes it feels like God slams a door and pushes you out the window.
– or –
When God closes a door, and the window is not an option, crawl through the heating vent.
– or –
When God closes a door and a window, perhaps he has given you a chainsaw.
– or in my case –
When God closes a door, maybe he wants you to work in the garden.
I have a lot of thinking to do, because it’s true that I have many doors, windows, heating vents, a husband with a chain saw, and even a garden to consider when I look at the opportunities ahead.
Do I want another Corporate Trainer job? I’ve certainly enjoyed this one, and I have enjoyed helping so many people get the skills to succeed at their jobs. We have fun in class and they learn. This is good.
Do I want to do Contract Training and Course Development? I enjoyed that in the past, and loved giving 110% during an implementation, then having time between projects.
Do I consider this the shove from God to pursue garden writing, garden speaking, and working closely with garden centers to keep them viable in today’s marketplace? Of course, this is the one I want, but can I afford that? It’s a big risk. But if not now, when?
I’ll continue thinking about it today while I’m outside. Even there, opportunities come and go. I had planted many tulips and daffodils on the berm, but eventually they were choked out by the ivy. I’ve learned my lesson. Ivy wins. Now I’ll plant bulbs again, on a side of the berm that doesn’t have ivy.
Life is like that too. I’ll look at what I’ve learned and decide what to do next. Like the bulbs, it may take a while for me to bloom in my new location, but bloom I will.
The sun has come back out. I can take a hint. Yes, God, I’m going outside now. Let’s see what other hints you have for me while I’m planting your flowers.
By Carol Cichorski, on November 5th, 2012 
I told you in the title that my amaryllis looked sad. But you didn’t believe me, did you? I bet you do now. One look at this picture and you are probably wondering what the heck happened to it. Summer outside is what happened to it. So now here I am with one droopy gangly looking long leaved plant. What am I going to do about it?
For now, I’m going to make amaryllis the theme of ‘Zone 5 – Favorites on the 5th’. I post on the 5th of every month, redirecting visitors to a favorite posting relative to zone 5. As I meandered through blogger world looking for a way to resuscitate my amaryllis, I came across Amaryllis – Beauty In The Winter Garden at Gatsbys Gardens.
I’ve got to agree with Eileen that buying the biggest bulb you can find is the costly but rewarding way to go. This Samba bloom came from a Pesche’s bulb last winter. We’ll see if I find a way to bring it back to its former glory. In the meantime, I may just head over to Pesche’s tomorrow as I know the bulbs are in.
By Carol Cichorski, on November 2nd, 2012  Halloween is over and I still have scary news for you. No, it isn’t witches or goblins. No, it isn’t zombies like the classic Frasier Halloween show we watched a few nights ago. Still, plain old scary. Ready? The leaves are leaving. Not quite as in ‘poof’ they’ve blown away like they do in Camelot. More like leaves all over the ground shimmering in the sunlight. Not scary, you say. Well, think about what is coming next – that would be winter. That’s scary.
Was this, or was this not, an autumn of absolutely astonishing colors? I hear a resounding yes from those of you around Chicagoland, all the way up through Door County Wisconsin. We visited Door County in early October with other scary thoughts – that the early showing of color in Chicagoland would mean past prime color in Door County. God knew what he was doing, of course. He blessed us with beautiful color all the way up to Door County, with a continued explosion of color there.
We camped in Peninsula State Park and tried to make a daily stop at Eagle Tower. A trek to the top of the 75′ tower rewards the effort. 
Another daily trek, this one to the showers, rewards us with a fall color update according to the tree you see below. The showers are warm, but the weather can be cold this time of year. Yet the beauty of the park makes it worth it. There are winding roads for the car tour, bicycle paths galore, and days scheduled around being back for sunset.
This picture is my new screen saver, with the icons placed strikingly against the vibrant blue sky.
Back home a week later, we continued to watch the drama in our own backyard. Our Amur maple welcomed us.
The Amur maple is done now, as are most of the trees in our area.
Are we done camping for the year? My guess is yes, though the current setup of the camper in the backyard does give us one last opportunity. I think I’ll just enjoy the view, and the memories, from my back window.
