Category: Gardening in SC

A New Method for Roasting Chicken

Unlike my roast chicken, son Michael’s roasted whole chicken has the most gorgeous dark and crispy skin when he is finished.

After seeing his chicken more than once, I asked him what he does.

First, Mike prepares his chicken the day before he want to cook it.

We both “spatchcock” a whole chicken as it will cook faster, which involves cutting out the backbone. (Sometimes I save this piece in the freezer, along with leftover bones for a future bone broth for soup.) Here’s a link to show you how to “spatchcock” a whole chicken.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/cooking/a69513410/how-to-spatchcock-chicken-like-pro/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mgu_ga_ghk_md_pmx_prog_org_us_18399044072&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18396202201&gbraid=0AAAAADA2MEpJBINvX9EeywCy0hxOJE223&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2vaYn-mJlgMV_HV_AB0AxyG8EAAYASAAEgI95PD_BwE

Secondly, Mike puts his flattened chicken in a pan meant for the oven–I use one that has lower sides–about 2 inches–to catch drippings. Then, he dries off the chicken surfaces, salts the top, and puts the whole thing uncovered in the refrigerator to dry out until he wants to cook it the next day.

Third: roast the chicken. I roasted at convection 375 degrees as that works for my oven. However, I found out later that Mike goes much higher–400 or even higher at 450.

In my first attempt at convection 375 degrees and 40-45 minutes, I ended up using my broiler to further brown the skin. Here’s how my chicken turned out–which is NOT as brown and crunchy as Mike’s version at the higher temperature. So, next time… And perhaps the cooking time would be shorter?

And maybe, I might add a bit of fat to the chicken tops after the drying period in the refrigerator.

The organic yellow summer squash is in my grocery store now, and I’ve so been enjoying it. I like to pan fry it in a good fat–this time Ghee–and use some herbs and garlic if one has time to chop it. (Duck fat would be a good choice too.) Don’t overcook as the squash gets way too soft–so maybe higher heat and a close eye and turning frequently until browning starts.

On a gardening note, my azaeleas in the bed where I removed the Asian Jasmine are THRIVING. Clearly the Asian Jasmine was taking most of the nutrients in the soil, even when I fertilized. They are so happy now, as is the camellia down on the end.

It’s a beautiful sunny day here today, with a morning shower that fed the grass and plants.

A Sunday Post–June 28, 2026

Good morning!

I’ve been AWOL from this blog, I know. But I have been busy, and it’s summer, which means more gardening duties outside. I’m not complaining, for the most part, as I enjoy being outside.

Morning walks are taking place around 8 am–to avoid the heat that starts to crank up starting mid to late morning. July is our hottest month here, and it is going to be really hot today. But for the most part, our spring has been so cool and lovely–if way too dry.

The BIG, DIFFICULT, and DIRTY garden job is finished. To recap, the Asian Jasmine (not a true jasmine) I planted turned out NOT to be a ground cover, but a vine. In its 4th spring, it went NUTS and started invading parts of the house and porch screens in ways that let me know it had to come out. It was also sufficating the roses and azaeleas at the root level. The vines built on each other, so the depth of the plant was now six plus inches of strands that had to be cut out in sections and ripped out by force. Then many roots had to be dug out.

Here’s a picture of the vine. It’s so pretty, but it is a bad actor in a setting this close to the house.

It took me several weeks, even with some help from neighbors and a lot of help from my lawn mower lovely person for the final big push. Getting this vine out was a nightmare physically.

But, now the roses and azaeleas are free, and a heavy application of pine straw has been applied–which should keep this plant from coming back. If it does in places, I’ll be able to see where right away. Without its leaves, it can’t live.

And the azaleas, where we narrowed the bed. The Centipede grass will fill in the gap, and Alex will then make a new border line.

I had to rest for almost a week and to catch up with household projects left dangling. But this past week, I got back to my beloved sewing.

Flower Pop is still waiting for the longarm, though her backing is cut. (I need a better picture.) I don’t have a border fabric yet.

