Ric Rac Rummy, a Card Game for Family Gatherings, version of Contract Rummy

This challenging card game was an important part of extended family gatherings (on my Norwegian side) when I was a kid.

We called it Ric Rac Rummy, but I can't find any reference to that name anywhere. For the sake of someone else on this planet desperately searching for this game from their childhood, here it is!

I did find a card game nearly identical in "Official Rules of Card Games" by The United States Playing Card Company, known as Contract Rummy among many other names, popular for large gatherings.

This game works best if you have many players AND at least a couple hours to spend together. I remember epic games with aunties and cousins crowded around our fully extended dining table.

To help us keep track of the hands, as each hand becomes progressively demanding, my aunties created these little booklets from cut strips of paper. I found one of these booklets in a back drawer. Treasure!

For Thanks-Birth-O-Ween, I wanted to introduce it to my kids. Would they like it?
They loved it.

RIC RAC RUMMY

CARDS REQUIRED:
for 4-5 people, use a double deck WITH jokers as wild cards.
(with 5 players you might want to use a triple for the last few rounds)
for 6-9 players use a triple deck etc...
OTHER WILD CARDS -- the group may choose to use 2s as wild cards also.

Deal 12 cards to each player (for the first few hands)
Place rest of deck in center of table and flip the top card over to begin the discard pile.
Player to the left of dealer may choose this card or draw from the top of the deck.

TURNS:
Player draws the top discard or draws from the top of the deck.
At that point, the player may "go down" if they can.
If they have already "gone down" they may then play on other people's cards on the table.
If they have not gone down, discard one card and end the turn.

HOW TO "GO DOWN"

Each hand has different requirements. The first hand, for example, calls for 2 sets of 3.

SET: Three cards of any suit that are the same rank, such as 3 Queens or 3 sixes.
RUN: Three or more cards in the SAME SUIT in sequential order, such as 8, 9, 10, J, all in Diamonds.
ACES: can be played as a "one" = A, 2,3,4 OR can be played "high" = J,Q, K, A, but cannot be wrapped around -- such as K, A, 2, 3.

To go down, the player must have ALL the sets and/or runs called for in that round (No partial going down), and ONLY those sets or runs called for.  They may not place additional sets or runs on the table. They may add to those sets or runs however, for example, if they place a run of four hearts: 6,7,8,9  -- they may then add to it with a 5 or a 10 of hearts.

After a player has gone down, they may then play cards from their hand to other player's sets or runs on the table. Unlike Rummikub, they may not split or re-arrange those sets or runs to create new ones. They can however, replace wild cards with the cards they are representing, and according to your interpretation of the rules, the wild card can be used elsewhere in that run only OR you could decide to extend that rule to be able to use those freed wild cards elsewhere on the table.

TO GO OUT: The last card played out of a players hand must be a discard. You cannot go out by simply going down. You must have a discard.

BUYING: Keeps things interesting. After a player discards and BEFORE the next player draws to begin their play, any player may call out "I'LL BUY THAT!" meaning they want the card that has just been discarded.
The players are then given the opportunity to assert their rights for that card, beginning with the player whose turn is next and progressing around the table. If no one with higher rank in playing order wants that discard, the buyer takes the discard AND two more cards from the top of the deck.
If the person whose turn is next wants that card, they draw it normally. They do not have to buy it.

Each player may BUY up to three times per round.
The group may decide to allow four BUYS in the last few rounds.

BUYING becomes essential in order to have enough cards to go out later in the game.


ALL THE ROUNDS

First Round:
Two Sets of Three,
deal 12, each player may buy up to three times.

Second Round:
1 Run of Four
1 Set of Three

Third Round:
2 Runs of Four

Fifth Round: 
One Run of Seven,
One set of Three

Fourth Round:
3 Sets of Three

Fifth Round:
1 Run of Seven
1 Set of Three

Sixth Round:
2 Runs of Four
1 Set of Three

Seventh Round:
3 Runs of Four

Eighth Round:
1 Run of Ten
1 Set of Three
Deal 14 cards
(At any point, if you determine there are not enough cards for players involved,
add one additional deck of cards. Players may also decide to allow up to four buys per round)

Ninth Round:
1 Run of Five
3 Sets of Three
Deal 14 cards

Tenth Round:
3 Runs of Five
Deal 15 cards

SCORING: Play continues until someone goes out by playing the last card from their hand as a discard.
Players then count the cards remaining in their hand as negative points. Cards on the table are not counted.
Numbered cards may be counted their face value OR you may choose to count them all as five points. You decide.
Face cards are ten points.
Aces are fifteen points.
Jokers are twenty points.
If 2s are wild, they are also twenty points.

Lowest score wins!

If you are glad to find this game, let me know! Happy Holidays!

Decorating for Thanksbirthoween

It's a mixed up holiday of our own invention, so the opportunity to be creative was terrific.

(For an explanation of Thanksbirthoween, see my earlier post)

Budget -- basically frugal.

I played with grapevines, leaves and pine cones.

Using what was at hand or free in nature. 

The Birthday gifts were wrapped with shipping paper and leftover wallpaper found at a thrift store. 

Odd bits of ribbons, yarns, jute string and even fabric found in thrift shops added more color.

The most difficult thing I took on was mismatched dinner plates salad plates and cloth napkins. 

Mismatching has become very popular, and I love it, but when you look at a lovely image all put together it seems so easy.

This was not quite perfect, but still fun.

I discovered several things:

Keep to a very narrow color palette, including specific tones in that palette.

The shapes of dishes matter. Some of my dishes were more bowl shaped at the sides, and these don't work as well as those with a slight well and a defined, flat rim.

I discovered that creating individual settings was easy, but making the whole thing look right was much trickier.

And mixing modern designs with antique designs adds a layer of complexity. Some of my favorite individual settings just did not work together.

I have been collecting colorful water glasses for years. These helped tie it together.

I hate tall fussy floral arrangements in the middle of a dining table. I much prefer to see the people I am enjoying dinner with! Four delicious Comice pears and five simple candles was perfect for our centerpiece. And we ate the pears the next day ;)

Pumpkin Eaters

I love photographs of front doorways beautifully decorated for fall, and many times I have tried to create a welcoming entry for our home. But Oregon has other ideas.

Cornstalks mold in the soaking rain, and then the wind breaks and shreds them all over the yard.
Fall arrangements fill up with wind driven soggy leaves and decay overnight. It's just more maintenance. What is pretty for half a day ends up a black slimy mess all over the porch.

So this year, I just set out a lot of pumpkins. They don't seem to mind the wind and rain. Ah, even this has its problems.

We saw the jay start it two weeks ago. What could we do? He has all the time in the world.

This morning as I snapped photos of our saboteur, he suddenly flew away. Had I scared him?

No. Cue the other miscreant.

As soon as the chipmunk scurries away, the jay comes back. So much for my fall decorating.

Back and forth they go.

The Blue Jay

And the chipmunk.

Thanks-Birth-o-Ween

We are so glad that our two daughters are forming their adult lives, fully engaged in careers and
committed to their own social circles and of course, their husbands and extended families.

This is a great comfort.

But occasionally we need to consecrate time together.

I have seen that major holidays can be a point of contest in other families, so we avoid having any expectations. One day is the same as all the rest to us! We don't want a day of celebration to become a torment of guilt, or worse, a mad dash from one party to the next in an anxious attempt to please everyone.

So we have started making up our own traditions.

It started when our youngest went off to college in another state. Her favorite holiday is Halloween, and though she had fun with her new friends, it just was not the same for her as Halloween on the farm, with the darkening Oregon skies, the wind whipped birch tree casting amber leaves like enchantments, the rain soaked fields of pumpkins.

So when she came home on Thanksgiving break, we would often have a little Halloween as well. Why not?

A few years later, we found that including our new sons-in-law, five of us had birthdays in October and November.

And also with their marriages, Thanksgiving got complicated, as should be expected!

So we invented Thanks-Birth-o-Ween. This will be our third, and I am unreasonably excited about it.

This year we will celebrate the weekend before Thanksgiving. It will be a day of feasting and games and presents. There will be pumpkins, hot cider and walks in the rain.

For now, it's time to decorate! (To be continued)

Reliable Sedum "Autumn Joy"

If I had to choose just two plants for my garden forever, I would pick Lavender and Sedum "Autumn Joy".
Practically indestructible, this perennial is perfect for the haphazard attention I pay to my garden.

Here's a few reasons I love this plant:

Hardiness:

• Cold hardy 
• Deer Resistant 
• Highly drought tolerant
• Easy to grow
• Full to sun to part shade
• Easily propagated by rooting cuttings
• Bugs and slugs don't seem to bother it

Benefits: 

• Attractive green to blue green foliage 
• Slow to mature flower heads have interest even when immature, gradually deepening in color through the summer into fall.
• Good cut flower
• Attracts bees and butterflies
• Dried flower stalks may be of some interest in winter
• Combines well with other plants in the border.

Drawbacks:

• May get spindly if grown in deep shade
• Needs division every 2-3 years
• Large clumps may need some support. I often tuck a few large rocks around the edges, or use farm artifacts like the end of an old pitchfork.
• Spent stalks may become unsightly after a freeze and need removal. New growth will appear at the base soon.

Spring into fall photos below.

Spring into Early Summer

Flower Heads Form Mid Summer

First Blush of Color, August

September Color Varies from Pale Pink to Red

Sedum, Hydrangea, Purple Perennial Aster, Anemone, Bay Laurel

Sedum, Lavender, Thai Basil, Fennel (flowers and leaves) Bay Laurel

I put a few stems in one year and they rooted. It's been happy in this copper bowl for years.

"Whirling Butterflies" Gaura

I have been told that nicknames are often a sign of affection.
This playful meadow flower has several, including Wandflower, Bee Blossom or Whirling Butterflies.

Here are some reasons to plant this easy perennial in your garden:

Gaura with zinnias and Limelight Hydrangea

• Long lasting blooming season starting in spring or mid summer, going into fall (trimming may encourage longer blooming)
• Drought hardy once established
• Cold hardy 
• Self Sewing
• Many blossoms
• Attracts bees, butterflies and humming birds
• May be evergreen in some climates
• Lovely cut flower
• Deer Resistant
• Easy to grow

And here are a few cautions:

• A long taproot makes this very difficult to transplant. New seedlings should be moved while small. 
• May tend to take up much more room than you planned on, especially if you let the new seedlings spread out.
• Needs adequate drainage

 I bought one gallon of white Gaura two years ago, and was so enchanted I bought a pink variety the following year. 

The first two years my white Gaura kept its neat habit, sending sprays of dancing blossoms from its mound of foliage. The third year however, the original clump was overwhelmed by another plant and it was just kept too wet.

Gaura does not like to be soggy.

Fortunately the parent plant had put out at least a dozen volunteers.  By mid summer they more than doubled the space originally inhabited by the first plant,

and by late August they were a happy sprawl.

Just more pictures...

Pink variety with burgundy tipped foliage, second year plant, before blooming.

Containers, Landscape and Arrangements: Euonymus fortunei

It's ubiquitous, this shrub that I can never remember the name of. It's been in our front yard forever, and I had a love-hate relationship with it until I figured out how to keep it looking lovely. And then I discovered some magic.

I often see Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’ or another variety pruned severely into hedges in formal landscapes, but that's not my style. My rambling garden resists artificial shapes.

