gainst one of these plants with bare skin causes an immediate stinging reaction, much like a jellyfish.Wisteria
Wisteria… love it or hate it… don’t plant it anywhere close to buildings…
I love it and have it all over my fences, but it does want to climb trees. It will spiral upward and bush out –gorgeous, but eventually it can shade out a tree…
It blooms in early spring and the flowers are so deliciously fragrant–if the breeze is right, it can be almost overpowering. It comes in white and lavender. 
This is the first year I’ve noticed pods on my vines! The pods appeared at the end of May, two months after the flowers. I had no idea it put out pods, I thought it just sent out runners. (It does this too.)
Turns out, the pods have seeds, much like pea pods– toxic to humans and animals if eaten. Surprisingly, considering how quickly a vine can run up a tree, it takes 15 years for a seed to grow into a plant old enough to flower. Guess I’ve got mature vines!
The pods are velvety to touch and are about as long as my hand. 
Fennel and Fig with Jerusalem Artichoke Angel Hair
Some of my guests have requested paleo meals. I spotted a recipe in the Idiot’s Guide: Paleo Slow Cooking by Molly Pearl (see link below) that sounded interesting and gave it a whirl… I didn’t have bay leaves or shallots, so I used fresh chives, and also added some dried lemon flakes just because I had them and thought it would be interesting. I added the cinnamon a bit late… my tastebuds aren’t very strong, so I’d go more heavy-handed… might also add some cardamom. If you really hate the taste of anise or licorice, you probably won’t like to cook with fennel… but I thought the combination was subtle and delicious over Jerusalem artichoke angel hair.
Florida Trivia– Did You Know?
Following are 25 facts about Florida taken from 50States.com.
Do you know? 
1. Saint Augustine is the oldest European settlement in North America.
2. Orlando attracts more visitors than any other amusement park destination in the United States.
3. New England Congregationalists who sought to bring their style of liberal arts education to the state founded Rollins College, the oldest college in Florida, in Winter Park in 1885.
4. Florida is not the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii is farther south.
5. A museum in Sanibel owns 2 million shells and claims to be the world’s only museum devoted solely to mollusks.
6. Safety Harbor is the home of the historic Espiritu Santo Springs. Given this name in 1539 by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. He was searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth. The natural springs have attracted attention worldwide for their curative powers.
7. The United States city with the highest rate of lightning strikes per capita is Clearwater.
8. Gatorade was named for the University of Florida Gators where the drink was first developed.
9. Dr. John Gorrie of Apalachicola invented mechanical refrigeration in 1851.
10. Miami Beach pharmacist Benjamin Green invented the first suntan cream in 1944. He accomplished this development by cooking cocoa butter in a granite coffee pot on his wife’s stove.
11. Key West has the highest average temperature in the United States.
12. The Saint John’s River is one of the few rivers that flows north instead of south.
13. May 20, 1970 Florida lawmakers passed and sent to the Governor a bill adopting the moonstone as the official state gem. Ironically, the moonstone is not found naturally in Florida…nor was it found on the moon.
14. In 1987 the Florida legislature designated the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) the official state reptile. Long an unofficial symbol of the state, the alligator originally symbolized Florida’s extensive untamed wilderness and swamps.
15. Miami installed the first bank automated teller machine especially for rollerbladers.
16. Ybor City was once known as the Cigar Capital of the World with nearly 12,000 tabaqueros (cigar-makers) employed in 200 factories. Ybor City produced an estimated 700 million cigars a year at the industry’s peak.
17. Plant City, the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World, holds the Guinness record for the world’s largest strawberry shortcake. The 827 square-foot, 6,000 pound cake was made on Feb. 19, 1999 in McCall Park.
18. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a cable-stayed concrete bridge. Opened in 1987 the bridge coasts through the clouds at 190 feet above water. Its bright yellow support cables spread from the two center pillars. The structure gives drivers unobstructed view of the water during the 4.1 mile trip over Tampa Bay.
