Let Them Eat Pork- Christmas in Chicago!

I just returned home yesterday from our Christmas festivities in Chicago!

Adam and I drove from Virginia to Chicago, then spent a couple of days downtown. There is nothing like Christmas in Chicago- the lights, the decorations, and the hustle and bustle of Michigan Avenue! The only thing that could have been a little bit better, was just some snow!

We went to Christmas Eve services downtown and then to Adam's aunt and uncle's newly renovated condo,  only a couple of blocks from the Lake. We had an absolutely delicious dinner and it was great to catch up with all of the family!

It was there, where the 'Let Them Eat Pork' came about. This is a cookbook that Adam's cousin and sisters worked on, a collection of the family's best recipes and photos. It is SUCH a great cookbook and  provided us with lots of entertainment. Hopefully Volume Two will come out soon... All of Adam's family members are great cooks and we definitely had lots of delicious foods, including greasy taco night!

Adam's grandpa was heavily involved with the Chicago Mercantile and the pork industry, hence the name 'Let Them Eat Pork'.

Thanks Girls- we love the cookbook!

Roasted new vegetables... straight from the garden!

I was out in the light rain, picking green beans earlier this evening. As you know, picking green beans can be (is) a tad bit monotonous. This offers a person plenty of time to think about all sorts of things!

One of those things was the question, what could be for dinner?!

I needed something warm and so I made roasted vegetables.

This is entirely a 'throw together' recipe... but here is what I used:

Heirloom baby potatoes or any other potato
Carrots
Onions or shallots
Garlic, minced
Coarse sea salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and cut the carrots and onions. Wash the potatoes and place the vegetables in a baking dish.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Roast until the potatoes are tender and the onions are nearly browned. Garnish with parsley.

Enjoy!

The garden... an update

Yesterday was the day for a little 'dirt therapy' as my friend calls it. Face it, I had a crummy day to put it nicely and hopefully it will improve soon! However on the bright side, the garden has been busy growing. I've been planting, weeding, and watering a ton lately and have been enjoying some fresh early-season produce. It has even expanded- additional onions, red potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and flowers.

Its been a little of the good, bad, and the ugly for this year!

Here are some updates:

And don't let this adorable little pony fool you... he loves cabbages. 'Tonka' AKA Cabbage Eater to us gardeners. Mine were early victims, but in the spirit of gardening they were replanted quickly

Jessica

And back at it...from a mini vacation

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July!

I sure did... I traveled to the Black Hills of South Dakota with the Brock family, some of my best friends from growing up in good ole Le Mars, Iowa. We were in the best setting, had tons of laughs, ate great food, and all in all had a wonderful time.

Here are some pics from the 'mini vacation':

We had breakfast at the Latchstring Inn in Spearfish, South Dakota. We were surrounding by waterfalls and trout streams... my only regret is that I didn't have the trout for breakfast! I would have loved to fish, believe it or not!

And finally here is a pic of our dessert from the Alpine Inn in Hill City. Teri, Libby, and I all split a Napoleon! Is it as delicious as it looked...This place also has a wonderful homemade (slightly tweaked but unbelievable) ranch dressing and prime rib every single night. That is the only item on their dinner menu, aside from tons of scrumptious (and splittable) desserts.

And now, back to reality. This involves work (although a little quieter right now) and tending to an oversized garden with wonderful heirloom vegetables and flowers... more to come on this.

Have a wonderful week-
J.

Latchstring Inn (http://www.spfcanyon.com/dining.html)
Alpine Inn (http://www.alpineinnhillcity.com/)

The Lazy Housewife Bean= big misunderstanding

I am really into the heirloom veggies... I think its amazing to be able to grow a vegetable or flower variety that was grown in the 1800's or earlier, especially in the age of genetically modified everything. I feel that it is so important to know where your food comes from and maybe even grow it or visit a farmer's market.

I have to admit I was a little distracted when talking to my husband. He mentioned something about a lazy housewife and I didn't quite understand/ listen (I admit). Turns out, he was talking about an heirloom bean named the Lazy Housewife bean that he saw in a recent gardening magazine.

I'm not growing this one this year, but it is definitely on my list!

This bean has been around since 1810 and earned its unique name because it was the first bean that didn't need the string removed. With not having to worry about this chore, I'm sure it freed up the housewives to do other important things... I doubt they were lazy!

My, how the times have changed! 

The garden is planted.. heirloom tomatoes and all!

