Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

Another fun wine from the Grayslake, Ill.,-based Glunz Family Winery & Cellars. You and, especially my Christmas tree-trimming party guests, already know I’m a big fan of their winter Vin Glogg. But warm wine just doesn’t sound appealing in the heat of summer. So I was very excited to find the iFarmer brought home deContinue reading “Local Summer Wine, With Fruit to Boot”

I’ve been a bit under the weather this weekend, but I’m coming out of it, I hope. I’ve been sleeping more than 12 hours for the past couple of nights. That’s made a big difference. Now that I’m turning a health corner, I need to catch up a bit with some VFG posts. Last weekContinue reading “New Addictive Artisanal Cheese…and It's Local”

I have this great book “Char Siu Bao Boy” written by the talented Sandra Yamate. I’ve been reading it to my kids for ages, but only recently has it clicked that these delicious Chinese dumplings are real food. They’ve been practicing their chopstick skills with ramen noodles. But they haven’t ventured much further into ourContinue reading “Introducing New Foods…With Limited Success”

I’ve been looking for a good organic gift basket to either assemble on my own or order online. So I was pleased to find yet another lead on the Chicago Locavores site…this one steering me to Seedling Orchard, an organic farm near South Haven, Mich. Gotta love their credo: We sell only locally grown fruitContinue reading “New Gift Basket Source: Seedling Orchard”

I’m so psyched to be a member of Chicago Locavores now. The group’s blog does these great little interviews with local businesses that focus on buying local. I’m definitely intrigued with Irv & Shelly’s Fresh Picks. This couple has this great to-you-door fresh produce delivery business that rivals the idea of a CSA. Not onlyContinue reading “Buy Local Tip: Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks”

Today’s Tribune headline “Support your local farmer” caught my eye. It’s always good to scan the local paper and see something about farming or healthy food initiatives. I had to read past the jump to see that local Farmgirl Nina Interlandi Bell, from our old Rogers Park stomping grounds no less, has started a groupContinue reading “Lawmakers Are Catching the Locavore Craze”

Lots of activity at The Farm. Just in time for the 4th, all the planting for the season is through, including a native garden complete with black corn, pole beans, squash, pumpkin and gourd. Also, I got word this week that a trapper nabbed a thieving mink at a Grant County CSA, but not beforeContinue reading “A Thief is Captured, We Hope”

One of my inspirations, the “lifestyle brand” MaryJane Butters, has a new book that the NYTs described as a “dilly,” whatever that means. “MaryJane’s Outpost: Unleashing Your Inner Wild” is the third for the Farmgirl queen and sounds like it has some potential. Butters certainly knows how to marry the Tomboy/girlie girl concepts with herContinue reading “Summer Farmgirl Reading”

I learned a little more about reading organic wine labels with this piece from the Seattle Times. I actually have enjoyed the organic wine I’ve tasted. Seems smoother to me and (without sulfites) doesn’t turn my face red. But like many things on the market, I’m increasingly suspicious of the word “organic.” There’s just tooContinue reading “Defining Organic: Some Help With Wine”

Here are some handmade Lincoln Logs that Hoosier Outsider crafted for he and the Future Farmkids to tinker with. They were a big hit with FFB and FFG.