Tall Tales from Kansas

if baby geese are involved I can get my hands dirty if I need to

There may be something cuter than a gaggle of baby geese following their mama around, maybe.  A wiggly baby goose butt is pretty irresistible though. 

To say I was delighted to welcome back my friends from last year would be a huge understatement.  I might have jumped up and down a few times and clapped my hands when I saw them.  Very quietly though.  So as not to cause any alarm. 

Last year it seemed like there was just one big group of babies.  This year there seem to be 2 smaller groups.  I let them know I would be visiting regularly.  I am pretty sure they remember me from last year.  

This gray heron stirred things up quite a bit when he flew into the midst of the morning swimming lesson.

Luckily, after asserting himself, and letting them know he could mess with them, if he wanted to.  He went his own way.

I did not want to insert myself into a battle of the birds.  But if baby geese are involved I can get my hands dirty if I need to. 

I will not simultaneously attempt #2 and #4

Happy rainy Friday night.  If you haven't made any plans for this weekend yet and find yourselves twiddling your thumbs trying to think of something to do, here's a suggestion:   drive around until you find some lilac bushes that look like they need trimming and make yourself a big bouquet to put on your table.  If you are going to do this, make sure you take a wheel man in case you need to make a quick get-a-way.   For the record, I would like to say that these were cut totally legally with full endorsement from the bush owners. 

Since I already have my lilacs in place, here is what I plan to do this weekend: 

1.  Finish reading a book
2.  Drink a 4 pack of Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
3.  Buy some material and figure out how to make a sleeveless top
4.  Finish edging the garden on top of the rock wall behind my house
5.  Hope it doesn't rain so we can go to Art in the Park
6.  Clean up the photos on my computer
7.  Beat my brother very badly in our current game of Words with Friends

I think all of these things should take me well into Sunday night.  I haven't decided if I should combine #2 with #3 or #6 yet.  For sure I will not simultaneously attempt #2 and #4. 

 

I know exactly one person who does not like bananas

Sometimes you make banana bread because you have bananas that need to be used up.  If there is a container of buttermilk in your refrigerator that is about to go out of date, that is another reason.

Sometimes you make banana bread just because you have a taste for banana bread.   I know exactly one person who does not like bananas.  I think it is a character flaw.  I don't hold it against her.   I have a character flaw too. 

I always sprinkle the top with "sugar in the raw" because it gives the top that crunch that I like. The one that makes me think I just made a loaf of banana bread that looks like it came from a bakery but tastes like it came straight out of the oven of a kitchen on Moss Lane in Provencal, Louisiana.

I made this loaf because I had bananas to use AND I had a taste for it.

Work-week mornings are made much better by the addition of a piece of banana bread.   It's the season-neutral, always appreciated, perfect treat to take and put on the communal snack table at work. 

mostly because it will fill your heart

My Grandmother Asked me to Tell you She's Sorry is a story about a family.  Like a lot of stories are.   But don't for one minute think that when you read this you will be reading any old ordinary story.   The main character is a young girl, (my favorite kind of narrator) and it includes fairy tales, a treasure hunt, a giant dog who eats dreams, super heroes, prams, and references to Harry Potter.

But you should read this book mostly because it will fill your heart.  It gets my absolute highest recommendation.  Favorite book so far this year. 

to do some more intense concentrating

The other morning while I sat on the front porch drinking coffee and giving my plants a little bit of water, I watched an industrious pair of robins building a nest. 

I was completely unaware what excellent gatherers they are.  They can hold quite a load of building materials in their beaks at one time. 

I also observed them in the tree searching for twigs that broke off easily to use in their nests. 

 

Fascinating, the things you can see when you are just sitting.  Meditating. 

When I finally came back inside Chris told me he just read that "the combination of intense concentration and relaxation may trigger the growth of new brain cells".   So I poured another cup of coffee and went back outside. 

To do some more intense concentrating... and practice my bird in flight photography skills.

 

they play well together in this small blue bottle

Dianthus and columbine started blooming this weekend here in Lawrence.  

Happily they play well together in this small blue bottle.   Oh Sunday why can't you last just a few hours longer? 

I don't have one with curly edges like this on the front porch

Today at the Farmers Market I spotted a new type of lettuce.  I like the name of it very much.  Imagine all the beautiful first course salads that could be made with it.

This fellow was more excited at the prospect of selecting a cookie than he was at examining lettuces, and I can't blame him for that.

Nor do I fault this man for holding on tightly to his serving of asparagus for one.

There was coffee, flowers, and herbs and I wandered among it all juggling my bag, my camera, and a nice strong cup of coffee. 

I did not purchase any Kale/Broccoli but I did get another one of those heads of Salanova lettuce.  This past week I made salads with it along with red pepper, cucumbers, asparagus, a bit of left over smoked gouda cheese, ranch dressing, and sunflower seeds on top.  Sublime. 

