Holiday Potluck a great success!!

A wonderful time was had by all at the annual Holiday Potluck. We had a terrific turnout, loads of wonderful food and goodies, and a rousing round of the dice game to divvy up all the gifts! Teresa's warm and wonderful home was a feast for the eyes! Photos of the event will be posted here when received as well as recipes any members wish to share.

Holiday in the Park display

Thank you to the Holiday in the Park Committee and all who donated elements to the display.

We had a great time and hope to add elements to the display next year!

Reminder, 2011 Holiday Potluck Thursday, December 8, at 6:00

Our annual Garden Club Holiday Potluck will be on Thursday, December 8 at 6:00 pm at Teresa Hall's home at 113 Broadway in Grantsburg (One house west of the pretty yellow church on Pine and Broadway.)

If you can't remember what you signed up to bring check, out this link. If you did not sign up, check out the list to see what is needed or bring your specialty!

This is our first meeting of the new garden club year with our new officers and new committees taking over their duties. A voluntary gift exchange ($10.00 limit) will be part of the festivities.

Hope to see everyone there!

November 2011 Meeting Minutes

Burnett Garden Club

November 2011, meeting minutes

Attendees: Pam, Kris H, Mary G, Janet, Becky, Tim, Ruth, Lucille, Teresa, Georgianne, Nori, Sue, Cindy, Carrie, Linnea, Jacqui D, Jacki B (if I missed anyone, please let me know).

Pam called the meeting to order.

Treasurers report was given by Becky. We have a total of $2000.00 + currently in the account. Report was approved by unanimous vote.

The October 2011 meeting having been canceled, meeting minutes for the September 2011 meeting, posted on the blog, were approved by unanimous vote.

Becky gave a report for the Sign Planting committee. The weeding schedule worked well and the status of the garden now is that annuals have been cleared away and weeding done. The rest can stay until spring.

Pam gave a report of the Holiday in the Park committee. The plan for the display is a garden shed, picket fence etc. Materials needed have mostly been collected. Extension cords are needed and will be supplied by Ruth Andersen. We need artificial trees or tree parts, which some members indicated they may have for our use. Carrie said we could set up beginning November 27. Tim advised us to look out for permanent lighting so our display lights will show better.

Old business was called for.

Mary G. has received a request from a local lady who wants to donate pots to our club to use for the plant sale, but doesn't want to store them over winter. Mary G. has no idea how many or what kinds. If anyone can help, please contact Peggy Johnson directly to arrange to help her. Her number is in the phone book.

Under old business we voted to accept the revisions to the constitution and by-laws that were proposed by the executive committee and that these revisions should be written into the documents and not left as amendments. The revised constitution and bylaws will be posted to the blog.

New business

We are again giving door prizes at each meeting with the VP responsible for providing prizes each month which will be reimbursed from the treasury. The first prize was given at this meeting. Carrie received a small autumn candle arrangement.

Kris presented a February garden club trip to the 2012 Garden Expo in Madison. This is the 19th Annual Garden Expo Feb 10-12 at the Madison Alliant Energy Center. For anyone who wishes to attend, the Garden Club will cover the hotel cost (4 to a room) for Friday and Saturday night. Commitments for the trip will need to be made in December at the Holiday Potluck (December 8) and will necessitate a $50.00 deposit. These deposits will be refunded at the Expo. Two rooms have been reserved but there should be time to reserve more if more wish to attend. For more information, talk to Kris.

Election of officers took place with Pam D as President, Kris as VP, Mary G. as Treasurer and Janet as Secretary. The new officers will arrange a planning meeting to take place prior to the next meeting.

Mary G introduced our presenter, willow weaver, Jacki Bedworth and presented her with an honorarium.

Refreshments were provided by Janet and Teresa.

Minutes prepared by Pam Davies with proofing by Kris, MaryG and Janet

2011 Holiday Potluck signup

So far, we have the following for the 2011 Holiday Potluck on December 8 at Theresa's (113 W Broadway Ave, Grantsburg) .

Entre: Theresa (Tortellini with Chicken and Parmesan), Krisite (Swedish Meatballs)

Side dish: Janet (?), Theresa (BBQ wienies)

Vegie: Mary, Georgianne

Salad: Pam, Janet

Dessert: Carrie, Susan A

Beverages: Theresa (coffee, punch)

hors d'oeuvres: Becky

Candy and cookies: Lucille (according to Tim)

Whatever: Ruthie

The club will reimburse Theresa for paper products (plates, napkins, flatware, cups)

Let me know of any changes or additions to this list.

