Yummy Banana Oat Bars and a succulent garden

H

Here's a recipe for a sweet snack that's actually healthy and about 2 Weight Watcher Points (correction: 4.5) as far as I can figure.  It probably would be lower than that, if I had used unsweetened coconut and regular raisins without added sugar.  It's from the book Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD.

Yummy Banana Oat Bars
 (makes 8)

2 C quick cooking rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 C shredded coconut (I used sweetened as that's what I had)
1/2 C raisins or chopped dates (I used Craisins, again as that's what I had)
1/4 C chopped walnuts
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 C unsweetened apple sauce (optional--I included it as I had it)
1 Tablespoon date sugar (of course I did not include this--who has date sugar lying around?)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well combined (I used a hand mixer).  Press into 9x9 baking pan, sprayed with release agent, and bake 30 minutes.  When cool, cut into 8 bars.

The applesauce and date sugar create sweeter, moister bars.

Toby doesn't like them, of course, but he has to check out everything I eat.

And for you succulent farmers, here's a garden that I photographed in a model home at my clients' new subdivision out in Lake Elsinore:

This is an "outdoor room" (covered patio)

I think the plantings are kind of weak but I like the idea.

Student Gifts

Several of my students showed up at our BBQ last night with end-of-the-semester gifts for me, which I was not expecting. Anyway, I thought I would share some of the interesting gifts I have received from them...

First off, I have one female student who is in her 40s. She brings me gifts on a weekly basis. Sometimes it's a couple fun-sized candy bars. Other times it's cheap jewelry and knick-knacks. Here are a few of the things she's given me:

Earrings from the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. My ears were burning after an hour of wearing them. 

a keychain from her field trip to Nashville

text messages filled with emoticons and unexplainable images

Yesterday, I received these gifts from three of my students...

Not sure where I'll wear these $8 earrings...
she left the price tag on.

a Swarovski black crystal necklace in the shape of a little boy...

Cute? Weird? I can't decide.

I know I'll actually use this one. Yay!

My students were really sweet to bring me gifts. I just think some of them are so funny! And I wonder how much that Swarovski necklace cost...

Here's my Mother's Day present...

I finally got my fountain planted.

I've been collecting succulents for a while.  The 3 biggest ones on the bottom I left in their pots.

I could use a few more small succulents on the middle level.

And I could use some more color in the upper level.

This purple on is my favorite.  I'll have to look for more of these.

I went to both Lowes and Home Depot this morning after starting this project yesterday - for more soil and plants.  It takes a lot of plants…  I wore my flip flops and was walking around looking at ceramic pots, and I kicked a concrete cowboy boot planter with my almost bare foot.  I waiting to see if my baby toe is broken - it is purple but doesn't hurt too much unless I touch it.  So, don't touch it - right?

Hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day.

More happenings in the garden

After days of strong winds, I went out to water the backyard this morning.  Things have been happening!  The Japanese Iris are blooming again, the Staghorn Fern has several new leaves unfurling, the first Plumeria blossom opened, and the bamboo has greened up after it's winter dormancy.

The Japanese Iris at the base of this tree are volunteers.

Several new leaves emerging--must be those banana skins!

First Plumeria blossom; they make leis out of these in Hawaii.  They have a wonderful smell.

Giant Bird of Paradise: three buds in full bloom.

Toby

Bamboo has greened-up.

Night Blooming Jasmine--has a pleasant fragrance--though its not my favorite.

Discovering Trees

Toby has discovered the joys of tree climbing.  When I can't find him, I look up in the tree.

Baja is too old and is no longer interested.

Tree is shedding its leaves due to the heat last week.

Mackenzie's 'Garden'

Since everyone else is sharing photos of their yards, I thought I would give you a preview of mine before I post about it on my blog.

This week I transferred my herbs to a pot on the front porch. I plan to get more herbs at the Farmer's Market tomorrow, though I'll need to get some more containers to plant them in, too.

IKEA planter

I think I need a taller planter to balance the front stoop.

I also planted some blue and pink Columbines on the back porch. They're a Colorado flower.

The blue flowers are bigger than the pink ones. I like the combination of the two.

notice the 'legs' sticking out the back of each bloom

Tomorrow I'm hoping for sunshine while I plant some mixed wildflower seeds in the front yard. It's been raining here and/or overcast all week, and I'm starting to get the doldrums. I hope the weekend weather is better!

Prehistoric blooms

We've been having an early heat wave.  Normally, May is overcast and cool with little sun until early afternoon (if at all).  Not this year.  It's been in the mid-80's here on the coast for the past week.  I was home today and noticed both the Giant Bird of Paradise and ginger plant are blooming.  What a treat!  Not as showy as your roses though, Barb.

The Bird of Paradise is a volunteer which grew up under another plant which I had the gardener remove.  Now that it gets more light, it has thrived and is blooming for the first time.  The buds are black and vicious-looking--a bit prehistoric in appearance. 

The Giant Bird of Paradise

Black thing that looks like a crab's claw is the bud with white flower

Close up

Interesting blue part--??

Ginger

Ginger flower--these little grape-like things will open and a yellow flower with a red throat will emerge.

Stag horn fern.  I fed it a banana peel this AM.

Toby

The is the root ball from a kelp plant on the beach when I got done surfing on Monday.  It's about 24 inches across!

This is the whole plant...

Happy May Day, everyone.