I eavesdropped on experts giving gardening advice and made a new friend this week.

Herbs were purchased to add to the assortment already growing out back and I also came home with some swiss chard to wilt along with spinach this week. 

This "jupiter" coleus came home with me as well because I don't have one with curly edges like this on the front porch at Tall Tales headquarters yet.  And I am pretty sure I need one. 

they have each been placed in their respective corners

This year I decided to give the bougainvillea's as long of a growing season as possible.  In other words, I have broken all my "wait until after the 1st of May to start the plants in pots outside" rules.   Because these tropical, heat loving, beautifully vibrant plants have done so well on my back deck in the past, I decided I should have two instead of one this year.  Allow me to introduce "Orange King".

He's a flashy show off but when you have to compete with the magenta red of a "Barbara Karst" bougainvillea, pulling out all the stops is the only way to get any attention.

I want you to see how little they are now so you will be able to fully appreciate how big they get over the course of a few months.  I hope I didn't just jinx myself with all that bragging.

They have each been placed in their respective corners and the tomatoes will go in the middle.  Expect regular progress reports.  If you are looking for a drought tolerant plant that requires minimal care and provides maximum color throughout the summer (and way into the fall), give this a try. 

If you have an old plastic bird, on a wire, whose wings have long ago been broken off, that used to belong to your mother, put it out there too.  For good karma.  I love old, well loved yard art.  Almost as much as I love old, table linens.  And that's a lot. 

a baby goat licked my hand

The story of our visit to The Henry's Plant Farm in a show and tell format with more pictures than words.  It included sheep, lambs, alpacas, roses, hanging baskets, peacocks, goats, more hanging baskets and a big metal pig. 

You simply must visit if you are anywhere close.  The ride out is lovely and you are guaranteed to come home with some amazing plants. 

If you are lucky, like I was, this baby goat right here might even come up and lick your hand.

And you will think you have died and gone to heaven.  

she promises him she will make that happen

I savored the luxury of sitting on the front porch this afternoon to finish reading a book.  I almost finished it last night, but saved the last few chapters for today.  Just because.  I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters last night.  A sure sign of a good read. 

This is the story of a man (Nathan) who finds a baby in the woods while he is out duck hunting.  He decides he wants to raise the baby, but can't because the baby is given to his grandmother.  Nathan tells her that he would like to meet the boy someday, and she promises him she will make that happen.  And she does, and the story unfolds. 

I read this book very quickly.  It is arranged in short chapters, is focused on the relationship between Nathan and the boy, and does not include a lot of excess details that detract from that story.   Perfect for bedtime (or front porch) reading.  Highly recommended. 

I went to the asparagus mother ship

Saturday morning purchases included all green stuff this week.  It's green color season.  But not exclusively.

This lady had some stunning AND fragrant lilac bouquets, creative black and blue aprons, and a super squishy baby that was just waiting for me. 

The coffee men were nowhere to be found this week, but I did see this crazy tomato plant (that already had fruit on it) AND and an amazing multi-colored jughead hat. 

Move over iceberg wedge salads - your new competition is in town.  Imagine this on a plate with a creamy white ranch dressing, a sprinkle of bacon, some sunflower seeds, and fresh chives. 

Just so you know, underneath is as neat as the top. 

There were no asparagus at the market this week.  No matter.  I went to the asparagus mother ship and snapped some right up.   Picked on Friday, eaten on Saturday.  Doesn't get better than that.   I also talked to this very nice lady about asparagus recipes.  I was trying to remember Anne Burrell's last name so I could tell her to look up the specifics for her asparagus/pecorino/red onion salad except my mind was a complete blank.  Luckily she thought of it right as I was leaving.  Two brains are so much better than one.   

These beautiful specimens were dropped in boiling water for a very short 2-3 minutes, after which they were dressed with a tiny bit of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.  Sheer heaven.  

they can be examined more closely and for longer periods of time

You know how some people wear "inside" shoes inside and outside shoes outside and never mix the two?  Not me.  I want to be able to be neat and tidy, and not track mud and gravel in the house, but I can't be bothered to go to the trouble.  For the record, I do my best to wipe my feet before I come in the house.  Most days. 

I have the same philosophy for flowers as I do shoes.  Inside and outside double duty.  So if you are one of those people who never cut your iris and bring them inside, get after it.  They are so pretty in a vase on the table. 

They can be examined more closely and for longer periods of time when they are sitting on the table and you walk by them 15 times a day. 

Same goes for grape hyacinths.  I can smell them a whole lot better when the are right in front of the kitchen sink than I can when they are in the front garden. 

