My Bit of Earth

Barefoot Bloggers on a Budget: Cobb Salad Rolls

This month the Barefoot Bloggers decided to do a "Barefoot on a Budget" challenge.  The idea was to take one of Ina's more expensive recipes--in this case her Lobster Cobb Salad Rolls--and tweak the recipe to make it more affordable.

To get lobster in Kansas you have to have it overnighted-in.  (Nice In-laws do it for a party about once a year or so--it's a lot of fun, but definitely for special occasions only as it's quite pricey.)  In lieu of that I decided just to sub packaged crab, and use some really nice, crusty rolls from our local bakery.  (Not terribly creative, I know, but fairly inexpensive at least.  The crab was about $6 for 6 ounces, and the bread was like, a dollar for a whole baguette.)

In retrospect, I wish I had just left the crab out.  I'm such a little spoiled brat about my seafood, and the packaged stuff just never tastes as good to me as the buggers that were still crawling around until fifteen minutes before appearing on my plate.  And really--with the creamy avocado and tomatoes and blue cheese and yummy dressing--this is one you could easily make vegetarian and never miss the meat.

Asparagus Week: Asparagus Soup With Poached Egg and Toast

We're in the homestretch now!  For today's ASPARAGUS WEEK recipe, Asparagus Soup With a Poached Egg and Toast.

I halved the recipe, which made about six cups of soup.  I also threw in a few cloves of garlic, because...well, does garlic really need an excuse?

This soup actually tasted a lot like our favorite roasted onion soup with added asparagus, and it was surprisingly creamy considering that there is no cream in it.  The egg gave it a nice body too--so much better than a plain pureed soup, which always makes me feel like I'm missing something.

Only little hiccup?  When we make this recipe again I will have Sweet Husband (the resident egg poacher) cook the eggs for less time to account for the fact that the eggs continued to cook once they were dropped into the hot soup.

Pups on Parade

A few oldies of Porter and Moe today for the Planet M Files/Red or Grey Pet Parade! 

For the newcomers, to the left is Porterhouse, our eleven year old mutt with the soul of an angel.  To the right, Moe, our four year old Welsh Terrier, who always has his eyes on the toy!

Check out all the parading pets here.

Asparagus Week: Asparagus Soldiers

I think this is the ASPARAGUS WEEK recipe I was most looking forward to, and it did not disappoint!  Another one from Jamie at Home--how can you not love a dish that has a cool name like "Asparagus Soldiers"?

The basic idea?  Wrap about twenty-ish asparagus stems in pancetta or prosciutto (or don't, even), lay them out on a baking dish, splash them with a touch of olive oil, and roast them in a 425 degree oven for about ten minutes.  Meanwhile, soft boil half a dozen eggs.  (Get the water boiling, gently lower the eggs in, cook for five minutes.)  Gently tap, tap, tap the tops off your eggs, salt them a little, and use the gooey, golden, goodness within as a dipping sauce for your roasted spears.  

A little hash-browns on the side and/or a few baby radishes fresh from the garden, and you've got a yummy dinner for two!

A Walk in the Cemetery

As much as the idea of being buried gives me the heebs, I love going for a walks in pretty, old cemeteries.  Strangely, there is one kinda-sorta near our house that I hadn't yet visited, so tonight I decided to rectify that situation.

Isn't it amazing how many questions can arise from a headstone?  For example, who is leaving fresh flowers for Elizabeth Watkins, who died over 60 years ago?  Who is buried under the headstone that's been rubbed blank by time and the weather?  Did the mama and baby we found with the same death date die in childbirth, or in some other way? 

But, on the other end of the spectrum, isn't it incredible how much of a person's story can be told with just a few words and dates?  

Asparagus Week: Risotto

When I originally thought about doing ASPARAGUS WEEK (I like it in all caps like that) my plan was to cook all the recipes in Jamie Oliver's book Jamie at Home.  Ultimately decided against it--one of the recipes includes some difficult-to-get-fresh-in-Kansas seafood, for starters--but most of the recipes I'm planning to make this week do come from Jamie.  What can I say?  The boy knows his asparagus!

Last night, as it was a bit dreary and chilly out, we had Asparagus, Mint, and Lemon Risotto from the book Cook With Jamie.  (Probably the most expensive cookbook I've ever purchased, but worth every penny!)  My modifications?  