19. Fort Lauderdale is known as the Venice of America because the city has 185 miles of local waterways.
20. Fort Meade is the oldest settlement in Polk County. It dates back to 1849 when a settlement grew up around the United States Cavalry fort during the Seminole Indian Wars.
21. Islamorada is billed as the Sports fishing Capital of the World.
22. Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West was built between 1845 and 1866. Controlled by the Union during the Civil War, the fort was the home base for a successful blockade of Confederate ships that some historians say shortened the conflict by a full year. The fort also was active during the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II.
23. During the 1991 Gulf War the busiest military port in the country was Jacksonville. From this location the military moved more supplies and people than any other port in the country.
24. When first completed in 1989 the Dame Point Bridge became the longest cable-stayed span in the United States, the longest concrete span of its type in the Western Hemisphere, and the third longest cable-stayed bridge in the world.
25. Venice is known as the Shark Tooth Capital of the World. Collecting prehistoric sharks teeth has been a favorite pastime of visitors and residents of the Venice area for years
Helpful info on Bassets — best of youtube
Bassets have a few traits that make them a little different from other dogs:
Smart but stubborn. They don’t score well for trainability.
Skin issues! Ears must be cleaned regularly.
Diet issues! Often prone to stomach issues. Need a quality diet to keep healthy and avoid weight gain.
Bassets are second only to the Bloodhound for sense of smell. If the dog finds an interesting smell, it is likely to not hear you– it’s on sensory overload and busy!
Due to its long body, it is prone to back issues. No stairs!
Not great swimmers– not because they can’t swim, but they’re so heavy, keeping their heads well above water is not as easy for them. If you are planning an aquatic outing, get your dog a life-jacket.
Basset Hound Facts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXfc-V35ryY
Animal Planet featurette on Bassets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHJ8JRHAFlE
A short training video… really! It’s possible! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WURHD61J5x4
Bassets Are Awesome!!
The news is so dreary and dire…everyone is “slamming” everyone and “outrage” is sparking everywhere.
I have joined some dog focused FB pages, and I have to say that starting my day with adorable Basset videos soothes my nerves and feeds my soul. Naughty Britches gets her daily doggie video fix too, although the bulk of the photos tend to be napping dogs and she does not need encouragement in that department… she’s a pro! 
Like Bassets? Look for Bassets Are Awesome!! on Facebook! 
King of Masks (1996) Chinese
I’ve seen this movie twice, and, both times got so sucked into the story that I forgot it was a movie and felt like I was eavesdropping on someone’s life. The acting is so heartfelt you are unaware of acting.
The premise is simple… a lonely, elderly master of the Chinese art of face-changing (which alone is worth watching the movie for) — feeling his mortality, wants to pass on his craft. His own son died twenty years prior; he has no family. He adopts a child he calls “Doggie”. Doggie is grateful and devoted…
Here’s the description off the back of the DVD:
This scores high with me on many points: acting, story, scenery, and the sweet bonding between a grandparent and grandchild.
{Reminiscent of another favorite, a lighter film, the charming 2002 French offering, The Butterfly about a grandfather and granddaughter on a hunt to find an extremely rare butterfly that only mates at night. }
I’ve attached a link to a super-quick demonstration of face-changing as presented by magicians, Penn and Teller:
The Big Animal (2004) (Polish)
This is a bittersweet fable about a simple Polish couple who take in a lost camel. They are enchanted by it. They feed it and care for it even though they can’t really afford it and don’t have a proper barn to keep it in. As word gets out in the town, first the couple is teased, then when it becomes clear they intend to keep the camel, the town gets bent out of shape– the camel should be exploited somehow– be put to work, be taxed. Why should the couple be allowed to have a camel when others don’t?
Okay, I’ll be honest… if someone tells me that I have to see a sad movie, I’m not likely to do it. So why would I suggest this? 1) It’s got a wistful ending, but not a super sad ending. {Spoiler alert: the camel does not die at the end.} 2) It’s got a beautiful moodiness to it…as when the husband takes the animal for a walk and talks to it 3) It has a message about life, gifts, how one handles the unexpected. The humanity of the couple taking in the camel when they can’t really afford it but can’t let it go hungry vs. the disgruntled town people who just can’t stand that they have something different.
