October 8th: Cooler Weather & SNOW??

Yes, I said it... SNOW!
Ok, so it wasn't anywhere near us, but it was in the state! Up to 4 inches in some places.That's as bad as your creepy relatives knowing what town you live in... they don't have your address exactly, but their in the vicinity & scouting around. SCARY!

 

Hwy 81 Sunrise



So, no snow for us yet, but it is decidedly cooler out with several days of lows below freezing this last week and highs only in the mid 50's. I had to use my seat warmers in the car for the first time since last march... and it was AWESOME! Something about heated seats is just great. You get all nice and toasty first thing on your morning drive with golden beams streaming in the car window from a beautiful gold and pink sunrise... yeah, that is great!

There is beginning to be frost on the ground in the mornings... kinda gives you that false snow excitement... when your almost ready for snow, but still need some time to ease into the idea. And you can see your breath in the mornings, which if you work at an ethanol plant like me, means that you can see the steam off the cooling towers for more hours in the day. The sky seems to be bluer and heavier in the mornings, and the darkness comes quicker and more intense in the evenings.



Fairmont, Ne Ethanol Plant



Ok.. so we still have a long way to go before we hit winter (THANK GOODNESS) but we are getting closer. Harvest is winding down as corn gets wrapped up and beans are almost all gone too. The mad dash for the harvest wrap-up, and fall field work sprint has begun. Excitement is building to complete the harvest and i couldn't be happier to join in with the celebration. What a great year most farmers have lucked out with. Irrigated crops have done above average on both corn & beans, while even the dryland yields being down doesn't seem to hurt as bad with prices higher than ever at harvest. Soon all the tractors, grain carts & combines will be put away for the winter, but for now bring on the Fall Fun!



Dad taking a picture from the combine of my brother pulling the grain cart next to him. - Metamora, IL



October... a time for eating!

I Love to Cook, but more so I Love to Eat!

Which is probably a pretty good thing on both counts considering i live in the middle of nowhere, so a meal means i have to cook! Lately I've been on an easy, quick-fix, kick. So any shortcuts i can take, I do! Especially since the days are getting shorter, and the husband is spending more time at the elevator with harvest right now. Quick & Easy is a must!

And with it being Fall I'm really glad it is soup season again.... AND CHILI SEASON! This recipe was especially delicious. The flavors really reminded us both of the great flavors of New Mexico. PLUS, you get to dip a warm and flaky tortilla in it! Yum!

White Bean Chicken Chili


White Bean Chicken Chili



3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 medium onion chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (used two thumb sized ones in mine and didn't find it hot at all)
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tblsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 oz ea) white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 c chicken broth
1-1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream and minced fresh cilantro for garnish

-Sprinkle chx w/s&p. In a large skillet over medium cook chx, onion, jalapeno, oregano & cumin in oil (3-4 min) Add garlic, cook addt'l 1 min.
-Transfer to 3 qt crock pot. In small bowl mash 1 c beans; add 1/2 c broth and stir till blended. Add to crock pot.
-Add remaining beans and chx broth to crock pot.
-Cook on low 3-3.5 hrs (i put mine on warm for the whole day while i was at work)
-Stir, sprinkle w/cheese. Serve with dollop of sour cream and cilantro.
YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!

And if you like spice & quick, here is a great tip: And 3 tablespoons of cocoa mix, chai tea, or any other sweet flavored mix AND 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne to any white or vanilla cake mix and create a masterpiece. AND slather homemade cream cheese icing on anything to make it absolutely sinful!

Spicy Chocolate Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting!

And even though the freeze has just recently come and started killing all the green things, I've got a bounty of homemade tomato sauce in the freezer that i can't wait to warm up and serve over some delicious pasta with LOTS and LOTS of cheese... that is pretty much the key to any pasta dish.... cheese!!! Yes, just made myself hungry. I will probably be having cheesy pasta tonight! HA HA!!

The other great thing about food in the month of October is that this is officially Thanksgiving Recipe Practice Month! Which could be really good or really bad, depending on which side of the recipe you end up on. My husband will, unknowingly, be my guinea pig for the remaining 23 days of October as i try out all sorts of new potential Thanksgiving Dinner worthy recipes on him. (which also means he'll be helping wash dishes... but I can tell him that detail later!) I'll keep you updated with pictures and recipes of the "Yes" dishes, and maybe just pictures of the "No" dishes.... :-D

Happy Harvest Eating!

