Bursts of Color

What a beautiful day! I grant that it's Monday, but the colors outside are really mood lifting. I recently found a few Fall bloomers I couldn't resist on the clearance rack of the nearby greenhouse. After a couple weekends they are actually in the ground and already sparkling with bright shades of pinks and yellows. I was going to take a few pictures of the countryside yesterday but I have apparently allowed the battery in my camera to run down. I plan to recharge the little inefficient beast today and post a few shots of the area just in case you haven't had the chance to enjoy the real life watercolor scenes of Fall yet.

Closing the 09 Vacay Book

That evening I dropped Kayla off at her parent's place north of Bolivar. Her brother, Chris, would join her later that evening after a long drive from Texas. The next day the two of them would head to Columbia to visit their parents at the hospital.
After kicking Kayla out of the car I took off for south central Missouri to grab a little family time of my own.
When family time wrapped up the following day, the three of us gathered back in Humansville and spent the next couple days in late night conversations, late morning wake ups, and back roading through the landscape of Polk County… In a Jeep, with the top off!!! It was great weather to be out and about with friends and we learned a few things about the area. First, if you need to find someone and don't know where to look, plant yourself at the convenience store because they will pass through sooner or later. Second of all, we grabbed lunch at a small café in town. It was a pleasant surprise to dine on what has to be one of the best salads ever! I don't remember the name, but if you pass through Humansville, swing by the little café on Main and enjoy!!
Last but not least, backroading is still a great way to spend time. Yes, you burn a little gas but you see the good stuff when you venture off the beaten path. For example, while touring the countryside one day, we got a kick out of this sight... I love people with an entertaining sense of humor!! Do you have to be a small town kid to appreciate backroading, or do urban/suburbanites somehow learn that pastime too?
After a couple days entertaining ourselves, Saturday rolled around. Chris made another trip to Columbia to visit the family. Kayla and I ventured back to the Lake of the Ozarks for the jet ski adventure we missed earlier in the week. That evening Chris joined us at the lake for a night on the town at a little club down the road. Bright and early Sunday, he set out for the long haul back to the Lone Star state. Kayla and I returned to Columbia for another visit with the family. Her dad was feeling a little better after his week of recovery and her mom seemed to be a little more rested after the whirlwind week they had experienced. That afternoon we returned to Kansas City to do the rental car and checked luggage shuffle. We made it home and can't wait for the next vacation adventure.

Back to Vacation Past

A little slow on the follow up to the stories I suppose, but there's more to come…
It just so happens we had a great vacation.
Fred and Deb, it was great to see you.. even if you did spend most of your time "hanging out" with the nurses and doctors. There's a good chance they were better company, not to mention, a lot more useful under the circumstances than the rest of us! Hope to visit with you again
We had a great visit with the family and we wanted a spontaneous spin to vacation anyway! After we left the hospital we traveled south to the Lake of the Ozarks. Thanks to my friend Nicole who did a little online search, we found a great resort for $67 a night. At least half the price of some places we checked into and it was very nice. The only downside was the regional cheerleading competition that was being held there that same week. When the guy at the desk shared that information, images of teenie boppers doing cartwheels up and down the halls while giggling and screaming cheers throughout the night passed through my mind. Thankfully that was not the case because he placed us on a floor far away from the sleep threatening spirit squads. We had an awesome balcony overlooking a wonderful scene of greenery and the lake. One evening we participated in what we refer to as "sauna golf." It's an easy game, just attend any mini or full size golf course on what would have to be the muggiest, most miserable, humidity filled day of the year. As you step onto the course, make sure you are surrounded by a number of people (dozens works best) who can slow down the process of actually finishing all 18 holes. You will honestly find yourself fighting the temptation to jump into the mucky oddly colored "water hazard" at the course.

Congratulations, you have now experienced Sauna Golf!! We managed to survive the game by cutting out a couple holes early to make it to the air conditioned theater to see "The Hangover." By the way, I thought it was hilarious!!
During our time at the lake we also enjoyed a couple days of sleeping in, swimming, and a great morning at the spa with massage, manicures, and pedicures! Wonderful!!
We were going to head out for an adventure on Jet Skii's but Mother Nature had a different idea when she sent a monsoon our way. At that point we were already planning to leave the lake for another adventure and this just bumped up the schedule.