First, I put the asparagus in much later than Jamie would have you do--I added it with my last cup of stock.  My asparagus is also a bit chunkier than Jamie's.  Obviously, the later addition and bigger pieces means the asparagus gets less cooked, but I like asparagus (and, in fact, most veggies) just half a degree above raw, so that's how they get cooked 'round here!

Also, I always use less butter than Jamie suggests.  His measurements on the website are in metric, but the book suggests 7 tablespoons of butter if you follow the recipe exactly.  I generally use anywhere between 1 tablespoon (when I'm feeling chubby that day) to 3 tablespoons (which does make it lovely and creamy)--much more than that is just unnecessary.

EDITED TO ADD: Correction!  I also diverged from Jamie in that I only used two pans instead of three.  (Neither Kathy [risotto goddess], nor I can figure out why you would dirty a third pan.)  I just heated the stock in one pan, and did the risotto in another.  Then I gradually added the stock to the risotto, and added the asparagus to the risotto pan with the last addition of stock.

On the Needles: Pretty April Showers and the Hat That Just Won't Quit

This month's "April Showers" "Monthly Dishcloth Knit-A-Long" cloth was so pretty I thought about repeating the pattern over and over until I had a scarf.  After last month's dishcloth monstrosity--which has become the official nasty pot scrubber--this pretty, little one made me happy.

Which is good, because if not, I might be inclined to give up knitting all together right now because of this stupid hat.  

For background: Nice Co-Worker is going to Central America for six weeks this summer.  While I have to admit that I have entered a phase where I often prefer soft beds and warm showers to wanderlust and adventure, I encourage the pursuit of the latter two in others.  Living vicariously and all of that, you know.  So when, whether seriously or not, Nice Co-Worker made a comment that he would like it if someone would knit him a hat for his trip, I thought to myself, "I've been wanting to try something cable knitted, and a hat would be a good, small project to start with."  I picked out some soft, slightly fuzzy alpaca yarn and started in on an easy cabled pattern.

I started and ripped out that pattern three times before I decided it was time to pick a different pattern.  I started a second pattern, and again was completely unsatisfied--twice.  The sixth time I decided to just use a simple pattern, but tried to add a stripe with yarn that was a slightly different weight--again, not so much.  

For the current incarnation--lucky number seven, maybe?--I am going simple, simple, simple.  I picked out one of "Kim's Hats" from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.  A little ribbing around the rim, and straight up plain knitting from there.  I just re-started it last night, but I'm already further along than I was on any of incarnations one through six.  I'm actually really enjoying the simplicity of it--the fuzzy/nubbiness of the yarn just works so much better since I've stopped trying to wonk it into cabled shapes. 

(And if I get the urge to try anything fancy, someone take the damn needles away please!)

Moe Speaks: I Do Not Like The Sucking Thing

(Note from Meryl: No, I do not ordinarily let him do this. Usually I distract him with a toy!)

Asparagus Week: Asparagus With French Vinaigrette

Modified from Jamie O.  The short version:  Steam the asparagus (3-4 minutes).  Shake together in a jar: 1 T mustard, 3 T evoo, 1 T white wine vinegar, 1 T white wine, a little salt, a little pepper, some chervil.  Pour vinaigrette over asparagus. 

Jamie's vinaigrette was a titch vinegary for me, so I dumped my jar into a pan and reduced it all a little bit.  The yumminess remained without the overpowering acidity.  Delish!

A Wonderful Weekend AND ASPARAGUS WEEK!

Do you ever sit down on a Sunday evening and think, "Holygosh, this has been the greatest weekend ever....?"

Friday night started with a walk downtown for friends and sushi and Sylas and Maddy's homemade ice cream.  'Nuff said.

Then yesterday, I went to visit Nice Grandma and Nice Other Relatives.  While I don't want to discount my visit with them--which was quite nice--Wamego (the teensy little town Nice Grandma resides in) is becoming a joy to visit in-and-of-itself.  Not only is there a yarn store and a pottery gallery, but there are three wineries.  And one of them is a winery/photo gallery/law office!  (Truly, I walked in a little dazed--I did not know such a magnificent combination was even conceivable!)

While I was visiting and tasting, Sweet Husband was A) working on jewelry for his upcoming sale (more on that later!) and B) going on the inaugural "Douglas County Scooter Demons" scooter ride. 

By the time we both got home, we had our very first severe weather of the season.  

A common phrase in Kansas this time of year is, "Well, I hate the destruction tornadoes cause, but....did you see the storm last night?"  (That last part in an awestruck and Christmas-morning-excited voice with a blissful smile to accompany it.) 

