tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-507672480517174152012-02-12T20:27:31.008-06:00suburban mom daydreaming of becoming a real farmgirlVirtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.comBlogger10281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-42519374962720529942012-02-12T19:23:00.000-06:002012-02-12T19:23:04.283-06:00

Had fun today with my daughter and one of her friends experimenting with a new (to us) cupcake decoration: marshmallows. We cut the marshmallows into petals, then painted them with sprinkles or outlined them with gel. Some of our creations pushed sprinkles and marshmallows to the limit. We were content with heart-shaped marshmallow centers until my son came home from the movies with Skittles.

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-18500073280647641842012-02-12T08:10:00.001-06:002012-02-12T08:10:26.255-06:00

Need evidence that there isn't enough ag education in urban environments? Or fresh food alternatives? Last night, I was in the grocery line and my checker was stymied by the long green squash on the belt. What is this? She asked after struggling for a bit to look it up on her cheat sheet. It's a zucchini I said in my most polite, patient tone. I'm used to checkers not knowing the difference

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-69011657838608837662012-02-08T19:36:00.002-06:002012-02-08T19:37:36.699-06:00

By low fat, I in no way meant healthy. No, not with these heart-shaped vanilla creme Peeps. I've tried plenty of Peep flavors and shapes over the last few years. And I'm nowhere near a fan of them all, especially attempts at chocolate and gingerbread. Ick. But these red-specked vanilla cremes are my hands-down favorite. At least for now.

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-49035367574263155922012-01-29T21:20:00.002-06:002012-01-29T21:20:18.991-06:00

Because of some health issues, still undetermined, I've been on a low- to no-fat diet these past few weeks. It's not been easy, but it's not been unbearable either. There are definitely things I've missed. Say...chips, ice cream, cheese. I really was starting to miss sour cream (which we used to buy in extra large Daisy tubs from Costco). Then I discovered Greek yogurt is a fine, actually better

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-50289220256187612082012-01-22T21:25:00.000-06:002012-01-25T06:42:49.154-06:00

Four years ago this month, I started making bread from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking. I still haven't tried more than the main dough from the first chapter. But I'm still amazed by all the variations that can be made from a simple French boule dough I made last week. Today's a perfect example. For lunch, I made crown-shaped

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-42321291762962002522012-01-13T18:00:00.000-06:002012-01-13T18:00:05.355-06:00

First snow of 2012 We're in the middle of our first real snowfall of the season and the kids are so snow-crazy that neither TV nor food nor visiting friends interests them more right now than building a snowman or snow fort or snowball arsenal. I love the white stuff too. I'd had enough of dreary mid-season Chicago, where everything is dull and dirty after fall colors peter out. I much prefer

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-10180530802389093502012-01-10T17:00:00.000-06:002012-01-11T17:20:07.086-06:00

When I was a kid, I watched "Tom and Jerry" along with my other Saturday morning cartoons. They weren't my favorite cartoon duo. So when my children suddenly became avid fans, I didn't feel any particular nostalgia pull to watch with them, other than to see whether the old-school cartoons, by my parenting standards, were appropriate. I decided they were, though I occasionally cringe at the level

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-7395192837296501902011-12-26T20:47:00.000-06:002011-12-26T21:35:59.773-06:00

Great, great grandma's rolling pin. I'm not a big fan of sugar cookies (or many pastries for that matter). But I'm on vacation. And part of my vacation, and the spirit of the season, means that "no" isn't really in my vocabulary. So when my daughter asked to make sugar cookies, I hopped to it; found a fairly simple recipe for dough and icing; and started mixing. Future Farmgirl wanted to be

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-36883110337041571462011-12-18T12:15:00.002-06:002011-12-18T12:22:27.606-06:00

I'm on the couch watching "Hart to Hart" as part of my recovery from our holiday party last night. I always love when we have a party where I thoroughly enjoy myself. This was one of those times. We had a great mix of people, old and new friends, a good representation from the 'hood. I'd had some health issues in the days leading up to the party, so we did a few things more last-minute than I'd

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-76506640334725108702011-12-13T21:44:00.000-06:002011-12-13T21:44:13.238-06:00

Maybe it's because I chose purple as a base color for decorating this year, but I've been thinking about sugar plums for days now. Of course, it didn't take long to find out that there aren't actually plums in sugar plums. And, btw, they're not purple. There's also not one single tried and true recipe. The possible combinations of fruit and nuts, plus bindings are as numerous as the

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-11389053520941506462011-12-10T22:20:00.001-06:002011-12-10T22:34:45.864-06:00

On Saturday, after a morning of party and holiday shopping, my sister-in-law and I headed to Irving to grab some treats from the Cookie Crumble. We were too late. The Cookie Crumble was apparently a huge success and there were no cookies left. Disappointed, we turned our attention to the tables filled with crafts, treats and wares made by students, teachers and moms from our community. I'd

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-29432142265463063772011-12-10T08:34:00.001-06:002011-12-13T06:23:32.799-06:00

These star-shaped beignets are just the start of this test-kitchen weekend. We'll be prepping for our annual holiday party next weekend. I'm making some new recipes, so we'll be practicing this year's signature drink, which includes chartreuse, a very fragrant French liqueur. I've also been hunting for a recipe (or two) for sugarplums, which I've learned don't necessarily include actual plums.

