Gary seasoning the asparagus

After seasoning the asparagus, you add the shaved Parmesan-Reggiano Cheese

On our way to take cousin Audrey home, a wild turkey crossed the road...

I told Chloe and Audrey to call to it like we were a chicken...next, he starts fluffing up that back end...

Now it's show time...these photos are seconds apart...

Chloe and Audrey, one year apart...they pick up where they leave off...I love that!

Grandad ordered new baby chicks to add to our four laying ladies...

These are exotic chicks but are to lay regular size, brown eggs.  Chloe's been selling eggs for $1 a dozen now for nearly two years....

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Birdeye's World Cycle to Work Day, May 20, 2011

My mom is cleaning out a bunch of stuff so my mother-in-law, Jeanie and I loaded up Chloe, the big cow trailer and headed to Oklahoma City then, Jeanie was off to Blackwell to see Great Grandmother Wilma.  We headed to Oklahoma after we all took part in World Cycle to Work Day.  It was a great experience and Kara and I hope to make it an anuual trip.  We had one close call, Martin getting run over by a minivan backing out of its driveway, but overall it was a good experience.  I learned that I've been riding in the wrong gear now for more than 2 years...yes, I'm a loser!

Now to the fabulous dinner.  Mother marinates fresh asparagus in a ziplock bag with olive oil and Mrs. Dash for about 10 minutes.  Then it's grilled and tossed with shaved Parmesan-Reggiano cheese and salt and pepper.  Lemme just say, it was delish!  I loved it, it wasn't over seasoned and the cheese added a special kick to it.  Mom served it with fresh grilled salmon, a salad with feta and bacon and fresh baked bread, delish from her kitchen in Edmond.  It was wonderful and great flavors.  Mom's always been a fabulous cook, I wish I could cook like her.

I had to add photos of a wild turkey in Edmond, apparently he lives in their neighborhood.  Chloe and Audrey were cooing to him like a chicken and he started fluffing and gobbling, just cracking us up.  She was thrilled to get home to her 6 new baby chicks.  Aren't they cute? 

Chloe's watching Spirit, stallion of the cimmaron tonight (thank God we still watch these cartoons) and eating popcorn with chopsticks, cracks me up!

I should wrap up our vacation blog soon!

Oh dear...popcorn and chopsticks....lol!

The Heritage Hotel, Brugge, Belgium



We rented bikes and rode up to Damme for lunch, this was the view on the way, beautiful!

Just down from the Heritage Hotel

We ate at a cafe not far from our hotel when these two walked
on by, it looks like they're both fighting over something....
there were many dogs in Amsterdam and in Brugge



On our bike ride from Brugge to Damme, we took lots of
photos of the streets, this was near downtown Damme

T


Historic windmill near Damme, Belgium

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Ahh...the Heritage Hotel in Brugge.  We were pleasantly welcomed to the hotel by its owner and manager Isabelle Creytens.  Isabelle offered us a map of Brugge's sites and parts of the city we should see, and spoke English that was really nice.  Kara mentioned of course, that it was my birthday and her anniversary, so after we had checked in, I had a note on our bed with a coupon for a glass of wine and later Kara found a bottle of champagne in her room, how sweet.  Isabelle also helped me one morning to the breakfast buffet when I arrived 15 minutes before they were ready to have guests, how thoughtful.  The rooms were clean and equipped with a mini bar, large closet, extra blankets and pillows and a piece of dark chocolate on the pillow every evening, what a nice touch.  Kara and I asked Isabelle if the restaurant we picked was ok, and she said, "Rockfort, what a great place!"  We loved that she was excited about our choice of restaurants in the historic city that was founded in 1128...that's not a type-o, 1128 is correct.  You can read more about the wonderful city via wikpedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruges

The Heritage Hotel, Brugge, Belgium, must be on your list when visiting Belgium.  It is a wonderful, friendly hotel, and the breakfast every morning was superb.  I'd expect you'll be wonderfully surprised during your stay as well.  Just tell Isabelle that me and Rick Steves' sent you there, you won't be disappointed!

