We did it! “Operation move” is complete and it only took 2 ½ days. Really. It’s not that we have that much “stuff” (although it was more than I thought), it was the 23 steps up and down to our old apt, one limited capacity Subaru Forester for most of the moving, then the 30 steps up and down to our new apartment and our average human strength. Calf, ankle and back pain along with blisters and callused hands after day one didn’t stop us. I meant to take pictures of the entire thing but it clearly was not a la-di-da take your time kind of move. I managed to snap some bad shots of our new place in its empty glory. It may not look special but it means so much to us.
Now, I don’t know why, we feel more adult in our late twenties in this particular living arrangement. I mean, we’ve lived very near here (right next door actually) a few years ago and were miserable. I blame not being able to find a job in my degree field (or at all) and the shock of the cost of living in this small town atmosphere on top of not knowing a soul then there was the fact that we were facing the bleak looking parking lot on the first floor (ugh). Downtown living proved itself daunting-we could have liked it but bad neighbors, annoying/drunken nightlife, car alarms going off, revving engines, town maintenance at 3AM and screaming teens/college students outweighed all that we enjoyed about being there. We’ve adjusted and realigned ourselves with our goals and dreams, all the while, enjoying our space on the backside of the complex where the trees sway, birds play and we can call it a day. (That didn’t start on purpose but certainly ended there.)
Not the smoothest of moves (ex-lax). There were some things damaged during the move…ahem, Greg. He didn’t listen to me and the finish came off of our only side tables due to his taking them apart and taping the legs together. Sure they were cheap but that wasn’t the point. Now those go on the list-the very long list of things to get someday. A few things were scratched. While organizing the bathroom, I dropped a small (but expensive) bottle of perfume so there is an overwhelming scent down the hall. The smell of my pain. The night before our move I dropped my drink on our chair…the first spill on our furniture of course the last night in the place and of course me after thousands of reminders to Greg to be careful not to spill or drop anything on it. Typical.
Big thanks to our 3 helpers! Our big, strong helpers…I’m no Dainty Dolly but I did abstain from moving the big items the second day since we had these guys around. Plus, I had my fill of heavy lifting the day before and I’m smart enough to know that if someone lets you get away without helping haul large pieces, you step aside and let them do their thing. A dozen moves with just the two of us to do all the work and you’d be ready to let someone handle it too. Poor Greg didn’t have that option but he enjoys digging in to jobs like that and looks forward to being sore. He says it’s a good sore. We both agreed that we’ve done this too many times and I went as far to say our next move will be handled by a company. If we even have things. Moving is much easier if you sell your belongings and start over wherever you land. But I like my things and it took us years before we found anything and could also afford to get the pieces. I’m still debating that one.
But we’ve quickly fallen in love with our new space-it feels like we’ve been here longer than a few days. Monday-Memorial Day- was spent not fussing over organization or cleaning or physically moving much but Greg and I did go out to get some herbs, a new showerhead and a few other miscellaneous items. We came back to work on a few small projects before retiring to our new favorite spot-the balcony with beer in hand, good music playing on our Bose radio and leftover Chinese food. A few hours went by and before we knew it, bedtime had come and a shortened work week faced us which brings me to now. I’m at the coffee shop down the street checking all things requiring internet-something we won’t have in our place til Friday.
It seems like we’ve arrived where we’re supposed to be for the remaining time in Minnesota. A house isn’t a priority any longer although we’re still checking some out. I am back in the geographical area where this website was dreamed up and created for no more of a reason than I love food and equally as much, love to prepare it. I didn’t even read a single food blog until I began this site and it didn’t dawn on me that this hobby and one of my passions could be a career and consume my thoughts in the best way ever. It wasn’t until we moved to downtown Northfield that I put the entire site into actual existence. In a sense it feels like things have come full circle for the dabble. In this new space I want to post more frequent like the old days and bring back my “fond of” Fridays. Inspiration is back in time for the summer days. Thanks for being here with me.
One pot of my happy herbs and tomatoes
Before we made the transition, when the weather was still chilly, I made this risotto recipe from Real Simple. In those times, nothing sounds better to me than a large pot of rice baked in butter, broth and white wine with grated cheese. It helped that I doubled most of the ingredients and added more broth the following day to reinvigorate the rice into a creamy dish once again…not something every risotto aficionado will agree with but it was just as delicious. Now that the temps have finally warmed up in Minnesota I can’t say I would make this warming recipe but it’s definitely one to keep in your arsenal for a later time. But geesh, doesn’t it sound great?
