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Local Flourishes

Posted on: 10.8.2009 12:37:52 PM Posted by Jessie Houlihan

A wedding, like any event, has an impact on the environment. Flowers that are grown in a different country or region and are flown in for your wedding have a larger carbon footprint that those that are grown regionally. By choosing locally grown flowers you can support your area’s economy and significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your wedding. For my wedding I chose to have the flowers and decorations reflect the region and the season of the wedding. Lucky for me Connie Glasheen from Kindred Spirits had the skills and expertise needed to make my vision a reality. We began our first meeting by talking about the colors I’m incorporating in my wedding, which are a deep plum and sage green. Next she showed me examples of what grows in Wisconsin during the fall that reflects those colors. We looked at several combinations and Connie helped me decide on arrangements that are both seasonal and completely locally sourced. With Connie’s guidance, we designed several different table decorations, wreathes, corsages and bouquets that perfectly match the wedding’s themes. If you’re interested in talking to her about planning flower decorations for your wedding or event, she can be reached at her store, Kindred Spirits Organics, which is located on College Avenue in Appleton. For more information, please call 920.882.2123 or visit www.kindredspiritsorganics.com.

This was recently posted on WI Bride magazine blog

Wisconsin Bride Blog

Register | Search

Local Flourishes

Posted on: 10.8.2009 12:37:52 PM Posted by Jessie Houlihan

A wedding, like any event, has an impact on the environment. Flowers that are grown in a different country or region and are flown in for your wedding have a larger carbon footprint that those that are grown regionally. By choosing locally grown flowers you can support your area’s economy and significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your wedding. For my wedding I chose to have the flowers and decorations reflect the region and the season of the wedding. Lucky for me Connie Glasheen from Kindred Spirits had the skills and expertise needed to make my vision a reality. We began our first meeting by talking about the colors I’m incorporating in my wedding, which are a deep plum and sage green. Next she showed me examples of what grows in Wisconsin during the fall that reflects those colors. We looked at several combinations and Connie helped me decide on arrangements that are both seasonal and completely locally sourced. With Connie’s guidance, we designed several different table decorations, wreathes, corsages and bouquets that perfectly match the wedding’s themes. If you’re interested in talking to her about planning flower decorations for your wedding or event, she can be reached at her store, Kindred Spirits Organics, which is located on College Avenue in Appleton. For more information, please call 920.882.2123 or visit www.kindredspiritsorganics.com.

nominated for retail florist

Just got word we were nominated for Retail Florist, have tons of paperwork to fill out. wow this is cool even if we don't win!

vacation!

We will be going on a much needed vacation from 08/22/09 through 08/31/09. We are going to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, Hersheypark and Colonial Williamsburg. I am in serious burn out mode and hopefully this will help.

Woodtick Festival

Woo hoo! This afternoon we are heading to the woodtick festival in Upper Michigan! Pics to follow....

Zombie Walk Sept 5, 2009

There is going to be a zombie walk on Sept 5, 2009, downtown Oshkosh!! What is this you ask? Show up in your best zombie costume and check out the art gallery walk downtown Oshkosh from 7 pm to 9 pm. Prizes and lots of fun! Gather at the alley behind House of Heroes Comics (407 N Main) and join us for an official zombie walk after party at the time Cinema from 9 to midnight. All ages are welcome!! For more info, go to oshkoshhorror.com, email is info@oshkoshhorror.com