The Heritage Hotel, N. Desparsstraat 11, 8000 Brugge, Belgium, tel 050-44 444-444 http://www.hotel-heritage.com/, info@hotel-heritage.com

Tulip Festival, Keukenhof

We rode by multiple fields of tulips...beautiful!

Look at all those flowers...

At the Tulip Festival, Keukenhof, Holland

Another field along the way....

Jackie and me

Cyclists we saw in Haarlem...look at all that stuff on their bikes...

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

On day two of the trip, Jackie had planned to rent bikes in Amsterdam and cycle up to the Keukenhof Tulip Festival.  The festival is open from March 20 to May 20 every year.  It is 8,000 acres of tulips and other flowers.

http://www.keukenhof.nl/ from it's website:
Spring at its most beautiful
Nature awakens; slowly, first of all, with winter snowdrops, but then with ever increasing speed. The buds on the trees turn green. Branches sprout, sometimes intertwined with one another. What still felt cold a week ago is now tending towards being on the cool side. In the mornings, the frost makes way for mist. The sun rises higher and higher in the sky. A downpour seems out of place and storms in March almost unheard of. And then, all at once, the first common grape hyacinths appear. By the afternoon, there are already five, and the following day, the first sea of blue bulbs appeared. Your heart skips a beat, and now you know for definite: spring is here! And where better to experience the spring than at Keukenhof? See spring in all its splendour for two whole months.
What do you think of Keukenhof?Your opinion matters. Tell us what you think of Keukenhof and you may win a fantastic package of Keukenhof bulbs. 

Martin, our mapman, took us from Amsterdam to Haarlem on the way to the festival for lunch. Kara picked out a fabulous restaurant called Grand Cafe Doria on the square in Haarlem.  It was a beautiful place to dine outdoors on the cobblestone square.  I had a delicious gnocchi with spinach, Jackie ordered up a pizza and of course, we had some red wine.  We had such a delightful waitress, Sabrina, who did a great job of speaking English with us.

We cycled about 30 miles to the tulip festival from Amsterdam.  We enjoyed riding back to find the train near Haarlem so we could cut our time off a little because it was getting dark.  Kara and I did good and didn't freak too much when we kept backtracking and going down paths that were for pedestrians only.   haha!  We made it and the weather was wonderful.

The Toren, Amsterdam

The Toren, Amsterdam

When we arrived in Amsterdam, this is what it looked like at the train station...

The Anne Frank Museum was very, very moving.

Martin and Kara's anniversary dinner, at Restaurant de Luwte

Monday, April 25, 2011

Jackie picked this wonderful hotel just a few blocks from the train station in Amsterdam.  The Toren's own slogan is "Designed to Charm" and it does.  Our queen room boasted a marble bathroom, mini bar, desk and large drawers.  It also was the only hotel we stayed at on the trip that had an in-room coffee maker.  I made the best espresso every morning in Amsterdam.  This was my first experience in a foreign hotel and I noticed a white rack in the bathroom that heated up at night.  I finally figured out that it must be a drying rack.  Jackie planned our entire trip with the help of Rick Steves' books and they were right on.  The Amsterdam and Belgium version not only recommended the Toren but also how to travel and what to expect in Holland.  It also gave advice on when to get your euros, how to act on trains, etc.  I have to say that those guide books are a must for anyone traveling overseas.  Kara and I noticed many Americans toting their own Rick Steves' books around in every country.

Once we checked into the Toren, we had museum tickets for the Anne Frank Museum and the beauty of having your tickets in hand, we didn't have to wait in the huge line.  We toured the beautiful and moving museum.  I recommend everyone to see this museum and get your tickets online prior to going.

For dinner we walked to Restaurant de Luwte for Martin and Kara's 13th anniversary dinner just a few blocks away.  It was an excellent choice!  We all enjoyed the pre-fix menu and delicious wine.

The Toren and Restaurant de Luwte are musts next time your travel plans take you to Amsterdam.

