Superbowl Sunday

Well we are looking at the next head coach of the KC Chiefs. He is my pick and I have thought for three weeks this is who it would be. Todd Haley!!! I said two years ago we would only win four games,this year I said we wouldn't win as many this year. Predict:Next year we will make the play offs.

New GM -New Coach, both from winners.

Todd Blackledge, Greg Hill, Harvey Williams, names in KC history. I hope we take an offense lineman with our first pick. I really do look better than some of the past Draft Picks.

No top Quarterback there. Next year there will be five.

My heart is with Arizona,but I think Pittsburg will win. Kurt Warner and his recievers will have to have career games for Arizona to win.

I did in 7th grade wear a leather helmet, the 8th graders had a one bar mask.

It is going to be a great SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!

The Chiefs are Super Bowl bound soon.

I am ready as you can see for the game.

Football Equador style

Football in Equador.

We had just arrived in town called Tulcan,it is in Ecuador. Ecuador just won their World Cup Game. It was like winning the Super Bowl in the USA. The town erupted and guess who was in the middle of the festivities?? Horns were honking, people were screaming. Happiness was everywhere. They really know how to celebrate. The streets were going crazy, I just joined in and they welcomed me. I was walking down the street in Quito, and everyone was sharing their drinks. I had so much fun with my wonderful daughter in law Beatriz and my son Joe. As you can see I had to wear the local colors. This was one of many thrills from my son's wedding in Colombia.

I have more stories to write about this vacation and the wedding. I can't wait for my son and his family to move there so I can visit all of their friends again. But, I really wish they lived in KC. Christine and I miss Thomas. I am telling you, you wouldn't be able to deal with him after Christine spoiled him.

Hope our game is as much fun this Sunday. Who will be our hero's??

Love to all my Colombian friends ... you brought much happiness to my life..

Mike

Casa Somerset

This is going to be a great place to have friends over!!!

Our stuccoing contractor Kevin and his guys really got after the painting even with the horribly cold weather. They still are going to make it look like "Old European", which means they are going to do a tea stain on top of the stucco.

The vines look just dead. But, they will come back in the Spring. Then we will plant the 2009 vines as well. It will be awesome! We hope our friends will come back this year to help us with the new planting....... ???? :-)

I am so ready to move in, if we could just get an inspection. Hopefully this week.

The Grand Loft, Osawatomie Kansas

I am telling you to check out the Grand Loft if you want to get married. Kathy & Claude Light are so in tune to your needs. We were participants at a Bridal Expo there today, what a magnificent venue!!!

Claude, Kathy and I talked about weddings and people today, I listened to his knowledge of people, and was inspired because they know what the bride needs and wants . There is a genuine feeling of magic that happens when you walk in the door!

I recommend going to Osawatomie and visiting the Loft!!

http://www.grandloft.net/

Jeffery Thomas, our new chef, led the way today. He made so many great dishes to steal the show. Spinach and artichoke chicken in puff pastry. English cucumbers with a smoked salmon mousse. WOW!!!

You should have been there. For catering, Jeffery is the rising star in KC. He stole the show.

Jeffery is a 1997 graduate of Johnson & Wales in Asheville, North Carolina. He has cooked at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, among many other successes.

The menu that we offered today at the Grand Loft was:

Cold Appetizers:

Smoked salmon and dill mousse In English cucumber cups

Baby red potatoes filled with herbed Boursin cheese

Hot Entrees:

Warm crostini and pork tenderloin medallions with sweet grain mustard and caramelized onions

Beef tips with tri-color rotini in a wild mushroom and herb demi glaze

Spinach and artichoke stuffed chicken in puff pastry with a light tarragon cream sauce

Various Chocolates

We, at Casa Somerset, thoroughly enjoyed our day and extend out thanks to the Grand Loft for having us. We look forward to working together again soon.

Mike, Christine, and Jeff

CHOCOLATE, Patric

I remember the first time I tasted Patric Chocolate. Jasper Mirabile told me about it, he said taste this. It is great. We were in his office.WOW!!!

Well, Jasper took me to a Slowfood event down on Main street in KC. Alan McClure gave a class of LOVE. You could feel his passon for Chocolate. There were many people there, it was a full house. I loved the Chocolate.... we ALL loved chocolate!

