Confession: I am fascinated by ghosts and other haunted things. Nothing too scary, though. Never in my life did I ever predict I’d chase the Lincoln ghosts. This past week I had the opportunity to join Sara of Travel With Sara on a road trip to Springfield, Illinois, the Land of Lincoln. She was graciously invited by the Springfield […]
Our First County Fair: Cake Decorating & Pork Sandwiches
When North Iowa blogger Val of Corn, Bean, Pigs & Kids asked me if I wanted to team-up and compete in the Franklin County “Cake Wars” decorating contest, of course I had to say yes. I warned her that my cake decorating abilities were very limited. In culinary school in Moorhead, MN, Mrs. Kraft patiently […]
I’m Smitten With Smitten With Squash: Layered Greek Tzatziki Dip
I’m smitten with Smitten With Squash, Amanda Paa’s new cookbook. She’s a Twin Cities resident who also blogs beautiful recipes at Heartbeet Kitchen. Just as the book’s description says, Smitten With Squash is truly a celebration of this diverse and under-appreciated vegetable. It seems that Midwesterners get inundated with zucchini and yellow squash in the summer and winter squash ranging from acorn […]
I Got Chickens: Meet Twisted River Farm
Every day that we live in Iowa, I learn how much I don’t know about farming. Jake’s still a city kid at heart, and I thought I was, too. But since our move to North Dakota, I have become very taken with the rolling prairie and big skies. I was driving back home to Mason […]
What Details Make A Dining Experience Extra Special Or Extra Annoying?
Des Moines author, columnist and blogger Wini Moranville recently wrote about “What to Look for Before You Splurge in a Restaurant,” which gave me some food for thought. After I read her piece, I’ve pondered the little things that make a dining experience extra special or extra annoying. Of course, I notice different details depending on the restaurant’s price range, but here’s what’s […]
Creamy Chopped Eggplant Dip
I have a long-held fascination with eggplant. It all started with food television. Growing up, I watched in awe as chefs prepared this strange, spongy vegetable. Sometimes they roasted it and sometimes they fried it. Either way, I just knew that someday I would love eggplant and I was right. Eggplant just wasn’t a vegetable that appeared […]