Madison

Wow, had so much fun in Madison the last couple days! My sister Diane watched the shop, it was great to get away. While Jeff was in seminars, it was time for me to explore! I didn't feel comfortable driving downtown, traffic, parking, other cars, people, losing the car....several times every week I lose my car here in Appleton. Usually just in the ramp, having to check 2 or 3 floors because I can never remember where I left it. Once I left it in the parking lot at the library. Couldn't find it on any of the 7 floors of the ramp, till I remembered I went to the library first. 9 hours earlier. Can you imagine me losing it in Madison? Soooooo.....since we were staying in Middleton, I thought I would try out the Metro. I loved it! For two bucks I was able to transfer over and get to the capitol! It was so easy, plus I got to see areas I wouldn't have, watching the scenery not the road. In fact, I got so bold as to get off the bus early several times when I saw interesting shops along the way. I bussed to Ohlbrich Gardens to see the butterfly exhibit (awesome) jonesed for thrifting so stopped at a St. Vinnies and got some groovy vintage hankies, found a cool cafe named Lazy Janes, saw Grandpas Gun shop (did not go in, Grandpa looked surly) and thats all in the first morning! The cafe was pretty cool, had a great chicken salad. When your order was up, the cook literally screamed your name to come fetch it from the window. Had to use the ladies room, when I went in there was a shutter on the wall with the words peek inside in scrabble tiles. So I did! There was a drawing of a nude man! Cool surprise! Got back to the hotel at 3 and met up with Jeff. I told him how easy the Metro is to use, so he decided to try it for us to head back downtown to hit State St. While we were riding there he told me about the seminars he went to and a bus trip they took to see mixed affordable housing. The coference was for housing for everyone, and had to do with housing issues and challenges. One planned community he saw and toured sounded fabulous. Theres 31 acres, with 6 acres built with affordable and market value homes. Each home had a garden plot in the community garden, there was a CSA and mixed use areas. Jeff said it was gorgeous! The wildlife habitat, the shared common space, the mix made this a community in the truest sense of the word! While we wer eon the bus two ladies had chairs along, which I thought was a little odd, but oh well. They asked if we were going to the concert that night. Concert? They explained there was a concert at the square, Chamber Orchestra. We said ok! Well, there were literally thousands of people there, with blankets, chairs, tables, drinking fine wine, picnicing with delicious food, even had bouquets of flowers set up for ambiance! There were lots of food vendors and options galore if you did not bring goodies. It was so respectful, no rowdiness when the orchestra was playing, no cell phones, it was truly lovely. Everyone looked like they were having a great time, as were we. At intermission we went into the Capitol and walked around. My first time, and it was amazing! We ended up coming back the next day for the tour, I highly recommend it. Afterwards we walked State Street, how fun. I saw a shop that I needed to come back to, Anthology. Heaven! We got back to the hotel about 11:30, it was such a blast and no problem parking, since we were on the bus! The next day, I hopped the bus again to go to State Street and to tour the History Museum. We met up by the Capitol around 3, toured and walked to Willy Street to the co op and red sage herbs. We also went into an alternative clothing store, that was interesting. Came back home at about 8:30. what a blast!

examiner.com

I have written another article for examiner.com, under Milwaukee wedding examiner. Its about vintage chic weddings - be sure to check it out!

Examiner.com check out my wedding articles!

I am now writing for Examiner.com under the heading Milwaukee wedding examiner! I'll be writing about flowers (of course!) how to individualize your ceremony and celebration, unusual weddings, herbal and flower symbolism, vintage wedding chic, interviews with bakers, wedding planners, frugal tips, best of the best, destinations and so much more. Go to examiner.com, go to Milwaukee, style and fashion, home and living and you'll find me! If you like it, please bookmark and leave comments or suggestions on upcoming topics!

summer garden 2009

Well, I need to try and find some more bean seeds, since every last bean seedling has been devoured by bunnies. Man, they are so cute but so hungry! They drive Nike wild, as do the chipmunks. One chipmunk in particular seems to like to taunt Nike, sitting on the back step chattering or eating a seed. Nikes tail swishes non stop, tensed body bristling. The raspberries are in flower and have some immature berries, they are thick and will need thinning after just one year. The shallots look great, tomatoes are flowering but no fruit yet. I really should have taken better note which squash was planted where, this will be interesting as they seem to be doing pretty well. Pepper plants died :( I have had trouble the last couple years with them. Still removing hundreds of maple seedlings, grrrrrr. I do love summer like this though, temps are comfortable. I just need more time to garden!

