My Feral And Rescued Cats

Status
Not open for further replies.

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,708
Purraise
64,892
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
M maggiedemi Without Flowers we would not have fruits, grains or veggies. Loving veggies means loving the flowers. :) Did you see my peach flowers? The tree now has a peach we’re the flowers were. I am waiting and hoping they ripen and I get one before the birds get them all. Lol Have you ever bitten into a fig? The flower is inside? Very cool. Figs are fascinating things and can be the key to restoring and deforested areas like the jungle.
A peach in the making!
View attachment 337676

Faceplant! :flail:Good one!

I love your selfie. Cute clothes! I like to shop Old Navy too.

C catapault And flowers taste great! Very nutritious too.

tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 The black kitties said to send you purrs and thanks!:purr::blackcat2: (That second emoji looks just like Dolly!:lol:)
Both those Callas are lovely. Maybe they carry a bit of magic too?
I am sure your days are never wasted. Tarifa is beautiful and a testimony to your efforts. It looks to me like she is making a second breakfast herself. Is that paw making biscuits? Encouragement for you to offer second helpings. :lol:

@Furballsmom I totally agree! Breyers natural vanilla is rich and yummy!! I rarely buy ice cream but that is my favorite. Second choice.... Brown Mules. ( Vanilla ice cream with a thin shell coating of chocolate) In the hot weather, my grandmother always had one for me after my walk home from school. I still think of her every time I see one. Grandmothers are so great!

rubysmama rubysmama I hope you do get to see that flower. Those tick tips really do help. If any bug ever bugged me, that would be highest on my list with fleas!

Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 You are a true vanilla lover! Lol I think the flowers are pretty and the vines can be amazing when laden with seed pods. I found the plant of the variegated vanilla was really beautiful. There is even a leafless form of the vine. I found some during my trips.

tabbytom tabbytom It was a beautiful googled photo! ;) Certainly beats having to climb high enough to get that!
We have a big, bird-donated fig tree here and yes, the flower is inside! Beautiful peach blossom. I hope you get some fruit, too! My nectarine isn't going to bear for the third year in a row. :sigh: When it has, the fruit was wonderful, so I'm hoping for maybe next year?
Ah, yes, vanilla. LOVE it. And what a beautiful orchid!
What a green-eyed Precious treasure!
Another coolish, cloudy day here and I really enjoyed watering the yards. Lots of roses in bloom, plus my mom's beautiful purple Martha Washington geranium and the salmon-colored bougainvillea. And most special of all, my dad's blue larkspur, keeping our King Nicolas' resting place bright and beautiful.
 

Mamanyt1953

Rules my home with an iron paw
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Oct 16, 2015
Messages
31,173
Purraise
67,765
Location
North Carolina
M maggiedemi When you eat broccoli or cauliflower you are eating the immature flower heads of those plants.
.

And there are lots and lots of very tasty edible blossoms. A friend of mine makes a KILLER summer salad with tiny violets.

1591488401337.png

to mention just a few...
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,708
Purraise
64,892
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
.

And there are lots and lots of very tasty edible blossoms. A friend of mine makes a KILLER summer salad with tiny violets.

View attachment 337798
to mention just a few...
I drink a borage tea that's very relaxing! And the blossoms of squash are very, very good in a soup! St. John's Wort is also a relaxant. I've heard of elderberry wine. Chives and dill are excellent spices.
 

Jcatbird

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
10,301
Purraise
58,378
Location
United States
M maggiedemi You kind of have to use your imagination but I promise that inside a fig is the flower. I remember as a child see Mom bite one in half and being amazed. When I asked if that was a flower she was eating, she laughed. It was.
Flowers and plants are fascinating and fun.

C catapault Is absolutely right. Isn’t it neat to know we eat flowers?
That kentuckiensis is a lovely specimen. It had a lot of flowers. Whoever did the growing, did an excellent job.

rubysmama rubysmama Hmmm. That is an extra special photo! You have a magical Ruby Slipper. I do believe, “ There’s no place like home!” If you tap Ruby on the heal three times, do you find yourself at home?:lol:🥿🥿
Tell Ruby, thank you for posing for the purrfect picture!

I did know the family the ticks belong to but wasn’t going to point it out. I prefer their relatives.

tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 Your garden sounds lush! So many beautiful kinds of flowers. The Blue Larkspur are in the right place. I would find your garden a very relaxing spot. Maybe the weather will favor nectarine production next year.

N NY cat man Well, it Perry’s is better, I wish you could mail me some! :lol: I imagine there are local ice creams that are better. I know that making ice cream at home , it’s always delicious but it’s been years since I did that.

Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 I find the little purple violets are sweet. Never eat what you don’t know about though. My step sister called me because two friends had eaten some wild onions. They were in the emergency room because.... they weren’t wild onions. How do you mistake that taste? IDK but they were very sick.
Also, growing yourself ensures that no pesticides or chemicals are used. We have eaten daylily fritters. Interesting. I grew up harvesting many wild plants but I was with people who had done it for generations. No mistakes.There are some on that chart that I did not know about. Like oxalis and hens and chicks. I have eaten nasturtiums and elderberries. They were often gathered for wine making in the area. Medicinal purposes, of course. I knew that the mallow family gave us marshmallows! Lol I also saw the movie, “ Please Don’t Eat the Daisies!” :lol: But that’s a different topic. I have not eaten a daisy.

tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 St, Johns wort can have different strengths depending of growth conditions. Many buy things like that but finding a regulated source is really best done by growing at home unless a label guarantees strength and ingredients. Other plants tend to make their way into the mix otherwise. I am a firm believer that nature provides what we need. Plant knowledge is something I hope we preserve as a very valuable resource. I have seen “unidentified “ plants in the jungle so there may be new cures for things that are yet to be discovered. Thankfully, there are people devoted to searching and preserving as we type.
 

catapault

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
3,595
Purraise
9,286
tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 Elderberry wine is made from the berries. Which also make a wonderful jelly. Jelly, because the small berries have lots of tiny seeds that get stuck in your teeth. Jelly, being made from the strained juice, avoids that problem. Elder flowers may be used to make a cordial. Or dip the flower trusses in thin batter and fried as a fritter.

Jcatbird Jcatbird Your stepsister's friends likely ate death camas.

I just reviewed Beyond the North Wind, Russia in Recipes and Lore by Darra Goldstein, which has an interesting recipe for dandelion flower syrup. Think of it as a vegan substitute for honey.
 

Jcatbird

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
10,301
Purraise
58,378
Location
United States
C catapault I agree that they probably ate camas. You and I would likely recognize the difference but others might not. Still, you would think the taste , or lack of, might have stopped them. That’s why I never encourage a novice to eat wild plants. Those two look very much alike.

We used to eat the greens from dandelions. Not my favorite. There is Dandelion wine too but also used by older generations as more of a “tonic”. Funny that people are passionate about getting rid of “weeds!”
 

Jcatbird

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
10,301
Purraise
58,378
Location
United States
We had a little treat for the kitties tonight. It was Tuna night! Each plate was topped with a third of a can of tuna. Yum! Lol I always have an audience when I am topping with tuna. Dolly loves it so much he shifts from one front paw to the other as I make the plates. I don’t dare to turn my back for a moment.
Plates being prepared....
D70F5C58-DCD2-4A1E-900E-A60FB8C4F307.jpeg

Dolly tries to blend in with the microwave. Lol
F753F7A1-C994-4980-AA70-022FF345C8D5.jpeg


The scent of tuna reached the other rooms! Alley ventured out of the “girls room” to see what smells so nice.
52405CFB-0891-441B-A9F2-A231776ECB17.jpeg

I think there is “tuna recognition” in her expression.
DFEC96EC-B25A-44AF-B9E2-C7216416E864.jpeg

I see another who just could not wait for her special delivery. Lol Calley joined the others to eat in the cat room.
F26BF607-298F-440D-9223-C7E9C4348441.jpeg

As I always like to tell others, food is a great bonding tool to use with kitties. Banjo greeted Calley with a kiss.
Whistle ate with his Dad, BJ. No arguing during any part of the meal.
F1A1D441-5DDF-449E-A347-2B3CFCC67586.jpeg

It was lip licking good!
82E27EA3-92E8-4395-B4CF-62B99F3A52BA.jpeg

Calley was so content she stayed for, after dinner conversation. :lol:
870D67D9-0C24-4366-AAC4-C45CA162699C.jpeg

I thought I would add a little after dinner conversation too. These look a bit like wired bananas but they are the pseudo bulbs of an orchid. Schomburgkia or Myrmecophylla tibicinis. The stalks or pseudobulbs are hollow and make great houses for ants.
AD192E13-2065-4E1F-B164-2D49B58C3315.jpeg

The bloom stem is about six feet in length so I had to stand on a step ladder to photograph the flowers. Collecting these in nature is a challenge because once you disturb the plants, the ants come out to defend their home! LolSmart little ants!
D23E521E-F8AB-4119-9850-492A6EA08657.jpeg


I won’t be bringing this in the house! The cats would love the bouncing flower stem but they would be greeted by the ants! The kitties will get to enjoy in it safety through the windows of the cat room. So far, every time the wind blows, they are watching the flowers dance around in curiosity. :lol: Is it a bird or a bug! More amusement for the kitties!

Have a great night everyone! :heartshape:
 

maggiedemi

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 26, 2017
Messages
17,104
Purraise
44,385
Here in WNY, we have Perry's, and they make an excellent ice cream. They are more of a regional brand, however, so most of the country- except for WNY expatriates, that is- aren't aware of it.
I've had Perry's ice cream billions of times! I like the apple pie flavor they had at the NY State Fair, it had pieces of pie crust in it. 🥧

And there are lots and lots of very tasty edible blossoms.
Interesting. I didn't know Oregano, Chives, and Dill were flowers. :think:

Calley was so content she stayed for, after dinner conversation.
Wonderful to see my Calley joining the other kitties. 🌈
 

catapault

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
3,595
Purraise
9,286
M maggiedemi Let's pause for a moment here and think about this.