By Carol Cichorski, on October 27th, 2012 Morton Arboretum is always a favorite fall destination for me. Our last fall visit to Morton was so idyllic that I named the subsequent posting Normal Rockwell Moments At Morton Arboretum. Cathy Hosek recently sent me these scarecrow pictures from their Scarecrow Trail, which reminded me to tell you about their Fall Color Festival. Activities are listed below.
Note that there is free wine tasting. I knew that would get your attention!
Scarecrow Trail
Admire more than 50 nature-themed scarecrows showcased around Meadow Lake.
Daily, Sept 30-Nov 4
7 a.m.-sunset
Meadow Lake
Theatre-Hikes®
Experience theatre without walls on nature’s stage. Tickets on sale now. October’s play is Werewolf’s Curse; Or Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Weekends in October
Adults: $12 Member ($19 Non-member)
Children (2-17): $8 Member ($13 Non-member)
Fall Color Festival Fare
Enjoy taffy apples with your choice of toppings, brats, kettle corn, and more.
Weekends in October
11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Arbor Court
Complimentary Wine Tasting
Savor free wine samples from Wente Family Estates, featured wine of the Arboretum.
Weekends in October
Noon-4 p.m.
Visitor Center
Trick or Trees (My Favorite!)
Play games or do crafts. Pumpkin painting for a small fee. Costumes encouraged!
Weekends in October
11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Children’s Garden
Fall Family Hikes
Explore trees and their stories along our hike from the Visitor Center to the Tree House Tales exhibit.
Saturdays, Oct 20, Oct 27 and Nov 3
Times vary
Members $5/Non-members $6, plus Arboretum admission
Bird Walks
Watch the fall bird migration unfold.
Saturdays, Oct 20-Nov 3
8–10:30 a.m.
Member $8/Non-member $10
By Carol Cichorski, on October 20th, 2012 
In memoriam
Linda Ohm
May 8 1950
October 18 2012
By Carol Cichorski, on October 15th, 2012 A garden distinctly marks the passage of time. Kind of like life, with people growing and shining, and sadly over time, gone. We are experiencing this in both our garden walk and life walk in pronounced ways. Dahlias gone, mums shining, Linda failing, grandchildren shining.
In the category of ‘gone’, we have the dahlias. Mike’s dahlias put up a good fight against the heat and drought, and had their last hurrah just a week ago. Pretty impressive!
Today, the dahlias are not so impressive. Mike had cut the stalks before we left for Door County on the 5th, and next weekend he will dig up and store the tubers. Those two weeks give the tubers time to concentrate on growing eyes for new sprouts in the spring. Usually, he will clear the cut stalks, but that task was left for another time since we were leaving town. Now after a week, they look pretty sad.
In the category of ‘shining’, we have the mums. These 5 plants have gotten so full you can’t even tell how many there are. Oh, yes you can – I just told you. If you’ve planted new mums, be sure to water them regularly. That will greatly improve the chances of them coming back like mine did.
The garden time line is undoubtedly more predictable than our own time lines. We’ve all got one; we just don’t know exactly what it is. We watched our wedding video while we were on vacation. Much joy, and yet some sadness seeing those who have gone. Linda will likely be next. She is home with her loving family, going as gracefully as one can when cancer is involved.
Back to the ‘shining’ category, where our grandchildren happily reside. Allie is 3 now, and Cam is just starting to walk. I can hardly wait to see the progress he has made while we were on vacation.
Enjoy the time you have been given! You’ve all heard Ecclesiastes 3, though you may not know of it as a quote from the Bible. I’ll share it here, with a few extra verses you may not know.
Ecclesiastes 3 – 15
For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 16-22
What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.
Do you want to know what else is blooming in the October garden? To see what other bloggers have blooming on the 15th of every month, visit May Dreams Gardens – Bloom Day for our Garden Bloggers’ Bloom day entries.
By Carol Cichorski, on October 11th, 2012  I am amazed by fax machines. I know fax machines are old fashioned, but I am still somehow surprised when words automajically jump from one page to another.
I am amazed by how many people have never made a scarecrow. I know scarecrows are old fashioned, but I am still somehow surprised how many people need instructions at our Elk Grove Garden Club Scarecrow Factory.
Let the voice of experience help – that’s me! After 10 years of running a Scarecrow Factory, we have this down to a science.
