Small Town Life- A New Perspective on Cooking Contests

It's county fair season in Iowa again. This year I took a break from entering my own home canned foods and will get to try something completely different- judging. I won't be examining canned foods though. This year I have been invited to judge the Adair County Extension Office's 4H Pride of Iowa Cooking Contest. I'm so excited! I am assigned to the high school age group, and last year these kids made some pretty impressive dishes. Because part of the judging is food safety and the recipe, the kids have to make a poster that features their recipe and directions, and we will be paying close attention to all the steps and cleanliness practices.

The winners! My age group is the top row- L to R- Bailee,
Shelly and Shawna, and Alexis

I've got some pretty great dishes to sample- Meat, Potato and Egg Bake, Deep Dish Tacos, Italian Ribeye Linguine, Cornbread Casserole, South of The Border Casserole, Breakfast Lasagna, Breakfast Roll-ups and Healthy Spaghetti. What a menu! The recipes must include at least one Iowa produced product. The poster each cook makes must demonstrate that they've done their homework about the Iowa product(s) they are using, such as nutritional content. They have an allotted time to prepare their recipe and must demonstrate proper techniques, especially food safety rules. Once their dish is completed (some of the dishes go into the oven after the prep on stage and get tasted after cooking) they are judged on appearance, correct doneness and taste. 

The youngest cook in the competition, Brandon is a 4th
grader who prepared Guinea Grinder Boats. He was
awarded a blue ribbon for his recipe

Besides the award ribbons the contestants can win, they also are eligible for prizes and premiums provided by different producers and businesses, such as the Adair County Pork Producers, A.C. Beef Producers, Midwest Dairy Association, and 3 Bee Honey Farm, among others. 

Contest day arrives and I am excited!!! It's a million degrees outside but I know the 4H building has air conditioning. After a brief orientation fellow judge Karen and I make our way to the staging area and get set up at the judges' table. We have evaluation sheets for scoring the contestants and plenty of tableware for sampling. Karen  will be scoring the junior high and younger kids, grade 4 through 8, and I am judging the high school kids, grades 9 through 12.  A quick glace at the schedule and I can tell we are in for some amazing sampling.

Karen Schultheis also judging the contest. She lives in
Greenfield and is a school teacher

So how are the cooks judged? The judging is two-fold. First we watch the cook as they prepare the recipe they chose. We consider the recipe they chose. What is the level of difficulty? Is it appropriate for the age and skill level of the contestant? What are the Iowa ingredients used? Food preparation skills are watched closely too- did the cook use proper measuring techniques? Did they use appliances correctly and safely? How about food safety- was the cook mindful of cross-contamination and safety issues?

Then we judge the food itself. Does the dish look appetizing? Is it cooked properly and completely? How about the taste? Finally, we judge the cook's poster they made to accompany the recipe, and their knowledge of the ingredients and nutrition aspects. As judges, we get to ask questions and find out how the cook chose the recipe, what changes they made if they adapted it from another source, their cooking experience and practice, and quiz them on their Iowa ingredients.

Hank B. made this poster for his recipe demonstration.

Alexis' Italian Ribeye Linguine is explained in detail

In my group, my winners were Alexis S., a freshman, for her Italian Ribeye Linguine, third place, featuring Iowa dairy products, eggs, and beef ; a duo of Shelly B., sophomore, and Shawna A., junior, for their Healthy Spaghetti which featured spices from Tones, pasta from Barilla, Iowa-grown vegetables, Iowa ground beef and turkey, and corn oil; and the first prize winner was Bailee H., a senior, who created an amazing take on lasagna- Breakfast Lasagna, with Iowa pork (ham), turkey(turkey sausage), eggs, and dairy. 

Why did these three stand out for me? Alexis' dish was delicious and beautiful on the plate. Her steak was cooked perfectly and her sauce was homemade with Romano, Parmesan and Gorgonzola cheeses and thickened with egg yolk. She demonstrated a skill in tempering that egg that a lot of adults can't master. She had really good knife skills, chiffonading baby spinach and using kitchen shears to snip sun dried tomatoes. She plated the dish and drizzled a balsamic glaze over the top and presented a dish worthy of a restaurant. I was truly impressed. 

Shelly and Shawna worked through power outtages
to make their dish. They stayed focused and didn't
let the disruptions get to them.