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-86117188848587109382011-11-30T21:52:00.001-06:002011-12-01T19:57:07.129-06:00

The last couple days have been a bit of a whirlwind and had me playing roles I never expected. On Tuesday, after years of covering trials for daily newspapers and appellate courts for the legal press, I was actually seated as a juror. I don't think anyone was more surprised that I was seated, except maybe the judge (who told me so after we reached our verdict today in a DUI trial). It was

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-66122348323528815842011-11-15T21:58:00.001-06:002011-11-16T06:25:24.649-06:00

I'm not generally a sucker for nostalgia flicks. But I have to admit being beyond giddy and excited about the new Muppets movie. That even with criticism from the Muppet old guard, who are reportedly upset with the story line and have quibbles about the potty jokes. So when a friend offered free tickets to a special pre-release private screening of the movie, I jumped at the chance. School night

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-46180609453727073072011-11-14T21:57:00.001-06:002011-11-14T22:19:54.775-06:00

I wasn't in the market for giant marshmallows. They were nowhere near my list on Sunday. But when my daughter and I spotted these jumbo Kraft Jet-Puffed peppermint marshmallows on the top shelf of a heavily stocked aisle of Christmas candy... Well, how could I resist? I've never seen these and actually couldn't find any marketing for them online. It wasn't a hard sell, even though for a

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-63824276838815308072011-11-12T22:24:00.001-06:002011-11-12T22:48:34.719-06:00

The No. 1 item on our shopping list is a bag of oranges, thanks to this handy kitchen gadget passed on from my aunt this weekend. She'd read on my blog about my son's interest in making juice and took pity on him having to use his body weight to press oranges on our glass juicer. To his delight (and mine), she gave him this vintage Juice King juicer from my Great Grandma Neher's kitchen. This

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-50420050049217398482011-11-07T21:52:00.003-06:002011-11-08T09:35:22.998-06:00

I've been stewing lately about an unwelcome development in my neighborhood. I learned recently that while our good neighbors in Berwyn have been working hard to attract family friendly businesses to the seemingly endless construction zone that is Roosevelt Road, my own town has been nurturing relationships with a cash-for-gold business and a gun shop. A gun shop. I repeat it because I still

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-66927437802628777382011-10-30T20:47:00.000-05:002011-10-31T21:11:06.737-05:00

Add caption I can't remember the last time I came up with a pumpkin concept and carved one on my own. But after seeing gallery after gallery of fantastically carved sculpted pumpkins, I was inspired to step up my game, a little bit this year. I spent part of this morning looking for silhouettes of Lady Justice to inspire a carving. Then my son and I went on our Great Pumpkin hunt. Unlike

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-5296216981195569232011-10-29T21:05:00.000-05:002011-10-29T21:24:37.284-05:00

There's nothing quite like hot soup after spending an evening out in the cold. I knew we would be starving after my son's soccer game tonight under the lights at Montrose Harbor, so I bought a hybrid cauliflower and a couple leeks at the Farmers Market this morning to make soup in the crock pot. I almost didn't want to cook down this pretty green cauliflower. It's a really lovely green that

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-86642527380189941062011-10-24T19:57:00.001-05:002011-10-31T21:27:40.035-05:00

Chicago Fire: Breast Cancer Awareness I get a little tense around annual-doctor-visit-time. If you know my family, you know we had a scare when one of our children was born. Compared to so many people I know, it seems like a minor blip. But open-heart surgery on a 6-day-old was a big deal then and it's a big deal now. Every annual appointment, every "routine" cardiology visit ends up being a

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-15573650153751720582011-10-23T18:18:00.000-05:002011-10-23T18:18:33.956-05:00

On the way in the oven.... Ready to eat... I've been looking forward to this all day. I had a bunch of veggies I needed to use up, including carrots, turnips and these beautiful purple potatoes that I've never even seen before. They sure are a great way to add a splash of color to a dish. Here's what's in the roasting pan... Rainbow of Roasted Veggies Purple potatoes, yellow

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-46408208445896537902011-10-21T19:52:00.000-05:002011-10-21T20:00:02.554-05:00

This is how a spontaneous night out with my husband usually goes: Him: Honey, let's go out. I even got a sitter. Me: Great. Where are we going? Him: Where do you want to go? Me: I know I have a list of fantastic places I've always wanted to try, but... The but is followed either with "I can't think of any on the spot" or it's impossible to get reservations at the last minute. This time we

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-26829170130470005932011-10-14T09:36:00.000-05:002011-10-14T09:38:10.463-05:00

This morning I was enjoying my daily commute. I say enjoying because it's one of my favorite times of year, October. The mornings feel fresh and cool. The colors on the trees are warm and soothing. With this in mind as I readied to face another hectic day, I flipped through my issue of Real Simple and stopped on a section featuring five easy ways to achieve calm. My favorite was making an "

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-45108272384832284802011-10-10T22:01:00.002-05:002011-10-10T22:01:37.781-05:00

Real Simple slideshow "A Month of Easy Dinners" - What working mom wouldn't be attracted to that cover story? The headline is from this month's Real Simple magazine. I don't have a subscription, yet. But I've long admired the magazine and pick it up from time to time, usually around the holidays when I have more free time to flip through the inspiring pages. This is the type of piece though

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-41283605931597321882011-10-07T19:00:00.000-05:002011-10-07T20:49:33.685-05:00

Magnolia Bakery treats. Maybe in my life, but probably not on my waistline. On second thought, I'll find a way to make room for both Bleeding Heart Bakery and Magnolia Bakery. While both specialize in cupcakes, their styles and flavorings couldn't be more different. When I'm in the mood for creative, sometimes daring flavors and a hearty, but not-too-dense cupcake, I'll head to Bleeding