We will also have a voluntary gift exchange ($10.00). A reminder email will be sent out a week prior to the event!

November meeting Reminder

The Burnett Garden Club will be meeting at the Grantsburg High School room 111, on Thursday, November 11 at 7:00 pm.

Agenda: Payment of dues for 2012, election of officers, voting on revisions to the constitution and bylaws, signup for 2012 meeting refreshments and program suggestions, and Holiday Potluck planning.

Program: Willow Workshop with local willow grower and weaver, Jacki Bedworth. Bring $5.00 for materials if you wish to make a small willow mat (hot pad) and $10.00 to purchase additional kits from Jacki. Please RSVP to Mary G at logcabinsoaps@yahoo.com or phone her at 715 463 5877 if you wish to participate so that Jacki can bring enough materials.

Refreshments: Provided by Rosemary and Janet.

Hope to see you all there.

Don't miss "Life of Flowers" on the Blog

Our blog grows with additions of new features as well as posts, so don't forget to visit the site from time to time even though you get updates via email.

To find the latest feature Fabulous Gardens and Flowers, look on the right column and scroll down past Important Links for Gardeners. There are now two links to look at under Fabulous Gardens and Flowers submitted by members from links provided in emails they received.

I encourage everyone to send in items of interest you would like to share with the club and I will find a way to post it.

Six Trees Planted Sunday by Club Members

Nori and Jim, Mary C. and Pam met up at Kris's on Sunday to help plant 6 of the seven beautiful memorial trees Kris received. We made quick work of it and only got a little bit wet when the much needed rain came! Coffee and goodies followed. Give Kris a call if you have time next weekend to help with some shrubs and perennials that need to get into the ground before everything freezes up! Kris will be back at work this week and is planning on being with us at the November club meeting.

Thanks for all you do for us, Kris. It was our pleasure to do for you!

October workshop moved to November Meeting, election of officers, payment of dues!!

Jacki Bedworth, local willow grower and weaver, will be giving her willow basket workshop at the November meeting. More than just a demonstration of how to make a willow basket, she will give us hands-on experience by teaching us how to make willow mats. You may watch or participate. To participate, please bring $5.00 for materials for Jacki. Additional kits may be purchased from Jacki for $10.00.

The November meeting is a very busy meeting with dues due for the 2012 season which begins in December. We also elect our new officers. And will put the last touches on our Holiday potluck plans. Jacki would like plenty of time for the workshop and would like to start promptly at 7:30. So lets all be a bit early, if possible, so we can get our business out of the way!!

Officers to be elected: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer.

According to our current by-laws:

• The President shall preside over all meetings of the Club and Executive Board and shall perform such duties as regularly pertain to the office. The President shall be ex-officio member of all committees and shall appoint the chairs of all standing committees and special committees as necessary. The President may call special meetings of the Club or Executive Board as the need arises. The President shall not vote at Club meetings unless there is a tie, and shall cast the deciding vote.
• The Vice-President shall assist the President in the discharge of his/her duties, and shall perform in the duties of President in the absence of or inability of the President. The Vice-President shall be the Chair of the Publicity Committee and any other special duties as assigned by the President.
• The Secretary shall keep all the minutes and attendance of regular and Executive Board meetings... and any other duties as assigned by the preseident and/or Executive commitee. (Some additional duties specified for the Secretary in the by-laws are currently being done by the "Information Officer," which is currently an unofficial position, and by the other officers. ...correspondence with members and other Club affiliates, have charge of the books and papers of the Club, prepare reports for publication and filing to appropriate organizations, attend to the distribution of notices and bulletins.)
• The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the funds of the Club and shall pay expenditures approved by the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall make financial reports at every regular meeting, a yearly financial report at the Annual (November) meeting, and be subject to an annual audit in October by the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall receive dues from the members... and keep an up-to-date membership record at all times.

The Executive Board consists of the current officers plus the immediate past President. The current Executive Board is looking at amending the constitution and by-laws. We will try to vote on these changes at the November meeting or by email before the December meeting.