The duo of Shelly and Shawna had some challenges from the get go. The power went out while they were cooking. This was their first contest but they handled it like pros, never missing a beat and just stayed focused and worked through it. How was the spaghetti? Delicious! They used herbs to bring a lot of flavor to the sauce and added lots of fresh vegetables to add nutrients and flavor, and they did something I really appreciate- they did not overcook the vegetables, leaving a slight hint of crunch and texture. In spite of the power problems the pasta was cooked wonderfully, a perfect al dente. They chose to serve farfalle instead of spaghetti and I liked that- it was easier to eat at the judging table.

Lasagna and breakfast are two words I never thought would go together but Bailee had the creativity to give it a shot and she made it work. Ham, turkey sausage, tender scrambled eggs, creamy Alfredo sauce, veggies, cheese and pasta sounds like a very unlikely combo but it really works! When I asked Bailee about how she came up with this idea she had a great story about working out the details and testing ideas with her mom. I never cooked with my mom and her story made me happy. This dish was truly impressive- the layers held up during serving, the noodles were perfectly cooked and my mind immediately thought this would be perfect for Christmas morning or a brunch celebration. She's got a real hit with this recipe, and that made it, for me, a point or two above the rest.

Brandon concentrates on his recipe

The fair printed a cookbook with all the recipes we judged and I'm going to share them with you! I plan on cooking all the dishes I sampled because they really were very delicious, easy to prepare and all used real food ingredients and not a lot of convenience products. The first recipe is one prepared by Cody M., a freshman. Cody was fun to chat with. He enjoys cooking and like to grow his own food. He told me he fashioned a container herb garden by recycling 2 litre soda bottles and even grew vegetables in these containers. Cody found this recipe online and made a change- the original used bacon, he switched to breakfast sausage links and it works! This reminds me of pigs in a blanket and is a fun take on French toast.

Breakfast Rollups

6 slices fresh white bread
1 package fully cooked sausage links
1 teaspoon butter
1 large egg
2 teaspoons whole milk
pinch of salt
3 Bee Honey
maple syrup

Cut the crusts off the bread, then flatten with a rolling pin. It will become a bit sticky. Combine egg, milk and salt in a dish and whisk to combine. Heat the sausage in the microwave until heated. Place one sausage in the middle of each piece of bread and roll up. Press the seam to seal.

Melt the butter in a skillet. Dip the rollups in the egg mixture to coat. Shake off the excess. Place in hot pan and cook, turning every few minutes until all sides are golden brown. Top with a drizzle of honey and maple syrup.

I really enjoyed this experience. I was a little nervous at the mic announcing my winners at the end of the contest but I did ok. I was so happy to be part of this great competition and hope to come back again. The Adair County Fair is in west central Iowa, in the town of Greenfield. There is no better representation of life in rural Iowa than to visit a county fair. I hope you get to experience this in your lifetime.

Canning Cookbook- Granny's Four Bean Salad

One thing I have learned since moving to the country is that food trends rarely make their way out here. You will never see a food truck in a small Iowa town, and probably not find butter poached anything in a small town diner. What you will find are the kinds of foods I have always called Church Cookbook Foods. That vinegar coleslaw. Broccoli salad with bacon and raisins. Seven layer salad. Chicken and noodles. Salisbury steak. Rhubarb everything.

Some of my favorite cookbooks are those "church cookbook" type books. They aren't all churches anymore. Lots of organizations put together a cookbook to celebrate a milestone year, or celebrate their history. I love collecting these gems. Reading over them years down the road is a trip down memory lane. My late mother in law made foods like those. She made seven layer salad all the time. She baked every rhubarb dessert you can imagine. She made lots of things with jello.

I can't tell you how many of these recipes ended up on the table at picnics, reunions, barbeques over the years. Pastel colored Tupperware from the 60s was the serving bowl of choice for moms and grandmothers back in my childhood. My dad worked for a small company and their office picnic was always a potluck. The boss bought the chicken or the burgers and dog, and everyone brought a side dish.  Big plastic bowls of potato salad, macaroni salad, plates of brownies and cake squares, baked beans- you name it- always lined the wooden picnic tables. 

My dad was a Baked Beans Connoisseur. I've talked about his interest in cooking, calling him the 70s version of a foodie. He bought a Rival Crockpot as soon as they hit the market and I remember him tinkering with baked beans recipes to get just that perfect sweet and spicy, gooey slow cooked bean. My grandmother was the Bean Salad Queen. I remember her great big house in Minnesota, and sitting down to dinner at the table loaded with- you guessed it- church cookbook foods, including Perfection Salad with a dollop of Spin Blend salad dressing, pea salad, always something with Cool Whip and fruit and Four Bean Salad.

