Kitchen Snitch

What a wonderful weekend for farmers

2012-01-31T12:19:00.002-06:00

Joel Salatin has left the state. Fortunately for this Shenadoah Valley, Va., farmer author he slipped in and out of North Dakota between an ice storm and our first substantial snow. Not that he hasn’t ever experienced snow, but we didn’t want any delayed flights or excuses for people not to attend this fabulous weekend.

Salatin visited our state for the first time as the keynote speaker at two events hosted by FARRMS – The Art of Eating and Sustainable U. We gathered at Mezzaluna and the Holiday Inn in Fargo for these two well attended and enthusiastically received opportunities to hear Salatin speak. Of course, Sustainable U included many of our local sustainable ag gurus also in six special breakout sessions on Saturday.

If you have never heard of Salatin, a quick Google search will bring you site after site filled with videos, movies and books that feature the work of this humble farmer. He told me he never expected to become famous farming, but he did and here’s why…

Polyface Farm has become a model of sustainable farming with an emphasis on beef, pork and chickens. There are four generations of Salatins on the farmstead purchased by Joel’s dad. Rather than follow conventional advice for what to do on a farm, the family began building up the soils and forest areas rather than depleting them under a plow.

Using technology and logic, Polyface has become the place for clean meat as well as a place of learning for young people wanting to get into farming debt-free. The website puts it this way, “Polyface, Inc. is a family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm and informational outreach in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.”

The operation is transparent and the products are marketed directly to the public. People are invited to visit the farm to see where their food actually comes from. And, if you want to be entertained, or learn some new words like "pigaerator," then you must take the time to listen to Salatin speak.

Producers, farmers, gardeners, seed savers, greenhouse builders, farmer market managers, extension employees, NDSU faculty and others from many facets of life attended our conference. We can say it was an international event because one couple came from Canada to spend some quality time with Salatin. The weekend zipped by way to fast, but that was because there’s only three part-staff with FARRMS and so we relied on many of our friends and some great new volunteers to assist in the details of the weekend. We made a mark on Fargo and people will be talking about this event for weeks to come.

If you missed it, there are opportunities to see some video footage of Salatin as well as an interview by Cindy Gomez-Schempp by visiting the High Plains Reader Website (http://hpr1.com/) or you can find links on both the FARRMS and High Plains Reader Facebook pages.

Photos and the Art of Eating video can be found at www.farrms.org.

Also, you can put Salatin’s eighth book called “Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World” on your Chistmas list. It’s available from Amazon.com and other booksellers.

So for this week’s small bite of local information, listen to one of Salatin’s compelling talks promoting the economic, health and social benefits of “knowing where your food comes from.” Next week, I’ll go back into time and tell you a little more about FARRMS before we move on to seasonal eating. As always, send me your questions or comments at sbalcom@farrms.org.

We left it for dead

2011-08-04T06:57:00.000-05:00

The bulb had bloomed in February and was magnificent. Three or more large amaryllis blooms in the dead of winter. It was a reminder of our will to survive. When we hurriedly moved out of our house in May under the impending flood that destroyed our property we had to make a few decisions to throw or leave some of our junk behind. Dealing with our pet - well, we were fortunate in as much as someone was able to take him home. The plants, well, they had to be divided between a few people and my new temporary office.
The bulb however, after blooming, became unruly and the pot kept tipping over from the weight of the long leaves. So I decided to leave it behind.
I put it in the raised bed on the west side of the house. I did not expect it to survive. If the water had risen as high as first expected, it may have floated away. But it didn't. It turned even more yellow and disappeared, melting into the soil like everything that has passed the four seasons of its life.
What vegetation survived the rise and fall of the water struggling to survive was eaten immediately by the wildlife in the area, save this bulb.
Imagine my surprise when I rounded the corner of the house on one of our visits and there it was. The old was gone and new growth was vigorous and green, untouched by the deer and racoons.
I rescued it and brought it home with me where it now resides on the patio table outside our new living space. With the rain and the warmth is has doubled in size already.
So you know, the bulb was a gift from Pastor Bob and Karen Nordvall. I hated to leave it behind. I hated to see it die... but in its death it has returned - on its own to a new green and healthy living thing. I am wondering is there's a lesson here and if it's the one I have to learn, or one of many I have to learn during this ordeal. I only know this for sure. There is a great deal of rejoicing in this seemingly simple act of rebirth. The blessing of the new is hope.
I do not have my well-worn Bible. We moved so fast we were unable to decide what we would need and of course we had no idea how long we would be out of our house. So here's the thought for the day. I do hope you have a blessed one.
Hebrews 11:1
[ Faith in Action ] Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Apparently it didn't work

2011-06-26T07:38:00.000-05:00

Buying an umbrella didn't work. It's raining this morning. I used to love the rain. Now I'm scared of it. As there is water everywhere in this state. A story in the paper this morning confirmed my worst fears... the trees will die a slow and painful death underneath the waters of the Missouri River. The shelterbelt behind our home protecting us from the north wind will be the first to go. I spend time underneath the boughs of those trees, protected and quiet. There is no sound like the sound of the wind through the spruce needles not mention the pheasants and mourning doves that survive our winters in the arms of those trees.
In my dreams I imagine our property without those trees, and it's heartbreaking. We will be exposed on the plains, protected only by the trees that perchance survive on higher ground to the north and west of us. I am so sad today, so very sad about the trees and keep thinking there will be a miracle, could there be a miracle and this water could go away tomorrow and my life could resume some sense of normalcy?
It's like a dream. A confusing dream between realty and our current life which continues around us - as it should.

