Tall Tales from Kansas

if all goes according to plan

I have been reading a great book, which I AM going to tell you all about (as soon as I have completed it) but today I want to tell you about how I took some advice from the book, turned it on it's head, and had a most successful result.  

The advise was to do something different, out of your norm, unexpected, to shake things up and have fun.   So, in the name of doing something "unusual", way out of my comfort zone, I thought about getting into my swimsuit and going to the pool at the high school to swim laps the other day.

Then I came to my senses, remembered I do VERY unusual things all the time, and planned a top notch regular day off.  That included nothing out of the ordinary. 

It started with a "baked pumpkin maple latte" with cold fresh whipped cream and a whisper of nutmeg and a good hour of shooting the breeze with Mary Joan.  This was followed by a quick trip to a nearby garden for scouting purposes.  Insect hotels are on the fall project list and I needed to examine the structure of some carefully. 

Once the details were recorded we headed downtown to an architectural salvage place because it had been years since we've been.

Unfortunately it will just a bit longer as they are not open on Mondays.  It was a good drive though and we passed by 7 other places we put on the list to visit in the immediate future.  All of this worked up quite an appetite so we tossed around 3 ideas for where to get the best salad in town.   And settled on Cafe Europa. 

Above:  "Green" salad a la Leon.      Below:  Chicken and walnut salad.   Both absolutely incredible.  

It is very fortunate that the best salads in town also happen to be served at a place with drop dead delicious lemon cake and melt my insides coconut cream pie.  Those are not the names you will see on the menu, but take my word for it. 

Once we were fully and completely satisfied, we headed to the Mission Road Antique mall where we laughed ourselves silly trying on hats, then hit the jackpot when we discovered a whole stash of fabrics for the great stuffed pumpkin caper. 

If all goes according to plan, you will see these stems attached to new pumpkins in the next several weeks. 

And this is how we turned a very ordinary day into a lovely experience that will live long in my memory as one of my best days off, ever.  Even if it didn't involve my bathing suit and the high school pool. 

yarn that is just dying to be made into pumpkins

This got on the table at my house somehow this week.  It might have something to do with that amazing "Maui Sunset" yarn Ann brought me from Hawaii. 

Or it could be that Joan Clark sent me a link to a knitted pumpkin.

It is also possible that since I had to sign up for the next session of knitting classes, I stopped into the Yarn Barn in downtown Lawrence.

If you tell me you could have walked by this amazing Malabrigo yarn that is just dying to be made into pumpkins I will know you are telling an untruth. 

Fingerless mitts, pumpkins, acorns, fall leaves, more pumpkins, and who knows what else.  That is what this pile is destined for. 

 

my internal sunflower ripening meter

If you were thinking about zipping over to Lawrence to look at a fabulous field of sunflowers, you are going to want to wait another week.  

Chris and I headed out Sunday morning because my internal sunflower ripening meter pinged on Saturday afternoon.  Which I took to mean it was time. 

It could be that my meter is a bit off though.

There were a few heads of yellow out in the fields, but for the most part they are still cooking.

Even though they are not the spectacle that we saw when they were all in full bloom a few years back, they are still pretty amazing.

I know that from a scientific perspective, sunflower heads do not actually follow the sun, but dang if it doesn't look like it to me.   

It was especially nice having the whole place to ourselves. 

Maybe my internal meter thought I wanted to be notified at a time when there were no crowds?

cover this mixture up after you put it together because you will be tempted to eat it right out of the bowl

I blew the whistle, threw down the flag, and started the pumpkin baking season in Lawrence this week.   Always searching for a new favorite to add to my repertoire of pumpkin recipes, I decided to try pumpkin pie oatmeal crumb bars. 

I take great delight, every year,  in opening the first can of pumpkin and getting out the fall spices.  I am a simple girl with simple needs. 

This recipe is easy to put together.  I did not have quick cooking oats so used the old fashioned variety.   As you can see in the photos, I probably should have popped them in the blender for a second to break them up a bit.  I like things chewy though so it didn't bother me, and it made no difference from a flavor or baking perspective.

You might want to cover this mixture up after you put it together because you will be tempted to eat it right out of the bowl.  I tried it before I patted half of it in the pan, to be sure it was acceptable.  That's why I am warning you.   

These bars baked up nicely.  The bottom crust was browned evenly, the middle pie layer was creamy, smooth, and not at all runny, and the top was crunchy but not too hard.  It also came out of the pan very easily using the parchment paper. 

The verdict:  this is a good dessert and also a nice fall breakfast treat served with some fruit and plain yogurt.  I will probably not need to make them again though.  I can't believe I am going to say this, but I think I would rather have either pumpkin pie or an oatmeal crumb bar.  Not two combined in one.  

leaving two for a kindred spirit in serious need

Attention all pumpkin lovers.  It is my duty to inform you that something is going on with the availability of canned pumpkin.  At least in my town.  To my credit, last night, I did NOT bite off the head of the assistant store manager when he informed me "there was a problem with the shipment", AFTER I had walked up and down every aisle in the store looking for it before I asked.  Young men apparently do not understand that giving that response to a woman looking forward to her first pumpkin baking experience of the season is on par with telling an addict in need of a fix they are "SOL".  In other words... dangerous. 

This morning, after a good nights sleep, I got up early and resumed the hunt.  I went to another store, where they had a note indicating there was a problem with their shipment to save me from walking all over and working myself into a frenzy.  AND, I did find 6 cans of a store brand right next to the empty spot for the Libby's canned pumpkin.  Because I was feeling generous, I only bought four cans.  Leaving two for a kindred spirit in serious need of pumpkin. 

extremely well satisfied

I think it's probably fair to see you either like short stories or you don't.  If you like them, and haven't read this collection by Alice Munro, get after it.  AND, if you don't like short stories, there is a distinct possibility this collection could change your mind. 

I happen to be in the "like them" camp.   Even the ones that feel like they cut off in the middle of a sentence leaving you caught unaware.  This is not a collection like that.  This collection makes me feel like Alice Munro is my friend, and each day after work she meets me at my car and says "hey do I have a story for you today" or "did I ever tell you about..."  Then she climbs into the passenger seat, gets settled in and proceeds to tell me about an ordinary person and something they have been through.  Just a piece of their life.  Enough to leave me satisfied.   Extremely well satisfied.  I will be getting another of her collections soon.  Tell me if you have read one and think I should start with it. 

I intend to try it with all those things

After watching an episode of "Martha Bakes" last week, and because gazpacho really needs to be served with bread, I took it upon myself to try this recipe on Sunday.

It involved a lot of seeds.  Which I have always liked, but even more so since eating bread like this in Sweden.

There was also some of this stuff.

And our "St. Patrick's"  Lodge Enameled cast iron pot, that is great for all kinds of things including baking bread.  Who knew?

What was not involved was a lot of fuss.  All you need is time.  Mix it all up and put it in the frig for 2 hours then let it sit out for 12-18 hours.  Then put it in the pot and let it rise again.  And into the oven it goes.

This is peasant bread.  Chewy.  Hearty.  Perfect with soup or salad.

Or just some honey.  Or peanut butter.  Or blueberry jam.  Or pimento cheese.  I intend to try it with all of those things.  Yes I do. 

that chicken foot on Mary Ann's forehead

Working in my art journal in Stockholm has me on a bit of a sketching, painting, kick.  During a FaceTime Sketchtime session on Sunday there was this.

Then there was this.  Because you can't do too many pictures of yourself and your sister.  It was very windy on the boat by the way.  In case you are wondering about that chicken foot on Mary Ann's forehead. 

Then I took it upon myself to try and draw a whole body.  Poor Inga.  And to think how nice she was to us. 

Then I decided to do some more faces.  Faces of unsuspecting people from the hospital.  Like this very nice medical student. 

He has a great face, with lots of angles and shadows and such amazing hair.  Plan to see more of him.  Inside of me there is a masterpiece of him that wants to break out.  It just needs time. 

sherry was absolutely the right choice for this

These are five ingredients I have not previously thought to combine together.  In a soup.  A cold soup.  White Gazpacho to be exact. 

I didn't show it above, but there is also one leftover hamburger bun in this.  Being as I had no white sandwich bread on hand.  The recipe calls for sherry vinegar.  Again, I had none, so flipped a coin to decide between red wine vinegar and regular sherry.  Sherry won out.   

