the friday feed...hey, hot stuff

A side shelf in my fridge is devoted to hot sauce. The sauces aren't blow-your-mouth-out hot, but just enough to add a little heat and flavor. 

This past summer our daughter took us to the Lincoln Park farmers' market. What a beautiful market with such a variety of foods. It's outdoors and we strolled from vendor to vendor with our shopping bags and baskets. After our stop at the fresh bread stand, Sari said that we had to go to Bushel & Peck's. "You'll love it, Ma. They sell vinegars, hot sauces, jams, other condiments, pickled veggies, and everything is so good." This is where she introduced me to Cherry Bomb. "You HAVE to buy it." So I did and it is da bomb! It adds flavor to food but doesn't cover it up. It's a very flavorful hot sauce without burning your mouth.

Bushel & Peck's is a Wisconsin-based company. The back of the bottle description says it all: "Cherry Bomb hot sauce explodes with complex flavors making it perfect for exactly everything. This is THE sauce. Distinct, unique & highly addictive, Cherry Bomb Hot Sauce makes everything pop! We source this hard to find pepper from our own organic farm and the fields of friendly farmers we know."

I've spent a lot of time looking at Bushel & Peck's website. Decisions, decisions. I haven't ordered anything yet, but for sure the large size Cherry Bomb will be the first item on the order.

don't bug me!

All kinds of flying creatures at the farm. This is one day of bugginess. As long as I use good judgment to first do my job, my boss doesn't mind me taking photos around the farm. She uses some of my photos on the farm's social media pages These yellow jackets were all over the Ginger Gold apples. Lots of apples at the bottom of the crate were bruised and those bees honed in on that scent. There was a big bee bash on one of the apples. They were going for the gold!

A Carolina Mantis crawled up the produce bag holder. Watching this mantis creep along the counter and then up the handle was mesmerizing. I got it to crawl onto a rag and then moved it to a giant elephant ear plant. A customer wanted to buy some beans and this fascinating insect was right in the line of sight. Some peoples' reactions to bugs can be a little extreme.

A customer accidentally knocked over a yellow squash bin and surprise! A Harnessed Tiger Moth was taking shelter in the corner. At first I thought this might be one of those Spotted Lantern Moths that the Ohio Department of Agriculture has recommended to kill but before doing so, Google Images saved its life.

An Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly adds color to the zinnia garden. Now that it's getting later in the summer, customers know that sweet corn season is coming to an end and are keeping us busy with their sweet corn purchases along with other veggies. Not as much time for me to go look at the zinnias. Thankful for these moments.

We have buckets behind the tables in the "Treasure Corner," our half off produce. A discarded tomato provides a comfortable landing spot for this Hackberry Emperor Butterfly. 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Ahhh, lake life. It's just a slower pace where a cup of morning coffee tastes so good while sitting outside enjoying the peace and quiet of the new day. Being around a lake has such a calming and relaxing effect; my shoulders instantly drop when I see the water. I instantly feel so content and that peaceful, easy feeling lasts all day long. 

"So let the mind flow like water. Face life with a calm and quiet mind and everything in life will be calm and quiet." - Thich Thien-An

We arrived home on Sunday, relaxed and filled with happy memories. A bright yellow piece of paper stuck on the mailbox catches our eyes. 

Monday morning rolls around. 7:00 a.m. All at once a rumble comes down the street and then BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. A concrete road breaker begins breaking up the curbs and driveway aprons. 24 hours earlier on a lake in rural Michigan we woke up to geese honking and an occasional fishing boat passing by. It was an I-wish-I-were-back-at-the-lake moment.

national dog day

Yesterday was National Dog Day. National Dog Day was first established in 2004 by pet & family lifestyle advocate Colleen Paige. Her mission was to put a spotlight on the joy pets bring to their owners' lives as well as bring attention to the ongoing needs of many pets waiting in shelters to find their forever homes. With the ultimate goal being to encourage people who are considering buying pure breeds to instead consider adopting a pet, the popular term, "Adopt, don't shop!" was created.

For 22 years my family had a dog or two. Our last dog died in April 2021. After he passed, I told Todd that I wanted to wait a year before getting a dog because I just wanted to see what life was like with a dog, plus our daughter was getting married. And then our first grandson was born, and then our other daughter got married, and then our second grandson came along. After three years, we don't have a dog. 

Our last dog was named Ted. National Pet Day fits in with Ted's personal tale. My daughter adopted him when she lived in Concinnati. He had been found roaming along the side of a road and because of that, his shelter name was Roamin. One day our daughter called us with the news that she had just adopted the biggest dog at Concinnati Lab Rescue and his name would be Ted. He lived with our daughter for a few years but when she moved to Chicago, a demanding job and apartment life was difficult for both of them so he came back to Dayton to live with Todd and me. He filled our lives with lots of love and laughs and so much hair! 