4th of July, fireworks, Mud Run, Mud Queen

We spent 4th of July in Upper Michigan and had a blast! We went to the parade that morning in Hermansville Michigan where the kids got tons of candy, everyone was tossing handfuls. Lots of trucks, firetrucks, ambulances, bicycles, even big military vehicles.
Then we went over to the mud run area, so Jason could sign up. He asked me if I wanted to run his truck, an F350, in the stock division. I never did that before, so of course I said YES! Its a 5 speed and its been oh about 20 years since I drove a stick shift, and never purposefully through a big pit of deep, wet, slimy, gooey clay mud. Cool!! We asked if there was a powderpuff division, with just females, they said no, just run with the boys. OKAY! Then standing in the pits we got the idea, maybe Jeff would like to as well, and he said YES! So three of the 6 in stock were us, woo hoo!! There were 3 different divisions, stock which meant tires up to 35 inches, no nitrous, no overbuilt engines, basic stock trucks. There were a total of 6 drivers in the stock division, Jeff, Jason, me, and three other guys. The next division is semi modified and the last division is super modified. These guys scream through the mud, not sinking in but kind of floating on top, use nitrous for speed and power and have huge lift and tires. Whew! Crazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy stuff, they fly!!! Not so much measuring for length like stock and semi modified, they are timed and fastest wins! So, we get our numbers and go through the lineup, first forward then reverse order, everyone gets two tries. First try, Jason with 61 feet 5 inches, Jeff 61 feet 11 inches, and I had 57 feet 3 inches (according to Jason, since I was bouncing so high off the seat my foot came off the gas). The other 3 guys ranged from 59 feet to 57 feet. Second try, Jeff got 65 feet even, Jason got 65 feet 3 inches and I got 61 feet 3 inches. The others ended up with lesser yardage, so Jason took 1st, Jeff took 2nd and I took 3rd. We each got beautiful trophies and prize money and had a blast!! Check out the photos I will be posting as well. Jeff said some younger guys in the stands were watching me get into the truck and they were not impressed I was wearing flipflops "Dude, that woman is wearing flipflops! You can't drive a mud truck in flipflops! Flipflops!!! Man, that is just not right!"
After all of the trucks went - including one that very nearly went end over end! - it was time for the mud queen run. This year stakes were running high, $212.00 and bragging rights for all year. You just needed to be 16 or over and run, climb, get stuck, run, climb, get stuck, keep repeating and then make it to the other end of the mud pit. Hard to do, that mud sucks you right down. Afterwards, the grandkids needed to do some trial runs, they and Amber and Jenessa cannot wait till they are 16 and able to run! After they tried to clean up a bit in the Hermansville Pond we went to the The Shop in Nadeau and had a few beers and grilled sweet corn, on the way back to Jason and Amys house we saw a bear. Luckily Gary who was on his Harley slowed way down and we got a good look before it lumbered into the woods. Gary is a friend of Jasons who is camping there and taking a trip into Canada on his Harley today. We also saw turkeys, lots of deer, and fox kits during the weekend.
We got back to Jason's and started getting ready to go to Pauls house in Norway to watch the fireworks. Paul Raiche is Jeff's cousin and a heck of a nice guy. They hunt deer together at the deer camp, 40 acres that Paul owns. Originally it was part of the farm that Jeffs dad grew up on, so its a very special very meaningful place. Noy those small Michigan towns know how to put on a display! Fireworks everywhere and the grand finale went on and on.
The next morning Amber got up and went outside and saw a small bear cub about the size of a black lab. She ran back in which was a smart thing to do, those mama black bear sows can get very ornery if you accidently get near their babies. We goofed around for a bit then Jeff and Jason worked on installing a new toilet, Amy and I worked on planting strawberries. We went to a park nearby and the kids and Amy swam, for us it was too damn cold. This 4th was a blast!!

