Neighbor Marla, on her ATV, delivered just-picked cucumbers to us. Daughter Kate’s eyes lit up, and John almost drooled. Mere hours later we served them at the table. Kate, commensurate with her size, savored the ones on her plate.
I wondered if John’s eyes were bigger than his stomach. He pigged out on the green, crunchy things. The rest of us were more restrained, though our appreciation was right there. Many thanks, Marla.
I have a photo to show what was left of two cardamom/almond coffeecakes. Friend Karen shared a container of cardamom with us when we were in New York recently, and that was what flavored our breakfast bread. I first tasted cardamom at John’s family gatherings. His mother was of Norwegian heritage and always baked Christmas cookies with cardamom. It was love at first taste for me. We love it so much, that we have it occasionally throughout the year. Everyone loved the coffeecake. Thank you very much, Karen.
We all knew the watermelon was in trouble. I was waiting for the melon lovers to ask for it and cut it, because I avoid all but the smallest pieces. Nathaniel found a small puddle under it. We cleaned it up and put it on a plate. That did nothing to turn back the clock. The melon sat there slowly spewing at us. Nathaniel agreed to cut it to humor me, because he was sure it was inedible. He began making a cut in the middle and suddenly THWUNCK! With a rather low tone the melon split itself in half. Startled, Nathaniel jumped back, out of firing range. Kate’s mother-instinct kicked in. She rushed to make sure her 6’5” baby was safe. We stared at the melon and began to laugh. Nathaniel, with a newly-minted food handler’s certificate, wanted no part of it. I cut a little chunk to taste and said it was watermelon wine. Kate agreed to a bite, and we both backed away from it.
How would we dispose of three-dimensional watermelon wine? If neighbor Shawn and Bob had been home, I might have asked if they wanted the melon for their chickens. I thought of their coming home to find the girls drunkenly staggering about the enclosure and knew I wouldn’t even offer. It was too heavy for plastic garbage bags. I suggested Nathaniel toss the halves over the fence into the empty pasture, now full of waist-high weeds. The horses have been gone for weeks. Hours later I had other dire thoughts. What if the pasture owner mows the field and hits the time bomb melon? What if melon vines spring up there next year to proclaim what I authorized? Golly Pete! I am dreading the consequences, both now and later. Who knew you could get in such trouble with a rotten watermelon?
The watermelon bomb- that was really hilarious. Did it sit and get over ripe or was it bought over ripe ? I think the idea of chucking it over the fence appeals to me- glad it was into wild pasture land and that maybe next year you can enjoy fresher melons from the wines.
Kate is beautiful- this is one of the closest close-ups of her I have seen- she is so small- I am imagining her running to the rescue of her 6.5′ child- that was a strong maternal instinct.
The cardamom coffee cake surprised me- I was thinking I didn’t know Anne would know cardamom. We use cardamom for many things in our cooking- most sweets are flavoured with cardamom. Since you like its taste, powder a bit and if you like tea, add it to your tea- you get great cardamom tea. We love it here.
Some people like to eat it for the fresh taste it gives to your mouth.
Susie
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The watermelon would have been wonderful if we had cut it immediately. I was 21 years old before I met cardamom. I have tea flavored with it, bought in a shop that featured Iranian foods. I love it, but I don’t think to drink it often.
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Woah I’ve never heard of a watermelon doing that. Too bad you don’t have pigs nearby
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The pigs are long gone. We were told by neighbors that the land where our house now stands was a pig farm years ago. I hope they won’t haunt us because of the trashed watermelon.
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Aww too bad as they’d probably love the watermelon!
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Ewww for the watermelon (which I love when it’s not spoiled!). That cardamom cake sounds wonderful. You all eat well! I received a zucchini and a cucumber from a friend’s garden. The zuch is in some chocolate bread and the cuke is soaking in creamed cuke sauce for supper. Gotta love summer.
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Gotta love summer and the bountiful gifts of neighbors!
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Whenever talk turns to watermelons I think of the kid’s song: “Just plant a little watermelon on my grave, And let the juice *slurp* slip thru. Now Kentucky Fried Chicken is mighty fine, But all I really want is a watermelon vine…” That being remembered, I wouldn’t worry about that icky watermelon doing anything bad. It’s where it belongs now.
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Thanks for your comforting words, Ally. That could have been a grave situation.
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😀
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Understand your exquisite taste for cardamom! I had a friend from school who gave us the recipe for cardamom bread and it was always delicious. I guess I could add almonds and cinnamon to make a sweeter cake, yes?
On Thu, Jul 19, 2018 at 11:55 AM, Mehrling Muse wrote:
> Anne Mehrling posted: “Neighbor Marla, on her ATV, delivered just-picked > cucumbers to us. Daughter Kate’s eyes lit up, and John almost drooled. Mere > hours later we served them at the table. Kate, commensurate with her size, > savored the ones on her plate. I wondered if John’s” >
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Anything you do with cardamom would be great!
