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September Surprises

It is always a thrill to stumble across a plant that I may have forgotten about or one that does something unexpected. That has happened several times over the past weeks.  First, the vine pictured above is the Eastern Prince Schisandra vine ( Schinensis chinensis ), also known as "Magnolia Vine".  I purchased it in May of 2023 from One Green World in Portland. I don't know what attracted me to it, other than the fact that I'd never heard of it before and the description sounded nice.  I didn't forget about this plant; in fact, it has grown quite vigorously up an archway at the entrance to our woodland path. It shares space alongside the rose 'Lamarque'.  I did forget that it produces berries, so I was surprised when I looked up and saw them dangling over the top of the arbor.  The berries are used in Chinese medicine. They are called the "Five Flavor Berry" and said to have five flavors in one - sweet, salty, bitter, tangy and sour.  Chinese le...

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberries

 
Here's another winning recipe from the King Arthur Flour folks! Chocolate fans rejoice! 

The recipe showed up on my Instagram feed a few weeks ago and after looking at the photos and reading the reviews, my curiosity was peaked. I printed out the recipe and put it aside. I just made it today and it is an amazing cake.

Making this all at once would be quite time-consuming. I made the cake yesterday and the filling today. I skipped the frosting entirely after reading the reviews. The cake is delicious without the frosting although I'm sure that would elevate it to a new level.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

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