Daffodil Days

I am so ready to get back out to the woods this weekend for more mushroom hunting. I can feel it in the air that I'm going to strike morel gold... if not from the ground then darnit from Whole Foods! Hahaha. Seriously though, I am so ready for Spring treasures and actually found a little urban gold this morning. It was a typical Tuesday at work, Cece had returned and told us of her adventures in Ohio. I volunteered to run out and pick up 2 dogs that mistakenly were forgotten from the transport list. I was happy to head out and even happier when mapquest misguided me in the wrong direction. Naturally I was worried about not being at work and how long it was taking but as soon as I saw a bed of wild daffodils alongside an overpass, I was willing to take whatever crap was in store upon my arrival. When I got home, I dragged Chris back to the overpass and quickly clipped about 6 dozen. They are so bright and full. Chris stayed in the car, questioning the legality of the situation and I ran off with my scissors and smile. Who knew that even in Chicago, a little uncontrolled nature would sneak in? It just got my blood pumping and ready for the hunt this weekend. Hopefully we'll get lots of morels and maybe some pixie rings if we're lucky. I also need to get these pressed flowers organized! So much to do and so little time to do it and on that note I need to get some arrangements put together, if they're good I'll post pictures later. If they're not so great... well we'll forget this blog ever happened. Oh and I am making dinner tonight I just don't know what it is, burger or chicken something. We'll see.

Orchids and Chicken, finger lickin good.

I took a little detour from cleaning yesterday as soon as I discovered a yellow ceramic vase I found while antique hunting ages ago. I had really wanted to do a tulip arrangement (all violets would have been really striking) but 3-4 dozen tulips somehow didn't find it's way into the budget this month. Instead I repotted my youngest orchids in the vintage pot. Hopefully with a little room to stretch their roots, these guys will go into full bloom. We're keeping our fingers crossed. If you're planting anything in a container without drainage holes remember to ad 1-2" of pea gravel in the bottom and water sparingly. This will prevent root rot and keep the plant happy and healthy. They really do look spectacular in our library and I'm sure they appreciate the change of venue. Tonight I kicked off my dinner plan with fried chicken sandwiches and broccoli drizzled but kind of drowning in browned garlic butter. So far so good, I'm starting like I usually do, optimistic. But the hard part is coming, I just have to stick with it and use what we have rather than jumping on grubhub. It's just too easy, g-dangit. Seriously, after a long day of pooper scooping and torture by bark sometimes I just don't feel like cooking. Well now I will have to! I really do, hold me to this people. In the past I have made it a few weeks before "delivery" finds it's way back into my vocabulary. So we'll just see. OK people I have to get to those dishes so I won't have 2 loads tomorrow. Hope you're Monday wasn't too dreadful.

Sunday Funday!

No morels! I should have read the blogs before heading out but it seems like next week will be perfect with a few storms and warmer weather. Today was just too cold. Oh well, c'est la vie, ay? This just gives me more time to clean. Chris works a double and my goal is to have the apartment immaculate. All the furniture needs to be moved and swept behind, ceilings dusted, dishes washed and the craft room might need some help from FEMA and the Red Cross. IT'S THAT BAD!!! I have so many half projects going on and need to finish them or box them up because the next big projects are already beginning. For Mother and Father's Days I am trying to find something really amazing for them. OK Mom and Dad, stop reading right now, the rest isn't important................................................ For Mom, I'm getting 4-5 huge planters and planting heirloom tomatoes, peppers and a variety herbs in them. If you haven't been to Loew's, Home Depot or any other Garden center in the past few years you probably haven't seen the spectacular, resin pots from Southern Patio Inc. They come in a wide variety of colors and because they aren't ceramic they are so light and durable. It's best when planting anything that requires lot's of water to use a non porous pot but still allowing a few drainage holes in the bottom. This is just one of the colors I have chosen for Mom's gift and don't you think she'll just love it? I do. Especially with gorgeous heirloom hybrids from Burpey's. If anyone is doing a similar project for their mother, remember to get your orders in before it's too late. Of course if you do run out of time, there are other nursery's that carry heirloom plants but you'll have less to select from and probably will end up paying a little more. It's ok, she's worth the extra $10. On top of the container garden I plan on making another recipe box, tomato themed of course and filling it with recipes that will utilize her crops. I think it will be darling and she'll hopefully be surprised... Mom I hope you haven't ruined your surprise! Anyway, for Dad I am scanning all of the family photos... and there are thousands. After all the photos are organized and scanned, they will be transferred onto discs for Dad (I'll also make several back ups for safe-keeping just in case anything should ever happen to the originals.) I also want to get my sister's in on this and all get together to put the pictures into photo albums, something Dad has been talking about for years. We should also update the old albums and eliminate that old "magnetic" paper he used. I just think a night scrap booking with the girls, some pizza and pinot grigio would be a recipe for too much fun. Girls, what do you think? It's virtually inexpensive but something that he'll cry over, not that that's too difficult, am I right or am I right? So those are the plans for them and oh where did this all begin... oh, the craft room. Yes, I need to clean it so I can utilize my table and tools. So why am I sitting here tell you all this, I need to get cleaning.


