Showing posts with label viroqua. Show all posts
Showing posts with label viroqua. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

REUNION and CHEESE Medley


 This photo was taken in 1980.
Check out all the Reunion info at Question 6 below.


 Join Terri and the Gang
for


She writes the questions;
we write the answers.
Plug them into your own blog post
and link up at Your Friend From Florida

Everything below this line is from the National Day Calendar website.
(My responses are in blue)
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NATIONAL CHEESE DAY – June 4th

NATIONAL CHEESE DAY – June 4th

NATIONAL CHEESE DAY

Moooove over whiners! June 4 is National Cheese Day!
 I am SO glad to hear that this is National Cheese Day.
Although I've never liked cheese curds (and they still allow me to call myself a Wisconsinite), I love CHEESE, and mostly hard cheeses. YUM!!
An encyclopedia of cheese will cover the alphabet and broaden your vocabulary. It will undoubtedly contain more varieties of cheese than what’s found at the local grocer. Cheese is produced from the pressed curds of milk. The milk can come from cows, buffalo, goats or sheep. Temperature and aging affect the flavor and texture of the cheese as well as spices and other seasonings added during the process.
The opportunity to go to a cheese tasting or visit a cheesemonger who is knowledgeable about pairings will improve your enjoyment of the cheese you choose.  Does Stilton melt? (I don't know, but Stilton with cranberries is delicious.) Can you serve Chévre with a salad? Be sure to ask questions and provide your preferences. Your favorite wine might find a new sidekick. You might discover a smokey spread to go with bruschetta or a tangy cheddar to pack with lunch.
In the United States, a road trip to Wisconsin isn’t out of the question for quality and variety. (I added the bold.) But, they aren’t the only place to find outstanding flavor and choice. Local delis have selections of domestic and imported cheeses, and independent shops offer a rotating inventory beckoning us to keep visiting to see what’s new.
You might want to visit the Hawes Creamery in Hawes, North Yorkshire. They give away lots of free samples of the many varieties of cheeses made right there. Delicious! And besides, it's the home of Wallace and Gromit!  You can't go wrong with that. 



Cheese samples at Hawes Creamery
I tried not to be too greedy.
Excellent as a snack on its own, cheese is also a perfect ingredient in pasta, soups, souffle, and many other recipes. We slap it on a sandwich cold but why stop there when it can be grilled and melted like this amazing Swiss and Tomato Grilled Cheese recipe.  When company comes to visit, nothing is better than a cheeseball, especially when bacon is added. 

(My grilled cheese link in #4 below includes recipes to both a bacon/jalapeno grilled cheese and a pepper jack/pesto grilled cheese. They're delicious!)

Grilled cheese with basil pesto on homemade bread
Too delicious!
Cheese is multinational, too! Every nation in the world has its own variety of cheese. Italy seems to have harnessed the market. They did add it to pizza, and that’s pretty amazing.  Savor the opportunity if you ever have the chance to taste cheeses from around the world. For example, hop on over to Greece.  They have this dessert called cheesecake. Delicious!
HOW TO OBSERVE
There are many ways to celebrate National Cheese Day.  Try a new recipe or take a risk and try a type of cheese you’ve never heard of before. Ask for recommendations from friends or share your favorites.  Make sure you post to social media using #NationalCheeseDay
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Everything above this line is from the National Day Calendar website.
 Aw Maaaa, do you always have to do your giraffe thing??
(cows just across the road)

1.  National Cheese Day is Tuesday, rather than Wednesday, but I think we should celebrate cheese this week!!  Let's start by sharing your favorite cheese with us.  Which one is always in your fridge?
My favorite is probably Dubliner. It's almost always on hand.
2.  What is your preference? Mild, Sharp, or Extra Sharp?  How do you use cheese most often?
Sharp or extra sharp is my favorite. Most often used simply by cutting a chip off the old block.
 Evening grazing
just across the road

3.  Cheesecake?  New York style or what other flavors would you rather have?
Plain cheesecake drizzled with crushed strawberries. Yeah, that would be good.
4.  When you do grilled cheese sandwiches, which cheese do you prefer to use and what condiments do you use, if any?
See photo above. That basil pesto added to the grilled pepper jack cheese is amazing!  RECIPE HERE .
5.  Number 5 on June 5th... Say happy birthday to my sister, Tammy!!
Happy Birthday, Tammy!!