I married a river rat

2011-06-25T11:44:00.000-05:00

I married a river rat. Growing up in the coteau region of the state, we had sloughs and we waded in them, but we did not have a river. We didn't canoe, kayak or boat. My grandfathers and uncles fished, but we just didn't go near the water. Oh, there's Salt Lake near Streeter; we used to go and drink beer there, but I have heard that body of water is huge these days and actually joined forces with another...
So, when I first moved to Mandan, then Bismarck, then Mandan, I did not go near the river. Nope, had better things to do I guess, I liked camping. We spent some time camping at the tail race near Garrison and at Little Yellowstone Park south of Valley City, but I didn't go near the river. I heard it was evil.
Then I met a river rat. There were lots of them, like a secret underground civilization, we spent the weekends, every single weekend on the river. We had a houseboat. Days were spent on the shore, around campfires, looking for rocks, fishing, just hanging around. Evenings were on the boat. Sleeping on the water was awesome. It was the river and me. The moon reflecting off a still shining ribbon making its way south. The boats were gone, the jet skies gone, it was quiet. It was heaven. And, now, we are living near the river, on an old river channel in fact. We couldn't launch our boat, we couldn't fish, but we enjoyed the big old cottonwood trees. I could hang my laundry out all year long, and I had a garden irrigated with river water from an old channel that Chuck Mork dug for his fields. I love that place, I loved the river. As an artist, I drew inspiration from the river, wove baskets out of cottonwood roots and made candles in the sand. But now, I'm kinda disappointed in the river... for taking over my small piece of property, my garden, my flocks of turkeys and pheasants. I want to go home. It's been about 27 days since we have been home - my tablecloth is getting larger every day. It's that I don't love having a host home. We are getting fed like queens and kings and feel very comfortable indeed. But, I want to go. I promise never to complain about my house being too small, or too old or having old furniture again.. And, I'm sure I will grow to love the river again, because you cannot deny the beauty. Square Butte is so green it looks like Ireland north of our house. One day at a time, we will get by.

Tablecloth pattern

2011-06-24T07:38:00.000-05:00

Here is the tablecloth pattern.

My flood project

2011-06-24T06:26:00.000-05:00

It's very difficult to blog when I don't have a garden or a kitchen; I don't know where my ice cream maker is or my new pressure canner which I will not be able to use this year at all.
So I went to Hobby Lobby and bought a crochet hook, because I don't know where those are either, and a large spool of Aunt Lydia's number ten thread. I wish I had bought a little bit higher quality thread because I started making Duncan Phyff motifs and all of a sudden I had a purpose. I'm doing one motif for every day I am out of my house. SO far, that's 24 motifs, plus one cause I work ahead some evenings. Here is a photo of the pieces so far. It's a lovely pattern and we have a large table... so I just might have an heirloom piece when I'm done. Or, I will auction it off because we are trying to save money for moving back into the house. WE are going to need some trees and some paint and some electrical and some furnace work and who knows what else, flooring and carpeting perhaps.
Which reminds me... we also have a large amount of artwork, beautiful photographs that we couldn't bear to store in a truck for fear they would be spoiled. If anyone needs artwork, they are all for sale and can be see by appointment until we figure out how to have our own art show.
Just call me at 527-5169. And then, since I won't be snitching on my kitchen I have yet one more project that I would ask you to support. We are creating a cookbook for the Ashely 125th celebration. It will be a coffee table book with recipes and the food culture of the Germans from Russia. I am working with a group of heritage tourism folks from Logan, McIntosh and Emmons counties and have developed new website and blog for that project. SO, I ask that you direct your attention to www.dasguteessen.wordpress.com to keep tabs on my work and the stories of others.
Don't be a stranger and Gute Essen... even if I haven't cooked for nearly a month.

Well, there's more

2011-06-17T14:43:00.001-05:00

Visit to our home, 2011 Flood 145,000 cfs
You know, I finally accepted the fact that my house is going to be livable again someday, but now I'm thinking what is the property going to look like? Is the grass going to die? Will my garden beds become warped and overgrown to the point we have to start over again? Will our trees die. If they do and the chances are pretty good, how we the birds survive. My turkeys and pheasants and mourning doves will no longer have shelter from the north wind. And neither will we.
So, just wanted to share the progress...

Hope

2011-06-11T07:26:00.000-05:00

In the old days when we had more time to play and less upkeep on our home, we used to play a Jay Leno or some late night talk show host game called "will it float?"
We would drop something in the river and take a guess as to whether or not it would float. And, no we weren't dropping in toxic chemicals or things that would float around forever like plastic bottles... although some folks do things like that and it's not very nice.
These days there are more than cans and bottles floating in the river, entire trees are going by the area, dead and alive. But as we were packing up the house, I decided to take a brown bottle, write a note and stick a cork in it. I put my phone number on the note as well as my email address and now I'm waiting for someone to find it. Will they? I do not know. Of course by posting this note, I may be in danger of being arrested by the corp for trashing the river, but oh well, the river trashed my house so I'd call it even.
I also added a rubber ducky to the river with a message on its bottom. Who knows what the current did to that. These days I'm just hoping and praying that my house doesn't make the news floating by Bismarck.
Today I feel rested, the sun is shining and I feel like I could do something. We are going to pursue the idea of finding a house to buy in the interim. It may or may not work, we really don't have the means to buy a second property, but we have to do something, so we are going to try. I'm getting spoiled having Mary and Ken take care of us. We are so very appreciative of the fact we have a place to rest and eat and have coffee... and we are in good health. I had some not so good news from a cousin of mine. It grieves me deeply to feel sorry for myself when I'm not losing a family member at a young age to cancer. It's a new day and I'm going for it -- Tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday and my friend Pat said they are using the altar cloth I made Pastor Bob some years ago when I was actively weaving.
It is red and gold and yellow and orange and has a white dove in the middle of it. I also made him a robe to wear - tie dyed or dip dyed or stained as many people have copied my dying technique in the past five or so years... As good hearted as he was, PB actually wore that robe in public once. Then he said, "It made me feel so hot, I just don't think I can wear it anymore." LOL. I love that guy. So here's my two thoughts of the day. Celebrate the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us in prayers when we don't know what to pray for. I'm sure that's a common theme these days of flooded homes and broken dreams. And, remember (Getting back to the original theme of this post) SOAP FLOATS.

