Chicago, Chicago, That Toddlin' Town

I felt right at home on the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise. No, there's not a river in downtown Stafford. And we don't have any skyscrapers, unless you count the co-op grain elevators.

But there was a giant corncob along the river. I see some corn around here, though it's looking a little bedraggled in the heat these days.

The docent on our Friday river ride along the Chicago River really did refer to the 61-story Marina City complex as giant corncobs. You can see the parked cars on the lower levels. The upper realms are left for residential river views.

Lisa, Kent and I took the 90-minute tour on a Chicago's First Lady cruise while Darci picked up her childhood friends from the train station.

We joined a bevy of other tourists and a very knowledgeable guide who hardly slowed to take a breath in her zeal to tell us about Chicago's skyline from inception to the present.

I tried to keep the camera clicks to the minimum, but, as usual, I failed miserably. Oh well, pixels are way cheaper than film these days, but I won't share them all here.

After we got off the boat, Lisa and I fought over the chance to become the Skyline Queen.

Our sister only found the Skyline Princess, a recent photo from her Facebook page. We are all Skyline High School graduates. Piloting a boat was not on the final exam, however.

The views of downtown are a little different from my norm, whether by land or by water.

After our river cruise, we visited a cousin who lives on Lake Shore Drive. I felt like I was on an episode of HGTV's House Hunters on Vacation in her living room with floor-to-ceiling views of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier, boats and the beach.

From Darci's rooftop deck, we could see the Sears Tower (now known as the Willis Tower). Her rooftop in Chicago's Bucktown was where she entertained 50-plus friends for her 50th birthday party.

We were glad we could be among those who sang "Happy Birthday" in person. We older sisters helped pave the way into this particular decade, and we'll drag Kent with us in a few years.

The party music playlist did not include that Frank Sinatra classic, "Chicago, Chicago, That Toddlin' Town." But I may have thought it.

Reflections from a Whirlwind Tour

Dorothy, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

Believe you me, there are plenty of people in this world who hear "Kansas" and can't think of a topic of conversation other than The Wizard of Oz or our supposed overwhelming crop of tornadoes.

(A shot from the "naval" of The Bean.)

But during our own "whirlwind" trip to Chicago, I also met some people who seemed genuinely interested in my life away from the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan area.

My sister Lisa, brother Kent and I went to Chicago for my sister Darci's 50th birthday celebration.
We crammed a little sightseeing in during our three-day excursion, July 7-9. One of my favorite destinations was Millennium Park. Where once there were parking lots and the Illinois Central Railyards, there's now a beautiful park with gardens, water features and interesting sculptures like Cloud Gate, which the locals call The Bean.

(My siblings wait while I take yet another photo of this interactive sculpture in Chicago's downtown. They are the ones with their hands on their hips!)

While we didn't join the children playing in the Crown Fountain, I did enjoy watching this interactive art and video water fountain/sculpture.

The designer must have a sense of humor.

We returned to Millennium Park Thursday evening for a free summer concert. (Well, the concert was free if you don't count the $21 parking tab.)

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion hosts music concerts four nights a week and also has a series of lunchtime musical offerings. On Thursdays, it's called Music Without Borders. We heard Rupa and The April Fishes.

This bandshell is nothing like its small-town Kansas counterparts. Through the open design, you still see the city's skyscrapers. From its beams, a state-of-the-art sound system is designed to replicate a concert hall.

We had stopped by Whole Foods earlier in the day for a picnic meal. It really was similar to a Kansas potluck supper (except they let the grocery store do the cooking). Darci and her friends each brought food to share and put it on Darci's collapsible table, complete with summertime tablecloth. Everybody dug in and probably ate too much. See? It was like home.

By the end of the evening, we Kansas girls were even a little chilly. I guess we hadn't acclimated from our 100-degree-plus temperatures to the more moderate Chicago evening. Not that I was complaining.

The crowd was comprised of everyone from young families to retirees (and at least three people from Kansas.) It was a great way to end our first day. (More to come!)

The Big Tease

Sunday started with such promise. A blue sky to the west and a faint rainbow over a neighbor's soybean field held the illusion of answered prayers.

