Category Archives: Food

2024, Business, Food, Uncategorized

Holy Cornmeal!

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Husband tried to make a hoe cake recipe the other day, and it was a disaster. Hoe cakes are traditional cornmeal pancakes. Husband’s family is from Eastern Ohio and West Virginia, and love all things with cornmeal. They even like cornmeal mush. I am really not a fan, I am afraid. I like my corn on the cob with butter dripping off it.

Husband decided that the problem with his hoe cakes was the cornmeal. Ours was too coarse. I found a Southern mill in Alabama that had extra fine ground white corn meal and ordered it. I was delighted to read that the company motto for the cornmeal was To God Alone Belongs All Glory. Well! That really appeals to the Lutheran in me. My college motto was Soli Deo Gloria. JS Bach initialed SDG at the bottom of many of his compositions. I may not like cornmeal or hoe cakes, but the company seems great! I love yeast raised pancakes and waffles.

What are your favorite kinds of pancakes? What company slogans do you like? Favorite Bach compositions?

2024, Business, Food, History, Mysteries, Travel

Where in the World is VS?

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Sliced bread was invented here. That’s right — the Taggart Company was the first place to start selling pre-sliced loaves of bread.

This is home to the world’s largest Children’s Museum, with over 130,000 artifacts, including an indoor carousel and dinosaurs guarding its walls

The original Union Station in this city was the country’s first “union” passenger rail station. Its initial construction was in 1853, but was rebuilt 30 years later. Union Station was frequented by many prominent figures, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman + Woodrow Wilson.     

The downtown Athenaeum was designed by Kurt Vonnegut’s architect grandfather.  It was originally used as a gymnasium and clubhouse by German-Americans striving to preserve their culture.

This city’s beloved Slippery Noodle Inn was a stop on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War, with enslaved people hiding out in the building before catching the northbound train nearby. Not only that, but it was also a watering hole during the prohibition era + a mobster hangout.

Speaking of Kurt Vonnegut, this is the home of the Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library!

Where am I?  Extra points for knowing WHY I am here!

2024, Family, Food, Gatherings, Kids, Travel, Uncategorized

How Do You Know

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Husband and I don’t travel very much. Twice a year I have to go to a conference in various destinations in the US or Canada as part of my work on a regulatory board, and Husband sometimes goes along. If I didn’t have to attend the conferences we wouldn’t travel as much. We are just too busy with work, gardens, and family pets to leave home very often.

This week we are visiting our daughter in Tacoma, WA. It is so nice to travel without an agenda or meetings to attend.. Wednesday we drove to Gig Harbor to a wonderful bagel shop and cooking store that Daughter loves, and walked around in the marina. We also saw a very strange tree.

We then had a lovely evening with Daughter and two of her dear friends, a married couple, at a wonderful Italian restaurant. Of course, we had to have a sampling of Washington wines masterfully curated by the friend’s husband.

My Husband asked this morning “How do you know you are on vacation?” To him, it means that someone else is letting the dog out, or else he is by a large body of water. To me, it means that I have no access to work emails, and someone else does the driving. Daughter has curated our trip nicely, planning visits to lovely restaurants and time with her friends, along with some great sightseeing. Yesterday we drove north of Seattle, stopping off at the Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon, then driving farther north and west to Anacortes, where where we got the ferry to Orcas Island and a B and B way in the middle of nowhere.

We were advised to travel there in the daylight, as the road there had so many switchbacks. It is a beautiful place. This is the view from the front room.

Today we go whale watching. By Saturday we will be back in Tacoma for more luncheons with Daughter’s friends, and an appointment at a candle making studio. Monday we go home.

How do you know that you are on vacation? What are the best and worst vacations you ever had?

2024, Family, Food, Technology, Uncategorized

Death By Toaster

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Husband and I got a new toaster the other day, trading in our British-made Dualit for an Italian SMEG. The Dualit worked great for about 20 years, but finally gave up.

One feature I really liked in the Dualit was the ability to raise up the finished toast over the top of the slots with the lowering lever after it was done. No need to stick your fingers in the hot slot to retrieve the toast. The SMEG doesn’t have that capability. The other day I was fishing some toast out of the SMEG with a fork when I heard a voice from the past, my mother’s, saying:

“Stop! You’re going to get electrocuted if you stick that fork in there!”

I think my mother said that to me every time she saw me making toast. I don’t know if anyone ever died by sticking a metal implement into a toaster after the toast was done, but she sure was going to make certain I didn’t.

I ignored the warning from the past and fished out the toast with the fork. I didn’t get electrocuted. The toast was good. Sorry, Mom. I am just going to live dangerously.

What safety admonitions did you get as a young person? How do you live dangerously? How do you like your toaster?

2024, Family, Food, holidays, Mysteries, Seasons

Eggs-tremely Envious

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Every year I am jealous of Renee.  Her daughter always tells her she wants an Easter basket and tells her what to put in it.  No guesswork, no trying to figure out what might appeal to a grown daughter.  SO JEALOUS.