Dill - we mostly use the seeds and the green leaves. The immature flower heads are sometimes used when making pickles. Chives - it's the hollow round green stems that are generally used, snipped as a garnish or added to an omelet. The purple flower clusters may be added to a salad but that's more for decoration. And oregano leaves are the part of the plant used as an herb. Flowers are decorative, in fact there's an oregano grown as a garden ornamental - 'Kent Beauty' is one.

If you want an herb whose flowers are the primary ingredient used as an herb think of lavender: lavender shortbread, in herbs de Provence, etc. But not all lavenders are equal when it comes to culinary use. Hidcote is one of the best.
 

Lari

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 18, 2017
Messages
10,993
Purraise
45,421
Lari Lari How did the fried flowers taste? Any hint of the pumpkin flavor?

tabbytom tabbytom Thank you! That is an interesting flower in shape and markings. I watched the ants climbing the flower stem too. Big ants! I think they put out a “Do not Disturb” sign. Lol

I remember them being delicious, but I don't remember the taste, per say. Ot was close to three years ago now!
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,708
Purraise
64,892
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
Yes, my ancestors knew a lot about how to use plants medicinally, and much of this knowledge has been gained by the larger population and made into "health" foods and supplements. All of the plants and herbs are for our use -- not all of them are for eating, of course! Some here may have read the book and/or seen the film, "INTO THE WILD" which is the story of Chris McCandless' journey into Alaska, where he died as a result of eating plants he thought were edible. It is so important not to do this unless you are expert at identifying which plants can be eaten and which are poisonous! Sometimes there is very little difference visually.
What a gorgeous plant and orchid, Jcatbird Jcatbird ! That's one of the prettiest orchids I've seen.

Thanks for good wishes for nectarine production. Yes, the back yard is very small compared to our Mojave land, but I've tried to make it a beautiful, soothing, calming place, and a friendly place for all of the visitors -- animal, insect, and bird.
IMG_1726.JPG

Looks like Tuna Night was a big success :lolup::cutecat::kneading:
 
Last edited:

Buffster7

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jul 1, 2019
Messages
887
Purraise
2,712
M maggiedemi You kind of have to use your imagination but I promise that inside a fig is the flower. I remember as a child see Mom bite one in half and being amazed. When I asked if that was a flower she was eating, she laughed. It was.
Flowers and plants are fascinating and fun.

C catapault Is absolutely right. Isn’t it neat to know we eat flowers?
That kentuckiensis is a lovely specimen. It had a lot of flowers. Whoever did the growing, did an excellent job.

rubysmama rubysmama Hmmm. That is an extra special photo! You have a magical Ruby Slipper. I do believe, “ There’s no place like home!” If you tap Ruby on the heal three times, do you find yourself at home?:lol:🥿🥿
Tell Ruby, thank you for posing for the purrfect picture!

I did know the family the ticks belong to but wasn’t going to point it out. I prefer their relatives.

tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 Your garden sounds lush! So many beautiful kinds of flowers. The Blue Larkspur are in the right place. I would find your garden a very relaxing spot. Maybe the weather will favor nectarine production next year.

N NY cat man Well, it Perry’s is better, I wish you could mail me some! :lol: I imagine there are local ice creams that are better. I know that making ice cream at home , it’s always delicious but it’s been years since I did that.

Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 I find the little purple violets are sweet. Never eat what you don’t know about though. My step sister called me because two friends had eaten some wild onions. They were in the emergency room because.... they weren’t wild onions. How do you mistake that taste? IDK but they were very sick.
Also, growing yourself ensures that no pesticides or chemicals are used. We have eaten daylily fritters. Interesting. I grew up harvesting many wild plants but I was with people who had done it for generations. No mistakes.There are some on that chart that I did not know about. Like oxalis and hens and chicks. I have eaten nasturtiums and elderberries. They were often gathered for wine making in the area. Medicinal purposes, of course. I knew that the mallow family gave us marshmallows! Lol I also saw the movie, “ Please Don’t Eat the Daisies!” :lol: But that’s a different topic. I have not eaten a daisy.

tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 St, Johns wort can have different strengths depending of growth conditions. Many buy things like that but finding a regulated source is really best done by growing at home unless a label guarantees strength and ingredients. Other plants tend to make their way into the mix otherwise. I am a firm believer that nature provides what we need. Plant knowledge is something I hope we preserve as a very valuable resource. I have seen “unidentified “ plants in the jungle so there may be new cures for things that are yet to be discovered. Thankfully, there are people devoted to searching and preserving as we type.
Oh my word, you guys just brought back memories of rose petal jam and violet candy! I was raised in Africa, and we had rose petal jam, truly made from rose petals, that we'd spread on our toast. Very fragrant. And violet candies, I forget how I used to love those! Some of these edibles were indeed fragrant, made from flowers, almost perfumed but very mild and delicious. I imagine most American tastebuds would be averse to them, but I sure love it. Thanks for the memories!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top