In an effort to expedite the election procedure so that we can take care of business quickly at the November meeting, I offer the following:

• Pam is offering to run for President but would welcome anyone else who would like to step forward. Please send Pam your name if you would like to run or would like to nominate someone.
• Pam is proposing Mary G or Janet B for VP if either would like to run or anyone else who would like to hold this office (please email Pam with your name or the name of a willing nominee). The VP candidate should be willing to move into the President position in subsequent years.
• We need a Secretary who expects to be attending most meetings and can email digital copies of the minutes to Pam for posting on the blog. If you don't know everyone's names, please feel free to ask for people to give names at the start of the meeting. Georgianne? Anyone else?
• While the By-laws specify that no officer may hold office for more than two consecutive terms, we will ask that this be waived again and that Becky T. continue on as Treasure unless there is a member who would like to run for this office.

If you would like to be an officer but are afraid you might not be available to attend all meetings, or fully discharge your duties, please stand for office. We will ask for alternates to make themselves available to fill in as needed or a co-officer can be elected. We want to give everyone who wants to be an officer a chance to hold office.

Thanks

Deepest Sympathy to our President, Kris Henning

I sadly bring to the attention of our club the news that Ralph Henning, Kris Henning's husband, passed away from a heart attack on Friday, October 7, 2011. We are all stunned by the news. Our hearts go out to Kris and her family.

The visitation will be on Wednesday, October 12 from 5 until 8 at Edling Funeral Home on Hwy 70 in Grantsburg. The funeral will be held Thursday at 2PM at Trinity Church in Falun. Our club will provide a memorial arrangement on behalf of the garden club.

Out of respect for our President and because there will be no joy in a meeting in this week of grief for our friend, we will postpone the October 13th meeting with our thanks to Jackie for her understanding. Details to be announced.

Fabulous Gardens at the historic home of Claude Monet at Givenry, France

To view a fabulous PowerPoint presentation of the Monet gardens at Giverny, France--forwarded to me by Mary C.-- look for the link under Important Links for Gardeners on the right column. It's the last link in the list. This was the only way I could find to share this with everyone on the blog. To get the picture to fill your screen, click on the little box to the right of "Menu" in the lower right corner of the presentation screen. To end the presentation use your escape key on your keyboard.

Enjoy!

New blog about gardening.
www.twogirlsandagarden.blogspot.com

Be Blessed in All You do.
Raine

www.twogirlsandagarden.blogspot.com

September 2011, Meeting Minutes

Ten members attended the September 2011 meeting of the Burnett Garden Club held at Grantsburg High, school, room 111. They were: Linnea, Mary G., Wanda, Becky, Janet, Nori , Cindy K., Pam and new members Raine Lampert and daughter Mikhalla.

Pam called the meeting to order. Introductions were made for the new members. Discussion ensued about member access to post to the blog. Pam will look into options.

Treasurer's report was given by Becky: current balance is 2287.39. Report on the June plant sale: gross revenues were 721.00 and post sale sales of 55.00 giving a total of 776.00. Expenses for soil 103.99, hostas $75.00, lumber for potting area $30.00. A profit of 567.01 was realized.

Signup sheets for 2012 committees, refreshments and program ideas were made available to attendees. The club will need a new chair for the plant sale committee in 2012.

Becky reported on the sign committee. She will decide on a cleanup date for early October or late September. Becky observed that shorter days mean little time in the early evening for this task.

Old Business:

Recap of the summer given by Pam especially how the July 1 storm impacted our summer programs. Last minute cancellation of the community garden tour was very disappointing to gardeners who prepared for the tour. Our regrets and thanks go to these individuals with our hope they will be able and willing to showcase their gardens next year.

New Business:

Dues are being collected for the 2012 calendar year. Call for volunteers for the nominating committee as new officers will be elected in November. Please share your ideas for workshops and presentations for our 2012 program year on the sign up sheets. The agendas and presentations for October (Jacki Bedworth willow weaving workshop--supplies will be $5.00 per person) and November meetings (election of officers and braided wheat ornament workshop) were given.

No other new business.

Our guest speaker for this evening is Kevin Schoessow from the extension office in Spooner. Pam and Becky providing refreshments following the program.

Motion to adjourn was offer by Wanda, seconded by Janet and confirmed with a unanimous vote.

Meeting minutes recorded by Mary G and transcribed by Pam.

Meeting Reminder, Thursday, September 8, 7PM

Our Next meeting will be held on Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 7:00 pm at the Grantsburg High School, room 111. We will have our Annual Club Plant Exchange and will be planning for next year. We will pass around a sign up sheet asking for suggestions for speakers, topics and workshops. So, think about what committees you would like to be on and come with lots of ideas!!