The Toren, Keizersgracht 164, 1015 CZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands, +31- (0) 20 622 63 52, info@thetoren.nl and http://www.thetoren.nl/
Restaurant de Luwte, Leliegracht 26-28, 020/625-8548

Holland, Belgium & France

Haarlem, on our way from Amsterdam to the Tulip Festival in Keukenhof

This was one of thousands of fields filled with tulips on our way to Keukenhof

Tulip Festival, Keukenhof (we rode 40 miles roundtrip from Amsterdam)

We arrived in Bruges, Belgium by train

Martin was our "mapman" who traced our trip to the cemetery and to Caen,
blog of which will come out in a few days...whew...lol!

I'll have to have an entire blog post about all the dogs and cats in all
the countries.  This was on the street in Bruges, Belgium

We rode bikes from Bayeux, France to the American Cemetery at
Omaha Beach, about 50 miles roundtrip

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Holy cow...the flooding in Memphis is overwhelming!  We got home late last night from our first trip ever out of the country to celebrate my giant 40th birthday and Martin and Kara's 13th anniversary.  I was so wound up from the trip, a long 10 hour flight from Paris to Atlanta then a short ride to Memphis, I didn't sleep a wink and woke up at the crack of dawn (5:30) this morning.  I wanted to share with ya'll a few pictures from the 11 day trip.  Jackie had the trip planned out to a "t" and I think I'll share it country by country over the next few weeks.  We got tons of nice information from lots of people like Anne Levesque Dalton, Chuck and Lisa Blanton and Wendy and Kara also chimed in on a few subjects.  It was amazing, we all kept it together for most of the trip, no major problems except pink eye, traveler's diarrhea, a sprained ankle and some home sickness.  I'm proud to say too that we didn't lose a credit card, passport or my insulin.  Here are some pictures...

On our way to Damme, Belgium (beautiful!)

In Bayeux, France, renting our bikes for the 2 day, 90 mile journey
(Ya'll know I don't like to brag but my black outfit was totally water repellent, another shout out to Gearhead, Kara got drenched the second day.....)

Our last night in Paris, we walked to the Eiffel Tower then down to the
street near our hotel...it was filled with locals and lots of canines...beautiful sunset..more to come (if I can get some rest, dang it)

Rosemary Chicken and Matthews Sweet Potatoes, Birdeye

The rosemary from the garden, garlic and lemon



Too bad we can't have a "scratch and sniff" button the blog...this is the chicken with a microwaved local sweet potato and a salad from the garden with goat cheese, walnuts and homemade vinaigrette.



The sauce looks interesting but this is the roasting pan I used, only added chicken broth and lemme tell you, it's the key to the dish.  I just warmed the pan over low heat, added the broth and poured over the chicken.  Delish!

Chloe's latest Birdeye strays...Puppy Paws on the left and Oreo on the right.  I usually don't really like the fosters we have due to cat chasing, garden digging and barking but these two have really been pleasant to be around.  The brothers will be excellent with kids, cats and rules.  They listen and love to please...I'm trying not to get attached to a Birdeye stray...just sayin....

Good lord....this is the Gooch Man totally in a nap the other day...just so ya'll know, I'm not much of a cat person, I'm allergic.  And I'm more allergic to this feline than any other one in the past.  But this is a cute picture I will say....

Monday, April 18, 2011

Ya'll got your taxes done?  Anyone want to chime in on the debt ceiling this amazing, complicated, free country has?  What about the price of gas...3.86?  What about our neighborhoods?  What about the tornadoes that started in my home state of Oklahoma Thursday and ended on the east coast Saturday killing 50 people?  What about the infant found alone in a Memphis park?  Nothing crazes me more about the headlines on the news during my cooking with a glass of a good, smooth Cabernet.  Hmmm....(that's me taking a breath and taking a moment) 

Let me give another deserved shout out to Terry Conlan, the genius behind Fresh, Lake Austin Spa Cookbook.  This is one of the easiest and best recipes in the 202 page cookbook.  I love the ease of nuking the local sweet potatoes and using fresh rosemary from the garden, it was equally satisfying to have this fabulous, low-fat meal on the table in less than 35 minutes.  Yes, I said 35 minutes...

