Mushroom Hunting on a Warm Spring Day

Mike and I had the day off yesterday. He needed to have a procedure done at the hospital because of his recent Crohns flare up. Fortunately, we were done by noon, leaving plenty of time to check our favorite morel mushroom spots.  Mike searched all the thick, thorny areas of the woods while I stuck close to the path and kept an eye on Layla. She was happily gathering sticks and collecting rocks. The weather was perfect, over eighty degrees and sunny. We weren't the only mushroom hunters taking advantage of the nice day. Despite the competition,  we still found about two dozen mushrooms.

Spring Green

The recent spring rains have encouraged my chives to have a growth spurt. At about four inches tall, these small Alliums are the first vegetable to awaken from winter. Their bright green looks so cheerful compared to the rest of my damp patio. I can't wait until I can sprinkle  some freshly picked chives over my cottage cheese for a simple snack, or to add them to all my summer salads. Just like my patio, Chives instantly perk up any simple dish without overpowering it like an onion can. Mmm, I can taste the fresh flavor already.
What is your favorite way to use chives?

Spring Fishing

I haven't been fishing much this spring compared to other years. Its been hard because Mike and I work opposite shifts. We were finally able to get out tonight and do some Walleye fishing with Mike's brother. They caught a few small ones while I chased Layla around and kept her from falling into the water. Overall it was nice just to beoutside so I wrote a Haiku. Do you like it?

Fishing for walleyes
Patiently waiting to catch
tomorrow's dinner

A Spring Shopping Trip

A few days ago, my mom and I did some some spring shopping to buy Layla an Easter dress and for some spring things to brighten up the house. There are always so many cute things in stores this time of year. Like the towels below. We loved the feminine floral pattern on the large one, and I had to get the green polkadotted hand towel because I am bunny obsessed. However, I regret not getting a beaded flower placemat that I would've used as as centerpeice. At the time I thought it would've been an impulse buy. Anyways, do you love the towels as much as I do? What spring items did you get for your home?

Asparagus Season

I love asparagus. Don't you? I love it so much that I wrote a haiku.

Asparagus,

The tasty goodness
of your green simplicity
makes my belly sing.

Only another month until it's asparagus season here in Wisconsin.  I'm excited to go on long walks with Layla to forage for wild asparagus. Since we don't have a garden of our own, We'll probably end up robbing my mother's garden for a few of her large Martha Washingtons too.
I like asparagus best when it's kept simple. It's long stalks sauteed in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt. It's super easy to make when I feel like making a lazy dinner. How about you? How do you like your asparagus?  Does it inspire you to write poetry too?  Or do you hate it and write  other vegetable poetry instead? Either way, tell me. I'd love to hear about it.

Chocolate Bird Nests

Chocolate Bird nests are one of my favorite springtime treats from my childhood.  I can remember making them with my mother around Easter. I would always make giant ones with peanut butter M&Ms for my dad. He is the peanut butter lover in the family. Lately, I've been craving the chocolatey crunch of birds nests. So yesterday my sister, Rachelle, stopped over to chat and help me make some.
They are pretty simple to make. The process is very similar to making rice crispy bars. We made about two dozen and used; one Large bag of Lachoy chow mein noodles, one bag of Hershey's milk chocolate chips, one bag of Hershey's special dark chocolate chips, one bag Cadbury milk chocolate mini eggs and/or one bag of M&Ms peanut butter eggs. We used half a bag of each kind of candy. If you don't like either of those options you can use any egg shaped candy instead like malted milk ball eggs or giant jelly beans.
First we emptied both bags of chocolate chips into a large pot set on low heat. I stirred until all the chips were melted together smoothly. Next Rachelle slowly poured all the chow mein noodles into the pot. I kept mixing until all of the noodles were coated evenly with chocolate.  Then I used two tablespoons to scoop small amounts of the mixture into cute little "bird nest" shapes which i set on wax paper covered cookie sheets. After that, my sister finished each nest by placing two or three of the brightly colored candy eggs into the center of each nest. The eggs have to go on before the chocolate cools otherwise they may fall off. Then we let the chocolate cool.
It was tough to wait until the bird nests were cool enough to sample but they were a hit! I took some to work with me and my coworkers all seemed to be very surprised that the nests were made of chow mein noodles. The noodles, combined with the chocolate give the nests the perfect balance of salty sweet, much like chocolate covered pretzels.
Make these spring deserts for your own family this Easter. I am sure they will love making them and eating them as much as I do!

Chronic Spring fever

Spring always brings a fresh perspective to every thing.
Maybe it was the time change, or maybe it's the air. But I woke up yesterday feeling with a chronic case of spring fever and ever worsing cravings for all sorts of fresh spring vegetables, like asparagus.
After Mike and I took a morning drive through the nearby town of Sugar Island to see if the Maple sap was running (It is, and we  are eagerly anticipating syrup), I began planning a couple apartment friendly container gardens.
I decided what to plant based on space, what freezes the easiest, and what my family would use the most of. As always, it was extremely hard for me to stick with only a handful of plants. Eventually, I settled for chives, tomatoes, string beans, and herbs like cilantro and basil with, possibly,  some marigolds and sunflowers mixed in. All arranged in a few large planters with their companion plants (A good list of companion plants can be found at  http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html. )
Have any of you ever tried container gardening before? Any advice? This will be my first year, and I can't wait to get started.  Stay tuned for updates!

Tis The Season.

It's that time of year again! The Morels are popping! For the next few weeks we'll be in the woods almost every day looking for them. They're pretty hard to see, until you spot one. Then, suddenly you'll be able to see dozens. But you need to be very quiet and sneak up on them while you search so you don't scare them back into the ground. Then, once you spot them, you better run fast and dive for them before they suck back down into hiding.
Just kidding ;)
We took home about 50 small to medium sized morel mushrooms this weekend because it's only the beginning of the season. Some days it's possible to find twice that in one area alone.
If you're interested in hunting for Morels, the best place to start is by dead elms. Just make sure to do your research and be sure you can identify a true Morel before eating any mushrooms you find.
I like to eat mine for breakfast as the perfect compliment to asparagus in quiche. If eggs are your cup of tea, Morels are pretty good on pizza, or fry them to top a juicy steak with!
Any other recipe ideas?  Let me know. Also, feel free to share your mushrooming adventures with me.

A Home of My Own.

Last weekend I went fishing with my boyfriend and his brother in the Wisconsin Dells. It rained and stormed almost the whole trip. Most people wouldn't find the finicky weather ideal for a fishing trip, but it was perfect to me. There were signs of spring all throughout the rain and mist. Little pops of green buds and spongy moss were everywhere. We caught more fish than we have in awhile. Plus my boyfriend told me I look sexy in my chest waders (not an easy task to pull off in neoprene). But, most of the time, I didn't have fishing on my mind. Instead I was planning my future home.
Once again,  I seem to have caught a bad case of spring fever. All day at work I day dream about what I'd like to plant in my garden or how many chickens I should get. But, in reality, there's hardly room in our small apartment for the handful of potted herbs that I tried to grow during the winter. So lately I've been longing for a house of our own. Neither my boyfriend,  nor I expect much from a starter home. All we want is a small house on a few acres of land. Which has led me to believe a prefab home might be the way to go. Growing up, no little girl pictures a prefab home as their dream home. But the picture of a small, log cabin or cute A-frame styled home, nestled at the end of a long driveway seems ideal to me now. What do you think? Have any of you lived in a prefab house or rustic cabin? By this time next year, hopefully I will  be writing by the fireplace of my new home.