fishing Sunday afternoon

Sunday afternoon we took the girls fishing. Amber caught two, a bluegill and a sunfish and Jenessa caught one bluegill. They were released (the 3 fish). We went to the mill pond by Weyauwega, there were literally thousands of dragonflies flitting around. Lots of people fishing too, it was a gorgeous day, sunny then overcast, windy but not humid, just right. On the way home we went past cactus rock, a huge expanse of rock near New London, WI. We didn't see any of the native cactus (opuntia) but did see dogbane blooming and a ton of blue berried juniper.

class on Saturday afternoon

On Saturday afternoon, 06/27/09, , 23 ladies took part in a 3 part class here at Kindred Spirits Organics. The first section was about culinary herbs, how to grow, harvest, and prepare delicious food. They sampled chive butter and thyme butter with whole grain crackers. Then it was on to make and take mixed herb vinegars. Each lady was able to make her own container and was given recipes and instructions. Since these make nice hostess gifts, they were pretty pleased at their creations and that it would only be pennies to reproduce more. The last segment was right next to the flower coolers, filled to overflowing with buckets and vases of flowers. First we went through the different kinds, if they grow here in Wisconsin, colors they come in, etc. Then I stood back! The ladies chose their favorites and went to work. Each was unique and beautiful, and they were quite excited to be able to bring home their creation. It was such a blast! It was noisy, the women laughing and oohing and ahhing over each others flowers and petals and stems and leaves everywhere but so much fun!

Dinner plans for tonight

Tonights meal, cannot wait as I think it will be really good. Orange roughy fish that will be baked with a nice big stalk of fennel and a bit of tarragon and thyme, French bread with real French butter that we got from the farm market this morning and butter parsley potatoes, viva la carbs!! Jeff heard a program on public radio a couple weeks ago that was talking about French butter being unique to the region and season, season due to what the cows have been grazing on, and region as to whats available. Since then we have been wanting to try it, and today our favorite cheese purveyer, Nala's Fromagerie from Green Bay just happened to have some!! I can't wait, should be good and a great finish to a hectic week!!!

HOG Harley Owners Group Wisconsin Rally

This weekend here in Appleton, Wisconsin, there are literally thousands of Harleys riding around town. The annual state rally is being held here, there will be a parade of bikes going right down College Avenue past Kindred Spirits this afternoon. Should be interesting and exciting, and what a hot, steamy weekend for this! Cool! Jason and Amy brought Jason's Harley over last night, the two year restoration was just finished a couple weeks ago. Since then, 2 shows, 2 first places!! He gave us a ride, which was awesome. We joked about Jeff needing to wear a seat belt, a couple weeks ago he fell off the 4 wheeler by accident in Upper Michigan and needed medical attention. Do you know that medical grade super glue is used instead of stitches? It really works! And that at the hospital (45 minutes away) emergency room, you take a number, just like at a deli or bakery, and wait for your turn. Since Jeff was the only one in the waiting room bleeding, we had hoped his number would be called soon. As a get well present, Jason and Amy sent him a U. P. care package, consisting of a seat belt cut from a junked out car, an emergency blanket to keep shock from setting in, some antiseptic wipes, a big tube of super glue and some aspirins.

Garden update

With all the rain lately, the garden has been pretty happy (so are the weeds!). The beans are being enjoyed by the rabbits, the potatoes are up, corn is about 4 inches tall and the shallots are doing really well. Not bad for a late start this year. Tomatoes are green but no sign of blossoms. Thanks to my friend Cindy I am experimenting this year - growing my first artichoke! She gave me a beautiful plant and since it will need to overwinter to produce the chokes next year, I transplanted it into a larger sized pot.

Holistic Moms Network

There is a new chapter of Holistic Moms Network forming in Appleton, and the open house meeting is Monday June 20th 2009 at 6 p.m. at Harmony Cafe. For more info contact Rebecca at
rkkberinger@gmail.com or visit the website at www.holisticmoms.org

Kinda chilly today

Its a good soup day, its been raining off and on and temps in the lower 50s. I am making soup when I get home, a creamy wild rice soup that has bits of ham, chopped up carrots, mushrooms and celery, some rosemary, a little thyme...and I am stopping to get a nice loaf of bread to go with. Yum! Can't wait!

