After the Holiday... (and the turkey chili recipe)

We had a wonderful time in Tucson for the Holiday.
Plenty of laughs, traditions, and leftovers to feed a small army. If you are a bit hungry, you might want to prepare yourselves...

For Christmas Eve, we had a Mexican night. After all, we are in Tucson... We had the traditional 'greasy tacos' (family tradition on Adam's side, they make them throughout the year). They were complete with all the fixings (Adam considers ketchup a fixing, but we won't go there). We even made cheese enchiladas, and Adam's dad new recipe: Cheese crisps, made with a fresh flour tortilla. Delicious! The Prairiefire even made an appearance...

Christmas Day dinner was amazing. Adam's mom made stuffed pork tenderloins, fresh greens with cranberries and walnuts and a balsamic vinaigrette (one of my personal favorites!), spinach souffle, creamy mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, Grandma E. yeast rolls, egg nog dessert with raspberries, and I am sure I am missing a few things. It was complete with some wonderful wines...

So now, you can understand why there not an inch to spare in the refrigerator.

Even before that, we had made turkey chili.

Usually, I'm all about the ground beef in a chili recipe but sometimes I like to change it up. Ground turkey is available at most grocery stores and is considered a leaner meat.

Here's the recipe (not too exact but the flavors are amazing together):

1 lb. ground turkey, browned
1 large onion, chopped
1 bag of frozen corn
2 large cans of chopped tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of Rotel chopped tomatoes (the tomatoes with some peppers)
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of red kidney beans, drained
1 can of pinto beans, drained
1 packet of Ranch dressing (dry)
1 packet of taco seasoning

Combine and stir all ingredients in a stock pot, simmer 20 minutes. Makes for wonderful leftovers.

Enjoy!

Winter Wonderland

In the Midwest, there is a huge snowstorm underway. I love the anticipation... and even though this year I'm in a much sunnier and warmer place, I still have a habit of checking the weather back home.

This is probably the closest I'm going to get to snow this Holiday season... or maybe even seeing some snow on the top of Mount Lemon, one of the highest mountain peaks out here.

This is the table runner and Christmas display on the dining room table. The little 'dusted' Christmas trees remind us of the Midwestern snow and the Holiday candies often are sneaked after dinner. Since I like all things shiny and bright, I love the blown glass fruit ornaments on the pedestal- I especially love the grape and plum ones!

Just one way we keep the magic in the season, even in the most simplest of ways!

Happy Holidays

New Traditions...

Adam and I have spent a couple of holidays in Tucson, Arizona throughout the years. After we were married, it seems that traditions are more important than ever. Over traditions, we are sure to share some good laughs and create memories that are priceless.

Here is one of our favorite traditions: kolaches, a traditional Czech cookie. Adam's dad is 100% Czech, which makes Adam 50% Czech. They are a light, pastry like dough filled with greatness- like cream cheese, cherries, blueberries, poppy seeds- pretty much whatever you like! We have been trying to perfect these for years. This year we have come closer, but still not quite there.

This year went a little something like this:
Me: "Neil, are these more like what you remember?"
Neil: "No, not at all!"
Me: "Ok, someday we will get this right!"

Here is a pic of Adam and our peanut butter blossoms cookies. They are delicious. I have been having them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its ok though, because its Christmas! (That's what we say).

We also like to pick oranges at Adam's grandparent's trees. We enjoy making fresh squeezed orange juice. It is quite refreshing, although a little tart. I was having a great time.

And finally, after all of this- heading out to the golf range for nine holes. Adam and I played, along with his parents. Adam and his dad are very competitive, and Adam's mom and I enjoyed 'learning'. We had lots and lots of laughs.

All in a hard days work.

Tucson, Arizona- home of a little R & R

So, I have dropped off the face of the Earth for a little while. Adam and I arrived in beauiful Tucson, Arizona.

This is the year we are in Tucson for the Holidays as compared to Chicago. Each time we arrive, the temps drop sometimes 10-20 degrees, and sometimes rain or snow! This year was no exception. They can't remember the last time they had rain... it down poured! Hopefully there will be snow on the Catalina Mountains, we will find out when the clouds clear. It is absolutely beautiful.

While here we are planning on hiking, walking, tennis, relaxing, shopping, cooking, and reconnecting with family. Plus, last night I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard, we all have a great time! Adam and I have been looking forward to this trip for quite some time. More pics to come very soon...