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-2119088640505334422011-09-24T09:46:00.000-05:002011-09-24T09:47:59.140-05:00

Ever since my son saw the movie "Because of Winn Dixie," he's been wanting to make his own fresh-squeezed orange juice. We needed to use up some aging oranges, so the opportunity was ripe this morning. He had fun discovering a few things: No. 1: It takes a lot of muscle power to squeeze all the juice out of an orange. No. 2: Four oranges (at least with the four we had) are not

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-75945562308102278182011-09-22T17:00:00.000-05:002011-09-22T17:00:05.270-05:00

For beets and veggie lovers, this is a not-to-miss column from my foodie friend and culinary inspiration Melissa Elsmo. She does what I'd love to see every chef do when they come to the Farmers Market to do a food demonstration on Saturdays: scouts out the market, buy what's in season and whip up a simple, yet restaurant-quality dish.  Well, there were two in this case. Then again, there were

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1Oak Park, IL, USA41.8850317 -87.784502541.8613887 -87.82398450000001 41.9086747 -87.7450205tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-3695063357265136232011-09-18T22:02:00.001-05:002011-09-18T22:02:17.444-05:00

There's one thing I treasure more than anything else we inherited from my mother-in-law's estate. She had some lovely things. And we ended up with several really nice pieces from her home after she passed away in 2007. But somehow we also ended up with her everyday Pfaltzgraff platter. It's chipped and doesn't match anything. Yet this piece more than any makes me feel like she's at the table

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-44036090533175296422011-09-18T21:00:00.000-05:002011-09-18T21:01:19.599-05:00

We had a much-too-short visit from the Playful Spirit Potter last week. It was a Hell week of sorts and she was a godsend during a particularly busy period. I barely got to spend time with her, but she was there for the kids and they all enjoyed those moments. This was her goodbye note, made from some of the food she brought from The Farm.

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-51447706838330119542011-09-15T18:35:00.000-05:002011-09-15T22:10:45.034-05:00

Check out the steam rising off that tomato. It's been a long few days and it's not over yet. But this is the first semi-normal night of the week. I know this is a close-to-normal evening because I've actually had some time to look at the food I have in the house. When I looked around, I realized I have an overabundance of tomatoes and peppers that will go bad if I don't start using or

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-28435844225946728222011-09-11T16:40:00.000-05:002011-09-11T21:50:23.668-05:00

Can't resist the Angry Birds cake. For my daughter's 8th birthday, she couldn't quite settle on a single theme. She's currently fascinated by Webkinz (she and her brother have an embarrassing number in their collection) and Angry Birds. They're both games you can play online. But that's pretty much where the similarities end. So melding the two into a party was a little bit of a challenge.

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-12444486709896565572011-09-05T17:49:00.003-05:002011-09-05T17:52:25.400-05:00

One recipe at a time, I'm overcoming my fears. I have yet to give canning a try. But I'm well on my way to small-scale pickling on a regular basis. It's so amazingly easy, especially if you're planning to eat what you make within a week or so. I got over my pickling fear because I was literally handed a recipe and jar of pre-measured spices as swag for attending a NoMI opening a few months

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-36007462947102085902011-09-04T09:40:00.003-05:002011-09-04T09:46:44.199-05:00

Angry Bird babybel. This is the official start of my daughter's birthday countdown, with her party right around the corner on Saturday. That means I've been spending more time than usual looking for party food ideas. Her menu is pretty much already set (pastapalooza), so I'm only looking for extras and finger foods to go with her mixed theme of Webkinz and Angry Birds. We have the cake

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-17681828564005705442011-08-28T09:02:00.003-05:002011-08-28T15:28:30.249-05:00

No-sew t-shirt bag. My daughter's birthday is coming up. I don't even have the invites out yet (today maybe?). But we think we've nailed down the activities. I've enjoyed doing treat bags in the past. But if you buy all the pieces for those, the cost of that little party element can add up and quick. So this year, we thought we'd make our own...from old t-shirts. I think we'll let the

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-66557810485534606672011-08-20T21:17:00.001-05:002011-08-20T22:12:53.948-05:00

It's been such a busy summer I've hardly had a chance to spend any time at the Irving Garden. There are some new features this year, a compost system that's built and looks like it'll be ready for fall. And, as was the case last year, a bumper crop of veggies...especially cucumbers. I was there a few days ago and swiped a few young cukes to make my very first batch of pickles. I'm now a huge

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-61024532064268248182011-08-18T22:22:00.001-05:002011-08-18T22:23:07.705-05:00

Early corn in front of the house. My kids spent 13 days at The Farm this summer during my busiest couple weeks at work. It's a win win. My employer gets my undivided attention for 10-12 or so hours a day and my future kids get a taste for rural life, which involves a lot of time outside. So what did they do while they were there? Good luck dragging any details out of them. It's as if they

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-63051532153591073932011-08-13T21:22:00.003-05:002011-08-13T21:32:21.180-05:00

Tastes much better than it looks. When I first tried this recipe for the Best Carrot Cake Ever, I didn't follow the directions precisely. I only had two cake pans and I was supposed to make this with three. I also didn't grease the pans near liberally enough.  So when I found myself swimming in CSA carrots this week, I knew just the recipe to pull out. This is also the first time I've

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-54898187564671607082011-08-13T09:05:00.002-05:002011-08-13T10:00:28.713-05:00