Todays weddings

I had two weddings today that I did the floral designs for, each individual, just like the couples getting married. One was in Fremont, along the Wolf River. Bright colors, hot orange, vibrant blue, white accents. The black wrought iron arch was set up next to the shoreline, where I draped a long garland with fresh orange gerbera daisies, bright blue delphinium, white daisies along with lots of organza ribbon. The bridesmaids wore short bright blue dresses, the men wore khaki pants and blue Hawaiian shirts. The bride and groom barefoot in a pool of water. The other wedding was in Green Bay, the flowers were white and pink peonies. The girls wore honeydew melon green dresses with their exquisitely scented pink peonies, the bride in white with all white peonies. For the tables set up in the white tent, green wine bottles with peonies, some had two white, some had two pink, some had a pink and a white, accented with curly willow and an organza bow in honeydew. Classy, not overdone, just right. Thats one of the things I love most about doing wedding design, to capture the essence, the feel, the mood that describes each couple perfectly. Some vibrant, some romantic, some casual, some formal, some traditional, some avant garde, each one as unique as they are.

Compost : Garbage to Gardeners Gold

On Thursday June 11 from 6:30 to 8:30 I will be giving a talk on composting at Heckrodt Wetland Reserve, 1305 Plank Rd, in Menasha, Wisconsin. Composting is a passion of mine, and I will be discussing ideas for small space yards and gardens, simple composting ideas, and how this impacts the environment both by adding organic matter to build healthy soil and by reducing the amount of organic material that ends up in the landfill. Its free and open to the public, hope to see lots of people there!

Vegetable Garden 2009

Finally! Who said gardening teaches patience? Today, about two weeks later than typical planting time, the garden is 95% in the ground. This morning I planted Bloomsdale spinach, French grey shallots, Black Krim, Silvery Fir tree, Roma, San Marzano, Crimson Cushion, Tigerella, Brandywine tomatoes, Sugar Baby watermelon, acorn squash, basil, parsley, yellow summer squash, zucchini, bi color sweet corn (can't remember the variety name, have it at home) green beans, and tomorrow morning will be the final planting that consists of 15 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, summer savory and Scarlet Nantes carrots. Whew! Jeff tilled the garden on Monday and incorporating all the compost and coffee grounds has really improved the quality and tilth of the soil. This morning there were worms wriggling everywhere, happy that it has stopped raining. Summer salads and steamed veggies here we come! The food perennials, the raspberries and asparagus look fantastic, planted last year the raspberries already could use some thinning, and the asparagus shows promise for next years harvest.

Happy Mothers Day!!

This weekend is Mothers Day. Thank you to Jason and Randy for being my kids and for choosing Amy and Jenn to spend your lives with. I'm glad to be your mom!!!

Sturgeon spawning

Last week we went to the Shiocton, WI area to see the sturgeon spawning. Female sturgeons need to be at least 45 years old to lay their eggs, they look almost prehistoric. They follow the Wolf River on their way upstream, then head back to Lake Winnebago. Here are some of the 65 pictures I took.

RIP mom

Live each day for the moment and cherish and remember good times.

Dragonfly, and other glimpses

There is a saying that when you see a dragonfly, it means angels on earth.
I sure hope so. My sister lost her husband and son and her best friend all to cancer, in the last couple years. For Brian it hasn't yet been a year since he died. He was 32, married, 3 kids. All 3 were good people, Clyde loved my sister dearly with all his heart, and Jeannie was always there for my sister.
In December during a particularly sad day, we saw a dragonfly. I believe with all my heart it was Brian, letting us know he is still close.
On Friday last week we found out my mom is terminal, cancer in both lungs and liver. Prognosis is very limited time for her to be yet on this earth.
On Monday 04/20/09 again there was a dragonfly flitting around the shop. Again, I believe it is Brian, telling us that the ones we lose are forever close by, in our hearts and thoughts.
I am trying my best to keep my spirits up and a smile on my face but at times, it is so hard.