When Things Fall into Place...

Then that’s the place you're supposed to be… The next 24 hours were spent packing, doing laundry and trying to think of anything we might need for a week on the road to Colorado and who knows where. What shoes do I need, turn off the air, take out the trash, lock the doors… where are my keys!!!
I made plans to get to Kansas City early so I could tackle a couple of pre-trip tasks, including the need to arrange a rental car. The air conditioner I thought was working in my car decided to fail. That's not acceptable so a rental was a must! Uncharacteristically, I arrived in Kansas City right on time. As I pulled onto the highway toward the airport I got a call from Kayla. She had spent much of her day preparing in the same way, packing, unpacking and repacking. She was at the airport in Chicago about to board the plane for the short flight but called to let me know something had come up. Her parents had called to say that her dad was going to have surgery that evening… a long awaited major surgery… in a matter of hours… in Missouri!!
Of all the places we could have been, the numerous plans that came together to those same plans that fell apart, we were thankful to be where we were. When she arrived in KC we turned our little rental, loaded down with anything and everything, east toward Columbia. We arrived with a couple hours to visit before the operation started.
By the next morning her dad was resting comfortably, or at least as comfortably as one could after an internal overhaul. By the afternoon his color was good and he was visiting with everyone in the room.
Since things were going well they encouraged us to take off on our adventure. We did decide to oblige...

Blindfolded with Pointy Objects

Like I mentioned in the previous posts, we planned for vacation to be an adventure before we even stepped on the door. This one didn't fall short of the goal. So far our vacation plans for South Carolina fell through, last minute airline deals = not so last minute, and now the 24-hour reserve we had on a cruise was dropped somewhere short of 24 hours. As of Friday evening we were officially on vacation and no place to go. Over the previous couple of months we'd tossed around ideas, one of which… throw a dart at a map then hit the road. On a side note, I'm not a dart board owner but recently I found a dart. It was in a dart board that had been thrown away. I wasn't intentionally dumpster diving, I just happened to come across it, I promise. Anyway, I grabbed the dart just in case.
Now that our latest plans had crumbled, we decided to do a little more searching/surfing then discuss our findings the following day, Saturday. That morning I ran a couple of errands and ended up back at the office where there are multiple computers for searching ease. For inspiration, I placed a map of the United States above the computer and searched flights for anywhere, Florida… beaches and theme parks… California…more beach… Colorado… Colorado, what could we do there??? White water rafting… a possibility… Finally in a fit of frustration I took out the dart, closed my eyes and tossed it. Apparently I forgot to inform the dart that anyplace chillier than Missouri was not an option, because the thing landed in the chilly tundra of Canada, yuck! My own personal theory is we wait all winter for cold to go away, so going somewhere cold during summer is ridiculous.
Curt, one of the DJ's who seemed amused by the desperate vacation search, informed me proper dart throwing procedure calls for a twirl then toss. Ahhh, good idea! Relieved there was a professional on hand to clear up the bylaws, the first throw was disqualified!
I stepped back, took a couple blinded spins and threw the dart toward what I hoped was the map …… And the winner is, Colorado! I like it.. A few moments later I shared the results with Kayla who was all for a Colorado White Water Rafting adventure. There should be plenty to do and the state is also close enough to Missouri that I could drive out and we could road trip across the countryside.
Decisions made!! The following day Kayla, who lives in Chicago, would take an affordable flight into Kansas City instead of the pricey Denver option. I would pick her up in a rental car (with an operating AC) and we would be westward bound!!

Vacation Eve and Counting

When the 24-hour hold was placed on the cruise, we set to work making our travel arrangements to Miami. Kayla lives in Chicago. I'm near Kansas City. Between the two large airports we should be able to find flights to South Beach without much trouble… or one would think.
On a daily basis there is a plethora of emails bragging about these amazing "last minute deals." Most of the time those bargains are off to places that would be great to visit. I'll confess though, I don't usually read the whole thing because I don't have the time to go. During this planning adventure, I've officially read the fine print and have learned something about those "deals". It's bull!! The majority of these require a 10 to 14 day purchase prior to departure. If I can't purchase a ticket and be on the plane/boat/train/camel or water buffalo within 24 hours then it's not a last minute deal!!
Despite the false claim, we both found decent priced flights that would put us in Miami enjoying the sunshine in about 48 hours. That would be plenty of time to enjoy the beach before the cruise left port. With a little excitement as well as relief knowing when, where and what we would do, the call was made to secure the cruise…
or attempt to...

