Sunflowers

This year I planted what I called a "cutting garden".  By naming it such I knew I'd feel more free to cut the flowers from it.  

I have about 8 short rows of flowers in with the vegetables.  So when they get weedy it's not so bad.

When I hesitated to cut these sunflowers, I told myself that I planted these to cut.  Cut them!

So, I did.

The green flowers...are a variety of Amaranth called Green Thumb. Truly, I thought as they began to bloom, that they were ugly and looked like the common pig weed amaranth.  But, then I gave them a go at cutting them and decided they are pretty wonderful in a bouquet as a filler. I've had to prop them up because after watering heavily, they just laid over on the ground.  The other varieties of Amaranth I planted haven't displayed that same behavior. 

::~::

Yesterday, the girls entered a few of their projects in the fair and today the baking and their theater arts projects were entered.  We did a lot less projects this summer and had a lot less stress....So, I give us a purple ribbon in the self proclaimed "Life Choices" category.  It may be the only purple ribbon awarded this year for our house.  This morning when we cut Audrey's Chiffon Cake to get ready to enter it, she tasted it and said, "Hmmm, it tastes like bread".  And it does.  A delicious bread.  Should a cake taste like a bread?  Maybe not. But, hey it all came out of the pan!  Mostly. The tiny bit that didn't was able to be the 25% of the cake that didn't have to be entered. Whew.

Stay cool. We are praying for all the animals and kids taking care of them at the fair.