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MISSION: The mission of the association shall be to organize and promote volunteer efforts that

Support Extension programs advancing sound horticultural practices in Nueces County.

Nueces Master Gardeners, Inc. Issue 12 December 2014

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MG Officers and Elect 2014

President

Norma Hernandez

(361) 816-8206

El Elect

Deborah Holliday

(956) 433-7110

Vice President

Debra Martin

(361) 815-1867

Elect Alene Burch (361) 334-1021

Secretary Carol Barragy (361) 658-9424

Elect Linda Lamprecht (361) 215-7738

Treasurer/ Bookkeeper

Mary Lambert (361) 813-7596

Elect Theresa Stelzig (361) 643-6491

Publicity ALL MASTER GARDENERS

Gazette Editor Jenny Mohundro jlmohundro@gmail.com

(361) 850-7904

Ex-Officio Stephanie Martin (361) 814-7776

Members-at-large

DeAnna Baumgartner, Betty Rogers, Gary Martin

State Directors

Jenny Mohundro, Carlos Valdez

Extension Office

Lisa Martinez

(361) 767-5217

MG Helpline

(361) 767-5250

Plant Cinnamon Botanical Name Cinnamomum

December Topics

MG Officers President’s Corner Happenings Agent’s Notes Meeting Lunch Meeting Dates Birthdays Volunteer Hours Garden Art Gill’s Garden Talks Volunteer

Opportunities Botanical Garden

Talks MG’s In Action

Cinnamon, a tropical evergreen tree, related to the laurel. The bark is the source of a spice (also called cinnamon) and contains cinnamic aldehyde, an oil that is extracted and used as a flavoring, in medicine, and in perfume. The finest quality cinnamon comes from the Ceylon cinnamon, which is native to Sri Lanka. Another tree, the Chinese cinnamon, or cassia tree, which is grown in Indonesia, Indochina, and China, produces a spice with a bitter flavor. Most of the cinnamon sold in the United States is a blend of the two spices.

Elect

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Other Happenings

December 2014 Wed. Dec. 3 *South Texas Orchid Society, 7pm, GC, 816-1948 Thurs. Dec. 4 *Orchid Novice Class, 7pm, BG, 854-7624 Tue. Dec. 9 *Student/Intern Graduation & Holiday Celebration, 6:30, GC, 767-5217 Thur. Dec. 18 *Bromeliad Society, 7pm, GC, 658-8650 BG=Botanical Gardens GC=Garden Center (Greely Senior Center) Remember! You get CE credits for the program portion of meetings which you attend which are not Master Gardener Meetings.

The 2014 Nueces Master Gardeners Inc. year is about to come to an end and the reins will be handed off to a new passionate board. Thank you for all your hard work with the YEEHA!, LTG, food bank, Blucher Park, Earthkind, Senior Garden Courtyard and Ray High School projects that resulted in their successes. Congratulations to the 2015 Leadership team: President Deb Holliday President Elect Debbie Martin President Ex Officio Norma Hernandez Vice President Alene Burch Vice President Elect open Secretary Linda Lamprecht Secretary Elect open Treasurer Theresa Stelzig Treasurer Elect open Members at Large DeAnna Baumgartner 2015,

Carlos Valdez 2015-2016, Sandra Williams 2015-2016

State Directors Jenny Mohundro 2015, Betty Rogers 2015-2016 We are still looking for VP, Secretary, and Treasurer elects! Thank you, Carol Krank, for arranging the amazing Wildlife Tour of the King Ranch. It was an educational and fun tour of the property. December 9

th is the Class 25 Intern Recognition Celebration.

The event will be held at Greely Senior Garden Center 6:30-8:00pm. Please contact VP Debbie Martin if you would like to assist with the event. Remember to bring canned goods and unwrapped gifts for Toys for Tots, preferably older (11yrs+) children. Thank you Stephanie, Gary and Jessica Weizer for your tireless dedication to the Intern Program. Cookbooks! Keep our cookbooks in mind when purchasing this holiday season. Thank you all for the support and encouragement this past year.

Norma

Norma Hernandez President 2014 Nueces Master Gardeners, Inc.

President’s Corner

Our Newest Certified Master Gardeners

Beth Spirko Class 25 Frank Eicholz Class 25

A Gentle Reminder!

It is time to pay your

2015 MG Dues.

Bring $12.00 check or cash in the exact

amount to the Intern Graduation Event Dec. 9th

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Howdy! I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving Holiday! Congratulations to all of the interns who completed the Master Gardener Intern Class! We had a top-notch set of speakers throughout the year! The last two class speakers in November included Ernie Edmundson who is a Master Gardener and Master Naturalist of Aransas County, and Philip Elbert who is a Landscape Architect. The interns learned about attracting birds and butterflies to their yards, native plants of the coastal bend, and landscape plant selection and design. I am so proud of all of our intern’s dedication, hard work, and enthusiasm that they have shown in the last few months. The best is yet to come! Thank you again to all the Master Gardeners who came out to support, supply treats, and present programs & volunteer opportunities to the interns. The first week of November I attended Academy II which is a professional development training and workshop. This was an excellent training and gave me an opportunity to network with other early career agents. On November 12