I've said many times that it can be a challenge to consume a full CSA share within a single week. We sometimes share our share and I often blanch and freeze whatever I can't eat or throw into a stock. Only a few times this summer have I had to discard or compost uneaten, rotting veggies. One trick is to skip recipe research and just use what you get as soon as possible. This is easier when

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-5742136020496451122011-08-12T08:37:00.001-05:002011-08-12T15:40:51.679-05:00

After a couple very long weeks of work and long days at the office, I'm taking a much-needed day off. Well, sort of. I just have a little work to do. Then errands. Then painting. Then back-to-school shopping. But I know I'm getting a respite because I've had a chance to start catching up on the stack of Farm World newspapers piling up so high I was debating whether to just skip reading them and

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-78298123935793069542011-08-01T19:58:00.001-05:002011-08-01T20:00:30.237-05:00

The Chicago Tribune has a heartbreaking story today about a McHenry County farmer who was killed after a woman slammed her car into his farm tractor while trying to get around him in a no-passing zone. I'm betting whatever this woman was rushing to will haunt her for the rest of her life. The Trib notes: Nearly every farmer can tell stories of close calls they've had on the roads. Tractors

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-90152234271200562262011-07-28T20:51:00.000-05:002011-07-28T20:51:47.308-05:00

I forgot my produce bags and didn't have time to run home before picking up our CSA share this evening. What else was there to do but to shove gently nestle the week's bounty into my work tote. I'm thinking these aren't the items my sister had in mind when she picked out this sleek black Coach bag for my birthday this year, so I could commute in style. But it did the trick. The funny thing, to

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-40869111065346168002011-07-25T09:00:00.006-05:002011-07-25T09:00:08.961-05:00

I've been admiring these little spaceship-like yellow squash I've seen hovering at farmers markets for quite some time. I'm told they're excellent on the grill. I'll definitely try that. But this weekend, I opted for a sauteed version from a recipe I found over at Taste & Tell. I really enjoy the mild flavor of the leek and squash with the punch of the basil and tang of the feta. Spaceship

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-64058420752177157182011-07-24T11:18:00.000-05:002011-07-24T11:18:54.999-05:00

Chives, thyme, rosemary, oregano, cilantro & mint. This morning I assembled these aromatic herb bundles for a Daisy Scout activity later today that I'm calling, "Ooh, what's that smell?" It's not a test and no right or wrong answers. Instead, I think it'll be fun to see if the girls can associate foods with the aromas. (Bonus points though for girls who recognize the herbs and can name them.)

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-50960696261240699182011-07-22T21:13:00.001-05:002011-07-22T22:20:52.244-05:00

Click for step-by-step instructions. I've been testing out the making, filling and watering of my own biodegradable newspaper seedling pots. It's a dry run for a Girl Scout project we're doing this Sunday. So far so good. I made a few modifications to this method from yngla at instructables. I used a smaller bottle, a beer bottle rather than a wine bottle. I also reinforced the bottom with

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-50619509865814341782011-07-19T19:35:00.000-05:002011-07-19T19:35:47.223-05:00

Boys riding goats, ca 1918. I'm so looking forward to our next visit to The Farm: Countdown to Aug. 12. That's a very long 25 days until I can see what my family's new goats have managed to clear out of the orchard. From what I hear, they've been quite the little lawn mowers. Spikey thistle and thorny wild rose bushes are no obstacle for these tenacious herbivores. I'm told they've nearly

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-7537074017633377612011-07-16T20:01:00.003-05:002011-07-16T20:31:15.823-05:00

That incredulity from my son's friend just made my day. That's what he said when I handed him a homemade chip. I didn't tell them it was baked kale. No matter. He knew it was a veggie: "Is this a leaf?" I confessed that it was. He was impressed nonetheless. And so was my son. Even my picky eater daughter gobbled up a huge crispy leaf before asking what it was. This was our appetizer this

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-87133128506829508732011-07-14T19:54:00.002-05:002011-07-14T20:00:46.871-05:00

Table Fifty-Two in Chicago's Gold Coast. Oh how I wish I could afford to splurge like I did last night at Table Fifty-Two, where I had the pleasure of experiencing Southern cooking at a whole new level. This was no roadside, red-checkered table cloth joint, where signs warn, "no hands in food." Don't get me wrong. There's some good eats at those place and plenty of Southern charm. Table

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-9443599204501110152011-07-12T19:43:00.000-05:002011-07-12T19:43:43.648-05:00

I'm working on clearing out the refrigerator with as little waste as possible to prep for this week's CSA pickup. Tonight, I threw together what turned out to be a delicious little salad (since I missed the family meal), with this: Summer Salad on the Fly Roasted beets (CSA), sliced in bite-sized pieces Leaf lettuce (Irving Garden), torn Red romaine (CSA), torn Salted pistachios Blue cheese

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-80447674976986363002011-07-09T17:13:00.002-05:002011-07-14T19:56:11.686-05:00

This spring and summer I've had the pleasure of taking in a few restaurants new to the area. NoMI Kitchen Beautiful bays overlooking Michigan Ave. My first was NoMI Kitchen, which I had the privilege of attending a pre-opening event a few weeks ago. It's an old new, revamped and focused more on the trendy farm-fresh experience. It's hard to imagine NoMI not being a success, whether the

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-88037202704185984522011-07-09T09:47:00.000-05:002011-07-09T09:47:54.297-05:00

