A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of making a road trip up to Des Moines to join nine other delightful bloggers for the Iowa CornQuest 2012. Sponsored by the Iowa Corn Growers Association, this trip was a thoughtful and fascinating look into the modern corn industry — from meeting the farmers who grow our nation’s crops, to hearing their take on farming trends and innovations, to discussions with experts about the role of corn in our nation’s food and alternative energy supplies, to seeing the impact that Iowa has made throughout the decades in everyday kitchens (hello, Better Homes & Gardens!)…and on and on. And of course, there was tons of fabulous food just about every step we turned. And of double-course, all the better when enjoyed with great new friends!
So here is a quick peek into our packed few days! I’m sure I will leave out a bunch of details, but here is a “fly over” of our time in Iowa… :)
But for those who are interested, or who might have wondered why your comments on the blog have gone unanswered for the past two weeks, thought I would share a brief glimpse into where I’ve been. After a weekend trip to Washington D.C. to participate in an event with the International Justice Mission (pretty much the most amazing organization ever), I had the chance to travel with my friend Amanda to spend a week living at Energy of Hope, an orphanage that she runs in the heart of Zambia.
Although so many of my favorite recipes from 2011 line up with your favorites, couldn’t resist posting some more recipes I adore that didn’t get quite as much traffic. Surprisingly enough, some of these are a bit more healthy than the dessert recipe that get all of the attention online. ;)
I’m already getting excited about new recipes to come in 2012, so stay tuned!
Holy smokes, friends. I can hardly believe that another year of blogging has already gone by!
Between my crazy new schedule changing jobs, and putting a house up on the market and then moving, and a host of other crazy life changes…I feel like I’ve honestly done less cooking than ever this year. But then when I took a look back at the past year of recipes, and all of your amazing, and oh-so-encouraging comments, I realize that somehow quite a bit of deliciousness did make it to the blog. And now I’m hungry to remake each of these!!!
I’m madly in love with my local farmer’s market. Well, actually, Kansas City has numerous farmers’ markets to choose from. But my longtime favorite is called the “City Market”. Located in Downtown Kansas City in our historic River Market, it is pretty much a foodie’s heaven. Tons of local farmers bring their goodies to share — from endless varieties of seasonal produce, to plants and herbs, to cheese, to grass-fed meats, to soaps, to pollen and honey, to fresh pastas, and on and (wonderfully) on. And of course, it is always so inspiring and fascinating to hear each of their stories about how everything is grown and prepared. These people work hard, and are passionate about what they share with our city.
But if the farmers aren’t incredible enough, the perimeter of the market that surrounds these booths includes some of the city’s best ethnic markets, local stores, and restaurants. From the Italian market (incredible prosciutto and fresh mozzarella), to the various Middle Easter markets ($1 spice scoops, fresh pita and naan, and my favorite baklavah), to my favorite local places for pizza (Minsky’s) and pork fried rice (Bo Ling’s) and breakfast (The Farm House) and cupcakes (BabyCakes), and on and on….this market is incredible.
So sorry that I’ve been MIA from the blog (and from responding to comments) these last two weeks. In a nutshell, my life this month has been…well…nuts! And I’ve had little time to eat, sleep, and keep up with my full-time job — much less blog. But thought I’d share with you two updates today that will hopefully have me returning to the blogosphere very soon…
Hey everyone! Ok, I know I totally fell off the boat with “Mailbox Mondays” these past few months. Life has been c-c-c-crazy. But, I have saved up all of your questions and am ready and stoked to dive back in this summer! Whoo!
To kick things off, though, I am going to play “catch-up” and do some mega Q&A posts to answer a bunch of questions at once. It seems like most of the emails I receive with questions fall into one of five categories:
