Orange Gingerbread Loaf with Molasses Brown Sugar Frosting

A happy and pleasant surprise has just arrived through the post at home.

I have just bought a non-stop flowering begonia cunningly entitled ‘Begonia Orange’. Here are some more orange blooms until the begonia gets going.

Hippophae Rhamnoides also called Sea Buckthorn, is related to Elaeganeous and is shown here and below with it’s heavy crop of attractive Apricot coloured berries. The shrub can grow to over 15 feet but makes a nice ornamental feature. It flowers in spring followed by narrow silvery leaves through summer. Each plant is either male or female and you need both for pollination and only the female produces these great berries.

Sugar shortages have hit the U.S.—and they might mean that it costs you way more to stock your bowls with Halloween candy this year.

If you have an unused room in your home that's mainly being used to store items or it's completely empty, it's time to repurpose it so it can transform into a place that serves your lifestyle and needs well.

Did you know that citrus fruits are one of the only fruits in season during the winter? Not too long ago, the joys of taste-testing some unique citrus fruits was limited to winter, but now we can enjoy many citrus fruits (and their many benefits) all year long. One delicious type of orange that you may not be familiar with is the cara cara orange. A relatively new kid on the block, the cara cara is not only beautiful, but it also has a flavor profile that might just make it your new favorite citrus.

South Carolina is a very special place. From the coast to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, South Carolina has a diversity of climates and landscapes. The diversity of climates allows for different grasses to flourish. Warm season grasses such as zoysia, St. Augustinegrass, bermudagrass, centipedegrass, and bahiagrass flourish at the coast throughout the year, but those grown in the upstate go dormant in the winter. In the dormant stage, the grass turns brown and looks dead, but new growth will appear in spring. Cool season grasses, such as ryegrass and certain fescues, grow best primarily in the upstate but go dormant, or do not survive the heat of summer. Here too, the grass looks dead, with regrowth appearing as the weather begins to turn cool in fall and flourish through spring. Dormant grass still has live roots in the ground that require water, just not as much as when they are actively growing. Unless it has been uncommonly dry or windy, natural rain events are enough to sustain dormant grasses.

Infrequently in the spring, you might see an orange, slimy substance slowly oozing from a wound on a hardwood tree. This is a fungus or a complex of fungi and yeast that colonize the sap that leaks from a tree wound. The primary fungus involved that gives this slime its orange color is Fusicolla merismoides (formerly called Fusarium merismoides).

It can be hard to reduce sugar in your diet as it is present in many foods, and cravings can be difficult to manage. Consuming too much sugar can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and heart disease. To lower the risk of developing these chronic conditions, the World Health Organization recommends consuming less than 25 grams of added sugar per day for maximum health benefits.

Start a new holiday tradition with your family this year by making orange pomander balls. They can be hung on your Christmas tree as ornaments, attached to garlands, or used in a holiday centerpiece with live greenery. These delicious-smelling, clove-studded oranges will fill your home with a festive spicy fragrance.

Bringing your lunch is a sure way to save money on eating out during the work week, and it’s also a great way to know what you’re putting in your body. You can always pack the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pack your leftover salmon and veggies from last night’s dinner, or even a delicious and nutritious salad with apples, oranges, bananas, or any other fruit.