Thanks to Darby Greene, a Massillon, Ohio, resident who shared photos of the morels he found in his yard, the lucky guy! His prep method is a little different than the one shared in Monday’s article. Try both ways when you can get some morels yourself.
Be Aware! Never pick and eat wild mushrooms unless you are absolutely positive they are edible. Gather with an experienced guide, and always double-check in an identification reference.
A tailgate full of morels!
Spring is an amazing time of year. Along with a complete change of landscape, spring brings forth the “lords of the woods” … morel mushrooms. With this year’s cooler spring, morels are still being found, even later than ever before.
The tasty little fungi often show themselves on a warm spring day immediately following a rain. They tend to be found in shady areas, often on north-facing slopes in the northern hemisphere that never receive direct sunlight. But they can be found in other areas where cover provides near-constant shade.
The visible mushroom that rises from the Earth’s soil on a spring day is simply the “fruit” of the species. The real work happens underground near the surface where a web-like “mycelium” can spread through the soil for great distances … sometimes up to several acres. Alone, a mycelium cannot produce mushrooms, but when two mycelium cross paths – that’s when we can benefit greatly from this subterranean union. Continue reading
From left: Ray Stryker, Peggy Wall Stryker, Deb Wall and Mike Wall.
Mike Wall, Peggy Wall Stryker along with their spouses and children, put on quite a show last Saturday.
First, the Wooster family was deeply involved in organizing the Antique Tractor Show at Lehman’s in Kidron on May 11, 2013
Second, and most important, in a small corner in the rear of the show, they put together a display honoring their late father, father-in-law and grandfather, Bill Wall.
“We got everything together for Dad this year,” said Mike Wall, as his wife Deb stood close by. “He was one of the organizers of this show. He just loved it, and we wanted to make this special this year, to honor him.”
Bill Wall passed away last October, leaving the siblings, their families, and his wife of 56 years, Maxine Ammon Wall, to carry on the family hobby of collecting, restoring and running antique hit-and-miss engines and rare garden tractors. Continue reading
Grilled fruit makes a healthy and delicious ice cream topping!
Grilling is by far my favorite method of cooking. I love to be outside and smell the wonderful flavors wafting from the grill. And with the weather starting to warm up here in Ohio, I’m using the grill more and more. Steak, fish, pizza, chicken . . . the list goes on and on. This week’s recipe is a simple one that requires little ingredients and little time, and of course, the grill.
Last Saturday, May 11, I had some friends staying in town, and we decided to drop in on the Antique Tractor Show at Lehman’s. It was a great way to spend the day. (Quite a bit of shopping got done too!)
The day was brisk, but the engine owners were warm and welcoming, eager to discuss their beloved machines.
1924 McCormick-Deering-Farmall 1-1/2 hp
Chris Curtis, Smithville, Ohio
Tiny but mighty! Chris and a friend were tooling around Lehman’s back lot on this little beauty.
Continue reading
The more flowers you have in your yard, the more opportunities you have to feed the bees!
I love spring projects! My wallet, on the other hand, is not always a big fan of my projects. This spring, I have become obsessed with repurposing items, and have found a great and inexpensive yard project! This over-the-door shoe organizer planter is inexpensive to make, quick to put together, and repurposes something that may not be up to the original job.
Get It Together
This project is simple, inexpensive (especially if you already have an organizer), and easy. You can purchase a clear over-the-door shoe organizer for around $10 or less, but check out yard sales for one and make your project even cheaper. Continue reading
At top, turbinado sugar, at bottom white sugar; coffee on the left.
Recently, a group of friends and I challenged each other to come up with gifts that were homemade–and home sourced! I put together a Coffee And Sugar Body Scrub: so easy! And…there’s enough time to whip up several before Mother’s Day on Sunday!
First, some background. We’re all trying to use less, dispose of less, and generally have a smaller footprint. So we started the “Home Sourced Challenge.” In other words, to make gifts (regifting is OK too!) and then ‘wrap’ or package the items in containers or papers that we already had. Many of us are now saving jars like these, in odd or pretty shapes, just in case. Continue reading
Last Monday, Country Life heard from a reader who was working hard to rescue an abandoned lamb.
Dot at 36 hours old. Her mother is in the background.
“On Saturday morning [April 27, 2013] I found the lamb away from the mother at the bottom of our pasture leaning against the fence. I was sure it had died overnight, but it was still alive. The mother seemed to have abandoned it completely.” Christine Astin went on to ask advice on feeding and keeping her lamb warm. She and her husband had already lost twin lambs earlier in the spring when another of their flock had abandoned the twins. Continue reading
This is a bantam Aurucana chick. See the adorable little cheek puffs and beard? Adorable.
Editor’s Note: B. Girard’s Midwest poultry raising season is well underway. She shared some photos and thoughts with us recently. Read more from B. Girard at http://pinchinglincoln.blogspot.com/.
We received our current set of teensy, tiny bantam (and standard-sized) chicks on March 25th, 2013. They were about a day old, and I took pictures!
I’m Charlotte. And let me tell you, it’s a goat’s life I lead. Couldn’t be better!
Yes, I’m a goat. Really, we goats are quite clever. So you shouldn’t be at all surprised to meet a blogger who also happens to be a goat.
And on the subject of meeting…I’ll be at Lehman’s in Kidron this Thursday from 9am-1pm ESPN‘s The Really Big Show with Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer. Can’t wait! (I hear that those city fellas want to try to milk me for all I’m worth. We’ll see how that goes.) Do stop in. It’ll be a morning full of fun–at least for me.
I probably shouldn’t say that too loudly…my humans might hear! Living with Lisa and her family here at our farm in Dalton is very cool–but sometimes, a girl’s just gotta get out and kick up her heels. All four of them, in my case.
My Miracle, such an adorable little bundle of joy!
Anyway, stop by and see me Thursday; and then maybe we can visit again on Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., during Lehman’s May Daze Celebration. I’ll be right there, at the store on the square in Kidron. Oh, and my little Miracle will be with me too–that’s her, there on the right. Isn’t she just the cutest kid ever? Everyone says so. And I do agree.
Things will be a bit busier on Saturday, what with the grilling clinic, the organic gardening sessions, the crafts and face painting for the little ones, but really, good friends can make time to visit, don’t you agree? All right, then. I’ll be seeing you soon!