Yesterday I was with Jasper and his wife Lisa. Jasper brought out the Patric Chocolate. SO I had to tell the world. If you eat at Jaspers tell him you know about his stash of Chocolate. http://www.jasperskc.com/

Read about Patric Chocolate. http://www.patric-chocolate.com/ (This is from his website)

Each bar is a revelation.
Thus, the goal of chocolate maker Alan McClure, founder of Patric Chocolate, is nothing less than to create micro-batch chocolate of such quality that it becomes a flavorful work of art in itself, like the finest wine or Scotch--a magical sensory experience. To achieve this goal, McClure has embarked upon an in-depth examination of every step of the chocolate-making process, seeking to retain only what leads to excellence, and to discard or revise what would harm this goal--in a neverending search for a chocolate whose components are flawlessly tuned, together, as one complex and magnificent instrument. As this great search comes to fruition, Patric Chocolate is releasing a gradually expanding line of fine dark chocolate bars and cacao products that bear the seal of this reality: the aroma, taste and feel that are uniquely Patric.

Jasper still makes fun of me of our trip through Italy and my Chocolate problem, I could not taste enough. They were melting Chocolate in a cup as hot Chocolate. It is my only vice:):):)

Jasper is Right,

Chef Michael Loves Chocolate, especially Patric Chocolate.

Fireplaces are in.

Well, was I surprised today. I showed up at the site and the fireplace inserts were both in, not running, but installed in the wall.

I was impressed.

We are going to have a wood burning fireplace on the bottom floor and a gas one on the second floor. They use the same chase to vent the fumes. One fireplace on top of the other.

I really want to cook gumbo in the fireplace, the taste is so much better with the wood smoke going into it. I plan on cooking many dishes in my cast iron pot. Let it simmer all day, drawing in the wood smoke. We have two "mean" trees on the property; Hedge which burns very hot, and Locust which on many occasions has made me look like I was in the movie "The Passion of Christ" which will supply wood.

The main reason for the wood burning fireplace is that during The Ice Storm, the electricity was out here 6 days. I believe this fireplace will keep our pipes from breaking and us snuggled together, a great combination!!

It will be so nice to sit by the fire, and sip Vino in the winter with Christine and look out the window at the snow. All of our friends will have to come and share the warmth with us.

Mike

Casa Somerset

The house is coming along, just too slow for us. The stucco is on and will probably be painted this week weather permiting.

Christine and I did agree today on color, my arm is still in a sling so you can just imagine why...... :-)

We both want it to look like old European, old Italy, an Italian villa. Our stuccoing contractor is going to "help" the aging process along. He will add some instant age! Kevin is an artist!

We are hoping that we get an inspection by the end of the week. The plumber told me Sunday that he would be done this week.

The insulation should be installed, then the drywall. I am so-o-o-o-o ready to move in. I know at the beginning that I thought we would be in by January 1st. Christine says June. Hope she is not right this time. :-) (Christine has built a house before. She has a little more insight!)

I am looking forward to having friends over this Spring and Summer. We will be planting more vines this Spring. It will help to create the "look" of Italy, and also give us more wine. We have really gotten excited about having our own grapes and wine. Dennis and Cindy Reynolds are the best! Be sure to stop by their winery.

Mike and Christine

God's foods

A friend sent this to me. It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... all before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...God left us great clues as to what foods help what part of our body!God's Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are in deed pure heart and blood food. Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart.

Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3)dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs ofthe body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries .

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Our planet is filled with the foods necessary to keep us healthy. It also contains many things that are not good for us in great amounts. But it takes man's intelligence to know what is right to put into his body. We all make the choice.

Mike and Christine

Travels with taste ,new blog

This is our friend Mariann ,She planned and led us on our last trip to Italy. Mariann is a true Slowfood ambassador. She doesn't eat at chain restaurants or shop at food stores of the same.

TRAVELS WITH TASTE IS NOW A BLOG!!!

http://www.travelswithtaste.blogspot.com/ .
The plan is to write short pieces about my favorite things that you might also enjoy…travel, food, gardens, etc. And, I would love to see your comments. Just click on “comments” at the bottom of the “post” and enter your thoughts. Be sure to enter all the things it asks for…before you click “publish your comments”.