The almonds were not blanched because I couldn't see what difference it would make.  Maybe slivered almonds are already blanched?

And of course, I used the immersion blender instead of the regular blender. 

Two minutes of blending and you have a cool, delicious, smooth, appetizer, snack, or lunch.  The sherry was absolutely the right choice for this.  Even with just 2 teaspoons it adds a distinct flavor in combination with the garlic.  I did not remove the seeds from the cucumber either by the way. 

These zinnias have absolutely nothing to do with white gazpacho.  But they are pretty.  So I am bringing them for show and tell.  

"...don't set me down as vainglorious"

I hope whatever you have planned for your weekend, will get you in the frame of mind Odgen Nash was in when he penned the little ditty below.   From the Writers Almanac earlier this week.  It seems the perfect thing to get the weekend started. 

No Doctors Today, Thank You
by Ogden Nash

They tell me that euphoria is the feeling of feeling wonderful, well,
      today I feel euphorian,
Today I have the agility of a Greek god and the appetite of a Vic-
      torian.
Yes, today I may even go forth without my galoshes,
Today I am a swashbuckler, would anybody like me to buckle any
      swashes?
This is my euphorian day,
I will ring welkins and before anybody answers I will run away.
I will tame me a caribou
And bedeck it with marabou.
I will pen me my memoirs.
Ah youth, youth! What euphorian days them was!
I wasn’t much of a hand for the boudoirs,
I was generally to be found where the food was.
Does anybody want any flotsam?
I’ve gotsam.
Does anybody want any jetsam?
I can getsam.
I can play chopsticks on the Wurlitzer,
I can speak Portuguese like a Berlitzer.
I can don or doff my shoes without tying or untying the laces be-
      cause I am wearing moccasins,
And I practically know the difference between serums and anti-
      toccasins.
Kind people, don’t think me purse-proud, don’t set me down as
      vainglorious,
I’m just a little euphorious.

 

some bug spray might be a good idea

When I went to the Baker Wetlands last weekend, with the hope of spotting a snowy egret, I did not expect to see monarchs feasting on very unusual looking flowers.

After consulting my handy "Pocket Naturalist Guide for Kansas Wildflowers" my best guess is that they are Gumweed.  If you know differently please advise. 

I did spot some big white birds that I am fairly certain were snowy egrets, but they were too far away to get a decent picture of.   There was also this grey heron who posed for me, but only from a distance.  His mirrored reflection in the water was something to see. 

The sunflowers are going to be in full bloom out here very soon.  They are not the big giant sunflowers like you can see here.  Just a nice field of regular sunflowers. 

If you decide to visit, some bug spray might be a good idea.  Wetlands (standing water) means mosquitoes.  Oh and certainly don't wear your best tennis shoes, unless you want to wash them when you get home.  In which case, wear them for sure. 

necessity IS the mother of invention

Tonight, with a box of tapioca pudding, the crumbs that were left in the bottom of the ginger snap bag, and an almost out-of-date can of Reddi Whip, I created a most satisfactory dessert. 

Necessity IS the mother of invention.  Especially when the need is related to my sweet tooth.  

Definitely not Fredrik Henr AF Chapman

As promised.  For those of you who are interested in such things.  Here is the final signature of the Stockholm travel journal.  This is the fastest I've ever completed a travel journal after arriving home from a trip.  Probably because there was only a page or two to finish up and some photos to print and add to the mix.  It is also, by far, the most fun I have had working in a travel journal on vacation. 

You will notice I tackled several subjects more than once.  Including that mother-in-law's tongue above.  I liked this version more than the first.  Less wimpy.  A bit more bold. 

I think the reason it was so enjoyable is because I stopped thinking so much about what I should do on each page and I just DID.  Whatever I wanted.  If Mary Ann was doing something - even though I thought it might be too hard.  I did it.  I told myself I was not making a masterpiece.  Though I will likely think all of them are masterpieces in the future.  Ok.  Maybe not all of them.  Definitely not Fredrik Henr AF Chapman, who is coming up shortly for your review.  