Stay warm... and yes, I really do miss the snow in Iowa. Even though Tucson is gorgeous and warm, there really isn't anything like a perfect white Christmas in the Midwest!

Spode Woodland, the China pattern

Sometimes you will stumble on some pics of our China, especially from the Thanksgiving posts. We chose Spode, manufactured in England, and the pattern is Woodland. It is actually considered a 'casual China pattern' because it is microwave and dishwasher safe. We stumbled on it at Adam's aunt and uncles home in Chicago, and felt that it fit us perfectly.

Each dinner plate, salad plate, bowl , etc. has a different animal scene. There are different collections, we have some in each collection: Traditional Woodland (like pheasants and ducks), Hunting dogs (black labs, spaniels), Horses (my favorite is the Thoroughbred), North American Fish, American Wildlife (like bison, mule deer and others), and new for 2010- Birds of Prey (includes the Snowy OWL, and you know how I am about owls!). They also have patterned serving dishes and platters. Check out some pics-

The Thoroughbred is one of my favorites... this was a gift from Adam's parents.

The reason I'm writing about this today, is that I stumbled on a discontinued piece and I snagged it to give to Adam as a Christmas present (he knows, no worries)! Within the last week, we also had a serving platter arrive from family. Since the wedding, we did receive quite a few pieces and its been fun to see what we have of the collections. Someday, I am hoping we have the complete sets but that might be a challenge because some of the patterns are not produced at the present time.

I know currently, you can find this pattern at Macy's or at some other China stores. Usually the pieces are priced individually and sometimes you can have sticker shock- like the soup tureen is usually $500.00, otherwise it is reasonable.

Enjoy!







 

The charm of the seasonal poinsettia

National Poinsettia Day is December 12th, so you have a couple of days to get ready for the celebration, if you haven't already!

Growing up each year we would pick out a poinsettia and bring it to our church, throughout the month of December to remember loved ones. The splash of holiday colors transformed any setting, but you can imagine how great a display of 25 or more looked. Next to a large Christmas tree, even as kids we thought it was magical. Me, being the 'flower child', I was especially drawn to them.

Poinsettias traditionally have been in shades of reds, however that has changed drastically with modern horticultural breeding programs.You can now find whites, dark pinks, light pinks, hot pinks, purples, speckled, two toned, or even artificially altered- hand painted or glittered poinsettias. There are also numerous leaf shapes and flower forms, such as the Carousel series-my favorite!

Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are NOT poisonous. According to the American Society of Florists, poinsettias were first rumored to be poisonous around 1919 when an Army officer's son supposedly died of ingesting large amounts of leaves from this plant. Numerous children's hospitals have studied this and have not been able to link serious health issues to this plant. Paul Ecke, one of the most active promoters of poinsettias even appeared on a late night show, eating poinsettia leaves to prove they are not hazardous! That is a bit extreme and I will take his word for it...

Poinsettias are available almost everywhere- you may find them at your local independent garden center, florist shop, grocery store, home improvement stores-almost everywhere. If you decide to purchase one, it is best to have it covered by a plastic sleeve. Poinsettias are very cold sensitive (after all, they are a native of Mexico). Decorate in your home, but be cautious about warm or cold drafty areas- this has a tendency to cause stress, which leads to an unsightly plant. Water your poinsettia whenever it is slightly dry to the touch.  Unfortunately, they fall victim to over watering. My college professor once said, its best to underwater than over-water. That holds true with most plants (thanks Dr. Gladon).

After the holidays, most people generally toss them. If not, you may treat it as a houseplant and the leaves will gradually turn green. With some extra work and patience, you may see some blooms during the next year.

California Memories...

Right after college, I was working for a Midwestern garden center. Then, I decided to take a chance and focus more on the plant industry. That is how I ended up in Visalia, California working with Monrovia Growers as an inside sales craftsman. I met a lot of great people from all over the country, in addition to the workers in the field who made every order possible. Before being in sales, we all had to complete an internship in the field, working alongside the workers. Yours truly was pulling weeds, planting palm trees, counting ladybugs (as a biological, chemical free control), taking cuttings, trimming topiaries and trying to skate by in very little Spanish- every day was a new adventure. By the end of it, I did improve on the Spanish...