The night before, nature's lightning show punctuated the skies as my brother Kent and I drove home from the Manhattan airport, where we landed after a three-day trip to help our sister, Darci, celebrate her 50th birthday. (More on our Chicago trip to come.)

But the lightning show was just window dressing on a heat-scorched landscape. Maybe some lucky people got an isolated shower. It seems that rain, at least in our part of the world, is as hard to come by as a winning lottery ticket. The people who win the prize get a lot of publicity, while the ones who don't are forgotten.

It's supposed to be another week of triple-digit temperatures here in south central Kansas. News people have clever stories about frying eggs on sidewalks or baking a pizza in an enclosed car. But for farmers in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, the excessive heat is more than a story on the local news about ingenious ways to keep cool (though that will be quite a trick this week during the Stafford County Fair).

July 10, 2011

No, for farmers and ranchers, the drought means scrambling to find pastures for growing calves and their mamas.

Contrast the pasture photo I took yesterday (above) with the one from June 30 of last year.

June 30, 2010

That's why Randy is supplementing the limited pasture grasses by feeding hay.

Without some rain this summer, we won't have much hay to feed next winter. The second cutting of alfalfa isn't any better than the first. At the field south of our house, it was again impossible to find a windrow, so Randy decided not to waste the diesel it would take to swath it.

It's not the only show-and-tell photos in my arsenal.

Randy planted a sorghum-sudan cross in this wheat stubble. What? You don't see any green? Neither do we, even with a closer examination. Without a rain, it hasn't emerged from the ground.

Here's a milo field yesterday ...

(A neighbor's field 1/2 mile south of our house, July 10, 2011)

compared with a photo taken on July 9 of last year.

July 9, 2010

Even the most optimistic souls are wilting in the face of continued oppressive heat and no rain.

There's not a lot of irrigation in our area because of salt in the groundwater. But I took this photo of a neighbor's irrigated corn field yesterday to illustrate the difference in plants that receive "rain" and those that don't.

The corn plants in the foreground are on the "corners" of the irrigation circle, and the water doesn't reach those plants.

The brown, shriveled leaves are quite a contrast to the green of the corn plants that are watered with the irrigation system.

But with triple-digit heat and no help from Mother Nature, even the irrigated fields are struggling.

Normal rainfall for our area is 24 to 26 inches a year. So far this year, we've gotten about 3 inches of rain.

So we'll keep our eyes on the sky. And we'll keep praying that the rainbow will signal a much-needed rain ... and not just a beautiful optical illusion.

The Not-So-Pioneer-Woman Taco Pizza

Jill isn't a fan of the taco pizza I've been making for years. It's a favorite for Randy, Brent and Jake. Let's put it this way: It's not one of the recipes I put in her Friends and Family Favorites Cookbook because it isn't her favorite.

So I was surprised to get an email from her awhile back, telling me I just had to try a Taco Pizza recipe that was almost as good as Elroy's. (That's our local pizza place, and my kids still think it's the best, even though they've had plenty of pizza in bigger cities - including college towns.)

She sent the link, and I discovered it was on Tasty Kitchen, the Pioneer Woman's kitchen website (the mecca for food bloggers everywhere).

Jill & I both made some variations to the recipe. (I know: Who do we think we are to change a single syllable from the Queen of Blogging? We're such rebels!)

We both used my pizza dough recipe. We added hamburger. We didn't fry our own tortillas for the topping. And we didn't use nearly as much hot sauce.

I must admit: The recipe is a keeper.

As usual, when I make pizza from scratch, I double my pizza dough recipe and make 3 pizzas (1 large pizza pan, a smaller pizza pan and a sheet cake pan.) So I made the Taco Pizza for us to eat and then made a hamburger-pepperoni version and a plain pepperoni pizza to put in the freezer. (Love those meals that are already in the freezer!)

Jill and I both highly recommend this pizza for those times when you can't go to Elroy's.