The garden is officially planted and doing well. This year, I wanted to try some very different heirloom tomatoes. I have a plot at the Black's Heritage Farm in Ames. I LOVE going out there and checking on the progress (even weeding!). Planted in the garden plot is heirloom tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, dill, lettuce (lots of interesting heirloom varieties), spinach, carrots, green beans, sugar peas, onions, garlic, and flowers!

This is a small part of the garden, as a week ago. A lot has grown since then!

The heirloom tomatoes are the stars of the show. These are the varieties that I am growing (but there are also a few grape tomatoes, Romas, and Big Beef tomatoes). I am ready for the fresh pasta sauce, pizza sauces, Caprese salads, and bruschetta! Actually, I can't wait... the heirlooms taste amazing and actually have distinct flavors.

                                                                      Black Pearl (Cherry)

Black Krim

Black Russian

Cherokee Purple

Aunt Ginny's Purple

Abraham Lincoln

Box Car Willie

Big Rainbow

Mr. Stripey

Tigerella (favorite!)

Green Zebra (another one of my favorites!)

Kellogg's Breakfast

Yellow Brandywine

Yellow Pear

Sausage

White Beauty

And also the Giant Tree Tomato.... which is supposed to get 6-7' tall. What was I thinking?!?

Start your Spring planting engines....

Time to start your Spring planting engines.... its almost May. Still a little dangerous for those warm season veggies (tomatoes and peppers) but the full green light to the lettuces, broccoli, kohlrabi, and others that can tolerate some cooler nights.

I have some balcony containers planted, and we saw the sun for the first time in a long time! It was a great day for the garden centers... people have been couped up for some time now. Its been a slow start.

Tomorrow I will officially have a 'real' garden for the season (in addition to the balcony projects) and it will focus on heirloom vegetables and flowers, grown outside of Ames. My cookbooks have been out today, gearing up for new recipes with fresh produce. I am working slightly backwards...that's how excited I am.

More details and pics to come...

Happy Planting!
J

Spring bulb gardening... bending/breaking the rules!

I've been known to bend the rules a bit. I call it bending, Adam calls it breaking. Nothing too serious (except for some previous speeding tickets and a brush encounter with the juvenile deliquent lady at Le Mars Community Middle School. Honest to God, there was a mix up and there were two of us with the same name- they got the wrong girl). I'm a nice, law abiding citizen.

Some of my absolute favorite plants are the Spring bulbs, as you probably have known...
Crocus, hyacinth, muscari, daffodils, and finally (my favorite) the tulips are triumphly announcing their return now. They are everywhere: grocery stores, florist shops, the independent garden centers, the home improvement warehouses, landscapes and so forth. Cut flower bunches, bouquets, container plants- everything imaginable. I'm a little overwhelmed but in a good way.

I've been buying bunches of tulips weekly, since they first were in season. As you probably know, I am also very limited in my gardening space (AKA my balcony). And here is where the bending/ breaking happens....

As more and more people are moving towards small space gardening, either because of smaller residences (apartments, townhomes, etc.), less time or energy, or even less resources- container gardening is on the rise. Someday, hopefully very soon I will be able to have some serious space for gardening so I can try out the latest and greatest, but in the meantime I have to sit tight. Traditionally, Spring bulbs have been floral/ potted gift items or in the landscapes. And here is where I am bending the rules a little bit.

Here is a little container I put together over the weekend:
Tete a Tete daffodils (back), muscari (blue flowers to the right), and front and center are orange ranunculus. The ranunculus are annuals for us the Midwest but some of my absolute favorite flowers.

Enjoy the little dose of Spring... and Happy Easter!

Busy, Busy, Busy Bee

I haven't posted for quite some time.... Spring rush is underway. On one hand, its like "finally" and on the other, "sllllloooooowwww down"! I am a bit torn.

 More posts will be coming soon... it helps me unwind. Like detailing my adventures at the Japanese Steakhouse with the 'back home' gang and the tornado this past weekend - while we were at the Japanese Steakhouse. Not to worry, the tornado was in the next town over and I believe everyone was fine, except for the buildings (60% of the town was damaged!). In addition to an injured cat, a vacationing/ golfing husband, volunteering for the Chamber of Commerce AKA coming to the rescue of a good friend, seasonal stresses/ migraines, and allergies- it has definitely been a week! I am actually allergic to olive oil and trees, so I have to adjust my cooking and continue to be my own worst enemy by selling and shipping a tremendous amount of trees.