We will also be forming a nominating committee at this meeting. If you would like to serve on the committee or as and officer and need more information, please email me or Kris (see Officers tab for addresses)

Our presenter will be Kevin Schoessow, Extension Agent for Burnett County in Spooner. He will speak on "Tree and Shrub Replanting Choices After Storm Damage." This will also be relevant for any local gardens who want more information on what trees and scrubs are best for our terrain and climate!

Refreshments will be provided by Becky T. and Pam D.

Hope to see you all there.

Don't miss this opportunity to become a Master Gardener, Classes begin Tuesday, Sept 6

Become a master gardener and volunteer in your community. Your thirty-six hours of training begins September 6 and continues every Tuesday 6-9pm through November 22.

Training takes place at the Burnett Government Center in Siren.

Learn: Botany, Soils & Plant Nutrition, Integrated Pest Management, Entomology, Plant Pathology, Weeds, General Gardening Practices, Herbaceous Plants, Woody Plants, Vegetables and Fruits, Lawn Care, and Wildlife.

Registration fee is $120.00

Don't miss this fantastic opportunity.

Click here for More information

Master Gardener Volunteer Training to be Held in Burnett County starting Sept 6

MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER TRAINING TO BE HELD

Garden enthusiasts interested in learning more about horticulture and who have an interest in volunteering in their local communities can now sign up for the University of Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training program. Classes will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6-9 pm starting September 6 and will continue through Tuesday November 22. Classes will be held at the Burnett County Government Center on Hwy K north of Siren.

The class format will include a combination of on-site live instruction and instruction via live interactive web-based conferencing. Instructors include both University of Wisconsin Specialists, and guest instructors. Classes will meet once a week for thirteen weeks and cover topics on general gardening practices, botany, soils, pest management, entomology, weeds, plant pathology, herbaceous plants, woody plants, lawns and backyard wildlife.

According to Kevin Schoessow, Area Agriculture Development Agent, for Burnett, Washburn and Sawyer Counties, the purpose of this program is to train volunteers to assist with community projects related to horticulture, gardening and nutrition. While participants will get a broad base of knowledge in horticulture, the ultimate purpose of the training is to recruit volunteers. To become certified as UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteer participants must commit 24 hours of volunteer service per year.

The registration fee for the thirteen sessions will be $120, which covers the cost of the Handbook for Wisconsin Gardeners and the Wisconsin Master Gardener Program Manual, a one-year membership to the North County Master Gardeners Association and speaker costs. If two people share the manual and handbook, cost for the second person to attend the training is $85.

The Spooner Area UW-Extension is sponsoring the Master Gardening Volunteer Training. Class size is limited. Copies of the registration form and a list of scheduled times and dates can be found by visiting their web site at: http://www.cals.wisc.edu/ars/spooner/pdf/2011MasterGardenerVolunteerTraining.pdf

or contact Kevin Schoessow at the Spooner Area UW Extension Office at 715-635-3506 or 1-800-528-1914.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT INFORMATION

Kevin Schoessow is an area Ag Development Agent for University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension. His office is located at the Spooner Ag Research Station and he can be reached by telephone at 715-635-3506 or by e-mail at kevin.schoessow@ces.uwex.edu.

"A volunteer's time is the true example of selfless giving" JRC

Kevin Schoessow

Area Agriculture Development Agent

Spooner Area UW-Extension

Spooner Agriculture Research Station

W6646 Hwy 70

Spooner, WI 54801

kevin.schoessow@ces.uwex.edu

phone: 715-635-3506 or 1-800-528-1914

Fax 715-635-6741

http://www.cals.wisc.edu/ars/spooner/

Providing university based-research and information in agriculture, horticulture and natural resources for the residents of Burnett, Sawyer and Washburn Counties.

Annual Garden Twilight Tour, Spooner Agriculture Research Station on Tuesday, August 23 from 4:00 pm until dusk.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Annual Garden Twilight Tour Tuesday August 23

The public is invited to attend the annual twilight garden tour at the Spooner Agriculture Research Station on Tuesday, August 23 from 4:00 pm until dusk.

There will be demonstration and displays on composting, drip irrigation, adaptive gardening, rain barrels, food preservation, raised bed gardening, native pollinators and beekeeping. Tasting of vegetables, fresh salsa, and grilled vegetables will also be offered.

UW-Extension Plant Pathologist Brian Hudelson from UW-Madison and UW-Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist Brian Smith from UW-River Falls are invited guests. These specialists along with Kevin Schoessow, Area Ag Development Agent and local UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will be on hand to lead discussions and answer questions on a wide range of horticulture and gardening topics.

