I love rice, and I enjoy making pilafs with various veggies and spices. One shortcut I often deploy is to start with rice-a-roni and jazz it up by adding my hand-harvested wild rice and whatever vegetables I have on hand. The main course tonight was grilled salmon and I was in charge of a side … Continue reading Another Rice Pilaf
I found a patch of giant dandelions behind my workplace yesterday so I picked some, with the intention of experimenting with various ways to use the plant. I perused a few recipes and came up with this one for breakfast this morning. Fry 2 strips of bacon, remove all but 1 tsp grease. Lightly sauté … Continue reading Egg Scramble with Dandelion Greens, Ramps and Bacon
Adeline, Annie and I ventured down to the St. Croix River at Raspberry Landing to take a walk in the forest. We took a lot of pictures.
I learned how to make biscuits and gravy when I was in my early twenties, and I have not modified the gravy recipe much from the original one I was given over 25 years ago. It has been a favorite of my kids since they were toddlers, and I make it for them every now … Continue reading Biscuits and Gravy: Camp Style
I encountered a couple of Turkey Vultures cleaning up an old deer carcass in a farm field near Cushing WI the other day. All part of the Circle of Life!
My mother is visiting this weekend so she and I took a trip south on the River Road along the St. Croix River. (with a quick detour in through Fish Lake Wildlife Area) in search of wildflowers and birds. We found some nice flowers and a few good birds. Here are my flower shots (taken … Continue reading Wildflower Adventure
Today on the way home from Wildwood Glen we encountered a snake on East Refuge Road in Crex Meadows Wildlife Area. I stopped next to it, thinking it had been hit by a car. It was lying on its back, but would twist and turn back to its "front". I have seen Eastern Hognose Snakes … Continue reading Master Bluffer
Spring is the time to harvest ramps, or wild onions, and this recipe is a good one to highlight their savory garlicky onion flavor. I cooked some of the wild rice that I harvested last fall and added some sliced mushrooms and wild ramps to create a flavorful side dish that paired well with grilled … Continue reading Wild Rice with Mushrooms and Ramps
Adeline, Annie and I ventured down to the St. Croix River Valley yesterday evening to look for ramps. On the way down the hillside we stopped to check out the Skunk Cabbage which is emerging all over the place filling the wet areas with its green leaves and purple spathes. We found a couple small … Continue reading Venture Down To The River
A walk in the St. Croix River Valley this time of year will restore your soul from the weariness that a long, snowy winter can bring. When the snow has melted away and the sun rises higher in the springtime sky, and before the trees leaf out, the forest floor becomes alive with a vast … Continue reading Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers
The Wildwood Glen 