Author Archives: Daisy

Reasoning for Baking Cookies – the Daisy Reality Show resumes

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Readers, if you haven’t been around long enough to recognize the Daisy Reality Show, here’s a brief introduction.

Daisy (yours truly) hosts a reality show at the O.K. Chorale. The director and her bumbling assistant keep the show on track and provide a running commentary off-screen.

Daisy: I’m baking cookies this afternoon. We have no snack foods worth eating. Well, few snack foods in the house. Peanuts, cashews, the makings for trail mix – that’s it.

Assistant: I see chips. What’s wrong with potato chips?

He had to ask, didn’t he?

Daisy: It’s like Michael Pollan says in his Food Rules: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. In this case, I’m following his advice that whole foods are better than processed foods and junk food is okay in moderation when I make it myself.

Assistant (pretending to understand): Oh.

Daisy’s cell phone chirps, indicating a text message. 

Daisy: Oh, it’s my daughter. She says:

So we were sitting at the fair eating ice cream and I spotted something terrifying — Paul Ryan.

 

Daisy (Laughing): That’s my daughter, a good progressive young woman! I’ll respond and tell her to run, run fast, run far in the other direction.

Director: Oh, I remember you were a volunteer for Obama last year. Was it really only a year ago?

Daisy (texting): It’s been a very full year. La Petite lives in Paul Ryan’s congressional district, and she took great pleasure in voting against him twice last November.

Assistant: She voted twice? Daisy’s phone chirps again. 

Daisy: Here’s the next one!

I was walking towards him to document this with my camera and Audreykins followed. Her mom was all like, “No, nooooo! Don’t get too close!”

And then, after Daisy responds with “He didn’t try to talk to her, did he? Scary.”

No, I didn’t want to talk to him either, so I stayed my distance. Took a photo of people in line to greet him.

Assistant: Twice? Is that legal?

Daisy: She voted for his opposition in two different races — Congress and Vice President.

Assistant: Oh. Um — never mind. Oh.

Daisy: Back to cookies! Real food for snacks at the O.K. Chorale.

Director: Camera One, zoom in on the cookbook.

Daisy: The recipe is on my blog.

Director: Camera One, zoom in on the laptop on the kitchen counter.

Readers, with the exception of the reality show, this post is entirely true. Cookies can be a good snack, I looked up the recipe on a previous post of Compost Happens, and La Petite really did text me the conversation above. She was mixing work with pleasure by photographing the county fair and spending time there with her adorable cousin and family.  

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Packer Nation goes On the Road

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The setting: Chuck drove a television satellite truck to Kansas City for coverage of an NFL preseason game between the Packers and the Chiefs. Preseason, mind you. These games count for nothing.

Actual text message conversation:

Chuck:

  • Green Bay is freaking out the Arrowhead stadium folks.  Normal game would have two trailers and a satellite truck.
  • Playoff game they see three trailers with uplink.
  • Packers preseason game = 6 trailers and 3 satellite uplink trucks! This includes Telemundo which they’ve never seen before.
  • Heaven help them if there’s ever a GB playoff game.

Daisy responds:

  • It’s what we do! Green Bay loves its team. Do they anticipate a lot of cheeseheads attending?

Chuck replies:

  • Dunno. They seem to be more focused on baseball.

A little later Chuck adds to the truck tally

  • Couple more Wisconsin satellite trucks have arrived. We now outnumber local stations x2.

At kickoff, Daisy comes back:

  • Go! Pack! Go!

Chuck

  • Sent you email with pic of media compound.
  • Does it suit your bloggy needs?

Daisy (laughing):

  • Ha! You read my mind.

Chuck:

  • A little PJ  (a.k.a. Amigo) told me.

closer to halftime, Chuck comments on the game itself. 

  • Are Packers self-destructing?
  • Lunch in press box includes burgers with no cheese.

Daisy, aghast at the thought:

  • No cheese?!

Chuck reassures her:

  • They do have brats with kraut.

So, readers, you want to see the media compound, don’t you? Or do you? Well, here it is.

Media Compound for GB at KC

Media Compound for GB at KC

Chuck’s description:

Here’s the cluster of production trailers and sat trucks. 2 trailers and 1 sat truck at bottom right are norm. 2 little trucks on far left with masts up are local stations. All other trailers and sat trucks are GB. Oh, and a small one for Telemundo. Or as one guard put it, “They’ve even got Tele-effing-moon doh here!”

The guard didn’t know that certain cable subscribers in Wisconsin are getting their preseason games from Telemundo because the regular station hasn’t settled its deal with the cable company. Cheesehead Nation, ever creative, has taken to watching their Packers in Spanish. Those who do not speak the language mute their TVs and listen to the radio broadcast instead. Telemundo’s ratings must be skyrocketing.

Call us Packer Nation, Cheesehead Nation, or a little bit crazy, we love our team. The score was disappointing, but due to the overwhelming media coverage, we didn’t miss a single green and gold moment.