Pineapple, now “Bright and Beautiful,” is ready for the longarm and will probably go before “Flower Pop” as she is going to be mailed to a friend in Colorado. I have a backing and binding for her.

Here’s the design wall right now, filled with a growing “Umbrellas” quilt designed by Rachel LaBour of “Stitched in Color” and the set of “Patches and Pinwheels” blocks designed by Bonnie Hunter that have been waiting for design wall room.

But, you know me I hope by now. I also had a project on hold for six placemats for a friend. So I got to that very creative effort this week, and five are made and the last one is laid out to be sewn today. Pictures to follow when they are all done. I am hand sewing the bindings at night.

Have a great week everyone!

The Garden Got In The Way of Sewing

HI blog readers!

I’ve been super busy with a HUGE gardening project that had to be addressed immediately.

Remember the Asian Jasmine I planted as a ground cover for TWO beds around my house–one on the shady side that also had azaleas and one around the back screened porch that has the red roses?

And:

Isn’t it pretty. But it turns out it is also a nightmare planted around other plants and near the foundations of a house. A nightmare! Along the side with the azaleas, it started going UP, behind the hardy planks and behind door frames. On the roses side, it went up the inside of that white corner wood piece and came out at the top to wave at me. (Son Bryan to the rescue for recaulking.) And it went UNDER the screens at the bottom of the porch and had to be pulled out with brute force with a pair of narrow nose pliers. (I love that tool.)

Yikes!

Asian Jasmine is NOT a true jasmine, and it is NOT a ground cover, but a VINE. Earlier this spring, its third summer, it started to increase its depth and its top was covered by its long vines that run in straight lines–so there were now two or more layers of tough vines in the depth, with the bottom layer well beneath the soil top.

There has been nothing to do but dig it out, and that has been what I’ve been doing for several weeks now. It is a really big and difficult job that requires a lot of muscle strength. I’ve gotten some help here and there–which has been so appreciated. And I’m feeling really encouraged. But there is a ways to go yet.

When I’ve cleared the ground as well as I can–the roots are often deep–I’ll put a thick layer of pine straw down that will smother any attempts of this plant to send up green vines and leaves. This plant has to have green leaves showing to spread. If I see shoots, I’ll be able to locate them easily under the pine straw. So, this this project will not be “done” for some time I suspect, but this part is the worst part. For sure.

I come in at night really tired–it is hot and the work is dirty–so most days have been two shower days. I have been cooking foods I can easily reheat: a lamb roast, a batch of grits (yum), and a whole sheet of mixed veggies roasted in the oven.

I try to use up what I have on hand with chopped veggie roasts like this one. I would have liked one of the sweet onions now in season chopped to add, but I didn’t have one. What I did have was a head of cabbage, red and yellow sweet peppers, carrots, garlic, and some frozen cranberries and broccoli heads. I seasoned with a dried mixed herb mixture and salt and topped with good butter for the fat. (The town is spraying for mosquitoes at night again, so I won’t use my garden herbs again until fall.)

I check the dish about every 20 minutes and turn over the veggies to mix them all up with the butter. It takes just under an hour as the mixture is thick, and veggies can exude a lot of liquid that needs to be cooked off.

This mixture refrigerates well and heats easily–as do the grits, which I pour into a pan so that I can cut squares out to reheat.

For dessert, lovely, lovely fresh summer fruit cut up or added–especially the seedless watermelon and all the berries. I usually have a glass of my raw whole milk with the fruit.

I’m feeling really healthy, all in all. The physical work has been good, and I’ve loved being outside so much, especially in the cool of the early morning. My farmer’s tan, though, is getting…tanner.

I’ll post pics when I’ve got these two long beds sorted out.

We need rain again. And we’re having a few days of really hot weather, but have been promised another cold front is on the way.

Gardens and Quilts

First, the Drift white roses are in bloom. How fun is that!

The “XO” quilt is off the longarm, at last. It got ignored for almost two weeks.

