Poppies are for what?

Okay, at our house, we know it's Spring when the flowers bloom. Not just any flowers: bright orange poppies! They greet us by the road and line the north fence. Last year, when we looked at renting it, the poppies were gorgeous, but when we moved in they were gone. Sad day.

Well, back to the "if I can make it, I'm not buying it" idea, poppies have poppy seeds, right? I have had poppy seeds on my  "to buy" list for so long, but I always forget to add them to the cart!  Well, if I can grow them myself, that's even better right? Tons of Poppy seed cake and muffins. Mmmm.  well, maybe not.


I did some research on how to harvest the seeds. And thought I knew what I was doing. The kids and I grabbed some bowls and headed out when all the flower petals had fallen, thinking the heads were ready. Not so much. I grabbed the bulb and saw little blacks seed looking things on the outside of the bulb. They didn't look quite right, but I thought, maybe. So I tried one. It didn't taste right, either. We all came back inside and I did some more researching and Oh, did I ever find stuff!

First of all, what I ate was poisonous (oops, smart me, I know!), but with only one tiny seed-like thing, I didn't worry about it, but will have to bleach all the containers we used. (still haven't done this...) I also learned how to easily harvest seeds by either pulling the whole head off and putting it in paper bags OR wrap material around the head and the seeds will fall off when they are ready...and then I discovered WHY most people don't harvest the seeds. Maybe you guessed it? Opium.

Bob and I decided it would be best to buy poppy seeds and not look like drug dealers. That's the last thing we would need, living in a small town and all...but oh, the thought of so many poppy seeds is so tempting. At least it was, until I finally bought some and for little more than a dollar, it was so much less work!

That reminds me I finally have everything to make Lemon Poppy seed cake! See ya!