I guess the one thing we can count on, is the fact that nothing can be counted on.. Smoother sailing this week... I sure hope so! 

And the lettuce is up... and new season of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. 

Food Revolution... let the adventure begin

The Green Revolution is on, and has been on!
Growing up as a small town, farm girl from Northwest Iowa, I remember gardening with my Great Grandma Hughes, Grandma Waddell, and my mom. You can imagine, I probably wasn't much help early on but I was intensely curious about plants and the ways of the world. It was magic how a seed or seedling could be planted on a chilly Spring day and then amount to some of the best flavors of summer. Then the real magic happened, when the flavors of summer could be canned, frozen, jellied, or jammed and ready to brighten up the coldest of days.

And that is where I first developed my appreciation for fresh. It seems as if in the last five years, fresh has taken a whole new meaning, not just the latest 'green' trend. Households want to know their food is safe, economical, and environmental friendly. After moving to California for work, I gained a new perspective on large scale production. It no longer seemed as if those bagged oranges were dropped from the sky into displays at the grocery stores but were the orange groves I drove past on my way to work. There was nothing like a nice, cool early morning convertible ride with the orange groves in bloom. Absolutely nothing like it.

Especially since California I have been interested in food issues (organic vs. conventional, free range, grass fed, non genetically modified, processed foods, and the list goes on and on). My beliefs are definitely not the most popular among a Midwestern farming community but I see both perspectives. I have my preferences and to each their own. We all have to eat and somehow navigate in this sometimes challenging world we live in.

So this weekend, I am starting the first of the vegetable seeds. Last Fall, I went to Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa (www.seedsavers.org) for their annual heirloom tomato tasting and came back with some interesting heirloom seeds. I would highly, highly recommend the trip to Decorah. It was an amazing gathering place for all people who appreciate some of the finest tastes of summer.

Tater Tot Casserole night

Its Tater Tot Casserole night, at this Krupicka's place! 

Growing up we never had this casserole at home, and I have no idea why. It was only the one or two times a year at potlucks, were we able to enjoy this Midwestern delicacy. It combines all of the best comfort foods in one dish: tater tots, cheese, cream of mushroom soup, ground beef, and green beans (have to make it a little healthy). It is simple to make, plus makes for great leftovers (if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, that is). Since it is just me- there will be lots of leftovers for many, many, many days...

Here is the recipe, courtesy of my good friend Libby. I tweaked it a tiny bit.

1- 2 lb. pkg of Frozen tater tots                                  1/2 Cup milk
1 lb. ground beef                                                        1/2 small onion, chopped
Lawry's seasoning salt                                                 2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 16 oz. pkg. of frozen green beans                  
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (condensed)

Brown ground beef and onion, season to taste with seasoning salt. Drain and set aside.
Line the bottom of an 11 X 13'' pan with one layer of frozen tater tots (save some to sprinkle on the top later). Layer the ground beef then green beans. In a bowl, mix soup and enough milk so the mixture is pourable. Pour the mixture over the pan to coat the casserole. Top with shredded cheese and top with additional tater tots. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 425 degrees, until the cheese is melted.

Adam with his Chicago background, had never really heard about the famous casserole. I think he would be intrigued. And then focused, on lining up the tater tots. He's a perfectionist (like me, but way more) so things can be a little interesting sometimes...

It almost feels like SPRING!

Lately, we have been a bit spoiled by nice weather. I was guilty of wearing shorts the other day...

Spring will be here before you know it, meaning tulips, daffodils, robins, and busy shipping season.

 Above are some of my favorite plants: tulips and boxwoods. I love the French and English garden inspirations. Someday, I'm sure I will have hundreds of tulips planted. It is a lot of work but sure makes a showstopping Spring display.They also make wonderful cut flowers that will brighten any room.

Here's the other part of Spring... which I why I probably cling to tulips and other Spring bulbs, to relieve little stresses of the busy gardening season. This pic was from the California nursery loading docks- my orders before they went out to the Midwest. Every day my co-workers and I would walk the docks. Everyone was in the best of spirits because we all had a common goal: ship great plants to great customers, usually with minimal sleep. Sometimes we would help tag plants and stay out until 2 in the morning! We even improved our espanol and rewarded with flan from time to time!

 Here's to a wonderful Spring... happy gardening!

Happy Valentine's Day...

Happy Valentine's Day!
Ask anyone and they will tell you, I'm a fan of Valentine's Day. I looked forward to the valentine exchange in elementary school and found it even more special- when my grandma mentioned she had a valentine exchanged between my great grandparents, when they were in kindergarten or first grade! So very special.

