My Fair Minnesota

Eric and I finally made it to the "Great Minnesota Get Together" this week. After three years in Minnesota, we figured it was about time.

We only had a few precious hours to spend at the Minnesota State Fair, but we figured we'd do it up right. We started with the "Miracle of Life" barn, where we saw a chick hatch out of its shell, day-old baby sheep, tiny piglets, a 5-day-old calf, and a very large cow attempting to give birth. (And for those like us who couldn't squeeze in to see it up close, there were video monitors all over the place giving an up close and personal view of the happenings.)

Feeling hungry after that display, as can be expected, we went in search of cheese curds. Now it has just come to my attention that not everyone is familiar with this drool-worthy food, so I'll offer a brief explanation. Cheese curd: a dense piece of glorious cheese battered and deep fried until it becomes crisp awesomeness on the outside and gooey wonderfulness on the inner. We were NOT disappointed. The curds were followed by a couple of pronto pups (battered and fried hot dogs) and a giant cone of freshly baked mini chocolate chip cookies, all washed down by some cold milk.

Bellies full and happy, we thought what better thing to do than to go on some fair rides? Me and seven other children happily rode my personal old-school favorite "The Swings", while Eric laughed looking on from solid ground. A few rides later I was happy I had resisted the 1-pound caramel-covered bacon on a stick stand we had passed earlier.

We ended the night with an intimate concert by one of our favorite artists, Brandi Carlile. It was a very small venue and I sang along at the top of my lungs, like my life depended on it. It was perfect.

Our long overdue fair experience was everything that we could have hoped. See you next year.

Memphis Memories

Last weekend Eric and I took a road trip with my dad and brother (and Mom on the way back) to Memphis, Tennessee, to meet our new nephew Lennon. We enjoyed the BBQ, the family, and the sights, but not the heat (103 degrees plus humidity = melting Minnesotans). Enjoy the pics.

Schmap

We were eating breakfast in Bilbao one morning with friends while on a trip last Spring to the Pais Vasco in northern Spain when I saw something that took me by surprise. A procession of blue hooded figures in white robes carrying large stalks of wheat started pouring out of the nearby church and into the city. I was speechless.

So I grabbed my camera and ran out of the cafe, leaving Eric and the rest of our friends wondering what had gotten into me. I hurried into the square and turned my camera on. By the time I had noticed and processed the scene and gotten outside, they were nearly gone. But I did manage to get one good shot of the Semana Santa observers before they disappeared across the bridge and down another street. I later posted this photo on my Flickr account.

The reason I mention this is because not too long ago a woman contacted me from Schmap Guides to ask for permission to use it in their interactive map of Bilbao (giving me credit of course). Flattered, I obliged and thought nothing more of it. Well, today I got another email letting me know that Schmap Guides were just released to iPhone to iPod touch. And my photo will be included.

So if any of you happen to be going to Bilbao, Spain, and also happen to be using the Schmap Guides, you will get to see my photo. For everyone else, you can see what it looks like here. For a larger version, just click on the photo and it will take you to the source.

Scaping By

As many of you already know, I purchased a share in a farm this summer which I'm splitting between me, my husband and my dad). Each Thursday for 18 weeks we get a box of freshly picked produce from our little farm, 45 minutes away on the St. Croix. You get whatever they've got, so sometimes it's slim pickings and sometimes it's a feast. It's all part of the fun.

Another part of the fun is trying to identify the produce you've been given. And then after google has explained what a garlic scape is, you get to figure out how to prepare it and eat it up quick because, after all, you've got another box coming on Thursday. This experiment has been perfect for me because I: 1) hate throwing away food; 2) love fresh produce; 3) have always wanted to eat local & organic cheaply; and 4) love to cook.

So we've had quite a smattering of culinary delights in our household over these past few weeks, and I keep meaning to share, but all that cooking takes up a lot of time! So I am going to try to post a few of the things that I've tried recently that we never would have, if not for this farm share project. And my good intentions to do this earlier mean that I've taken a few photos along the way.

And for those of you wondering about the scapes, I ended up using them in salads, scrambled eggs and even in a pasta sauce I made last night. And yes, they were delicious. Salud!

If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will

And if you want to read more about this brilliant montage, click here.