Four Bean Salad is one of those great recipes that lends itself well to home canning- the dressing has plenty of vinegar to make canning the vegetables safe, much like a pickled product. The green and wax beans are cooked briefly before being tossed with the kidney and garbanzo beans, chopped onions, bell pepper and crunchy celery. The sweet and sour dressing is just like Gramma's, and just like those old church cookbooks.

Sadly, on Recipe Making Day I was unable to get garbanzo beans at my little grocery store. Darn it, I should have planned ahead. So we're actually making Three Bean Salad with double the kidney beans (4 15oz cans, drained and rinsed), but it will still be delicious.

Granny's Four Bean Salad
adapted from Ball's recipe

5 cups sliced green beans (cut into 1 inch pieces)

5 cups sliced wax beans (cut into 1 inch pieces)

2 cups cooked kidney beans (canned is fine, rinse and drain)

2 cups garbanzo beans (canned is fine, rinse and drain)

2-3 ribs celery, sliced on the bias

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 cups apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 cups water

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon mustard seeds (mix of brown and yellow)

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Prepare a hot water bath canner and jars.

In a large saucepan combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and spices. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Keep hot.

So colorful- even before the green and wax beans are added

In a large stockpot place the green and wax beans and celery. Cover with water and bring to boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain and toss with remaining vegetables. Pack the vegetables into hot canning jars. 

Ladle the hot pickling liquid over. Remove air bubbles, fix lids and rims and place in water bath canner. Process pints for 15 minutes.

This is a handy salad to have on the shelf. Chill, pop open a jar and serve. Easy peasy. I love having foods like this around so when I need a last minute dish, say a last minute office potluck, or friends drop in when we're getting ready to throw some dogs on the grill, one more dish added to the meal can really stretch things, and I don't have to worry about having nothing to share or serve.

This recipe has been tested for safety by Ball. 

One further word about home canned foods- if you do decide to bring any home canned food to a potluck, you should let people know it was made with home canned foods, as some people are very worried about food safety and don't eat foods canned by others. Don't be offended- they are just being proactive. I'm never offended.

The Family That Cooks- Janelle's Crab Dip

My family is full of great cooks. Holidays and get togethers with my family always include some amazing homemade foods, especially appetizers and snack foods. We definitely love our snack foods. My son in law is the cheese ball master. The girls in the family make fancy cheese plates, delicious appetizers and all kinds of different dips and spreads. In fact, it's not uncommon for us to eat up all the snacks and appetizers and have no room for the turkey and trimmings!

You know when you get together with friends, maybe it's a Super Bowl party, or a neighborhood barbeque, or even the office potluck, and you have to sit and think about what to make? Do you have a go-to recipe for a great dish to share? I have a couple but I like to switch it up and try new things once in a while as well. My daughter in law shared this recipe with me, as well a sample before she brought it to a friend's house for a party, and it was awesome! 

Normally I am a strong and loud spokesperson for real crab and protest loudly against the use of fake crab, or surimi as it's sometimes called. My mind is changing! Besides being a common ingredient in sushi, which I love, and several delicious recipes that my friends have shared with me, I'm really beginning to appreciate this often maligned ingredient as a pretty good replacement for the real thing!

That's where my daughter in law, Janelle's dip come in. Loaded with finely chopped artificial crab, fresh veggies and a lime-infused mayo from the Hispanic market, piled high on a crispy cracker and topped with the slightest drizzle of spicy hot sauce, it's absolutely scrumptious. You can use any hot sauce you like, but Janelle recommends Valentina brand. 

This sauce was smooth, thick and spicy and not messy when drizzled over the top of the dip. It had a smoky quality to it too that went really well with the sweetness of the crab. If you like, you could spread the dip out onto a plate instead of a bowl and drizzle the sauce over the entire dip instead of individual bites.

Janelle's Spicy Crab Dip

1-2 lbs crab meat (imitation is great in this recipe)

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup Mayonesa with lime (in the Mexican aisle)
Hot sauce of your choice

Chop the crab meat into small pieces. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill to blend flavors. Serve dip with saltine crackers.