I blew my budget at the Oak Park Farmers Market this weekend. Even though we have a CSA, we split it between two families, so on alternate weeks, I'm in particular need of veggies. And, plus, I just love going every week, hearing the bluegrass jam session, tasting the freshly made doughnuts, chatting with friends and seeing what's in season. I wasn't sure if blueberries would be in, but to my

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-47097673922101031182011-07-04T18:38:00.001-05:002011-07-04T18:39:52.973-05:00

Bottle rocket hot dogs. This may have been a little over the top (unnecessary), but I had fun making these Bottle Rocket Hot Dogs for the kids this weekend. They were super cute and the kids seemed to enjoy the presentation. The negative about these -- in summer -- is that you have to bake them. Turning on the oven when the weather's in the mid-80s is usually a no no in my house. Also, no

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-39904638454059131572011-07-04T15:11:00.008-05:002011-07-04T17:27:15.457-05:00

All American girl. Even though it was a little overwhelming to get our Girl Scout troop up and running, it's already proving to be well worth the effort. These girls are a delight; their energy and spirit infectious.  About a dozen of our Daisy Scouts showed up, all decked out in their red-white-and-blue finest to march (and scoot) with their siblings, parents & leaders this morning in Oak

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-82465254666419719672011-07-02T20:37:00.002-05:002011-07-04T18:22:33.801-05:00

I made these mostly because I thought they looked really cute (and easy to make) in my issue of Family Fun magazine this month. But it turns out they're really good too. My son enjoyed helping me dip these into the white chocolate and roll them in blue sprinkles.

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-33530316204770844182011-06-30T20:19:00.001-05:002011-06-30T20:19:51.564-05:00

This evening, as I was coming home and chatting with my husband on my cell, I ended the call with an "I love you." His response: "Thanks." It was a little bit of a jarring experience, only because he ALWAYS says, "I love you" to me. I didn't read anything into his hurried reply. But it reminded me of a conversation I had with my daughter recently, a girl who is showing herself to be a bit more

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-42460824592415354712011-06-28T20:52:00.000-05:002011-06-28T20:52:42.461-05:00

Enjoying sundaes on Sunday. Finally, after months of planning and more bureaucratic red tape than it takes to start a small business, we had our first official Girl Scout meeting. I won't bore you with all the nitty gritty involved in getting a troop started. But it involved background checks, online tutorials, hours of in-person training and so much email back and forth, I had to start

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-38769458940385662222011-06-26T10:59:00.000-05:002011-06-26T10:59:43.136-05:00

This wasn't exactly our best culinary vacation. Though I can't complain about getting my fill of seafood. I had lobster, crab and clam chowder every chance I could get. Otherwise, our meals were pretty so so. We did get a chance to visit a winery. There are two in Cape May. Both advertise daily tastings. But when we drove to the first, no one appeared to be at home, so we moved along to Cape

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-24588342433850343922011-06-20T18:53:00.002-05:002011-06-20T18:56:43.055-05:00

Looking for sea life. Accuweather predicted perfectly that this morning's seemingly interminable rain would clear by around noon we'd see sun by early afternoon. It turned out to be a beautiful day. Taking a risk that the weather would indeed clear, all seven of us booked trips out to sea. Sim and the two older boys went on a four-hour fishing excursion, while my SIL Sara, and our two

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-48821232832124619492011-06-19T20:52:00.004-05:002011-06-21T19:28:32.823-05:00

I'm still not quite believing that my big vacation this year is in New Jersey. New Jersey. The Jersey Shore no less. Really? When I think New Jersey, I think gritty, slick and rough, with a little reality TV edge.  It just doesn't sound like a restful, relaxing, respite. But actually, I think it will be. It is the Garden State after all. And, there's a beach. Does anything else really

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-84753301058398439662011-06-14T22:11:00.000-05:002011-06-14T22:11:09.763-05:00

Thanks to Becca over at Live Here Oak Park, I read an enticing intro of our newest neighborhood restaurant: Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits. I drove by tonight and it's not open yet, but the restaurant's Facebook page announced that it passed its inspection and plans to open this weekend. Time Out's recent article describes the restaurant as having Mediterranean influences "a casual trattoria-like

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-16657152310657397162011-06-06T21:30:00.000-05:002011-06-06T21:30:20.961-05:00

Love this new video from Victory Acres about joining a CSA and supporting a farm that feeds bodies and souls.

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-17524403634267981712011-05-30T15:34:00.001-05:002011-05-30T15:35:03.601-05:00

Needing to use up the bitter arugula - not my favorite - from our CSA haul, I found this recipe for Arugula-Pistachio Pesto over at Epicurious. I was using what I had on hand, so here's the modified recipe: Arugula-Pistachio Pesto 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped 3/4 cup parmesan cheese 1/3 cup salted pistachios 4 cups (packed) baby arugula 1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-3657783889335357332011-05-28T10:51:00.001-05:002011-05-28T10:58:04.847-05:00

Sue Dillman assessing damage to her farm. Driving from Bloomington to Columbus yesterday, it was impossible to miss the storm damage. Trees were down all over Bloomington and power only recently restored in many areas. I passed at least 30 utility trucks headed down south to aid in the cleanup. I'd heard about the destruction of a few homes and barns, but hadn't realized that barns and

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-9697401645293172122011-05-25T20:33:00.001-05:002011-05-25T22:56:35.266-05:00

We got our CSA box last Thursday, but I'm only now digging into it. I'd been away in California since Saturday and hadn't really thought much about meal planning. So when I was quickly pulling supper together tonight, I was delighted to discover plenty of good eats, still in good shape, in the fridge. Then, when after hours and hours of thunderstorms the sun broke through, we took the

