sparrowgrass

My ex (affectionately known as "The Evil One") worked for the US Forest Service, so I made "Smokey Beer" and "Woodsey Ale". Now it is Sparrowgrass Hill Ale.

I have had a rather checkered career life--lord knows how many jobs in the past 30 years, and so I have seen any number of office fridges. When I worked for the health department in Kentucky, we had trouble with maintenance folks stealing food--we responded by affixing a bio-hazard symbol to the front, and stored our leftovers in medical sample bags. At my next job, with the humane society, care had to be taken to distinguish your lunch bag from the other brown paper bags in the fridge. Animals suspected of rabies had their heads removed to be sent to the lab for testing. The heads were placed in plastic bags or boxes, and then wrapped in brown paper bags to await pickup by the health department once a week. At my current job, the fridge is generally fine, but the microwave is frightening.

My mom taught me how to enjoy the outdoors, how to transplant wildflowers and touch snakes and walk barefoot and find fossils in the creek, how to garden and read and laugh. As far as cooking, I am afraid it was more what NOT to do: don't put the broccoli on to boil when you put the roast in, don't buy day-old bread from the used bread store, don't buy the cheapest generic everything. She did teach me how to make pie crust.

I did this Saturday night--really good and quick. I did have to tweak a bit--used brown sugar in place of the honey I didn't have, and added some grated ginger, because I am on a ginger kick right now. Really good--did I say that already?--with basmati rice and fresh sparrowgrass.

Miss Manners says to firmly grasp them by the wrist and say,"You will get hurt if you keep doing that." Look 'em in the eye when you say it.

I looked at the Betty's Pies menu, and it did seem much different than the last time I was there, which was probably 5 or 6 years ago. Never Mind, as Emily Littella would say.

It may be a bit more than three hours, but Betty's Pies at Two Harbors on the North Shore is famous, especially with hungry paddlers on their way home from the Boundary Waters. The North Shore drive is gorgeous, pie or no pie.

I took an extra hour at lunch today and tilled the rest of the garden, for the beans and corn and tomatoes. The peas, spinach, lettuce are up, asparagus is beginning, and the cabbage and brussel sprouts I put out a couple weeks ago look good. If the rain holds out til I get home, I will plant the beans and corn. Tomatoes and peppers will wait a week or so--I hate having to run out and cover things.

Maggie, I made that dandelion wine once. It reminded me of Uncle Rudy's silage pit. Yack.

Gives me heartburn.

Jerusalem artichokes are quite tasty, but don't eat them for dinner if you are planning to spend time in an enclosed space, like an airplane, or in car with your boss or new love interest. They tend to cause deadly flatulence.

I have had the same experience--moving paprika or chile powder. I now put all flour and spices into the freezer for at least 48 hours before I put them in the cabinet.

snowangel, I don't smoke meat, but I do make Maggie's 24 hour pork butt. I use a dry rub on that--a cup of brown sugar, several tablespoons of green chile powder, a tablespoon of cumin. It makes a lightly sweet, hot, caramelized crust that folks fight over. I think adding a layer of smoke would just take it right over the top! (Dang, I gotta make one of those soon.)

Armadillo is "possum on the half shell". (Yes, that is food related.)

I have chickens, and have a devil of a time peeling eggs. My mom told me to wash the eggs, put them in the fridge for 2 or 3 weeks, then set the on the counter overnight before boiling them. Since I have done that, my eggs peel just fine. Of course, I do have to plan ahead, which is why I colored NO eggs last weekend.

How 'bout Missouri grown rice? Their basmati and jasmine are sooo good--fragrant and tasty. I ran out of jasmine, and bought some "aged Thai" (Royal Thai? something like that) rice at the store--the Thai rice cooked up lighter and more separate, but was flavorless compared to the Martin rice. Martin Rice Company located in Missouri's bootheel country.

At the kitchen table. With a book, if I am alone. If it is bowl and spoon food, that requires no cutting, maybe in front of the computer.

Well, I am STILL battling pneumonia, but my sweet son came to visit and tilled for me, so I managed to do some planting. Plant a row. Sit down for a bit. Plant a row. Go inside and take a nap. Plant a row. . . . . Anyhow, I have lettuce, peas (5 kinds, I think-- 2 kinds of regular "English" peas, 2 kinds of snap peas, and snow peas), spinach, and broccoli in the ground. I put the electric fence up to keep the chickens and the dogs out. I still need to do some fertilizing, but will have to wait til I feel better.

Well, I am a Missourian, and you have chosen a beautiful place, and at a beautiful time. I am not a wine expert, but here is what I know. We have some wineries south of Hermann--near Ste. Genevieve. Crown Valley and Chaumette are 2 I can think of right off the bat. Crown Valley is an interesting place, to say the least. They have a B & B, and TIGERS. Chaumette Winery also has a B& B. The views from the main building are gorgeous. And when you get tired of drinking wine, come on down to Iron County and do some sightseeing--we have several state parks, including the highest point in Missouri, and lots of antique/junque stores, with amazing prices. And the best BBQ in the state. PM me if I can help you with anything else!!

I love celery. Before my divorce, I lived in a house full of celery haters. Whenever I brought the celery home from the market, I pulled that sweet, tender heart out and ate it all by myself, because no one else would touch it. Last Thanksgiving, I got the assignment of making the stuffing for the turkey. I stopped on the way to my mom's and bought the fixings, including a nice bunch of celery. I cut it apart, and proceded to eat the heart, just like usual. My brother, sitting at the counter working on his own creation, gave me the hairy eyeball and said, "Don't you think that is rude?" I had no idea what he was talking about, til he pointed to the celery and asked if I didn't think I should share the good part.

When it comes to gardening, Extension is your best friend. Try this link to find your local office.

Thank you, Linda. My mom is a southeast Missouri farm girl, and moved to Chicago when she married. Every year of my growing up, we came down to to Grandma's farm this time of year, when Chicago is miserable and snowy, and we smelled the new grass and daffodils. Come on down and visit, all of you. We will have a big slumber party, and eggs from the henhouse for breakfast, and then you can help me till and put the spring stuff out. (Otherwise, it may be June before I am up to running the tiller.)

I have been fighting pneumonia for 2 weeks, and I know I am really sick--that garden has been ready to till for about 10 days, but I just don't have the energy. Ordinarily, I would have lettuce, spinach, potatoes already out, but I. just. can't. do. it.

Peach preserves.