I was thinking about California lately. Here is a pic of the gorgeous Sierra Nevada mountains. This was the view from the nursery... courtesy of my friend, Hughes.

California was a great place, but I had a tough time settling in and getting comfortable. I did work with a lot of wonderful Midwestern customers, which I felt kept me grounded (and maybe sane, not sure!).

Being in California, we were surrounded by fresh, local produce- almost year round. The farmer's markets were usually pretty good. There was also a really great fruit stand near Lindsay, California where there were fresh grapes, oranges, tangerines, avocados, among other great items. I was focusing more on cooking, so I was in heaven. There were tons of citrus groves and in the early early Spring, it would be amazing to put the top down on the convertible and smell the orange blooms to and from work. Truly amazing.

I also liked to go explore the outdoors. The Sequoia National Park was really close and Yosemite was only maybe 20 miles away. I have heard the trout fishing was great but never explored it. Even once for work, we explored caves- as a team building project!

I did, however miss playing in the snow, even though you could go into the mountains if you had chains. It was a little strange for me to walk to the offices November- February with no snow or frost on my windshield...

Then on Valentine's Day, 2009- I made the move to Washington D.C. Still not the Midwest but that was to come!

A live Christmas tree? or the box?

I mentioned already, that Adam and I have a fresh cut Frasier Fir for Christmas. The ornaments are definitely random, but we prefer it that way. For one of my bridal showers this fall, the hostess had my friends and family bring a Christmas ornament, in addition to a present. I also like to buy an ornament each year, that sums up the year.While unpacking them all and decorating, it brought back memories.

For instance, Adam's sisters made reindeer with clothespins. Arts and crafts- remember those?
We also have everything ranging from a glass piece of cake, toadstools, Christmas pickle (German tradition, I'm German), owls, Mexican tin ornaments, pigs, barns, pinecones, and others.

This is an ornament for 2010, when I moved back to Iowa from the Washington D.C. area for work.

Decorating the tree made me think about my Grandma W's tree. She had this artificial tree that had to be put together by matching up colored dots. It was a nightmare and looked a little strange. However, in hindsight it really didn't matter because there were so many presents under this poor little tree. Each year, my grandma says its the last for the tree... I don't buy it. The tree will make an appearance again.

Enjoy the Holidays! 
  

The newest project... a vintage inspired quilt

There is nothing better than a handmade quilt especially on a very cold winter day. We all know how brutal Midwestern winters can be, so for me- its a perfect opportunity to get creative and keep busy. Plus, the end result is usually nice!

I made my first quilt as a 4-H project when I was a teenager. It was a log cabin quilt with varying blue and white fabrics. It won a grand champion at the Plymouth County Fair, and then advanced to the Iowa State Fair with a blue ribbon. Since then, I haven't really done too much in the ways of quilting.

The latest project is a vintage inspired quilt, made with reprinted 1930's fabrics... its been a little slow going but that is just fine with me. Here's a sample of the blocks...

Earlier this year, I did work on a couple of others. Currently, they are off to get quilted and I should expect to get these back in Spring sometime. 

This pattern is Ohio Buckeye. I chose brightly colored batiks. Batiks are fabrics that have a design created by hot wax. The patterns are 'painted' with hot wax and then the fabrics are dyed. The wax is peeled away, and sometimes the fabrics are re-dyed. That means, each yard of fabric can be very, very different.

And, sometimes I have 'help'. This is Rocco... I adopted him in late July, after he showed up at my friend's house and I felt sorry for him.

First Christmas tree

Just recently we had another first: the first Christmas tree.

The other day, Adam and I picked out a gorgeous 5-6' Frasier Fir. We did the fresh cut and let it 'fluff' in the garage overnight. Somehow, I was banned from putting the white LED lights on it (maybe because of my height, not sure). I am 5'3'', but we do have plenty of chairs- still, no luck of doing the lights.

Growing up, we always had a live Christmas tree but it was usually some sort of a pine. After several weeks, after it was nice and crispy- those needles were like daggers. I can't even count how many times I would be near the tree and then out of nowhere I would be screeching in pain and maybe even saying some choice words. And, that is why my preference is towards a Frasier Fir because they retain their needles well. (With any live tree it is a good idea to provide fresh water constantly, to keep it hydrated.)

