Hello Fresh and other news

Out of curiosity I used a coupon card and signed up for meals from Hello Fresh; one of the many subscription food services out in the world. And I found that like many things it is filled with false promises and inaccurate advertising. It was a lot of fun to look through the week’s menus and pick and choose what to look forward to for the week. The meals look delicious online and honestly when you cook them up out of their handy brown paper bag they tasted good. So the flavor and ease were a hit but there was so much waste with tiny packaging for sauces and herbs that as an eco-conscience person it was not a good fit. Also the advertising on their page is like “ten free meals…” which is just not true. You get a big discount on your first week’s order but the price goes up significantly after that. I was happy to give it a fun try at a time when it was just the two of us to cook for and we needed a mental health boost as we were trying to desperately leave winter behind. I will use the recipe cards again and again because the flavors were good – I’ll just plan to use my own pantry items here on out.

It’s National Poetry Month and I’ve worked this in to my lesson plans for some spring fun. I read a few excerpts from Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. I loved that many students knew many of the poems in this book and even had specific requests for me to read aloud. I had this book as a child and love Shel’s first poem inside. It’s still a great message for today.

Invitation

If you are a dreamer, come in.

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer,

If you’re a magic bean buyer, come sit by the fire

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin,

Come in!

I discovered a series of videos with Kwame Alexander sharing his experiences with writing that are engaging and short so perfect for students. He has kids chanting after him when he repeats his “blue black, blue black, black black” and they are amazed at how his words flow. Enjoy the week and embrace the Spring weather that is hopefully here to stay. I know I need the sunshine on my face.

May Day!

It’s the end of the month and we celebrated another birthday during this pandemic. We held up our signs to the birthday boy on his balcony and chatted for a about 30 minutes. No hugs, no feast together but just happy to be in each other’s presence. Now we are ready for May Day! I can’t believe it’s May but there you have it.

May 1st celebrates the changing of seasons, the ushering in of Springtime and dates back to the ancient Celts and their honoring of Beltane, which divides the year in half. I remember May Pole dancing taking place on this day in my small German town in Minnesota.

{Beltane source}

May 1st is also a day for worker’s rights starting in the year 1886 when the 8-hour work day was declared. On this day 300,000 workers took to the streets, leaving their jobs, striking for better conditions. The Haymarket riot took place just 2 days later in Chicago in a fight between workers and police. This was a very significant time for workers to gain some control over their work environment and lives. Grover Cleveland eventually moved Labor Day, the official holiday to celebrate workers to September

For me May 1st is all about the May Baskets which celebrate Spring and friendship. I’ve written several posts about it in other years because I love the message of the holiday. I have literally let the day go past a few times because I’m busy with work and this year I have nothing BUT time so we are creating beautiful baskets and will be delivering some time tomorrow. We made ours out of large craft paper folded like a big envelope and in the morning Groovy Girl and I will pop a big batch of popcorn to fill the envelope baskets and add some wrapped chocolate treats as well.

Enjoy…

Happy Easter

Happy April! Happy Easter!

I hope everyone communed with family and friends today, enjoyed a good meal together, searched for eggs, maybe had a lovely basket delivered by somebunny.

Spring started on March 20th and it is still freezing here. I must be having a bit of seasonal depression (or just depression) because the cold weather is very much affecting me this year. I see what looks like warm sun out there but the moment you walk out the door 33 degrees and wind will hit you. All week long it’s going to be like this and I’m not sure I’ll make it. I did make more bread yesterday and pizza dough as well. We had a delicious spinach, tomato, goat cheese, pesto and basil pizza last night for dinner.

I’m reading short stories by Flannery O’Connor and while I find them insightful and deep; the “N” word is really hard for me to read over and over. In front of a warm fire, I read and watch the birds (especially this one very bright red cardinal) flock to our backyard birdfeeder which is a good reminder that Spring will show up and the birds’ dance and play as they wait patiently just as I should. Happy living everyone.

April Days

Terrible rain storm here tonight, rumbling, with lightning. I enjoyed a walk with friends this afternoon around a large lake and it was cloudy and smelled like rain but lucky for us it held off. It came tonight with lots of rumbling and a light show display.