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-11690123059392629782011-05-16T21:14:00.000-05:002011-05-16T21:14:45.810-05:00

Back in the day, when I was a single gal and fairly pessimistic about meeting Mr. Right, I made a pledge to quit saving my nice things -- glassware, china and serving plates handed down by my grandmother -- for later. Later? I had a hard time coming to grips with when that might be. I started asking myself, why I was waiting for a Mr. Right who may never come. Why should I continue asking

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-29259124757362397902011-05-13T17:10:00.004-05:002011-05-13T19:00:35.796-05:00

Today I had the honor of participating in the annual Teacher Appreciation Lunch at my children's elementary school. It's an elaborate affair, each year with a theme that drives the menu creation and decor. For the last nine years, local chef and indefatigable parent volunteer Melissa Elsmo has chaired been the driving force behind this effort. Her committee is stuff of PTO legend - menu tasting

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-39051963216276196852011-05-09T20:52:00.000-05:002011-05-09T20:52:21.344-05:00

My husband, the birthday boy, handed me the perfect compliment tonight when he bit into his supper and said, "Wow. The spinach is really good. It's bloggable." He apparently didn't like my last attempt, hence the pleasant surprise. So, here I am, blogging the spinach recipe to share and, well, because otherwise I'll forget how I made it. Ingredients: 1.5-2 pounds fresh spinach, washed, rough

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-48053229349590079232011-05-08T19:45:00.000-05:002011-05-08T19:45:17.602-05:00

It's spring at Sandhill Organics and that means we're back to having a fridge full of fresh veggies every other week. As last season, we're splitting our spring and summer shares with another family. The spring box isn't as full as the summer share. But there's plenty for us to work with this week: Mixed Lettuces Chives Arugula Mushrooms Little Yellow Potatoes Winter Onions Spinach We've

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-23347293342147981962011-05-03T20:53:00.000-05:002011-05-03T20:53:35.475-05:00

I've been digging through the basement looking for items to donate to our school's annual ginormo yard sale. But I won't be giving up this treasure, "The Guide to Convenience Foods: How to Use, Plan, Prepare, Present." It's a 1968 professional catering book that, according to the inscription, was gifted to Sim's dad in 1982. The notes in the back are in his mother's handwriting. And it's just

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-30187880123029767272011-04-28T21:47:00.000-05:002011-04-28T21:47:20.390-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that The Farm is my Tara, a magical place that can fill my family with wonder and restore my sanity in one short visit. It's a place to find pieces of myself I've lost. My dad experienced a bit of The Farm's magic today on a "long walk to forgotten magic places." The heavy rains had washed this motorcycle man onto his trail. So whose is it? Dad says its his, a toy

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-41755106871747985202011-04-24T22:15:00.003-05:002011-04-24T23:08:38.281-05:00

The Great Egg Hunt The other day, as I started making plans for Easter Sunday, prepping for the Easter Bunny and planning our menu, I found myself in a funk. I'd realized it would just be the four of us this year. With soccer, gymnastics and family with their own plans, we'd found ourselves deciding to keep things simple and stay home. It was a good call, yet the decision just didn't sit right

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-51864821448492250342011-04-21T23:39:00.000-05:002011-04-21T23:39:42.183-05:00

Bad news about piglet No. 2, aka Deuce. I'd had high hopes he would survive. He was getting feisty, bottle feeding and starting to enjoy the great outdoors. But his little body never could recover from his birth wounds and he died. Now my family has a third injured piglet: Trey. I'm pulling for the little guy.  Previously: The Great Piglet Swap Spring Break: New Baby Chicks & an Injured

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-6243359175457953152011-04-15T20:30:00.001-05:002011-04-16T07:11:51.065-05:00

"My tummy hurts." That's the first thing Future Farmgirl said to me after we got home from the Taste of Irving Centennial celebration. No doubt. There was enough food to feed a hungry Army, at least an army of elementary school kids, their parents, siblings and alumni visiting the old school. My favorite thing was the warm strawberry-rhubarb pie. [Oh, I cannot wait to make that with fresh

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-34091044388081342102011-04-10T08:35:00.000-05:002011-04-10T08:35:33.614-05:00

Because I gave a piglet update, I thought I needed to give equal time to the spring chicks at The Farm. They've doubled their size from this photo. And, like the runty piglet, they're starting to spend more and more time outside, where they'll eventually be free range (helping keep the bug population down while they fatten up and produce eggs). They still come indoors in the evening to spend

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-78072915892929879902011-04-08T23:20:00.000-05:002011-04-08T23:20:56.307-05:00

I'm happy to report that the baby piglet - the one from the great swap - is continuing to improve. He's eating more and more. And with the weather improving, he's spending more and more time outside. The ultimate goal, other than to fatten him up, is to re-introduce him to his momma, sisters and brothers. But even though he's picked up his appetite and appears to be healing from his birth

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-57243439095716231322011-03-30T21:12:00.000-05:002011-03-30T21:12:00.201-05:00

I'll be following closely what's going on with Oakland's urban farmgirl Novella Carpenter, who is now facing thousands of dollars in fines after being told by city officials before she started her urban ag operation that she should wait to apply for permits because the laws were in flux. Oakland North has a full report on what's going on. And Carpenter has her own understandably incredulous

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-16172182294134602232011-03-30T20:30:00.000-05:002011-03-30T20:30:58.789-05:00