Happy amazing Spring Saturday from Kansas where we are edging the flower beds, turning the mulch, and trying to pick a date to go see the Dutch Masters at the Nelson Atkins museum.  All at the same time. 

 

the feeling that things are possible

The first kale salad of the season was made this week with kale, yellow pepper, mandarin oranges, orzo, and goat cheese.

There is nothing like the taste of that first salad you make with a base of greens from the farmers market.   

What I have discovered is that while it is the flavors that are most important, there is also something else that comes along with the first bite.  It's a flood of ideas for culinary masterpieces that I may dream up over the course of the next 7 months as I am exposed to fresh locally grown ingredients.  To me there is nothing better in the whole world than the feeling that things are possible. 

Of course having a big container of salad, in the refrigerator, ready to eat with anything is also pretty good.  Especially if you made spicy/sugared slivered almonds to go on top for some crunch. 

And did I mention their was a vinaigrette made with orange juice, olive oil, a clove of garlic, a dash of honey, a spoon of sour cream, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper?  So good you will want to drink it, but save some for the salad anyway. 

 

any way I can

Since we didn't make it to the tulip fields in Holland this year, we made do with the Ted Ensley gardens at Lake Shawnee in Topeka.  Only a 30 minute drive away and admission is $5 using the honor system.  Pretty good deal.  

Did I mention the lilacs were blooming and smelled heavenly?  AND they had benches for resting?

The Amsterdam Tulip Museum remains on my list of places to see, in the meantime, I get my tulip fix any way I can. 

be sure you have a good line to tell them

 Dogwoods are pretty in front of brick houses, windows with lace curtains, and lakes.

They photograph well in shade or sun and close up or from a distance.

I like them pink, or white, or pink and white. 

The only piece of advice I will give you about pictures and dogwoods is this:  if you decide to stop in front of a complete strangers house, wander onto their front lawn, and point and shoot in a way that could be misconstrued as snooping, AND the homeowner pulls into their driveway while you are doing this,  be sure you have a good line to tell them and make sure you are very effusive in telling them how beautiful their tree is and how much you loved taking pictures of it and how you really hope they don't mind. 

a captivating way to throw in some parts of history

Despite living in Lawrence Kansas for the past 31 years, I will admit to having very little knowledge about John Brown the abolitionist.   So, when I read a review of The Good Lord Bird, I put it on my "to read" list.   It was probably not the best choice to educate myself (in a factual sort of way) on all his doings, but it sure sparked my interest.  

This novel, by John McBride, follows a young black boy, disguised as a girl, who is traveling along with John Brown's volunteer army as they work to defeat slavery.   While the main story line of the novel is fiction, it does make for a captivating way to throw in some parts of history that are true and has me looking up stuff.  Like was John Brown really a religious zealot and did he meet Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman and what about that raid on Harpers Ferry. 

Recommended.  Excellent dialogue.  If you like audiobooks, the reader for this one (Michael Boatman) is superb. 

it's all about the peanut butter flavor

Without a lot of preamble, I am just going to say, if you are a fool for peanut butter cookies, you will want to try these.  They are THE most peanutty tasting peanut butter cookies I have ever had.  Bar none.  I have a peanut butter cookie recipe.   I like it and there was really no need to try this one.  Then I saw that it called for 16oz of peanut butter.  In one recipe.  And toasted salted peanuts.  And browned butter.  Then I changed my mind. 

These were supposed to be celebration peanut butter cookies. 

I was going to FaceTime my brother as soon as Jordan Spieth put the green jacket on himself, and we would commence to discuss and relive all the important highlights of the game.  As this discussion progressed I would eat cookies for me and cookies for him too.   That did not happen.  The Jordan Spieth part I mean.  I still ate cookies for both of us.  To soothe myself. 

I love cookies that are as perfect on the bottom as they are on the top.  These also happen to be perfect on the inside.  A nice crisp snap on the outside and perfect bits of crunchy peanuts inside.  No extra ingredients here.  It's really all about the peanut butter flavor and the perfect texture. 

They are a bit on the fussy side and take some time to pull off, but after tasting them, I don't think my old recipe will do anymore.  I sure am sorry Angie can't taste them.  She was a big fan of peanut butter cookies.  

If you want to try them, here is a link to the recipe.  I did not put the sea salt on top.  I thought with the salted peanuts inside that might be more salt than I wanted in a cookie.  

so good to see your smiling faces on a chilly Saturday morning

It was like a big reunion this morning at the Farmers Market in Lawrence.  Hello to my favorite kale farmer, hello all green things growing, and aprons for sale, and happy toddlers, and friends taking selfies.  Smile. 

Hello sisters in hoodies, vendors in hats and mitts, and the couple I bought my marigolds from last year.  Hello mocha almond and double decker confetti brownies.  I know some kids who would like you. 

