Summertime in Minnesota

It is that time again...hope you are all enjoying those last days of summer...

As summertime leaves quietly, it is time to review some of the highlights of living and playing in Minnesota...

Our form of whale watching...loon watching

Loon spotting

Where did those loons go? Wait...what's that in the background?

Family vacation pictures serve as a wonderful reminder of times that our family comes together to play, and act as inspiration for others who may be longing to have more meaningful connections with family and friends. Spending a week around campfires, playing in the outdoors and just "being" together does wonders to develop deeper realtionships. We began this annual tradition of gathering as many family and friends around a week at the lake "up-north" 26 years ago when after listening to my husband's family talk about how great their times were they went fishing when they were kids...why not now?...was the question that I asked. From that simple question, we began with 9 of us crowded into one cabin to filling 4 cabins this year, 26 years later.

Turtle races

One of our big winners this year at the turtle races

Every year at the lake our family has a Murder Mystery night
this year's theme was 1950's...can you tell who did it?

Relaxing around the campfire is a family favorite...
hey when did we start getting internet at the lake?

Each year, we have a different collection of friends and family depending on schedules, life and death. Cousins get to play in a way that they used to decades ago when extended family lived on the same block. There are no heightened expectations about gifts, holiday traditions, financial stresses related to extravagant gestures found during the typical holiday family gatherings. Cabins take turns hosting the dinner for the group, bringing potluck together for dinners or supplying the fish for the fish fry. Kids play, adults play and sometimes we just sit around the fire reading, or writing or playing games. Laughter fills the air, volleyballs fly and canoes and kayaks offer alternative water activities.

Come on Grandpa - when do I get to take this thing out for a spin?

The lazy days...how peaceful

Having fun fishing - something for everyone

The start of a great fish fry

Our record holder for largest fish

 We go to a lake near Perham, Minnesota which offers turtle races every Wednesday and sometimes someone in our group even wins the race - the prize is a $1 bill. On Wednesday our tradition is to host a Murder Mystery and everyone dresses for the occasion - this is always a highlight. Over the years our family and friends have come and gone and have created lasting memories.

Show me one more time Grandpa how it's done

That's how it's done

A stop at the local bookstore after the turtle races offers
something for everyone

Perhaps the greatest highlight is that we come together, we share time together, we laugh and play a lot, but mostly...we just "Be" together. You too can make this happen for your family and friends...e-mail Mama Caruso for sample itineraries, tips for creating a successful family and friend week experience and menu planning suggestions, or stay tuned for upcoming posts outlining how you too, can create an experience that will offer lasting memories.

It's hard to believe that our summer got pushed back a little by this snow fall in May

Next week's post is about some awesome activities and experiences the helped to finish off the summer with a bang, picking grapes at a local vineyard and an Indian curry cooking class...until then, from my table to yours...enjoy...Mama Caruso

Creating a happy shore memory 1,000 miles from the shore

My book club reads to eat. For the past eight years we have met monthly rotating between each other’s homes and December is my month because it is lobster fest. Every December. In my selfish attempt to create a fond memory of the shore, now that I live in the Mid-west, I suggested the book “ Lobster Chronicles” several years ago so that we could eat lobster. We read to eat, and select food themes based upon the book we are reading and “Lobster Chronicles” seemed like a great way to introduce my friends to lobster, which many of them had never experienced.

I grew up on the East Coast where eating lobster, clams, shrimp, oysters, and crab was a was just part of my experience – from Maine to Maryland I expected a special weekend meal to include some kind of fish that had been caught nearby. Hosteling on Cape Cod, camping on the beaches in Maine or escaping a hot kitchen in Baltimore and cracking crab claws on the picnic table out back, there was always fantastic food and friendship shared. Holidays included lobster, with New Year’s Eve featuring a lobster salad made from leftovers, family gatherings in Maryland ensured crab feasts, and weddings often featured hog roasts with a clam bake. My fondest childhood memories are related to family, friends and food and the extra special memories added the shore to that mix.

The sea breeze, sounds of the waves, the gulls calling out, the taste and smells that lets you know that you are somewhere alive, vibrant and salty…and the sand; cold, wet, dry, hot, rough, soft, ever-present, thousands and millions of grains of sand that come together to provide a place for the waves to connect. The shore, oh boy…do I miss the shore here in Minnesota.  So I’ve decided to recreate my happy shore memories, right here with my family and friends…now all I need is the food and the ambience and my book group is all in.