Travels With Taste
Fried Dill Pickles
Posted: 04 Jan 2009 11:11 AM CST
FRIED DILL PICKLES … Most people say “What?” Our family says “How soon can we have some?”This is a travel story of sorts. In the late 70’s, my husband Bill, the architect, was supervising construction of an addition to a small hospital/nursing home in Jena, Louisiana. This town is so small he had to spend the night in the nursing home, or at the home of the administrator, because there were no hotels or motels. He often took his meals in the existing hospital cafeteria, but for a “special” dinner he would go the "The Cock Of The Walk" in Natchez, Mississippi… about a one hour drive away.Anyway, Bill would come home and rave about the fried dill pickles he had eaten at the restaurant, mostly known for it’s fried catfish. Well, like most people, when he told me about them I said “What?” Then I had a chance to drive to Jena with him on a photo safari. It seems that the administrator wanted pictures of the local Louisiana countryside to put on the walls, as most of the residents of the nursing home had never been outside of the parish (county). While on the trip I finally got to taste those pickles. WOW!!!My recipe was developed in an attempt to duplicate what I had eaten … but a small deep fryer can not do the same job as the giant vats of fat in a commercial kitchen. Frankly, deep frying is a pain in the you know what, so this snack has been relegated to the status of “only before Christmas dinner”. There are exceptions, of course, but not many.This post is dedicated to my all male family…Bill, Will, John and Grampa V. It seems I can never make enough!Fried Dill Picklesor other vegetablesBeer Batter:3/4 Cup self rising flour or biscuit mix1/4 Cup corn starch1 Cup beerKeep in proportion but increase volume of each ingredient depending on how many pickles you want to do. Batter should coat pickles (or vegetables) evenly -- Add flour if too runny (thin) or beer if too thick to "flow" evenly.Pickles:Kosher Dill chunks or chips, a big jar.Drain pickles well, pat dry with paper towels. Shake in sack of flour, 6 - 8 at a time. Shake off excess, coat with batter. Deep fry in oil at 375° until golden brown. Drain, sprinkle with salt. You can do 20 - 30 minutes before serving and keep warm in oven. Or, freeze after cooled, and re-heat at 425° for 15 to 20 minutes.http://www.cockofthewalk.biz/about_us.htm


This blog will also be the best place to see the travel programs as they are created. For 2009 I am working on a garden tour to France, and two culinary tours to Southwestern France and Tuscany. I can even create a special program for your family, friends or club. And not just Europe…there are wonderful and affordable destinations in the USA, Asia and South America.

A big thanks to my friend Judy Witts Francini, http://www.divinacucina.blogspot.com/ . She encouraged me to create the blog as a way to easily share ideas and information. Grazie Mille, Judy!


Mariann

Mariann Vandenberg, CTC
Travels With Taste
5921 W. 88th Terrace
Overland Park, KS 66207
Phone: 913-648-0858
Fax: 913-649-2288
http://www.blogger.com/www.travelswithtaste.blogspot.com

Enjoy The Indulgence of Travel, Food, Wine, Art and Gardens

Chef Kay.

There is a Kansan in the kitchen!

Chef Kay is the one who keeps everyone coming back for her meals of love. These pictures are of this year's harvest at Somerset Ridge Winery. Chef Kay is Cindy Reynold's mom. If you haven't been to the winery, you should make the trip down there. It is a great winery, and harvest in the fall is like being in Italy.

Chef Kay made our wedding cake. When she found out we were getting married, she said she was going to make it. It was wonderful, what a friend.

This was sent to me by our great friend Jasper Mirabile. http://www.jasperskc.com/

It makes you think of everything we have in food in Kansas. Dennis and Cindy have brought a great Kansas winery to us in Somerset, Kansas. We have spent many days there just enjoying the company of all the friends they bring together. www.somersetridge.com

Dennis and Cindy have put together a Slowfood movement in Miami County. This is what it is all about, small producers making a great product. We have many small producers here that I love buying from. The foods are produced with the love of the land.

We are looking forward to the years ahead once Casa Somerset is complete. All of the small producers of Miami county getting together to share their bounty of the land.

Love to all Christine and Mike

Stucco

I was amazed how fast they are doing the stucco and the process is amazing . They wrap the whole house in tar paper and then in wire mesh just to get it to stick. After that they add many coats of stucco. Kevin and Shannon Barbour are muti talented. They also do counter tops and other home decorating.

If you want to contact them google Kevin Barbour Stucco.

My Grandpa's Out House.