As I mentioned a couple of times, YA likes the traditions of Easter but doesn’t like to admit it.  I’m not sure why; it’s the same with some other things.  So every year when I ask her what she wants in the basket, she says “Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs”.  That’s it.  Well, you all know me – it’s hard on my nature to fill up her basket with just one item.  Every year I get carried away and every year she enjoys it. 

This year was the same.  Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs.  I spent a few days thinking and routing through her room before I headed out to shop.  I wandered through Target and Walgreens and Cub – oh, and the Dollar Store (which really needs to be re-branded since everything is $1.25 these days).  I ended up with a handful of skin and hair products that I know she likes.  One Lindt chocolate bunny.  Amy’s Bunny Grahams.  Ghiradelli caramel bunnies.  Little bag of Garden Veggie Chips that are egg-shaped and in spring colors.  A lambie toy (this is technically for Guinevere – I tied an Easter ribbon around it’s neck).  Two Apple giftcards as YA is saving for a new computer – safely ensconced in spring giftcard holders that I made.  Cheddar bunny snacks and, of course, Reese’s PB eggs. 

It’s a glorious looking basket and even without the Apple cards, surely the most expensive basket I’ve ever assembled for her.

Why did the Easter Bunny get its job?

2024, Business, Food, Gatherings, Mysteries

End of an Era?

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I saw on the news that the last Hooters in West Virginia closed last month with a large candlelight vigil prior to its demolition.  The local news mentioned it ahead of time and several hundred people showed up. 

The vigil part of the story didn’t surprise me but the fact that there are still Hooters was the shock to me.  I haven’t heard anything about Hooters and I never see them anywhere but a quick search reveals that there are over 400 worldwide, including one right in my backyard – at the Mall of America.  Guess that’s what happens when you only go to the Mall of America once a year (to redeem birthday coupons at Auntie Annies and Cinnabon).  Since I’ve never eaten at a Hooters (just seems a little too tasteless of a gimmick to me), I can’t say whether all of West Virginia franchises closing is a loss or not.  But I know the chances are slim that I would ever go to a candlelight vigil for one.

Is there a restaurant that you’d consider attending a vigil for if it were closing?

2024, Food, holidays, home, Technology

Egg-citing!

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Last month, after my egg run down to the farm, I delivered a couple dozen to PJ.  We spent a nice hour chatting and I don’t think we talked about eggs once.

Then as I was leaving, Hans came down and when we told him I had delivered eggs, he starting telling me about his little egg cooker.  It wasn’t long before I was in the kitchen and he was demonstrating the various parts.  (There aren’t actually that many parts, so it was a short demonstration.)   It seemed very intriguing and with the internet at my fingers, I had ordered one before I knew it!

It’s a fabulous little contraption.  It makes soft boiled and hard boiled as well as omelets and poached, if you want to use one of the little plates that are part of the kit.  And it’s extraordinarily easy.  I’ve been using it pretty regularly – mostly for soft boiled eggs, which I haven’t had for years since I can never get them just right using a pot of water.  I also made a few hard boiled with eggs from the farm and got the brightest orangey-yellow egg salad I’ve ever had.

Unfortunately I can’t use it for the dyed eggs this weekend.  The cooker requires a teeny pin prick in the top of each egg and that pin prick will let all kinds of dye into the eggs when they are submerged.  Oh well, not the end of the world and my little cooker won’t be side-lined long!

Thanks for PJ and Hans for introducing me to my latest kitchen gadget!

When was the last time you dyed eggs?

Family, Fantasy, Food, gardening, Nature, Weather

Dreaming of Summer

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As I’m driving in the snow the other night, this quote came up on the CD I’m listening in the car, compliments of  Susan Albert-Wittig:

“It’ll be like eating summer out of a jar”

Now I’m not complaining AT ALL about the snow and rain.  After the dry dry winter, I’m glad to have the moisture and I’m sure my gardens will be happier for it when spring/summer rolls around.  But hearing the phrase about eating summer out of a jar reminded me of one of our old favorites:

The only canning I do these days is jam: strawberry and raspberry every year and then blueberry every couple of years.  Normally I enjoy my jam all year round but I’ve never spent much time thinking about it.  Hopefully I’ll try to think of it as summer in a jar in the weeks to come!

Do you have any foods that you think of as “summer” foods?

2024, education, Family, Food, Kids, Technology, Travel

Where in the World is XDFBen?

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A rhetorical question really. The photos will give it away. But I hardly ever get to say this so couldn’t pass it up.

A college sponsored vacation? Well, sure! At least for me. Kelly and daughter are the bonus on the trip.

Thirty four years ago we came here on our honeymoon. A year ago when I knew this event would be here, I said we couldn’t pass it up. And now I keep asking, do you recognize anything? Nope. Even the famous places, I know we were there, but not much recollection. And that’s ok. The weather was beautiful Sunday – Tuesday.  Wednesday was cloudy and Thursday It rained in the evening.