The end.   "That's all she wrote" as my dad used to say when there wasn't anything left.  Thanks for coming along for the ride.  I will enjoy looking at this journal in years to come and recalling in great detail the complete delight that was Stockholm.   Heck.  I am enjoying looking at it now.  

the portraits of myself and Mary Ann were highly entertaining to do and still make me laugh out loud

Here it comes.  Part II of the Stockholm travel journal.  Provided here for your amusement. 

This painting of Ingrid, in front of the bookcase in our apartment, where the books were organized by color, is my favorite - of all the things I painted in this travel journal.  Although, the portraits of myself and Mary Ann were highly entertaining to do and still make me laugh out loud until I cry.   

Until tomorrow.  When the final installment shall be posted. 

I told her that I would carry her bags everywhere we went if she would

The time has come to show you my Stockholm travel journal.  In three installments.  One signature at a time.   Mary Ann made this journal for me.  It was completely and totally perfect.  In every way.  Size.  Number of signatures.  Types of paper used.  I am pretty sure she said that for all future Moss Sister Adventure Travels she was going to continue this tradition.   I think I told her that I would carry her bags everywhere we went if she would. 

I am going to recommend that you make yourself a "Hound Dog" tomorrow and Tuesday nights to enjoy while you review the next two installments.  When I made mine on Sunday I had a lemon instead of a lime and it was even better.  Get one.  It's worth it.   

with his snake and an ear of corn

Yes, this is a teeny tiny ironing board.  Yes, there is a teeny tiny iron on it.  Yes, I about died when I saw it.  Died from being overcome by cuteness. 

The bee man had his antennae hat on today, the master gardener was advising, and the cello player made me swoon.  A regular Saturday morning at the Farmers Market in Lawrence Kansas.   

My favorite garland maker/embroiderer (Pam from Prairie Found Farm) was busy today at her booth.  Will you look at that stuff in her giant bowl?  She told me she is having an open house the first weekend in November.  Mark your calendars if you live in the area. 

Watermelon and cantaloupe have made it to the market.   Sunflowers too.

There was also this cute boy in his green t-shirt with his green snake and a green ear of corn.   I wanted to interview him but settled for the photo. 

a hound dog tonight

While cruising through my inbox last night I saw a headline for "top 5 bars" and me being me, immediately thought of bars as in square, sweet, things with a buttery bottom, a nice filling, and a crunchy top.  Well, it turns out they meant "bars" as in places you go to drink, and just as I was about to end my browsing, because I am not the bar hopping type (anymore anyway), I saw a picture.  This picture.   And now, here I am, less than 24 hours later, making peach puree and ginger syrup because my weekend will not be complete unless it includes a hound dog tonight.   

Oh.  This is good.  Really good.  Dangerously good.  They go down quick.   I did not have a lemon and so used a lime.  I did not strain the peach puree because that seemed a silly thing to do.  I used my stick blender instead of getting the regular blender dirty.  So much easier to clean.   The hound dog may be my new "get the weekend started" drink.  Except this weekend it's going to be my Saturday "after gardening" and Sunday "porch sitting" drink as well.  Happy Friday everyone! 

 

 

none of these things were planned, they all happened

On the next to the last day we were in Stockholm we embarked on a voyage to Mariefred.  Items on the itinerary included a train, a bus, a castle, lunch, gardens, portraits, and a ferry. 

We did make it to the train station and hopped on board with literally 1 minute to spare and right before witnessing a lovers quarrel between a hotheaded female Swede who was racing to the train right behind her male traveling companion with the two suitcases.  He made it to the door.  She did not.  She threw down her purse.  She screamed.  She walked off.  He probably wished he would have gotten on the train without her. 

We found the castle and sauntered around while my Sister provided a thorough commentary about the history of place, what each room was used for, what they had for dinner each night, you know - just the basic stuff you would get on a tour but way more entertaining and it also included stops to lay down on some old furniture.  You gotta love a castle that houses a National Portrait Gallery, where the windows are open!

After the castle there was a stroll through a few streets, a look at an old garden, and then off to wait for the ferry ride back to Stockholm.

Except that the ferry doesn't run on Mondays.  So instead we took a taxi and a train and a bus back to our apartment where we worked in our journals and discussed how it really was a pretty good trade to miss the ferry and instead meet 2 women from Finland, 1 woman from El Salvador, dip our feet in the water with ducks, eat delicious mushroom risotto, go to the bathroom outdoors at the train station, and have the great idea that we will become portrait painters for the European aristocracy. 