Truth of the matter is, if you don't get just a little turned on by the electricity in the air...the smell of the wind...the drop in air pressure...that moment the sky turns green...you won't make it in Kansas very long.  And last night was incredible!  Sweet Husband and I had the windows open and the news on, and  oh it was awesome!

Then, last but not least, this morning, we got up early and went to Pendleton's for some asparagus pickin'.

About a month ago, I got this crazy idea that I should have an "Asparagus Week" when my little, spindly, green friends came into season.  Sweet Husband--being the lovely, indulgent man that he is--concurred.  So, without further delay, I'm pleased to announce that this will be ASPARAGUS WEEK at My Bit of Earth.  

That's right folks, we picked FOUR AND A HALF POUNDS of beautiful asparagus this morning, and every night this week I will be cooking it up in some extraordinary fashion, then posting the recipe the next morning.  Our pee will be stinky, but we shall be very well fed!

Barefoot Bloggers: Crouque Monsieur

This month's second Barefoot Bloggers recipe was the Contessa's Croque Monsier chosen by Kathy of All Food Considered.

I wanted to like this one...I really, really did.  I mean, what's not to love?  Ham, bread, ooey, gooey cheese sauce, mustard, and even a little cilantro, just for color....but it was just so rich.  Too rich for me.  I ate about three bites, and just couldn't go on.

I think I'm going to try to make mac and cheese with the leftover cheese sauce though.  By itself, it wasn't overwhelming....maybe cut it with a little lemon juice?  And some bread crumbs?

Orangette's Jars of Deliciousness

Last one and then I'll quit talking about her for awhile, I promise.  It's just...I mean, first there was the mayo (which, I must note, also went into a jar) and now these three recipes--my fridge is full of jars full of deliciousness, all thanks to the lovely Orangette.

This week's goodies?

First, an awesome recipe for roasted tomatoes--Pomodori al Forno.  I'm using canned tomatoes because we don't have real ones yet, but the slow roasting process (and the little pinch of sugar) makes them taste like July.  My summer resolution is to buy a huge flat of tomatoes at the farmer's market, make about a million jars of these guys, and freeze them for next winter.  Merry Christmas to me!

Second and third--pickles!  

The jar to the right is full of pickled onions.  With a nice hint of cumin, and such a gorgeous color, these were awesome with brats the other night.  They're crunchier than cooked onions, but softer and milder tasting than raw onions--jussst right.  

But the real show stopper is to the left.  No your eyes aren't deceiving you, those are pickled grapes!  

A little weird, I know, but quickly becoming my favorite after-work snack.  On the first day after I made them, I wasn't sure whether I liked them or not.  The vinegar was a little overpowering.  However, each day they've gotten just a little less acidic, and a little more sweet.  By this evening (four days out) I was popping them like candy.  With every second or third grape you get this wonderful burst of cinnamon.  I think when I make them again--and I will--I'll probably double the cinnamon, just to make it a little more intense.  

The recipes for both kinds of pickles, plus a recipe for pickled prunes that I will probably be trying soon, are here.

Moe Speaks: Tips and Tricks for Training Your Human (Part One)

I think one of the very best things about dogs blogging is that it means we can share information.  Valuable hints that might be limited to one dog, or even one neighborhood of dogs, can now be disseminated amongst us all.  And who knows, a few things I do to get treats and scritches from my human might work for you too!  

So, over the next few weeks, I'm going to share with you a few of my very best "Tips and Tricks for Training Your Human".  For my first tip, here's one of my favorites:

Like I'm sure many of your humans do, when my Mom gets home from work, she generally goes to sit down on the couch or the patio.  She reads the mail, picks up a book, turns on music, or other stuff that's boring.  

How do I get her to get up and do something fun?  (For reference, something fun=throwing the ball, a game o'tug, a treat from the kitchen, or full-on belly rub.)  

First, I slide up next to her.  Then I slowly and gently lean into her side.  Then, in one swift  movement, I slip my head in between her and whatever she's reading, put my head on her chest and stare her straight in the face.  Eye expression is crucial here pups--the look on your face must very clearly say, "I've love you so much and I've been waiting for you all day and now that you're home, won't you please, please play with me?  But if you don't want to play it's OK.  I'll just lay my head here on your chest and be content to be next to you."

Before you know it, your human will be scratching your ears, laughing at you indulgently, and telling you to go find a ball so you can play outside.  Works like a charm!

