Hop Shoots for Dinner

Hop Shoots are a delicacy for hop growers and culinary enthusiasts, alike.

Available for only a short window at the start of the growing season, hop shoots are a treasure to enjoy!

When the perennial plant, humulus lupulus (hops) emerge in the spring, they need to be pruned back before ascending up their trellis.

This pruning allows hop shoots to grace the table of those so inclined.

Tonight the Hop Haus family enjoyed a fine meal which included our very own hop shoots -- quite a treat!!

Morning's Quiet

This morning I spent some time, just me, my eggs and coffee, the singing birds, and The Word. Self care looks different for everyone, but an ounce of quiet is soothing to my maternal chapter. I read again the tale of Jesus feeding the crowd of five thousand men. We don't know how many women and children were there, but the total sounds something like the number that is gathered at my family reunions. :) I find it hard, to make sure to save space for my care and well being. It doesn't take long. Maybe fifteen minutes in the word. Maybe an hour at the gym. Maybe a dinner with my friend. It is so hard for me to say "I have time for that". I can say it is my family, my children, or my husband, but that is me allowing myself to come last. Whether it is regular teeth cleanings or a cup-topping visit with a soul sister, I need to take care of myself, I need to be honest about what works for me, if I am to take care of my family in the very best way. Today, before I head o...

First Lilly

Growing up, my family would take long drives to southern Ohio and Appalachia to visit family. The stationwagon logged a great many miles on those country roads and I always admired the lilies adorning the side of the road. The splashes of orange were cheerful and bright, welcoming visitors, so it seemed. Last year, when we moved to the cottage, I swooned over the orange lilies up along the road. While some view them as ordinary or plain, to me they have always been something I'd like to add to the front of the property, until now. The cottage came ready to bloom! This afternoon, as we pulled from the drive, intent on a trip to take our small tribe to visit cousins, I noticed that the very first lilly had blossomed! I smiled and quietly made note, as the car was filled with the chatted and rustle that begets a family road trip. I'm sure that when we return home, the sun will have beckoned forth lilies innumerable. I can't wait to see their smiling orange hues, laced with y...

Women in Business

I was just listening to a podcast about women in business featuring CoCo Chanel. I'm fascinated by fashion. I can't afford high fashion right now and I cannot maintain high fashion right now, but the allure and the fluidity of high fashion intrigue me. In the interest of dusting off my business brain, I thought the podcast may inspire. A familiar voice casually led my mind as I set to scrubbing the kitchen sink, responding to emails and wiping the baseboards. All glamorous stuff, I assure you. To hear of the humble beginnings of Coco Chanel and the manner in which she navigated the early financial hurdles of starting a business, the personal branding tips offered, the growth perspective, it was some what predictable, but worth hearing. The narrative meandered through the chronological sequence of Coco's life and business choices until it reached war time Europe. The narrator's tone was a bit more reserved, as I would expect from was time discussion. I come from a g...

Search This Blog