Flower power countdown: Week 1

My hubby gave me the coolest, most unexpected gift for Christmas this year. I am now the proud owner of an AeroGarden!

To be honest, I'd never heard of these contraptions before. My husband discovered a sale on AeroGardens through an online deals forum (he does all his shopping online). He knows that I've been looking wistfully out the window at my snow-covered backyard, counting down the days until I can finally dig my hands in our little garden again. Here's hoping that the AeroGarden will scratch my gardening itch until the spring thaw.

A quick browse through the AeroGarden Web site got my heart a-fluttering over the indoor gardening possibilities. I can grow herbs, flowers and even vegetables (!) in these little soil-free wonders. My mini AeroGarden came with a pack of flower seeds.


All I had to do was drop the seed pods into the holes, fill the aerated tank with water and turn on the grow light, which runs on a self-timer. Ridiculously easy! The plastic covers act as mini-greenhouses to promote seed growth.

Even more amazing, the AeroGarden lights up when it needs to be refilled with water or a fertilizer tablet.

I've placed the AeroGarden at my front entry table, so every morning and night I can check the seeds' progress. So far, not much is happening. But I'll keep everyone updated on my Flower Power Countdown throughout the winter.

Catching cold on Christmas

I've been struggling with a head cold this past week, my first cold in more than two years. It's been quite a doozy. I'm still feeling a little under the weather. I spent Christmas Eve at home, mostly on the couch.

The doorbell rang in the morning, and I was suprised to see a boy scout delivering the popcorn I ordered a few months ago. I was even more surprised to see I had ordered Iowa-grown popcorn.


I absolutely love this label on the package. Such a wonderful description of what makes Iowa great.


When my husband got home from work, I dragged myself off the couch for my first-ever attempt at making Norwegian rosettes. I bought these rosette irons at an antique store in La Crosse, Wis., last summer.

I dipped the irons in batter, then dipped them in hot oil. The result: a crispy funnel-cake like treat.

These rosettes didn't quite turn out the way I remember. They should be thinner and crispier. I need to practice my technique a little bit more.

Later that night, my husband made beef stew for Christmas Eve dinner, since our freezer is filled with a quarter of beef we recently purchased from a local cattle farmer.

I decided to try a recipe from "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. I was in the mood for a crusty, chewy bread to dip in the stew. The bread turned out amazing! So glad I invested in a pizza stone.

Hoping I wake up tomorrow feeling much better. It's a bummer to finally get some time off work, only to be too tired to do anything. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday break!

Christmas decorations: Iowa style

My sister and I were driving up to Mom's house in northwest Iowa for an early Christmas celebration. I stopped my truck when I saw these Christmas light displays while driving through the tiny town of Lorimor on Highway 4.

Corn stalks make up the branches of this Christmas "tree".

Why make a snowman when you can make a giant hay-bale man, complete with pipe, hat and "carrot" nose?
Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas full of unexpected surprises!