So here is how I made it happen – the recipe for creating a happy shore memory 1,000 miles away from the shore:

FOOD

•        Lobster – I begin by ordering the lobster, which includes talking to the local grocery department meat department to find out when they receive deliveries of lobster and how long they will hold them (so I can select the date)
•         Shrimp for a shrimp cocktail
•          Cocktail sauce
•          Butter
•          Corn on the cob
•          Vanilla ice cream

I have selected the shellfish which are successful here. Clams and crab are very difficult to get fresh, and even though I have tried to order steamers, I usually end up with huge clams which are only good chopped into chowder - so lobster and shrimp it is. There are no cheddar biscuits, no fork food – part of the fun in the sharing of a feast like this is formalities go out the window. I am trying to create an experience of sitting around a picnic table, with newsprint spread out on the table, paper towels act as napkins and no one cares how much Old Bay ends up on the beer bottle. The only worry is whether or not the butter will make the wine glass too slippery. Jeans are expected apparel and dish towels act as bibs.

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

•         Plastic table cloths
•        Bucket for shells
•          Claw crackers
•          Picking forks – like skinny fondue forks for pulling meat out of the claws
•          Rolls of paper towels
•          Dishcloths for bibs
•         Large platters for each individual to act as a plate
•          A large canning pot for cooking the lobsters
•          Butter warmers

Growing up by the shore, I fully expected that all kitchens have claw crackers, and crab mallets and picking forks and small sharp knives to cut through tough shells – so for those of you reading this who would also have the same expectation, make no assumptions and plan ahead, some of this equipment may be difficult to find – and while you can substitute with common items lying around the house, it will be far more enjoyable and create a closer experience to fond shore memories to have the appropriate equipment.

AMBIENCE

•          One CD player playing sounds of the sea recordings, if you can find one that has an occasional gull calling out – that is fun, I usually pick out a few from my local library
•          A second CD player playing fun music that you can envision dancing on the beach to – you can’t go wrong with Reggae
•          Serve beer from a barrel
•          Put a few fans around to simulate a breeze
•          Encourage guests to bring flip flops and wear shorts, sunglasses as headbands
•          A bowl of lemons, rolls of paper towels on the tables and a large serving platter for the lobster
•          Pictorial instructions about how to eat a lobster
•          I splurge and turn up the heat for the night

Each of these components will help you create a new shore memory. Have fun with it, put yourself in the experience and you and your friends and family might even forget that you are miles away from the shore. Friends, family gathering around food at the shore, it just doesn’t get much better than this...from my table to yours...enjoy.

What is your favorite beach/shore memory? 

I had been wanting to write this post for a while and then an opportunity came up to submit stories to a group collecting stories and recipes as a fundraiser to support the rebuilding efforts of the Jersey Shore. Because this is not about the shore, I do not know if it will be included, but I will encourage all of you to subscribe to their feed and support their efforts by purchasing their book when it is published.

Here's some information about their work: Savoring the Shore is a cook and memory book in the works to celebrate all things delectable at the Jersey Shore. Shore lovers including home cooks and chefs are asked to share their recipes and anecdotes in this cookbook. Proceeds benefit Sandy relief and rebuilding efforts for the Garden State. For more information about purchasing their memory book contact them on Twitter @savoringtheshore, savoringtheshore@gmail.com. http://savoringtheshore.com/

Essentials for Long Distance Bike Riding

Which is the most important item in this picture?

This photo taken from the seat of my bicycle represents security to me. When I am out on a ride and will be out for four or five hours, I want to be prepared, and on the day that I took this photo (the 3rd day of a 7 day bike ride 420 miles across the state of Iowa #RAGBRAI) I was ready for anything. During the ride that day I helped 6 people who

Candied Bacon on a Stick? What is the craziest food on RAGBRAI?

Every year I seek out the craziest food while riding my bike across Iowa, it gives me an excuse to stop and eat at the most fun and out of the way places. I especially love it when I can bring a recipe home for something unusual and test it until I can publish the recipe. I have certainly found a few good ones from this trip too, but so far the most fun and tastiest has been the candied bacon on a stick and at 1 for $1.00 or 3 for $2.00...it was the best deal of the day! I can't wait to get home and test it because it seems really easy and will please many people, salt, fat and sugar all of the things that bikers need. Until then, here are a few pictures...

This booth caught my eye

And then he invited me in...

And then here was the tray just waiting for me...

The candied bacon on a stick was brought to us by www.foodwithflair.com and they had some other delicious treats for the riders passing through...sure hope I get to eat some more tomorrow...

For the riders out there...what is the craziest food you have eaten while riding on #RAGBRAI?

