Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

If Google had groupies, I’d probably be one…even though the mega world-dominating company scares me a bit. Google is my search engine of choice. VFG’s on Google’s Blogger. I manage my blog photos on Picasa and I use Google Analytics as a backup (I only prefer Sitemeter because it’s real time). So when I learnedContinue reading “Rock Star Google Chef Serves Slow Food Fast”

I realize I’m a little late to the table, but I’ve finally started reading Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. I’m excited to finally read this book, a work that’s clearly had so much influence on how and what Americans eat. With excitement comes a certain amount of fear, which wasContinue reading “Food…It's What's For Dinner”

A few days ago I wrote about how I could never be a total Kingsolver locavore because I can’t fathom being without citrus in the winter. So I was heartened to read this piece by Nancy Pekar in the News & Observer, the end of a series about eating local. Here’s the key section: ForContinue reading “Baby Steps to Becoming a Locavore”

I added a quick poll at the top of VFG asking you to pick your favorite pie after posting yesterday about the effort to make Hoosier Sugar Cream the Official Pie of Indiana. Turns out that very few states — just two — have locked in on a single dessert. No surprise that in Florida,Continue reading “What Would Be the Official Pie of Your State/City?”

Got word from one of my favorite correspondents that the Indiana Foodways Alliance is pushing for the sugar cream pie, also known as Hoosier pie, to be named the Official Pie of Indiana. It’s one of my favorite pies to make and a very easy pie to get very wrong…depending on your use of ingredients.Continue reading “My Vote for Official Pie of Indiana….Sugar Cream”

Many members of my extended family have been called to mission work. I haven’t much felt that pull. But I’m moved by the selflessness of the Fellowship of Christian Farmers, International. This 24-year-old group has come to the aid of the near forgotten victims of Hurricane Ike: Texas farmers and ranchers who lost miles ofContinue reading “Christian Farmers Aid the Forgotten in the Texas Bayou”

I got the new Folkie’s Tavern calendar today in my e-mail inbox and was delighted to see that the art this year is none other than a Hoosier Outsider original. I hope to get some nice prints of these to hang at my office and at home. Besides the art, my favorite part of theContinue reading “Folks Like Folkie's”

It’s not often that a historic preservation battle focuses on and old farmhouse. But that’s exactly what’s happening at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The university plans to move the 139-year-old Mumford House, which was named for the school’s original Dean of Agriculture. The house reportedly stands in the way of new landscaped plaza andContinue reading “Presevationists Rally Around Historic Farmhouse”

Just a quick note to comment on White Owl Winery’s Holiday Sparkle. We were in a celebratory mood tonight, so we popped the cork on this Flat Rock, Ill., wine. It was nice, very sweet. It was perfect when I plopped in some frozen strawberries.

For some reason, in the winter, I crave oranges. And that’s not just because I like OJ in my occasional tequila sunrise. We had a bunch of Florida oranges at Christmas thanks to a Santa who delivered a partial crate to The Farm. And I just bought a bag of some of the sweetest NavalContinue reading “The Craving That May Keep Me From Taking the Buy Local Plunge”