Best Beans and Chocolate Blueberry Cannolis

My niece requested my Best Beans Ever for her Jack and Jill party so I am sharing in case you are having a summer get together.   

2 cups kidney beans (drained)

2 cups butter beans or Great Northern (drained)

2 cups pork and beans

1/2 cup catsup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

Combine all the beans in a bowl, stirring gently. Stir in a mixture of the catsup, brown sugar and garlic powder. Brown the bacon and onion in a skillet; drain. Add to the bean mixture and mix gently. Spoon into a two quart baking dish and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

We've been on a blueberry kick, and Joe was getting an itch to make cannolis. The cannoli filling is already made, and comes in large pastry bags so all he has to do is pipe the filling into the shells. The shells are sold by the case at our local Italian market. This is what the restaurants use in our area. We put the cannoli filling in the food processor with some blueberries, and refrigerated the filling and the chocolate dipped shells overnight. We piped the filling into the shells just before serving, and they are heavenly. A 10 star cannoli :-)

A couple more bouquets, and I'm sure you can tell which one is from our camp. The "famous" hardware store was selling the Jiffy-Pop so my niece bought two packages. I had sticker shock but my niece really wanted it. 

I don't want you to think I am just cooking and making bouquets this summer. I am also attending family birthday parties. 

I definitely want to make this for our girls day at camp in August. 

A small sample of what's flowering at the Nature Sanctuary where I enjoy hiking!

Turk's cap lilies, echinacea, wild senna, nodding onion, pickerel weed and water lilies, and wild bergamot. 

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You may have seen this on the national news. A historic EF2 tornado hit an area 10 miles from where I live, and thankfully there were no fatalities. The new technology that is available to warn us is being praised. 

Inside Rome, NY's miracle: How co-workers, strangers and a grandpa helped the city survive a historic tornado: Tales from the most powerful tornado to hit Oneida County in 35 years are nothing short of miraculous. Two young children fled a second-floor waiting room as the roof collapsed on them. A woman rushed to a stranger’s door as power lines popped and sizzled behind her. A delivery man clung to the steering wheel as his truck was lifted off the ground and landed four parking spots away. And a grandfather smashed through drywall and pulled to safety his daughter and grandchildren, who were trapped in an upper-floor apartment that lost part of its roof.   Tornado that swept through Oneida County traveled over 5 miles, was up to 300 yards wide: A tornado that swept through Oneida County and devastated the city of Rome on Tuesday traveled 5.25 miles and reached wind speeds of up to 135 mph as it left behind hundreds of ripped trees, downed power lines and torn buildings in its path. It was the strongest tornado to hit the county in more than 30 years. "I could not outrun it": City of Rome starts long recovery See drone videos that show massive storm damage in Rome, Canastota "Miraculous" no one died in Rome tornado, Hochul says Schumer, Gillibrand call for federal aid for destroyed downtown Rome National Grid: It could be days to restore power to Rome area Storm debris kills Canastota man, 82, trying to protect prized possession Winds wreck homes along one street in Canastota (video) Storm sends tree crashing into Syracuse home