When they passed out visual conceptual genes, I didn’t get many. I thought this “XO” title meant an X block and an O block. Nope. The X blocks make an O block as soon as they are put next to each other.

Now this donation quilt is trimmed, bound, and is getting its binding sewn down by hand at night. I was going to machine sew the binding, but I needed some night time tv hand sewing. Otherwise I get restless and do things like making popcorn.

What has been fun is that I couldn’t throw away these larger half-square blocks made when one trims and sews the diagonal corners of the XO big rectangle. Each. rectangle produced two half-square blocks in the same colors. So, I made flying geese with them as a leader/ender project–and then made this little table topper piece.

The backing is a cute one of sheep that has been in my stash for years and years.

I am so enjoying this piece on my dining room table. (So far I have not killed that poinsetta gifted to me at Christmas.)

I made several table toppers these past months, and I have enough now to change them out seasonally. Or when I get bored with one.

I love flying geese blocks!

The Red Roses Are In Full Bloom!!!

It is Sunday, and I have clean sheets on my bed, the washer is running, and I’m enjoying my morning coffee. It is a beautiful day, and later I will walk.

Here are the roses. They curve around the porch, which got cleaned yesterday and put back to rights, which had not happened yet in the pictures below.

The Asian Jasmine (not a real Jasmine) is plush this year. Will it finally bloom? I hope so. The blooms are said to be white and very fragerant. (The grass is suffering from the drought, but I watered a few days ago.)

It took most of yesterday to clean the screened porch, which involves washing the pine pollen drenched rug, washing winter mold from the blinds that can be pulled down to screen the porch for privacy and from the afternoon sun, washing pillows and cushions, and, of course, washing the floor.

Now I can’t wait to eat my noon meal and read for a bit out on this shiny, clean porch.

The lavender and the yellow miniature rose are both blooming right outside the back porch door. They are next to my kitchen garden herbs.

My grandmother name is “Lovey.” The little concrete heart was made for me in 2005 by the older two grandchildren (with a lot of help from their mother) and delivered to me in Maine on one of their family’s visits. Of course it came to South Carolina with me. We moved to Maine in 2004, and the two girls in that family were not yet born. So that little heart is now 21 years old. Memories…

The white azaeleas on the side of the house are so pretty this year. They were transplanted from the front of the house as it was way too hot out there for them. And they have struggled as the soil on the side of the house is very poor. But two years of fertilizer and nutrients is showing, despite the ongoing drought that really needs to stop–without jinxing us with the dreaded “H” word.

And, a long view, with the camellia at the end:

My little front porch has a bench now, made and gifted by my beloved neighbors. Earlier this spring, I got a nice pottery pot for Impatient plants and repurposed a pot gifted to me at Christmas that now holds a Foxtail fern.

The Foxtail fern is putting out new growth, so maybe it will be happy in this spot for the summer.

Beyond the front porch is a bed of Drift white roses and hollies that came with the house that are now thriving. The roses are covered with bloom buds, but that will be a picture for another day.

Have a great upcoming week everyone.

Spring Garden Time

It’s late afternoon Sunday, but not really late as we just “sprang forward” with regard to time, and I will need several days to adjust. LOL.

It has been a quiet week on the sewing front as I’ve been in the yard for 4 full days now working at the spring clean-up, uprooting plants that are not working, pruning, raking grass, weeding grass and just loving being outside in shorts and and a short-sleeve t-shirt in warm sunshine. I think I was spurred into going outside by the fact that our brown grass is turning green.

I’ve never raked the Centipede grass before, but it has been 3 years now, and there was a lot of thatch that this grass doesn’t like. I did what I could with a wide leaf garden rake. I hesitate to have a professional person thatch with a machine as the sod has a net of plastic on the bottom, and I’m pretty sure a thatch machine would pull it up and make a huge mess.

I’ve also replaced all the dirt in my outdoor planting containers as it was well past time to give new plants a dirt uplift. I visited the local plant stores, but we are apparently between very early plants, like viola and pansies, and the summer annuals that can take heat. So I didn’t come home with any plants for my containers. Maybe later next week.