For those of you who have not ridden, do you have any questions for me, anything you want me to check out while I am riding. This year the course is so much easier, short days of only 50 - 60 miles a day and tht gives me time to play a little each day. I would love to seek out the answers to your questions. Until then, from my table (wherever that may be) to yours...Mama Caruso

RAGBRAI Our Great Family Vacation

At our pre-ride respite in Orange City, Iowa

Since January every family gathering has focused on planning, strategizing, preparing and making lists for the first of several of our family vacations this year - RAGBRAI. RAGBRAI is a 7 day, 420 mile bicycle ride across the State of Iowa with 20,000 of our closest biking friends, and while it may sometimes be associated with lots of partying (which does exist) we are finding more and more families who are taking the time to spend with each other traveling and eating across Iowa during the last full week of July. Our family team consist of myself and my husband, a close friend, our two daughters and our oldest daughter's husband - but the family support does not stop there - our daughter's in-law's get to spend the week with our 3 year old granddaughter (who is too young to participate) and my brother's family are taking care of our house and pets. This year, our youngest daughter is involved in a summer session at the University of South Dakota and won't be able to join us and boy are we going to miss her!!! It always amazes me at the level of support it requires to safely ride across Iowa. With heat indexes, winds, and rain (sometimes even hail) certain to be in the forecast, we will need every ounce of that support. Last year with the temperatures over 105 on some days, the support was the difference between being safe or not and I watched as many riders were taken off the course by helicopter, ambulance and in several cases police cars because the ambulances were dispatched elsewhere on the course.

So what happens on RAGBRAI that requires an entire entourage? Our support crew is worth its weight in gold - they are a finely tuned machine and have worked many hours to coordinate the safety and support of the riders. The first responsibility of our crew is to help us get out the door by 6:00 am with all of the "stuff" we will need before we see them again at the meeting town. Some days are more difficult than others to get the riders up and out and usually by the 4th day, they (nor we) are not as nice as on the first day in kicking our butts back out on the road...something about tired bodies and sore saddles.... After the riders are off and riding, the crew packs up all of the bedding, tents, chairs, everything and heads to the meeting town where they try to pick us out of a sea of 20,000 riders - so they have to remember what we are wearing to be able to find us - for me this is the hardest part of the job. When we check in at the meeting town they assess us, what do we need?, how are we?, what will we need at the end of the day?...I always feel so spoiled when I leave the check point and I have seen so many other riders come up to them asking them for help (which they willing provide). We got them a screened in porch to make shade at the pit stops and I anticipate quite a gathering of riders by the time I get to the meeting town each day.

And, my favorite part of what our crew does each day for us is they go to the overnight town and find our place to stay and set up our air mattresses and beds so we can crash or take a nap when we arrive at the end of the ride each day - my set-up includes a cold Starbucks coffee drink, a Beck's dark beer, a red Gatorade, and a cold bottle of water - everything I need to hydrate, stop and take a nap...it is heaven on

This was the last year we "painted"
the car...it took 3 years for the
Iowa sun-baked paint to finally disappear

earth and I love being pampered so. This year we have a variety of host family homes in which we will stay - although with less than 4 days before we leave, there are 2 communities in which we do not yet have a place to stay - so things are a little stressful in the planning camp - actually while I was writing this, I had one host family back out of hosting...argh...3 towns with no place to sleep...places to stay - housing is a great challenge and we work especially hard to find a place with air conditioning so that we can recover from the crazy heat. People along the routes have always been so kind to all of us and staying in people's homes is a highlight for all of us, it is humbling to see how gracious people are when they open their doors for our family.

Not only could we not do this without this incredible support, we wouldn't want to...this is family vacation at its best, working together, supporting each other, eating together, playing games, cheering each other on, laughing and working it out together - I couldn't ask for anything more...

Air Force tent experiencing air force

This is an excerpt form an earlier post and it remains the same highlight...One of the times we all laughed a lot was on the day that this picture was taken. We had just settled in to the campgrounds on a church property and a little dirt devil came up and blew some of the tents from the row near us up, up...and away...we all watched in amazement as this tent got caught on the church steeple and the show was amazing as the fire trucks had to come and rescue the tent. I was standing under a shade tree watching as part of the Air Force Team pulled up and one of the riders recognized her tent as the one perched on top of the church...one more reason to have a great support crew - to make sure that the tents are staked down before moving onto the next set-up....but oh my goodness, we all laughed and laughed...including the rider who watched her tent extricated from the steeple - it made for a great story which we told over and over again each night while sitting around, hanging out on our family vacation...RAGBRAI....