Things have changed quite a bit since then. Adam (my husband) and I met at Iowa State University, during a biology class. The previous semester he was lab partners with my good friend. After dating for some time and after graduation, we went our separate ways (meaning me to California and him to Arizona for our careers). We were engaged over Thanksgiving and the following September 18th we were married in Hinsdale, outside of Chicago.

Here are some of my favorites- Adam and I with his grandparents, Ray ("Slick") and Nancy.

Above is my good friend Libby and Adam's uncle, Steve. It was a gorgeous Fall day, despite a thunderstorm in the morning. Then we were off to Park City, Utah.

We still are a little nontraditional because this year's valentine's day is separate. I am in the Midwest, while Adam is in Virginia/ Washington D.C. area working. Soon enough, he will be relocating to Iowa and working from home. In the meantime we make do with patience (I try really, really hard on this!), flowers, candy...

Super Bowl weekend ... Buffalo Chicken and Brownie Bites!

I'm still a little bit sad about the Bears not making it into the Super Bowl. I've found that life goes on... onto the Chicago Blackhawks and the Cubs (soon enough).
Did I fail to mention, that I happen to love almost everything about Chicago?

This weekend, I am still going to watch the game with some fellow Bears fans... and that also means, making some delicious game day foods!

Here are some of my favorites...

Buffalo Chicken

1/3 C. all purpose flour
2 tsp. paprika
approx. 2 lbs. skinless chicken drumsticks/ wings
1/4 C. vegetable oil
1/3 C. ketchup
1-2 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce- more or less (I have a tendency to get a little carried away, so be warned!)
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Combine in a baking dish:  flour, paprika, and a pinch or two of salt. Add chicken to coat and shake off the excess. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook until brown on all sides (at least 15 minutes). In a large bowl make the sauce by adding ketchup, Tabasco, and butter. Add the chicken to coat. Optional- serve with celery sticks and bleu cheese.

Brownie Bites

2 sticks unsalted butter
8 oz. unsweetened chocolate bar, chopped

2 1/4 C. sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
4 oz. of chocolate chips
1/3 C. canned unsweetened coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 X 9'' baking pan with foil- up to the edges- and grease.
In a double boiler, melt the unsweetened chocolate bar and butter and stir occasionally. Let cool slightly, then beat in the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Stir in the flour and salt. Spread the batter in the pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean- from the center. Let the brownies cool.
In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk until it reaches a simmer then pour over the chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth. Pour the warm glaze over the cooled brownies and tilt the pan to coat evenly. Using the foil flaps, gently remove the brownies from the pan and cut into small squares. You may also decorate these further with decorators icing.

Welcome to February...Valentine's Month!

February is now here and that means glorious valentine's candies and of course- Valentines Day on the 14th! The week after Christmas, stores were already setting out hundreds of pink and red wrapped treasures. I have a terrible weakness for sweet treats, and also a wonderful dentist back East.

I remember growing up, looking forward to the valentine exchanges in elementary school. We would have to bring a shoe box for art class, and it was there that the glitter, construction paper, markers and other necessary tools were used to create stunning little valentines boxes. Then we would exchange little valentines cards and find all sorts of nice treats. I am sure that with my valentines I exchanged, I probably made hearts when I tried to dot my I's.... I really was really into it. However at that time, I was probably the most shy and quiet little girl in my whole grade.That changed a little while later.

Lately, my little candy fix has been turtles! I love the chocolate, caramel, and cashews... or pecans. Doesn't really matter, but what does- is that I was out of them during our major blizzard.

On a positive note, today was Groundhog Day and the good ole' woodchuck predicted an early spring.
We will definitely see about that.

Its also my good friend, Kellie's birthday- happy birthday Kellie Moore!
From your Iowa sister...

Fairy Gardens... a trend?

One of my favorite weekend projects is to visit some local garden centers and nurseries. Since my career lets me do that throughout the week, I really can't complain. Although, I have heard from others in my industry "the mailman doesn't go on walks on his day off"- that is not the case with me. I love to see new plants, learn about gardening tips and tricks, and see beautiful displays- day off or not.  

Within the last several years I have been noticing that fairy gardening seems to be trend. These are miniature gardens, usually complete with toadstools, little statues, and sometimes houses. I can't say I am a fan of fairies or whimsy but it has its place. There is a pretty serious (maybe not the right word) following.

Here are some pics from a garden center in Virginia...