To sleep perchance to dream

2011-06-09T06:55:00.000-05:00

Sleep is flooded with dreams of water. Seeing photos of houses surrounded with water and imagining the damage puts an unseen pressure on your rest. It doesn't matter who owns the house, there's lots of them out there waiting for water. It's on the rise. The last photo I saw of Lola's flower bed made me think the bulbs will not survive being under water for three months. As you know, after three months, winter sets in. There may be a lot of ice skating opportunities...
Of course, that's a long way off, for now we must get through each day. We have good days and we have bad days... a glimpse of hope or the remote possibility that this isn't really happening, but I'm afraid it is.
I'm determined to keep an eye on my garlic patch. I may have to wade over to it, but I'm thinking with a raised bed it just might not be covered with water. Not that I have a kitchen to cook with or a place to store it, but I could have a fund raiser for flood relief - or a new house. My community garden plot is looking good. It's at that awkward stage where you can't really weed cause I didn't mark the rows so I have to wait until everything is up so I can see where it is planted. This is where leaf ID experience comes in handy. I'll keep you posted. I could be blogging every day but I have to get past my low spots first. Now that the reality has set in and we have begun to move on to what we could do next to save some of the summer, I feel a little more hope - or not. It depends. The ever changing news and the photos aren't always positive, but there are things that I'm truly grateful for. Today, I'm really grateful for an office. I loved my at home office, but I don't have a home anymore. God provided me an option - Bill Patrie offered me a space a couple months back, but I choose to stay at home. Now I'm tucked safely in the conference room at 400 West Main, Mandan. It's a beautiful building and the space is cozy and quiet and I love it. And, I'm kinda back home again. There's Capp on Collins and the people at the post office - and the city folks, but I'll wait until things calm down a bit before I begin my weekly visits. Gotta run, but I'll be back, thanks to each and everyone of you that has donated time and advice in our moment of need... God has a plan, I can see glimpses of it through the tears.

Our final goodbyes

2011-06-03T20:49:00.000-05:00

We took one last trip to our house today... as the water encroaches ever closer to the roads leading to our home. We will have to wait until the water is high enough enter the property by Kayak to go back and see just how high the water will get. WE are praying for a miracle, even a small one. We are going to lose the furnace and hot water heater because the water will surely fill the crawl space. I don't know how to move back into a house devastated by water. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that this river with all its "dam" control would bring so much uncertainty and angst in my life.
I had to say goodbye to my flowers. Of course, with out our activity the deer took the liberty of eating off the daisies, and poppies and I'm sure Lola's irises are next. My garlic looks marvelous and we ate as many small radishes as possible today. My lettuce mix is doing well, the bugs like it as much as I do... but I had to try all the varieties. There are kohlrabi and beets coming up too, but I didn't even take the time to thin them. If the river floods and then recedes fast enough, we will have a marvelous potato crop. If not, well... maybe the incoming carp can eat their fill.
Now that the sandbagging is winding down and we are bracing for the full force of this first flush I'm going to plant my community garden. I almost can't stand the wait. I hope I can find all my seeds. I checked my tomato plants on Thursday - they look wonderful. With warm weather and high humidity, they should really produce and if they all produce, and I cannot can or pressure can like I had hoped, I will take them to AID Inc. and offer my pounds to the Hunger Free ND Garden Project.
I'm also thinking that maybe I will have time to work on the cookbook project for the Germans from Russia. I had a minor setback this week with being very tired and so very preoccupied with the flood... but I'm hoping after the garden and some sleep I will be able to get back in the swing again. I took some photos, but my card reader as well as other things are at the office. Yes, I have an office. My at home job didn't last very long and I'm sorely disappointed... but I'm glad I still have a job. So here's a list of things that keep me going.
1. I'm going to get chickens, one or two, for sure when I have dry land again.
2. I'm going to get a new couch.
3. Maybe I'm going to get a new house... we are thinking about a yurt so we can pick it up and leave when the next flood comes.
4. Maybe I'm going to get a farm inland.
5. I'm not going to collect so much stuff...
6. I'm never ever going to complain about the dust on the floor ever again.
There may be more, I'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, appreciate your friends and your home no matter the size or number cause just like that... well, you know. I'll keep you posted on the garden and the cookbook project which I have been wanting to do for decades... Gute Essen.

A new chapter in my life

2011-06-02T07:13:00.000-05:00

It's been days since I witnessed the sun rising. Days since I the birds twittering woke me at the start of dawn. I'm heartbroken and homesick and it's only been a week since we began to pack up our belongings and place them in storage along with our plans.
It was to be a good year for gardening. I had time off from teaching and a part-time job. The rest of my time was going to be tending the vegetable and herb gardens which have yet to be planted. God has other plans. The empty shell of my home, all the money I had potentially for my end years and all my dreams are perched on the bank of the Missouri River waiting for the river to rise.
I'm in disbelief that this could be happening - my neighbors working frantically to get out of their homes, sandbag or just deal with the shock of being displaced. The farmer's fields are planted and as of yesterday he continues to care for them and wonder what is going to happen. Oh yes, we live north of Mandan on the high side of the river. The house has been there for 30 or so years, a modest house that we have been working on for three years. We haven't been in the center of the activity but it doesn't hurt any less to lose our life savings at an age where we may never have time to recover. It doesn't matter, or so I can say in a most painful way. But now my life is not my own. I cannot plan on eating fresh vegetables from my garden, or canning them for the winter. I cannot even cook, I don't know where my things are - buried deep in the back of a trailer. I'm trying to concentrate on work, but you know, it seems pretty pointless at this time of despair and grief at the loss of our possessions. When we were through, my husband began sandbagging and helping others down south. I went with him before I left town for work and it felt good to be outside and working hard.
We have a lot to be grateful for - JC's co-workers swooped down on our home and packed it up in two days. We found a semi-trailer to rent for a couple of months so all of our things are in one place. We found a home for our cat and some things from the garage. My garden plants are still waiting to be placed in the soil. I may or may not get to do that this weekend. It depends on the community garden plots in Mandan, the weather and a higher power that really does control our lives.
“Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in everything prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6).
I'm so thankful to everyone who helped us move and am really grateful that we have a place to sleep and now we must wait upon the Lord. I'm not sure nothing short of a miracle can save the empty shell we used to call home so I'm working on peace and acceptance that everything will be made new for the glory of God.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