None of these things were planned.  They all happened. 

not overly sweet and packed with fruit

If there are peaches and blueberries at your farmers market right now (or your grocery store), you might want to introduce them to each other.  Then you can make this out of them.  I happen to prefer blueberries to blackberries so made a substitution and improved upon the recipe. 

I took the whole pan to work without even cutting into them to see if they were ok first.  They were.  They were very, very, very, okay.  Excuse the plastic utensil and plate but I just snapped this photo at my desk so you could see what it looks like out of the pan. 

It's really more of a cobbler/cake than it is a bar which I think of as something you can pick up and eat like a brownie.  Excellent for breakfast.  Not overly sweet and packed with fruit. 

while decidedly non-technical, is certainly enthusiastic

 It will be important as you read this post to know that I have no formal training in architecture and little knowledge of architectural styles.  That will not stop me from throwing around a few terms as I show you some of the buildings we wandered by in Stockholm.  

Whether they were the old wooden buildings, Gustavian Empire style, Neo Gothic, Venetian Renaissance, Neo Classicism, or Medieval military, I would just like to say that to me they were all super cool.  Which, while decidedly non-technical, is certainly über enthusiastic.  Which we absolutely were.

the interaction of the water and the light makes magical things happen

There is something about being on the water that is very fascinating to someone who lives in Kansas.  Right in the middle of the country, far removed from large bodies of water, and the possibility of hopping on a boat. 

Whether it was riding a ferry, looking at the Stockholm Ship Association boats, walking by the water, sitting on rocks at the edge of the water, or looking across to the water on our nightly walks in Sweden... being so close to the water was such a luxury. 

And sometimes, if you get lucky, you catch the light at just the right moment and the interaction of the water and the light makes magical things happen.  I remember when we were kids and Dottie would say that she was going to get on a boat one day and travel the world.  That didn't appeal to me as a teenager, but boy does it now. 

 

 

today it was these three things

Today, in between harvesting tomatoes and cutting roses to bring inside, I finished "My Name is Lucy Barton". 

Somehow, in the course of around 5 hours, as Lucy told us her story, mostly through conversation with her mother who had come to visit her during an extended hospitalization, I was captivated.  By the story, by the character, and by the writing.  How did Elizabeth Strout do that so skillfully?   You will want to read it. 

This morning on Brain Pickings Weekly, I found interesting thoughts on why we read.  There is almost always something I write down while reading this on Sunday mornings.  Today it was these 3 things.
1.  "Books are the axe for the frozen sea within us" - Franz Kafka
2.  "A book is a heart that beats in the chest of another" - Rebecca Solnit
3.  "Reading exercises our imagination" - Neil Gaiman

What is there to say after that? 

I have been wondering where they lived

Today at the Farmers market I witnessed profound indecision, muscled my way through crowds at the peach table, saw a cute blonde toddler, was influenced to buy carrots because I liked the sign, and heard a trio of angels singing "What a Wonderful World".  That was all in the first 10 minutes.

Upon my return home, I unpacked my basket, arranged my flowers, made carrot-ginger soup, washed and chopped tomatoes, made this greek orzo salad, and once again added cucumbers like I did last time.

After all that I needed a nap.  So I took one.

P.S.  I also found the home of the hermit crabs today.  Thank goodness.  I have been wondering where they lived.  

he was my favorite

I met a baby swan in Stockholm.  And his mama.  And his brother and 2 sisters. 

I also paddled around with a couple of cute ducks, talked to a gull, and resisted the urge to pick up a couple of tiny baby ducks and kiss them. 

But mostly we were fascinated with the swans.

This one.  This one right here.  He was my favorite. 

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my first ever Boeuf Bourguignonne experience

on a photo shoot to recreate her very first assignment

Unfortunately, in the 763 photos I took on my Nikon while in Sweden, there are no pictures of girls with long flowing blonde hair, pedaling away on their bicycles.  In dresses.  Bicycles with cute baskets up front.   I did however, get pictures of lots of blonde Swedes doing their normal everyday things, like going on walks with their mom while eating breakfast, working on computers in cafe's, soaking up the sun at Ritorno, and resting on benches. 