Groovy Girl and I are dog sitting for a friend and I had to bring the dog back here with me. Her sad yellow lab eyes looked at me through the door and I just couldn’t leave her alone. So we have a doggie sleep over guest who’s had a good time getting to know our house and our two labs.

{Pre and Post-baked shells}

I made one main major meal this week-Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce from Giada on Food Network. My brother made it for GG and I a few months ago and we both liked it. It’s a little labor intensive though so I made it last Sunday afternoon when I had the time. Throughout the week GG was able to eat the leftovers for dinner before dance. Next time I’d leave out the pancetta; I didn’t really enjoy the flavor.

While I was looking through some old blog posts I found this Sweet Potato Black Bean burrito recipe that I love. It is perfect to make and keep extras for lunches as well. Also I found this great recipe for breakfast sandwiches that can be made ahead. I’m trying to make Anton one every morning so he leaves for work with something for breakfast. The recipe says you can freeze these; I’ve just been keeping 3-4 ready to go packaged up in the fridge. It’s easy to take one out, heat in the microwave for 20 seconds, and hand it to him before he heads out the door.

Tomorrow we celebrate Easter with a church service where Groovy Girl will do a celebratory lyrical dance for about the 4th year and after we head to MN to have dinner cooked by my stepmother. I’m very excited to just sit at her table and enjoy the family around me. Blessing abound.

Where is Spring?

{Source}

It’s been cold, rainy, super windy here. For awhile. I need some sunshine and heat. I want to get out and walk outside around a big pond while the birds are chirping. I want to poke my fingers into dirt and plant a few seeds.

Every morning I wear my winter coat still to work. Today I actually didn’t need it when I walked out the door after school. Halleluja. But then I had things I had to get done and I’m left just gazing outside. I can hear a bird chirping loudly every few minutes. His chatter seems to say “Where is Spring?”

Now that I’m done with my inside meetings and appointments I’m headed outside for a quick run around the block, some stretches in the cemetary park across the street, and maybe, just maybe I’ll have some time to get some seeds started in my starter pots. For now I leave you with this springtime poem.

Spring

By William Shakespeare

When daisies pied and violets blue

And lady-smocks all silver-white

And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue

Do paint the meadows with delight,

The cuckoo then, on every tree,

Mocks married men; for thus sings he,

Cuckoo;

Cuckoo, cuckoo: Oh word of fear,

Unpleasing to a married ear!

When shepherds pipe on oaten straws,

And merry larks are plowmen’s clocks,

When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws,

And maidens bleach their summer smocks,

The cuckoo then, on every tree,

Mocks married men; for thus sings he,

Cuckoo;

Cuckoo, cuckoo: Oh word of fear,

Unpleasing to a married ear!

It’s Shakespeare…

Does he mean married men are mocked because it is Spring?

I don’t know. I like the rhythm of the poem though. Enjoy!

Could it really be Spring?

I do hope so. I need warmer weather. I’m tired of the cold.

One tree cut away}

We had warm weather a few weeks ago then it got cold, cold again. I had to get my winter coat back out of the basement storage closet. Yes, that cold.

Today it was warmer and we worked outside on the yard. Last week we had three trees cut down. I had the tree man leave them free standing as I didn’t want them just gone. We carried limbs from the front yard to the back and clipped them into smaller parts. They were river birches that had been planted years and years ago. They were tall and majestic and had bark that peeled back creating texture on the trunk.

Now we have enough logs for family fires all through the summer and fall. Lots of s’mores. The trees will continue to bring us joy but it’s still hard to see them gone.

They were dead though and had to go. Recently we had a large branch fall on a windy day, taking out the garage gutter. Another day, another storm and one of them could easily land on the roof. That would be an unexpected surprise.

I also had a chance to plant a few flowers, herbs, and 3 tomato plants. I’m ready for healthy spring eating and spending more time outside

{Groovy Girl enjoying new perch}

{My new reading spot}

Weekend Cooking; Corn Chowder

We have sunshine today and it’s been a glorious day. It’s rained all week though which made me wish for some sort of soup solace. Last night I made a corn chowder recipe that I’ve been waiting for just the right opportunity to create. That opportunity arose when Groovy Girl was invited to a sleepover yesterday. She and I had discussed this chowder and she’d told me in simple words “no thanks”. I waited until she was rolling down the driveway with her friend Emma before I started tossing ingredients together.