Two Tacos & a Hitch Hiker

Religion is not usually something i write about, but today is a little different. Its not exactly religion per say... but there are definitely religious undertones i guess. Let me explain...

Some background:
I was raised in a Christian household (ELCA to be exact) and grew up very involved in the church all through junior high and high school. I served on many boards and committees statewide and went to conferences and retreats to strengthen my faith. During college i was less active with all of the different things going on at college, but managed to get back to church my junior/senior year (this time the Frozen Chosen PCA).

There has been a lot of traveling and moving in my life, to small rural communities mainly, which has made it hard in the last 3-4 years to maintain any sense of active church going. However, i have received plenty of pressure from certain people to be going to church in the last 2 years. I think they fear for us (my husband & I)... well mostly they fear for our lack of community involvement and think that church is the answer.

Anyways... lately I've been wanting to get back to church, back to a formal place & act of praising the Lord.... but just haven't felt comfortable or right about it yet. I need to have a feeling... i can't really describe it, but it is the same one i felt when i found my church in Lincoln during college. However, this lack of formal church going doesn't mean God has left my life. This is something I've tried to explain to many people and they scoff at me, others completely understand. Honestly i think a large majority of people are in my same boat. They were raised to know right and wrong through God's teachings and they live their life by that everyday. They don't go to church, they might have a few drinks on the weekend and swear a little, but are good, honest, hardworking & God fearing people. They don't preach about their faith to other or condemn others for their lack of faith.

This is how my husband & I live.

With all this being said let me get to the point of this story. I have always believed that a person's faith, spirituality, conscious, whatever you call it, is based on their actions. The saying "Actions Speak Louder than Words" has always rang true for me. Needless to say, in these last few months of pondering my own spiritual life I've been lacking action! Maybe it was God (i certainly didn't her His voice in my head like people always claim), maybe it was my conscious, or maybe it was just my stomach talking, but today for lunch I drove all the way to york from fairmont for Taco Bell. Now, normally i just get a deliciously bad for you Cheesy Gordita Crunch, but today i felt i needed a Crunchy Taco Supreme, TWO of them to be exact. This is rare for me, i don't ever eat two of something & especially not since I've been watching what i eat.

Here is the point. On my way back to work at the intersection north of interstate 80 on hwy 81 there was a man sitting at the corner. He was older, white mustache, baggy clothes, sitting on a lone back pack with a sign. His sign was well written and 3 or 4 lines, but the only one i remember was reading "broke & hungry traveler".  Well i made the turn to go south to work and immediately felt guilty, so i turned off and looped back around. Even as i approached him again i wasn't sure if i would have the courage to roll down the passenger window and give him one of my tacos... what if he reached in and tried to grab me, or take my purse? At the last minute i pulled into the lane closest him, rolled down the window and stopped. I handed him my taco through the window and with the most sincere look on his face he said "Thank You Sister".

I don't write this to get praise, in fact i write this to be honest and frank about the situation. Can you imagine what being Broke & Hungry is like? I can't. Yes, I lived paycheck to paycheck through college and some of my post college life, but I've been very lucky and successful for my age. So has my husband. And even when we did have to live paycheck to paycheck we had family we could count on to help us out. My mom has been through serious financial struggles in the past few years & has lived paycheck to paycheck... but we have always helped her out. For good reason too, can you imagine your parent living Broke & Homeless? Can you imagine not helping someone you know, someone you care about? Its not about receiving a pat on the back, its about knowing they are taken care of. This man however, must not have had anyone.

 I don't think he was one of those scammer types you hear about in the big city either, I think he legitimately needed someone to help him. His hands showed age and when he stood up to grab the taco his pants were so baggy that the belt he had on was clearly the only thing holding them up. He had pride though, you could tell he was a strong minded person, obviously educated (the first sign in a long time where all the words were spelled correctly), and tidy. (i have worked in many soup kitchens, and those that need help the most tend to be the ones that are still trying, still look presentable, and still take care of their appearance as best they can. Not the low lives who pick the dirtiest outfit out of their hamper to go downtown and scam innocent people)

His eyes were very blue, his teeth were crooked as he smiled, and his body was rail thin. After i drove away I felt something... you would think i would've been happy or proud of myself for giving him a bite to eat. I felt guilty & overwhelmed. How many other like him are there? I see people on the side of the road all the time... i don't usually stop. I certainly wouldn't let them get in the car and drive them somewhere... not for vanity, for safety i wouldn't. How many more like me are there, afraid to help because of safety or fear of getting scammed and ending up giving money to someone who doesn't really need it.

Sometimes, i guess, you just have to have a little faith and go for it anyways. I do believe that something besides myself made me turn the car around and give today. I don't know whether it was divine intervention, i don't think it matters. I do know this, today is the first time in a while that i feel like I've earned the right to be as lucky as i am. However, i better keep helping others to continue to be worthy of the life i live. (and not my mom... that's a built in given. In fact i would contemplate building her a house in the back yard and being my full time babysitter anyways!)

Anyways, i wish everyone the best in these trying times and hope that they are given the help they need. I hope others will continue to lead through examples of what is good & right in this world, & that we all can appreciate the goodness/good things in our lives. Because i can't imagine Broke & Hungry, nor do i want anyone else to have to imagine this.

August... family, friends, & food

August has been jam packed with so many things. This month i had a visit from my father and brother, i visited a friend while traveling for business, and managed to cook up a storm this month. Well, if not cook it myself... i sure managed to eat some delicious grub this month.

Hubby's Masterpiece

The usual visits to Toad's for a salmon dinner occurred of course, but for the most part hubby and I created some culinary masterpieces in the kitchen. The thing about us though, is that we love to cook together (or i think he loves to cook with me... we will find out the truth later). It is fun though! I usually do the technical things, kneading bread, tart shells, custards, sauces, or anything other than a grilled steak and potatoes. There is one thing i don't mess with, and that is a grilled hamburger. My husband has that down to a science, and this past month he made me some delicious burgers stuffed with fresh mozzarella cheese. Amazing! Fresh lettuce, sliced onion, little homemade spicy mayo on top, all on a toasted bun... wow! He truly outdid himself... well until he made me some of his delicious marinated steak accompanied by rosemary garlic potato wedges.

When my brother and dad came to visit we all had a pizza day on Sunday while we watched the NASCAR race. The BEST part, i made my own mini pizza with half using my homemade pesto, mozzarella & Canadian bacon. The other half of my pizza was Hawaiian pizza, mmmmmm pineapple! Turns out the guys thought my pesto on pizza was pretty dang delicious!! They chowed down on two of their own 10 inch pizzas, and STILL my brother thought he needed to eat some of my pizza!


homemade basil pesto & salsa

Basic Pesto Recipe

1 1/3 c loosely packed basil
3 Tbsp Pine Nuts or Slivered Almonds
2 Garlic Cloves peeled
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all in a food processor and pulse till combined.
Drizzle in up to 2/3 c EVOO until desired consistency is reached.
When ready to use, add in fresh grated Parmesan as desired.

Pesto in lasagna, on bruschetta, tossed with pasta, spread on calzones.... oh so many things you can do with pesto! And the best part is how easy it is to make! I've had sooo much basil from my garden this year I've made pesto for several friends, frozen some, used a bunch, and i still have basil to turn into more pesto! (Plus all the dried basil i have stacking up!) Nothing better than opening up the slider door & walking a few steps to cut some fresh basil for dinner! (or supper, if you are my husband)



Spinach Lasagna Roll-Up - yes that is a Meat Sauce on top!

And besides the dreamy greens of my basil, I also fell absolutely more in love with spinach... too bad I can't convince my father in law to love it as much as I do... he's supposed to be eating spinach to help prevent more eye problems... Oh yes, spinach, a very under appreciated green in my opinion. If you have a picky green eater, like my husband or father in-law, try cheese with it! I made some delicious Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups! Mmmmmmm....  really super easy, but oh sooooooo good. Actually, you can turn anything into a Lasagna Roll-Up if you think about it. Just cook your noodles, lay flat and spread with your favorite toppings. Roll them up and place seam side down in a baking dish and cover with sauce and cheese. Bake them off at 350* till warm, gooey, and bubbly all the way through. I personally like spinach and cream cheese in them, but of course the meat eaters appreciate a more traditional roll-up; sausage, hamburger, cream cheese, tomato sauce (i usually sneak in some pancetta or prosciutto too!).

Is it Breakfast or Something Sweeter?

Something else I've discovered this month, keep a tart shell or pie crust ready to be rolled out in the fridge! It is amazing how simple they are to make, and how simple they are to make into something delicious using whatever you happen to have in the pantry, fridge or cupboard! Like my easy Breakfast Tart. Just put the tart shell in a tart pan or pie pan (i don't have a big tart pan so i use a pie pan, and totally just as good!), add in your favorite meats; browned sausage or bacon, prosciutto, Canadian bacon, or whatever. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and pour over 5 eggs beaten with about a 1/4 c cream (salt & pepper, garlic powder too). I also like to sprinkle over some fresh chopped green onions. Bake it off at 350* for 25-30 min. Yummy! Something about that sweet buttery tart shell and salt bacon just make a perfect combination!


