Farmgirls Visit the City

Twice a year, manufacturers and retailers—people that buy, sell, and make linens (sheets, towels, bed sets, aprons, etc.) come from all over the world and meet in New York City. This means my daddy and sometimes my mommy and Nanny Jane get to travel from our wonderful and quiet little Moscow, Idaho, to the big and bustling city of Manhattan. This year, my spring break just so happened to be the same week that my dad was scheduled for his bi-annual trip, so we signed up to go, too!!

My mom, sister, and I had a blast in the big city!

Park Ave

Farmgirls on Park Avenue!

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  1. Carol Gillen says:

    Every year I look forward to my annual “Mother/Daughter” trip. Some of them have included the Country Living Fair in Atlanta and Columbus; a 3-day flea market in Florida, Airboat ride through alligator swamps, and even scuba diving with the giant whale sharks at an aquarium. I wonder what this year will bring. You are lucky, like me, to have daughters. I hope you have as many adventures as we have.

    • Megan says:

      I love traveling with the girls! They are embarking on such fun ages for travel and seeing the world through their eyes is marvelous, absolutely!

  2. Winnie Nielsen says:

    What a fun experience for the girls to see someplace so different from home! NYC has so much to see and do. Just walking the streets and seeing all of the diverse shops and people is exciting!!

  3. Terry Steinmetz says:

    NYC is so-o-o great to visit. I love to visit there! Hope the girls see great places. Try Central Park–truly a fun excursion!

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farm_romance-8543

  1. Terry Steinmetz says:

    I can envision sunlight going through these onto my walls bringing all different kinds of lights!

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farm_romance-chard

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    Delicious Swiss Chard! I love this veggie and eat it almost every week. The rainbow colors are so perfect for Spring.

  2. Gerry Timm says:

    The swiss chard looks so good. Can’t wait till mine comes up in a few weeks!

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Today’s Recipe: Corned Beef & Roasted Cabbage

Here’s a recipe destined for your kitchen on St. Patrick’s Day (coming up on March 17) that will help you avoid the red dyes that are present in grocery-store corned beef. Enjoy!

Here’s a note on corned beef from my DIL, Ashley, who came up with this recipe for you.

“In many corned-beef recipes, pink salt or salt peter is listed as an ingredient. This does not mean Himalayan pink salt; it refers to a salt that is a combination of sodium chloride and sodium nitrite. This type of salt is dyed pink as a way to distinguish it from regular salts.

Sodium nitrite is useful as a preservative and helps prevent the growth of botulism-causing bacteria. It is also responsible for a chemical reaction that makes meats retain their pink color even after cooking. All of these things sound beneficial, so what’s the problem with nitrites?

Sodium nitrite has been researched for its carcinogenic effects and has been linked to several different types of cancer and other health issues. The data on all of this is unclear, and the general consensus is that large quantities need to be consumed to be toxic, but isn’t it better to err on the side of caution? And nitrites have proven to be particularly harmful in the intestines of young children. This recipe for corned beef is brined for just 48 hours, and tastes like the real deal.

The only thing that is missing is the traditional hot-pinkish color of the meat. We experimented with adding beet juice to the brine in the hopes that it would dye the meat, but without success. So, the beet juice is a optional ingredient in this recipe. As far as preserving the meat and preventing the growth of nasty botulism-causing bacteria, use fresh organic brisket, brine it right away, and cook it right after brining.

growing_jane-beef_cabbage-8138

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  1. CJ Armstrong says:

    Well, you can bet I’ll be trying this! We always do the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner (with potatoes and carrots) for St. Patrick’s Day. We’re Scottish/Irish . . what can I say!
    But it’ll be SOOOOOO nice to do something with less “junk”! We have our own beef in the freezer so we’ll just pull out a “Pumpkin” (that was her name) brisket and fix her up!
    Thanks so much!
    CJ

  2. Sylvia Jacobus says:

    This sounds really good. I”m dying to try the roasted cabbage. Normally roasted vegetables taste sweeter.

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