October 3, 2008: Making Friends and Preserving Friendships

How does one become friends with someone they have never seen, let alone never met? How can friendships form from simple correspondences with complete strangers? How can one common interest bring a lasting camaraderie?

Well, one way is to just join an on-line forum and/or write a blog.

In the past two months my life has been blessed and enriched with new found friends. There's Cynthia from Brambleberries in the Rain. Kristen, The Frugal Girl. Teresa, of Quack This, whom I met through a recipe group several years ago, and who remains my friend to this day. And then there are all my new friends from the Garden Web Forums, and especially from the Square Foot Gardening Forum, who are numerous (and I know I'll forget someone, so if I do please blame it on my age, not on my lack of love and respect for you); Angela, Carolyn, Laura, Medo, bettyinga, rjinga, docarwen, John, Ribbit, Dan, duhast, Mike in Paradise, Sinfonian, lissa, Cheryl aka gardengoodies, crystabel, reba.

Now, who did I forget?

Hmmmm......

Ah yes, I know who! My "bestest, funnest, funniest, goofiest garden buddy", Engineered Garden!

I've only seen one photo of EG, goofing off with Spongebob Squarepants! All I really know about him is that he is a very kind man, and one of the first to offer help when needed. You never know what EG is going to do next, so I wasn't terribly surprised when he "cybershared" his pear preserves with me, with a "Granny" sign and all.......


But nothing prepared me for what he did this week. He sent me a real jar of his pear preserves! What was even more unexpected was the box it came in. Only EG could come up with a "talking" box!



Be sure to click on the image to enlargen it, so you can read all that a jar of pear preserves might talk/sing about on a trip from Alabama to Washington!

Of course, such very special preserves deserve the best of homemade biscuits!

Biscuits Supreme

2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture looks like course crumbs. Add the milk all at once; stir quickly with a fork just until the dough follows the fork around the bowl. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead gently, 10-12 strokes. Pat or roll dough to 1/2” thickness and cut with a 2-1/2” floured biscuit cutter. Bake on an *ungreased (see note) baking sheet at 450ºF for 10-12 minutes.

*Note: I melt about 1/4 cup butter or margarine in the bottom of a 9”X13” baking pan. Dip one side of each biscuit in the melted butter, then turn it over, butter side up. Bake as directed. This gives the biscuits a delicious, golden, crispy exterior.

EG's Pear Preserves

Verb: Preserve. Keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last.

Thank you, EG, for "preserving" our friendship.