Roast Chicken Three Ways (this is my favorite of the 3) by Terry Conlan, Fresh, Lake Austin Spa

"It is difficult to imagine a simple yet more satisfying supper than an herb-roasted chicken accompanied by seasoned mashed potatoes and a green vegetable, all drizzled with a bit of reduced pan juices.  Whether you're serving it for a large family gathering or as a quiet dinner for two, this humble bird, crisped to a succulent turn, unfailingly it reminds us that fresh, simple food prepared simply but with care, can provide some of life's greatest eating pleasures.  Food like this nurtures and sustains, and has for generations.  We use an all-natural, bone-in, skin-on breasts for two servings.  You will want two whole breast or four halves."

Lemon/Garlic/Rosemary Roast Chicken

Grated zest and juice of a lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced, I used 5
2 t. minced fresh rosemary, I used 2 tablespoons and it was great!
2 t. minced fresh parsley, I didn't have this
1 t. olive oil
1/8 t. salt, I used 1/2 t.
fresh ground pepper
4-4 oz. all natural bone in, skin-on, chicken breasts, I used three boneless, skinless organic breasts
1-1/2 c. chicken stock, I used 3/4 cup

Combine all ingredients but chicken and broth in a blender and process until smooth.  Coat the chicken.  Arrange the chicken skin side up on a rack over a roasting pan (my skinless chicken breasts need to be on a greased jelly roll pan (the cookie sheet with sides) so the chicken will brown, it won't brown on the rack without the skin on).  Toast at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.  Set the chicken aside and cover.  Pour off any fat accumulated in the pan and add the chicken stock and some lemon juice.  Cover over high heat until t he liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup, stirring to dislodge the brown bits.  Add any juices accumulated around the chicken and serve over the chicken when serving.

Nutrients per serving:  Cal 142, Prot 23 gr, Carbs 2 gr, Fat 4 gr

I served this wonderful chicken with a salad from the garden and a sweet potato from the Matthews Farms right here in Cross County.....how great is this?  The amount of energy it takes to get an Idaho white potato to Hays here in Wynne must cost a TON (gas and air conditioning and many other factors).  It is so great to get a potato right here...

I think it's time for us all to get local produce more often at our convenient grocery stores to not only save our own gas money but distributors as well....

Garden update, Birdeye

I planted three strawberry plants a few years ago and they've multiplied nicely

Kara shared a few broccoli plants with me, we'll see, I've never grown broccoli

The Gooch Man loves the herb and pepper box...looks like he likes dill

I planted two bags of onions, red and yellow this year.  Last summer we had green onions yellow onions all summer and fall.  If you plant some bulbs near the surface you'll get green onions and deeper in the dirt, regular onions.

The garlic is really coming on, that green in the middle is totally a garlic green onion, like a chive

The asparagus box was delivered Saturday, I can't wait to get it  ready.  I was worried early in the season that there wouldn't be too many come up this year, but wow, I was wrong.  I have 4 rows from last year and I added a row this year.  Looking forward to harvesting in a few years.  I noticed too, that the instructions on asparagus say to mow over your first years harvest.  Hmm...

This is what potatoes look like.  Last year I totally forgot I had planted potatoes, this thing came up and bloomed and stood about 2-3 feet tall.  I finally got impatient last summer and pulled it up...the potatoes at the end of the bloom lasted all summer and early fall.  What a fun find and I can't tell you how fun it was to served baked potatoes from your dirt!

Chloe loves the camera.  She took all of these photos Friday and Saturday.  She also enjoys making videos of the Gooch Man and is looking forward to posting them on her blog.  We've gotta sit down and do that!  I am excited about the garden this year.  Martin said he's got a bunch of tomato plants in his green house to share, I can't wait!  We cut down a half dead tree near the garden and I have room for three more boxes.  I hope to get them built so I can plant more this year.  I need to get the zinnias in the ground too.  There's nothing like fresh flowers all summer in your kitchen.  I've really enjoyed Winnie Bob's legacy of daffodils in the house all spring. 

Grow a plant in your yard, you'll enjoy an herb or some tomatoes and peppers all summer!

One of 15 varieties of Winnie Bob's daffodils

The late variety, this one comes on around April 10 every year

Chloe's camera work

We're so glad she still loves to play with her horses