 

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Scavenger Daisy

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I’ve talked about curb-picking. I’m not a full time full strength make-the-rounds dumpster diver, but once in a while something turns up on a curb and calls my name.

I don’t like to waste leftovers. If the leftovers are food in my own refrigerator, they’re likely to become part of a pantry raid. If the leftovers are food sitting somewhere else, it’s harder.

Last June I staked a claim for leftover tomatoes and onions after our big school picnic at the amusement park. Someone on staff has been pooped on by a gull the last two years running, and – but that’s not suitable for mealtime conversation. Sorry. The tomatoes and onions were clean.

I rescued the leftover tomatoes and onions that were originally destined to top sub sandwiches and brought them home. They slid nicely out of their trays and into my crock pot.

Soon to be Sauce!

Soon to be Sauce!

I added fresh oregano and simmered the lovely mix overnight. The next morning we had tomato sauce, made from scratch from scavenged leftovers. Three containers of sauce, in fact. That’s quite a pantry raid for the last day of school.

And now, with the school year beginning, who knows what kind of scavenging might occur? Readers, you’ll find out here.

Oh, readers? What kind of luck have you had scavenging, food or otherwise?

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Dreams can come true.

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On the 50th anniversary of an amazing speech by a visionary, much more than a dreamer, I offer an encore post with a dream of my own.

A Mother’s Dream

I dream that differences will be valued, not disdained.

Eye color, hair color, body shapes, and skin shades will be appreciated for their beauty and variety.

Cultural traditions will not disappear, but will thrive and grow together into a rich and fascinating sharing of knowledge and beliefs.
I dream that blindness will be merely a different way of seeing, and deafness impair only the quantity, not the quality of the language ‘heard’.
Children will matter because they own the future. Their education, academic and social, will become and remain of utmost importance.
The mediators and the peacemakers will be recognized as the strongest leaders.
Questions will come from curiosity, not ignorance, and the answers will breed respect.

Knowing each other, knowing ourselves, will lead to knowing that fights and conflicts, wars of all kinds, will cease to be of value.

 

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Wandering Thoughts and Smoothies

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The theme ingredient was “Wet”. All those who walked or biked to our school-year-opening assembly were wet with sweat. The temperature and humidity did not feel like a Wisconsin day. Not even close.

So we dragged our sweaty selves into the auditorium that usually has its A/C pumping. It didn’t. We kept dripping.

So as my mind wandered away from the, ahem, important speakers on the stage, I was thinking, I am craving a smoothie. A cold, refreshing, smoothie from the place downtown, a few blocks from our office. I need fluids.

The presentation picked up with a video from high school students in the arts – a video that featured students and adults talking about the impact of the arts in their lives. I didn’t get distracted this time; two former classmates from my college days were interviewed and featured!  But I was still thirsty. I was envisioning a Pomegranate Plunge. 

Teaching awards, community awards, and the 30 Year Pin awards flew by. So few educators stay in the field for thirty years. Since the current state government began treating us like Thugs…. well, that’s another post. No smoothie for you, gov’nuh.

One of the few 30 year people was another college classmate. Thirty years? I was distracted by doing the math in my head because he’s my age, but has taught longer. He dove in immediately after graduation and never stopped. Maybe he knew of a smoothie place closer to the high school. 

But my wandering thoughts got me through what is normally an okay, but not great, presentation. Watching the Teacher of the Year awardees — we should nominate one of our virtual people. There are some awesome teachers on our staff. Watching the younger of two doctors handing the awards to the winners – hey, I knew that guy! We went to high school together! Right here! I wonder if he’s still married to the one who shared a locker with me our sophomore year? I bet she’d go for a smoothie with me.

Back to the theme ingredient: Wet. We left the auditorium and found rain pouring down! I caught a ride with another teacher so I didn’t get too wet. At that point, I welcomed the shower. Ha. Ha. 

It might sound like I was a little ADD during the whole event. In reality, I heard and remembered enough to start the school year with a positive attitude.

And if you’re wondering, I did get that smoothie for lunch.

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To Discount or not to Discount?

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This is an encore post appropriate for the back to school season. I might print the flyer sent out through school email and try for the discount again this year. 

I noticed a Walgreens store across town with a sign advertising teacher discounts on Wednesdays in August. I had a shopping list ready, so I decided to try out the store closest to my home, conveniently located on my route to and from school. First, I looked at their sign to see if they were advertising the discount deal.

Hmmm. Maybe not. Is this the advertising equivalent of the blank stare? So I waited a moment, and the sign changed – to this.


