Contents

Bio - Angela
Chat room schedule
Kitchen Corner - "Saturday Night Bean Supper"

Member Ads
Ander Afrikaan Viooltjie
Poetry Corner
Rachel's Ramblings

Well, here is the dreaded list of rules we have all have been waiting for. I am almost ashamed to put it up, most of you will laugh at them because they are so basic and so few. BUT, I assure you these rules have been broken so many times that we must list them and enforce them. ========================================================================

The Moderators and list-owner will be treated with respect at all times.
Immediate banning can be a result if breaking this rule.

Respect each other.
If you have a bone to pick please do it in private. Hashing it out and flaming each other on the list could cause you to be unsubscribed.

No advertising on the list.
A few of you have been warned about this more than once. The next time you will be unsubscribed and banned.

Never approach a member asking for leaves for postage.
We have a monthly vr-bingo game and a Share the Joy program and VR-Bingo to help the new members enlarge their collections. There are exchange lists in the files area consider using them. If someone has an over abundance of leaves they may offer them for postage costs only.

Do not use this mailing list as a complaint department.
If you have a problem with a vendor please do what you can to sort it out yourself. I am sure in most cases the vendor will do what they can to right the wrong. Flaming a vendor can result in your being unsubscribed from the list.

You must follow through on all arranged swaps
STJ, VR-Bingo, Spring Baby Swap or any project swap. This, of course, does not include the private swaps you might agree to off list, that is between you and the other person.

All answers to african violet questions should be sent to the list for the benefit of others who may use the information.

That's all for now folks, if others become necessary we will add them as we go along.

'Til next month -

Rachel

Happy Thanksgiving, list mates!

I'm supposed to jot down a few lines about myself and I hope this won't be too boring for you. I guess I'll start with the particulars…. I'm 36 and the mother of a 15 year old daughter, Mandy (she's the best). I've been a single mother since the beginning, somehow managing to raise my daughter, stay off of welfare, work full time, and get an education.

Currently, I work as an Office Manager for a large HVAC maintenance company. It's a great job and I've recently been asked to take a larger part in the commercial aspects of the business, which will be an excellent learning experience.

In addition to growing plants and flowers, I enjoy participating in team sports, baking, crafts, and making jewelry. My mother and grandmother both loved houseplants. My grandmother particularly loved African Violets because she thought they were the easiest to grow…she was a strange bird. So between the two of them, I developed an affinity for plants in general.

My truest love, initially, was gardening outdoors…especially flowers. When I lived in Phoenix, I had the most beautiful garden just outside my front door. Then, when I moved to Northwest Indiana into a home, I had the whole yard to play with! Now, unfortunately, I'm in an apartment so gardening outdoors is no longer an option. That's where African Violets come in! I was complaining to a friend of mine how I missed growing flowers, and although some houseplants produce flowers, they don't produce them continuously. She suggested I try growing African Violets. At first, I was reluctant because although my grandmother thought they were easy, I knew better. I don't like to watch plants die and I was pretty certain that's what I would be doing if I attempted to grow AV's. Obviously, I gave it a shot anyway. And I'm really glad I did.

After purchasing three no-name Ultra's from a local grocery store, I joined Violet Reflections and was adopted straight away. My "mamma" Nancy sent me a very generous package of leaves. Since that time, I have gone through every imaginable disaster with my AV's (and other houseplants) that you can imagine and I lost many plants. But, through it all, I have around 35 babies going and one remaining adult Ultra. The Ultra is quite beautiful! She's very symmetrical and blooms nearly continuously, with gorgeous dark violet blooms edged in white. Everytime I look at her, my love for growing plants in general is reaffirmed. Like many list members, I'm still very new to the AV growing process. I just started my collection seven months ago and as I mentioned, so far I've had just about every problem there is…bugs, moldy soil, too hot, too cold…you name it. If it wasn't for Violet Reflections, I'm sure I would have lost all my plants. The knowledge I've gained from this list is invaluable and I look forward to the time when I can "Share the Joy" and share some of my hard earned knowledge.

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Anyone can call a chat anytime there is not a scheduled one. Just go to one of the rooms and send a message to the list giving your name and chat room location.  If there is a subject you wish to speak on or question you may add that as well.   If you would like to be a chat room keeper on a regular basis contact Rachel while Yoko is away.  
The scheduled chats are listed below.
Chat with.... 