Taco Pizza

My own pizza dough recipe
1 can (14 oz.) black beans
1 tsp. taco seasoning
1 lb. hamburger, browned
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 head green leaf lettuce, shredded thin
2 whole ripe tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves (or to taste)
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tbsp. hot sauce (I didn't use all this)
4 whole corn tortillas, cut into thin strips (I didn't use)
1/2 cup canola oil for frying (I didn't use)

Make the pizza dough and let it rise as directed in the recipe. Pour black beans into a saucepan (or use a microwave-safe bowl and do this step in the microwave like I did). Add taco seasoning to taste and heat up beans over medium-high heat. Use a potato masher to mash the beans to desired texture. Continuing cooking/heating beans over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer runny (should be the texture of refried beans). Set aside.

In a small skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. When hot enough to fry, drop in the tortilla strips in batches, frying quickly and removing from oil with fork when crisp, about 30 to 45 seconds per batch. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Set aside. (Neither Jill and I did this step. We just used ready-made chips.)

Place oven rack in the bottom position in the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

To assemble the pizza, spread dough on an oiled baking sheet, making sure it's relatively thin. Spread layer of refried beans all over pizza crust. Spread browned hamburger over the bean layer. Sprinkle mixed grated cheeses over the top. (Instead of using the two different cheeses, I used 2 cups of already mixed and shredded cheese.)

Place pan in oven and bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Watch it to make sure crust doesn't burn.

Remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle on shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and cilantro leaves. Mix together sour cream and hot sauce, adding enough hot sauce to make the mixture pourable (I used salsa instead of hot sauce). With a spoon, let each diner add as much of the sour cream mixture as they'd like. Or if you want to be "fancy," you can put the sour cream mixture in a pastry bag and drizzle it. (You won't be able to do that if you've used salsa instead of hot sauce.)

Sprinkle with tortilla chips. (Both Jill and I just used crushed ready-made tortilla chips instead of frying the tortillas.) Cut into pieces and serve immediately with good quality salsa.

And here are a few photos of the process:

My pizza dough is just a regular dough - flour, oil, yeast, water and salt.

I doubled my dough recipe so I could get three pizzas out of one time in the kitchen!

I used the microwave instead of the stovetop for the beans, and it worked well. Use a potato masher to make beans the consistency of refried beans.

Here's the bean mixture spread on the pizza crust. I added hamburger on top of that (the Pioneer Woman didn't, so just follow your own preferences.)

Here are the completed pizzas (The Taco Pizza at the bottom, plus a hamburger-pepperoni and a plain pepperoni.

Pizza's ready! Put the veggies on top and chow down!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mary, Mary, quite contrary

How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

I wouldn't know a silver bell or a cockle shell if I saw one.

But a Mary I know sure had a pretty water lily and a cute birdhouse nestled among purple and white flowers. And, by the way, she's not one bit contrary.

Mary's beautiful yard was one of the six stops on the first-ever Stafford County Historical Society tour June 5. (Yes, it was a month ago, but what with harvest and other news, I'm just getting to it!)

And then there are gardeners like me. I'm not a good gardener to begin with, and our puppy, Millie, is not helping. The pansies are no more.

She likes digging in the dirt better than I do. It's a good thing she's cute.

(Ralph has that, "It wasn't me," expression on his face.)

Evidently the yards we visited didn't have new puppies ... or they are better behaved. It was definitely worth the price of admission to see the beautiful gardens by some of my friends and neighbors.

Jeanie is a Master Gardener. She has the education to prove it. (Evidently her day lilies got the memo that she's an expert. They were absolutely beautiful.)

As one of our other friends said, their garden looks like it would be a full-time job for three people.
Even her husband David got in on the action. He transformed some old discs from their farm into cute toadstools in the woodlands portion of their garden.

Shari and Jim's garden includes a beautiful pond scene with little goldfish.

At Pat and Lee's garden, the mailbox hides their gardening trowel and tools.

They've used a number of "found" objects to create little vignettes and scenes around their yard.

I think these two are the only ones relaxing in Gary and Shirley's yard.

Their fountain was spouting petunias instead of water (I should have paid more attention to the background and not gotten the high-line pole.)


