IowaDee

Dip 'em in chocolate and pass them out on Trick or Treat night. Why should you be the only one to suffer. I've never eaten one and now I scared to!

This is so interesting that I had to explore the culture more via Google. The amazing head dresses are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to wearing silver. They seem to be true artists in many ways including metalworking. I can see why it is a destination for tourists for both the food and the culture.

I agree, in fact I think of her as our Foogle, a cross between Google and Foodie She is our treasure.

Well, I hope you are able to stir up some excitement and the museum realizes what treasures they have. If nothing else, the artwork would make very appealing notecards. Thanks for sharing them here.

They remind me of Grandma Moses and her folk art. Real life everyday events are shown by someone who has lived them. Wouldn't it be fun to have a cookbook illustrated by the artwork? Or, on a smaller scale, a calendar.

Those are just charming. What is the medium?

Kind of like a tool for reverse liposuction! Cool.

Yes, Happy Birthday, wish Anna were there to share it with you.

Boy there's just something about seeing those words in print that makes it all real....great news.

Wonderful slide show, A photo of Porto happens to be my husband's screen saver.Hope your cute little rooster enjoyed the trip as much as I did. The various cheeses tempted me more than anything else

I love the effort you put into each photograph. They are tiny travelogues in themselves. And I come away from each one having learned something new. Thank you for that.

Yes, you will be missed but wish you the best and hope to see you back soon. You and Kerry are such a team, Batman and Robin? Tom and Jerry? Lone Ranger and Tonto? Abbot and Costello? Nope, even better, Kerry and Anna. Take Care and come back soon.

Sort of a "if you've got it, flaunt it" attitude. The "it" being poison. Just nature's way of telling potential predators to back off.

Just got Tacopedia by Deborah Holtz and Jaun Carolo Mena. As it states on the cover, contains the secrets and origins of popular Mexican foods. The illustrations remind me of those in Lucky Peach Also lots of great photos. Going to be a fun book to have.

I recently discovered the annual Cornbread Nation books. They offer a collection of the best of Southern food writing. I'm going to included one in every Amazon order until I have all of them. Not knowing anything about them, I brought number 7, the latest, and than went back to the start and grabbed number 1. At the rate I fill my shopping cart, I will soon have them all. Southern cooking is something I know little about other than BBQ so this will be an enjoyable education for me. Off topic but fun. Our local Amish scratch and dent just became a dealer for Big Green Eggs. It was a hoot to see the young barefooted girls in their bonnets giving us a sales pitch. I'm hoping we get to the demo and tasting this Friday Talk about culture class....

Oh gosh, and I was still working on my menu suggestions. So far: Walk the plank steak Parrot and raisin salad Peg leg o' lamb

I have one of the old Sunbeam mixers too! My grandmother gave it to me eons ago. It was a dinosaur when I got it but still chugs along like an old war horse. I still have the original bowl as well. Did replace the braided cord when it got too hot to handle. Wish new stuff had even half the useful life of the oldies. Not a piece of plastic on that baby.

And lots of those gold foiled wrapped chocolate coins for the wee pirates in training.

Hey sometimes an older base can be a good thing. More money for dining out, more time, no screaming little ones at the table. Even more sophisticated taste at times. Forgot about the amazing botanical center. We were there for the Chihuly show and fell in love with the place, We have several family members in Columbia with plenty of kids if St. Louis wants to rent them out ( and keep most of them)

Lucky, lucky me. Live just over three hours from St. Louis. Now in a addition to the world class zoo and my amazing baseball team I have yet another reason to make the trip southward! Love the town and I'm sure anything you do will only add to it. Not too big, and not too small, just right with a wonderful diverse population that seems to really enjoy their eating experiences. I do hope you end up there!

Are you looking for a location with more and better forging opportunities? If I had my druthers, I would head for the North-West but roots run deep sometimes

If you ever feel the need to adopt another cousin, keep me in mind. What a wonderful family tradition you have made and how lucky the people are who take part in it. Like so many have said, thank you for taking the time to share with us!

And I was so ready to settle in and enjoy watching what those greenhouses would produce. Like Shelby, I wish you luck no matter where your next venture takes you. You have shown that you have such talent and I love the fact that you're so willing to share it with all of us.

We had TJ's tamales today and I thought they tasted just fine until I saw the photos of yours. They look like the best tasting ones ever!

Oh yes, I live in a rural community with one market that has never had lamb or veal in any way shape or form. The next nearest market is 26 miles away and lamb shows up on their radar at Easter, veal never. Out of necessity ground beef works when there are no choices.