The mountains are alive...

with the sound of music! Summer is my favorite time of year in Wyoming. Old man winter has gone into hibernation, the mountains are blanketed in gradient shades of green, and the wildflowers garnish the landscape with dollops of splendid colors. And what is most exciting about summer in Wyoming is all the fun activities and events around the state that offer something to do for everyone. For those who love music, a must-do event is the Grand Targhee Music Festival at Grand Targhee Resort, nestled in the majestic Teton Mountains. People from all over the world convene in one of our state's most beautiful settings to enjoy the music of talented and accomplished musicians, that includes Grammy award winners and nominees. This three day event is a pleasure for people of all ages, with a variety of activities for kids, too. For more information about the Fifth Annual Targhee Fest on July 17-19, click here.
Photograph courtesy Grand Targhee Resort

The Sky is the Limit

Sunsets in Wyoming - simply spectacular! And what a splendid view we had from the cockpit of our Cessna during my first flying lesson - very uplifting therapy after a long week!

Adventure is worthwhile in itself. -Amelia Earhart

Down to Earth

The planting season has arrived here in the Big Horn Basin, finally! With my favorite vegetables and herbs grounded firmly into the rich soil, my only task now is to nurture them with water, and lots of it, in our very dry, high desert climate. If all goes as planned, I will harvest enough tomatoes for canning an ample supply to enjoy through fall and winter in my favorite soups, salsas, and sauces. I'm going to try preserving herbs this year, so I planted several varieties to determine which will hold their flavor. And I found a delicious vegetable antipasto recipe for canning that I will share in an upcoming magazine article I'm writing for Teton Family Magazine. The magazine's first issue will debut August 1st, so stay tuned for more information about this exciting new publication featuring Paulette Phlipot’s beautiful photography.

A Handful of Joy

The days are getting longer and warmer here in the Big Horn Basin, although it's not quite warm enough for me and my plants, yet. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying getting my hands dirty with the joyful work required to prep my garden for planting.

Yesterday, I visited our local nursery and I was overwhelmed by the sea of vibrant colors bursting with life - purple, blue, red, yellow, orange, and lots of green - such splendid food for the soul after a long, gray winter. I found several varieties of tomato plants, a couple of cucumber plants, and all of my favorite herbs. The vegetable and flower seeds I've been cultivating in my kitchen for over a month are almost mature enough to be planted, so now it's just a matter of waiting a few more days and they will be relocated to their new digs.

It was the wise and enduring philosopher, Aristotle, who coined the phrase, "Patience is a virtue," and this certainly applies to those of us who are gardeners in Wyoming!

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. -Aristotle

Bee Friendly

Imagine a world without honey - that pure, sweet liquid gold produced by honey bees and derived from the nectar of flowers. Sadly, there is a honey bee crisis and the future of honey is in jeopardy!

Did you know that the honey bee population in the West has declined by more than 25% in the past year? In fact, honey bees have been abandoning their hives and dying in at least 35 states across America. One cause is linked to a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), but the causes of CCD are not known.

According to the US National Honey Bee Board and various international food regulations, "honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance," so it is truly one of the world's most natural resources. Bees play a vital role in our food supply by pollinating one-third of all the foods we eat, so keeping them alive is crucial to maintaining the natural balance of our eco-system.

You can help preserve this sweet natural resource! Plant bee-friendly flowers and plants in containers or a garden. Lavender, violets, sunflowers, rosemary and many other flowers and plants attract honey bees. To get more of the latest buzz about this important topic and ways you can help, visit this site sponsored by Häagen-Dazs: http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/

Spring Tease

Today was a splendid spring day here in the Big Horn Basin with a high of 67 degrees. I worked feverishly to clean out the flower gardens and get some prep work done for my new veggie garden, because the weather is changing like the wind, and predicted to remind us of winter in the next few days.

I'm ready to hang up the coats but while waiting for warmer weather, I'm doing what I can to enjoy a taste of spring by sowing some seeds inside. I planted corn, zucchini, and carrot seeds today, and my herbs are starting to sprout! How I look forward to the day when I can transplant my crop to the garden, probably some time in mid-May, and await the harvest in late summer.

Until then, I'm trying to be patient and preparing some of my favorite spring foods, like chicken stir-fry with veggies - get this recipe and more favorites on my recipes site.