On the QT, I learned this evening that the injured piglet my family was nursing didn't make it. It's hush hush because my kids don't know. The piglet was still hanging on when my mom took them to the library. The poor sugar turned blue not long after they left. But there was a swap, with yet another injured piglet. I've learned that sows can get mean, viscous even, shortly after they give

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-15565927328097021482011-03-29T21:15:00.000-05:002011-03-29T21:15:31.098-05:00

Roasting Peeps over the fire. The kids are having exactly the spring break we were hoping for: They're outside, getting their hands dirty and having a blast. Of course my dad might be breaking some child labor laws putting them to work on The Farm. The first night, my son reported that "we really needed the breaks" when they got to play their DSis in between burning a stump and building

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-82814994892794193182011-03-28T21:37:00.000-05:002011-03-28T21:37:23.869-05:00

I know coyotes are a problem at The Farm. They sure keep the dogs busy patrolling the perimeter. Sammy especially seems to enjoy keeping coyotes and other predators away from the chickens. But I never thought I'd have to worry about coyotes in Oak Park. Our local Patch has this roundup of stories in the local papers about coyote sightings. Apparently, Oak Park has enough wildlife to attract

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-10605031848723796932011-03-20T09:34:00.000-05:002011-03-20T09:34:02.676-05:00

No surprise that we're celebrating the first day of Spring by eating. In fact, we've decided to have a Welcome Spring party all day, even though the sky looks sad and is threatening rain. We're bookending the day with fried dough: beignets for breakfast and steak & green chili-filled gorditas for supper. The beignets come from a Cafe Du Monde mix that Sim picked up on a recent business trip to

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-5790115351535095302011-03-16T21:42:00.000-05:002011-03-16T21:42:20.481-05:00

Carolina pulled pork, slaw, onions & a dash of hot. There's nothing like coming home to a hot meal and eating it together as a family. With both of us working full time and often very full days, this is a big challenge. But we do manage to eat together most nights during the week. Someone asked me the other day how we manage to pull it off. Best answer: planning. We sketch out our menu

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-23650964957474416142011-03-14T21:41:00.002-05:002011-03-14T21:45:10.413-05:00

In my constant search for things my children will eat, I stumbled right into a family favorite. It was so obvious, I can't believe I haven't tried it before: beef stroganoff. They love noodles, beef and sour cream. How could that go wrong? The answer is in my hips. These kids are making it harder and harder for me to keep my weight off. But that's a different subject. I looked at a ton of

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-10943724567514571312011-03-11T19:50:00.000-06:002011-03-11T19:50:40.650-06:00

OK. I'm not exactly sure how to react to this. On my way home, in the dark because this winter is holding the sun hostage, I nearly stepped on a condom. It was strung out in its full sunshiny yellow glory in the middle of the sidewalk. I thought, that's odd. It's gross when I see them in the alley because, well, they've been in use. This didn't look used, just unwrapped. I'd thought nothing

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-61512103693965252782011-03-08T22:06:00.000-06:002011-03-08T22:06:34.890-06:00

Watching Glee tonight, I was stunned to learn that my husband had never heard the song "Afternoon Delight." A quick search of YouTube remedied the situation. Bonus, in the VH1 clip I found, David Cassidy did the intro. That video had me tripping all over memory lane and eventually remembering how much of a crush I had at one time on David's brother Shaun Cassidy. I'm pretty sure it wasn't

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-29806849554866107802011-03-07T18:55:00.003-06:002011-03-07T19:41:25.638-06:00

I love to play the part of hostess and I love to cook for friends. But when I'm busy and stressed, I can't bring myself to add a dinner party to our already hectic schedules. That's why it's so great that we have friends who, on a moment's notice, will take us up on a dinner invite. These impromptu parties are just delightful. There's no stress of having my house in order. I'm lucky if I can do

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-31989510457145494842011-03-02T21:29:00.000-06:002011-03-02T21:29:52.051-06:00

Anupy Singla's custom-designed spice box is set to debut this weekend at the Chicago Housewares Show. But for those who follow her Indian As Apple Pie page on Facebook, there was a sneak peak today. All the things I had concerns about other spice boxes I've seen over on Devon Ave., she seems to have addressed: higher quality steel, teaspoon/tablespoon dippers, built in leveler and, from the

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-15464392149670603912011-02-26T09:08:00.000-06:002011-02-26T09:08:34.057-06:00

Roger's Creek Grist Mill A few weeks ago when I was at the winter farmers market at the Unity Temple, I picked up a package of pancake mix "stone ground goodness" from the Roger's Creek Grist Mill. We are pretty serious about pancakes in our house. It's a weekend tradition and we enjoy dressing them up with whatever we have: blueberries, bananas, apple sauce, lingonberries, strawberries,

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-65480006415852927742011-02-21T19:31:00.000-06:002011-02-21T19:31:58.493-06:00

I've been having fun with a Facebook meme that appears to have been around for quite some time, considering I'm seeing blog posts discussing it from 2008. The idea is to grab the closest book to you, turn to page 56, and use the 5th sentence as your Facebook status. You then post the rules as the first comment. Here are the rules of this game: grab the nearest book to you (not some sought out

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-77485024238800028422011-02-20T14:15:00.000-06:002011-02-20T14:15:59.201-06:00

When I took the Devon Spice Tour a couple weeks ago, I picked up a few Thai green chilies to try in my Indian Slow Cooker dishes. I'd been using serranos in my dishes largely because I am more familiar with the heat level and I can better predict the outcome. Wow. What a difference those little firecrackers make. I knew the Thai peppers were hotter, so I've been pretty conservative with