As I wrote months ago, I saw an orange blooming Tea Olive last fall and fell in love. I think I have a spot where one could go, especially as they are slow growing and prune well. Remember this picture, taken outside Local Jo’s Natural Foods, where I get my raw milk, raw butter, raw honey, local clean eggs, and so forth?

Tea Olives are famous for their strong fragrance in the late fall or early winter. The white ones are more common, but…I loved this orange one. And look at that gorgeous foliage. Tea Olives are one of the iconic plants here in the Charleston, SC, coastal, tropcal area.

I’m also gradually refolding my t-shirts so that they look like this picture in my bedroom shows:

And I’m liking the result a lot. I can see what I have without pawing through stacks, and the shirts do not wrinkle as they do when folded flat, especially when they sit for several seasons to pass.

Have a terrific week everyone!

Yeah! The Improv Quilt Is Off The Design Wall!!

But first, a camellia saga. Last winter the buds on this plant did not survive the cold weather, though I wrapped the plant to protect it. This year, it was loaded with buds, and one day a month ago I went out to check it, and they were all gone but three at the bottom. Deer!!! (And now I’m wondering about the buds from last winter. Deer LOVE flower buds.) But after almost three years, the remaining three blooms opened up. Can you imagine how pretty if the bush were covered with these pretty blooms? Nevertheless, I’ll take what I can get. Joy in the moment, you know.

I hope you can see where the quilt is and where the rug is in this picture. It’s the best I can do for the moment. I put it down to measure it to make sure it is square. It is a half-inch off on the bottom right, but the corners are all square, and the bottom line is true, so I’m going to call it a day. The longarm quilting process can gather up fabric during the quilting, so I think I’m good on this one.

I had such fun making these blocks. Many were the trial blocks for my online Tara Faughnan class, Blocks 3. Many were just playing with scraps. And many were made while playing with rulers I haven’t used in a while. I am especially intrigued by how a pineapple block looks with the neutral part of the block the same color as the quilt field fabric. I love how the colors float as a result!!!

You may remember the improv quilt I made a few years ago with the blocks from the Blocks 1 class. It now lives on the end of the guest bedroom bed, right now alongside the sewing supplies I’m collecting for the college granddaughter and the three younger granddaughters. Two sewing machines are coming for them in late March.

How did it get to be Wednesday already?

It is getting warmer here, and I put away my warm knit pants, though we will have another bit of cold weather at night early next week. Or so the weather says…

One never knows.

A Bit of Happiness

…that makes me smile.

This low-growing camellia blooms in the fall and early winter. This winter is her second winter, and she is…happy.

The other camellia I planted is on the other side of the house and blooms later in the winter. There are buds… Last year it lost most of its buds in freezing weather, even though I put a protective cover on her. This one is a taller form. Camellias can get quite big and wide.

AND, here’s another smile.

These trimmed back trees along the path I often walk are LOADED with orange berries this year. More than I remember from the past two winters I have been here. They are probably some holly form, and they are all along this path.

Can you imagine if they weren’t trimmed so drastically? They would be…glorious.

“Garnish” is set up for hand-quilting. Yes, I put the binding on as well, as that task prevents the edges from fraying and the batting from shedding. I used Dream Cotton’s thinnest weight batting for hand quilting–Request.

My “Garnish” is one of many forms of this idea given to us by Tara Faughnan in the online Blocks3 class that is happening now and will last six months, with a new block idea every month–and a new palette.

Here’s another form of this block–which I will put on a stretched canvas when it is done. The batting is already glued to the canvas.

If I were going to use this form in a quilt I think I’d separate it with narrow sashing. Otherwise the flower form would dominate.

This piece is waiting for the “brass” color to arrive in the mail–12 wt. cotton thread–for that top right “pickle.” I order this thread from Red Rock thread online as our local stores don’t carry much 12-wt. cotton thread–which I love best for hand quilting. You can the smaller “petite” spools online for a reasonable price, so I have a good collection of colors. And many thread makers produce 12-wt thread now, so if one doesn’t have the “right” color, another might.