Oh, I couldn't pass up posting the picture of me as a child with one of my bountiful harvests. I would load up my old red wagon and go door to door selling fresh vegetables to my neighbors.

Changing the Plan is usually the Plan.

I did not get out to the woods today for some mushroom and flower hunting and a much needed hike. Instead I decided that I needed to start cleaning before I brought more things into the house. How sensible and who would have ever thought I would be sensible? I am just as shocked as you. I spent the morning tearing the refrigerator apart, scrubbing and binning some pretty disgusting stuff. I'm not sure why we had 3 open salsa containers or 5 varieties of jams and I would expect myself to come up with an excuse for the 3 half-filled apple butters but I simply can't. Such waste and as each item fell into the trash I kept thinking about the compost bin I so desperately want. Maybe I'll make one of those worm containers that you can keep in apartments but that is just one more item taking up very precious and limited space. For now I just need to be more diligent about making better use of what I have rather than being so quick to run to the grocery store. In that spirit I have started our weekly menu and plan to follow it, eat and use the leftovers and eat better! I'm very excited to start cooking on regular basis and hopefully this will get me into Martha mode with the household chores. I have been such a slacker and I really do think it has been the weather. All I want to do is sleep and watch TV. It could also be that I have been sick but now that I am feeling much better I am ready to get this apartment under control. So today I got the kitchen started and tomorrow morning I am waking up early to take Lucy foraging through Fiona's Forest with me. Yes, Lucy is getting a special trip all by her lonesome with her Pops but that's mostly because I would rather watch the surroundings rather than the dogs and the boys need my constant attention. Plus Lucy needs some 1 on 1 time, we both miss it occasionally. We're hoping to find lot's of flowers and if we're lucky we may even find some hearty Morels. Then back home for some more cleaning and if I'm up for it, I might even head into work to get some more painting done. If I don't I'll have to stay late this coming week so I'll just weigh the pros and con's during the hike. You're not fooled, eh? Yeah me either, I'll be staying late this week. No one wants to go into work on their day off if they don't have to... especially me. Speaking of work, new developments are happening in my career goals. I have become increasingly disappointed in my job. There are endless possible reasons for this but I can't seem to put my finger on it. I know that I am disappointed in my current facility and I could easily change that but haven't for a variety of excuses but there are other things that are telling me "this isn't for you." While I do want to continue working with animals and shelters, I no longer want to sit in a room for 7 hours a day, scooping poop and being barked at non stop. So what comes next? Well I've decided to go to pastry school. It mostly started on a whim, a "let's do this for fun to relieve the stress" type of thought but then I thought maybe I should be a little more serious about it. I love to bake and I'm pretty damn good at it if I do say so myself, my decorating skills are fairly good and well I think it would be fun. We'll see where this takes me but for now it's gonna be a crazy ride. Uh, how have we gone from procrastination for purification to mushrooms to a new journey? It's late, that's my only excuse. Now time for the season 1 finale of Six Feet Under. Goodnight and have a great Sunday. Get outside and explore, if you find any morels and want to share your spot, let us know.

It's finally Friday.