Mission Vacation...

Vacation! It's a great time to get away, relax, take in sunshine and visit with old friends. You've got to love it. This year was no different in the amount of fun, but quite different in the follow through. My friend Kayla and I had been planning to take a vacation for the past couple of months and finally settled on the week of June 22nd as the time to escape. In 2008 we took a trip to Vegas where we won some and lost some, just the way Vegas should be. This time we decided vacation would be an adventure from the very beginning, long before stepping out the door. How does that happen? By making absolutely no plans! We didn't know where we wanted to go so we decided to "let the cards fall where they may" and see what happens from a last minute adventure.
A few days into June, our friend Chris in North Carolina invited us to his place on the lake. He would take off a couple days to join us but thought we could find plenty to entertain ourselves in the meantime. Lake, boats, and sunshine in a land many states away… that sounded like a great idea so we started plotting when and how to get there. As travel plans fell into place, things on the other end fell apart. Chris had unavoidable stuff come up so he wouldn't be able to amuse us girls as planned. That's ok, we've got plenty of time!
As the vacation countdown continued, we dedicated hours to the search. Four days out, Kayla found a great 4-night deal on a cruise. Sunshine, boats, beach!! Can't beat it! She put a 24 hour hold on the cabin while we tracked down flights to Miami. We don't fly out for three days, that's plenty of time...

It's What's for Dinner… And Dessert!!!

During May, KMZU hosts the Best Beef Recipe Contest. We've had the contest for a few years now, five I believe. If there is a day that people get to work early, the beef cook off is the day. As promised, I'm posting the winning recipe here. We'll also have the rest of the recipes in our KMZU cook book, as soon as I finish typing it. This year's book will contain all the recipes submitted last year and this year, so there is bound to be something you'll enjoy.
This month is National Dairy Month so we've decided to continue our delicious savory summer with a Dairy Dessert contest. It's underway now. The dessert must include some type of dairy product and the deadline for entry is June 26th. We'll announce the winner for this contest on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009. Recipes can be sent to KMZU Dairy Dessert, 102 North Mason, Carrollton MO 64633.. or email it to us at farmdept@kmzu.com

The 2009 winning Best Beef recipe was submitted by Tom Ecklund of Brookfield. According to Ecklund, it's a concoction he uses for elk and has modified it for beef. His recipe helped him when this amazing Treager Grill which I'm sure he's already put to use!! The recipe is creates an elegant, delicious home cooked steak… Even our die hard grilling guys loved it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

PAN SEARED FILLET OF BEEF
With a Cranberry Merlot Sauce

Ingredients
Steak: 1 9oz Fillet
Olive Oil
Seasoning: 1Tbsp Cracked Pepper 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp Ground Pepper 1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp White Pepper 1 tsp Season Salt
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper 2 Tbsp Salt

Sauce: 1 Cup Water ½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Dried Cranberries
1 1/3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2/3 Cup Merlot (Does not have to be expensive)
¼ Cup Butter

Preheat your Oven to 450 Degrees

Preparation
Seasoning: Place all ingredients into a small plastic container with a lid, Shake until combined. Stir with a fork before using, because oregano will sift to the top when you shake it.
Sauce: Using a 12” Skillet on high heat, bring the water & sugar to a soft boil. Add Cranberries to the water and let them boil for one minute. Then add the merlot and Worcestershire, let it reduce for 7 to 8 minutes. Turn heat to low, stir in the butter, you are finished when the sauce coats the back of a spoon. (You do not what it to be syrupy but if it is really translucent just let it reduce longer.)
Steak: In a 10” Stainless Steal skillet, sear all sides of your fillet.
1. Get your pan hot
2. Dust all sides of the fillet with the seasoning
3. Drizzle just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan
4. Sear all sides of the fillet (including edges), roughly 10 to 15 seconds per side
5. Place in 450 degree oven for 6 to 10 min depending on your oven. You want it to be Medium Rare for best results, but you can go to medium if you must. I wouldn’t go over that because then the steak will become tuff

Put it all together: Cut the fillet against the grain into four to five equal strips. Fan the strips out on a plate and spoon some cranberries and a little extra sauce over the strips. You will have extra cranberries and sauce left but if you cut the recipe down too far it doesn’t work out as nicely.

