Published!

A long time ago, I wrote a post about life lists (note purposeful lack of back link). More recently, I decided a mother of four kids in three different schools (involved in cross country, track, show choir, chorus, builder's club, soccer, cub scouts and social lives greater than the sum of their parents) should not have a life list. It's just too depressing.

But - the sun also rises and in the time left in the wake of "a long time ago", I've tried my hand at some creative writing. Creative non-fiction or the personal essay - as opposed the stream of conscious I typically share here. I have really, really enjoyed it and determined I wanted to be published. Check that, I determined I wanted to be published in a neat little 'zine I stumbled across. It's called Remedy Quarterly.

So, I took a deep breath and put myself out there submitting a story idea to this project I really admire. I don't do waiting very well. I anticipated the "yay or nay" deadline anxiously. The day of said deadline, I had forgotten all about it and my heart was pounding when I found a surprise email. My story cut the mustard. It felt like discovering you made the team or got the part.

The current issue of Remedy Quarterly: Heritage includes "My Stainless Steel Locket" a story inspired by inherited and found recipe collections. I am very proud its inclusion in this collection of essays highlighting healing and delicious memories. In the spirit of sharing, I'd like to share a copy with you! Leave a comment sharing what your favorite family recipe is and be entered to win Issue #7. Leave your thoughts and a random winner will be drawn January 30th.

And now, with this little victory under my belt, I return to the keyboard. 

Wish me luck.

A FoodiStar Is Born!

A few weeks ago, Doug, Ella and I went to hit the third stop of the Fooditour. What's a Fooditour? The effort of Fooditude to track down a new face or two to star in their new webisodes. These shorts are made to encourage children to try new foods and learn about where they come from. The website is full of activities and ideas, too.

Of course, I encouraged her and told her it was no big deal and that it would be fun. Gulp. I was glad it was her and not me. She did a fabulous job and had fun as evidenced by her big genuine smile. We were so proud of her for putting herself out there. For me it was a life lesson, I felt was important to push. Sometimes watching from a distance is nice. Sometimes it's just not where you want to be but overbearing fear, usurps the wanna-have-fun-girl. Her confidence and courage put me to shame.

A couple weeks ago her leg of the tour was posted to the website. Check out my girl here.


We'll find out the end of October whether or not she was selected and really, I doesn't it matter. We were all so proud of her for giving it a go - anything else would be gravy.

Full Disclosure

Many years ago, when Hen was still in the baby carrier, I decided maybe I should try to work part time at Trader Joe's. Extra money, a little time out of the house. I could do that. I know that store like the back of my own hand. Facing shelves soothes my compulsive nature. I was jazzed. And then, they handed me the math test. Seriously?

Without going into the details and my inability to cheat with my cell phone, I flunked. I can't add 5 + 5 with both hands.Though it was humiliating, in retrospect, why would a mother of 4 with an infant want to work part time, potentially all hours of the day and night? Regardless, in order to get over my feelings of ineptitude in all things math, I proceeded to tell everyone. Really, everyone. It made for a great story at neighbor night and after a beer or two I was even more self deprecating and really enjoying this story at my own expense. Later after commenting on my stupidity to Doug, he kindly reminded me I didn't need to tell anyone. No one would know and I shouldn't feel stupid. But the thing is, telling the free world was easier than beating myself up. Cathartic even.

Which brings us to Creative Non Fiction at Waubonsee Community College. I thought it would be helpful to hone my skills as a writer. Assist my ability to just do it and attain life list goal #9. Unfortunately, it never occurred to me I'd have to actually share what I wrote. Doug reminded me of my blog writing and how the lovely Tara has kindly posted my words on Go West Young Mom, why would this bother me? Good question.

The first class met on Tuesday and I was looking forward to it - until I walked in the class room. But for the grace of God, I held it together and made it through quite possibly the hardest thing I've ever had to do. So now - I have to tell about it thus freeing me...of me.

Long story short, we had to write a short story...in 20 minutes...with a pencil. I can't write fast and prefer to write on a keyboard. No big deal. I'll crank it out and re-write fast so I can actually read it. Aching shoulder and claw-like hand, I finished it and felt pretty good. I was proud of the story I had put on paper, though more vivid in my head, I knew it would translate. Well, I was wrong. And so goes my first lesson in creative non-fiction: There is no shame in having a better story in your head than you initially manage to put on paper..or screen.

When I got to the car I thought I would puke and by the time I made it to Main Street I thought I'd cry. I now feel much better. Anxiety be damned, I'll go back next Tuesday, with my computer.