I neglected getting any photos of the OWLS garden at the school, but it was a great place for students to learn about vegetable and herb gardening.

Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.

~Lou Erickson

That's probably why I'd rather read a book.

But I sure appreciate others' perspiration and inspiration.

A Cake Recipe - For Real This Time

For those of you who were disappointed there wasn't a real cake recipe attached to my Best Cake EVER post yesterday, this one's for you.

Sorry about misleading you. (On second thought, I'm not too sorry. And you know it won't be the last time I write about this whole new grandparenting adventure. Jill is home for a couple of days, and we went shopping yesterday. We mostly window shopped, but I did discover there are lots of cute things for little girls and little boys. Smalls "needed" a sock monkey with a K-State t-shirt.)

But ... back to the cake. Jill used a Texas Sheet Cake recipe to make her checkerboard cake. To use the same batter for a checkerboard cake again, she said she would make 1.5 recipes. It's been a few years since her 4-H days, and she forgot that we did have to make additional batter to fill checkerboard cake pans. We used Betty Crocker's Silver White Cake recipe for her 4-H baking, but for checkerboard cakes, she always made 1.5 times the recipe.

The sour cream and the almond in this White Texas Sheet Cake make a moist, flavorful and all-around-yummy cake. It's a white version of that favorite chocolate sheet cake recipe everyone seems to have and love.

For eating at home, I love the White Texas sheet cake. For 4-H baking, I'd use the Silver Cake recipe.

True confessions: I didn't make the cake in the photo with my own two hands. My friend Debbie Minks did. I did, however, make the flower on top before serving it for a church baby shower. Enjoy!

White Texas Sheet Cake

Cake:
1 cup butter
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 cup pecans (opt. - We don't usually add the nuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, combine the butter and water; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Stir in the flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, almond extract, salt and baking soda until smooth. Pour into a greased 11- by 15-inch jellyroll pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until the cake is golden brown and tests done.

Frosting: While the cake is baking, mix the butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add the powdered sugar, almond extract and nuts (if you desire). Frost while the cake is hot. (If you want the frosting to set up better, wait until it cools to frost.)

Makes 16 to 20 servings.

If you're making a two-layer cake, this recipe is the one we always use.

Two-Layer Cake Icing

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. almond extract

Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Makes enough to frost a 2-layer cake.

If you're baking for the fair, change the measurements for the shortening and butter to:
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter or margarine

All other ingredients stay the same.

Shortening holds up better in the heat of the fairgrounds.

The Best Cake EVER!

Notice anything special about this cake? Isn't that checkerboard pattern great?

"Man, Jill went to a lot of work to make a checkerboard cake for Mother's Day," I thought as she sliced into the cake and served me and Eric's mom, Christy, back in May.

But, then again, Jill is the Checkerboard Cake Queen after years of making them for the Stafford County Fair's 4-H division.

But wait! What color is that cake? It's not Jill's customary purple and white.

Yes, YES, it's PINK and BLUE!

I hope you're not as slow as I was. Because YES, it is PINK and BLUE. And it means what you think it means: I'm going to be a GRANDMA! I mean, Jill and Eric are going to be parents!

The parents-to-be told us WAY BACK in May at their home in Omaha. With Eric's parents in Iowa and us in Kansas, it's not too often that everybody is in the same vicinity. So they took advantage of the fact that they could tell all the grandparents-to-be at the same time. (They have this "showing no favoritism" thing downpat, and they are just parents-in-training. That bodes well, I think!)

And then they tortured us. Yes, they TORTURED us. They didn't let us tell anyone until now.

I was like a little kid with a secret at Christmastime.

But now, I can tell. "Smalls" is 12 weeks old.

And isn't he/she gorgeous!? This "photo" was at 8 weeks. No, I haven't put it on my fridge ... because I couldn't TELL ... and I don't have a brag book yet. (Just give me time though.)

Jill tells me Smalls is about the size of a large plum right now. But come January 12 or so, I'll be introducing you to a new little Ladd (or Lady). Actually, either way, it will be a new little Ladd.

And I'll be a GRANDMA. Maybe you remember me mentioning that before ... It probably won't be the last time.