What do you think? Fan or not???

Cookie of the month- Amaretto Brownies!

Towards the end of each month, I have decided to write about either a new cookie recipe find or an old standby...either way, it needs to be amazing to make the 'cut'!

This month is the famous amaretto brownie!
This brownie is rich and has aromas of coffee and the sweetness of almonds. It is perfect with an espresso or a nice wine. Sweet toothes, be warned.

Adam made these once for me when he was trying to get back together after a long breakup. These- with wine, books (which I still haven't read- and I get a hard time about it), a dinner at Biaggi's, helping with my move in, and I'm sure there were other things.  I was tough and took my sweet time... but these brownies definitely helped.

Here is the recipe, from Betty Crocker's Cookie Book. 

Brownies:

2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

 8 oz. semisweet baking chocolate

1/3 cup butter

1 1/4 cups all- purpose flour 

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder 

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. Amaretto liquor- more or less to taste

2 eggs

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 Tbsp. Amaretto liquor, more or less to taste
1-2 Tbsp. milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom only of a 9 X 13'' pan.  In a food processor, place approximately 1/3 of the almonds. Cover and process until the almonds are ground. Coarsely chop the remaining almonds and set aside.

In a 3 qt. saucepan, melt the chocolate and 1/3 cup of the butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat after the mixture is smooth. Stir in the ground almonds, flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, 2 Tbsp. Amaretto, and the eggs. Spread the mixture in the 9 X 13'' pan. Bake 22-25 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean from the center.

In a medium bowl, mix the frosting ingredients until completely smooth. Spread over the cooled brownies and top with the coarsely chopped almonds.

P.S. some of my California friends were almond brokers, out there, its a'monds. No L. Its almond... with an L for this Iowa girl.

Time to pack up the jersey...

I just returned from a Bears vs. Packers party, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl. The only great thing about today was getting together with friends... no amount of wine was going to make the game a little easier to watch. I even might have shed a few tears as I put away the Hester jersey for the year. I didn't even watch the AFC game....

We had delicious chili with all the fixings (it was a whole 10 degrees today, so a perfect day for it!). Also on the menu were amazing appetizers - and the Prairie Fire did make an appearance.

So, here's to hoping that the next season for the Bears is better!

Snow, snow please go away!

After the Holidays are over, its back to life as a sales representative securing Spring plant orders.

During the winter months, that means the weekly snowstorm to contend with.

There is nothing like setting appointments and watching the weather like a hawk. Even when I think of going South to avoid the weather, some places have as much snow as we all do in Iowa! Even in Virginia where Adam is, one whole inch of snow cancels hundreds of schools and events, sometimes even delaying government. Growing up (and looking forward to school snowdays in Northwest Iowa) we would all get excited when forecasters were talking 3-6+ inches! Only then, was there a slight, teeny tiny chance that we would be late or even canceled.

Some of my customers are ancy for Spring - I am too, but then I think of all the work I still have yet to do! It will all get done...usually with multiple Starbucks runs.

The best NEW little plants for SPRING!

Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season...

After the Holidays are over, I notice that I have a tendency to be a little ancy.
Or a lot of ancy.

I would like Spring, very soon (like now or as soon as possible!) and I'm thinking my customers are almost to that point. I am a sales representative for a very large plant grower, with a focus on perennials, trees, and shrubs. My territory is Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. There are quite a few long road trips with many miles in between, but I wouldn't trade my customers for the world.

Back to the plants- there are just too many new and exciting plants that I need to see!
Here are some great finds that you may need to keep an eye out for...

1. Bloomerang ®Lilac, Proven Winners  (Syringa X 'Penda' USPP20,575)

This is a new introduction from our friends at Proven Winners. Its is a re-blooming lilac, producing fragrant purple flowers in Spring, Summer, and up until first frost! It grows approximately 4 feet tall and would make for a wonderful hedge.Or, it could stay smaller if its in a container. Regardless of where it makes its home, its a wonderful addition to a zone 4 Midwestern garden!

2. Bombshell Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Bombshell')

This little hydrangea packs quite a punch! When we saw these growing in Tennessee, we honestly saw more blooms than leaves! The snowy white blooms are refreshing and hold up well in our summer heat. Bombshell only grows to approximately 3 feet tall and has better branching, compared to other hydrangea paniculata's. This plant does best in sun or shade, and comes to us from Ball Ornamentals in Chicago. It is a zone 3, perfect for the tundra! 

More great plants to come!