I Am My Mother’s Daughter

Looking through old photos, I came across this one of my mom gardening at my grandparent’s home in Baltimore. Now, I know where I got the gardening bug.

Whenever I see pics of my mom when she was young, the resemblance to me at her age is uncanny. I know I inherited lots of her genetic traits, but seeing her in a place she loved, brings back memories.

My grandparents’ home was in the city, but it was a large property. Lots of room in the house and yard. Even a garage. I assume that the garden was a victory garden as my mom was a teenager during WW II, and it seems like everyone was gardening if they had any space to do so.

When I was a child and my grandfather passed away, we lived there a short time until my parents bought their home just a few miles down the road. I remember good times as a toddler and pre-schooler playing in that yard. A luxury in the city, and probably the reason why I always wanted to buy a place with enough land to garden.

On Mother’s Day, this connection to my mom is even more important for me. I remember all those carefree times as a family and cherish the time we have together and the phone conversations that go all over the place. The memories, the plans, the family, what is happening in her neighborhood. Little things that keep that connection alive.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, in my family and yours!

Make a Bouquet and Card for Mom Tomorrow

The Saturday morning wonder walk at the Howard County Conservancy at 10 AM is a crafty fun day for families. Just in time for Mom’s Big Day, take a short walk to collect fresh flowers to make bouquets, and be crafty making homemade cards with pressed, dried flowers the volunteers collected in advance of the walk. The fields and trails are full of wildflowers right now.

Master Gardener Lisa Baum will be leading this event. Volunteer naturalists will be on hand to assist the little ones in putting dried flowers on cards, and in arranging their bouquets. After setting up their “vases” and putting pebbles in them for stability, they will go off to gather flowers. The little ones may catch a glimpse of the Conservancy animals like Lily and Holly, the goats while gathering flowers.

Or, if they go down the hill to the creek, they will pass by Ranger the owl, and may find Hodge Podge Lodge.

All materials are being provided by the volunteers and the Conservancy. There is no cost to do the wonder walks at the Conservancy. Take a hike and enjoy a lovely day with the family, or leave mom some quiet time as a special present by bringing the little ones so they can surprise her.

They may spy something special enjoying the flowers with them. Maybe a butterfly.

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Art Reception This Week, and Earth Day

Two events this week at the Howard County Conservancy. The art reception and auction is tomorrow evening starting at 6 pm. I will be working the event, and who knows if I will get something to finish off the foyer. Lots of good stuff to bid on, particularly these pieces done on reclaimed wood by SOGH.

I keep hearing there is nothing to do in HoCO. For $12, come drink wine, hear entertaining judges, have some My Thyme appetizers, and maybe go home with interesting art for your place. If you have never heard Rebecca Hoffberger, you are in for a real treat. What is showing here is similar to what they are showcasing at the American Visionary Art Museum, or AVAM. All Things Round.

Then, for more to do, this weekend is Earth Day. The Conservancy has a full day planned. For singles, couples, families, retirees, whatever category that fits, there is something to do. Winter is hard on the trees and streams. Sprucing up the property in spring time means lots of little things to do. Easy to hard. Pick your pleasure. Stream cleanup, for example.

Some of us are going birding at 8 am. We may be out for two to three hours, depending on what we hear and see. We have recorded sightings of rare birds, and we have two very talented leaders. Even if you are just getting interested in what is singing in your yard, they are great to walk with. They bring the high powered scopes and generously share the sightings. We have seen eagles on the property, lots of raptors, rare sparrows, and it is spring. Can you say Orioles? We see them often. Baltimore and Orchard orioles. Here is a link to the bird club page with photos of Mt. Pleasant, the farm where the Conservancy is located.

After the bird walk, there are lots of activities that the staff are organizing. Clean up tasks, crafts for children. Check the web site if it rains. Come spend some time outdoors.

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Simple Pleasures: A Local Dinner

After the holiday meals, sometimes a simple dinner is the best. We wanted a quick meal before my husband went off to his evening teaching position. Even though the Dark Days Challenge is over, I am still cooking locally when I can.

Today was a simple meal from almost 100% locally sourced items. Only the white chard, Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper were not from MD or VA. The chard was bought at Roots, though.

We had stopped at Roots so I could get free range chicken to make soup tomorrow, and some Aranciata to make Meyer Lemon Basil Fizz cocktails for a get together this weekend. Roots didn’t have Meyer lemons though. I need to find a source, maybe Harris Teeter or Trader Joe’s.

I had scallions and garlic from the CSA. Leftover VA country ham that my brother sent home with me as a care package last night. Eggs run wild, from the CSA, that need to be used. Goat cheese from Firefly Farms. I roasted beets from the CSA the other day. And, I bought some local hydroponic tomatoes at Roots, from Hummingbird Farms.

The makings of this meal.