I took a chance, went in anyway, and filled my cart. Discount or not, there were many good advertised deals on my list. With a cart full of contact solutions, shampoos, hearing aid batteries, and buy-one get-one vitamins, I proceeded to the checkout with my teacher ID in hand and a question on the tip of my tongue: “I saw the sign on another store in town. Are you also offering the teacher discount?”
Remember the blank stare in the first picture? It was mirrored on her face. “Uh– I don’t know. I’ll call the manager.” She did, the manager said yes, so the clerk sent me to the correct register for specials like this and paged the other clerk, who joined the Blank Face Brigade as she started up her register. “Uh – I don’t know. I’ll call the manager.” This call included, “How do I ring this up?”
In the end, I did get the discount. Lack of knowledge aside, the store clerks were helpful and willing to ask, and the manager was willing to guide them through the process.
I didn’t mention the signs. I thought they had enough on their minds.
Update: This year, Walgreen’s might be targeting a different crowd. As seen on Facebook:
'Nuff said.

‘Nuff said.

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Sale here!

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Rummage!

Rummage!

Some signs are simple. Rummage Sale! We rummaged through our belongings so you can rummage through everything we don’t want!

Garage!

Garage!

Don’t be fooled, folks. In our part of the country, this sign doesn’t mean the garage is for sale; it means everything IN the garage is for sale.

Details! Details!

Details! Details!

This sign hopes to attract people who need to buy clothes for their daughters and granddaughters and friends’ daughters. When La Petite was young, I would have gone directly to this sale and left the others for later.

This one, however, says it best.

Now that's a lot of rummage!

Now that’s a lot of rummage!

Folks, one reason I’ve been away is that we are having our own sale through the weekend. The weather forecast threatens to put our sale into the No Power Zone, but we’re ready. Heck, if the neighbors will make coffee on the camp stove again, life will be just fine.

 

 

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Apple Butter Time!

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I looked through all of my apple butter options and decided this was the best. It’s a combination  of two different recipes, with the lemon juice adjusted to keep the acidity in the right range.

part I:

Ingredients

  • Apples, 12-14 medium or 10-12 large (fill crockpot about 3/4 full)
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla

Directions

Core and quarter apples. Let sit in a big bowl with a little citric acid to prevent browning Since apple butter turns out a lovely deep shade of brown, you might skip the citric acid. I keep it in for its acidity. In the past I’ve had a hard time taking out the peels because the finished product was so thick. This time around, I’m going to use my food mill. I anticipate good results.

Place apples and vanilla in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until apples are very soft.

After cooking, mash apples with fork or potato masher.

Part II:

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 Tablespoon molasses (optional)
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

Add second ingredient list. Cover apple mix (now sauce-like) again and cook on low for 4-6 hours. If you like your apple butter smooth (I do), blend with an immersion blender.

This is very thick and flavorful and ideal for gift-giving. Serve on bread, graham crackers, or in place of the jelly on a PBJ. More ideas? Add comments, please! I’d love to hear them.

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Art in the Park and the Garden

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We are fortunate to live near a sizable park in the center of our fair city. This park plays host to a number of events, public and private. Family picnics, outdoor church services, 5K run-walks, and more take place here, about half a mile from our home.

One such event is Art in the Park. Participating artists show and sell their pieces all day. Food trucks set themselves up nearby and prepare for hungry crowds. Every year we go, and every year we see something wonderful. This year was no different.

This year's theme: ceramics

This year’s theme: ceramics

Art has value as art, and art can be practical and useful, too. I treated myself to a spoon rest for the stove – blue like my kitchen, and decorated with daisies, of course. Of course! The other pieces are ceramic stakes to label my herbs. “Chuck” has been asking me to label them for years because he gets rosemary and thyme mixed up (parsley and sage he can handle). These little stakes are beautiful, practical, and add a little art to the herb pots on the deck.

Oregano!

Oregano!

Rosemary!

Rosemary!

Thyme in a bottle!

Thyme!

The final purchase was, typical of my shopping prowess, a purse with Hmong needlework. It sort of matches my wallet. Well, maybe I should just say it coordinates with my wallet, another needlework piece.  Hmong work is detailed and colorful with repeated shapes and patterns. I wanted this one on sight.

So folks, here it is: Daisy’s visit to Art in the Park. Not shown: lunch, snacks, and gift(s) for family members who may read the blog. Giggle. 

Art in the Park goodies

Art in the Park goodies

The kettle corn in the back was fabulous. Nothing from the microwave can even come close. Even the foodstuffs were works of art.

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When the going gets tough —

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When the going gets tough, the tough

  • go shopping
  • get going
  • take naps
  • get frugal
  • get on Pinterest

Lately, I feel like when the going gets tough, I get cooking. Or baking. Or preserving, canning, freezing, drying.

My minivan threw us another curve this week. After a second estimate, a compromise on the paint job, and a little readjusting of schedules, we had a plan.

And I went outside, cut a big batch of chives, and put them in the oven on low heat to dry.

Coping skills vary from one person to the next, one family to the next, even from one region to the next. If I’m preserving some of what I’ve grown, it means cooking from scratch will be easy and inexpensive come winter. Chives may not seem like a big deal, but putting them up for the winter makes me feel like I’m making a contribution.

Next up: oregano.

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