I was running some errands the other day, and came across these ornaments. I especially like the blown glass, colorful ornaments and the more random, the better. These are tiny, handmade blown glass owls. I especially am into owls - we have an owl cookie jar (from Anthropologie, amazing!) and I have a few antique owl jewelry pieces.

I couldn't pass these up:

More pics to come of the finished tree... Enjoy the Holidays!

A real deer for the Holidays!

I'm getting a little ancy for the Holidays... I can't wait!

I was looking through some pics and came across these: animal topiaries, including a deer one! One of the companies I broker for, grows these great topiaries out of boxwoods, arborvitaes, and junipers- perfect for our harsh Midwest winters because they retain their green color (although not as lush as compared to Spring). They are completely real and definitely turn heads! They only require water and some hair cuts here and there.

Do you need a reindeer, just in time for the Holidays?

 Or maybe an elephant or sea creature?

I really like the deer, and would plant it in a landscape (maybe have Adam put some Christmas lights on it...) but these others would be perfect for a children's garden/ park somewhere!

This goes to show, there are no limits when it comes to gardening....

Sewing projects

In the past couple of days, I have been keeping busy by making some dresses, skirts, shirts, and a jacket because I have been a little too picky at the stores. I either like the styles and hate the colors, or like the colors and hate the styles. I can drive myself a little crazy.

I grew up around sewing and really enjoy it. Every Christmas and Easter, my mom would make dresses for the special church occasions. Usually it involved lots of sparkly fabrics and layers (especially Christmas). I probably resembled a small cupcake, and the more I think about it- maybe that is why I put my foot down and went with a short vintage inspired wedding dress. Here's a pic...I didn't make this dress.

I went to the fabric store during Small Business Saturday. I picked out some amazing patterns ( DKNY, Michael Kors, and others!) and some wonderful fabrics. At the moment, I'm working on a dress, but I have lots of others that I hope to accomplish this winter. Stay tuned....

The very first Krupicka Thanksgiving

Yesterday was a pretty big day for us- our first Thanksgiving! I have to admit, it was a little over the top...

We hosted the event and had friends over, starting with drinks and appetizers and then a full Thanksgiving meal. For the wedding, Adam and I received plenty of wonderful cooking utensils and pieces of our china pattern: Spode Woodland. It was such a great time putting these presents to good use!

The chaos started the night before. We were on the hunt for placemats and couldn't find any to match our unique china pattern. So, that meant a field trip to the fabric store and making our own placemats. They had a wonderful canvas fabric that matched the pattern perfectly.

Thanksgiving day, meant picking up fresh flowers and arranging them for the tables. I picked up ornamental cabbages, mums, goldenrod, and a few sunflowers. I was thinking more along the lines of oranges and yellows, but the mums were in yellow, purple, and red. All in all, it worked well with the cabbages.

Then the cooking began. We had jalapeno and cilantro marinated shrimp, the famous Prairiefire dip, cheese and meat trays, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, salad with dried cranberries and walnuts, Grandma E's homemade rolls, cranberries, turkey, sweet potatoes (my favorite!), and a homemade pumpkin pie. It feels like there should be more? My friend Becky brought over a delicious pumpkin roll, which I have never had in the Midwest but its amazing! Other friends brought over a sweet potato pie, Bang Bang shrimp (similar to Bonefish Grill, one of my favorite hangouts), and collards.

We were absolutely stuffed and struggling to stay awake afterwards.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with great food, friends, family, and maybe even a little football!

The Proposal... all over a recipe!

With Thanksgiving, comes the anniversary of the unique proposal.

As I mentioned before, Adam (my now husband) and I like to cook, a lot. He had this recipe he would make for get togethers called Prairiefire. Its a cheese dip with layers of flavor- sweet, hot, spicy- and its best with Fritoes corn chips. He said he wouldn't share it with me until we were engaged or married, so I would try and guess the ingredients. I would always come so close to getting the recipe, but no luck.

Anyways, we were in Arizona for Thanksgiving two years ago. Adam's parents had built a home outside of Tucson and it is a great getaway, especially during the Holidays. It was raining that morning and Adam was acting strange. Turns out, he wanted to go on a hike in the Catalina mountains and that is where the proposal was going to happen. The day before, Adam's parents hiked the trail and hid a box under some rocks. In the box, was the recipe for Prairiefire. Here's the backside- I would get in trouble if I shared it...