Served with an award winning Viognier from Breaux Vineyards just south of Harper’s Ferry (but in VA not WV). Lovely restrained Viognier, which is one of those wines that just does very well in this part of the country. Crisp, acidic, but not too much, a perfect glass to accompany a rich omelet.

Later this evening we may indulge in another local treat, Rhebs Easter candy. My mom always gives us a box of Rhebs, from Baltimore. Their butter creams are to die for.

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Foraging Wild Asparagus, and Other Spring Pics

The first wild asparagus poked above the mulch yesterday.

There are a few volunteer plants under the crepe myrtle. Every spring we get just enough asparagus to make a frittata. Found food is a good thing. It will be a while for the rest of our fruit and berries to produce, but finding what is hidden on the property has been interesting. This past fall we found a couple of hickory nuts in the yard, probably brought in by the squirrels, but haven’t located that tree yet.

We have black raspberries, mulberries and one peach tree. Wild strawberries. Parsley, mint and of course, enough dandelions to gather greens for dinner. Thankfully, no one out here sprays.

As for what else I found yesterday, the azaleas are coming out left and right.

The mock orange is about to go into its flowering stage with the highest buds opening.

My neighbor’s crab apples are in full bloom along the driveway.

The later varieties of tulips are hanging in there, despite the frost.

Nothing says spring like flowers and Easter. Happy Easter to all who celebrate. I am off to make herb roasted onions for my brother.

Family Favorites

Going to my brother’s house for Easter. It is a tradition for us to get together at holidays. Our family was large and always had major events, either dinners or picnics or reunions.

For us, at picnics and other events, we are always on the hook to bring wine, since we collect it. This year, I think I will be bringing the Breaux Viognier, which will complement the ham.

Lately though, some of my favorite recipes are asked for, time and again, as a contribution. My brother requested my herb roasted onions, something I first took there for my mom’s 80th birthday party picnic, in 2009. It is a simple Ina Garten recipe, that I have adapted to my taste. I change how I make the vinaigrette depending on what is in season and what I have in the fridge.

First, get lots of diffferent onions.

You will peel and cut these so the bottom stays together. You want whole wedges to roast. Make a simple vinaigrette like this one, using mustard, oil, balsamic, herbs, salt and pepper. The more herbs, the better.

For the vinaigrette, you need a good mustard. I will be using the last of my ramp mustard from Spring Valley.

Toss the onions in the vinaigrette, and roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Keep some of the vinaigrette left over to pour over the finished product. The beauty of these onions is the fact that they can also be served at room temperature. I can make them Sunday at noon, and they will be fine at 3 pm, when we serve dinner.

A Food Network pic, since we aren’t at Easter yet. This is a simple basic recipe, easy to double or triple. Make as much or as little as you want. I make huge amounts of the vinaigrette and use it for salad dressing during the week. Make enough to coat the onions before roasting, and more. For me, that involves the ratio of 4:1:1 of oil, vinegar, and mustard. You can also make it with lemon juice instead of vinegar. Be creative.

And, make memories with your family, like we do every year.

Dinner in the Dining Room – Not Just for Holidays

We eat in our dining room most nights. I don’t remember what prompted the change from sitting at the island in the kitchen, to setting the table and relaxing over dinner in the dining room. But, it has definitely influenced us. We spend more time sitting and talking and less time watching TV. Not a bad thing by any means.

Using the good napkins and not reserving them for company …

Using the fancier wine glasses, and the Dansk Bistro dinnerware. Inexpensive, the way we did it, but over the years, we ended up with enough to entertain. We found the glasses at Iron Bridge. They would order you a set of four for $40.

When we first moved into our town house, after one of the 1983 blizzards, our cul de sac of twelve houses (23 people) started getting together for a pot luck or themed dinner every other month. You entertained once every two years. The Dansk has been accumulating from years of scouring the outlets on the Eastern Shore, or in PA. Our set is mix and match, but still nice and festive. Somewhere along the way, years ago, I put the stoneware in the donation bags and decided that using the good dishes should be something we did for us. Don’t we deserve to eat off the good plates?

Flowers on the table. I always bring in some of my flowers from around the outside of the house. Before living here, I used to buy flowers at Giant, because they just made me smile. Now, having a variety of flowers all summer long gives me this sense of accomplishment in my garden.

I have to say, now that we moved away from Columbia and don’t eat out as often, the dinner time ritual here has created a transition from working all day long on something to relaxation and conversation.

Do you take the time to sit and enjoy a meal with your family? Do you only eat in the dining room on holidays? Do you have date nights? Like dinner and a movie on Friday night.

Hodgepodge Lodge

How many of you remember this TV show, on MPT? Do you remember Miss Jean? Do you know that the Lodge has found a permanent home at the Howard County Conservancy?

The show was on MPT in the 1970s. I was in college when it was first shown, and I caught it occasionally while I was babysitting. The lodge fell into disrepair after the show was canceled, but it was moved to the Conservancy and restored.