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Do I have cardamon??Will have to check. We haven’t even had a watermelom this year.They are good for usand our chickens used to fight over the remains.
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I didn’t know chickens liked watermelon until we were having a slight drought. I read that giving them melons would help keep them hydrated. Grandson David wouldn’t mind eating enough watermelon to make him unthirsty.
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Oh Anne…I laughed over the watermelon. I let one sit on my kitchen floor for about a week…thinking it was okay. It wasn’t. I had watermelon ‘wine’ all over my kitchen floor. It was awful. Sticky. Yuck! I love the photo of the cucumbers. I LOVE them. My sister grew them this year and said it is a great crop. She gave me several that I have been feasting on. I love summer. Here’s a link to my watermelon mishap…a post from a 2012.
https://threepsandq.com/2012/09/07/problem-dont-let-a-watermelon-sit-too-long/
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Ugh!!! Liquefied watermelon. You by-passed the wine stage. What a mess that must have been! What about when the heat came on? Did you smell the ghost of melon past?
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It’s been so long…I thought it sat for a week, but when I read the post saw it was not even that long. Funny how you forget. Come to think of it…could that be the weird smell in the basement right now. No…just kidding. Who would have thought they would turn to liquid so fast.
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We didn’t have room in our refrigerator for the watermelon, and that’s why it sat on the counter for a few days. You are right. It is amazing how quickly they go bad.
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The same thing happens to me…but always…one of my favorite tastes of summer.
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Is that cucumber between two Ritz crackers? I have not thought to do that! Never had cardamom before ~ another thing I will have to try!
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I’ve never seen a Ritz cucumber sandwich before, but daughter Kate was happy with it. Cardamom meant Christmas to me after I married John. We like sweet muffins with cardamom during the year. That is lots easier than cookies or yeast bread.
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Cake and cucumbers sound divine! As for the watermelon bomb, nasty little creature it becomes, but the Orioles love it!
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I wish I knew where grandson Nathaniel tossed the watermelon. If there were an Oriole here, I’d love to see it. We had them in NY. I could identify them by sight or sound. I wonder what creatures might eat our cast-off.
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We visited my cousin in Lucedale, Miss. last summer, the odor coming from the melon fields behind her house was horrible, like sour milk. She explained that the heavy rain that season had caused the melons to spoil and now the tractors were turning them under. What a waste, and what a smell!! Glad you only had to dispose of one!
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Goodness! I can’t imagine the smell of a whole field of rotten watermelons. Luckily, ours was wine-like.
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Watermelon foaming at the mouth, er … rind!
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LOL! It was foaming, that’s for sure!
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I have lots of cardamon seeds here, given by a friend. I sometimes put it in a hot cup of coffee. So flavorful.
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I haven’t had cardamom in coffee, but I love it in tea.
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I have half a jar of cardamon seeds here. Try it Anne, it’s good.
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I have only ground spices, but I will try that if I find seeds.
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I love cardamom myself and watermelon…..😋
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I love cardamom myself and watermelon…..myself and my mom used to eat with a spoon when I was child over those hot summer evenings.😋
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I found several of your replies in spam!! I can’t imagine why, but I’m glad I found them. How did you find cardamom? Was it in Italy?
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Apparently I ve been spammed a lot recently 😔may be I talk too much😝
I discovered cardamom through and Indian recipe book many year ago
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LOL! You do not talk too much!!! My cardamom connection was Norwegian, but years later I bought Iranian tea flavored with cardamom. I’m glad it is easily available where I live now. Can you buy it near your home?
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Yes,our main supermarket is quite well organised😀
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Our girls love when watermelon goes bad! They know they will get to eat it if it does. I could just hear the sound in my head of that watermelon cracking open….it does kind of make you jump.
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We will be highly respectful of watermelons from now on.
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love your title! I will have to try cardamom-I am quite curious-now the watermelon story is too funny!
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We like cardamom added to a muffin recipe. Least expensive jar of ground cardamom I found was at Walmart. Another blogger suggested adding a whole seed to a cup of tea.
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thank you-I will look.
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Whenever I read a post of yours like this one, I can’t help thinking of that song from “Oliver” – Food, Glorious Food! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEQDllvuy1I
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As soon as I saw your quote, the song ran through my head. It could be my theme song.
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I grew up in a family that loved to eat. Now I struggle with weight issues. See, we loved to eat what today is considered wrong stuff. Mind you, my mom lived till 92. She used to say everything in moderation is ok!
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My family loved to eat, too. One daughter and I are always battling weight issues. I should be thankful I didn’t infect more people than I did.
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What about John? 😁 My guy (another John) also fights the good fight! Sigh, huh?
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John says aloud that he is going to lose weight. Without seeming to do anything different, he loses weight. It’s not fair!!!
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Dang it!! 😁😜
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