Tip: While your water comes to a boil for your sauce, sear your steak. While your steak is in the oven, finish your sauce. This way you should be done at the same time. Otherwise make your sauce first and take it off the heat and just bring it back to temperature before you top the steak with it.
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Hope you enjoy the recipe and don't forget to send in your favorite Dairy Dessert by June 26th. We're building a great prize package for the winner!!

Get to Typing!!!

That's what I've been telling myself, and others have told me, for the last few weeks. I've typed up a few notes here and there but didn't feel there was much excitement to share. At least that's what I thought until I took a stroll through some random pictures from the last couple months where I discovered a few points of inspiration.
First, this is a shot of the mess in the office during National Ag week. Why do we have a mess at that time (or more of a mess, my coworkers would ask)? During National Ag week we work to educate kids throughout the area about agriculture. This year I visited about 10 different schools and spoke to more than 400 elementary students about agriculture. The students usually enjoy the program but really get excited when I tell them they get a free KMZU t-shirt for listening so well. That means a lot of shirts pass through the farm department over the two week period. This is just a sample of the cotton headache that was in the office before the school visits got started.
This photo.... it's a shot of the car after the schools visits came to an end. It takes a lot of energy to talk to 400+ enthusiastic kids. This is how I build up the energy to survive the week. In hindsight, it appears I may have a dew problem.

I have a new toy in the world of blogging!! Maybe I should say a new feature...

Ahhh Spring...Please don't go!!

It's been an eventful few weeks in Farm country. There are plenty of things to keep you busy... Springtime is typically no exception, although it seems to rain every time you turn around. There's been enough rain that the majority of spring planting is delayed. The pattern is a couple days of precipitation followed by a day or two of sun. When the ground is close to where it needs to be…. along comes another rain to postpone action once again.
The Missouri Ag Statistics Service reported last Monday that 4% of the Missouri corn crop was planted… the report that came out this afternoon?... it's up to a whoppin 7% complete. That means a few folks have made it to the field, but the majority of that is in the Bootheel. Typically for this time of year 42% of the states corn crop is in the ground. We've started our spring soil temps now so we'll keep our fingers crossed that will bring along positive spring planting vibes. Good. Luck!!
Speaking of spring planting, I personally don't have any fields to take care of, but I do have a couple small flower beds in need of a little color. With the sunny/cold pattern followed by the rain/frost/sunshine pattern, there hasn’t been much outdoor activity for me. During Easter I made it home to visit mom for the weekend, and we were very productive. We did a little flower shopping for the flower beds then did a little plant digging for the same reason. Mom has a nice selection of Iris' and thought she would share a few with me. We spent the afternoon digging up and separating a few bulbs (by few I mean store bags full). Later we made the trek to the "back 40" to find the horses. My gelding has the tendency to enjoy the lush Spring grass a little more than he should so we brought them up for some dry lot time, though it wasn't easy. The neighbors mare has been with them for a while and… to be honest, she's a little to friendly. It's handy if you want to catch her, but geezzz girl, back off, give me some space… get outta my way!
It took some work because King was torn between the two mares… "Who do I follow? Mom or trouble maker.... mom or trouble maker".... In horse speak I'm sure he doesn't refer to either of them like that but you get the picture. As he stood in the middle of the pasture I could see his dilemma, he called out to one, then turned to call out to the other. Usually mom (my mare Ginger who I was riding), wins the battle hands down, but this year the fella was torn. After making a few adjustments to our plans, and the neighbor showing up to help on his 4-wheeler, everyone was where they were supposed to be. By the way, I'll take this opportunity to brag up Ginger. Sure, I suppose she's no spring chicken, but when your riding a horse who hasn't been around 4-wheelers and she still does what you need her to do... you've got yourself a good one.
By the end of the adventure, my rear was dirty from bareback riding, my legs were a little wobbly from the chase and the horses, well I sure they would have preferred to have been left alone. However no complaints here. Any day horseback riding, pain or no pain, means a great day has been had... by me at least.