This dip was perfect on top of a saltine cracker. You can use any type or brand of cracker you like but choose one that won't compete with the dip's flavors. Throw in a handful of chopped ripe olives or diced bell pepper, or even jalapeno if you like. I especially like that it's not the usual hot crab dip. The tomato is so fresh, the onion adds a little crunch and the cilantro makes it herby and bright. I was also once a cilantro hater, but I have learned to embrace this beautiful herb.

Note: If you can't find the mayo in a Mexican store, you can substitute regular mayo with the zest and juice of a lime added.

Gramma Day in the City

Nothing in this world is better than being a gramma! Sure, having kids of your own is pretty awesome but I'm tellin' ya, there is NOTHING that makes you feel better than that little person who actually wants to spend time with you, and the first time they call you gramma.

I got to spend the weekend with my oldest grandkiddo Nathan this past week, and we had loads of fun. We started our weekend with The SpongeBob Movie. I had no idea it was about food trucks- so it was something we both got a kick out of.

Dinner out was crazy. Our first choice, Jethro's BBQ was so busy they had people waiting outside. Scratch that! Next we drove to Fireside Grill, where the hostess told us every single table in the place was reserved. Sigh. Up the road we tried another barbeque place- it was so busy there was nowhere to park! Even Applebee's had nowhere to park.

We settled on Pizza Ranch, and had fun talking about all sorts of things. School. Singing. Hockey.

Nathan is a hockey nut,and played on the Bruins this year. We went to his playoff game Sunday morning.

Nathan scored three goals and tells me that's called a hat trick. They won!!

After hockey we stopped at the grocery store on the way home and got all the goodies to make nachos. Nathan told me he loves to cook, even though he has never tried it before.

Nathan is a very good helper. He carefully cut up the tomatoes, and the avocado, and he helped me figure out their unusual can opener. 

We cooked the hamburger together, and added the nacho sauce, and then made our plates. Afterwards, we cleaned up the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher.

We watched tv, Nathan played some music on Youtube and we sang along, and finally the day was winding down and bedtime was upon us. As we said our goodnights Nathan said "I really like hanging out with you, Gramma." I am truly blessed to have these amazing little people in my life.

Life and it's crazy ups and downs

It's been a pretty crazy couple of weeks here at The Little Lake House.

Winter has arrived, and with much fanfare. No, not feet of snow or crippling ice, but with single digit temperatures and just enough snow to make it beautiful. Normally I am so excited to see the first snowfall and this year inside I am still a little bit giggly about it, but with our furnace on the fritz it's not as enjoyable. But like life's many challenges this too will pass and we will soon be warm and toasty again. It's strange to think that a few weeks ago people were still boating, and today the lake is nearly frozen over.

The Chef is in the midst of his busiest time of year, with the country club hosting dozens of events and Christmas parties, a big Thanksgiving Day meal and a few weddings here and there. Speaking of weddings, The Chef surprised me the other night with a beautiful engagement ring! I was so happy I cried! Now we just need to agree on a date and make it official. It was a very touching moment as he gave it to me, and yes, it's mushy but he truly is the love of my life. I can't stop staring at my beautiful diamond ring.

Recovery has been slow going, but I am finally getting back up and around more. I have missed cooking! I have even missed washing the dishes to be honest. Knee surgery seems pretty simple but those are joints you bend all the time, without even thinking about it. The Chef has been an amazing caretaker and spoiled me terribly.

It has been a couple weeks but Halloween was fun with the grandkids- my oldest grandson was a scary hockey masked slasher this year, his first ever scary costume, my granddaughter was a princess, as she truly is, and my youngest grandson was a ninja turtle. Halloween is always such a fun time with kids in their cute costumes. We don't get trick or treaters at The Little Lake House which is one thing I do miss about city life. It's also hockey season for my oldest grandson, and as soon as I get back to driving all the time, I'll be watching him on the ice.

I've been thinking about decorating for Christmas this year. After many years of missing my holiday spirit, I feel like it is creeping back a bit. I have so many things to be thankful for in this life, and so much to be happy about, it's time to reignite that flame and at least do a Christmas tree and some stockings by the fireplace. I'd love to have more of those holidays where everyone drives out in the country to Gramma's House, where it's decorated so cute, with lots of delicious things in the oven, cookies on plates and bowls of homemade candy to share. I miss those big family gatherings at my house, now that my kids are grown and on their own, they like to host the holidays at their homes.