6.  Share something with us about your week. If it includes using cheese in a recipe, please also share that with us too!!
The big excitement of our week was on Sunday when we were reunited with a summer exchange student from Mexico who had lived with us for three months way back in 1980!
Out of the blue, I got an Instagram message from him that read, 'Guess where I am. Viroqua.'
WHAT?? He was in Viroqua, Wisconsin??? That's only three hours from us, although at the time I got this message we were on our way to Wausau. When I found out how long he was going to be in Viroqua, I texted both our son and our daughter who had been his playmates that first time we'd met in the summer of 1980, to see if they could drive the next day to Viroqua to meet Daniel. We'd not seen him since December of 1983. Our daughter drove up from Madison and our son over from Stewart, MN. We drove from Wausau, and all met at Culver's.
From summer of 1980:
 Look at those cute kids!
Photo at the Barron County Historical Society Museum

 From left: Daniel, Angela, Kevy


 I think this photo was taken on the ferry at Bayfield
 AND...
Here they are now!
From left:
Angela, Daniel, Kevy, and Daniel's lovely Lizette





 Even Mr. C. and I were young once upon a time.
 Daniel's little grandson in the foreground
No, it's not like we've been corresponding all this time. So it was such an incredible SURPRISE AND GIFT from God that we got to see him again. He was in Wisconsin for his stepson's high school graduation. And Viroqua of all places, the town where Mr. C was born and the ancestral region - Viroqua/Westby. Thank you to our daughter and son and grandson for driving the few hours (each way) to be part of this reunion.
Daniel and his family are living in San Miguel Allende, Mexico (real people get to live there???!!! - it's gorgeous!) where he traded in the life of an architect for the life of a restaurant entrepreneur. It sounds like he loves it there and is happy with his family and his life. And that makes me happy.
 Somewhere in San Miguel Allende
I remember expecting to see Truman Capote there. Not sure why.
BUT, a funny story here: We visited Daniel's family in late 1983 (they graciously took us many places, including San Miguel Allende, in Mexico and we had an incredible once-in-a-lifetime adventure with them!) and our younger daughter was born in September of 1984. Daniel's mother is convinced that she was named after Daniel and his brother, Carlos, hence, Dänika. Actually, I had never even thought of that. I saw the name Danica in a baby name book and liked it -  but now I'm beginning to wonder if subconsciously that is what attracted me to that name. Hmmmmmm.
 ***

 Tommy & Smokey love napping in the screen room, now that warmer weather is here.
Only THREE DAYS until their potential new caregiver arrives.
:-((((((((
As I wrote last time, I will be sure to let you know how that meeting goes.
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning 

Thanks for the Medley, Terri!


Judy

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Hodgepodging the End of March




Join Joyce and the Gang

for

From this Side of the Pond

She writes the questions;
we write the answers.
Plug them into your own blog post
and join in!


1. What's a word that describes your life (right now)? POLLOCK 
A word you wish described your life? RAPHAEL

Tommy & Smokey


2. Back in my day we___thought the Soviets were going to nuke us. I was in junior high during the Cuban Missile Crisis and I remember my English teacher shaking in her boots, she was so terrified.

Bad Axe Independent Lutheran Church


And it's a beautiful little church down in the coulee
west of Westby, WI
I was glad to see a cross at the top of the steeple.
(I have at least two more posts of Westby/Viroqua photos)

3. When it comes to takeout are you more likely to opt for Italian, Mexican, or Chinese food? Does a typical week at your house include takeout?

If I had the option of takeout at all, I'd probably go for Italian (after reading the ingredient list carefully to make sure there weren't any headache inducers included). We live out in the middle of nowhere, and a typical week certainly doesn't include takeout of any kind, except the trash.







4. Think about the people you most respect. What is it about them that earned your respect?

Integrity. A real love for God, moral courage, and consistency - a life that is lived the same in public as it is at home or when no one at all is looking on.



5. What's something your friends might see and say is 'so you'?

A German Shepherd puppy, any Columbia polar fleece jacket, or the UPS man delivering yet another book on theology.



6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Grandkids were here last weekend. I think what they might say is 'so you' would be a big house with a running circle where they can play chase and make noise, a sledding hill, and kitties. Or at least I think those are their favorite things about Grandma.

Taking a breather

Little Miss Cutie on the left has a birthday tomorrow!
She will turn FOUR.

Note: They all own socks and shoes, and there's still a lot of snow on the ground. But they love going barefoot in the house.

***


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Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning
Judy

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

St. Patrick, St. Cuthbert, and John Rutter Walk Into a Pub...


Beautiful Wisconsin
in the springtime


Join Joyce and the Gang
for


From this Side of the Pond


She writes the questions;
we write the answers.
Plug them into your own blog post
and join in!


1. On this first official day of spring tell us something (besides the weather) you're looking forward to in this season of the year.

