A: When we get lots of bananas (which happens every year!), we make banana bread or banana pudding for the whole team. But those are pretty common recipes. Try Banana Daiquiri!

Banana Daiquiri Recipe Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
2 ounces light rum

1. tablespoon sugar
   1 ounce lime juice
   1/2 ounce triple sec (optional for added depth)

Instructions:

Prepare the Banana: Peel the banana and cut it into chunks.
Blend the Ingredients: In a blender, combine the banana chunks, light rum, sugar, lime juice, and triple sec. Add a handful of ice cubes. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a small amount of water or more lime juice to adjust the consistency.

Garnish and Serve:

Pour the mixture into a chilled glass. Garnish with a slice of lime on the rim of the glass or a small wheel of banana. Serve immediately and enjoy the refreshing tropical flavors!

This Banana Daiquiri is not only refreshing but also offers a creamy texture and a perfect balance of sweetness and citrus. It's a fantastic choice for hot days or when you're in the mood for something a bit exotic. Cheers!

A: March 17 isn't just about St. Patrick! It's also the feast day of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, the Patron Saint of Cats, Cat Lovers, Gardeners, and Travelers! While her feline connection only emerged in the 1980s - over 1,300 years after she lived - the idea has spread far and wide. Some trace it back to a 1981 Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog, which first linked St. Gertrude to cats.

Gertrude, a 7th-century Benedictine abbess, was known for her kindness, hospitality, and yes - her love of cats! She cared for the monastery's feline friends, offering them food and affection. In her honor, Nivelles, Belgium, holds an annual Le Tour Sainte-Gertrude, a grand procession celebrating her legacy.

Gardeners also look to St. Gertrude's feast day as the perfect time to start spring planting - because a beautiful, sunny March 17 is seen as a sign of a good growing season ahead! So, when you're decked out in green for St. Patrick's Day, give your furry friend an extra cuddle in honor of the original Cat Lady Saint!

And of course, Plant People usually are Cat People - this is why we have our PeopleCats.Garden!

A Prayer for Our Feline Friends

O holy St. Gertrude of Nivelles, Patron Saint of Cats,
I ask you to pray that my sweet kitty(ies) will always be content, energetic, curious, playful, and good-natured.
I pray my cat(s) will be a joy to me and those I love.
Carry my cat(s) to the throne of the Father and ask Him to bless them with long life and great happiness.
Pray, dear saint, that my cat(s) stay free from illness and always feel safe, protected, and loved.
Thank you for asking blessings upon my cat(s).
Ask the Lord to pour out special graces upon all cats and cat owners.
May they bring great love to one another and live companionably in peace.
Amen.