So friends, as Thanksgiving is right around the corner, please take a few minutes to reflect on the good things in your life, your family and friends, the people you love, the blessings you have received. I am so very thankful for everything I have in my life- my amazing children and grandchildren, wonderful friends and the man I love with all my heart, and for all of you, who inspire me. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Family traditions- A Grandmother's Story

Sometimes the story should have nothing to do with me. Nothing to do with a canning recipe. Nothing to do with vegetables or fruits or cakes. Sometimes the story has everything to do with the history of how we got to where we are today, and today my story begins with two little girls I would not meet for many years, Lisa and Daiynna, and the many memories they have of their grandmother.

Grandma's 1950s era Westinghouse Electric Roaster

Through the magic of the internet I learned that my friend Daiynna was selling off a few things she didn't need around the house. All kinds of things from yard equipment to appliances. One thing I really really needed was a large electric roaster. I've been borrowing my sister's for the last couple years and really wanted one of my own. Daiynna had three. One was sold right away and picked up before I ever saw it. Another was sold but not yet picked up when I staked my claim on the third. "It's a little older," Daiynna told me, "but it works just great. It belonged to my grandmother." I am totally ok with that. I only use one a handful of times a year- it will be perfect for my needs.

Modern roasters don't come with time and temp charts.

My own sister and I make a trip to the city and stopped by Daiynna's to purchase the roaster. It just so happened that the other, newer roaster was again available because the other person changed their mind. But as soon as I heard the story of the older roaster I just knew......there is so much more here than just an appliance. There is a story, a history, love and memories that need a place to be preserved and kept safe. I knew that roaster belonged with me.

I was soooo excited to see that light fire up!

At this stage in my life I no longer have any living grandparents. All the remnants of my grandparents' lives were divided and disposed of and my sister and I, living in Iowa, were never given an opportunity to have a piece of their lives to remember forever, which makes this roaster all that more important, not just to Lisa and Daiynna, but to me. I never knew their grandmother, but I know she is smiling happily knowing her hardworking roaster lives on, feeds families, and is just as treasured as if it were my own grandmother's.

Home Cooking- Sunday Dinner

Sunday dinner is a big tradition for lots of families. For our little family of two, and the Chef's varied schedule, we don't always have a Sunday evening together, so for us dinner together is a real treat, and most of the time, it's my turn to break out the cookware, don the apron and create.

Yesterday out of sheer boredom I went on a mini road trip to the city, with the big supermarket as my destination. Our small town grocery store is fine for every day but once in a while I just NEED the variety you can only get at a bigger store. The produce selections are almost endless and provide me with loads of options for making dinner a little more special.

I already know what my dinner is going to be. I have the Parisian market carrots that came from the garden waiting in the fridge and I need to get them cooked, so something roasted- root veggies for sure, and a roasted meat of some sort. What sort of root veggies.......well I have been saying forever that I need to learn to like beets, so I choose some nice organic beets and in the basket they go. I was hoping for some fingerling potatoes but none were to be found, and I chose strawberry baby potatoes- something I had never seen before. A package of perfect mushrooms completes my roasted vegetable combination and I'm off to check out the meat.

Strawberry reds are firm, waxy red-skinned potatoes,
perfect for roasting.

Beef was out- beef prices right now are sky high and the smallest roasts just weren't in my price range today, and I honestly just wasn't in the mood for a beef roast. Chicken? Maybe, but I have other dishes I'm planning with chicken and I just get bored with the same thing all the time. Browsing the pork selections proved to be more what I was looking for- plus I thought pork would be awesome with this selection of vegetables. A boneless pork loin center rib roast was the perfect size for my planned dinner, so in the basket with the roast!

The best part about Sunday dinner is the actual cooking. For me anyway, it's very satisfying to pull a stool up to the counter and peel, chop and prep. A roast is the perfect thing to make in my Le Creuset dutch oven so I get that heating and ready to sear my roast. Just a touch of olive oil in there and get that beautiful piece of pork sizzling until it's seared nicely and has a caramelized crust. 

Some of the beets were pretty good sized, so I quartered them.

I pile in my firmer root vegetables first- the beets and carrots, and season them well. Then the mushrooms and potatoes go in, sprinkled with thyme and a little mushroom stock, pop the lid on and in the oven it goes at 400 degrees.

Potatoes and mushrooms, thyme and mushroom stock and it's
ready for the oven!