Baked Spinach and Pea Risotto adapted from Real Simple
Serves 6 to 8
Print Recipe
Ingredients:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups (plus more for the following day) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups Arborio rice
1 ½ cups frozen peas
4 oz. baby spinach, roughly chopped, stems removed (about 2 cups)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Preheat the oven to 425F. In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, a pinch of salt and pepper; cook, stirring often, until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine, stirring until almost evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth and rice. Bring to a boil then cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the rice is tender and creamy, about 25 to 35 minutes. Check every few minutes beyond the 25 minute mark. Add the peas, spinach, Parmesan and another pinch of salt and pepper to your taste. Stir and if the risotto is too thick, add about ¼ cup more of the broth. Serve warm with more grated Parmesan soon after.
First, happy 60th birthday to my father-in-law yesterday! We hope it was a brilliantly wonderful day.
We played house over the weekend for our friends. Greg and I handled the pet care as well-a sweetheart of a dog, an ornery cat, chickens, roosters, chicks (chicken and turkey), koi fish, the squirrel they cared for since babyhood and tons of birds (including bright yellow/orange orioles, woodpeckers and hummingbirds). Well, some of them took care of themselves but we had a nice time watching the entire crew especially the dozens of bird varieties feeding and fighting on the other side of their front window.
It rained quite a bit then the sun finally came out just before they arrived home. But the good times didn’t end there and the grill was brought out again; wild asparagus was picked (we made brats and sausage in the rain the night before with leeks and potatoes) and soon we found ourselves with great company, food and homemade wine til nearly ten o’clock at night. It was a great weekend in the country.
We sat and watched the chicks warm themselves under the lamp and peck their meals in mass chaos fashion with a few being stepped on by the taller turkey chicks (poults). A tiny peep would result but all was well. It was the best weekend we’ve had in a long time. We raided the garden for rhubarb (I’m freezing a large amount) and some hardy winter onions on top of the eggs we collected the evening before. We were told to raid the large freezer so we left with spicy beef stix, sausages (all made locally from their hunting expeditions), their sauerkraut and strawberry/apple jam. Lovely.
Sunday we were nearly wiped out by a tornado while on the hunt for a credenza in Minneapolis. Once again, I made us chase a craigslist find at a vintage furniture store. There was a small amount of pebbled-sized hail before we left town and then it was pleasant weather until we arrived in Minneapolis. We were too late to get the credenza we liked so we thought about making two white dressers into storage. With further thought, we realized they were overpriced for the amount of work both needed. I left with a large mirror at a nearby antique store. Haggling for a lower price, the mirror was a steal. It’s as big as me and will look great paired with an eclectic/modern/vintage mix that is our style.
While in the area, Greg and I dined at the Mill City Café in the art district (the art fair was going on) but after our delicious meal, our trip was cut short when the tornado sirens sounded the second we stepped out the door. The rain was pounding our umbrella-less selves on our lilac tree covered path to the car…yes, I did stop and smell the flowers even with sirens sounding. We sat trying to check out the radar on Greg’s phone. The decision was to make a dash to a southerly town when it let up which turned out to be a good idea with sunny skies welcoming us within five minutes out. We will be back to Mill City Café-our server was delightful, the atmosphere was welcoming and it had reasonably priced tasty drinks and dishes. Such a great weekend.
Now it’s time to focus on the move that is this weekend. I can’t believe it. We’ve lived in this apartment for over two years which doesn’t sound like much but in eight years, we’ve never lived in a place longer than a year. I’m a tad melancholy.
The apartment is a mess. I have large totes marked ‘garage sale,’ a few more marked ‘storage’ and a few marked ‘empty’ meaning remove these items and re-use the tote to get the small things transitioned to the new apartment Friday.
About the new apartment…it’s not the studio. Signing on for a 2 bedroom sounded like a better decision with the lack of decent homes coming on the market. I couldn’t stand the idea of moving from the studio to yet another apartment in the fall after more failure to find a house.
The winner is a newly remodeled place that is very close to our first apartment (when we moved to Minnesota almost 3 years ago). It’s odd because the old, first floor place is in the building next to our new, top floor space and we will be parking and driving by it all the time. It has nice-looking wood laminate flooring, painted walls in place of the white-ish we’ve always had, a dishwasher (yay), a balcony and a nice view of the park and trail on a month-to-month lease just in case a house catches our attention. We also have a garage and huge closets. Then there’s a spare bedroom for guests which we’ve never had here. No more expensive lodging, family and friends! Hauling everything up each floor to the tip top will not be fun but we have some helpers lined up. My elbow is still acting up but slowly healing…6 weeks later and it feels like it did 3 weeks ago. I don’t get it.
Umm, I’m completely out of it in terms of holidays and events, such as, farmers markets and fairs. My focus is on getting from one apartment to another, settling in, changing our accounts to the new address (such a pain), obtaining internet service, getting my wisdom teeth out, scheduling our trip home and then I can get “with it” and celebrate summer. Not until recently did I even realize Memorial Day weekend is the weekend we planned the move. Dur.