Thanks for your shoulder and if you ever need a good neighbor night story, feel free to use mine.

In the meantime, if you're so inclined here is draft #3....

Jake stands in the center of the yard engrossed in the activity at hand; cleaning the ugly, gray yard box to be refilled with a redundant assortment of battered sports equipment. Max is weeding. The incessant whoosh of the hose buzzes in my ear and lulls me into my head. I recite to myself, as if present company would listen anyway, “Yard waste. Sow carrots. Where is the rake?” I am beginning to tire, it’s been a long day in the yard directing teenage boys and refereeing neighborhood games.

I really must remember to thank the boys. They do their best to work hard, especially when they’d rather be elsewhere. Teenagers growing up and away, sometimes leaving me feeling my only hold on them is a to-do list of yard work. Working side-by-side-by-side in the mottled light offered by the swaying leaves of the huge silver maple. The sun is warm, the air smells of dirt and chirping birds are interrupted by an occasional cluck.

Suddenly, pulled from my mental list, I come to with a fleeting annoyance; a rhythmic pulse. The hollow echo resounding from the ugly, plastic box as jets of water reverberate on its' wobbly sides. On and off, long and short, staccato then sprightly. Jake stands trigger attachment set to pulse, shiny black hose held loosely in hand. He is intently focused on the intermittent spray. Beat box?  FUN.?  Lady Gaga?

To his ears the musical message is clear. To my eyes – and my heart – he is still just a boy creating a toy out of anything and turning every chore into a game.

Now Where Did I Put That List.....

What seems like many moons ago, I started a life list. I had just turned 40. Little Henry was in school full time and I felt at loose ends. As often happens with my best intentions it sort of ended there. I tend not to be a dreamer and my desires are pretty basic.

Over time, I've thought of things to add to my life list but never actually done it though I've written about them in this journal of sorts. Have you ever had a big "to-do" list and added things you've already accomplished just so you can scratch them off? If you are a list maker - fess up - you've done it before. That seems really lame, bordering on cheating when talking about life list.

I've decided I'm not above cheating. The clock keeps ticking....


I have started writing. It's something I've always wanted to do and had just never DONE IT. I now set aside snippets of time to pursue this interest. It usually only lasts until the family finds me and has a sudden need to be with me. Of course, if the computer wasn't in my lap no one would care where I was. Anyway, I've had a few essays posted on Go West Young Mom, a sight dedicated to keeping moms in the western suburbs in the loop. It's a thrill for me. I've enrolled in a creative writing course. The life list thing? I'd love to have a piece published in something made of paper. Cyberspace is flattering but I am a book and paper girl. We'll see what happens. Fingers crossed.



I have an incredible appetite for reading - especially personal non-fiction. Courageous farmers and those brave enough to drop it all to go live in the south of France are favorites. After a particularly intense bout of reading all things Tuscan. I decided someday I'd like to visit its terraces and olive trees. Guess what? An opportunity arose and I am! Doug and I are traveling to Tuscany in September and while there will enjoy cooking classes and the Chianti Festival. We are staying on an amazing estate. I am purely giddy.

On a rather pathetic note, I've decided to add the Dane County Farmer's Market in Madison to my life list. You may laugh, but as many times as I've made plans to get to this mecca market, only to have them fall through, it deserves a spot. I'll probably get to Italy before I get to Wisconsin. Why?

Here is the updated list in no particular order:

#1 Go to France
#2 Knit a blanket for Project Linus
#3 Learn the Thriller dance (seriously)
#4 Take a cheese making course on an idyllic farm
#5 Run a half marathon (btw, this is not going well)
#6 Attend a farm dinner at sunset
#7 Raise goats
#8 Keep chickens
#9 Get something published - on paper.
#10 Go to Tuscany
#11 Get to the Dane County Farmer's Market
#12 Make croissants from scratch

Okay, I said I am not a dreamer but I am an optimist and maybe this will be the summer of......

Shamrock Shuffle 3x

Again this year Doug and I ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8k. Again, this year was a training/just for-fun race for Doug. Again, this year was weeks of fear and anxiety based upon the thought of being unable to reach the end. Rationality tells me - every year - that I'll finish yet each race is a new fresh hell.


It was a great drive to the city the morning of the race. Even though we left a bit later than usual and Doug barely made it into his corral I had plenty of time. It took forever for the race to start for the those of in the race corrals equivalent of nose-bleed seats. I think I had been running for 15 minutes when Doug began calling to see if I was done yet. Yeah, I wanted to hurt him.