th I did a “Good and Bad Bug” presentation for the

Port Aransas Garden Club. This was a very kind group of individuals who enjoyed hearing all about creepy crawly bugs first thing in the morning! That same day I also conducted park tours with the Parks and Recreation Department and the Master Naturalists to determine which small parks could be transformed to more natural areas. This is a wonderful collaborative programming effort and I look forward to its progress in the next year. On November 18

th I unfortunately did not make the Master

Gardener Meetings (I tried!), but did attend the Nueces County Master Naturalist Meeting that evening. I gave a presentation titled “Hydraulic Fracking in the Oil Industry” by popular request. The presentation gave background on the construction and fracking process, as well as answered and addressed some common questions and concerns. In November I also worked on my Outcome Summary Plans, Making a Difference Document, and prepared for a Leadership Advisory Board meeting and Commissioners Court Interpretation event this month. I also began updating an Agricultural Increment Report, completed other routine monthly reports, conducted site visits and assisted residents with questions and concerns. December will be busy with the Master Gardener and Holiday Celebration on December 9

th, site visits, meetings, end of the year

reports, and helping residents with their plant and insect questions. As always, thank you for all that you do! Also I would like to give a special thank you to those who checked up on me after my accident on Tuesday. Never fear, all is well! Happy Holidays! Jessica Weizer CEA-Horticulture Jessica.Weizer@ag.tamu.edu

Agent’s Notes

December Student

Recognition Celebration

December 9 6:30- 8:00pm

Greely Senior Garden Center

Bring a Festive Dish To Share (Entrees Will Be Provided )

And a Toy and/or Pantry Item

For

Toys For Tots & Food Bank

Program Presented By

Intern Class 25

Treasurer will have a table for

paying 2015 dues. Please bring

only exact cash or checks

($12.00).

A Big Thanks To Barbara Bassett

Barbara is taking a leave of absence from

Master Gardeners to attend to her husband

who needs full time care.

As our Rainwater Harvesting Specialist, she

loved to share her passion with others.

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Ongoing: Ray High School Greenhouse

Behind Ray H.S., Staples & Texan Trail.

Tuesday MG Workday 9:00-11:00

Ongoing: Food Bank Project “Outgrow

Hunger” 826 Krill Dr. (Navigation

then right on Savage Lane to Krill).

Tuesdays 8:00a.m.( Except MG meeting day

then Wednesday) Contact: Mary Lambert

813-7596 or e-mail her at

cwlmel@yahoo.com

Ongoing: Nature Conservatory, Mon., March 10

& March 24, 4:00 & Blucher Park 5:00

until sundown (Behind the Main Library)

Bring gloves, bug spray, plus a bag lunch &

chair if you plan to stay for our Chat &

Chew time.

Contact: Karen Smith 877-9723

Ongoing: Courtyard Maintenance at the

Senior Garden Center, 1st Monday,

9:15 a.m. Contact: Betty Whitt 991-5375

Ongoing: Botanical Gardens,

Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m.

Contact: Jessica Latimer 993-6013 Areas to work:

1. Hummingbird Garden

2. Butterfly Garden (new)

3. Sensory Garden

4. Earth Kind Garden

Check With

Michael,

Carol, Billy or

Brenda for

work tasks.

12-05 Carolyn West 25

12-09 Carol Barragy 21

12-11 Ann Davis 25

12-12 Carlos Valdez 22

12-16 Paul Carroll 14

12-16 Barbara Bassett 19

12-25 John Balcar 03

12-28 Velma Garza 25

Important! Certified MG’s, to enter your volunteer hours

in the on-line system,

use this address!

https://texas.volunteersystem.org

November 18th MG Meeting Hours

Volunteer Hours

Executive Meeting = 2 hours

Master Gardener Meeting = 1.5 hours

Time Traveled = Figure your own

Continuing Education Hours

Master Gardener Program = .5 hour

Intern Classes = # of hours you attended

Texas Master Gardeners Association On-Line Courses

Tomato 101 – The Basics of Growing Tomatoes

Texas GAP’s and GHP’s: Food Safety

Introductory Employee Training Program for Greenhouse Crop Production

You can find these courses at http://txmg.org/training10/on-line-courses/

Important Announcement

The deadline for submitting all 2014

hours for re-certification is January 15,

2015. No exceptions can be made. Any

hours received after that date can only

be added to your cumulative hours and

not used for re-certification.

Thanks to all of you who are turning in

your hours regularly. It really is a help

to both Jessica and me.

Betty Rogers

Hours Coordinator

Need Education Hours? Try any one of the On-Line Courses.

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November MG Meeting Program

Botanical Gardens’ Earthkind Gardeners

Mary Lambert and Martha Gonzales demonstrate how to make succulent container arrangements in gourds and other containers.

Paul Parr delivers a raffle prize to Huxley Smith.

Oh Boy! Oh Boy! Look what Huxley won.

A lady’s stiletto filled with cactus.