Talk about memories........It had to be a summer day in the 50's. Lots of reminiscing about visiting my grandfather's house in Oblong, Illinois. No inside plumbing, except a hand pump for water.

He was a very poor man in a small southern Illinois town of about 1,100, most of who were relatives. Allen Sanders went by "Slim", so as you can imagine he was tall and thin. My grandmother gave birth to 17 children in their house, never going to the hospital in her life til the end of her time. It was a one bedroom home, with 3 screened-in porches. That was great in the summer, but in the winter it was too cold to sleep there. There were three beds in the one bedroom house. ( I never figured out how they got the privacy to have 17 kids.)

He had a big old barn on this town lot. They had a garden and all of the kids had to pitch in just to have food.

My grandparents also had this outhouse, it was part of so many memories for my brothers and my cousins. I don't begin to know how many cousins there were, but with 17 kids of their own and most of their kids having large families, I am sure there were well over 50 grandkids.

The ones of my age group had to use the old out house. In the summer, when we usually visited the most often, it was hot and you had to hold your breath when you went in. The bees and flies would be every where. The catalogs for when there wasn't proper paper.

Outhouses everywhere at Halloween were a target for pranksters. They pushed my grandfather's over. Some would get a bag and shovel and put a scoop in a paper sack, set it on a front step of a house light it on fire and knock. The owner would come out and procede to stomp out the fire. They would pick them up and set them on someones front porch. Halloween was more fun then too.

I don't remember for sure, but I think he had a two hole outhouse. Some families had a four hole, I guess they took the family on a vacation there:):) In the winter there was a pot under the bed with a lid to go in if you couldn't make it til morning, then it would be dumped. His house was so old and drafty, he would stock the coal burning stove before we all went to sleep each night, but by morning it was freezing again. The kids would sleep in a bed every which way so as to fit as many as possible. We all enjoyed each other's company so much, and each of us still share memories of when things were so much fun and simpler.

My cousins Bob, Tony, Barbara, Roger, Charles, Donna, Janice, Charles, and Mickey just to name a few would share this room when needed, along with my brothers Pat and Kelly. Those summers sleeping on the porch with my cousins... getting to stay at one of their homes... fighting and running and playing all day. Great times and Memories.

Well, back to outhouses... after searching for several months, I found an outhouse still in use in Kansas. We visited it yesterday. This was a real treat, especially for Christine and Jeffery, they had never seen or used such a thing in their life. Jeff thought it was so interesting, he had to check it out!

In looking for it, we got to visit two farms, one had a smokehouse. We pulled up in the yard and the dogs came out and visited. Then the owners, just as in the 50's, showed us around, talked about their farms and gardens on the 160 acres. Saw old pumps and barns, this will be another story.

New Year's Eve Recipes

The following are the recipes for clam dip and french onion soup.....

Cali Clam Dip
3-blocks cream cheese-softened
1-8 oz sour cream
1-1 1/2 Tbsp. onion powder
1-Tbsp. Worcestershire
1-2 Tbsp. hot sauce
3-5 oz. cans clams chopped & drained
about 1/4 cup ketchup
S & P to taste
squeeze of lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a bowl-clams last. Mix until most cream cheese lumps are smooth. Serve with ridged potato chips.

French Onion Soup
6-lg sweet onions, julienned Sliced French baguette
1-Tbsp of fresh garlic Sliced provolone
8-16 oz cans of beef broth
1-bay leaf
1-Tbsp. dried Thyme
3-Tbsp of oil
1/4-Cup sherry
S & P to taste

Heat oil in large stock pot. Add onions and saute until light brown. Add garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Deglaze with sherry and add beef broth. Bring to simmer. Allow to cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Toast baguette slices and melt provolone on top. Ladle soup into bowl and float the baguette in the soup.

Our Own Chef Jeff

Christine's son, Jeffery Thomas, moved here over the holidays. It was her Christmas present.

He moved from Asheville, North Carolina. He graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Charleson with an A.O.S in Culinary Arts in 1997. Watch for his cooking across Kansas City.

He got here in time to cook our New Year's Eve Dinner. He prepared a wonderful meal, including a clam dip from an old family recipe, and a fantastic classic French onion soup. We also had roasted pork tenderlion, thinly sliced with a cheese assortment for mini-sandwiches. We had friends and neighbors over for a festive and friendly time.

We took Jeff out to the building site. He just happened to have on his chef coat...

He shows up in pictures all of the time.