We made it to the pools, Adam found the little rock pile with the recipe card. He was trying to talk to me about geocatching (where you leave little treasures for other hikers to find and can map it out on GPS, I still really don't know all that well exactly!). I was in shock, and said yes. After my arms stopped flailing, I tried the ring on, which was custom made from a private family jeweler in Chicago. It was beautiful and we hiked down the mountains, to his family. Later on that day, we had Thanksgiving dinner/ engagement party and frozen Champagne (Adam's dad left it in the freezer to chill, and it was a little forgotten).

We received a really nice gift from Adam's family: a recipe box. Throughout the vacation, Adam and I were busy copying family recipes. Adam's grandma offered up lots of great recipes from her mother. It was a really special time.

Tomorrow is the big Thanksgiving dinner, the first official Krupicka one. We are having friends over and entertaining in Northern Virginia. Before that, lots and lots to do (grocery shopping, floral arrangement, making placements, tons of cooking and cleaning!). It will be a late night and early morning, but well worth it.

Enjoy yours!

Salad dressing crisis

Tonight we had spinach ravioli, green beans, and a fresh salad. I was really looking forward to the fresh salad.

After I washed and prepared the salad greens, tomatoes, onions, and Parmesan cheese- I found out that Adam pitched the small collection of salad dressings because they were a little older. I left for the Midwest last year in January, so its probably fair. 

So, I thought about driving to the grocery store but decided against it because of the traffic. Traffic in Northern Virginia is a nightmare (which is why I really, really, really appreciate Iowa's wide open spaces and not so much traffic).

Instead, we made our own dressing- mix these up to taste and I guarantee it beats anything you've had! The fresh, clean taste is unbelievable!

Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
lemon juice
lemon zest
salt and pepper

I'm ready for another (not really, but it was really delicious!).

Birthday meal recipes...

The most amazing leftovers, ever!

Last night was the birthday meal: homemade pasta and homemade seafood alfredo. For a veggie, we had roasted asparagus and the dessert-  unbelievable triple chocolate mousse.

Here are some of the recipes...

Homemade Pasta
1 whole egg, plus 2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
unbleached white flour, approximately 2 cups (add enough so the dough is able to be kneaded and tacky)
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together and knead for approximately 10 minutes. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. We used the KitchenAid mixer with the pasta attachment (lovely wedding present!). Otherwise you could slice into thin strips. Place pasta in boiling water for approximately 8-10 minutes.


Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Heat 1 pint of heavy cream and 1 stick of butter. Once heated, add 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste, maybe even some corn starch to thicken.

Seafood
We cooked some fresh salmon (pan seared with olive oil, salt and pepper). Then placed in the stove and combined with garlic marinated shrimp. Combine with homemade pasta and alfredo.

I added some dill weed to my salmon portion- it was delicious. Adam is not a fan, but I was just fine with it! 

Enjoy!

Birthday Meal

So, I made to the Washington D.C. area safe and sound. Rocco (cat) and all.

My birthday was on Tuesday, but during that time I didn't really do anything too special. I was on the road visiting customers and Adam and I decided to have a cooking night once I arrived. That means that I pick out the menu and we go to one of our favorite places: Wegman's (http://www.wegmans.com). This grocery store is amazing- each one has its own pastry department that reminds me of my French adventures. I love to gawk and check out the tarts, cheesecakes, chocolate cakes, and tons of other sugary, heavenly treats. I have a sweet tooth, and also an amazing dentist in Fairfax, Virginia!

Here's the chocolate mousse... despite kind of a traumatic ride home. Regardless, it was absolutely delish!

We LOVE to cook... and I could grocery shop all day, anywhere! Sometimes Adam and I disagree about who is cooking but somehow, we don't starve. In fact, we usually make extras or try out new recipes, so we can be pretty popular at times! Adam even proposed over a secret family recipe- Prairie Fire... I will write about that next week.

Here's a pic of us...

Tonight, there's talk of salmon with homemade pasta, perhaps a dill/ olive oil sauce. Most likely, roasted asparagus with prosciutto and a special treat from Wegman's. We might even make a cake. Either way, I will bring my appetite!

Stay turned...

Getting ready for the Holidays: Fresh Greens!

My favorite time of the year is fast approaching!