This vining shrub seems to grow year round, and I have found by keeping it low to the ground it relaxes, putting up wonderful spires that just beg to be included in bouquets.

Trimming it back twice a year is all I ever do for it, and it never complains. When all my annuals die in early winter, I pull rooted stems from the Euonymus to fill in some of the empty places, and gradually many of my deep shade containers are filling up with these starts.

I love how it combines with other brilliantly colored foliage plants, or sets off flowers in a vase.

Just more pictures...

 "Profusion" Zinnia from Park Seed (2 colors), Russian Sage, Smoke Tree and Euonymus fortunei

Zucchini Smoothie

I drank a zucchini and it was delicious.

It stands to reason; Raw zucchini has practically no flavor of its own, so why wouldn't it work in fruit smoothies?

I've long been a fan of putting large portions of baby spinach or deep green kale in my smoothies, and have won over many skeptics.

The zucchini actually added a thick and creamy element that I enjoyed.

Here is my basic template for smoothies:

• About 2-3 cups fresh fruit (or partially thawed frozen) cut into chunks if needed (see list below)
• About 1-3 cups zucchini, remove core and seeds, cut in chunks, leave peel on if tender -- OR About 1-3 cups baby spinach or other favorite raw greens that have a mild flavor

Puree this in the blender, then add:

• About 1-3 cups frozen fruit (I partially thaw it if I'm using mostly frozen fruit)

I often add:

• A scoop of plain yogurt, preferably Greek (about 1/3 cup)
• TB wheat germ



One medium zucchini + fruit
= 6 1/2 cups

• TB ground flax seed 

If the blender is struggling because it is too thick, I add:

• fruit juice or water

Do a taste test. Not sweet enough? I add a little orange juice concentrate or fruit preserves. Too bland? Try just a little frozen lemonade or lime juice or something else with a citric acid kick!

In this batch I used:

• One medium zucchini (about 1 pound) some peel removed, core and seeds removed
• One peach, peeled and pit removed
• One apricot with skin, pit removed
• Fresh blueberries 1-2 cups
• One frozen banana (no peel of course!)
• 12 whole frozen strawberries
• 1 TB apricot preserves

Zucchini Soup with Coconut Milk, Curry and Lemon Grass

I over-planted the zucchini again. Want some? This beautiful soup can use up one large zucchini. Joy joy.
And you can make this recipe vegetarian/vegan

Zucchini Soup with Coconut Milk, Curry and Lemon Grass
For Printable Version Click Here

• 1 medium onion (I used a sweet yellow onion) chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
• Olive oil or coconut oil -- just enough to saute the onion & garlic, about 1 TB
• 1 large (2 pounds at least, more is fine) zucchini chopped in 1" pieces -- I peeled off some of the skin, but it all cooked down. I also removed the pithy core & seeds, but this zucchini was not overripe so very little was removed.
• 1 can chicken broth or vegetable broth 
• 1 can coconut milk (I used regular, but you may use light)
• 1 TB mild yellow curry
• 1TB fresh lemongrass or 1 Kaffir Lime Leaf, or try some Lemon Thyme? *see notes
• Optional: Mild Cheese: Shredded Mozzarella or Feta or mild Goat Cheese
• Optional: Toasted Pumpkin Seeds *see notes

1. Saute the onion and garlic in a little oil over medium heat until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add zucchini, lemon grass and about half the broth. Simmer until tender, at least 10-15 minutes. (I covered the pot)
3. When the zucchini is tender, remove the lemon grass if you prefer (see notes), then blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a standing blender and blend until smooth.
4. Return to pot (if using standing blender) and add remaining broth, coconut milk, curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir while heating to serving temperature.
5. I served this with a little shredded mozzarella cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds, along with some crusty sourdough bread. 