I started this week like all other weeks just chugging along with my sights set on Friday. This is a terrible way to start a Monday but somehow I managed to turn it around. I think it started Tuesday morning when I spent my break gathering and pressing flowers. Now I haven't made up my mind if it's wrong to pick flowers from garden boxes on the streets and because of that I act and feel like I'm smuggling heroin through customs; quickly picking bluebells and creeping phlox, shoving them into a canvas bag and shuffling off at the first sign of company. Don't think I'm picking over people's gardens, I only took a few and I think the boxes are planted by the city, maybe. However, I have devised a scheme to hijack a few dozen tulips and daffodils for a spring arrangement. Hey, flowers are super expensive and you gotta make do. Chris has absolutely forbid me to pillage the city planters. It's not like I would actually do it but it's fun to dream. I'll suck it up and pick up 3 dozen tulips from the florist... and pay for them of course. Anyway, after pressing the flowers in a phonebook, I just seemed more cheery even though it was 39 and raining. I think we need the warm sunny weather to stick! I am very anxious for spring and summer to start. I have several fun trips planned and tons of projects already in the works... in my mind of course. I can't wait to pick fresh berries, plant vegetables, head up to the family cottage in Wisconsin, go out garage sailing, shop the farmer's markets and more. I did well all winter and enjoyed each snow and every cold day but I have joined the rest of Chicago in dreams of 75 and sunny days spent outside. Tomorrow the high is 73 so I have to go hiking with the dogs and hunt for mushrooms and flowers. Sunday looks like rain and we'll just have to stay in and organize the pressed flowers and cook something amazing with the mushrooms (we'll see what I actually end up finding.) Hope you enjoy tomorrow as much as I will.

Did the Easter Bunny show?

Happy Easter my dear friends. I hope you are all having a wonderful day with your friends and family. We were lucky enough to celebrate our Easter with the whole family and the Greene fam (-Jono) last Saturday and it was a fantastic time. We had a semi-intoxicated egg hunt and a whole lot of fun. As we've gotten older, traditions have been revised but the most important thing is being together. I would like to take this time to thank all of you for your support with this little project of mine and look forward to the many things to come on Becoming Billy Stewart. I have lot's more crafts, projects and recipes to share with you so stay tuned in the following months for Mother's day gifts, Father's day gifts, summer recipes and more. Thank you all again and where ever you are and with whomever, Happy Easter.

I Have a Parasite and an Excuse

Ok, I don't really know for sure if I have a parasite or not but right now it's the only probable explanation for what's going on with me right now. I have been sick as a dog and unable to concentrate over the migraines and stomach pains I am currently experiencing. I know, "Boo Hoo Baby Billy." Ok, I'll stop whining and get to the point; I promised you funion with onions and here it is. No pictures, like I said I'm sick. I promise more to come but it's totally not Martha to promise something and not follow through. So here we go...

Onion eggs are a little more tricky than beets but still fairly simple. Peel off the dry, papery skin of the onion (you can ask your grocer if you can grab a bunch of the loose skins that are already peeling off. I normally search through the onions and pick up the stray, large pieces of skin. If you know your grocer or produce supplier well, they might even save these for you, just ask and see what they are willing to do. I typically save the skins from my onions throughout the year, leaving them on the kitchen counter overnight to dry out before putting in an airtight container for storage.) You will also need cheese cloth and twist ties. Cut the cheese cloth into squares that are large enough to wrap around the egg completely with an inch or so extra. Lay one of these squares flat in the palm of your hand and place a large piece of the onion skin in the center. Stand the raw or blown out egg inside of the peel and wrap tightly. If you're onion skin is not large enough you can piece together smaller bits or leave some of the shell exposed. Wrap the cheese cloth tightly around the egg and use a twist tie to secure the end. Now in a large enamel or glass sauce pan fill with 5-8 cups of water and 2-4 tablespoons white vinegar. It's better to place the eggs in the sauce pan before filling it with water. If you are using blown out eggs place a dishtowel below the eggs and one above. The bottom towel will ensure that the eggs won't break and the top one will saturate the eggs and keep them submerged for the most part. If you are going to be hard boiling your eggs just drop and go. Bring to a boil and let roll for 8-12 minutes. Let cool and unwrap. Red onion turns brilliant magenta's and yellow becomes varying shades of gold and mustard. This is a fun and easy way to naturally dye eggs. If you find yourself in a bind or just want a fun new way to dye eggs this is a great, natural way to create stunning eggs.

Ok instead of a picture that is relevant I will share the glorious and gigantic goose eggs I bought from John's Live Poultry in Chicago. These of course have not been cleaned yet but they are still magnificent. To clean any egg first start with warm soap and water. I fill my sink with suds and scrub each egg with a sponge or acrylic Brillo pad. For tougher stains I like to use baking soda but you can also use vinegar. Vinegar will soften the shell so use sparingly. I'll scrub any soiled egg with a new, cheap tooth brush (I never understand why people demote they're old tooth brushes for cleaning. The bristles are damaged and won't really scrub anything. Just go out and buy a $0.99 toothbrush.) Sprinkle the baking soda over the stain and using a wet brush, gently scrub. Rinse all your eggs well because any residue will cause uneven dying.