Spring?

Yesterday, sunshine and a wind chill of 16 degrees. I want spring!

Wisconsin Trails magazine article, April 2009

This is an excerpt from an article titled Travel Appleton written by Amy Guckeen, writer for Wisconsin Trails magazine. Thanks Amy!

Shop


Stop and smell the local roses at Kindred Spirits Organics, 10 College Ave. Order a bouquet of fresh flowers from the greater Appleton area. Stock your pantry with Great River Milling Organic flour from Fountain City and
 seasonal fresh veggies and fruit from local farms. Got a green thumb? Purchase your own tomato plant for some homegrown goodness. For a special treat, chat
with owner and "mother" of the shop, Connie Glasheen. She may even let you try a piece of their delectable Australian black licorice. kindredspiritsorganics.com.




recessionista version of tupperware party - My Gold Party

I read something interesting today, a twist on home parties and an indication of todays world. Instead of going to a jewelry store or coin shop to sell unwanted gold jewelry, perhaps gifts from ex boyfriends or mismatched earrings. a new trend is to host a "gold party" in your home. Similar to Tupperware or Pampered Chef parties, where a hostess invites her friends in to see whats new, this idea is a variation. A gold buyer, complete with jewelers loupe, scale and tester to determine if its genuine will access the unwanted jewelry and pay cash - on the spot. What a cool idea, to trade in broken necklaces and unwanted outdated accessories that just lie in a jewelry box and make some cash instantly. According to the article, people are finding it far less intimidating and make it a fun evening as well. Very cool!

Heirloom tomatoes

I am starting the tomato seeds today, spring cannot be too far off. This year we will be growing Roma, Bloody Butcher, Tigerella, Silvery Fir Tree, Brandywine, Black Krim and Crimson Cushion. I am still looking for Prudens Purple and Cherokee Purple tomato seeds. I am also going to plan a pre order sale, so Kindred Spirits Organics customers can be sure to get the varieties they need and want for their gardens. I have a feeling this year will be a banner year for gardeners to expand their food gardens. With the economy the way it is and how you can grow lots of delicious very fresh fresh (local!) for pennies, it just makes sense to grow your own and enjoy the process.

Herb Cheese Spread

This is a quick and very easy herb spread - enjoy!
Herb Spread
1 8oz cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
1/2 cup butter, softened and cut into pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh basil, finely snipped
1 tsp fresh oregano, finely snipped
1 tsp fresh thyme, finely snipped
Combine all ingredients. Cover, chill for a few hours, let stand at room temp for about 30 minutes before serving with multi grain crackers. This is really good and quite decorative if you have chive blossoms as a garnish and strewn on top of the herb spread.

Rain Barrel Workshop

Here's your chance to save money and help the environment!!
Angie Lucas will be teaching a class on rain barrels Saturday March 21st at Fox River Academy -Green teaching building here in Appleton, WI. There are three different times to choose from on the 21st, one class runs from 10 am to 12 pm, another 12 to 2 pm and the third is from 2-4 pm so no matter what you have going on, one of those times may be perfect! Workshop is $40.00 per barrel and includes everything you need to start catching those precious drops of water.
Did you know that for every inch of rain that falls on 1000 square feet yields 623 gallons of water! By catching the rain from gutters and downspouts on homes and garages, you can give your thirsty garden plants a good healthy drink - for free! Its easy, and the right thing to do to help out Mother Earth! For more information, please visit www.aasd.k12.wi.us/foxriveracademy.

Jenessa gets a blue ribbon - state forensics meet!

Jenessa competed at the state forensics meet on Saturday, and won a blue ribbon! This is the first year she went out for forensics, and did great! She played the part of the dragon, convincing George the dragon slayer to seek truth and not believe everything that is said. She got an A-, A and A. What a wonderful experience, she worked hard and it paid off in blue!