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-81941079048101240572011-02-17T20:38:00.001-06:002011-02-17T20:38:36.107-06:00

Jen Murtoff, or as I've been affectionately referring to her at the office, the chicken lady, will be training urban dwellers how to care for backyard chickens. At Angelic Organics' Learning Center on March 12, Murtoff promises to show attendees how to keep yourself, your chickens and your neighbors happy with your decision to become a part of our growing urban ag scene. The price is $35. More

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-79762691962022010302011-02-14T19:58:00.001-06:002011-02-15T06:23:12.833-06:00

It's unusual that an evening, a day or an hour of a planned activity plays out just as I've expected. In fact, things rarely go so smoothly as I dream they should. But I've adjusted. I've learned to manage my expectations, to focus on what's turning out right or to go with the flow. Tonight though, things turned out just about right. I got to have supper - all of us sitting down together - at a

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-36243883552648826582011-02-10T19:19:00.003-06:002011-02-14T20:00:37.694-06:00

When I was a cub reporter in Florence, South Carolina, the recipe section of my paper, the Florence Morning News, was about the closest I ever got to gourmet food. I remember stocking my cabinets with all the food my parents wouldn't let me have: white bread and Lucky Charms. Plus, there was the food I could afford -- ramen noodles and canned soups. And when I wasn't indulging in free Happy

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-58340199507315019602011-02-06T19:32:00.001-06:002011-02-06T19:36:54.818-06:00

In our house divided, we have two Packers fans (me and my husband); a Steelers fan (our son still bitter over the Bears loss); and a Puppy Bowl fan, my daughter, who's also still battling a high fever and laryngitis. But we can all come together over the food and the commercials. Here's what we served.   Cheesehead Dip Guacamole Spicy Baked Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing And here's our

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-45801209875097161012011-02-05T18:48:00.001-06:002011-02-06T19:51:29.355-06:00

Jen and Anupy at Fresh Farms. Thankfully, the weather cleared up enough this weekend so that a friend and I could enjoy a spice and Indian cooking tour of Devon Avenue. Anupy Singla, who wrote the my new favorite cookbook, "The Indian Slow Cooker," was our guide. We must have spent a good two hours in Patel Brothers alone. The bulk of the time was spent on aisle No. 1, where most of the

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-77543091283350634892011-02-03T17:24:00.004-06:002011-02-03T17:29:50.580-06:00

When we first moved to the Barrie Park neighborhood and bragged about being so close to the Sled Hill, a friend burst our bubble, warning of head injuries and broken bones. I have no doubt there have been some painful crashes and wipe outs on the hill. But I've not noticed a steady stream of ambulances headed to and from the hill. Seems to me, the biggest casualties are the sleds. They're

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-24707900704374417112011-02-03T17:03:00.001-06:002011-02-03T17:13:01.532-06:00

We tried for a while to build our snow bear, but didn't make much progress. The snow is still pretty powdery and hard to pack. So we shifted our attention to the Barrie Park Sled Hill. With just me and the kids, I didn't spend too much time taking pix. But you can get a flavor for the afternoon in the slide show below. You'll have to take my word for it that Bella and I had a fantastic run. We

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-71470416999516538022011-02-03T16:27:00.001-06:002011-02-14T20:01:29.300-06:00

This wasn't a big hit with the kids, but I really enjoyed the combo: broccoli and leek soup served alongside the star of the meal, a chipotle patty melt with caramelized onions and toasted sourdough bread. I found the soup to be a little bland - so I'm not surprised the kids only their obligatory, don't-knock-it-until-you-try-it bites. I like the idea of broccoli and leek. But this was pretty

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-49734929279792786092011-02-02T09:57:00.000-06:002011-02-02T09:57:16.697-06:00

Just as planned, my daughter walked out the back door and dove, yes, dove right into a snow drift. It's what she's been dreaming of doing since she first saw the accumulation. And she did it. I'm not sure we'll make it the half block down the street to the Barrie Park sled hill because the kids and Sim were busy making their own sled run in our backyard. If we can get our inner tube sled blown

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-3502520358082115132011-02-02T08:01:00.002-06:002011-02-02T09:51:36.829-06:00

So much for sleeping in. Bella was up bright and early and I had to nearly physically restrain her from getting her brother up to show him the snow. I couldn't resist getting up either and checking things out. There's a ton of snow, looks like close to two feet. The roads are plowed. But good luck getting out of the alley. The drifting is our biggest challenge to overcome at this point. [

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-58856704232808245392011-02-01T22:27:00.002-06:002011-02-01T22:31:08.592-06:00

My kids are over-the-moon excited about this snow day -- their first ever. And remarkably, it's only the 5th snow day ever in Oak Park. One of my son's teachers mentioned getting the day off in the '80s. But the Chicago Tribune reported that since 1873, the only other Oak Park/River Forest High School closings due to snow were: March 25, 1930Jan. 9, 1939Jan. 27, 1967Jan. 25, 1979Impressive.

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50767248051717415.post-22173023089177408952011-02-01T20:36:00.002-06:002011-02-01T20:50:28.036-06:00

My mistake was looking out over the balcony and seeing the wind whip our power lines like kite string. That made me worry just that much more that our banished guinea pig Fluffy might not survive the night, especially if the power went out -- rendering his new heating pad and heated water bottle useless. I tend to think in terms of worst case scenarios (It's a blessing and a curse). Plus, I

Virtual Farmgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068187369006081165noreply@blogger.com0