#blackberries are brambles

[pinkrangerv]

Well, God, I got some news for you:

That's a fucking bramble.

Lindy Pollard Oregon, 2022

[awakeningthevioletswithin]

Blushing Brambles

Watercolor On Black Cotton Paper

2023, 8"x 10'

Blackberry Blossoms

Private Collection

[colorsoutofearth]

Harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) on bramble in autumn

Photo by Klein & Hubert

[lost-harts]

August 2024

[wishingstarinajar]

Will I, a sickly woman with no energy or muscles, be able to take down a shoulder-high bramble-infested garden with a newly bought brush cutter?

I don't feking know, man, but someone has to do it.

[rherlotshadow]

An ocean of brambles

[smaller-comfort]

We picked a quart of blackberries from the backyard this afternoon, so it was clearly time for me to drink inadvisable amounts of whiskey and commit atrocities in the kitchen. First up, that "crustless pie" recipe that was going around a bit ago:

The batter feels a bit like sugar cookie dough that you mix fruit into, so that was...interesting. (Recipe here: Crustless Strawberry Pie.) Given how overripe these berries were, maybe not the best choice. I need to get an oven thermometer because nothing ever bakes in the correct time frame. The recipe recommends underbaking it, which also gives me some ??????? feelings because, again, that batter has some odd proportions, and the bake time is listed as 34-39 minutes which. ?????? Why not just...say 35-40. I kept it in there for at least 45 because there's "slightly underbaked" and then there's "salmonella incubator". We'll see how it tastes. Worst case scenario, I bring it to work and feed it to my coworkers like I did the zucchini bread.

In the oven currently is a tray of blackberry pie bars (recipe here: Blackberry Pie Bars); in true #DisasterKitchen fashion, I didn't realize I was out of cornstarch until I'd measured out the berries. Cue the fastest grocery run I have ever made; the crustless pie had 17 minutes left on the timer, and I made it back with cornstarch and a pound of butter with 3 minutes to spare.

Soon...soon...

[peppermint-moss]

warrior cat oc design commissions (and 1 coloured sketch) from July!

commission info || ko-fi (tip jar)

[autumncottageattic]

d.i.e.f.o.t.o.g.r.a.f.i.n

[indigrassy]

Allegheny blackberry

[awakeningthevioletswithin]

Blushing Brambles

Watercolor On Black Cotton Paper

2023, 8"x 10'

Blackberry Blossoms

Private Collection

[psalacanthea]

Yay! The lil plant that self-seeded in one of my herb pots is not, in fact, a rosemary, but lavender! I have no idea where he came from, but I'm very happy to see him. If I can get him to overwinter ok, I'll transplant him to the front garden.

My chives are self-seeding a leetle too aggressively, but that's chives for you. I just need to harvest the blossoms for a while instead of letting them dry. Good on salads, though!

My thyme that died in last year's heatwave has only come back about a quarter of the way, and my sad little sage plant is still hanging on, but the mint's having a good time. OFC the mint always has a good time.

NGL, I've been thinking of saying screw it and filling my borders with mint in the hopes that it'd choke out any blackberry brambles the birds keep seeding all over my garden.

[lost-harts]

August 2023

[weepingfoxfury]

The radio is currently off ... not a fan of Van Mimble and the Mimbletones. Today's weather declares you should sit on your bigger boat clad in your water wings, galoshes, souwester and raincoat … and for goodness sake make sure you’re on the list for ‘the umbrella’. Yet again the window is covered in condensation but, to add to the mystery, it's also steamed up. Me and Biggest Dog must be breathing really heavily for this to have happened. As to the traffic, no doubt it will be it's usual ornery self as tends to be the case on a wet day on the Emerald Isle ... the drivers here do like to test wet road breaking distances on a day like this.

The shiny metropolis awaits once more. Bleuch! Pants to it all! Don't make me go out there! (sigh)

Trouble is, if I don't go in then, there'll be protests from the Hairy Horde as to the lack of stuff on the menu. Quite astonishing how well they can hold onto a placard. The spelling's a little off ... but I think I get the message. 'No fuds we feeds on yer unkles' was one of the latest. So I either need to make sure I keep my wellingtons on, or I should write to my relations and warn them.

Thursday, Thursday, Thursday ... motivation in this little corner of the world is very much not mighty ...

[bonfires-n-hares]

source: tea_with_mademoiselle_flo

[navigatorsghost]

Heaven has blackberries in it and the gods made me just tall enough to reach.