With little girl out of the house it defaulted to date night. We ate the soup, two bowls full, and then watched a movie together. I still managed to fall asleep by a little after 10. Bedtime rocks.

Corn Chowder
{adapted from The Mom 100 Cookbook}

4 slices of organic/local bacon
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 T unbleached flour
1 cup chopped onion or 1/2 cup shallots
1/2 cup chopped and peeled carrots
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 tsp thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups diced Yukon Gold potatoes (I did not use)
2 cups chicken or veggie broth
1 bay leaf
3 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 T thinly sliced scallions or minced fresh chives
Extra cooked and crumbled bacon for topping

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 4-5 minutes. Using a slotting spoon, remove the bacon and set it aside on paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tsp of fat from the pot.

Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until it starts to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add the onion or shallots and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper and thyme, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring until everything is well combined about 1 minute. Add the potatoes, broth, bay leaf, and the reserved bacon. Reduce the heat to medium-low, let come to a simmer, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes.

Add the corn and let simmer until the corn is tender, 4-6 minutes. Using a potato masher or a wooden spoon, press against the side of the pot to mush up the potatoes and veggies and to thicken the broth.

Add the milk and heavy cream, increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until tiny bubbles form along the edge of the pot, about 7 minutes. Don’t let the soup come to a boil or it might separate. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as necessary. Fish out the bay leaf, then ladle the soup into bowls and top with chives, scallions, and/or bacon.

This was a perfect easy meal. My husband had some fresh bread with it. I was happy with just the chowder. I’ll try this again in the summertime with fresh corn. I didn’t have any good potatoes to use so I just skipped the potatoes; it still tasted great. The soup wasn’t as thick but the flavor was spot on.

This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking meme. Click to her link to find many other food-related posts.

First day of Spring!

I went for a walk-about in my yard today to see if I could find any hints of Spring. Today is Spring Equinox and deep in my soul I needed to see a little sign that it would come. There are birds on the feeder flitting about, more than usual. I’ve seen squirrels getting extra friendly with each other but no real signs of Spring out there to me. I wanted to see sprouted green things as I marched around the yard in short sleeves, hopeful, but I froze and didn’t see one hint of sprouts. It is still dang cold out there even though we are seeing the sun a bit more and for longer in the day.

I had to search elsewhere for Spring. I read this Farmer’s Almanac article about the Spring Equinox which made me just want to see the “rebirth of flora and fauna.” I discovered this adorable dress growing over at Macy’s-it that made me think of Spring.

{source}

I unearthed these gorgeous tulip blossoms at Terrain that make me feel like Spring could be around some corner (not this corner but somewhere). My grandmother loved tulips and I loved to see hers pop up. I have bulbs planted and I can’t wait to see them shoot up soon, with deep hope that the squirrels did NOT dig them up for winter snacking.

I found these DIY projects that make me want to get down on my knees and dig in the dirt especially this fairy-looking bird house arrangement. Groovy Girl will love to help with this.

{source}

Isn’t that pretty! I’m going to gather the materials now so the first warm (really warm) day we can head out and put this together. I already have one bird house that needs a new home as it got knocked down during a winter storm.

What has you thinking Spring in your neck of the woods?

Weekend Cooking; Rhubarb, sweet rhubarb

Even though the calendar says June Iowa is experiencing spring weather. I have a light sweater on as I type. Our old brick house stands on a very shady lot and our house is usually cool inside but this cool and rainy weather is throwing our growing season off a bit. While the farmers are unhappy I’m happy to slow down our growing time as there are two spring crops that I adore; asparagus and rhubarb. Asparagus is pretty easy to enjoy plucked straight out of the earth but rhubarb takes some time in the kitchen to bring out its essence.

My mom made me a rhubarb cake a few weeks ago; it was delicious but she didn’t leave me the recipe and I wouldn’t want to repeat anyway but I had several bags of rhubarb from my mom and my friend Janice that needed to be dealt with before we leave on vacation. I know, I know I could have stuck them in the freezer to deal with later but frankly that felt like a cop-out. I do well under pressure.