It may make you do a little soul searching…
My favorite scene is so simple… the camel has its head stuck in the window and the wife is brushing it… the hair on the camel just fluffs with the brush… its a beautiful moment of serenity where doing something rather ordinary (assuming that one has a pet camel) is extraordinary.
There is a soft-focus feel to this film, reminiscent of Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et La Bete… dreamy…gentle… pastoral and beautiful.
You may find yourself wanting to go visit a camel…
Polish Easter Borscht aka White Borscht (Bialy Barszcz)
(Note: this is not a vegetarian dish. If you know a workaround, then read on, but to me, I associate this recipe strongly with the kielbasa flavor.)
When I was a very small, I hated horseradish, so Easter would find me in a dress, tights, hard dress shoes picking at my bowl to find the pieces of cheese, hard-boiled egg and kielbasa, pretending that they weren’t contaminated with horseradish. Then we were stationed in Japan and wasabi found its way into our diet.
Now, I’ll also confess, that while I’ll eat just about anything, the last battlegrounds for my taste buds remain 1) mustard and 2) parsley. I’ve been coming around about mustard, as you’ll see with this recipe, but parsley– okay in spaghetti, but otherwise, why bother. Oddly I love cilantro… but that’s a taco story and we’re on borscht.
SERVES 4 Double if you have more folks or want leftovers
This will assume that you’ve already been doing Easter eggs and have hard-boiled eggs at hand. If not, start with that, cool and peel them. 
Also– you may or may not opt for lamb. If you do, no need to spend a fortune or get a big hunk. I found a small shoulder for around $5. 30. I cut the meat off the bones and it was plenty for this. You could also use beef or just ham.
From that point, all in all this recipe will take about 40 minutes to an hour to prep and have on the table.
Step 1: If you are using the lamb shoulder, go ahead and trim it from the bone, trim the fatty bits off, and cut into bite size pieces. Set aside in small bowl.
Step 2: Get out a largish cook pot and pour in the vegetable broth. Medium heat. Wash and cut your potatoes into bite size pieces. I found these “Celebration” potatoes — slightly larger than golf balls– didn’t bother to peel, just washed and quartered them. Add to broth. 
Step 3: Chop your onions and garlic and brown with some olive oil or butter. Add to potatoes. Next, brown your lamb or beef so its got a head start on cooking and had a chance to work in the onion and garlic. It doesn’t have to cook thoroughly, just give it a head start. Add to soup pot. Turn up the heat so it has a gentle bubble. If you are just using ham and kielbasa, skip the browning part.
Step 4: Add the secret ingredient! I discovered this by accident, and it was a 
fantastic, serendipitous event. I told you, I don’t like mustard… but this is a very mild flavorful concoction with just the right horseradish element. If you can’t find Boar’s Head, you can use a similar mustard and add a dash of horseradish. I used two small spoonfuls. Try one to start, taste it, add to your taste.
Step 4: Slice up the kielbasa into bite size pieces and add to the soup. Since it’s already cooked, you can add it at any time really. I added it about ten minutes before the potatoes were done to infuse the kielbasa flavor into the broth.
Step 5: Set out your serving bowls. You will want to cube your cheese and set a handful of cubes in each bowl. Also add the hard-boiled egg slices and chopped chives.
Step 6: When potatoes are soft, you can ladle the soup over the cheese and eggs. Top with a few spoons of sour cream, garnish with extra chives.
Serve with warm bread and butter. Many recipes call for rye bread, I think sour dough is the way to go.
Smacznego! (Enjoy your meal!)
Pumpkin Coconut Banana Smoothie
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe–so perfect for fall, but really, I love pumpkin so why shouldn’t we use pumpkin year round? Tried this today– it’s delicious. I keep my coconut flakes in the fridge, so they were a nice crunchy element– your choice — like smoothies super smooth, then don’t add the coconut flakes . It still wanted a little sweetness, so I added a drizzle of maple syrup on top.
NOTE: This did fill up the blender. You might do half at a time. 
Haint's Retreat 