Category Archives: Packers

>The Governors make a Locavore-style bet

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Wisconsin Badgers played Minnesota’s Golden Gophers Saturday.
The Green Bay Packers play the Minnesota Vikings Monday night.

What’s a governor to do? Make a wager, of course.

Our very own Jim Doyle of Wisconsin wagered a selection of Milwaukee’s famous Usinger’s sausages and specialty cheeses made by Carr Valley Cheese Co. Not to be outdone, Minnesota’s Tim Pawlenty offered Hormel pork tenderloin and Minnesota wild rice. Both packages sounded delicious.

While the teams battled for the long-term rivalry’s legendary Paul Bunyan’s Ax (118 match-ups, people, 118!), the governors watched and hoped for a win for their teams — and their pantries. Are you still in suspense? Wisconsin won. Go Badgers!! Play on, band!

Meanwhile, the ghost of Favre looms over Green Bay and the ghost of Ted Thompson haunts Brett Favre. Governor Doyle, who invoked Brett’s name on announcing his own retirement (“I won’t pull a Favre and change my mind”), is offering a wager of good Wisconsin beers. He didn’t say which beers he’d include if the unthinkable happens. New Glarus, maybe? Point? Minnesota Governor Pawlenty, for his credit, is offering Minnesota beers on his side of the bet.

Monday night, I’ll be ready for some football. Governor Doyle, if you don’t want the beers, I’m sure my beer- connoiseur husband Chuck would be willing to try them. Heck, I might even let him post a review right here at Compost Happens!

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>Blanching and Freezing Beans: Yes, I Can!

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>According to my Twitter friend City Slipper, blanching is easy. I just need a colander and a big
stockpot for boiling water. But wait – my colanders are too big, or my stockpots are too small!


Okay, the steamer basket fits. I can do this.

Step one: bring water to a boil. Lower beans into water. Bring water back to a boil, and boil for three minutes. I can do that. Yes, if you’re wondering, those are indeed Daisy’ Famous Green Bay Packer beans.

After the three minutes, put the beans in ice water for three minutes to cool.

Remove from ice water, and then dry. I had all three steps going at once in my tiny kitchen. Packer beans boiling, green beans cooling, and yellow wax beans drying.


Since the drying step takes the longest, I eventually had all the beans spread out on the counter at once. I froze them in quart-size Ziploc vaccuum bags. Some time in December or January, we’ll have really good beans, better than anything on the grocery store shelves.

The best part of cooking these will be knowing they were grown locally. About a third of this batch grew in my garden; the rest came from the farmers’ market. It took a little research and a little time, but this action was worth it.

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>Geez, Brett. Purple? The hated Vikings?

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>Let’s look at this issue on both hands.

On one hand, Brett Favre is geriatric by quarterback standards.
On the other hand, a geriatric Favre plays better than some QBs do (or did) in their prime.

On one hand, we’re tired of hearing about him.
On the other hand, his indecisiveness makes for some interesting comic material. Even the governor of Wisconsin promised he wouldn’t “pull a Favre” and change his mind about retirement.

On one hand, he’s still the kid who loves to play a game he’s played most of his life.
On the other hand, he’s Peter Pan: the boy who never grew up. That’s not very attractive for a man pushing 40.

On one hand, his dynamic play inspired people across the country to wear cheesehead hats.
On the other hand, he could buy out the company that makes the Viking hats any time he wishes.

On one hand, he’s a classic. Today’s college freshmen don’t remember an NFL without Favre.
On the other hand, they also grew up with Barney.

So tell me, dear readers, will today’s college freshmen think there are two purple dinosaurs on TV — one in a big costume, the other in a #4 jersey?

And if you haven’t had enough of my Favre-ness, here’s more.

Purple? Say it Ain’t So! (May, 2009)
An Open Letter to a Great Quarterback (August, 2008)
It’s Official (or it was) (March, 2008)

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>Take me out to the ball game!