In other news, Molly and Taffy tagged me for something very nice the other day.  Now, according to the rules, I must list seven of my favorite things and tag seven of my favorite blogging dogs.

My favorite things are rats, squeaky toys, the shower, other bodies of water, bacon-and-eggs-and-pancakes, having my armpits scritched, and naps in the sun....in that order.

A few of my favorite dog bloggers: 

• Bogart, who was one of the first dog blogs I ever read, and just about has Dad convinced that I might need an Airedale sister someday.
• Mugsy, a most wonderful and holy puglet. 
• Molly and Taffy, of course.  Go look at the new picture of Molly in the daffodils--is she a pretty girl, or what?
• Mr. T-Bone Beasley, who is always full of helpful hints himself!
• Scruffy, Lacey, and Stanley--just started following these guys, but I'm so impressed by Scruffy's recent heroics!
• Stanley and Stella--oh those GooberStanians! 
• Anna, who has convinced her human to photo blog for her.  Not only is Anna both beautiful and wise, she's a work-out Queen--repeat after her, "No more sausage shapes!" 

Flowers Planted and Dirty Feet

Yesterday afternoon I was able to get a little garden tending in.  

I planted some Cinnamon Sunflowers and Cosmos (all from last year's seeds--yay!), and dog proofed them just a bit.  (I've found that if I don't cover new plantings somehow, Moe and Porter will maul them to death.  I let them stay this way until the plants emerge and get a few inches tall, then I'll take the coverings off.)  

I gave my peas a little blue trellis to wind their little tendrils up.  And the radishes and lettuce are coming along too.  (Sigh.  I love Spring veggies.  They're like magic--just sprinkle seeds on dirt, wait for some rain, and off they go!)

And my dirty, dirty feet--the first pair of the season.  ;)

Driving West of Here

Journeyed a just a little bit West--into the Flint Hills basically--this weekend to visit a friend.  

I swear, I don't know how people don't have more wrecks out there.  You'll be driving along, and all of a sudden you'll hit the crest of a hill and everything will open up in front of you--green mixed with gold mixed with black (from the newly burned fields).  As you would imagine, being Kansas, it is flat, but it's a rolling flat, not utterly flat like true Western Kansas.  And it's absolutely beautiful in that huge, lonely, desolate kind of way.  

Makes it hard to pay proper attention to the road.

Poll: Reunioning?

I'm having a small dilemma, and--as y'all are pretty smart most of the time--I thought, "Eh, why not ask my Nice Blog Reading Friends?"

Here's the issue.  My ten year high school class reunion is imminent, and I need to decide whether I'm going to go. 

 

For background, high school was not hell for me, nor was it the greatest time of my life.  I was basically happy, just hadn't really grown into my own skin yet, if that makes sense?  I don't have any old scores to settle.  There's no one whose nose I need to rub into the fact that I'm all grown-up and successful and brilliant and happy.  (Although, as you all know, I so am every one of those things!  *Giggle.*)  Also, I still keep in touch with some of my friends from that time period--not everyone, but I basically catch most of the people I really want to see at least once a year-ish--so that's not a huge issue either.

Ordinarily, I'd be totally up for it, but the problem is, it's the weekend before we're moving.  I realize I can pack at other times, and so on, but I know my to-do list will be running through my head ad nauseum all weekend if I'm not home where I'm able to do something about it.  And it will make me crazy.  That's just how I am.

But I don't want to not go, and then hear about what a great time everyone had....

But really I'll see all the people I really want to see at other times, and we'll have fabulous times then too....

But, but, but....urgh.

So, my question is, did you go to your high school reunion?  If so, was it fan-tab-ulous?  Or just whatever?  Am I missing out on a big rite of passage if I skip out on this one?  Or can I just forget about it and be sure to clear my calendar for my twenty-year?

Bloom Day: Muscari All Over

Although I skipped out for the winter, it's Spring now, which means it's once again time for May Dreams Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  Follow the link to see what's blooming this month all over the world.

I don't have a lot yet, but the few flowers that are blooming make my heart happy in a way that's disproportionate to their size and number.  In addition to a clump of daffodils, these little muscari are all over the place.  

It's kind of a funny story, actually, in an "I'm-so-indecisive-it's-almost-pathological" kind of way.  The first year we were here, I planted them one place.  But they weren't necessarily perfect there, so I moved them.  And so on and so forth, for almost five years now.  Of course, the little bulbs are so tiny, it's impossible to dig them all up.  And the ones I missed have multiplied, so now there are just little patches here and there.  In a more organized garden, I suppose it might be annoying, but to me it's a lot of fun.  I like the idea that Nice Friends who will be living here next year, and all the people who live here after that, will get to enjoy the little purple flowers popping up everywhere each Spring.