Two years ago when we had the pleasure of vacationing on The Outer Banks, NC my mother-in-law brought the MOST delicious rhubarb-ginger jam with her for our toasting pleasure. I stumbled upon this jam recipe the other day as I went through my recipe folders. I made it that day adding almond flavoring instead of ginger because I didn’t have any. I made it again Friday night because the first batch was licked clean from its glass container. The recipe is so easy.

Try it:

Rhubarb-Ginger Jam

(makes about 5 cups)

8 cups rhubarb in 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

zest of 1 lemon

Combine the ingredients in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over med.-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium to medium and cook at least 20 minutes (it may take a little longer) stirring often, until the mixture thickens and mounds on a spoon.

Store in the refrigerator or put in sterilized jars to can.

Changes: I used brown sugar instead of white and I didn’t have crystallized ginger but I did have ginger root so I grated it but used probably only two tablespoons.

And here is my mother-in-law’s notes: “This can be eaten warm as a compote or chilled as a jam. I suggest straight out of the jar with a spoon. It would also make a great topping for ice cream or cake.”

It is just that good. I love it on a good piece of wheat toast or straight out of the jar!

{big fat rhubarb-lemon muffins}

That took care of two bags of rhubarb but I still had one more large bag and I took that and turned it into delicious rhubarb-lemon muffins. Oh, they are so good. Groovy Girl’s comment, “The rhubarb makes them so moist and the lemon makes them tart,” as she gobbled one up for breakfast. I replaced white sugar for brown sugar in the recipe as well.

This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking meme. Click her link to find many other food-related posts. Happy eating!

What's up?

Boy did May fly by or what? I cannot believe the last time I posted we were in Green Bay, WI. Since that wonderful trip we’ve had many graduation open houses (lots of food), baby showers (more food), and two weddings (more food and drink). For all this extra food and drink one might hope I’d done extra yoga. Sadly no. I’m too tired from all that extra food and drink and over scheduling.

I hosted book club two weeks ago, in fact the day after we returned from Green Bay. I like to host book club with something special and this time in connection with our book, The Snow Child, I made adult snow cones. If you’ve read this book you know the two mothers in the book often relax together with some homemade hootch and I replicated that idea with my own. I took a little from several different online recipes, waded through many snow cone pins and came up with a basil-infused simple syrup, mixed with a lemon-lime vodka and a twist of raspberry puree mix to give it a two-toned affect. Groovy Girl churned snow from ice cubes in a borrowed snow cone maker and I layered the mixture over. We had about six or seven pre-made drinks served in martini glasses and waiting in the freezer for the guests to arrive. This made it easy to hand them out as people shed their coats. We’d also stock piled some extra “snow” so all I had to do was pour over the lemon-lime mixture and the fruit puree.

{source}

I did not take any pictures although I should have. The book club members said they liked them and asked for more. We had a great time discussing this book as we sipped our icy drinks. We all liked the fairy tale quality mixed with the harsh background of 1930″s Alaska. I look forward to more from Eowyn Ivey. According to Good Reads she has another book in the works, something to do with wolves. I hope that is another fairy tale connection.

{King Arthur Flour}

I also hosted the first annual Memorial Day waffle breakfast for my friends Rocky and Mary Kay. The greatest part of hosting a casual brunch is that I stayed in my red plaid flannel pajamas for pretty much the whole day. I’m not one to wear my comfy’s all over town EVER but on a day off from school it just felt right. The waffles were delicious. My kids are little foodies when it comes to waffle or pancake toppings. The middle of the table was filled with fresh whipped cream, syrup, my Pampered Chef sprinkler filled with powdered sugar, peanut butter, TJ’s chocolate almond spread, a cinnamon shaker, and a bowl of sliced, fresh strawberries with just a little bit of sugar sprinkled on top. Oh, the possibilities were endless and you needed to have more than one waffle to try new combinations. The perfect a accompaniment was our white wine and orange juice mimosas served in new glasses, a gift from MK.

So we’ve been doing a lot of eating around here. I have a hard core yoga boot camp planned for this week to counterattack. Now that I’m technically done with school I can focus on other projects for a bit. {jumping up and down mentally for the end of this school year}

After The Snow Child I read the ARC of The Real Boy by Anne Ursu (loved it) and Defending Jacob by William Landry (excellent mystery!) -all reviews to come. My summer plan includes more reading mixed with my yoga boot camp.

Happy June!