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>One great reason to take my daughter to the ball park: Her pictures are far superior to mine! These are from the Donald Driver Charity Softball Game. We had a good time watching – me, watching over my box of popcorn; La Petite watching through her camera viewfinder. These incredible athletes, these huge – GIANT – men, playing softball instead of football. I even had trouble recognizing some of these gridiron stars without their helmets and jerseys!

AJ Hawk up to bat – look at that hair!

Donald Driver batting: pretty good form, for a football player!

Above: Nick Barnett up to bat for the defense early in the game

Below: Barnett lets his hair down and bats for the defense again.

The game was called after six innings due to rain. These guys can bat, but don’t field quite as well. The final score was an outrageous tie – 38-38, I believe. We were running to our minivan for cover as the game ended; I didn’t pay attention to details!

All photos above by La Petite.

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>An Open Letter to Brett Favre: Purple? Say it’s not so!

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>Dear Brett:

I’ve posted about you in the past. On your retirement, on your un-retirement, on the rumors that you traded information with the Detroit Lions, and more. I’m one of many who have watched you grow from young cocky kid to mature team leader.

Now what the H- E- Double Hockey Sticks happened??!!
The young gunslinger attitude, the Three Amigos image with your buddies, the Huck Finn boy next door brand; all were attractive and exciting when you were young. They’re not so cute when you’re turning 40.
Brett, we fans know that there were hard feelings when you tried to come back and your old team had moved on without you. We fans recognized that despite your talent, Coach McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers were already putting the new game plan into play.
Your life has been very public, and your successes usually outweighed your failures. Both fans and foes knew then what we know now: you’re human. Very human. And with human comes the hard word: you’re flawed. For an amazingly talented person, those flaws are hard to face.
What’s to gain by attempting a comeback across the border in Viking territory? Seriously, what’s your goal? Thumb your nose across the St. Croix and the Mississippi? Buy one of the Viking hats with the horns and braids for Deanna? Honestly, she looks a lot nicer in the pink Packers cap. Play in a dome for a change? Hey, we Packer fans think domes are for wimps. You don’t want us to think of you that way, do you?
Wait a minute. Brett, did you think about the fans? I remember you told Greta Van Susteren that you weren’t worried about your reputation. Is that really true? If you insist on this perceived vendetta against your former organization, your reputation will suffer more than you ever imagined. If you run onto Lambeau Field in a purple and white jersey, it won’t be your playing skill they remember. It’ll be the way you turned your back on not only the pros in the offices, but the teammates in the locker room and the fans in the stands.
The fans who made sure Lambeau Field remained sold out with a waiting list longer than the list of ticketholders. The fans who supported you through your treatment for drug addiction. The fans who bought the pink hats (see above) to support breast cancer research – because your wife announced her diagnosis in public.
The fans – Brett, what about the fans? Are you so self-centered that you’ll forget all the people who filled the seats at Larry McCarren’s Locker Room Show on Favre Night? Are you so self-absorbed that you’ll forget all the families who bought jerseys with #4 on them, knowing they’d be timeless?
Peter Pan was cute onscreen as the boy who wouldn’t grow up. It’s not so cute in an adult, no matter how talented. Brett, think this through. Seriously. Think about it.

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>Packer Pride helps the hungry

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>Green Bay Packer fans are proud people. We spend our Sundays (and some Monday nights) wearing green and gold, sporting hats that resemble wedges of cheese, and simply cheering on our team. Win or lose, playoffs or no playoffs, we still identify ourselves with the guys doing the Lambeau Leap.
Green Bay Packer fans take pride in other contests, too. Campbell’s Soup’s Click for Cans is going on right now. Here’s how it works.
Click on “Vote Now” and then choose the contest that includes the desired team. Click on the appropriate helmet (yellow, with a big G), enter the code to prove you’re not a robot, and voila! You’ve voted.
Fans can vote once a day.
The highest scoring teams will receive donations of soup for local food pantries. I drive past the Salvation Army headquarters on my way to work, and the lines and crowds there have grown noticably. Our local food pantry is getting fewer donations even as the requests for assistance increase. My own school’s Adopt-a-Family program is serving fewer families while we’d rather be serving more.
I hope you’ll help the Packers once again win the Click for Cans. But most of all, bloggy friends and acquaintances, I hope you’ll take the time to make a difference. Soup can be a meal for a hungry family. Help those cans get where they’re needed.
For more details on the contest procedure, look here.