One day we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island. Standing on the deck watching the water, it was just beautiful. I tried to get that to be an indelible memory. I made a comment to Kelly that I thought it was pretty cool go back to an island we had been at 34 years ago and she pointed out we were on Whidbey Island, not Bainbridge Island. Damn. I don’t know where I got Bainbridge from. Well, I’m a writer, time to change the narrative! From now on, we went to Bainbridge Island as part of our Honeymoon. Wasn’t much to see there, it’s 55 minutes between returning ferries, and we were back to the dock in time to catch the next one returning to the mainland.  We all enjoyed the boat ride.

Tuesday we rode the Ferris wheel, we went to the aquarium, and we visited three used bookstores. Everything’s expensive here, but some of the food has really been good.

We hit some of the other tourist attractions, and got to watch them toss some fish.

Wednesday was the first day of the USITT conference, the United States Institute of Theatre Technology, and I am now a certified MEWP operator. Mobile Elevated Work Platform. Scissor lift, genie lift, all those big bucket things you see at construction sites or theaters. It was a good class.

Thursday I attended a soldering workshop and wired up a little LED strip,

got my hearing tested for free, saw a famous Broadway lighting designer and listened to her speak: Dawn Chiang.

Friday was a class on organizing your shop, which I’m hoping will be useful for home, as well as a class titled “the psychology of stupidity”. I’ll fill you in on that next week.

The convention Center: Two buildings, 6 floors. Getting my steps in. Not to mention how far UP HILL it is from the wharf to downtown. We were never lost, but I went the wrong direction multiple times. 

We rode the light rail and monorail, we met some friends here and had supper at their house, I made a couple new friends, and more surprising was the fact we three survived all being in one hotel room together for a week!

The people watching has been great!

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. 3,21, because down syndrome comes from the fact those kids have three copies of the 21st chromosome as opposed to two. That’s why it’s also called trisomy 21. Daughter is a pretty interesting kid. Lots of people will smile at her and make conversation with her, she says hello to a lot of people, and animals just love her. She’s kind of fun to hang out with.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE CERTIFIED IN?

2024, Business, Farming Update, Food, Mysteries, Nature

Spring Approacheth

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The weekend Farm Report comes to us from Ben.

Evidently at some point last summer, I took the corn planter seed units, the thing in the planter that picks up an individual seed, and drops it in the ground, I took the seed units up to my dealer to be inspected and upgraded as necessary. I say ‘evidently’ because I forgot about that until he called asking what I wanted done with them. Gosh, I’d have been ready to run out and plant some day and sure been surprised by the hole in the bottom of the tank where these go. And I’d have spent a long time digging around in the shop trying to find them!

They are getting new backing plates and brushes. $600 roughly.

I was watching an online auction last week and I had bid on a couple used corn planters newer than mine. I have a John Deere 7000 planter. Had been completely rebuilt when I bought it 20-some years ago. I think I paid $6000 for it. The 7000 planter was made from 1974 to 1986. At the auction were two John Deere 1750, 6 row planters. The same size as mine, but much newer than mine. One was in pretty good shape, and one was pretty beat up. But I figured if I could get it cheap, I could fix it up on my own time. They sold for $16,185 and $14,259 respectively. Plus, commission. Wowzer! A couple nice tractors: a 2020 front wheel assist with 4000 hours, sold for $181,500. A 2012 4-wheel drive with a blade sold for $178,000. I didn’t even bid on those. I should have, early, just to say I did. Golly.

So anyway, $600 for planter unit overhauls is a good deal. The important thing about planting, is having each seed dropped in the right place, 6” apart. That’s called “singulation”. And looking at the fields last year, my singulation wasn’t very good. Lots of misses, or doubles. The repair should help with that.

If you think about an ear of corn, next time you’re having corn on the cob, pay attention to the kernels. Notice the kernels at the bottom are sort of large and round? While the middle ones are flat? Seed is sorted like that, and some guys ask for ‘flats’ or ‘rounds’ in particular. Clyde, did you sort out seed like that?

I did get the starter put back in the  630 tractor. Bailey helped.

A hot air balloon landed at our place on Sunday. The dogs alerted me to it first and I saw it was way off to the south. A little later I noticed it really high off to the south. A little while later, it was very low and close to us, then it went up a bit again, then back down and landed at our place. He took off from the college, which is only a couple miles as the balloon flies, but there was no wind and it took him 90 minutes to get to our place and he didn’t have enough gas to go too much further. It was a real fun crew of people and for the first time in the multiple balloon landings at our place, they actually had champagne and did a toast.

That night I picked up pizza from a new place in Rochester, Red Savoy pizza. I picked it up wearing a John Deere cap, and the owner told me he worked at John Deere in Waterloo for a lot of years and he and I talked about tractors for 20 minutes. It was fun to meet these two diverse groups of such nice people. It felt good to reaffirm there are just fun, nice people out there.

WHAT HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN? HAVE YOU MET FUN PEOPLE LATELY?