If you take a short hike on the woodlands trails just east of the main buildings, you can find the lodge.

Walk down the hill past Ranger, the barred owl used for educational programs.

Continue down past the monarch butterfly garden, and turn right at the forest display board.

Wander along the creek until you see it on your left just before a large bridge crossing the East Branch. It is locked but sometimes the staff will open it for people to see the exhibits.

This is a good walk to take with little ones. There is lots to see. Bluebird Houses. Butterflies. Honey Bee boxes. The creek. Old farm equipment.

Before you leave, you can stop into the Nature Center, and check out the animals like the tree frog

and go upstairs to view the art exhibit, All Things Round. Details about the current art exhibit, in my earlier post, Art of Stewardship.

Enjoy Spring! Take a hike and a walk down memory lane.

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Coming Full Circle

A return to real food. When I was young, my mother always cooked from scratch. That was pretty much the only way to cook. The 50s were a time before supermarkets contained aisle after aisle of packaged and processed foods. It was a time you ate seasonally, and you followed the family traditions. Fish on Friday. Hot dogs and beans on Saturday. A chicken or roast on Sunday. Leftovers made into soup for Monday.

Those were our family traditions. Including one of my personal favorites when I was little. Scrambled eggs and scrapple. My husband won’t eat scrapple so I would get my occasional fix at the cafeteria at work, or when I went to see my parents when my husband was on travel. When I was little, scrapple came from the Lexington Market in Baltimore. Freshly made.

Somehow along the years we all became enamored of packaged meals, canned foods, TV dinners, and the frozen food aisle was a major source of what came home to be “cooked”. OK, but not as satisfying as those foods I remember from childhood.

What else made me think hard about how I ate, and what it contained and where it came from? You see, my dad and I share quite a bit genetically and otherwise. Stubborn Germans, both of us. Still, I thought he was the best.

We shared the same allergies, too. Yes, allergies. It turns out that my dad and I share an aversion to some of those additives put into foods to keep them fresh longer. He sneezed every time we went out to dinner. I started doing the same when I got to be in my 40s. After much messing around to find the triggers, it seems the additives in the ultra pasteurized half and half put on the tables in restaurants was one culprit.

We used to tease dad that he was allergic to the check. But, the cream in his coffee was most probably the source of his allergic reaction. For me, salad bars were always a problem. Can’t do them without a fit of sneezing. Bagged lettuce mixes brought home to make dinner quickly became named as contributors. Other foods were added to the list and avoided.

For the past seventeen days, while recovering from surgery, I ate almost exclusively simple organic soft foods made by myself or my husband. Never sneezed once until the night we had no other salad dressing in the house but one he picked up the other day. I usually make my own. This refrigerated jar of ranch dressing sent me into a sneezing fit. Thankfully, I am far enough along in recovery not to have had a problem, but still unwelcome.

I can go to restaurants where I know I won’t sneeze. Where they cook mostly from scratch. Real food, not reheated defrosted processed foods. Places like Iron Bridge never cause a problem. Bombay Peacock every time caused an outburst. I learned to navigate menus and avoid items all over town.

Today we went to Iron Bridge for lunch after a very good neurosurgeon visit. Celebration. The lunch specials.

Calamari to share. Flatbread for him.

Quiche for me.

Nary a sniffle.

I know I have to concentrate on avoiding as much processed food as I can. I do pretty well because of the CSA and the local farmers. More and more, I have to read labels, buy individual ingredients, make my own, and not rely on processed products.

And, Eat Real Food.

March to the Conservancy

What is happening in March at the Howard County Conservancy?

March means spring is coming, and the Conservancy has lots going on to entice you outdoors, and indoors as well. As a volunteer naturalist, I love to attend walks and talks there to further my knowledge and share it with the school children on their field trips. I can’t go hiking yet after surgery but I will be there to hear Anthony Geraci give his talk on school foods.

On March 10th, come out and take a hike. Bring the family. The volunteer naturalists will be leading family friendly hikes on the Conservancy grounds. Come see some of the cool things the children learn on their field trips around the farm, woods, and grasslands. The walks are fun and informative. Bring binoculars to look for bugs, birds and critters in the creek. The little ones with their families will have a special shorter hike that takes them to see the goats, chickens, and Ranger the owl.

Other family groups will be lead by naturalists on the longer trails maybe doing a creek crossing on a log, or looking to find signs of the birds returning to nest in the bluebird boxes. Look for blossoms on the trees, and for the first signs of spring flowers. Large wheeled strollers can also make it through the hikes. Wonder walks begin at 10 am, and they are free.

Anthony Geraci speaking on March 15th

Geraci – Healthy Meals at Schools

Anthony Geraci aka Cafeteria Man is coming to speak about healthy foods in our schools on the 15th at 7 pm. This will be an interesting evening as he is always entertaining and enlightening. Don’t miss it.

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