About an hour and a half later I had a dutch oven full of delicious. The potatoes were perfectly fork tender, the carrots sweet and flavorful and the beets- I can't say enough about how surprised I am at the beets. I have never cooked beets before- shocking as that may be, my beet memories consist of my mom heating up cans of tiny beet cubes with no flavor at all. However, roasting with the pork and mushroom stock changed the beets into something earthy and lush and amazing.

The roast was fantastic. Sliced about half an inch thick, it was like pork prime rib. Soooo good. The mushroom stock, thyme, the pre-roasting sear and essences from the roasted vegetables created the juiciest pork roast ever. I chose not to make a gravy as the beets left their signature on the pan juices and it wouldn't have been very attractive at all. A little glaze of pan juices and butter gave the veggies the perfect finishing touch. And we have leftovers for lunch! Can't beat that!

City Girl's Wine Journal- Winestock

I may have missed out on the big city's annual Winefest, but I wasn't going to miss out on this year's Winestock! Dale Valley Vineyard and Winery near Stuart sure knows how to throw a party. So this year, City Girl got to experience a wine festival, country style. Four bands, a beautiful Iowa summer day, lots of great food, vendors with interesting items. And of course, the wine.

My sister Lisa and I don't get to spend a whole lot of time together, with busy work schedules, kids and grandkids, so Winestock became Sister Day, and we thoroughly enjoyed it! Arriving at the winery, we were able to park among the vines and stroll through them on our way to the festival grounds. Of course, our first stop was the outdoor patio/bar and grabbing a pitcher of Red Sangria Winearita. Icy cold and slushy, it was delicious and a great prelude to the wines ahead.

We grabbed the best table in the house, on the covered patio overlooking beautiful lawn and festival grounds, and right next to the stage! The first band up was Larry Berenguel and Friends, and they were awesome! A great mix of hits and a reggae vibe, they played a long set filled with so many great songs. His band is a very talented group of guys and we thoroughly enjoyed their show.

It didn't take too long for the Winearita pitcher to be empty, so we switched to wines and Time Out was our first choice. Time Out is the winery's award winning Concord wine, and it is a sweet red wine. It smells like grape juice as soon as you pour it in the glass (and by that I mean Welch's, since wine is really just that- grape juice) and has a smooth, sweet drinkability that makes it so enjoyable.

Flipside was the next band to hit the stage and they also provided some of the best singalong party music. We also started to mix and mingle with some great folks in the crowd- another pair of sisters from the Quad Cities, folks vacationing from Indiana and lots of great people from the various bands. Singing and dancing, laughing and sharing stories, the breeze is softly blowing, it's a fantastic day in the Iowa countryside.

Lisa and Larry enjoying the party atmosphere

Well that bottle of Time Out didn't last very long, so up next we shared a bottle of Serendipity. Dale Valley describes this wine as a complex semi sweet blend of estate and local grapes offering flavors of apple and lime, hinting at subtle apricot and kiwi. I didn't really pick up any apple or lime but this lush, and less sweet, wine was very floral to me. Perfumey and delicious. This is another red that's a great sipping wine and delicious well chilled.

The music continues with Boomerang- they opened with Badfinger and it just got better from there. Lots of songs from my childhood-what a great trip down memory lane! They interacted well with the crowd and even a little rain didn't spoil the show. Funny story there- sitting under the canopy we had no idea it was even raining!!

Our next bottle was a drier red- Katydid. Katydid is made from Marechal Foch grapes (my favorite Iowa red grape) and is aged with oak for a little bit drier but not overly tannic wine that's amazing. It's also a multiple award winner for the winery. Our ice in the bucket had pretty much melted by now and that's fine, because this wine is best not overly chilled. It went fabulously with the pork chop on a stick and house-made kettle fried chips and reminded me a lot of Pinot Noir.

Abby Normal was the last band of the event. A little bit of everything, from the Beatles to White Stripes to the Scorpions kept the crowd dancing and singing along. The evening was winding down and the band was packing up, time to say goodbye to new friends and think about how much fun NEXT year will be, and time to grab a bottle to take home. The night was still young and it would be a great night to sit on the deck at The Little Lake House and enjoy a last glass or two and listen to the sounds of the country night. So White Schoolhouse it is, and a quick rest in the wine chiller gave it the perfect chill to bring out the hints of peach and stone fruits and ever so slight hint of citrus from this perfect award-winning wine.