2011-05-12T09:19:00.000-05:00

Yes, we do... ice cream is a favorite of mine and we eat a ton of it... so it was only natural curiosity that led me to investigate a recipe for eight-egg ice cream in an email from Mother Earth News. I had eggs, straight from the farm and thought to myself, "how hard can it be to make ice cream?" It's not.
Shortly after I purchased an ice cream machine - yep, turns itself, does not require rock salt and ice, just a little freezer space - I found a post from a home economist about why ice cream purchased from the local grocery store stays so soft.
Mind you, I have questioned the refrigerator's freezer many times in a concerned manner because I have felt for a long time now that the ice cream is never hard. It worried me a bit because if the freezer can't freeze ice cream, what can it freeze. The ice cubes leave a lot to be desired from the automatic ice cube dispenser but we think that's a water pressure issue and not a cold issue. The ice cream on the other hand... hmmmm. Why doesn't it ever freeze hard. You know that if you have to work harder at digging out scoops of creamy, dreamy vanilla you won't eat as much.
Well, shortly after my eight-egg ice cream experiment, I discovered the post about why ice cream doesn't freeze anymore. Antifreeze. Yep, you know the stuff that kills cats and other small animals when they drink it. Oh sure, this is food grade antifreeze, approved by the FDA in small amounts. Yeah right, small amounts that accumulate in your system over the years until... well - fill in the blank. Oh sure, you say, we are too old to care anymore, what will it hurt us. Do you deny your children ice cream in the name of anti-freeze. Just let them sit and watch you eat and tell them, it's not good for you. No, you really should do something about it. Try some homemade ice cream. It's so easy, I'm thinking why didn't I do this before. I can make small batches in a heart beat and I have discovered that you can mix and match ingredients and come up with your own version of BlackJack Cherry... and that was only my fourth batch. I tried Mexican Chocolate with cinnamon and cayenne pepper; vanilla bean vanilla and fresh strawberry. As soon as it warms up and I can use some fresh herbs which have not yet been planted, I can do spearmint, basil and lemon balm ice cream... and of course, I'm going to try apple cinnamon, rhubarb and strawberry and chokecherry.
In the meantime, start small. Oh, and if you click on the links for ice cream machine and antifreeze you will find a place to purchase an ice cream machine and the blog about the antifreeze. My grandmother would be proud. You can make sorbets, yogurts and ice milk also if you can't eat all that whole milk and cream.
Now if only I could find cream from a cow like we used to get...

Ingredients:

1 vanilla bean
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
8 farm-fresh egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Cut vanilla bean in half length-wise.

Run the blade of a knife perpendicular to the bean across the inside to scoop out all those tiny delicious seeds!

Add the bean pod and the seeds to a pan and pour in the half-and-half. Heat until small bubbles appear around the edge. Let it sit and steep a bit to absorb all the vanilla goodness. Eventually, fish out the vanilla pod.

In a separate bowl whisk together the sugar and farm-fresh egg yolks.

Start adding the half-and-half mixture little by little to the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk thoroughly after each addition until it's all well incorporated. I've been known to add the cream at this point and be done, but if you want to make sure the eggs are cooked thoroughly you can return the custard to the pan, and heat slowly before adding the cream.

Be sure to strain. I left the little black seeds in there... it looks more authentic.

We put this in the freezer to cool. Don't freeze it; just leave it in until it has a chance to chill, about 30 minutes.

I then pour it into our ice cream maker and let it freeze. It comes out deliciously creamy, decadent and wonderful. For sundae scoopability it will need to set up in the freezer for about an hour. You can freeze it for weeks, but it will need to be thawed a bit so you can scoop it... no antifreeze in this recipe.

It's mother's day

2011-05-08T07:22:00.000-05:00

Not sure what that means, because if you are a mother, it's an everyday occurrence - for your entire life. This year does hold a special treasure in as much as I became a grandmother for the first time in February. And, I will again in August. Two little girls - Elle and Lucy. I do hope they bring joy and happiness to their parents because now that I am removed from the actual act of parenting (well almost) I can look back upon those times and say they were the best years of my life. I may not have been Mrs. Cleaver, but I tried the best I could.
One day I was reminded of a time when I traveled almost every weekend. Usually Adam went with, but I'm thinking this particular show was while he was still young enough to stay with my mom. It must have been winter because he created a survival kit for me to put in my van. It used to be with me always, and yet I couldn't remember what happened to it when I moved. I did have to get a new vehicle and perhaps that was when it ended up on a shelf in the garage; then I moved. Many things were given away, sold or lost in the shuffle and this really was an old can, not plastic, but a metal coffee can. Not Folgers, or maybe Folgers special in a dark brown can. So I was thinking about it and really wishing I could look at it one last time. It was the memory I was searching for.
Well, it's gardening season and while rummaging around looking for a trowel in the shed I came upon that can. The plastic was cracking, the edges were beginning to rust and it was dirty... but the contents were all there. Paper, pencils, Snickers bars, candles and toothpicks. I'm not sure why the toothpicks and I think I used the matches for something else at one time.. But I saved it mostly for the note...

Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there who has had a child, lost a child, adopted a child, been a child. May God bless you and answer your heart's prayers - even if it's only to find a note from one of your children.

The flower of my youth

2011-04-27T07:29:00.000-05:00

Pasque flowers grow best in fields where
cows kick up the soil and spread them
around, not to mention provide some fertilizer.

We walked to grade school down a hill, through a field and around a slough to get to the white two-story schoolhouse on the top of a hill. The swing set was large and made of heavy metal poles. There was not grass to mow, only natural prairie. The second story wasn't utilized at the time I attended grades one through five and the basement - dark, dusty and concrete - was used for play time during the cold winter months of my childhood.
My brother would walk me to school before he was transferred to high school in Kulm. I called him grasshopper because I couldn't keep up with his long legs. Not to mention he was six years older than myself and well, I don't think big brothers really like their little sisters tagging along after them.
We took the gravel road when the fields were still to wet to cross... but when spring finally arrived we flew kites and tramped around the hay bales in a era before television became such an attraction.
I'm the kind of person that walks with my head down. I liked to find rocks and other found objects laying around on the ground. It was particularly enjoyable to go out after a long winter and see what the ground coughed up when the frost melted. Old marbles and army men lost the summer before. Maybe an old rusty nail or piece of jewelry - fodder for sure for my vivid imagination. And there were the pasque. We called them crocus and it didn't matter at all to us as we just loved to see those little buds opening to the warm sunshine and fresh air. Symbolic of the earth waking up after a long winter nap.
Picking them was tempting, but they don't last long in a vase. Now I make my yearly trek to the pasture to shoot photos. I have many many photos of the pasque in the early morning light and the evening sun. Passing by the field on Easter Sunday there were no blooms, but by Monday noon they were everywhere. You can spot them by the white ghostly glow they give in the sun because of their very hairy stems. We had to go Monday evening to shoot photos because the forecast called for rain. And sure enough, it has not stopped. They are delicate flowers, various shades of purple with a yellow center. Not only do we love them - and perhaps it was from this early flower that we derived the colors of Easter (purple and yellow) - but bugs love them also. So, if you want really good photos you have to catch them almost immediately. Last year it snowed the day after they appeared and I got a photo of one flower holding an armload of snow, I'm sure thinking about the same thing we were - whens it going to end.
Let's blame Easter. It was late this year and so is spring, but there are indications of warmer days to come... just not fast enough for some of us...

Blessed Easter

2011-04-23T08:38:00.000-05:00

Easter makes me think of my grandmothers. Our family put a lot of store on going to church religiously and celebrating the holidays. Without a doubt we made the journey to Wishek for every Christmas and Easter and spent time at both grandparents house.
It was a time for treats, although they were nothing like today's baskets of goodies and constant stream of sugar - but real treats.
Things we didn't get except for the holidays - perhaps that is one of the reasons those days were both celebrated and anticipated by everyone. Okay, so sometimes we fought the fact that we had to spend the day at our grandparents house, but in the end it was a good thing our parents made us go.
We had a good meal and cookies. My grandma Kaseman's pickles were the biggest treat. They were so awesome. I am still working on perfecting pickles... so I am anxiously awaiting planting season, which by all reasoning should have been a few weeks ago, at least for the cold weather crops. However, it has been wet and rainy and there's been snow. But today, the sun is shining. Drops of water are glistening on just about every blade of grass. At last - we are going to see spring.
No doubt, if we had a mind to park our lawn chairs next to the iris patch, we would see them grow today.
I have a cactus rescued from a grocery store clearance table. It has been limping along for years now and I haven't had the heart to throw it out. It doesn't grow, it just sits there. Until this year. I do not know how plants know when it's Easter? Was it the gloomy weather? Was it the fact that Easter is almost a month late? Somehow this little cactus is going to reward my kindness with blooms. I remember only one other time that this plant bloomed for Easter. The buds are still closed, but I can't wait to see the pop. My other plants - a whole studio full of flats of tomatoes, peppers, lemon balm, two kinds of basil and one or two surviving ground cherries - need some sunlight too. Artificial light is fine, but they are getting a bit spindly.
So here we are celebrating spring and Easter - the most important day in the church. And it's sunny out today - I must go out and see what's come out of the ground. I'll get back into recipes as soon as possible. I am doing some experimenting with ice cream - yes I bought a small ice cream freezer, and a pressure canner... ummmm. I can taste the veggies already. It smells like a garden in my studio and when I brush my hands across my tomato plants I can smell the garden... Yeah Spring. Yeah Easter. Remember why we celebrate Easter - so we may live again like seeds in the soil over winter yearning for the light - Christ has risen... He has risen indeed.
Celebrating life - here is a video of my beautiful granddaughter...

It's still winter out side my window

2011-04-20T06:33:00.000-05:00

If the sun doesn't shine pretty soon, I will have to take my tomato plants to a tanning bed. The poor things have been under artificial light for weeks now and struggling to fill out. I did a beginning gardening session with a group of 4-H students on Monday. I told them someone is going to have start turning me towards the light every day because I'm not getting enough sun. In fact, I forgot what the sun looks like. We did see the full moon on Saturday night though. It was really beautiful and had been waxing under the cloudy skies hidden from our view.
Little green shoots from iris and lilies have been trying to grow to no avail. Yes, there's plenty of water out there, but without the sunshine and some warmth, they have no desire to stick their necks out. Hopefully the setback isn't going to be permanent.
There's been a horrid spring cold making its way through the ranks of college students, work and my home. It's taken the "spring fever" right out of me. Our only saving grace is we aren't dealing with flooding on top of the slowed down feeling of tromping through daily snow storms and driving in the some of the worst conditions I have ever experienced.
I'm going to blame a late Easter on all of these conditions. We laugh at the folks who religiously plant their gardens, or at least their potatoes, on Good Friday. Well, guess what? Even though Good Friday is coming up... with the forecast there will be no gardening. My garlic hasn't even show signs of life yet. The good news is the birds have stayed. A pair of mourning doves greet the dawn, but I'm not sure how they know where the sun is. And, what a difference the songs of birds make - as if they know that winter won't last much longer, they continue to sing. It makes all the difference in the world. So when spring finally gets here, it will be like a huge weight has lifted from everyone. I'm guessing there'll be dancing in the streets...