This afternoon my DIL and I are driving out into the country to pick up our local organic turkey. I will join her family (my younger son) for our meal, and the whole family will gather at the older son’s house for dessert. All the grands will be there, along with two grandmothers, one grandfather, and a possible boyfriend.

Have a great Thanksgiving if I don’t visit with you here before Thursday.

A Cold Spell

We’ve had temps dropping into the freezing area these past two nights, so it’s been time for me to seriously undertake the outside late fall cleanup chores. The red roses have survived the cold though, so I have not had the heart to cut them back.

Here’s what rosemary does in this climate: it makes bushes. Right now it is blooming, and the bees and hummingbirds have found it. But I think I’ll cut it back some after a hard freeze.

Still no rain though. But the walking has been delightful in these clear, sunny, cold days. Of course, if I were in Maine, I wouldn’t think this weather “cold” yet. I’d just put on socks and add a sweater layer. The wind here, though, was quite biting and strong for at least one day. And the trash cans, put outside the night before the weekly trash can pickup, had their tops opened with the night wind. We are all still picking up bits of trash that littered our front lawns.

I finished the quilt top for “Under the Maple Tree,” a Rachel LaBour’s Stitched in Color blog sewalong. The perfect backing fabric finally got here–delayed due, perhaps, to the slowdown at the airports during the shutdown. It’s a Tilda fabric. Yesterday I found a fabric for the binding locally as I couldn’t find something I liked in my stash. This quilt was a lot of work, fun though that was, so I wanted the backing and binding to really “go” with this top. The leaf blocks are all from my scrap stash.

These blocks are sewn on point, and those little cute gold side pieces were a bear to get “just right.” I worried and worried during the final trimming, but it all came out well. (Thanks Rachel LaBour.)

This little no-name donation baby quilt–made as a leader/ender with my 2-inch square bin and half-square triangles cut from scraps–is done. The pattern is from Bonnie Hunter’s free selection on her blog. It’s “Patches and Pinwheels.”

The on-point squares that form caught me by surprise. I didn’t see them coming. But I love how this secondary pattern makes this quilt so much more interesting. I’m still using those 2-inch squares to make four-patch blocks as leader/enders. So there may be another donation quilt from at least the “patches” part of this quilt down the road.

Next: a design wall update.

Quilty Update: Late October 2025

BUT FIRST!!!

I saw my first Tea Olive shrub in bloom. It’s an orange one. They also come in white. This plant comes to us from Asia.

The fragrance is just heavenly–like apricots. I just stood in front of it and…smelled. The official name is Osmanthus fragrans…with further identifications based on family species.

I’ve been obsessed with Rachel LaBour’s “Under the Maple Tree” sewalong. I’ve made a lot of progress, too.

That picture could be…brighter. I took it last night. Now I’m down to making more leaves, moving around blocks, and sewing everything together. In other words, there is a long way to go–25 or so leaves, for one thing. Boy is this one chewing up scraps. I love this 8-inch leaf block. It is so fun to make.

This as yet nameless little neutral “Stacks” quilt–a Tara Faughnan pattern from season 2 of The Color Collective years–is off the longarm, trimmed, bound, and has its binding installed. So I have night sewing once more. It’s so cute.

I’m running out of October days to also play with Tara Faughnan’s October Blocks 3 block, “Crosswalk.” Here’s where I am now. There is also a block “in progress” at my sewing machine.

The block on the right is going into that improv quilt growing on the design wall. It will be such a nice fit with those blocks.

And the other finished “Crosswalk” block is now installed on a 10-inch stretched canvas:

There are so, so, so many ways to manipulate this block idea and so many colors with which to play in this month’s palettes. My two finished blocks are made from the brighter fabrics; the in-process block uses some of the duller/softer colors.

Today is a beautiful fall day. I’ll walk, and I’ll be able to have my noon dinner on my porch.

Life is good.