Bacon IS a trail snack.

As Summer draws to a close (not that you would notice here in Southern California since it's hotter than the middle of the sun lately); the final long weekend is almost upon us... Labor Day.  By now I'm sure you all know the origins of "Labor Day".   On September 5, 1882 the first Labor Day parade was held in New York City. Twenty thousand workers marched in a parade up Broadway. They carried banners that read "LABOR CREATES ALL WEALTH," and "EIGHT HOURS FOR WORK, EIGHT HOURS FOR REST, EIGHT HOURS FOR RECREATION!"  After the parade there were picnics all around the city. Workers and celebrants ate Irish stew, homemade bread and apple pie. At night, fireworks were set off. Within the next few years, the idea spread from coast to coast, and all states celebrated Labor Day. In 1894, Congress voted it a federal holiday.  Two of my favorite things... a picnic AND a parade!  I thought maybe I would dedicate this blog entry t...

"Home is where the heart is."  "Home is where love is."  I'm sure there are about a zillion ways people describe what "home" is to them. For me, it's not "home" until I've baked bread in the new place.  The familiar, comfortable aroma that fills up the soulless space in a new home has always been my go-to as a sign of settling in and  maybe, just maybe... exhaling. I moved The Sunflower to Burbank, CA not far from the old location but far enough to have a significant change in garden soil, which is VERY exciting!!!   Sadly my pumpkin vine didn't survive the trip but I'll be planting in the early Spring for, what I expect to be a wonderful crop of pumpkins for NEXT Autumn!   Fellow pumpkin grower and gardener extraordinaire, Deirdra Vierra, brought over a monster zucchini from her garden the other day.  After combing through cook books and discussing with some other veggie type ...