But alas, as proven by the lifting of the Michelob Ultra (insert icckky face here) I crossed the finish line and was celebrating with a breakfast beer and a banana.


It's always fun and exciting to be in the city, especially on a perfect day. The people watching was great, the views clear, the sunshine divine, the company exceptional.


Too soon we were on the road home....


Already I've committed to running a 10k in June.


Again, a fresh new hell.

What's wrong with me?

What Was I Thinking?

I began running again shortly after the first of the year. I really enjoy running but as with many things sometimes it gets pushed to the bottom of the list. After I...(do the impossible)...I'll run. Then, of course, when life gets busy, it's the first thing to go. Coming off a 2 week break I climbed back on the treadmill yesterday.



Doug and I plan to do the Shamrock Shuffle again - so much fun. It's also good for my heart, cholesterol level, overall fitness blah,blah,blah.....

I kicked around doing a half marathon a few years ago. It would be the perfect accomplishment as I entered my 40's. As often happens (so nice to get to know myself as I grow older) I was afraid and talked myself out of it. Fear can really get the best of me but I put it in the guise of other things - time, bodily pain, toilets need to be cleaned. Convenient, eh?

Several weeks ago, Doug forwarded the email for a half marathon . I hit the link and signed up, without debating. This is the year I'll be out there. I've shared it with anyone kind enough to read. Now I am committed.



What was I thinking? I am scared to death.

Going West

Today is a super exciting day.

Recently, I discovered a wonderful website connecting moms with great stuff in the western suburbs. Full of information for great field trips, educational play and general fun for families, it's the ideal site for young mothers. I wish there had been a resource like this when I was a young, ummm, young-er mother. Oh, the hours I spent researching things for us to do when they were all at home....watching Sesame Street. *Sigh* I miss those days.

Another great aspect of Go West is simply connecting moms. Any mom knows it's great to know other moms are experiencing exactly the same things. The Mompreneur Directory gives moms the opportunity to share their home-based businesses and many offer special deals, too. Moms with businesses. Cool.

I am so proud to be a part of this group, as a Mompreneury and a contributor. Having the opportunity to write about local food, sustainable living and other things near and dear to my heart is thrilling.

It would be so wonderful if you'd check out my first essay for Go West Young Mom.

It's great to be a mom.

Forays in Cheese Making

Something I've always wanted to spend more time studying is cheese making. I dream of taking a course or interning on an idyllic farm somewhere. Like that will happen...but it's on the list.

Through the years I've experimented with a few easy cheeses. Creme fraiche, quark and different types of ricotta. Seeing milk become cheese before my eyes never ceases to amaze me.


Ricotta is a simple process requiring no special starters and minimal equipment. Most important is the thermometer. Taylor makes a wonderful oil/candy thermometer that I really like to use for just this purpose. It's large, easy to read and clips firmly to the side of a pan. A heavy saucepan, colander and cheese cloth or butter muslin are the only other tools.

Once the milk has reached the proper temperature an acid is added. Through trial and error, I've discovered vinegar is preferred over citrus. When I've used citrus juice, I've had mixed results. Recently, and I don't remember where, I heard (or was it read?) the acidity level of citrus varies by season. Interesting, no? I now always use vinegar and have great results.


Add the acid to the milk with a gentle up and down motion to thoroughly incorporate it. Once carefully mixed there should be a clear separation of curds and whey as in the picture below.


Carefully ladle the curds into a cheesecloth or butter muslin lined colander and allow the whey drain. I prefer to use butter muslin. It's very finely woven and such good quality, I wash it with kitchen linens and reuse it.


The leftover whey is a favorite in the Yellow Hen House.


After a bit of draining, gather the cheesecloth and hang it to drain. and drain to your preferred texture.



There are many lessons to be learned in cheese making - even in simple ones made in the home kitchen. I look forward to sharing my many trials and (hopefully) few errors as I expand my knowledge. Using unpasteurized cow milk, goat milk and starters are but a few of my aspirations. All of this I hope to share here.

Back to what's important. How do you best enjoy this homemade cheese? The answers are many.

But in late summer, garden tomatoes, basil, garlic and a splash of grassy olive oil on a round of fresh crusty bread is heavenly.

What more is there to say but stay tuned!

If You Can't Raise Goats....

I love goats. I like to think that if I was able, I'd have one in the back yard keeping the grass trim and frolicking with the kids - my children I mean.

Okay, that's never going to happen but a girl can dream. She can also eat lots of goat cheese. My new love is Sofia, by Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheeses. I picked some up the Green City Market way back in March. So taken by it's looks and so excited to taste, I took a picture.