On the Go...

Things have been a little hectic at The Farm recently. As a little side note, The Farm is KMZU, my home away from home. You can also refer it as KMZU World Headquarters. Think big = be big so having world headquarters is a great place to start. Now if they could just build that airport, that would put us one step closer. Something to think about.
Back to what I mentioned, about things being a little hectic. A couple weeks ago I had a road trip to Grapevine, Texas for Commodity Classic. That's the annual convention for the American Soybean Association, the National Corn Growers Association and the National Association of Wheat Growers. This year the National Sorghum Producers Association also joined the mix. I'm always amazed to see so many people with similar interests gathered together for an event like The Classic. I compare the feeling to the National FFA Convention during my high school years. Unlike the FFA convention, there's no sea of blue FFA jackets. Instead you spend your time scanning more than 4,000 name tags trying to learn where people are from. Some of those tags are nicely pinned to the coat. The tricky part is reading the tags that are on a lanyard dangling from someone's neck. Either way the writing is much smaller than the ol FFA Jacket, but you get used to it.
Something else that's a little different between the two events: no chaperon! You can stay out as late as you want! Not that I do would do that of course, but I could if I wanted to.
I failed to grab any pictures from the convention but I did grab a shot of the Golden Arch landmark when I was driving south. As a kid many a holiday hours were spent on the road to Texas to visit my mom's brother and family in Arlington or traveling further south to San Antonyah (as grandma would say) to see my grandparents. Needless to say, Christmas in Texas is a lot warmer than Missouri, so I always enjoyed the trip but dreaded the drive. One thing I remember most is I always wanted to stop here. It was the largest Golden Arches I'd ever seen and it was built over the Interstate. It was on the way but mom would never stop. On this trip, I was behind the wheel and operating on my own schedule… I still didn't stop. I suppose my priorities have changed and I wanted to get where I was going. Hindsight however, stopping would have been a good idea. Turns out the toll road dudes only take cash… Turns out they can be a little grumpy too…

Will They Melt in Your Mouth or in Your Hands?

So I've been trying to think of something interesting over the last few weeks. There have been a few things, including a trip to the Commodity Classic conference in Texas. However, when something comes to mind, I forget to blog until I'm away from the computer (a vicious cycle of "what was I going to do?") Yesterday I was sorting pictures on the cell phone and I came across a shot that made me smile and think of a story.
First, a little background: when I travel and have time to pick up gifts, I put a lot of energy in to one shopping point. I always try to find something from that area. Art is my favorite find, but not always available or affordable. When that fails then it needs to be something that will represent the region. An example: in Mexico I found a colorful clay tortilla warmer which I liked so much I got one for myself too.
Now, the photo I came across is of the gift I picked up in France for my nephew Caleb last year. France is well known for olive production. In fact we visited an olive farm where I purchased a couple bottles of olive oil for the family. Caleb likes olives but I didn't think he'd like his own bottle of olive oil. Finally, during the last day in France I came across a colorful candy store full of goodies. While scanning the aisles I found this package of chocolate covered olives! First thought…ewwwww disgusting. That however was quickly followed by an evil little chuckle and the second thought of, absolutely perfect!! Chocolate and olives!! He loves both of those, maybe not necessarily together but I couldn't resist! I couldn't do better and the look on his face would be priceless!!
Now fast forward to Christmas. There were several nice gifts in the mix, but it was this little package of chocolate covered olives that I was looking forward to the most. When he opened the gift the response was, gee… thanks Aunt Janet…. What is it? The label was in French so I explained what was inside the pretty green little package. Despite the concern, he was game to give it a try… With a little hesitation he opened it up pulled out one of the colorful olives and took a bite… as he slowly chewed the unusual treat, there was no ewww. In fact he gave me a curious look and said it tasted like almonds.
That's odd. He tossed me a green one and I took a bite.
After thousands of miles and months of waiting for the fun reaction, my ornery surprise was in fact chocolate covered almonds made to look like olives!
Guess I should have learned to read a little French while I was there. I wonder what the chocolate covered bacon really was?

Knock, Knock?...

