Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

I wasn’t in the market for giant marshmallows. They were nowhere near my list on Sunday. But when my daughter and I spotted these jumbo Kraft Jet-Puffed peppermint marshmallows on the top shelf of a heavily stocked aisle of Christmas candy… Well, how could I resist? I’ve never seen these and actually couldn’t find anyContinue reading “Try These Minty Marshmallows on for Size”

The No. 1 item on our shopping list is a bag of oranges, thanks to this handy kitchen gadget passed on from my aunt this weekend. She’d read on my blog about my son’s interest in making juice and took pity on him having to use his body weight to press oranges on our glassContinue reading “The Juice King”

I’ve been stewing lately about an unwelcome development in my neighborhood. I learned recently that while our good neighbors in Berwyn have been working hard to attract family friendly businesses to the seemingly endless construction zone that is Roosevelt Road, my own town has been nurturing relationships with a cash-for-gold business and a gun shop.Continue reading “Not Just Any Business”

Add caption I can’t remember the last time I came up with a pumpkin concept and carved one on my own. But after seeing gallery after gallery of fantastically carved sculpted pumpkins, I was inspired to step up my game, a little bit this year. I spent part of this morning looking for silhouettes ofContinue reading “The Great Ghostly Pumpkin”

There’s nothing quite like hot soup after spending an evening out in the cold. I knew we would be starving after my son’s soccer game tonight under the lights at Montrose Harbor, so I bought a hybrid cauliflower and a couple leeks at the Farmers Market this morning to make soup in the crock pot.Continue reading “Comforting Cauliflower Soup”

Chicago Fire: Breast Cancer Awareness I get a little tense around annual-doctor-visit-time. If you know my family, you know we had a scare when one of our children was born. Compared to so many people I know, it seems like a minor blip. But open-heart surgery on a 6-day-old was a big deal then andContinue reading “Relieved. Relaxed. Aware.”

On the way in the oven…. Ready to eat… I’ve been looking forward to this all day. I had a bunch of veggies I needed to use up, including carrots, turnips and these beautiful purple potatoes that I’ve never even seen before. They sure are a great way to add a splash of color toContinue reading “A Rainbow of Roasted Vegetables”

This is how a spontaneous night out with my husband usually goes: Him: Honey, let’s go out. I even got a sitter. Me: Great. Where are we going? Him: Where do you want to go? Me: I know I have a list of fantastic places I’ve always wanted to try, but… The but is followedContinue reading “A Course for Every Year, Plus a Few to Grow on at Moto”

This morning I was enjoying my daily commute. I say enjoying because it’s one of my favorite times of year, October. The mornings feel fresh and cool. The colors on the trees are warm and soothing. With this in mind as I readied to face another hectic day, I flipped through my issue of RealContinue reading “Lists & the Things I Love”

Real Simple slideshow “A Month of Easy Dinners” – What working mom wouldn’t be attracted to that cover story? The headline is from this month’s Real Simple magazine. I don’t have a subscription, yet. But I’ve long admired the magazine and pick it up from time to time, usually around the holidays when I haveContinue reading “The Promise of 'No-Stress Meals' — I'm In”