Today I've been cleaning and reorganizing and found the pill container that we used for Ted's meds when he stayed at the kennel. I got a little lump in my throat. My big doggy sent a hello from the Rainbow Bridge. 

monday's mulling: friendships

These guys, all from different towns in Ohio, met in college (Wittenberg University) and pledged the same fraternity. Through the bonds of the fraternal brotherhood lifelong friendships grew. And here they are, 48 years later, laughing at their stories of crazy youth and beaming when sharing about their kids and grandchildren. And the wives,,,three of us also went to Wittenberg. Over the years, we stayed in touch by going to Homecoming, occasional get togethers, phone calls, Christmas cards, then Facebook, Zoom calls, and now retirement brings more opportunities for more frequent gatherings. 

We met at Coldwater Lake in Michigan this past weekend. We spent time on the lake, took walks, fixed way too much food, reminisced, and shared stories about our lives and families. With this group, we pick up right where we left off, like no time has passed. 

yep!

Thought for the day 😄

 

signage

Sometimes it's hard for a store sign to compete with the visual clutter of a city, but the Good Shepherd Thrift Store nailed it.

the friday feed: fun with food

Made a veggie tart, something that is turning into a weekly dish. This time I did a ROYGBIV theme and used all the colors in the spectrum (except for I). Red peppers, orange carrots, yellow pepper, green zucchini and jalapeno, blue potatoes (even though they look purple), and violet eggplant. 

I bought farm-fresh eggs - six chicken eggs and six duck eggs. What a difference fresh from the chicken or duck makes in the taste, appearance and texture! The eggs are so beautiful; I didn't want to crack them. That bright yellow yolk is a little burst of sunshine.

chicago...just one more thing

Chicago is somewhat of a public art mecca. Works by Picasso, Chagall, Miro, and Calder ornament the Loop, making the streets an urban art museum for anyone to enjoy.

We were downtown, Todd had some work to do so he found a place in the Palmer House lobby to do what he needed to do, and I set out with my notes and good friend Siri to find the public art works by these famous artists.

The Picasso, as it is known, is an untitled sculpture that some liken to an insect or baboon. Pablo Picasso gifted the sculpture to the people of Chicago in 1967, without ever explaining what it was intended to represent. Today, it’s one of the city’s most famous and iconic public artworks. (Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington)

The Four Seasons by Marc Chagall. This mosaic of thousands of inlaid chips was created in Chagall’s studio in France, and installed in Chicago. It portrays the four seasons through six Chicago scenes. The Chase Tower Plaza was under construction and fenced off from public access so I had to take photos from behind the fence. (Chase Tower Plaza, 10 S. Dearborn St).

Joan Miró’s mixed media sculpture stands approximately 40-feet tall and is composed of steel, wire mesh, concrete, bronze, and ceramic tile. It’s a celestially inspired work, representing a female figure with a moon at her center and a star above her head. At the same time, her bell-shaped base stresses her closeness to the earth. (Brunswick Building Plaza, 69 W. Washington St.)

Alexander Calder’s 53-foot-tall, bright red Flamingo…you can’t miss it! Its curved lines contrast dramatically with the steel and glass Mies van der Rohe buildings that surround it. It’s a piece of art that you can walk under and around it. (Federal Plaza, 50 W. Adams St.)

All of these masterpieces are withing walking distance of one another. It was like strolling through an outdoor museum.

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Chicago. Lots seen in a short amount of time. 

We arrived on the weekend of the Chicago Air and Water Show. It's a huge event, we were babysitting our grandson so there was no way we were taking him into that mayhem. As we were looking over the take-care-of-the-baby instructions, our other daughter called and excitedly told us to get to the roof. The Blue Angels were putting on their show. We watched it from a distance and were thrilled when they passed directly over the roof from where we were watching.

Our daughter and son-in-law requested that we take little grandson to his daycare during our stay. They're paying big bucks for this service and they also wanted to keep his routine going. Monday after dropping him off, Todd said, "Let's go to Lou Mitchell's for breakfast." It's an iconic breakfast diner and bakery on Historic Route 66. We found street parking, I paid for the spot with the ParkChicago app, we got to Lou Mitchell's, thrilled that there was no line. It's closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. We walked around the area, strolled through beautiful Union Station, and found another breakfast spot along the Chicago River.

The Democratic National Convention started this past Monday and banners were posted all around downtown and in the United Center neighborhood. We passed the United Center daily on the way home from little grandson's daycare and even followed Route 66 part of the way. If we were there this week, we would have to take an alternate route home. Fences, checkpoints, all kinds of security in place.

The Obamas are from Chicago but after spending two presidential terms in Washington D.C., they opted to stay there. The Obamas haven't forgotten their Chicago roots.

The Chicago Cultural Center, an architecturally beautiful building (two Tiffany glass domes, hand laid tile on every floor), an event center and art gallery, with free admission. A mural on the outside pays tribute to twenty women who have contributed to the culture of Chicago. A current exhibit shows 934 handmade bowls, some with a pint of change, and when each one is filled, that will pay the artist's college loan debt.

This post has gone on long enough with plenty of photos and now it's time to stop. At least for right now. 