Thanksgiving is next week, in fact the very first Krupicka Thanksgiving! I will be traveling to Northern Virginia but before that, I am having some holiday greens orders ship in from Oregon. There is nothing like fresh cut greens in a home around the Holidays. I have been getting samples sent to me and have noticed that when they come in, the UPS guy is a little extra chatty.

Our company is teaming up with P. Allen Smith for an exclusive line of holiday greens. We also have the basic greens (wreaths, roping, centerpieces, and much more!). All of these are handmade, collected from the mountains in Oregon. They are gorgeous and would make excellent decorating pieces or gift items!

Here's a link to the website...
http://www.pitchengine.com/pallensmith/p-allen-smith-partners-with-berry -family-of-nurseries-to-launch-holiday-collection/74147/

 So after the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving, we will be picking out the perfect Christmas tree. We will probably go to Layng's Flower Farm in Aldie, Virginia to pick out the perfect Frasier Fir! Stay tuned....

Little white lies... cheesecake edition

Little white lies can (and will) get you into trouble...

I was thinking about one of my birthday parties when I was about eight or nine. My grandma (bless her heart) made a cheesecake and we had a little celebration at the local nursing home, where my grandpa was at the time. Except this was no ordinary cheesecake- it was out of a box (no bake), made with sour milk (yes, I thought I was going to die), and sprinkles!

Usually I am excited about the sprinkles, cheesecake- it's ok, but not my favorite. My grandma kept asking me what I thought and I had to lie. I said it was delicious and I remember crossing my fingers under the table. And, that is how to this day, a cheesecake makes an appearance at every family member's birthday party and sometimes holiday gatherings. Obviously it has been perfected with all of the years of experience, but it is still out of the box. Sprinkles sometimes, even a cherry or strawberry topping to change things up a bit. When I left the Midwest and went to California, the cheesecake did not follow me but my family members were threatening to mail it.

 A couple of years ago, my then boyfriend, wanted to go to the Cheesecake Factory. After overcoming some mild anxiety, I gave in and LOVED it. In addition to their variety of menu items, I tried out the chocolate raspberry cheesecake and it was/ is fantastic! I might have to go back soon.

That summarizes my love/ hate relationship with cheesecake.

I love my grandma, and she hits home runs on some of her baked goods, just not the cheesecake.

Happy birthday to me...blizzard= two parties!

Today is the big day, I'm 27. I was thinking about my past birthday parties when I was growing up in Northwest Iowa. Maybe I'm exaggerating because I was small and you see things a bit differently, but I grew up having two party dates- one if we had a blizzard, one if we did not. Unfortunately one cake.

Maybe global warming, who knows. I haven't really had to worry about the two parties gig for a long time.It used to be blizzards on Halloween (so no Trick or Treating) to sometimes no snow on Christmas!

Being long distance from my (now) husband, I've had many birthdays when it is just me and some close friends. Because of this, we would usually postpone until Thanksgiving. Three years ago in Arizona over Thanksgiving, Lindsay (Adam's sister) made me a birthday cake but then Adam proposed, and the cake went from a 'Happy Birthday' Cake to a 'Love' Cake. It was delish!

Today I will be meeting with customers, and then getting ready to head out to Virginia to host the first ever Krupicka Thanksgiving. We have to put all the Williams-Sonoma wedding presents to good use.  I will probably pick up a cupcake and Starbucks to celebrate the occasion, keeping it pretty mild this year!

Here is a photo of me, when I was in North Carolina visiting.
I grabbed a Lime Ricky Coral Bell, one of my favorite plants!

You say tomato, I say summer come back!

Don't get me wrong, I do love fall and winter- just this 'in between seasons' time drives me a bit crazy. No snow yet, maybe some rain- but either way its COLD!

This weekend, I went to the Hy-Vee Wine and Food Expo in Des Moines and had some of the best fresh mozzarella (and wines and more wines)! It made me think of my September adventure to the Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa for the Tomato Tasting.

Seed Savers is a non profit preservation group aimed at protecting flower and vegetable seeds that have been passed down for generations. These are unique cultivated varieties that sometimes have interesting shapes and colors, but they are known for FLAVOR! Usually not the prettiest tomatoes or the tougher disease resistance, like today's 'improved' varieties but they usually have a strong following...