It was a great Sister Day, a great Winestock and a great way to spend a Saturday. I can't wait for next year!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The White Pole Road Marathon and Three Crazy Goofballs

Every summer here in rural Iowa we have a day-long event that spans five towns, many miles, and lots and lots and lots of sales. The Old Great White Way is now known as White Pole Road. Originating just to the east of Dexter, in Dallas County, the road meanders through Stuart, Menlo and Casey, in Guthrie County, and ends in Adair, in Adair County. Part of one of the original cross-country roads, our quiet little piece of history was once a busy thoroughfare.

If you've ever seen the Disney movie Cars, then you'll understand the fate of The Great White Way. Once the interstate was completed, traffic chose the higher speed roadway, and the little towns, the motels and hotels, the restaurants, the gift shops, the gas stations.........one by one began to close their doors. New motels and restaurants were built on the interchanges. Big truck stops replaced the old style service station. A little piece of Americana was lost forever.

The White Rose Gasoline attendant stands at attention in Menlo.

Don't tell that to those of us that live here! We embrace our scenic little byway and celebrate its history by paying homage to the old name- lining the highway with white-painted phone poles and calling it The White Pole Road. Every year the towns along this historic road pick a date and hold the White Pole Road Marathon Sale- basically mile after mile of garage, yard and rummage sales. And it's fun! Every town has loads of participation. Some folks set up the traditional tag sale, others hold bake sales, hot dogs and cold drinks, churches get involved- it's a great day and an event unique to American small town life.

So anyway......what's more fun than two goofy sisters and a nephew getting together for a road trip, town to town, sale to sale, winery stop along the way? That's exactly what we did! Got an early morning start and hit the highway. What does a carload of lake residents do for entertainment? Hang on- you're about to find out.......

We started our adventure in Dexter. Fueled by caffeine, we were ready to hit the road and do what former city people do in the country- whoop it up. Well.....calmly, it is still morning, after all. 

Our big plans for a day of bargain hunting and fun turned south very quickly. The few sprinkles on the windshield as we left Dexter quickly turned into a torrential downpour that lasted the better part of the day. We planned to tough it out anyway, after all, sales in garages should stay pretty dry. However, many of the sellers didn't agree. Garage doors closed, plastic tarps covered yardfulls of goodies, and we headed to Carver's Ridge in Stuart. What better way to wait out the rain than in a store that sells wine! 

A few of the goodies Carver's Ridge offers

Carver's Ridge is so much more than that. Tyson and Anne Greenwalt are the owners of this company and what they do is just awesome. Besides landscaping, they engrave- everything from custom glassware and little rocks for wine bottle stoppers to huge boulders in your yard. The retail shop also carries a great selection of gourmet foods and mixes, like baking mixes made just for them, and WINE. Wonderful Iowa wines! Bet you'll never guess what I bought.....

Menlo is next on the hit list. By the time we got there many of the sales had given up. We stopped at one but most of what this man was selling was well outside of the garage sale price range, and I really didn't need a camper.......

Casey, Antique Country. You got that right! I'm starting to feel a little like an antique right about now! A wet antique...... by the time we arrived in Casey, well, the day was pretty much a bust.

And finally, Adair. We never made it this far. Too much rain, too much disappointment, we figured we might as well look at the weather radar and find some non-rainy towns. We headed over to Earlham, in Dallas County, and had a little more success. After Earlham we drove back to Stuart and with no garage sales having reopened,we gave up on the garage sales and hit the winery.

The Dale Valley Vineyard and Winery it just north of Stuart near the old ghost town of Daly City. The tasting room is in the old Daly City school, which was moved to the winery site and restored by the owners, Ed and Tracy Mahlstadt. It's a fantastic place with rolling hills of vines,a beautiful outdoor covered patio, and delicious wines, many of which have school-theme names,such as Recess. The gift shop offers lots of fun wine-themed items and of course, you can taste the wines!  We bought some- no surprise there.

After that we headed further north to Panora and Britches and Bows Country Store. This adorable little shop is out in the country, on a farm, and is brimming with cute crafty items, unique clothing and jewelry and antiques. I found a couple things I could use for food props and wished I had a lot more money to spend in there.

Arriving back the lake we decided to see if any lake sales were open and we hit the motherload! I scored several gorgeous vintage chianti bottles, dishes, and a sweet little sign for my garden. So, in spite of the rain, the day turned out quite good. The busy day turned into a quiet evening with The Chef and a bottle of wine. Yes......us country girls (and boy) know how to have a good time!