WINNER SELECTED, 2/15/16
And our winner is … Jeri Hart (see winner’s post here).
Original post:
For a chance to win a sample of my ChillOver Powder, tell me about the most memorable gelatin dessert you’ve ever eaten (good or bad) in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-February.
My innovative ChillOver Powder is for all the people who grew up loving gelatin desserts but gave up on them, knowing their animal origin. It sets up in half the time gelatin does. It seals in flavors more quickly. And it doesn’t melt at room temperature. Once you try it, you’ll never go back.
Find Traditional Gelatin Dessert ChillOver DoOver recipes in the Feb/Mar issue of MaryJanesFarm. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways.
If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.
You know how, when you’re really hungry, all sorts of strange things start to look or sound appetizing?
When I lived year-round close to 40 miles from the end of a dirt road, I dreamed about all kinds of foods that were out of reach.
Sometimes, it would be hamburgers or candy, or …
boot leather.
Hmmm … jerky, anyone?
Photo by Ragesoss via Wikimedia Commons
Well, this time of year, I get such a yen for some good ol’ dirt-grown grub that I’m liable to think about nibbling on anything I can get my hands on.
(Hide the houseplants, here she comes.)
photo by James Rickwood via Wikimedia Commons
I get it, Bessie.
I really do.
I suppose that’s why a few odd foods caught my eye lately and made me say,
“I want to BITE that.”
Like, now.
To gain some perspective, I think I need to bounce my cravings off you, to see if you can relate to me the way I relate to Bessie.
So if you don’t mind, take a look and let me know if any of these peculiar crops induces the urge to indulge.
Samphire
Photo by Natalie-S via Wikimedia Commons
This succulent-looking wild veggie, common on sea coasts, is enjoyed by English enthusiasts who prefer it pickled.
Oca
Photo by Nzfauna S via Wikimedia Commons
Tangier and sweeter than potatoes, the flavor of this native Andean root has been described as almost fruitlike (I’d love to taste the “Apricot” variety, popular in New Zealand).
Fiddlehead
Photo by New Brunswick Tourism via Wikimedia Commons
One might migrate to Maine just to try these fabulous baby fern fronds (although you can probably find them closer to home). Northeasterners gather them in the woods and serve them fresh or boiled with mayonnaise and butter.
Tiger Nuts
Photo by Tamorlan via Wikimedia Commons
These tasty looking little nuggets aren’t actually nuts, they’re the tuberous roots of the chufa sedge plant. In Spain, they’re often soaked in warm water before eating and are used to make tiger-nut milk (like almond or cashew milk). I hear they have a sweet, nutty flavor … yum.
Romanesco
Photo by Aurelien Guichard via Wikimedia Commons
Don’t you just love the look of this captivating cauliflower variety? According to the folks at Mother Nature Network, the Romanesco’s spirals follow the Fibonacci sequence, which is a bit over my head, but not too sophisticated for my stomach.
About an hour north of my farm, folks celebrate Christmas all year long.
You would, too, if you lived in a place called Santa.
Yep, nestled in the hills and forests of the Idaho Panhandle sits a tiny town named Santa.
But Santa, Idaho, isn’t the only town that rustles up the holiday spirit year-round. How about
Also, nearly all of Santa’s reindeer have towns named after them. (Not to mention the 36 locations with “Reindeer” in their names.)
You’ll find all these and many more in William D. Crump’s The Christmas Encyclopedia.
Packed with everything Christmas and now in its third edition, the encyclopedia includes Christmas carols and hymns; customs; historical events; popular symbols; plants; celebrations; Christmas movies, plays, books, and TV; and more. A perfect early present for anyone who loves everything Christmas.
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Sandy Merrigan!!!
Sandy Merrigan (#6186) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner, Intermediate & Expert Level Families Forever Merit Badge!
“Here are some of the things we did at family night for my Beginner level: crafting a clothespin doll, played with dolls, and played board games. Every night, I read to the girls, and the girls read to me too.
It was hard to create a journal for my Intermediate level. I live with my daughter and her family and she has 3 girls. They don’t watch much TV—we are too busy. My son-in-law has his father living here and he watches several hours a day, but in his room, so the rest of us are not watching it.
The kids have show restrictions, and any adult that is watching a show has to explain to the girls if they ask about a comment on the TV. No one wants to do that, so very little adult TV.
For my Expert level: We are continually doing outdoor activities and camping in canvas tents. We are involved in rendezvous. We will continue to camp and learn as long as we can.”
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