Family Fan Chart

A fun little crafty project for today....

I found this family genealogy fan chart on Martha Stewart years ago, and immediately loved the idea.  (It's the name collector thing rearing it's head again.)  Basically, it's just a pretty way of displaying your ancestors--ours starts with Sweet Husband and I, and goes back to our great-great-great grandparents.  (I left the "1st generation" to be filled in with Nice Kid later.)

Although, once I really got going, it only took me about fifteen minutes to fill everyone in, I'm disproportionately proud to have it done, as the "planning stage" took me forever.  Why so long, you ask?

Reason one:  I couldn't decide how to do it.  At one time I had the crazy idea of embroidering the whole thing.  Then I thought maybe I'd send it off and have a calligrapher do it.  Ultimately, I decided I'd better just get going and write it all out myself, because of....

Reason two:  While my family genealogy on my Dad's side is mapped out all the way back to the Mayflower era, and Sweet Husband's family is fairly well recorded too, the family history on my Mom's side is next to non-existent.  What's more, my grandparents on that side of the family are both dead, and their siblings are all of an age where I feel like I need to get the information from them as soon as possible or it will be lost.  (Yes, that's the polite and long way of saying they're very old.)

But trying to squeeze in visits during out already packed trips home, or communicate with the non e-mail generation (read: via snail mail letter) has made for slow going.  Once I got the entire "great-great" generation filled in, I decided that, for safety's sake, it was time to organize all my scribblings, just in case I get hit by a bus or something! 

Back to practical matters though, to make the chart the size you want, I would highly advise just following Martha's recommendation to take the file down to your local copy shop.  I probably could have manipulated it myself, but the Nice Kinkos Lady made everything just the size I wanted, centered it up nicely, and printed it off for me--all for about twenty cents.  (Mine is 11x17, so bigger sizes may cost more, but still....)

And the names I've learned...oh the names!  We have an "Asro" (probably my favorite, although I understand he was not the nicest man)...an "Ezra" (very fun also)...a few "Clara's" (which I had never thought of before really, but I love)...several "Myrtle's" (which kind of makes me wrinkle my nose, but it evidently was in style for quite a while)...I could go on for days!

Easter Celebrations

I love Easter.  

As a kid, it was always such an uncomplicated holiday and pretty much like the real first day of Spring.  The Easter bunny would bring new Spring clothes and buckets of candy and some sort of outside toy.  Then my cousins and I would spend the day outside hiding and finding Easter eggs, which generally culminated in an Easter egg fight around twilight (once the eggs were cracked beyond recognition and starting to become food safety hazards).  Looking back, our celebration was basically a pagan one--nothing more and nothing less than a day spent happily welcoming the sun back after being stuck inside all winter.  I can almost still smell the grass...it was awesome....

These days we try to make it back to the hometown.  I make Easter baskets for my girlies.  Sweet Husband goes to church with his Mom.  My brother and sister and I engage in our traditional, legendary, and fiercely competitive chocolate Easter egg hunt.  Then both families generally meet back up for Easter dinner at Nice-In-Law's house.  (Yeah, I know.  We don't have to take turns or try to split time, my in-laws just invite my family over--it's OK if you're jealous of me right now.)

How did you celebrate Easter when you were little?  And now?

(Oh!  And pictured above are my girlies' Easter buckets for this year.  The eggs?  They're full of confetti!  [I'm going to be in such trouble with their mommies, but we'll take them outside, I promise!]  I actually was able to buy them this way, but if you wanted to make some here are instructions.)

Barefoot Bloggers: Chinese Chicken Salad

This month's first Barefoot Bloggers recipe was the Contessa's Chinese Chicken Salad chosen by McKenzie of Kenzie's Kitchen. 

Recipes like this one are the reason I love my internet cooking groups.  Chicken salad just seems a little fusty to me; a little old fashioned, and not in a good way.  As such, I never would have picked this recipe out on my own.

Which would have been a tragedy, because this is the perfect summer dinner!  The cold, crunchy veggies, chicken for a little protein--all dressed up in a peanut-butter-and-soy-saucy dressing with some relatively light rice noodles on the side....yum!

For the recipe, see the links above.