A place to call home

2011-04-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking not everyone has a place to call home. Sure, everyone has a house, an apartment, perhaps parents and siblings, but not everyone has a place to call home. I do. What a gift. What's home? Well, last night we went to Wishek to see Dakota Air - a program by Merril Piepkorn that airs on Prairie Public Radio. We went for two reasons - okay maybe more. It's been a long and snowy winter in North Dakota and without much daylight, one feels the need to stick close to home. Also, I have been working every weekend since the beginning of March. Not that that's a bad thing, but boy, I need a couple of days off in a row to recoup. So, we decided to go see a show. Sure it would have been easier to see the show at Belle Mehus in Bismarck when it was here, but it wasn't home.
By making the drive in some of the most beautiful rolling prairie this state offers, not only did we feel entertained but, for me, it was like going home. The community center was filled to the gills with uncles, aunts, cousins, second cousins, my mom's cousins, second cousins once removed and friends. It was a blast. I wish I could have stayed all night - however, we barely made it home by midnight and I'm on the road again today - traveling to Valley City for the movie FRESH.
It's a movie about food - and let's face it - those Germans from Russia love to eat. In fact I baked 12+ kuchen yesterday and four pies before we went to dine in a small restaurant in Linton. Only to find out that the fireman were having a fund raiser in Wishek and we missed it. Not to mention the homemade food for $8 bucks or less.
Seeing everyone was awesome, but what really hit home the most was Ron Vossler. He was from Wishek and is a professor at UND. His work with the heritage and history of the Germans from Russia really has made me appreciate my heritage. I didn't when I was young and I regret not getting to know my family in a deeper way before they all retired, moved off the farm or moved away. And, yes, some have passed... but the reality is our family is blessed by longevity - and food.
Ron talked about wurst - and if you come over to my house I will try and say that with the spice and smoke that he did although I did not have the opportunity to learn how to speak German as a youngster. It save me from the German accented English, but I would love to be able to speak that language. Hearing him tell jokes, sliding in and out of English to German and back again made me long for the days around the kitchen table where English was the second language. I could go on and on about how wonderful the evening was - topped with pieces of prune and rhubarb kuchen before bedtime, but I must be getting ready to travel again in about an hour or so...
Here is a photo of the St. Andrews Centennial Choir - part of the evening. If you go to this website, you can find the broadcast schedule. And if you have never heard a joke told in German before, you need to listen to the show. It was hilarious and I would make the trip again in a heartbeat. Until next time... Gut Essen.

Spring Fever

2011-04-09T07:13:00.000-05:00

Regardless of the weather, spring fever has struck. I'm playing with my tomato plants - moving them in and out of the light, brushing them lightly and singing to them the songs of spring. And speaking of songs, there are multitudes of birds flying overhead, building nests and doing bird things outside my window. I love it. There's a few voices I don't recognize and would like to be able to catch a glimpse of who is calling from tree to tree. There was either a hawk or eagle in the tree in across the way that just sat in the bare bones branches watching - watching - watching....
Of course, it soon will be beautiful green and rich outside. The cottonwood tree out front will block some of the view from the river which goes up and down almost daily. The river is high today. The geese are plentiful.
My garden appeared magically one day from beneath the snow. I'm so excited to see if I can get out there and plant some radishes and lettuce this weekend. I'm missing the rain, but it's way to wet to dig in the dirt, well I have had my hands in the potting soil nearly every day this week.
It's been a while since I've been home to do some baking. I also have some sauerkraut from last fall and would love to make a roast and knephla with sauerkraut, yummmy. It is almost Easter. That means kuchen. It's a staple. I don't usually make it any other time of year, mostly because I would eat it ... and eat it and eat it. I love it right from the oven. Once I get my fix, it becomes day old and then I can gift the rest to my family.
Kuchen will help get rid of the rhubarb, apples and maybe peaches in the freezer. The peaches are more like sauce because they were very ripe, but I could still use them, sparingly... don't want to interrupt the custard... the best part of the kuchen.
It's another gray day and I just finished watching a video on surface design. Argh. I wish the Internet was around when I was still doing my art work, watching what today's artists are doing reinforces the fact that "there's nothing new under the sun."
Okay, so today's there's no sun....

Out like a Lion

2011-03-30T07:52:00.000-05:00

We got robbed. Isn't March supposed to come in like a Lion and then out like a Lamb... or vice versa? So far, I'm thinking it came in like a Lion and now is going out like one too. So where does that leave us? My little plants are looking for sunshine, and so am I. I usually enjoy gray days. There's something about the soft light that makes me contemplate and create. But, it's been a long time and I'm ready to thaw. I realize we are in danger of flooding if the snow goes too fast, but if you noticed the sunshine pushing down on the roads and forcing the snow to lift itself to the sky in the form of vapors, spring can't be far behind.
My little plants are doing well, I have light on them 24/7 to keep them from damping off. The peppers are resisting the urge to germinate - you know most of them come from down south anyway. But, I will prevail.
This is my favorite time of year. Easter breads and new dresses; the smell of the earth waking up for a loooooonnnnnnggggg winter's nap; the end of school; the beginning of gardening; the trees leafing out... so many things to be thankful for. Before this last snow, I noticed the iris and onions have venture out past the soil. I'm really looking forward to rearranging my flower beds this year. My friend Pat save me Hollyhock seeds and I'm going to border the south side of the house. I have plans for more around the pole garden bed for Moon Flowers, a cousin of the Morning Glory. I love those flowers. But, so do the deer. Of which we have seen plenty of deer. They are still pawing for food. In fact, between the raccoons, the pheasant and the deer, my bird feeders are always empty. So not that I wish to wish my life away, but I'm thinking come on spring. We are waiting.