When I realized I was locked out of the house that evening, I tried to come up with another option. After circling the house, I finally determined it was going to be harder than I'd hoped. With that I called it a night and crashed at a friend's house.
The following morning I admitted my latest dilemma to my loving coworkers. After laughing and poking fun at the predicament, my boss decided he could probably help.
When we made it to the house that afternoon I followed along as he pretty much did the same as I had the night before. Our final stop was the front door where he tried the door knob. I know you're thinking it was probably open all along, but you'd be wrong! At that point he admitted it was going to be more of a challenge than he thought too.
After the little Ring-around the house-Rosy, I made a couple more calls and a neighbor came to help. I just happen to know all the windows are locked tight with the exception of one which happens to be on the upper level of course.
Now, how do you reach a window on the second floor? The ladder was locked in the house along with tools and anything else that might be useful. Thank goodness for my neighbor who came to the rescue with a very tall ladder and a full toolbox. When we finally reached the window, I was able to climb through but my life was at risk. To move from the ladder through the window, I had to balance on the table under the window. At the same time I had to move lamps and stuff off the table so I could get safely away from the ladder and the window, not fall off the table or out of the window then place my feet on the floor. Thankfully, I made it. Nothing broken, including me, and I was standing in my house. I immediately unlocked the door then started searching for the spare key. Not only did I quickly locate the key, but I also found the garage door opener…. the one I thought I threw away.

I'm SURE it has happened to others...

In the last post I mentioned the fact that my garage door remote disappeared in October when I wrecked the Jeep. I possibly threw the thing away. It hadn't worked for two years, why keep the visor decoration for another two?
Another problem relating back to the wreck, I used a rental car for a couple weeks. Handy at the time, but when I returned the rental to Kansas City, I left my house key on the key ring (yes, absent minded move).
Shortly after the family visited, I left the house one morning through the garage. You know, the useful way of hitting the button and rushing out the door without getting knocked in the head while stepping over the laser thing at the bottom... After a long day at the office followed by a fun night of volleyball and a late night trip to the grocery store I finally realized, 15 hours earlier I made a mistake. I arrived home that evening without a door opener or a key…… I was locked out.
Man it's gonna be tough to put these groceries in the fridge.

A New Home for Me, kind of…

So while the family was here for Thanksgiving, they had to entertain themselves. What's a brother to do…. fix stuff, and fix things they did. David installed a new garbage disposal. After that he kind of wandered around the house looking for other things to fix.
My washing machine quit about the same time in 2006 that the dishwasher and garbage disposal went on strike. I had a part that I purchased to repair it, but wasn't quite sure how. Luckily, I was able to locate the part and he repaired the washing machine. The garage door opener worked for two weeks when I first moved into my house, but nothing since. Amy tinkered with it and got it up and running again. The downside, when I wrecked the Jeep a couple months ago I think I finally threw the remote control opener away (remember this point it will come up again next time).
I also have a gas grill that's attached to the house gas line. I never did get it to work, but David discovered the well hidden switch where the gas line turns on the grill…. Yheaaaaa!!
After the busy day, we decided to lay back and enjoy a movie. While watching the film Brody (who will be 2 soon) woke up from a nap in Amy's arms. He smiled, then got sick……. on the couch, on his mom, on the pillows and on a blanket. At this point I'll take a moment to testify having a washing machine back in operation ROCKS!! I'll also say that Resolve worked great for cleaning everything, the floor, the couch, the pillows….each is clean and now carpet cleaner fresh!
So how do you reward your family for all their helpful accomplishments? Apparently you watch the kids while they get sick. That's right. Brody was feeling better Saturday, but that evening, halfway through another movie, David and Amy both got sick. Thankfully the rest of us were ok, so we kept our distance and let mom and dad get the bug out of their systems. By Sunday morning they were a little better and ready to hit the road. Mom, who planned to stay for another day or two decided to head home too. This is a picture of a "calm between the storms" of sickness. L to R is Caleb, Brody and David enjoying one of the movies.
So the rundown from the weekend, a huge feast, a new way to cook vegetables, a couple movies, a sick baby, a sick mom and dad, a working garbage disposal / washing machine / grill / and dish washer!
I call that a weekend to remember. I wonder if they'll ever come back?