Gluten-free dining

It seems that more people of taking notice of the growing number of people who have problems with gluten. My friend and co-worker, Rhonda, found that Outback Steakhouse now has a gluten-free menu.

They even have a dessert that has no flour -- just yummy fat and lots of chocolate. Not so good for people like me, but a wonderful treat for those who can't tolerate gluten.

I can't see why they have cocktails listed. I am sure most people know they are generally gluten-free. Hmmm. Click on the menus to view them larger.

This is probably just the start. Now when you go into a restaurant and they offer you a menu just say, "Do you have a gluten-free menu?" When they say no, you can just say, "Oh, well Outback does." They will get the message.

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hotels in Niagara falls
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Niagara Falls Hotels and Indoor Water park

Floating row covers

I love trying new things in the garden and after battling the bugs this summer I am certainly ready to try almost anything to be able to grow things organically. One of the things I have been reading about is floating row covers. I recently ordered one to give it a try. I won't know for awhile if it will work but it is certainly worth a try.

As you can see, above, it is a very thin material that looks kind of like the interfacing used for sewing -- but lighter.

It is meant to just rest on top of the ground over the plant row. The sun and rain can get in, but bugs can't or aren't supposed to and that is the great benefit of this product. It can also protect from frost so I will probably try it on lettuce. Right now, I am trying it on a new row of squash, since that has been the most attacked vegetable in my garden.

I should know something soon and will post photos as soon as I can

StoryBlocks

StoryBlocks

"Children get ready to read long before Kindergarten. You can help by singing, talking, and playing with the children in your care."

Access http://www.storyblocks.org/ to watch videos to "learn fun songs and rhymes, and how they help build readers."

Butterflies

Saturday morning the butterflies were everywhere in the garden. They love my sister's zinnias. This Gulf Fritillary, above, takes on a pink tint when it lands on a pink flower. My sister planted these zinnia seeds last year, and they were very pretty then. These zinnias are volunteers from those first plants. I think they are prettier than last year.

This male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail looks a little rough around the edges but he is still pretty against a pink zinnia.

Here he is again. He seems to really like the pink ones.

Two Gulf Fritillaries on yellow zinnias. They could be playing follow the leader.

You can see how this Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is almost translucent. It looks like it is almost time to lay its eggs. I don't know, but I think the increased activity of the butterflies means they are storing up food to contribute to the next life cycle.

This is the female version of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

I think the butterfly above is a Black Swallowtail. The blue spots are a little more defined.

Finally, another Gulf Fritillary. I think if I didn't like butterflies already, I would now.

Vegetable gardening as part of the home landscape

Lately, I have been seeing more and more people add vegetable plants in their landscaping plan. I saw this technique featured at the Southeastern Flower Show this past spring and I thought it was very inventive.

Imagine my surprise when I noticed my neighbors were clearing a space beside their shrubs at the side of their house and planting vegetables. It was a great use of a small space and it looks really good. You can see the tomato plants above -- still looking good, even with all this heat.

The green pepper pants are looking good, too. I like the straw that surrounds the plants -- very neat and no weeds.

There is a cucumber vine and yellow miniature tomatoes in the middle. Our neighbors actually apologized for the plants and hoped we didn't mind they planted their little vegetable patch. We thought it was wonderful and asked if we could have some photos.

In other countries, this is a common practice. They have limited space and make the most of it. I hope it becomes a common practice here. Most people have a little extra space around their shrubbery that would make a great mini garden. Extra veggies are always welcome, too. I think my neighbors are very smart.