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>Life is NFL football; the rest is just details.

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>The Detroit Lions’ coach talked about three ways to face adversity. At 0-15, soon to be a record-setting 0-16 if my Packers have anything to say about it, he ought to know.
The coach suggested that most people react in one of these ways:
1. Remain oblivious
2. Crumble
3. Embrace it

This philosophy applies to public school teaching as well.

1. I worked with a principal who remained oblivious to adversity. When faced with challenges, she would spout her buzzwords of “differentiate” and “test scores” without ever answering the questions we raised. She thought she understood, but she was clueless. Simply clueless.
2. It’s easy to crumble as my workload grows and the pay doesn’t, while public support continues to fade. I may react initially with a feeling of failure and hopelessness, but eventually…
3. I work with a group of teachers and paraprofessionals who embrace challenges. The pressure wears on us daily, but we hold each other up and look for ways to meet the challenges.

With a week off between Christmas and the New Year (my equivalent of a Bye week), I can rest and get myself psyched for going back to school. I brought home a little work, but not a lot. I decided to be realistic and not overload my schoolbag. I’ll feel more productive if I complete the small stacks of paper in the bag rather than just make a dent in a larger pile.

Minor injuries? In teaching, that’s more likely to be illness. I had my flu shot, and so did Amigo. It’s the season for keeping hand sanitizer on my desk and encouraging kiddos to wash their hands frequently. And if this preventive maintenance doesn’t work, there’s always the red substitute folder beside my desk.

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>Preparedness: but for what?

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>Over supper we talked about expanding garden again. If we do, we could take in another 10 feet by 8 feet. What would we (I) plant there?
I’m talking about adding asparagus to the garden, but the area may not be wet enough. I’ll look into it. Peas will do better if I place them better. Beans, well, if I get the right seeds, we’ll be in luck. I picked up herb seeds already; hope they last through the winter! I have a new planter that will hang on the deck so the fresh herbs are easily accessible for cooking.
Then there’s my desire for a rain barrel and a second compost bin…

But why? That’s the question. There’s an election coming up in two days, a Packer game today, and Major Test Season starts in school on Tuesday, too. I don’t need to deal with the garden until spring. Well….

The outcome of the election will have a huge impact on our economy. Before the new president even takes office, I predict wild fluctuations on Wall Street and major losses in retirement accounts. No, it’s not what I want, but what I want doesn’t matter. Reality is what matters.

If the economy goes (ever farther) in the dunk tank, my job will become harder and my salary will lag. We in the public sector sometimes enjoy job security; not this time. Our salaries, our workloads, and our benefits are all up for negotiation in times like these. Producing a little more of our own food, improving our diet, and saving a few bucks are all important.
The county has already cut garbage pickup to small businesses. Small companies who used to get garbage and recycling picked up by the local govt. now have to contract privately for this service. When will our residential pickup be cut back? Compost cuts back significantly on the amount of garbage we put on the curb. If service gets cut to biweekly or if we need to pay extra for it, the additional compost bin might pay for itself, not to mention provide me with material for many blog posts.

Our local water treatment plant has expensive repairs due, all out of warranty. This will cost big $$$ that will be reflected in our quarterly water bills and our annual property taxes. a rain barrel (or two!) will cut back on our use of water for the garden and lawn, and contribute to keeping that bill down.

Facing reality isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Planning ahead to make the garden a significant factor in our lives, not just a fun hobby, could be a very good move.