 

signs of fall

It's August 20, the Dog Days of summer have passed, and subtle signs of summer morphing into fall are showing up. We were in Chicago for a week and on my first day back at my farmer's market job, apples and fall squash were on the shelves. 

At home, our burning bushes and hydrangeas begin their change from green leaves and white flowers to red leaves and dusty pink flowers.

School busses pass through the neighborhoods, drivers familiarizing themselves with their routes and stops. First time school speed limit signs are in place in front of the high school and middle school. (Why the city and Board of Education waited so long to put these up is mind-boggling). Students are moving in at the university and the once quiet streets and easy parking accessibility are no longer. It's good to see them back, feeling their excitement for a new academic year. Soon the monarch butterflies with their large orange and black wings will begin their migration to Mexico. Their beauty delights, their strength and stamina amazes. 

September 21 marks the first day of fall but Mother Nature and human nature clocks already point us to the changing of the seasons.

monday's mulling: being grandma

Yes, yea, yes!

Over the last couple of weeks Todd and I have spent one-on-one time with both of our grandsons. The older one is 26 months and his level of wonder at everything he's experiencing makes my heart grow every time. The little one is six months and the laughter, the blowing "raspberries," and the delight of him seeing the baby in the mirror makes me look forward to our next visit and how he will have changed the next time we see him. Grandchildren bring that special, magical, and joyful view of the world that rubs off until we can’t help but feel hopeful and optimistic, too.

the friday feed: roasted tomato hummus

Wednesdays and Thursdays on the farm are extra fun and extra busy days. Wednesday is Market Day where two of the guys go to the Amish Market in Bainbridge, OH, to buy produce for the upcoming week. Those of us who work Wednesday afternoon move the old produce at the end of the day to the "Treasure Corner" (50% off) to make space for the new produce to hit the shelves on Thursday morning.

Last week there were a lot of 50% off Roma tomatoes and without having a plan, I bought eight. They sat around for a few days, we were leaving for Chicago, and it hit me that those tomatoes needed to be used. In my pre-trip planning, I always check my fridge to see what's in it and along with the Romas, quite a few veggies were in the bin. Didn't have time to eat all those here so they were coming to Chicago.

In this kitchen remodel, I've been going through canned goods and found two cans of chickpeas that have been on the shelf for a while. Hmmmm...Hummus. Tomatoes aren't a good hummus dipping veggie but they could make a tasty addition to hummus. How about roasted tomato hummus? Then with the celery, carrots, peppers, and cucumbers, cut those into sticks to eat with the hummus. Problem solved. 

ROASTED TOMATO HUMMUS

(Recipe from Chef Savvy)

 

Roasted Tomatoes

1 large tomato, chopped

5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top

salt and pepper

Hummus

2 (15.5 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 whole lemon, juiced

2 tbsp water

salt and pepper

a handful of basil

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Add tomatoes, garlic and olive oil to a sheet tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Roast the tomatoes for 25 minutes then remove from the oven.

Add drained chickpeas and tahini to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.

Blend on high for 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth.

Add in the roasted tomatoes and garlic, paprika, lemon juice, basil, and water.

Blend for another 30 seconds or until the mixture is smooth, creamy and lump free.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If desired, serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil on top.

Serve with your favorite chips, pitas or veggies.

* I tasted the hummus when it was still warm from the roasted tomatoes right out of the oven. It was OK. After it had been in the fridge for a day and had a chance for the flavors to blend, it was delicious!

sears

Sears, Roebuck and Company started out in a building complex in the community area of North Lawndale in Chicago, Illinois. The complex hosted most of department-store chain Sears’ mail order operations between 1906 and 1993, and it also served as Sears' corporate headquarters until 1973, when the Sears Tower was completed. 

In 1988, Sears, Roebuck and Company sold and moved out of the building, but the Sears Tower name remained until 2009 when the building was renamed after the Willis Group, a London-based global insurance broker. (I still call it the Sears Tower).

My dad’s only career was with Sears, minus the few years he served in the Army. Out of curiosity, I found the address for the Sears, Roebuck and Company complex in North Lawndale and thought it might be fun to visit. Also out of curiosity, I googled North Lawndale to see if it was safe to visit. It’s not. It is the 4th most dangerous suburb in Chicago. “According to PropertyClub, North Lawndale on Chicago’s West Side was a developing neighborhood until the 2008 recession hit. It’s estimated that about 70% of men aged 17 to 45 in North Lawndale have criminal records. You have a 1 in 9 chance of becoming a victim of any type of crime in North Lawndale - and its crime rate is 198% higher than the Chicago average.” I would love to see the original Sears complex. Even though the spirit of wanderlust tugged, I deferred to common sense. Another, more blunt and to-the-point common sense answer - I asked my son-in-law about going to North Lawndale. His reply, "F**K NO!" 

attention dog walkers

In my daughter's Chicago neighborhood, just like all neighborhoods, dog walkers are a regular sight at all times during the day.

These signs are also a regular sight around the neighborhood. I rarely see these in my suburban community.

These piles pile up. Be a good neighbor and do your duty to pick up the doodie.