One key factor to consider is stuffing material. Hay v. straw v. plastic bags. Hay and straw are certainly traditional, but can play havoc with allergies. Of those two, straw is BY FAR the better choice. Scrunched up plastic bags work well too, and the scarecrow can be stored for the next year.
As far as clothes, let your imagination run wild, keeping a few points in mind. Non-stretchy is best. Scarecrows wearing a sweatshirt tend to turn into a lumpy bumpy wet sloppy mess. Overalls are perfect as they negate the tricky step of attaching the pants to the shirt. Kids like to make kid size scarecrows. Footed sleepers are quick, easy, and fun.
Supplies
- Clothes – Non-stretchy shirt and pants
- Hat
- Accessories are fun (gloves, belt, silk flowers in a pocket)
- Burlap for the head (two pieces at 12″ x 20″)
- Felt pieces for eyes, ears, noses
- Hot glue (other glues tend to dissolve in bad weather)
- Twine – 5 pieces, each about 1 foot long
- Straw or plastic bags (one regular size bale will make about 5 scarecrows)
- At least 10 large safety pins
- Big needle and thick strong thread
Optional
- A tarp to contain the mess
- Wood for the arms, to support the head, and/or for standing, and a little more twine.
Now have some fun!
1. Sew the head on three sides. You need the bottom open for stuffing. Use big stitches to keep it easy. Make the stitches an inch away from the edge to allow for unraveling.
2. Position the face pieces on the head. They need to be far enough from the top to leave room for the hat, and far enough from the bottom that they don’t get buried in the shirt when you attach the head.
3. Hot glue the pieces in place. Remember – its hot and its glue. Keep your fingers away. Put a piece of cardboard in the head to stop the glue from seeping through.
4. Stuff it! The head, the pants, the shirt. Best done outside as this is a mess. Fun, but a mess. Use a tarp if easy cleanup is on your list.
5. Leave some straw sticking out of the sleeves and pant bottoms. Tie with 4 pieces of twine.
6. Pin the pants and shirt together.
7. If you are using wooden supports, this is the time to put them in. Insert the vertical one through the top and bottom of the shirt. Let it stick out the top to support the head. Insert the horizontal one through the sleeves. Twine the supports together into a cross.
8. Tie twine around the bottom of the head, and attach head with pins.
9. Pin or hot glue the hat. Accessorize!
By Carol Cichorski, on October 5th, 2012 In honor of Favorites on the 5th, we are going to travel to another world. No, I haven’t gone alien-crazy, I’m talking city v. country. I’ve always been a city gal, born and raised in Chicago, moving to the requisite suburbs to raise a family. Ah, but inside me is a country gal. I admit it – I listen to country radio and I want to live in Mayberry, or the outskirts.
This could be our farm.
And this could be us.
If you think I’m kidding, know that my library includes “If I Had a Horse How Different Life Would Be” and “Hit by a Farm”. Intellectually, I know a horse is a lot of work. Intellectually, I know a farm is a lot of work. Actually it can be worse than that. Here’s a quote from Catherine Friend’s “Hit by a Farm”
Farms have fences. People have boundaries. Mine began crumbling the day I knelt behind a male sheep, reached between his legs, and squeezed his testicles … Janet, the instructor of this course on raising sheep, had indicated it was my turn. “Grab his testicles here, around the widest part.” Wincing, I reached between the ram’s back legs with my thumb and forefinger. “Don’t pinch him,” Janet cried.
As far as the horse, my Mom grew up on a farm and knew the dark side. She never let me ride a horse. Never. Linda Martell would get to go horseback riding and I didn’t. Mike will humor me and go horseback riding on vacation. He is in firm agreement with the philosophy that says a horse is dangerous on both ends, and not so friendly in the middle. I don’t get it – how can he feel that way when he looks so happy in this picture?
Still, I’m like Owen Wilson in “Midnight in Paris”. I sometimes think I belong in another time and place. If you haven’t seen the movie, see it. That’s all I’m gonna say about it.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program of Favorites on the 5th. I post on the fifth of every month directing you to another blog. Today, we travel to Little House in the Suburbs where you can read articles like Backyard Chickens: 5 Things I Didn’t Know and Homemade Laundry Detergent: New Tutorial.
Happy trails to you!
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