The Cowboy Chocolatier

Photo by Rick Carpenter

For the love of chocolate, I drive to a lovely hamlet named Meeteetse (pop. 351), about 45 minutes from my home. The sweetest spot in town is a gourmet chocolate shop owned by Tim Kellogg, who is known around Wyoming as the "Cowboy Chocolatier."

Tim has a glorious array of confections that he prepares daily. In addition to his luscious truffles, there are way too many divine creations for me to list here; but of interest to me this month are all the beautiful chocolates he has for Easter - adorable white chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs, chocolate farm animals - that will indulge the chocolate-lovers' appetite.

So, I encourage you chocoholics to visit Tim’s online store for a sample of his seductive treats, or stop by the store in Meeteetse - I promise, you won't be disappointed!

In like a lion...

...out like a lamb, but not in Wyoming, as seen by the blustery weather we are enduring here today with snow and 40 mph wind. I am anxiously awaiting spring's arrival, while loading the fireplace with the last of our winter stock of wood. I hope our April (snow) showers bring May flowers!

In the meantime, I am organizing some of my favorite recipes on the lighter side to feature in April - Fettuccini Alfredo with Salmon and Spring Fling Pasta Salad, to name a few delectable creations that I know you will enjoy. So check back soon for these deLIGHTful recipes, and several more, on my recipes site.

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

Eat Right

National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign celebrated each year in March by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and physical activity habits. This year, their campaign theme is Eat Right.

One of the nutrition topics that the ADA provides education and information on is food sensitivities. With millions of people who are gluten-intolerant, I am featuring a few gluten-free recipes on my recipes site.

For more information about food sensitivities and recipes, visit Living Without Magazine (Feb/Mar cover photo by Paulette Phlipot, the talented photographer for A Taste of Wyoming).

Spring Fever

Wahoo! Today it is warming up here in the cowboy state with a high in my quaint village of 55 degrees. While peeling carrots and potatoes to accompany our traditional Sunday pot roast (my husband is a "meat and potatoes" guy), my mind wandered to the garden, with budding thoughts about what to plant this year. Carrots, of course, with several varieties of tomatoes are two of my favorites because they taste so good, they are loaded with antioxidants, and easy to grow. I will plant all kinds of lettuce, and some spinach too, for an abundance of salad-fixings. Ah, yes - asparagus and rhubarb - they thrive in our loamy soil and unpredictable climate with parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, basil, cilantro, garlic, and anything else that I can get to sprout to maturity here in our stubborn soil, at altitude. I have not tried to grow melons or strawberries before, so I must experiment with those sweet, succulent summer fruits to gratify my palate and reward the hard work.

Since we purchased the neighbor's pasture that adjoins our property, I'm ecstatic about having a bigger plot to plant on this year! So I will be trying to grow a few additional veggies, fruits, and herbs that I haven't planted in the past, due to limited space and my lack of knowledge on this seasonal subject. As a neophyte gardener, I will be relying on some advice from a good friend who has earned the title of "Master Gardener." Hopefully, her expertise will improve my not-so-green thumb. Failure is not an option!

Wyomingites have a short growing season, and I learned the sad way not to plant anything until after Mother's Day, when the risk of a late spring frost has passed. So for now, I must endure my yearning for warmer days, and the slow passing of a very long, frigid winter. The harmonious sound of birds singing this morning was music for my soul, and a symphonic signal that spring is nearly here! Soon it will be time to till, plant, weed, and water the garden - a labor of love for the savory harvest. And note that as summer approaches, I will be featuring some favorite warm-weather salad recipes on my recipes site.

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes you heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

March Food Holidays

March has over 30 designated food holidays and it is the month in which the following are recognized:

• Maple Sugar Month
  
• National Nutrition Month


• National Frozen Food Month


• Great American Meatout Month


• National Peanut Month


• National Sauce Month


• National Flour Month


• National Noodle Month
  
• International Hamburger & Pickle Month

So this month, I will feature a variety of recipes with some of these favorite foods honored in March on my recipes site.

Since I love peanut butter, and March 1st is my birthday and National Peanut Butter Lover's Day, I'm starting the month off with a divine peanut butter recipe on my recipes site. For a list of all of the celebrated foods in March, visit the following link: http://gone-ta-pott.com/march_food_calendar.html