St Louis trip

We had a great trip to St Louis to see my cousin Barbara and Aunt Michiko. I haven't seen them for quite some time, and really enjoyed chatting and seeing the sites. We visited the Botanical garden, the world famous zoo, the Gateway Arch, old town St Charles, and also Daniel Boones homestead. On the way there we stopped in Lincoln Illinois to learn more about Abraham Lincoln, and on the way back home, in Springfield to learn additional facts about him. It was a great trip!!!

summer, garden in review

Gardening this summer has been a bit of a challenge for me. The shop has been keeping me busy (a good thing, keeps me off the streets) so the weeds have been having a heyday. I am now beginning to harvest squash and we have had the first tomatoes of the season, thanks to a cooler summer. The raspberries were fabulous, it was pretty neat to go out and harvest a handful every morning for breakfast cereal. I've been harvesting potatoes as we need them, I grew Yukon Gold and French Fingerling. I cook scrubbed unpeeled, chunked potatoes briefly in water, then put them in a quiche pan with some salt, freshly ground pepper, fresh parsley and butter, 350 F till tender. Damn, thats good! The asparagus roots I planted this spring are showing promise, the ferny foliage looks very happy. I have been adding some coffee grounds as a top dressing to encourage better soil. I think I let them go all next year and then begin slight harvesting in 2010. Seems like a long time from now, but with as quickly as the days go by, it will be here before we know it. The pumpkins (2) are beginning to turn slightly orange. Acorn squash, we seem to have an abundance, though they aren't ready yet. Garlic planted last fall is very whiffy, strong smelling but when you cook with it, it calms down and becomes quite mellow. The shallots are doing well, I need to harvest them and allow them to dry. Still without a car, the dealership was planning on starting to work on Jeffs car yesterday. In due time, and a good lesson on patience.

Recipe - Boursin

I have found a great recipe for homemade Boursin, and adapted it with a few tweaks, a couple additions and a few subtractions. Boursin is herbed cheese that originated in France. Enjoy, either with crackers, celery sticks, stuffed in plum tomatoes or sugar snaps, the possibilities are endless!! Enjoy!!

Homemade Boursin
1 cup farmer cheese
1 cup Asiago or Parmesan cheese, grated
8 ounces cream cheese (not the lowfat version, sorry)
1 stick butter, softened to room temp
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp minced chives
3 cloves garlic or 3 shallots, finely minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp minced marjoram, fresh is best if possible
1 tsp fresh minced thyme

Blend cheeses in large bowl
Blend in butter, lemon juice
Mix in rest of ingredients
Refrigerate for a few hours to meld the flavors together

farm market goodies

Today at the farm market you could find
blueberries, tart cherries, MI peaches, blackberries, raspberries, apples
tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, squash, garlic, beans, shallots, onions, herbs, lettuces
so many colors, flavors, scents and tastes
summer in full swing, music

Big Tree update

Since the tree has divided into thirds Friday morning, we have had 4 big thunderstorms, all yesterday. We are still waiting for the insurance adjuster to come look at Jeffs car, fortunately the 2/3rds standing has remained standing.

Tuscany chicken recipe

Tuscany chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 - 2 tbsp minced rosemary leaves
salt and fresh ground pepper
2 heads of garlic, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken stock, homemade or low sodium
2/3 cup white wine

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
Sprinkle breasts with rosemary, salt, pepper, place in baking dish or pan (I like to use a quiche pan)
Mix garlic, oil, arrange around the chicken breasts. Drizzle a little more rosemary and oil over the top
Roast for 15 minutes
Add chicken broth, watch so you don't spatter the hot bubbly oil. Continue to roast another 7 minutes
Remove breasts, put on serving platter, keep warm
Place pan on high heat, bring to a boil, add wine. Boil 1 -2 minutes to reduce, scrape the bottom to loosen bits. Spoon reduced liquid over breasts and serve.
Remove chicken, place the pan on

tree fall out - thank goodness no one got hurt

Oh. My. God. Tree fall out. I have (had) a huge maple tree in the backyard that was big enough to shade my yard and the neighbors on either side. Friday morning about 1:45 it decided to split in 3rds, with a big crash and breaking glass (the neighbors house). It landed on Jeffs car (insurance adjuster said a couple days and they will be out to assess the damage...broken windshield, caved in hood, etc) and took out alot of the neighbors house (roof, siding, window, etc). The cops were there pretty quick, since a jogger who was going by nearly had a heart attack as he called 911. They then woke up the elderly neighbor who thought we were having a thunderstorm. She got light headed, helped to her chair and then they proceeded to call her 53 year old daughter to leave on the answering machine that a tree caved in her mothers house and she's ok. Needless to say daughter races over. What a mess. Neighbors have been helping clean up the mess with chainsaws and hauling limbs away to the city garages wood chipper. Now we need to remove the rest of the tree (which that 2/3rds still cover our house, garage and neighbors houses and garages on both sides. And there is power lines going through it. Yikes yikes yikes.