Bedford County Post

12A —Bedford County Post, Wednesday, June 5, 2024 T he Shelbyville Garden Club metrecentlywithaprogram on edible fl owers. Whitney Danhof, extension agent with the University of Tennessee and Bedford County’s Family and Community Education Clubs, provided extensive information on the subject. Edible fl owers have been part of human cuisine for centuries. They are a feast for the eyes as well as very rich in nutrients, including vitamins and antioxidants, making them a healthy addition to any plate. She emphasized making sure your fl owers are edible, food grade, and have not been sprayed with pesticides. Popular fl owers to use are common marigold, squash blossoms, pink dianthus, day lily, Chinese hibiscus, rose of China, and English lavender. Danhof recommends doing your research with exact genius name to be certain the fl ower is edible before consuming. A slide show was presented during the meeting while websites and handouts were provided. Plants.ces.nesu. edu is a good resource as well as Colorado State University Extension and Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County. Recipes were given to the members. The members were served delicious Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies by the speaker. The awards for fl owers in a basket were Freda Head, Shirley McGee, Babs Chicoine, and Donna Simmons. Horticultural awards went to Pam Beasley, Freda Head, and Shirley McGee. LEMON LAVENDER SHORTBREAD COOKIES 1/4 cup sugar 3 teaspoons dried lavender buds (food grade), divided 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 cup fl our (all purpose or cake fl our) Lemon juice Coarse sugar Pulse and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the lavender in a small food processor until lavender is fi nely ground. With electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium low for 1 minute. Add vanilla, lemon zest and remaining lavender. Mix until just incorporated. Add the fl our and mix for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides, if needed. The dough will look crumbly but still come together when pinched. Turn out onto a lightly fl owered surface. Form the dough into a fl at disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 15 minutes to fi rmup if it’s too soft to roll. Roll the dough to 1/4” thick. Cut with a cookie cutter. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in a freezer for about 15 minutes to fi rm up. Remove from freezer and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until set and the edges are slightly browned. Remove to a wire rack set over a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper. Allow to cool. Mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze and drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, while still wet and allowed to set. Store in an airtight container. Babs Chicoine, left, welcomed speaker Whitney Danhof. Garden Club talks edible flowers Shelbyville Garden Club Members –Submitted photos Shelbyville FCE The Shelbyville FCE Clubmet onMay 7 at 9:30 a.m. at the Extension Of- fi ce with nine members present. President Bonnie Saunders called the meeting to order with the poem “When It’s Iris Time in Tennessee.” She also shared the new plant hardiness zone for Shelbyville, which is now zone 7b. The av- erage spring frost for Shelbyville is April 21 – 30, with the recommen- dation to wait until May to put any tender plants outside. Edna Gordon led the devotion, based on Psalms 23, entitled “Ab- solutely Perfect.” She closed with a prayer. Members responded to the roll call by answer- ing the question “Are you a morning person or a night owl?” with varied answers. Secretary Linda Rucker read the minutes from the April meeting. Treasurer reported on the club fi nances of $23. The Sunshine Committee report included the infor- mation concerning the health of several friends and family members. Club business includ- ed reminders of Share Fair on June 25 and CVU’s and Best of the Best Nominations due May 15. The County Fair will be July 14 – 20. Helen Williams then presented the education- al lesson of the month – The Impact of Sleep on Health. She discussed the health drawbacks of insu ffi cient sleep, as well as several sleep disorders that can negatively a ff ect one’s health. Helen also provided many ways to improve one’s sleep to maximize its bene fi ts. Member demon- strations included: Pat Bingham, iris; Linda Rucker, crocheted lap blanket; Edna Gordon, apron made from place- mats, and Lucile Sorrells, pieced and quilted pillow. Bonnie adjourned the meeting with the quote: “Be patient and persis- tent, like the iris that blooms year after year.” The next club meeting will be May 7 at 9:30 a.m. at Celebration Way. The club then held a work session to learn how to make a fabric-tied wreath. Pat Bingham led the session, showing members how to tear, cut, and tie the fabric to make a beautiful patriotic wreath for the upcoming summer holidays. Fairview FCE Fairview FCE Club met on May 15, at the Ex- tension O ffi ce. President Sandra Smith opened the meeting. Emma Montgomery read the Call to order, “When It’s Iris Time in Tennessee.” The devo- tion was given by Sandra Smith. The roll call answer- ing the question, “Are you a morning person or a night owl?” was answered by 16 members. Linda Lovell, Treasur- er, reported the balance remains the same. Several cards of sym- pathy and get well wish- es were sent by Carolyn Jones, Sunshine Chair. Club hours, donations and goals accomplished were reported, and re- corded by Debbie Perry- man. The program, “Count Your Blessing Instead of Sheep,” was presented by Program Leader Mary Frances Gordon discuss- ing the importance of sleep on overall health for adults and provide in- sights into strategies for improving sleep. Business: Share Fair reminder 6 p.m. on June 25, at the Extension Of- fi ce. Debbie Perryman and Emma Montgomery showed the ribbon fl ag they will be presenting at the fair. Other reminders: Leadership Conference (Camp) - May 21 - 23, Pu- laski. County Council Meet- ing: June 28 at 10:00 a.m. at the Extension Of- fi ce Soup kitchen work- day-putting together bags of snacks for giveaways as needed was suggested by Sarah Smith, after talking with soup kitchen sta ff . Discussion followed to have the workday after the regular meeting on June 19. A list of items was decided on for each member to bring to the workday for 50 bags to be fi lled. Club member demon- strations: Cindy Parker - a picture of her front porch and fl owers and an insulated custom de- signed glass, and a 1947 cookbook from another region brought by Emma Montgomery. The next meeting and workday will be June 19 at the Extension O ffi ce. The meeting was ad- journed. Liberty FCE Judy Smith called the meeting to order and read the Garden Hint. Bonnye Catron read “When It’s Iris Time in Tennessee” to open the meeting. Roll Call was answered with six members present. The club voted to give money to Pleasant Grove Methodist Church to say thank you for allowing them to use the build- ing. Judy Smith present- ed the education lesson “Count Your Blessings, Not Sheep.” Share Fair is June 25 at the Extension O ffi ce. The club worked on their exhibit, A History of Tea- pots. Dorris Turrentine brought her great aunt’s teapot. Judy Smith read the adjournment. Their next meeting will be June 17. Four Corners Four Corners FCE met on May 20 at the Exten- sion O ffi ce at 6 p.m. with eight members present. President Tammy Brown called the meeting to or- der and read the poem “When it’s Iris Time in Tennessee.” Connie Smith read the minutes and Louise Armstrong gave the trea- surer’s report. Old Business: Share fair will be on June 25 so we will not meet on the 24th but will have a short meeting following share fair. Sally McReynolds and Miriam Pietkiewicz will be demonstrating how to make patriotic cupcakes at share fair. Kaye Ashe presented our educational program called “Count your bless- ings instead of sheep.” Ashe gave many tips to use to increase your quality and length of sleep. Meeting was ad- journed at 7 p.m. Shiloh/Wheel FCE Our devotional was “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep”. We fi nished our poem for the “Fair Share” event June 25. The theme is “Red, White and Blue”. We studied the vari- ous types of sleep dis- orders and ways to get the proper quality and quantity of sleep, includ- ing the very important e ff ects this has on our overall health. The meeting began at noon and was adjourned at 2 p.m. FCE Club Reports –Submitted photos