Victorian bridal bouquet

This is a bridal bouquet I am working on, very Victorian in feel. It has blue-green hydrangeas, ivory hydrangeas, freesia in several shades, lizianthis in shades of pale pink, ivory and ivory-green, scented stock in buttercream yellow and pale pink. Its very fragrant and is a nosegay style bound with ivory organza ribbon

cold season

Tis the cold season. We held off as long as we could. But now both Jeff and I are fighting a cold, his is more sinus related, mine deep in my chest. Definitely makes for a challenging time, last night I even scared Nike with my coughing! I don't even feel like cooking. We are both doing the warm tea, lots of liquids, trying to get enough rest, but spring cannot get here fast enough.

Soupe au Pistou - recipe

The first time I made this soup was in January, what a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon, chopping vegetables and simmering soup. Since then we have changed it in different ways, sometimes adding ingredients like cubed cooked chicken, subtracting ingredients, but no matter which way you make it, it is an awesome soup. It is from the southern region of France, which kind of explains the"pistou" pesto garnish.

Soupe au Pistou
1 1/4 cup dried white beans (cannellini, navy or flageleot) or 2 cups canned cannellini)
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 celery stalk, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, bay leaves tied in cheesecloth)
4 potatoes, diced
1/4 pound small green beans, chopped
2 cups chicken stock - if canned, use low sodium
3 tomatoes
2 zucchini, diced
1 1/2 cup vermicelli, broken into small pieces
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

Pistou
6 garlic cloves
1 1/3 cup basil leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup olive oil

If you are using dried beans : Soak dried beans overnight, drain, put in a sauce pan, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 1 hour till beans are tender. Drain.
If you are using canned beans, they do not need to be soaked, rinsed and cooked.

To make the pistou
Put garlic, basil and parmesan in blender, process till finely mashed. Slowly add olive oil, mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Heat olive oil in large dutch oven or soup pot, add garlic and shallots and cook over low heat just a few minutes so they are soft but not browned. Add celery, carrots, and bouquet garni, cook 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Add potatoes, green beans, chicken stock and 7 cups of water, simmer 10 minutes.

Peel tomatoes by plunging first into boiling water then cold water, the peels will just come off so easily. Chop the tomatoes, add to soup. Add zucchini, white beans, vermicelli, and peas (if you are using frozen, then wait till right before to add so they just heat through.

Season, serve with a dollop of pistou on top.

Forensics - state meet this Saturday.

This Saturday Jenessa, Jeff's daughter, is competing in the state Forensics meet. She is playing the part of a dragon, working hard at convincing the knight not to slay the dragon. I can't wait to watch and root for her team to win!

Possum tracks

One of the coolest things about fresh snow is you can see animal tracks. Usually we see all sorts of rabbits, squirrels etc. Jeff and I were out Sunday morning, cleaning up the fresh 4-5 inches from the day before and we found these possum tracks going down the sidewalk. It was easy to see as the snow had been removed earlier so just a light dusting remained. Jeff showed me how the possum walks like a waddle and moves his right front paw at the same time as his back right paw, then his left front and left back, so its right - right, left - left. How cool!

Nike's vet visit

Yesterday was Nike's annual well kitty check up. He does not like to go for car rides, but fortunately he was not as vocal as last year - last year the entire way he bellowed in indignation. He is a strapping young lad weighing in at a muscular 15 pounds. His doctor gave him a clean bill of health, saying he had a good temperment - apparently his hissing and growling as he was being examined didn't faze the Dr. too much. He got his shot and did well with that, and got Greenie treats when he got back home to help soothe.