Uncle Eddie's Bread

2011-03-16T07:01:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure where he gets it, but my Uncle Eddie does a lot of gardening, baking and cooking. Ed and Alice also have a lot of the family history. In the winter, they travel to Texas for about three months or so. They leave here in December usually after we have a wonderful Christmas feast with the local cousins. I received about three updates from their trip and all are about food.
Lately, I have been making bread once a week, usually Saturdays. I love bread and I love to make it from scratch. I have an assortment of organic flours from the Harvey Mill and experiment. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but nothing beats a toasted piece of homemade bread with some all-fruit jam, or maybe an egg from Morning Joy Farms.
So after we toasted some garlic for dipping oil, Uncle Ed sent me a scanned note. He said his wife, Alice, received this note from Aunt Katie Meidinger in 1989. Wow, that sounds like a long time ago.... but it's not really - my son was born in 1986. I don't think I know who Aunt Katie is, but with the last name she has, I can be pretty sure, we are related to her somehow too... but that's another story.
Yesterday was such a beautiful day, even though we didn't need any bread, I decided to try this recipe.

I had a tough time reading it, but here's what I got out of it. First off, "it's fool proof." I liked that. First, I boiled a white potato, because it's the only one I had in a quart of water. When it was soft and falling apart, I put it through my potato ricer and added another quart of water, 2.5 teaspoons of yeast and 1/2 cup sugar. Allow the yeast to dissolve and then add four cups of flour. As per the note, I use Dakota Maid flour, albeit this was bread flour, which wasn't really necessary. While that proofed for 15 minutes, I cleaned the rest of my bedroom carpet.
Then, I added sea salt and two tablespoons shortening and more flour... if I remember correctly about 6 cups, maybe 7. Kneading after each cup or so... eventually I was able to scoop it out of the bowl and work on the butcher block. Of course, the more I pushed the more this giant blob of dough pushed back. Apparently I have lost some upper body strength since I gave up weaving and went to working on a computer.... bummer. But, I finally won. The recipe said the dough should be fairly stiff, and I don't think I made it quite stiff enough, nor did I allow it to sufficiently rise twice before shaping loaves; I was in a hurry cause I was running out of time to get to church for my small group.... so next time I will slow it down a bit. Longer slower rising times are better for bread, and that was an article I also received from Uncle Ed this past winter. It was very interesting about rapid rise yeast.
I left the final baking to my husband who worked in a bakery. And this is what I came home to...
Yes, indeed, five lovely loaves of wonderful white bread. Crunchy brown on the outside and soft and fluffy inside. I had to have a piece with Black Current Jam. Delightful. So, yes, I will be trying this recipe again. A little closer to Easter, I will have to make Easter Bread. The kind with the candied fruit and white icing... another family favorite.
And on another food note, we are reading the book, Food for Life, by L. Shannon Jung. It is a book about food and the what it says in the Bible. I'm not sure it's what any of us expected, but we are having a wonderful time talking about food, families and plans to change the way we think about our food. Our daily bread is a gift from God. In thankfulness we accept our lives each day and the joy as well as the sorrow life brings keeping in mind that our Heavenly Father will provide what we ask of him - in his time and as part of his plan. Such a sense of peace to be able to turn your life over to someone who cares deeply for me... I wish you such peace today, not our kind, but His. Now, who wants bread?
Oh, I almost forgot.... the last words on the note read: PPS: Someone once said bread dough is like a baby, keep it warm and you'll have great results.

I'm back

2011-02-28T06:35:00.000-06:00

It's been a very hectic couple of weeks. Between catching the cold that has been moving through the community and having our first grandchild... well, things are beginning to settle down just in time for spring. And spring means planting. That's a good thing.
The food in the freezer has been more than plentiful. The last of the carrots were just made into soup and the onions sorted. Some had to be given to the animals and the rest went into the refrigerator.
This weekend we had some spicy beans made from dried beans we grew this summer. While I was ill, I had no desire to cook so I consumed every container of stored soup in the refrigerator. Having meals ready to eat is great and not too difficult. Knowing that most of the things we eat have been grown by our own hands or someone we personally know makes you feel more healthy.
This year we are planning a family cooperative gardening project. It will be so much fun. I will have help and everyone will benefit from fresh vegetables and outdoor activity.
We can go into more of that project later, however... since it is still winter out there, I'm thinking cookies.
Here is a recipe that is delightful. I found it on a container of candied ginger that was in the clearance bin after Christmas. My only regret is that I did not purchase all I could carry.
My first introduction to candied ginger was in the the middle '70s from a place that still sells natural foods in Fargo called Tochi Products.
They sold handmade soap, Perrier and whole grains among other things. Located in downtown Fargo, the building remains the same after all these years. It's a good thing.
Candied ginger root is delightful if you enjoy spices. So when I saw these little containers I thought, why not. Inside the front cover was a recipe for ginger cookies. Cracked topped ginger cookies have been a staple in our lives. My grandfather Kaseman loved ginger snaps. They are most excellent with coffee.
I decided to try this recipe with real candied ginger instead of the dried spice. BINGO. The cookies are so good, I've made three recipes since. This past weekend I had to substitute dried ginger for the candied ginger, and we are still eating them, but if you have the chance to find some candied ginger, try it... you'll love the way these cookies taste.

