For Saturday, June 10th, 2011

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

JUNE 11th, 2011

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side

It's SATURDAY!

PERENNIAL GARDENING MONTH

June is Perennial Gardening Month Celebrating the most beautiful time of the gardening year. After the April showers and Mays early bulbs, its June that the garden really comes alive with such perennial highlights as roses and lilies.

Perennials are plants that continue growing for several years until they reach maturity. Perennials include ornamental grasses, ground-hugging flowers, tall fence-lining blooms, water-loving ferns and aromatic herbs

Perennials can be colorful, hassle-free and with a little care, they come back year after year and save the time and expense of replanting. June is a perfect time to celebrate perennials

Now is the time to pinch or cut back tall autumn-blooming flowers such as aster and chrysanthemum. Cutting tall leggy growth now or pinching off early leaves and blooms encourage more compact summer growth so plants stand up better to wind and rain. Trimming back also keeps these perennials sturdy for later flower blooms.

Think about how you want your garden to grow. Maybe you want small bright flowers in front, then medium and tall flowers blooming in masses. Or maybe a kitchen garden of herbs and edible flowers.

Plan now and reap the rewards for years!

Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns,

be happy that the thorn bush has roses.

Proverb

NEW IN THE KITCHEN

National German Chocolate Cake Day:

Make it a Bundt Cake this Year

It may sound odd that's there's a national holiday for German Chocolate Cake, but this cake is not German. German Chocolate Cake is an American creation that contains the key ingredients of sweet baking chocolate, coconut, and pecans.

In 1852, Sam German created a dark baking chocolate bar for Baker's Chocolate Company, and in his honor, the company named it Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate. In most recipes and products today, the apostrophe and the s have been dropped. In 1957, probably the first published recipe for German's chocolate cake showed up in a Dallas newspaper and supposedly came from a Texas homemaker. The cake quickly gained in popularity and the recipe together with photos spread all over the country. America fell in love with German Chocolate Cake

1 cup chopped fine pecans
1 cup grated coconut
1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 - 1/4 Cups water
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
3 Large eggs
1 (15 oz) Can Coconut Pecan Frosting

Mix the cake mix, water, oil and eggs at low speed until moistened.
Beat at medium speed for two minutes.
Fold in Coconut Pecan frosting until thoroughly combined.
Place grated coconut and chopped pecans on bottom of bundt pan.
Pour batter over top.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.
Remove from pan.
Cool completely and either leave plain or sprinkle with some powdered sugar or do a thin chocolate glaze.

Fabulous!

Have a wonderful German Chocolate Cake Day on June 11th

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Many of us, O Father, overlook the fragrance of the rose while we are being pierced by its thorn. Increase my faith in life and in thee, that I may not be dismayed over mysteries, but sincerely wait for deliverance.

Amen

PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

Please pray for God's protection of

our troops and HIS wisdom for their

commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in

your loving hands.

Protect them as they protect us.

Bless them and their families for the

selfless acts they perform for us

in our time of need. I ask this in the

name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters

and Paramedics and EMT's

GOD BLESS YOU!

AROUND HOME

Won't you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you.

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

My glorious rose bush has been full of buds for a couple of weeks now. Yesterday the first bud was in full bloom. Soon the rest will open up and share their beauty with us too. Not many get to see it's beauty as it sits in the back of the house in a corner by the patio, but it doesn't seem to care at all. It just blooms away and grows and grows.

It seems that blooming where we are planted is a lesson a lot of us need to learn. We may not always be happy about where we are and what we are doing, but no matter...just do your best in what ever circumstance you may find yourself.

Bloom where you are planted!

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!

COUNTING THE DAYS

The best rose-bush, after all, is not that which has the fewest thorns, but that which bears the finest roses

Henry Van Dyke

10 DAYS UNTIL SUMMER!

Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.

A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near…

Love,

ma