Growing mushrooms

for Jeffs birthday, I got him a mushroom growing kit. Its the regular button type mushrooms you find in every grocery store, but homegrown is so superior! Its easy to do too, basically we needed to mist the planting medium (encased in plastic inside a cardboard box) so the spores would be moist and after a few days, roll the plastic bag down so it could get air. After a week or so you could see the mycelium forming, thread like strands. Then it got even more exciting - mushrooms started growing! The first few harvests were impressive, Jeff grew so many we needed to give alot away. We couldn't keep up, and we sincerely love mushrooms. After the inital fruiting occured, we were advise dto wait a bit longer, keep misting and sure enough, we could see it happening again. Here is a picture of a huge mushroom Jeff harvested - it was a great addition sauteed in wine and served with our steaks for Valentines day. To find mushroom kits, go to Field and Forests Products, they are based in Peshtigo WI. There is a website (www.fieldforest.net) and you can order kits of all different kinds of mushrooms, button, oyster, shitake, etc. They also sell spawn if you would like to start out by inoculating wood logs. Theres tons of info in their catalog, and books etc available too. Very cool company, we plan on trying out other varieties since we are hooked!

star struck

Wicked is in town playing at the Appleton Performing Arts Center to rave reviews. Stephanie Browns agent called Kindred Spirits Organics from NYC to order a fresh bouquet for her to enjoy. I had the pleasure to design a beautiful bouquet for her, with auberine calla lilies, white snapdragons, Dutch iris, green spider mums, bright pink tulips, bear grass, purple larkspur, curly willow and gorgeous lilies. It looked lush and abundant, exquisitely fragrant, perfect for a star.

It has begun....

I know its too early. I can't help it. I will only plant a few seeds....I promise to wait till the right time. Spring is still several months away.
Today I sowed some Mamoth, Purple Ruffles and Genovese basil seeds, sweet marjoram, oregano, sage, and spearmint. Tomorrow, a day closer, I will plant thyme, summer savory, cilantro and parsley.

Jeff's chicken recipe

Jeff is an excellent cook, able to come up with great ideas just by looking in the refrigerator and pantry, sometimes using a recipe but most often just tweaking/adding/substituting. I came home to the most delicious aroma, I knew we were having "chicken" that evening but not sure how he was going to prepare it. He breaded the chicken breasts and cooked them along with thin diced carrots and set aside. Then he made tomato basil flavored pasta and placed the chicken on top, edged with the carrots. Then he made a bechamel sauce, but instead of using just milk, he used half milk half chicken broth and ladled over the chicken/pasta/carrots. Yum!!!

forcing branches, or Whoahh, Baby! I want Spring!

Ok, I am trying to keep an open mind. This morning (January 27th) Jeff told me he saw on the news yesterday that so far, the last 26 days, there has been 18 days with below zero temps. That's getting to be a bit much. Granted a few of the days were a balmy -5 or -10, but the wind chills were in the -30 to -40 range. Thats flipping cold!

Whats a gardener to do? Move to Reno? Not likely.

Instead we get tough and begin forcing things to bloom inside. Bulbs like daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, absolutely. Purchased in the fall, stored in a refrigerator crisper drawer for 6 - 8 weeks, then potted up in regular potting soil and placed in the sunshine provides us with a hint of whats to come - months from now. It only takes a couple weeks and voila! a hint of spring.
Thats great if you planned ahead and purchased bulbs and stored them. If you didn't, do not despair, there are other ways to get your garden jones...force branches.

Branches? Yes, branches from apple trees, crabapples, forsythia, willow, cherry trees...you get the idea. Even if the shrub or tree doesn't bloom, small tender green leaves are a welcome respite from the frigid temps outside.

What you need are some key ingredients, pruned branches and a container of water. Most leave and flower buds are formed in the fall. What that means to us is these pruned branches have everything they need except warmth and water - we can provide that! So place your cut branches in water, put in a fairly sunny area and stand back and enjoy! If the room they are in is a little on the cooler side, it will take a bit longer to bud out, but then they will stay longer too. Figure a good couple weeks in average room temp to get them to blossom stage.

A hint -don't ask how I know this. When you are looking for a container to display the branches, remember that a good stable base will help keep everything upright. The branches will be heavy so container sturdiness is a virtue.

Have fun!

Wedding Show Radisson Paper Valley

We had a booth at the Bridal Show this last Sunday at the Radisson Paper Valley here in Appleton. Some designs featured deep eggplant colored calla lilies and lime green hydrangea, along with Baccara roses. Others used deep orange roses and orange callas. Here are some pics