Oh, yes. I mentioned the Packer game today. There’s always a Packer connection. I’m not making my own cheese, but I do grow Packer Beans. 🙂 Aaron Rodgers, get out there and earn that new contract extension!!

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>Brett, Brett, Brett. What now?

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An Open Letter to a Talented Quarterback, a Confused and Conflicted Soul

Dear Brett:

When you announced your retirement, you must have wondered how you’d fill the hole left empty without the NFL, without the Green Bay Packers. You ended up back on the field in a different shade of green, no gold. Tough interviews in public, statements that hurt from both sides. The trade happened, and the saga was over.

Or was it?

Turning your back on your former organization and burning a few bridges caused pain on both sides. But intentionally assisting the opposition? Sleeping with, er, text-messaging the enemy? I hope the rumors are just that — rumors. I sincerely hope the unprofessional phone calls and lengthy tutorials didn’t happen, that they were blown out of proportion or, better yet, are completely untrue.

Brett, you are a valuable person, win or lose, playing or not. If your old team wins, it’s still to your credit. Remember, Aaron Rodgers learned from the best.

Please, Brett, get help, and get it now. Before you tarnish that reputation beyond repair.

Sincerely, Daisy
A concerned and caring fan

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>Doing the Research on the Region

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>In my part of the Midwest, it’s considered acceptable to wear green and gold to work if it’s a Packer game day.
In my neighborhood, people dress in their team colors from head to toe, whether the team is winning or losing.
We cheer for hot dogs and bratwurst running around the warning track of a baseball field, and grab for a camera if they wander through our line of sight before a game.
The saying, “If you don’t like Wisconsin weather, wait a day” reminds visitors that we Northerners take pride in our abilities to tough it out in almost any amount of snow and cold. Teachers teach metaphor through the use of the term Frozen Tundra to describe Lambeau Field.
But does this really tell who we are, what we’re like, the personality of our distinctive locale? Maybe it would it be more effective to tell you about making a homemade pizza with fresh mozzarella cheese from the farmers’ market, walking out to the garden on a beautiful fall day to pick a green onion and green pepper for toppings, and then serving it as we watch the noon kickoff.
Either way, Sunday afternoon football is an important part of our lives. So is weather. Gardening, farming, and buying the local products and produce are important, too.
When I talked with author Nicholas Sparks, I asked about setting for his novels. As he responded I felt like I could see and feel the images of the places he described. I asked him about the research involved in successfully placing a novel in a particular setting, and he told me that in general he doesn’t have to do much research because “…in every novel that I’ve written I have been to the town that I’ve described. And of course as a novelist I feel free to take certain liberties when I need to because I’m a novelist and I can do such things.” I call it literary license or creative freedom, Nicholas, so I’m with you there.
He reminded his listeners and readers that “it’s just part of…living in the south and writing about the south. And it’s the way people tell stories, it’s just the way it is down here. It’s a very different world in some places. I live in a small town that I swear hasn’t changed much in 30 years. I mean it is, people walk places, it’s very hot and muggy, you’ve got the Spanish moss hanging from trees, kids running around barefoot. It’s very much like it, it’s like a place stuck in time. And whenever you’re in rural areas of the south it is, of the south, it’s often like that. It’s just, yeah it’s moved up, it’s got the, we’ve got cell phones and the whole bit but the core of the place has not changed. And it is a unique and wonderful place….”
A unique and wonderful place. I feel the same way about my lovely town and neighborhood. It’s changed with the times, it has the old homes, the big trees, and kids on bikes and skateboards side by side with the teens on mopeds; the foam wedge headgear we call cheeseheads side by side with the baseball caps sporting farm advertising; the #4 jerseys in green or gold or pink…let’s not mention the new hue, but I digress. Packer football is as much a part of this unique and wonderful home as the weather.
Absolutely. Real life or novel, this setting has its own character, its own part to play in the story of our lives.

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