There were also these fellows - playing a quirky game at the park that leads into some of the allotment gardens, a modern day Pippi Longstocking, Swedish knitters, men catching rays at the park, and a couple coming home at the end of the day. 

There were girls in hats, friends telling each other their troubles, sun-bathers on their boats, and boys eating ice cream cones. 

My sister and I decided this woman, in her fur lined poncho, used to be a fashion model.  Her granddaughter, with the backpack, suitcase, and tripod, was accompanying her on a photo shoot to recreate her very first assignment.  They were staying in a cute red cottage by a garden, with a table and chairs out front for sitting and sipping tea while important stories were passed down.   

If you have have always wanted to travel to Europe, but are worried you would not be able to navigate in a country where you could not speak the language, go to Stockholm.  The Swedish people speak the universal language of kindness. 

 

we left no stone unturned in our attempts to sample the cuisine of Stockholm

It would be very very wrong of me not to mention that the food in Stockholm was sublime.  From the first bite of blueberry pie we had within 3 hours of arriving, to the shrimp salad we ate in a garden overlooking the water.  Every single solitary bite was completely delicious.

I had cold smoked salmon several times that was perfection.  Simply served with dill and lemon and accompanied by new potatoes in a light dill cream sauce. 

I was totally unprepared for the bread.  My favorite was a dark rye that was packed with dried fruits and nuts.  And I don't have a single picture of it, despite eating an entire loaf of it at the apartment.  Go figure.   From the smashed avocado toast with a poached egg for breakfast, to the tuna salad sandwich with olives we ate on a bench at the gardens one day, to the herb/salt crusted whole fish I had one night, and let me not forget the neighborhood Greek restaurant... where I think we sampled everything on the menu... every single meal was a culinary delight. 

I think it is safe to say that we left no stone unturned in our attempts to sample the cuisine of Stockholm.  We were prepared to go into strict austerity mode in the eating department when we returned home as a result of our dutiful review of all things gastronomic.  Happily, all the walking we did while we were there made that totally unnecessary.  Win.  Win.     

head up to a cabin in the woods

I finished the last of the Bill Hodges trilogy while I was on vacation in Stockholm.  Oh I hated it to end.  Kermit William Hodges, Hollyberry Gibney, and Jerome Robinson are three characters that you deserve to know. That, along with a great plot and masterful dialogue make this a deeply satisfying reading experience. 

If you have a free week in August, I am going to suggest you get all three books in the trilogy (Mr. Mercedes & Finders Keepers are the other 2) and head up to a cabin in the woods, next to a rushing stream, with a swing on the front porch.  Pack up a few bottles of wine, some crackers, cheese, bread & butter pickles, and whatever other provisions you need as long as that also includes a homemade blueberry pie, fresh cream for whipping, and coffee.   You can read every morning, hike mid-day, read on the porch in the afternoon, catch fish for dinner in the stream, then go to bed early and read until you fall asleep.  Then get up and do it all again until all three books are done. 

Anna Lindhagen you are my hero

One of my very favorite things we did while exploring Stockholm, was wander through the allotment gardens.  Tucked away in secret places, all over the city.  They await discovery. 

They are similar to what we call community gardens in the United States, but different.  Most of them have a tiny house or cottage on the property and there is a long waiting list to get one of them.  A walk through them and you will see why.  Inga invited us in to see her plot as we were exploring the gardens of Eriksdalslunden.  She told us they waited 9 years for their spot.   She also picked grape tomatoes, warm from the sun, and gave them to us to taste. 

We visited gardens in three different areas of Stockholm.  At Tantolunden I met a lovely Swedish woman who was tending her flowers and nibbling the  raspberries off her bushes as she moved around the plants.  She was happy to tell me where to go to see more gardens, careful to tell me which route was best.  Gardeners, the world over, are good people.  

We passed by one that overlooked the water and the gardeners were sitting out at a little table enjoying the view and a glass of wine.  Ahhh.  Can you imagine?

Anna Lindhagen, a Swedish nurse (among other things), was instrumental in starting the allotment gardens in Sweden in 1906.  I can not think of a greater legacy to leave.   

Can you imagine anything nicer than a garden playhouse where you spend endless hours on summer days, surrounded by flowers?  Dream.  Come.  True.