Day	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
Keeper	Tricky				Nancy		Tina
Time	7-8pm				5-6pm		10-11pm

Chat room locations.
Feel like talking?   Just go to one of  the chat rooms and drop a note to the list telling  them  what chat room you are in waiting for them.   It is great!  I have tried it a couple of times and each time I enjoyed chatting with at least 5 other persons. 

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While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign...

Energy efficient vehicle. Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust.

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Poetry Corner

The poem below was published in the 1998 edition of Poetry From the Shenandoah Valley.

Aubade

I sang to a rose in the garden today
I sang for all I was worth
A melody flowed from the depths of my soul --
Up to the heavens, down to the earth
The rose, in the morning, was only a bud
But had opened completely by noon;
Having no sooner heard the first word of my song
It blushed crimson and burst into bloom
The first word held magic, as well as the last
for each was exactly the same --
There was only one word, sung again and again
What could it have been, but your name?

Editor's note: Okay, friends - you've had two of >my poems now -- how about a few of YOURS? Please submit them to me and let's get you IN PRINT!
Poetry about African Violets and gardening is preferred, but all will be considered.

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The Kitchen Korner

As the weather gets colder here in the Northeast, our "hibernating" instincts kick in. We want hearty meals that protect us from the cold (and probably raise our cholesterol counts too!).

Probably the most common "comfort" meal in this part of the country is the Saturday night bean supper. It consists of homemade baked beans, ham (or hot dogs!), red flannel hash, cole slaw, potato salad, brown bread or homemade rolls with dill pickles. Usually there is a spice cake with whipped cream for dessert. There are LOTS of variations to this - every family does it "their" way.

Vermont Baked Beans

2 pounds of Jacob's Cattle Beans or Vermont Cranberry Beans (Many people also use yellow-eye or soldier beans)

Wash the beans and remove the stones (and yes, there are usually a few in each bag!)
Soak the beans in cold water overnight in a large soup pot.
The next morning, put the beans on the stove, add water to JUST cover and bring them to a boil (watch out that they don't boil over - beans make a mess if they do!), turn down the heat and simmer for an hour.

While they are simmering, gather up the following ingredients and place them in your beanpot, casserole, or roaster.

A chunk of bacon or salt pork,
2 - 3 medium onions chopped,
1 ½ cups of Vermont (of course!) maple syrup,
½ cup of brown sugar,
1 T of salt,
1 ½ tsp. of black pepper,
1 T dry mustard,
tsp. of ginger.
Add molasses if you like the taste.

When the hour is up, add the other ingredients to the beans and stir well. Put them in your baking dish and add water to cover if necessary.

Bake for 2 - 3 hours at 300 degrees until the beans are done. Keep tasting during the process to monitor taste and doneness.

NOTE: If you use "fake" maple syrup, the beans will be too sweet. If you don't have maple syrup, use brown sugar to taste.

Red Flannel Hash

This is a recipe that is made with leftovers. My husband says its an acquired taste, but he and my youngest have learned to like it so much that the only way I can keep some for myself is to freeze it in Tupperware and mark it "Brussels sprouts"…. Soooo……

first, you need to have lots of leftovers from a pot roast, roast beef, or steak dinner. Whenever I make a pot roast, I always double the amount of vegetables and meat so that I can make hash with the leftovers.

Put the beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and whatever other vegetables that you use in your roasts through the meat grinder or food processor until it resembles mush. (Don't give up here - this stuff is GOOD!)
Add some stale bread or rolls to soak up any extra liquid.
Open 2 - 3 cans of beets - or use fresh - and drain and save the liquid. Put the beets through the grinder too. I always add a fresh onion through the grinder as well.

Mix thoroughly and add beet juice until mixtures is wet but NOT runny.

Spray a 9 " X 13" baking dish, place hash in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Let cool. You can reheat it in the microwave or fry it in patties the next day. The flavor is always better the next day but somehow it never stays around that long.

Calico Cole Slaw

1 small red cabbage
1 small green cabbage
1 pound of carrots
2 firm apples - Mutsu, Delicious, Gala
¾ cup of golden raisins
mayonnaise or salad dressing to taste
pinch of cinnamon

Shred or chop cabbage and carrots to your liking.
Chop apples into small bite-size pieces.
Add raisins and apples to other ingredients with enough dressing to your liking.
Add the pinch of cinnamon.

Make early in the day and let sit covered in the refrigerator for the best taste.

Potato Salad

Potato salad is one of those dishes that have infinite variations. You cook potatoes and the rest varies from family to family. Here's Grammy Rash's potato salad.