And what could be better after all this hard work than playing the lazy card and hitting up a Chinese buffet with my bestie? Uh, nothing! We are too funny, because we have a method to our Chinese dining experiences. We each fill a plate with whatever mix of yummy entrees, noodles, and rice we so desire... mine are usually more chicken, hers usually more beef... then we each grab a second dish, me the plate for Rangoons, egg rolls, spring rolls and anything else that can be dipped in sweet & sour sauce. She grabs the sauce and anything else interesting she eyes. This last time, we both came to the conclusion that we should just split the plate of fried rolls and Rangoons... why even bother with the other food! And of course we have to share our fortunes with each other. The best part however is the time we spend together catching up. We always seem to just pick up where we left off and solve the world's problems over broccoli beef or sesame chicken. **sigh** These meals/conversations/visits don't happen often enough.

Well - the grocery store calls as it is time to restock the fridge and cupboards for the next week of culinary adventures! Happy Cooking!

Thoughts - Harvest, Farm, & Fashion?

I am feeling very creative today with lots of energy.... it could be the rather large Starbucks espresso + energy drink i had this morning... or it could just be a little extra Tuesday morning energy.

Either way, lets chat! It is a gorgeous August day in Nebraska today! This time of the year is usually 90+ degrees and 80% humidity, but with the weather pattern being totally different this year than any in the last 20+ years we are at a wonderful 77* and 47% humidity with a slight breeze... just doesn't get much better.

And thanks to that unusual weather pattern we have some harvest going on. Harvest? In August? I know, its crazy... but dry land is coming out AND it is dry enough to haul to my Ethanol plant?!?!? Now that is the crazy part. A very wide range of moisture (10.4%-17.1%), but very low test weights compared to normal (49.7 lb TW vs LY @ 62 lb TW). Irrigated corn looks wonderful around here, looking for slightly better than average production, which should help control basis levels a little better than lately... well fingers crossed for me anyways!

I've been thinking with all the unexpected things happening this early in the year, that its time for a change myself. No mom/family/friends..... we are NOT getting pregnant anytime soon, i don't need that kind of change.... I'm just going to cut my hair, maybe add a little pizazz! Love that word... pizazz!!



There are a pair of legs under there... it's D!



Soon the seasons will change too... Oh Autumn, I'm just ready to feel those cool crisp nights on my face, the bite in the air when i leave for work in the morning, the beautiful changing colors... and the smell of fresh cut corn in the air! Autumn always brings harvest, and harvest always reminds me of home and family, and how even as a young girl i would sit in the combine or grain truck for hours with dad. I remember helping mom fix lunches and then taking them to the field to eat lunch with my dad and uncle. Even the times i would ride in the grain truck with mom to the elevator were always fun & eventful (no brakes.. that was fun). 

Now i live too far from home to help on our farm, but luckily my father in-law entertains me... secretly i think he is amused by me and likes when i come visit him in the fields with my husband. I'm definitely more talkative than my husband... and i find enjoyment in just about everything that happens at harvest time... except sitting still.. i hate that. I also make a point to look very cute and fashionable with i harvest with D.... he gets a kick out of it. I do my hair (usually loose and wild like the corn), get my camo and pink on and of course my cowgirl boots (not the nice ones... my real farm girl ones that get dirty) Last year was even more fun because D bought himself a newer combine. You want to see a 70+ year old farmer's face light up, watch him play with a new toy for the first time... like a combine. He was a kid in a candy store! My husband too! Well... even me really! I have lots of photos with it & me in it of course. It has a padded buddy seat, perfect for me! (yeah... doesn't sound like I'm 25 and an adult huh? HA HA!)



yup... harvest fashion? If that is possible...



Someday I want this for my children.. them to know what hard work and dedication is, to know what family is, and to appreciate the land and bounty that can be reaped from it! Too philosophical? Hopefully one day we can take over the farm and share our love for it with others. Especially during autumn & harvest!

Until then, I'm contemplating moving my office outside for the day to enjoy the sunshine! I'm also going to contemplate my new Autumn look and what i should wear for harvest this year. Gotta up the ante, ya know! D expects my husband and I to come help him.... just need to do something he won't expect... its worth it to make him laugh! Mama S will just think I'm really as crazy as she thinks! Here is a pic of last year... look for some new ones of this year a little later on.