Today’s recipe is one that I’ve had in my “to make” folder for over a year for the time rhubarb would make its appearance. The time is now. I came across the dish through Molly at Orangette who found it at Canal House Cooking (two interesting cooks forming part cookbook and part magazine in seasonal volumes). On my wish list. Molly used white wine but the original used red. I used Molly’s version this round. There’s almost always white wine in my kitchen.
Simple. Fragrant. Perfect alone (warm or cold) or on ice cream. It goes well with my thoughts about vanilla beans from last week. Going on my “must make each year when rhubarb arrives” list (in my mind). Notice there isn’t a photo…it’s not very attractive and it didn’t stick around long.
Roasted Rhubarb with Vanilla and White Wine from Orangette
Serves 4 to 6
Print Recipe
Ingredients:
2 lbs. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
½ cup sugar
½ cup crisp white wine
1 vanilla bean, split
Preheat the oven to 350F. In a Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot, add the rhubarb, sugar, wine and bean. Stir and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until tender. Stir halfway through. Remove and either eat after cooled on ice cream or alone or chill and enjoy.
Happy birthday to my youngest sister! My side of the fam is going on a trip today to Shipshewana for this event which was something we used to do often. It holds such great memories (except that time when I was very young and lost all of the pretty jewelry my parents bought me). What is Shipshewana you might ask?
Besides going to that link above to find out (which you should), I’ll tell you that it’s a huge outdoor market in an Amish area of Indiana. Be prepared to walk and get a suntan/burn. It’s a place where you can buy giant-sized underoos (that may or may not be used as a joke to trick your single guy pals…I would never buy these huge panties and place them in embarrassing locations around said person’s habitat so that our mutual friends could find them and think hilarious thoughts…never), books, fabric, soap, vintage glassware, candy, pool toys, and a million other things.
It will take you all day to go up and down the sandy rows, some booths will look more like a garage sale, and you can haggle but beyond the flea market, there are buildings (with air conditioning) holding crafts, quilts, antiques, farm animals, jewelry, more gag gifts (ahem), etc.
This little girl is 24 today.
You can eat fudge, caramel corn, taffy, cinnamon buns, pies, bread (all this being Amish made of course or sold by people dressed as Amish folk), get a hearty meal in one of the very busy restaurants (my picks are Wana-Cup or the Blue Gate) and you can also buy/sell a horse/pig/sheep/goat/cow at auction, go to an antique auction, make an Amish person blush, learn how to make an instrument/quilt/churn butter, get in the mood for Christmas by visiting one of their ornament stores, buy lawn ornaments (whirligigs, etc.) and garden supplies, go on a horse and carriage ride, buy furniture and much more.
The traffic is awful and parking is in a grassy field-remember where you parked. Was it by the pedestrian bridge and which lot number is that you will ask yourself squinting at the sign where you enter the market while slathering on the sunscreen then tossing it into your giant bag for your finds. That’s how we do it. Oh, and another tip, if you can’t decide to buy something and might come back later, remember the row number because, from experience, you won’t recognize one row from another when you go back. True story…several times over.
Have fun, dear family! I hope the weather is better and you are all feeling up to par. (Bad colds going around.)
Now on to this little number. A simple number that is delectable hot or cold (pasta salad-ish). Fantastic for warm weather dining. Originally a Real Simple recipe but I made it my own by omitting the pine nuts (too expensive for my budget that week), adding spinach and a smidge of grated cheese.
See the fork looming on the side waiting to dive in? It can't resist this dish either.
Pasta with Spinach, Peppers, Capers and Olives
Serves 3 to 4
Print Recipe
Ingredients:
1 lb. rigatoni or penne (any pasta really)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bell peppers (red and yellow look great), cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp chopped capers
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
2 handfuls of baby spinach-optional
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the container. Reserve 2 tablespoons before draining to aid the pasta adhering to the other ingredients.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the olives, parsley, capers, vinegar, red pepper flakes, reserved pasta water and salt/pepper. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and add the pasta. Carefully toss. (This is why a large skillet is needed.) Add the spinach at the very end, tossing until slightly wilted. Serve warm or refrigerate for a chilled meal but be sure to add grated cheese before serving.
Just a quick reminder that you foodbuzzers can find me at foodbuzz.com under thedabble or awitkamp. Also, if you have a tumblr account and it’s easier to follow my posts in that format, I’m thedabble.
While I’m on that topic, you can follow my updates on twitter and flickr by clicking the icons on the right side bar. No pressure. Still thinking about a facebook page but why add more work, right?
I’ll be back later this week with something tasty and to wish my youngest sis a happy 24th birthday (Wednesday).