GINGER SNAPS
3/4 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg - from Morning Joy Farms
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
4 oz. candied ginger, chopped coarsely.

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Combine softened butter, sugar, molasses and eggs, beat well, mix dry ingredients together, add to wet mixture. Mix well. Chill dough for one hour. Form in one-inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes.
I would tell you this makes 36 cookies, but I have found over the years that my recipes, just as my knitting does not ever measure close to these estimates.
You will enjoy these cookies.
Oh, by the way. Here's a picture of our Elle. She's going to be one beautiful cookie herself.

I taught my children how to count by making cookies, which I heard when we moved out of our neighborhood on Renee Drive in Bismarck, they missed my cookies the most. She's adorable right now - but I do look forward to her helping me by cracking eggs into my batter someday.
So enjoy today, the stars are out - and be sure and take note of March's entrance.
As you remember from grade school - in like a lion, out like a lamb. Since its going to be near 40-degrees today I'm wondering... without the wind does that make it a lamb day?

It's not time for spring, yet

2011-02-16T06:54:00.000-06:00

Above zero temps at 6 a.m. is really a treat in February on the northern plains. Someone actually wore short pants to school yesterday. It's wonderful, it's hopeful, it's a delight... but we must keep in mind one thing. It's not time yet. For everything there is a season and this is not the season of spring. This trickery, while at the moment brings pleasure, can do more damage than good if it keeps up. I heard that it was nearly 70 in places in South Dakota. What do you suppose the trees are doing? Or any type of early spring bulb, like crocus? Hmmm, is it time? Time to grow? If it does, if it is fooled by the warm temperatures into thinking its spring, and it begins to get cold and snow again - well, it will surely die.
How nature imitates life... how often are we tricked into believing we should hurry up and do something, fear of a missed opportunity, a missed love, loss of income? When we should just sit back and wait upon the Lord. For all things for good in Him. I read a devotional yesterday that really hit home for me. When life's troubles over take you and you lose hope, you are not taking advantage of God's promise that "Everything's alright." It will always be alright, but sometimes, we just need to wait upon the season.
Okay, I'm itching to plant my seedlings, but first things first.. and that would be back to work.
Get outdoors today and breathe....

There's a spider on my monitor

2011-02-15T05:36:00.001-06:00

In the early morning, I usually work by the light of my computer screen. I find it to be an ugly light, but plenty to do emails and other such things in the dark. Of course, when I look away, I'm blind to what still lays in darkness beyond my door.
It's been such a busy couple of weeks and it proves to not be letting up. However, I had to stop today and ponder the spider that is running circles around my monitor. It's as if he is confused that there is light on one side, and complete darkness on the other. Something like the dark side of the moon.
We know it's there. But we have never from our place on earth viewed it. I have no desire to either. The moon is filling up and right now is close to the horizon. The color changes from incredible white to a soft orange, cheesy looking color. Beautiful none the less.
Our snow has nearly disappeared. It's a good thing. For the first time in years and years, there is water in front of our house and has been all winter long. It never really froze, so there was no ice skating on it... or even snowshoeing for that matter.
I haven't written for a least a week. Didn't do much cooking over the weekend, however, we did eat some girl scout cookies... not a good diet, but it is that time of year.
Today I have faith, even if for only a moment, good solid faith that everything will be the way it is supposed to be. There's a plan out there and we are all part of it, even that crazy spider that made me stop for a moment and ponder.... are we like that little eight-legged arachnid that seems to be lost? Confused about where the light is coming from? Or maybe confused about the darkness surrounding the light. It's a cute little creature and I'm sure not poisonous - but could pack a bite. I'm going to allow it to live. I'm thinking once the beautiful sunshine pours through the window, he will move on. Or she, I can't tell.
It's going to be a wonderfully beautiful February day. We'll lose more snow to the thirsty earth in preparation for spring and gardens and farmers markets and CSAs and lots of work to do until the end of school. God bless your day today. Get outside. Enjoy.

Couldn't resist

2011-01-28T11:22:00.002-06:00

It was so nice out this morning, that I had to hang my sheets outside. It's not normally laundry day on Fridays, but I couldn't stop myself... OF course, the wind has come up and things are blowing like crazy, so I guess I have to bring them in soon - they will be dry and fresh and wonderful... oh do I have spring fever. BAD.

The last of the thaw

2011-01-28T06:45:00.000-06:00

They say the weather will turn today but at this moment it's absolutely beautiful. Overnight the last of the snow has disappeared from the patio and it's still. The moon is a pale yellow crescent in the southeast sky. It's wonderfully quiet.
Yesterday someone introduced me to their brother - who found out I once worked for the Mandan News. Immediately he wanted to talk to me. OH OH. It's been a long time since someone said that to me. Usually it meant they liked something I wrote or had a suggestion for something to write. This person was an astronomy teacher in Longview, Wash., I think anyway. He said he knew two Sue's who wrote articles in small papers about what's going on over our heads. In all the time he read the Mandan News, he was thinking it would be great to tell us about each other. In the end - he mentioned he could cross something off his bucket list. I was honored.
I'm outside right now, on our newly windowed front porch. I can see the moon right about my computer screen, which is not a pleasant light. The computer I mean, but I can't seem to type in the dark. To the left is Venus appearing as the morning star. It has been really bright this past month or two. Between Venus and the Moon is Antares. A not quite as bright star from the constellation Scorpius. Sagittarius is below Venus off the horizon at this moment of the night. Sunday morning you will be able to see Mars below the crescent Moon just before sunrise. Off the back porch I can see the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. And speaking of sunrise. It's coming earlier and earlier - and on that note, I see it's time to get to work... have a wonderful last day of the January thaw...