To show her appreciation of the program on gourd containers, Deb Holliday submitted this photo of a specimen purchased at last year’s plant sale.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE MG CREW AT BG EARTHKIND GARDENS! EVERYTHING is coming up roses and their companions -strawberries and snow peas. Thanks to Sandra Williams for her creative creation of Earthkind technique signs throughout the gardens okayed by Michael, Director of BG! The best defense against problems in the garden is, of course, the gardeners shadow. Best Wishes and Happy Gardening, Ronda Dizney, along with Sandra, Jessica and Ana

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Where Does Cinnamon Come From By Beth Asaff

http://herbs.lovetoknow.com/Where_Does_Cinnamon_Come_From There are two types of cinnamon grown and harvested today: Ceylon cinnamon, which is also known as "true

cinnamon," and cassia, which is usually sold and marketed as cinnamon in the United States. The two spices taste

and smell very similar to one another, but they are grown and harvested in two very different places.

Ceylon Cinnamon

Ceylon or true cinnamon usually grows in Sri Lanka and South India. The cinnamon tree is a type of evergreen

with a soft bark. It is known by the names Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Cinnamomum verum.

Growing

When growing these trees for cinnamon production, farmers allow the cinnamon tree to grow unchecked for two

years after planting. After this time, they prune the tree very harshly, which causes it to split off in multiple

directions, more similar to a shrub than a taller tree.

Harvesting

Farmers harvest the cinnamon twice a year, immediately following rainy seasons. Smaller shoots are cut first.

They are covered and left to ferment for a short time, then the outer bark is stripped off.

The softer, inner bark is rubbed down, then peeled away from the twig. During processing, workers stack several

layers of bark and allow them to curl into one another to form "quills" or cinnamon sticks. Ceylon cinnamon quills

will resemble a tightly rolled cigar once dried.

The lower portion of the cinnamon tree, where the bark is older and more flavorful is scrapped down to become

ground cinnamon.

Cassia Cinnamon

Cassia cinnamon comes from a different plant and belongs to one of three varieties: Cinnamomum cassia,

Cinnamomum aromaticaum, Cinnamomum burmannii. Cassia is native to Southeast Asia and can be found most

often in Indonesia, Vietnam, and China.

Growing

Farmers usually allow cassia cinnamon trees to reach the height of 10 to 15 meters tall before harvesting begins.

This tree produces large, thick leaves, as well as buds, which are harvested, dried, and sold as a spice along with

the bark.

Harvesting

Unlike Ceylon cinnamon, harvesters use whole branches and entire trees of cassia cinnamon, rather than smaller

shoots. The branches are cut, and the bark is peeled away.

Farmers then sell the bark in large, unprocessed pieces or work with a processor to remove the thicker, outer bark.

(Continued on next page)

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Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars From EatingWell: September/October 2010

When the outer bark is removed, the inner bark curls in on itself to form a quill similar to those made from

Ceylon cinnamon. The difference lies in its appearance: cassia cinnamon bark is thicker and coarser than Ceylon.

When viewed from the side, it appears as one piece of bark, curling into itself. Typically, it looks like a hollow

tube, while Ceylon is a filled tube.

Like Ceylon cinnamon, the lower bark is used to produce ground cinnamon. Processors peel away the outer bark

layer, then finely grind it in factories.

Identifying your cinnamon

If the region your cinnamon grows in is important to you, make sure you purchase cinnamon from distributors

that label the type of cinnamon being sold. Not all cinnamons are labeled either Ceylon or Cassia, particularly as

the two are not only sold interchangeably, they are sometimes also mixed. Those companies that do label their

cinnamon typically also give the origin of the spice.

Ingredients Crust

1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds or hazelnuts) or old-fashioned rolled oats, divided

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Fruit Filling 6 cups diced peeled apples, divided

1/2 cup apple cider or orange juice

1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation 1. To prepare crust: Combine 3/4 cup nuts (or oats), whole-

wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a food processor; pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add butter; pulse until well incorporated.

2. Whisk egg, oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract in a small bowl. With the motor running, add the mixture to the food processor. Process, then pulse, scraping down the sides, if necessary, until the mixture begins to clump, 30 to 45 seconds (it will look crumbly). Measure out 1/2 cup of the mixture and combine in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup chopped nuts (or oats). Set aside for the topping.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. 4. To prepare fruit filling & assemble bars: Combine 4 cups apples, cider (or orange juice), sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 cups apples, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla. 5. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom to form a crust. Spread the fruit filling over the crust. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the filling. 6. Bake the bars for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake until the crust and topping are lightly brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let cool completely before cutting into bars, at least 1 1/2 hours

Nutrition Per bar: 193 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 19 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrates; 11 g added sugars; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 69 mg sodium; 74 mg potassium. Carbohydrate Servings: 2 Exchanges: 2 carbohydrates (other), 2 fat

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Jessica M. Weizer, CEA- Horticulture Editor: Jenny Mohundro Disclaimer - the information herein is for informational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Master Gardeners is implied. Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating ******************************************************** Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid, service, or accommodation in order to participate in any Extension event are encouraged to contact their County Extension Office at 361-767-5217 at least one week in advance of the program in order for proper arrangements to be made. ************** In the event of a name, address or phone number change please contact the office at: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 710 E. Main, Suite 1, Attn: Horticulture