Oh hello there pour-over coffee men.  We haven't been properly introduced yet, but it's only a matter of time.  I can see you take your work seriously.  I love serious coffee.  I mean it. 

Hello friends from Pendleton's!  It's so good to see your smiling faces on a chilly Saturday morning. 

Welcome everyone to the beginning of the Lawrence Farmers Market and a new season of my goings on about all things local that can be found there. 

Equally as enjoyable as seeing everyone and everything at the market this morning was coming home, wrapping my hands around this cup of coffee, and thinking about what I should make with my first bunch of kale.   Decisions, decisions.  

just off the fairway, in the pine straw

Just because I can not be with my people in Augusta this week, relishing the traditions of golf, does not mean that I can't still derive maximum enjoyment from the television coverage.  Good stuff like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player as they get the tournament started, shots of Amen corner, interviews with classy people like Ernie Els, the azalea's, and everything that follows for the next 3 days. 

I got things off to a good start tonight after work by whipping up a batch of smoked Gouda pimento cheese.

I will be introducing my office mates to a new tradition tomorrow.  Though we won't be standing just off the fairway, in the pine straw, enjoying the sights and sounds of the most beautiful golf course in the world, we can at least pretend we are there as we enjoy a small taste of the place. 

If you want to make it:  2 cups each freshly grated smoked gouda and sharp cheddar, 1 cup drained pimentos, 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 tsp celery salt.  Mix it up and dig in. 

who among us doesn't want to feel like that?

The fanciest of the fancy, and the most refined of the most elegant flowers in all the world, can not surpass the pleasure derived from going out into my own yard and snipping whatever I find out there, and placing the cuttings in small bottles.  Here is my latest collection. 

Making flower arrangements and then stepping back to admire the work, or make a few adjustments, makes me feel like the greatest artist who ever lived.  And who among us doesn't want to feel like that?

blowing the stink off

Note to self:  find a way to take more nature walks in the middle of the week.  Now.  Not when you retire and think you will have unlimited hours for being outside. 

The benefits of "blowing the stink off" while walking outside, on a windy day in Kansas, simply can not be overstated. 

it's probably something like "cha-cha-cha"

Luckily no one tried to fight me over the last bunch of tulips at the store Saturday.  I would have hated to push or shove anyone over them.  But I would have.  A bidding war would also have been a way to go.  If needed.   

I have no idea what their "name" is but it's probably something like "cha-cha-cha"  And if it's not it should be.   Worth every penny.  And then some. 

prepare to be transported to a peach orchard

Just in time for sunny days, when temperatures are in the 70's (and above), you have been working outside, and have need of liquid refreshment while you sit on the porch to admire your work.  Introducing the the 360 Georgia Peach cooler. 

I don't know if you have this vodka available in your area (360 Vodka is made locally in Weston, Missouri), and if you don't I don't know if another peach vodka will made a suitable substitute or not.  I have no idea how they make this taste so peachy.  But I am glad they figured it out. 

So here's how to make one.  Load up a highball glass with ice, pour in 2 oz of 360 Georgia Peach Vodka, add orange juice leaving just enough room for a splash of sprite.  San Pellegrino limonata will work too if you have that on hand. 

Put in a straw, give it a stir, and go set yourself down and prepare to be transported to a peach orchard.  In Georgia. 

Leave all ingredients out on the cabinet.  You will need to make another one.  Soon. 

Pace yourself on the second one.  I can not in good conscience recommend you have a third. 

front and center in the "oh me, oh my" category

Sometimes you knit a project that takes as much time to figure out exactly how to wear it as it does to knit it. 

For me, this has been the case with the mezquita-shawl.

The subtle color changes in this Mad Hatter yarn by Wonderland made me want to knit something that would be simple enough to showcase the color, but with enough variety in the pattern to keep things interesting.   Which it was.      

Other things that have occupied me of late include making a new shaved brussel sprouts salad with a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and Dijon mustard along with the requisite salt and pepper.  In addition to the brussel sprouts there was a small chopped shallot, toasted pine nuts, and grated pecorino romano cheese. 

I used to think roasting was the only way to go with brussel sprouts.  I was wrong.  This is what you should do with them in the spring and summer.  At least once every few weeks.  They are the perfect thing for lunch.  Especially accompanied by a side of hard boiled easter egg. 

In the garden the lilacs are about to take over front and center in the "oh me, oh my" category. 

Let me not neglect to mention that I also turned the page of my calendar today.

Hope your weekend has been filled with equally exciting events. 

I am not yet convinced that this is the way to go with the scarf.  I will require a consultation with Ann, Mary Joan, and Lauren first.  In the meantime, the Harvey boys tell me it's marvy.  And I always trust their judgement.