NOTES: The original recipe did not call for the lemongrass, but I have a bounty growing in my herb garden, so -- why not? I picked several thick stems with the blades, which are sharp as razors. I chopped it very fine and tossed it in. The fragrance was amazing and it did so much for this soup! The texture after blending was a little fibrous though, and I ended up running my husband's serving through a sieve so he would not complain. I did not mind it. Solution: leave whole and remove before blending. I think a Kaffir Lime leaf or  a little Lemon Thyme would be nice alternatives. Maybe fresh Tarragon?
Here's an excellent tutorial on using lemongrass.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: I had some unsalted pumpkin seeds, and just laid them on a baking sheet, sprinkled with seasoning salt and put them under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes until a few were just turning brown. This was so good with this soup!

Year of the Beetle

Eggplant Leaf destroyed by flea beetles

I had beautiful plans for the best vegetable garden ever this year.

And row after row, nothing came up -- or something would sprout, but be gone in a day. I blamed the weather or old seeds.
I replanted.

Flea Beetle on Nasturtium

Then I noticed the eggplants.

And not just the eggplants. The tomatoes were drooping, the peppers were stunted, and the kale, arugula, beets, swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, spinach and bok choy were non-existent in spite of several plantings.

The internet diagnosed Flea Beetles. I had never heard of them. This has never been a problem! But stepping back into my garden, now I saw them everywhere, on nearly everything.

What to do? I hurried to the farm store and spent $30 on beneficial nematodes to destroy the larvae feasting on the plant roots.
I bought a large bag of diatomaceous earth to annoy a large variety of insect pests, including the ants who had developed a regular track through the garden, and I suspect were "farming" some of these pests for their benefit.
And I bought a spray bottle of Neem oil, figuring this would send them packing.
I added some fly paper to trap some critters.

It's been four weeks. The latest re-planting efforts have been moderately successful.

At this point I have decided to rejoice that the lettuce is thriving, the peas and beans don't seem to mind being chomped a little, and absolutely NOTHING bothered the zucchini this year.

Next year, I will re-apply the beneficial nematodes before planting, bleach my row covers and spread the diatomaceous earth on everything after planting.

If anyone has more ideas for me, I would LOVE to hear them!

Poor Man's Orchid

I rely on this generously self sewing annual as though it is a perennial. It fills in deep shady spots in my garden, and often pops up in sunny places as well.

Aunt Jeannie shared the seeds with my Mom decades ago. She called it "Poor Man's Orchid",

It is also known as Balfour's Touch Me Not, Balfour's Impatien, or Impatiens Balfourii, and can be purchased in seed catalogs.

You may not be able to find this for sale in nurseries because in my experience this plant can be fussy about being transplanted. From seed however, it grows beautifully and multiplies!

I have discovered that it will show up in pots I have left nearby, so I have taken to leaving a few leftover nursery pots near my plantings as a way to easily create new starts for moving around the garden and sharing with friends.

Originating around the Kashmir region of the Himalayas, it grows naturally in cool moist climates.

Here are a few reasons I love this delightful annual:

• Long lasting blooming season (beginning late spring and going into fall)
• Charming orchid like blossoms
• Attractive foliage
• Performs well in deep shade
• Self sowing (generously)
• Attracts butterflies and humming birds
• Easy to grow
• Works well combined with other plants in the border.
• Entertaining exploding seed pods

That last "benefit" on the list is one of the novelties of this plant. When the seed pods are fully mature, they burst open when touched gently, much to the delight of guests, and especially my kids when they were little. As long as you don't get a seed in your eye, this is great fun.

New plants in spring

Drawbacks:

• Prolific seed production, but young plants are easily pulled out.
• Needs regular watering, but do not over water.
• May need staking when grown as a massed planting, as shown here. Grown as a single plant, they will develop a sturdy shape, but in a wall of plants they will tend to become tall and spindly. 
• Because it is an annual, plants will die after first frost and need removal. Obviously this means there is no attraction for the winter garden.

Just more photos...

A seed pod almost ready to burst

As a backdrop for Astilbe