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It's delicious!  As luck would have it, I overestimated the amount of banana bread I needed recently for a family brunch, so I decided to try to come up with a bread pudding recipe to use the banana bread that was left over.  The banana bread I make is dense and moist, so it’s important to dry it out for it to be successful in bread pudding, fyi - if yours is as well. **See the bottom of page for tips to dry the bread. I wanted to develop a recipe that was not only delicious, but also had enough protein and nutrition to make it a special guilt-free holiday breakfast.  And as a holiday breakfast or dessert, it had to also be  super-fast and easy to make, plus an easy clean up as well.  How delish and holiday-ready the nutmeg and eggnog made the house smell was an added bonus!   My lactose-free, nutrition conscious friends especially loved it and suggested I post it on my blog for the holidays.   Happy holidays and bon appetite!   Preheat oven to 350 degrees You will only need

  There’s a lot more reasons to head to Greenville than beautiful mountain vistas, 1,000+ restaurants and the revitalization of downtown shopping with new businesses erupting every day.   As if that isn't enough, and y es, I said "erupting."   That’s the best word I could think of to describe this exciting and dynamic area clearly with big plans for a bright future.   I came to Greenville to enjoy the social life downtown in the evenings, and the many opportunities it offers to explore the natural areas surrounding it during the day, but I quickly became fascinated with all the rest the area had to offer.   For one, it’s steeped in a well-preserved history.   It’s more than just a few buildings on the historic register however.    Several historic districts have been defined and earmarked in the city for upandcomers, entrepreneurs, and the rest of us common joes with just an insatiable fascination for the artistic craftmanship in homes built in the early part of the las

  Birds of a feather do flock together, however this particular bird was oblivious to her obvious uniqueness.  I discovered this beautiful goose recently and learned she’s not only rare but probably new to the northern Myrtle Beach area as to date, unreported.  And while the rest of her species appeared to be accepting her, her coloration was completely different.  This Leucistic Canada is a Prime Example Why We Should Never Let Anything - Especially Our Appearance, Deter Us From Pursuing Our Dreams and What We Feel Destined to Be and Do in Life I felt fortunate that I was able to get her to pause briefly, and she appeared to be coyly posing for her 5 seconds of blog fame. In this case it was important to get the shots perfect to be able to present her true and unique coloration. I also included a few of her flock very close by so you can see the similarities and the unique and rare differences. After some research I identified her as a Leucistic Canada Goose, a species which is hate

There's no way to describe the amount of talent displayed at the annual Sea Coast Artist Guild’s "Art in Common" event September 11 - 12 2021 at Valor Park in Market Commons.  It was obvious we all needed a break from the confines and angst the Pandemic has caused us all and it didn’t hurt that the hurricanes far away from us brought us some breezy, cooler, but sunny weather.  It was also obvious how relaxed everyone was and clearly enjoying being out with their friends and cohorts again. As I wandered the grounds, I was impressed not only with all the creativity but with the diversity of this talented group.  Art ranged from the sublime and soothing to the wacky and whimsical.  And don't we all need that, depending on the day so I'm already looking forward to their next Spring show scheduled for April 2022.  Check the Sea Coast website (below) for the exact dates and times.  Kristen, in her Golden Zen Boutique booth was a delight and added her obvious creativity

  The Sumter Master Gardeners have already begun digging in – literally, in preparation for Swan Lake and Iris Gardens’ annual Iris Festival Memorial Day weekend 2022. When Sumter Master Gardener, Sheryn LaVanish told me Tuesday afternoon that she would be going to their annual iris dig early the next morning, I   knew I had to be there to learn more about the iris I want to add to my pollinator bed.   I quickly threw some things in my car and hit the road   to watch these dedicated volunteers work at what they’ve been perfecting for decades.   And work they did! From Left to Right,  Pat Sakole, Sandi Strickland, Pat Petty, Marie Hill, Mary Jean Dowling, and Pat Kennedy working, but clearly also enjoying playing in the dirt at their assigned station. Jan Hilton, President of the Sumter Master Gardeners tried to find some shade in her quest to get as dirty as possible for the cause Nobody and nothing escaped the large amount of dirt slung that day (in a good way), including this bee

  UPDATE 10/26/2022: A piece about Swan Lake's chocolate garden featuring MGs Sheryn Lavanish, their President, Jan Hilton and Fran Cecil aired on Columbia station wltx.  Go to https://www.wltx.com/video/news/local/street-squad/sumter/preparing-gardens-for-the-winter-months/101-dc33d386-b93d-4612-9c9c-3422de121a7a .  And the Secret is........... As a passionate wildlife photographer, I was drawn to the gardens in Sumter recently, and happily discovered that there's a lot more than swans, wildlife, and irises at this pristinely landscaped respite. This is what a Mute Swan looks like, after a hard days work at Swan Lake in Sumter, South Carolina.  Normally we're shown photos of pristine white, perfectly groomed swans.  The reality is though, feeding in murky nutrient rich water and tipping up to harvest vegetation from the mud on the bottom takes its toll on a bird's coiffure.  Sheryn LaVanish, certified Master Gardener South Carolina Master Gardeners like Sheryn LaVanish

                                         The promised beauty of Swan Lake Iris Gardens in Sumter, South Carolina lured me out from my long Covid isolation last week, and despite the surprises of the sudden gas shortage and an especially hearty rainstorm, it far exceeded my expectations. It’s promised to be “ home to some of the nation's most intensive plantings of Japanese iris” at https://www.sumtersc.gov/community/swanlake . To my surprise, all eight species of Swans inhabit the gardens.  I was ecstatic to discover that some have already hatched, like this little cygnet and its Black Swan parents who brought their newborn out to get acquainted with it's new home. Judging from all the nesting birds and a bit of fowl canoodling that I witnessed this past week, visitors can anticipate seeing more new things emerging than the beautiful flowers and Japanese Iris that appear to be right on schedule to bloom abundantly any day.                                          This nesting M