When you endure a long winter, as we do here in Wisconsin, the weather of spring/summer/fall IS what's on our minds this time of year. We cram a lot into those months from April through October: good country walks, visiting friends and family, campfires, day trips, and other general outdoor adventures. Oh, and I mustn't forget moon walks! We've plans with friends for the Full Moon Walk the end of April. - check out Carla's blog


One of three photos I took at
our St. Patrick's Day party on Saturday evening.
After dinner, the kids gathered to play Liar's Dice.

There were a lot of CrockPots in use that evening!





2. When it comes to spring cleaning would you rather wash windows or wash baseboards? Clean out closets or clean out the garage? Dust ceiling fans or dust bookcases? Wipe down the patio furniture outside or wipe down the light fixtures inside? Any of these tasks recently completed?

This reminds me of the 'would you rather' questions that my grandkids ask: 'Would you rather be thrown into a den of rattlesnakes or be stung by 100 scorpions?'  but if I had to choose any of those, it would be to dust the bookcases. Although I have a lot of them, that would be the least objectionable of any of the jobs listed. And besides, I can always pick up something to read.




3. Your favorite thing to make/eat that calls for cream cheese? Sour cream? Whipped cream?

I love cream cheese/chicken in the CrockPot. To a can of green chilies, I add a block of cream cheese, stir well, and pour it over four boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Delicious meal in 6-8 hours! Sour cream? I put sour cream in the Shepherd's Pie that I  made for our St. Patrick's Day dinner (along with an entire bottle of Guinness). Making the Shepherd's Pie took far longer than rounding up a flock of sheep, but I'll have to admit that it was certainly tasty and sticks to the ribs (and hips and waist). Whipped cream? My favorite thing with whipped cream would be the strawberry freezer dessert made with a blend of strawberries, lemon juice, whipped cream, and spread on a shortbread-type crust, then frozen. Another delicious treat!





4. I read here a list of commonly mispronounced words. What is a word that gives you trouble when it comes to pronunciation?

I don't usually have a problem with pronunciation until it comes to names - and those are pronounced however the owner chooses, of course. But I am one of those people who loves it when someone includes a pronunciation guide for people or place names, because I like to be able to pronounce them. If I can't, they stick in my mind, continually pestering in the background, while my brain is trying to figure them out. That's very annoying.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch  - It's a place in Wales. And I've long since given up on trying to pronounce it. 

Well, maybe not, now that I've found this:


via WalesOnline

5. What's a song you love* with the word 'rain' in the title or lyrics?

* emphasis added.


LOOK AT THE WORLD, by John Rutter

(listen, below, in 'Random')

Look at the world: Everything all around us
Look at the world: and marvel everyday
Look at the world: So many joys and wonders
So many miracles along our way

Praise to thee O Lord for all creation
Give us thankful hearts that we may see
All the gifts we share and every blessing
All things come of thee

Look at the earth: Bringing forth fruit and flower
Look at the sky: The sunshine and the rain
Look at the hills, look at the trees and mountains
Valley and flowing river field and plain

Praise to thee O Lord for all creation
Give us thankful hearts that we may see
All the gifts we share and every blessing
All things come of thee

Think of the spring, Think of the warmth of summer
Bringing the harvest before the winters cold
Everything grows, everything has a season
Til' it is gathered to the fathers fold

Praise to thee O Lord for all creation
Give us thankful hearts that we may see
All the gifts we share and every blessing
All things come of thee

Every good gift, all that we need and cherish
Comes from the Lord in token of his love
We are his hands, stewards of all his bounty
His is the earth and his the heavens above

Praise to thee, O Lord for all creation
Give us thankful hearts that we may see
All the gifts we share, and every blessing
All things come of thee
All things come of thee

6.  Insert your own random thought here.





As I write this blog post on Tuesday, the following event is still three hours in the future, and how I'd love to be there!:

SPECIAL SERVICE - 


ST CUTHBERT’S DAY FESTAL EVENSONG AND PROCESSION

20 March 2018
7.00pm

This joyous service commemorating the life of St Cuthbert includes the Lucernarium (the blessing of the light), and the offering of incense. The service concludes with a procession to the Feretory where the Cathedral Choir will sing the late John Tavener’s work, Ikon of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, written specially for Durham Cathedral. 

Part of St Cuthbert Festival.

(From durhamcathedral.co.uk)  

Note: I've written a handful of posts about St. Cuthbert, which you can find, if you so wish, by typing 'St. Cuthbert' in the search bar to the right of this post.




***


And one last thought:


I asked Tommy what he thought of the vet putting him on a diet.



***

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Have a great Wednesday, everyone!
Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning

Judy

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