There will be an introduction of guests and speakers at 5 pm, followed by short presentations by Dr. Hudelson and Dr. Smith.

Participants can also see the newly installed “off the grid” drip irrigation system and a hoop house.

Schoessow reminds gardeners to be sure to bring your plant and insect questions. “Bring samples in plastic baggies, clearly labeled so that if we need to get back to you with an answer, we have your name and contact information”.

Visitors can see over 350 plant selections in the garden this year, both annual and perennial. Favorites include the cold hardy wine and table grapes, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, and of course the All American Selections Display featuring award winning annual flowers and vegetables from 2006-2011. There is also a landscaped perennial display garden featuring roses, flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses and other flowering perennials.

The demonstration garden is a joint effort between the Spooner Agriculture Research Station, UW-Extension and North Country Master Gardeners Association. The garden is free and open to the public August through September for self guided tours. Guided tours are available M-F 8am-4:30 pm.

There is no cost to attend this event, however participants are asked to bring a non perishable food item, to support local food shelves.

Upcoming events in the garden include the fall harvest garden walk on Tuesday Sept 27, the putting the garden to bed garden walk on Tuesday Oct 25, and a fall table grape pruning workshop on Saturday Nov 5.

The garden is located ~1/2 mile north of Hwy 70 on Orchard Lane, across from the Sheep Research Facilities at the Spooner Ag Research Station. The research station is located ~ 1 mile east of Spooner on Hwy 70. Watch for garden meeting signs.

Check the Station’s web site for more information and a map: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/sars/programs.html or contact Kevin Schoessow at the Spooner Area UW Extension Office at 715-635-3506 or 1-800-528-1914.

Call for recipes

I could like to invite the membership to submit their favorite recipes for posting here on our Burnett Garden Club Blog. Food has always been a part of our meetings with refreshments provided by members at each meeting and two annual potlucks. We have had some dynamite food at meetings and potlucks over the years.

I have been posting recipes here on our blog for a while now (scroll down and look for "recipes from club members" on the right column) and will post any and all recipes I receive. At some point we should have enough recipes for a Burnett Garden Club Cook Book! So everyone, send in your recipes, especially those that utilize produce you've grown in your own gardens!!

And the winners are...

Lucille for best vase of cut flowers and Mary G. for her planter garden.

Congratulations Lucille and Mary. And thank you Mary for the fragrant soaps you brought for the second place holders in each category.

And thank you to Alma and Cynthia for hosting the event. The pontoon ride around the lake was a delight! Here we are getting back and getting the pontoon covered up.

Fabulous food and a lovely evening!! We missed everyone who could not make it.

See you in September!

September Meeting Change and Potluck Reminder

The presentation for our September 8th meeting has been changed as Donna of Village Floral will be unavailable to talk about Planning for Fall/Winter Garden Interest.

Kevin Schoessow, Extension Agent for Burnett County in Spooner, will be presenting "Tree & Shrub Replanting Choices After Storm Damage." He will be speaking on decisions to make when choosing replacement trees and shrubs and going through the process of getting the best trees for your situation. This will be a great topic considering the considerable damage to some of our member's gardens. He will have a PowerPoint slideshow and a short video on proper planting techniques.

We will have the plant exchange following the presentation. Hope you can all make it.

Don't forget the Summer Potluck and Container/bouquet Contest 5:30 at Alma Karel's cabin on

Spirit Lake. Directions: HWY 70 east of Grantsburg and Alpha to Little Wood Lake Rd, turn right. Take that road to Spirit Lake. It is the 7th house on the right, #22131.

Summer Potluck, Thursday, August 11, 5:30 pm

We will be having our annual summer potluck at a new location this year.

Alma and Cynthia have invited us to the Karel cabin on Spirit Lake!!

We will have our usual container garden competition and, new last year, the best vase of cut flowers competition. (1 prize-cut flowers, 2 prizes for container gardens. You can enter both categories!)

Bring your entries and a dish to share. Meat and buns as well as a beverage will be provided by the club.

Directions to the Karel cabin on Spirit Lake:

70 east of Grantsburg through Alpha to Little Wood Lake Rd, turn right. Take that road to Spirit Lake. It is the 7th house on the right. #22131

Thank you to Rick and Linnea for hosting the event in the past (they will need to be out of town on the 11th) Huge thanks to Alma and Cynthia for hosting the event this year!!

Hope to see you all there!