From their website - "...marbled with ash, its' texture is fine and silky in the mouth, becoming denser and more velvety with age. It ripens under a light, wrinkly geotrichium rind, delicate and slightly sweet, and so is never mushroomy, overpowering or soapy....". What a lovely description.

If you're in to cheese or want to learn more about beautiful cheeses like this, check out Madame Fromage's blogspot. A Wisconsin native, her cheese knowledge is inspiring.

In the meantime, track down this cheese and enjoy with a crisp glass of sauvignon on the porch at dusk.

Coming Home To Roost

Sometimes there are things we have longed to do and it falls into the "some day" category. While my bucket list has many "some day" items, I've realized there are some which are actually quite attainable. I decided that unless I act, many of my "some days" will never come. Wednesday "some day" came.

It's no secret that I've always wanted to keep chickens. A flock of lovely ladies providing fresh, organic eggs for my table - always a dream. My oldest friend Holly, has kept chickens for a few years and inspired me to take the plunge. I, or we, are now keepers of chickens. Yaaaayyyy!

I am happy to introduce the latest additions to The Yellow House. The last two days have been very exciting. The best part, just like children, has been watching their little personalities develop.

This is Little Lily. Ella selected this little scrapper. By far the tiniest little chick I've ever seen, she definitely holds her own, just like Ella.



Rita Red, adopted by Max. Named for Bob Marley's wife, this Rhode Island Red is a quiet observing presence. Coincidence?



Meet Martha. Henry wanted to have a "bright yellow one" and here she is, a White Barred Rock. White-blond fluffy down with an open mouth, always chirping or eating. Hmmmmmm.....



This is Charlie. Jake selected this Black Barred Rock because "she was standing in the corner, oblivious to what was going on, pecking at a staple." Reminds me of someone......




And finally, this is my Milly. This adorable girl is either a Buff Orpington or an Aracauna. The Arucaunas lay the lovely blue-green eggs. Should Milly be an Orpington, she'll to like to eat a lot, get fat and be lazy.



I think I'll end my personality parallels there.

I Want To Be Out Standing In A Field

A few weeks ago, I hit the Oak Brook Williams-Sonoma store and was excited to find a great deal (really great deal) on the cookbook, Outstanding in the Field by Jim Denevan. Mr. Denevan is the founder of Outstanding in the Field, an organization that sets up outdoor dinners wherever food is grown. Last summer, he hosted two dinners in Chicago, one in an urban garden. Unfortunately, the price tag was a bit prohibitive but something I've put on my life list.

In purusing my new book, I came across a recipe for Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder that sounded wonderful. I knew I could pick up a beautiful piece of meat at the Community Winter Market, from one of my favorite hog farmers. I like to be able to support our farmers, even in the off season, so I was glad to find a recipe that would allow me to do just that.

The first step is to score the fat and cut slits throughout the meat for aromatics. In each slit I stuck a sage leaf and/or a sliver of a garlic clove. Now it's ready for the pan.


I think one of the most important parts of a good braise is a great sear on the meat. Caramelization of the natural sugars provides depth of flavor, on the meat and in the fond in the pan.


Carrots, onions, celery and garlic are quickly sauteed. Then the pork along with chicken stock and hard apple cider are added to the pan. All brought to a boil, then allowed to simmer in the oven for 2 to 3 hours.


After braising, the soft vegetables and braising liquid is put through a food mill to create a rustic pan sauce. (perfect for Henry since he was none the wiser) Not a bit of flavor is lost. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add a bit more stock.


While the plate is dull and dark, sort of like the weather in Chicago, which doesn't allow for beautiful pictures, it was a wonderful meal! Chunks of tender, flavorful pork, hand mashed potatoes with a bit of garlic and sauteed cabbage and onions.

I am so excited to do more from the book - especially with produce from my own garden this summer. In the meantime, I'm going to save my change and hope for enough to someday be out, standing in a field, eating super fresh food with Jim Denevan.

Taking A Bite Out Of Life

It's been a busy week here with school starting so there isn't much new. I do have several cool projects on the burner and I can't wait to share them.

Anyway, with all this new found freedom, I have been thinking about things to do. I have always wanted to make a life list and now seems to be an opportune time - since I finally have the time. Life lists are a good way to assess what one has done as well as give guidance as to how to proceed.

So, I am starting my life list. I figure a few things here and there scribbled down in a blank book are a good place to begin. For now, off the top of my head, I have only three.....

#1 - Go to France.

#2 - Knit a blanket for Project Linus.

#3 - Learn the Thriller dance. (yes, really and since forever)

At least it's a place to start.