6 large potatoes, cubed and cooked until just done
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
Handful of chives, chopped fine
1 small can of sliced black olives, drained well
½ cup of celery, diced fine
1 T of chopped parley
1 T of chopped dill
¼ cup of prepared mustard
Mayonnaise or salad dressing to consistency

Mix well and chill until served.

Now for the brown bread. I will direct you to the nearest Fanny Farmer cookbook.

I admit freely that the two times I have tried to make brown bread from scratch were a bust. The first time it burned (not enough water in the steamer) and the second time it didn't cook all the way through. Brown Bread is an acquired taste - you have to like molasses and you have to have a bread steamer unless you are really clever. My family never bothered with brown bread because it's tough to make from scratch. My mother made homemade rolls and sticky buns, but I have bought the store kind that you just warm up and it is good. Especially after messing it up twice!

And here's a terrific recipe to end a great meal, delicious but not heavy. Thanks for sharing, Jeanette!

PUMPKIN CHIFFON PIE

1 large box Vanilla INSTANT pudding
16 oz. can Pumkin
1 cup milk
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1/4 tsp. Clove
1/2 tsp. Allspice OR Mace
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1 package Dream Whip prepared according to pkg. directions, OR 2 cups Cool Whip
1 prepared Graham Cracker Crust

Combine pumpkin and milk, then mix in dry ingredients with electric mixer on low until thoroughly combined. Gently stir in 1 cup whipped topping.
Spoon pumpkin mixture into Graham Cracker crust.
Refrigerate for several hours or until set. Garnish with remaining whipped topping.

Please send in your recipes for next month. I'm looking for holiday cookie ideas! The deadline for recipes is December 5th.
Have a great Thanksgiving all of you in the U.S. and happy winter to our Canadian friends - I hear you have snow!

Nancy

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A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?"
A hand shot up in the air.
"He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.
"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.
"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven..."

Advertising policy

Due to our use of YahooGroups, we have some specific rules we must follow regarding advertising. Other rules here are for reasons of courtesy.

When discussing vendors:

African violet vendors should be treated with respect.
Compliments are great! They are always nice to hear and you should give credit where credit is due.  Compliment a vendor anytime on the list. 
 Should you feel you must talk about a certain problem with any vendor you may do it only after you have contacted the vendor and discovered what the vendor is going to do for you,--------- i.e. refund your money or credit etc.  Anything of a derogatory nature will have to come from your own first-hand experience and not "So, and so" said.

Promoting your own site:
Please do not advertise your own site other than just a link on the bottom of your message.      
Should  you wish to advertise your own site please do it ONLY in the areas I have opened for you on the YahooGroups page and in our newsletter. I am opening the monthly newsletter to advertising for our members.  You may use one or two small graphics and a short description.  There will be no charge for this and you may leave your url in there indefinitely for now. If we find we need to put other restrictions on this,  we will keep them as reasonable as possible and give you time to fix or change your ad before the next publishing date.

You may add your link with a few descriptions and a picture or two to our classified section in the newsletter.  You may also add your favorite top three vendors  you deal with on a regular basis to our classifieds section in the newsletter. To insert an ad here in the newsletter, please contact one of the editors.

I do hope this covers everything if you have any questions please contact me (Rachel at wagon@baynet.net)

  
Stpaulia program
  

   
With all the new varieties being added to your collections. You may wish for a way to help keep all your information organized. 
    
Our list member Will Cronk has written a fantastic program called "Stpaulia." He offers a full working demo version, for 30 days. Try it you'll like it. When you decide to purchase it tell him you are a member of VioletReflections. We have already met the criteria of the special price so your program would be only $20.00 (USA). 
    
Think about it, it works with the Master Variety List program and is a wonderful way to keep notes and pictures of all your violets. I use both programs.   I would be lost without them.
  

Will Cronk
wcronk@ivs2.com 
    
Orders Sent To:
Wilson Cronk-
70 Ashley Circle
Swartz Creek MI 48473
make money orders or checks payable to
Wilson Cronk
          

Bloomlovers has a new Catalogue out!

It now contains 104 pictures of violet blossoms and more will be added as the plants bloom. And also contains descriptions of over 350 violet varieties.

Visit Bloomlovers here or e-mail Tina for more information.

Use of any Graphic Images or Photographs are prohibited.  All Graphic Images and Photographs are the property of 
Hysold, Rachel's Reflections, Wagontale Toy Poodles & Violet Reflections. 
Not to be used without permission by the Owner/Artist: brownlee@tbaytel.net

on to Newsletter 16