A few updates on member activity

A number of members have had damage from the storm. Linea is scrambling to move hostas to shadier spots in the yard since losing a number of large trees. Stop by her place to see what plants she has to give away, there just isn't room for all of them.

Don't forget Kris's Spirit Lake Lilies open house and plant sale on July 30.

Mary G and I made a trip over to Janet's and availed ourselves of her generous offer of two free plants. There are still lots of plants. Stop by Thursday evening 5:30 to dusk.

Mary C had big losses. Stop by her place, if you can, or drop her an email to let her know you are thinking of her.

Stop by my place if you want to check out the progress I am making on putting things back to some order. Looks a bit like a moonscape around here these days.

If you are working hard to get your place back in order and would like a friendly face and some moral support, let me know and I will send out an email. It really does help to commiserate!

The Grantsburg sign is looking good. The mulch is making weeding pretty easy. Give yourself time to enjoy the lovely garden when your week comes up. If you need help let me know and I will send out an appeal to members.

Be sure to keep in touch this summer. Missing the garden tour has been a big hole in our calendar. I miss seeing everyone. Hope everyone will be able to make the Aug 11 Summer Potluck. The venue may be changing so watch for emails.

Grantsburg cleaning up from Friday's storm

It is with great sorrow that this summer's Community Garden Tour is being cancelled due to the July 1 storms. Tour chair, Janet Byers, put a lot of time into planning the tour this year but at least one of the member's gardens slated for the tour has sustained significant damage. Other members have damage as well and will undoubtedly be busy with cleanup.

The Burnett Medical Center garden has survived unscatherd. If anyone is disappointed about the tour cancellation, they can visit the hospital garden anytime.

Please let us know if you have damage from the storm and would like help with the cleanup. I will post requests on the blog. Anyone available to help can call these members: Pam, Becky, Linnea, Linnea’s mom Shirley, or Teresa. Numbers can be found in the 2011 bulletin.

Here are a few pictures of the damage at my house (if you'd like to share photos, send them to pameladavies @ yahoo.com) :

Wanda's garden tour--great fun!

Seven of us met at 2Eskies Garden Store in Rush City. A small store but with some really fun stuff. We all bought plenty!
Loading up the van was a little tricky.
The Grant House in Rush city, less than two blocks away, was a great place for refreshments. The raspberry cream cake was a real hit. Thursday's special two dollar burgers were home made! We all agreed we'd be back.Wanda's house, a few miles out of town on lush, winding roads, is situated on 15 beautiful acres that feature a small pond and a terrific bonfire pit.

Lovely little gardens are situated all about the property.

Wanda has been working hard edging and mulching beds.
In the backgound, notice Wanda's experimental square foot gardens.
We posed for a photo, Kristie serving as photographer, then went to have a quick look at the livestock--chicks and ducklings!

Thanks for organizing a terrific evening for us, Wanda! And thanks Kris for documenting the event!

Zucchini Parmesan served with Couscous

Pam’s Zucchini Parmesan with couscous

1-1.5 hours prep time

Serves 4 – 6 people as main course

Simmer in medium saucepan for 30-45 minutes:

4-5 med to large tomatoes diced (fresh tomatoes are wonderful but you can use canned)

1 reg can of tomato sauce (home made is great)

small can mushrooms or equivalent sautéed fresh mushrooms drained

¼ cup dry red wine

1 tsp Worchester sauce

2 tsp brown sugar

salt and pepper

½ tsp chili powder

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Sauté in olive oil in a skillet

½ cup green onion chopped (or as much as you like)

1-2 tbsp garlic chopped (or as much as you like)

1 tbsp oregano and other Italian spices (as you like)

Remove from pan and add to tomato mixture. Then, in a little more oil, sauté lightly

1½ to 2 thinly sliced medium sized zucchini

Lay out the lightly sauteed zuchinni in a rectangular pan (8.5 x 13 inch) overlapping

Pour the tomato mixture over the zucchini

Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs

Sprinkle over this 1/3-cup of Parmesan cheese

Over this sprinkle about 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 325 –350 degrees. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes. Let stand for five minutes while you prepare couscous.

Prepare couscous (1 part couscous to 2 parts liquid, I make 1 cup cousous in 2 cups liquid) in water, a little olive oil and chicken flavoring (bullion or chicken stock) Combine water and chicken flavoring, salt and oil in a saucepan, over medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and stir in couscous. Cover and turn off heat. Let stand thus for 5 minutes.

Serve couscous topped with the Zucchini Parmesan. Enjoy!!