Mama Caruso following the tradition of raising your bike
overhead before dipping in the Mississippi River at the end
of RAGBRAI...the back wheel was dipped in the Missouri River
at the beginning...7 days before

So today I am making the lists, and will begin packing the cars tomorrow. I am hoping to make a few gluten-free goodies, coconut flour cookies and gluten-free monster bars and will be blogging along the way as the band-width allows. The riders using their smartphones and computers to navigate, send photos and call each other uses up a lot of the banwidth and often we are without a reliable communication network for hours competing with each other to use our technology. This will be a fun year on RAGBRAI - lots of firsts and lots of fun. Like all travel adventures half of the fun is in the planning and we have been having a great time with that - 5-6 phone calls a day, texting and checking things off of the lists...and of course, there is the new bike that my husband bought at the beginning of the year...his retirement bike a Trek Domani...pretty slick! If you have any questions or anything you wantme to explore as we are riding across Iowa, let me know and I will have some fun doing research! Looking forward to posting updates as my family travels, eats and laughs our way across Iowa on our family vacation...from my family table to yours...Mama Caruso

Gluten-free Monster Bars Revisited for RAGBRAI

Gluten-Free Monster Bar Recipe

Mama Caruso in 2009 on the shores
 of the Mississippi River
after bicycling across Iowa

For all of you #Gluten-free, #RAGBRAI riders out there - this is a marvelous energy food to help fuel you for RAGBRAI

This is a traditional mid-western home-style recipe, easy for taking to the neighbors, to a civic event, fundraiser...or to share with your house guests who have just ridden across your state. This recipe was made by one of our home-stays (thank you so much again Mark and Andrea Baum) during RAGBRAI and we were hungry! There are no photos of the Monster bars, because by the time I pulled in, they had been almost completely demolished - so that is the tribute to them...they should be called vanishing Monster Bars...enjoy!

1 stick oleo (margarine or butter)
1 cup of white sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts - you choose...walnuts work nicely...
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 cups oats or oatmeal
1/2 cups M&Ms - adds a nice color...

Mix all ingredients and place in a large jelly roll pan.
Place in oven set at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes - do not over bake
Cool and cut

Thank you to Andrea Baum's Mom for this recipe. It does not have to be difficult to be wheat gluten-free and get your energy back. From my table to yours...or from Andrea's Mom's table to yours....

Mama Caruso’s Mojitos with Basil and Pineapple Juice

Mama Caruso's Mojito with
Basil and Pineapple Juice

  Mama Caruso’s Mojitos with Basil and Pineapple Juice

There is nothing like the smell of fresh basil in my kitchen to get my creative juices flowing and I really wanted to create something special to put in my mason jar for the regular Thursday night #Kitchenparty sponsored by www.Bakespace.com. #KitchenParty is a great way to connect with foodies from all over the country right here in my kitchen and on Thursday nights, my kitchen is filled with laughter, conversation about food and…discussion about what everyone is drinking.

My usual report about a stout beer in a mason jar typically gets retweeted, and I do love a nice dark beer, but this week is different; I have basil, lots and lots of basil, so…let’s make a drink that includes this beautiful basil. Opening up the fridge I find the pineapple juice left over from my daughter’s graduation party, and on the counter, a bottle of Flor de Cana Rum that I recently brought back from Nicaragua and my drink is born. It is rare for me to have soda in the house (another leftover from the grad party) but I find a couple of bottles of Sprite, a few limes, a little sugar and I have everything I need to make Mama Caruso’s Mojitos.  I sure hope you enjoy them; it is always fun to create something that you can share with friends and that makes this drink perfect for #KitchenParty! From my table to yours - cheers!

Ingredients:

Just sitting here waiting for my friends at
#KitchenParty to join me

8 sweet basil leaves - 6 leaves for the drink and 2 for garnish

1 tablespoon sugar

1 lime - 1/2 cut into 4 wedges and 1/2 cut into slices

2 fluid ounces of pineapple juice

1 1/2 fluid ounces of Flor de Cana rum (or any other rum of your choosing), this can be left out for a perfect virgin mojito

1 cup of ice

1/2 cup of Sprite or any other lemon/lime soda pop/seltzer water

Assembled and ready to go

Directions:

In a beverage mixer/shaker place one of the lime slices on the bottom of the mixing container

Add the sugar and the basil for the drink on top of the lime slice

All that's left is the mixing and the enjoying!

With a pestle, or muddler, or the end of a rolling pin lightly press on the basil leaves (4-6 presses) so that the oils are released and begin to mix with the lime and sugar

Add the pineapple juice and rum

Shake the mixture

Put the ice in a mason jar or highball glass

Pour the shaken mixture over the ice

Add the soda

Squeeze the lime wedges into the drink to taste

Garnish with the lime slices and remaining basil leaves

Servings: 1 serving

Preparation Time:5 Minutes