Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

I don’t know what it is about this particular ailment. But it seems to strike either right before or during Thanksgiving or Christmas. In at least three of the last six holidays, croup has joined us for the celebration, including Future Farmboy’s very first Christmas. I get the laryngitis and my son gets the barkingContinue reading “An Uninvited Guest Has Arrived…Croup”

So a product on a store shelf lists flour as an ingredient, but not “wheat. Or it lists butter, but not “milk.” What’s the big deal? It could mean life or death for people, especially children, who suffer from food allergies and are trained at a very young age how to carefully examine product labels.Continue reading “Reporters Hot on the Trail of Mislabeled Food”

If you’re still rushing to finish shopping and haven’t nailed down your menu, there’s still time to add a fantastic featured dish. I thought it would be too late to get pasture-raised lamb and turkey before Christmas. But turns out that True Nature Foods on North Broadway in Chicago is taking orders until Dec. 22,Continue reading “Still Time to Order Pastured Lamb”

It’s only a matter of time before farmers become rock stars. We’re already seeing movie after movie. So what’s next? Music videos of course. Here’s a cute, though kinda weird, music video about the Midwest’s very own Farmer John. Chicagoans will recognize some scenes from the Loop. Remember the movie, The Real Dirt on FarmerContinue reading “This Farmer is One Chord Closer to Rock Star Status”

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack? Really? I guess we’ll find out for sure tomorrow. Doesn’t seem like an inspired choice…at least not from the perspective of the small family farmer or for those embracing sustainability. But big ag, huge subsidy-driven agriculture operators are breathing a sigh of relief. We’ll see.

I had been so proud that Chicago allowed backyard chickens. Come to find out, some aldermen have been trying to outlaw these friendly egg layers. Oh well…I’m guessing the locavore tide has turned enough that it will be much more difficult to ban the birds at this point. The Chicago Trib story today, “Chickens earningContinue reading “Trib Profiles Chicago Backyard Chicken Enthusiasts”

If you look at my herb garden right now, there’s not much to be seen. Amazingly, the chives and Italian parsley, while wilted, are still bright green and edible. And two of my three varieties of thyme seem to thrive in the cold. It also appears that my shallots may have taken root. But theContinue reading “Get Your Herbal Fix in January”

Usually when I’ve had a sick kid and had to stay home with one of them, I can get work done. I park him in his nest in front of the TV or tuck him in bed and I’m free to concentrate on my computer screen. Not today. My son has pink eye, but isContinue reading “Anyone for a Game of Skittles?”

During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend I misplaced my recipe notebook. It’s nothing fancy, just a Impressionist-themed booklet meant for journaling. Because I do all my journaling online, I have used this book for the last 15 years to jot down favorite family recipes and paste in ones I’ve cut out from newspapers and magazines. WhenContinue reading “New Orleans Paper Helps Families Recover Lost Recipes”