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correspondence awesomeness
August 01, 2010
Got a very welcome email from my cousin to tell me how much Uncle enjoyed his last letter, which came Thursday. I quote: "He was skipping up the driveway from the mailbox, in anticipation."
Age 76, prosthetic leg, stroke survivor, uses a walker. Skipping.
Looks like I'd better get started on a new letter.
Actually, the next round will be a goody box. Yesterday Spouse and I went to the local Farmer's Market, and ran to a couple of other places as well, shopping for interesting Wisconsin items to include in it. We ended up with hot horseradish mustard from St. Francis, sweet bread & butter pickles from Door County, maple syrup from Peshtigo, gourmet popping corn from Port Washington, and hot giardinera from right here in Kenosha. I'll pop in a note and a map of WI showing where the various yummies originated, and Spouse will send it off Priority Mail flat-rate tomorrow or Tuesday.
The Farmer's Marketing was inspired by a talk radio item Spouse heard concerning a fabulous variety of sweet corn grown in Harvard, Illinois. The stuff is called Mirai, and according to the buzz, was beyond amazing in its sweetness, tenderness and flavor. Spouse was so hyped on getting his hands on some that I was afraid he was going to drag me all the way to Harvard (about 45-50 miles)for it, but when he looked it up online, he found it was available at our own local Harbor Market. So we went down by the lake Saturday morning and nailed some. Six ears for $4.00.
Worth. Every. Penny.
And I have exceptionally high standards for sweet corn, being an Iowa girl whose grandfather was a passionate breeder and grower of the stuff.
We also got some new potatoes, Michigan blackberries as big as my thumb, fresh peaches for my next round of jamming, and some artisanal dog treats for the B.
There really wasn't much to be had at the Somers market, but I scored the extra-hot horseradish mustard for the Arizona box, at least. And that got us going on other things we wanted to send. I knew they wanted more maple syrup, so when we went to Woodman's, I got a bottle of Wagner's for them, and that got us discussing what else would be good. We both thought of Tenuta's giardinera about the same second, so we stopped there and picked up a bottle. Then, when Spouse talked to Auntie on the phone, we asked if there was anything in particular SHE wanted, and she said good, old-fashioned popping corn. A quick net search revealed that Wisconsin does have a very good popcorn company (Fireworks Popcorn), and their product was available locally, at the Mars Cheese Castle. So we ran out there today and picked up a packeage of their Savannah Gold, and one of their Wisconsin White Birch.
If anyone doubts my love for my aunt and uncle, please note--I braved the Cheese Castle on a Summer Sunday. WHAT a mob of out-of-staters!
Other weekend activities--Some housework & laundry, baked scratch chocolate chip cookies (Piggly-Wiggly's Food Club choc. chips were uber-fresh and better than Tollhouse!), a bit of pool-cleaning and swimming, some basic-but-delicious meals: grilled steak, oven-roasted new potatoes, & the Mirai on Saturday, roasted chicken breasts, steamed rice, and peas on Sunday (Spouse had a "tummy", so we went very simple). Made a batch of homemade vanilla ice cream to go with the blackberries. Got my oil changed. Went to the Coffee Connection on Saturday, after the Harbor Market; I had a mocha and a lemon-blueberry muffin. Played on the computer. Tonight--Madmen!
Reading: Hobby--went back to read "Patty's Pleasure Trip" (1909), since I found a pdf on Google books. I also have "Patty's Butterfly Days" (1912) going. Both by Carolyn Wells.
General--a re-read of the Ruth Rendell non-series book "A Sight For Sore Eyes".
Surfing: A Kind of MM supplement.
Listening: One EskimO, Green Day, Rod Stewart, Death Cab For Cutie, The Clash
At Random:
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