Today's tomatoes are mostly coming out of California (where I was), China, Turkey, and some other places- but either way, they have a long journey on a truck, airplane, or ship before they even think about landing in some of my cooking! Usually they are picked green because otherwise they would spoil en route, so what this means is that the tomato is not ripe (not like Great Grandma Hughes tomato).  In the winter, I usually buy the greenhouse or hot house tomatoes, coming out of Holland, where they have stayed on the vine to ripen a bit longer. They taste better, but still not as great as a summer tomato, and can be a little pricey. If I can't find these, you will find a 5'3'' girl sad and depressed in the produce department!



Here are some pics from the Seed Savers Exchange (www.seedsavers.org). Truly Heartland at its finest!

 

I also included my bruschetta recipe... its best in the summer, with those fresh garden tomatoes! Its especially great for those summer entertaining. I know, I know, they are not in season- but its all the fresh mozzarella's fault. Sorry.

1 loaf French bread or baguette
1 garlic bulb, peeled and separated into cloves
3-4 lbs. fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
Fresh basil, some sliced and also whole leaves
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste
Salt and pepper to season

Slice the bread into pieces and brush olive oil on both sides. Put on a cookie sheet and bake for 375 degrees until bread is toasted. Rub the garlic cloves on the toast. Toss the onions and tomatoes in a medium bowl, combine with olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon this mixture over toasts and garnish with fresh mozzarella and basil leaves. Enjoy!

Purple Ribbon Chicken Soup... (I'm sick)

I don't get sick very often, but when I do.. look out.

I have this cold that will not leave, so I had to break out the chicken noodle soup recipe. Growing up my mom would make this for part of the dinner on Christmas Eve, right before our church program. The 'Purple Ribbon' part of the recipe is because- back in the day, my brother showed chickens once at the Iowa State Fair - I have no idea how, but I know I got roped into helping. I probably was not a huge help, but I am a huge fan of the Iowa State Fair.

Typically, Adam (my husband) loves to make this if I get sick or if its cold out. When I told him today I was doing this today he was a little sad. He lives in Washington D.C. and will be moving out to Iowa in the Spring.

4-6 carrots, peeled and chopped
4-6 celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole chicken, chopped into smaller pieces
3 quarts chicken broth
2 Tbsp. butter
About 3 cups of egg noodles (we usually did homemade noodles)
Flat leaf parsley, chopped 
Salt and pepper to season (and you could be in trouble if you are like me today, and can barely breathe!)

Season and saute the vegetables in extra virgin olive oil, until soft. Then add broth, butter, chicken, and egg noodles. Cook for at least 20-30 minutes and enjoy!

Proud of my roots

I'm a Midwestern through and through, or that is what I have been told. I've been to a lot of places (France, Austria, Hungary, California, Washington D.C. and others) which have really helped me cling to and appreciate my roots. Here's my story about how this came to be...

I grew up in a small town in Northwest Iowa on a family farm, that has been our family for over a hundred years. We raised cattle and later on, grains. I have to admit I was/ am a little clueless when it comes to these but my interest was the vegetable and flower gardens. After watching Julia Child when I was young, I put these veggies to work and fell in love with cooking!

I started gardening when I was about five, with my great grandma, grandma, and mom. Great Grandma Hughes was known for her gorgeous gladiolus, softball sized onions, and mammoth dill. I remember picking the dill, treating it as a bride's bouquet, and then watching as she would make the best canned pickles anyone had ever tasted! Each year I would learn more and more, and eventually studied horticulture at the state university. Before that, and during the summers I would grow vegetables and flowers for the local markets, which would help pay the tuition.

After college, I went on to become an assistant manager at a garden center in Des Moines, and has to admit that I didn't exactly know what I wanted or where I wanted to end up. This was tough for me especially, because ever since I was young, I had goals and knew what I wanted out of life. I headed to California, and worked for a huge plant wholesaler- selling mainly into the Midwest from my cubicle. After hearing about their Midwestern lives (and rhubarb, canned goodies and the like), I realized I longed for that again. After some time there, and getting engaged to a long distance boyfriend- I headed to Washington D.C. (still not the Midwest). This past December, I landed a sales job- smack dab in the middle of the heartland- IOWA, and this past July, picked up Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri! 

I'm back in the state, and have taken my interests to heart (again)- cooking, gardening, and homekeeping and want to share the best experiences, ideas, and recipes- that help make this region stand out! Stay tuned...

Jessica