Monthly Archives: January 2012

January 28, 2012 · 6:25 pm

Madison County winter hike

Three cheers for this mild Iowa winter!

(Although a little snow on the trail could have looked lovely and this would be an excellent place to snowshoe/cross-country ski.) We headed south of Des Moines on Saturday to explore the Clanton Creek Natural Resource Area and get a little hiking in. We tried to do this hike about three years ago, but were thwarted when our car died on the side of the highway. I’m glad we finally made it!

We parked at the East Trail Head and followed the out-and-back main trail for a total of about eight miles. It felt much longer on the way out (isn’t that always the case?) but made for a good total distance. There’s also a two-mile loop you can access from the east side, but if you’re driving down from Des Moines I feel like you’d want to go the distance, right? The West Trail Head is very close to the 6-acre pond, if you’re into fishing. Here’s a map, although it doesn’t have miles marked and I have no idea what the purple dots represent. There are a few hike-in campsites, which I find exciting. I get super cranky-pants at campsites where we wind up next to teenagers whose idea of spending QT in nature is throwing beer cans into the fire. We will return for an overnight adventure, perhaps when the Madison County Winery tasting room is open!

The main trail makes for a hilly hike, past prairie grasses, through the forest and under some pine trees. It’s easy to follow, although we did not see any mile markers along the East-West route, and there are no maps at either trailhead. The trail crosses the creek in two or three places.

We thought we'd see a map at the west trail head. No such luck!

The creatively named 6-acre pond

Sky blue sky.

A winter walk.

I would love to see a Boy Scout Troop take on this trail and outfit it with some maps, better mile markers and perhaps a trash bin at the parking areas, because we did see a small amount of litter around there.

Wilbur was loving the nature smells.

It’s hard to believe that next week is February. This felt like a lucky November afternoon instead of late January! P.S. Did you know you can rent snowshoes at Active Endeavors? Last I checked, they were about $12 or so for the day.

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January 26, 2012 · 10:59 pm

Remembering the Camino

A few months ago, “The Way” was playing at our neighborhood indie theater, The Varsity. (It’s the kind of place that doesn’t even show previews.) Joe and I went to see it partially because, after I studied abroad in London in 2006, I went to Spain and hiked the section of the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail between Leon and Santiago de Compostela, and partially because we love “The West Wing” and Martin Sheen. Although I hiked about 180 miles, my portion of the trip only made a brief cameo in the movie, which should be out on DVD soon.

My high school friend Greg and his mom are planning on hiking el Camino this summer, and so I had the occasion to pull out my travel journal from the trip more than once these past few weeks and retrace my steps in my memory.

I must remember to always write a travel journal – although the things I recorded from this trip (silly dogs I saw in towns, funny conversations) aren’t very practical when it comes to sharing tips with others. I remember having wanted to hike the Camino since I was a young teenager, after I read wacky Shirley MacLaine’s book in which she makes the pilgrimage and (if I recall correctly) has several out-of-body experiences. I was very much embodied on my journey (as heel blisters reminded me), but there’s definitely something magical about pursuing a path that was established many centuries before. Peregrinos (pilgrims/hikers) get stamps in a passport along the way, meet people from all over the world, travel until you’re too tired and experience the Celtic Galician culture, which is different than what comes to mind when most people think of Spain.

I’m at my happiest when I’m just walking, plain and simple, seeing the world at a plodding pace. I’m not a skilled map-reader, so the more well-worn the path, the better. I walked to work today, in this spring-feeling weather, and even that simple little trek set my day on a more pleasant trajectory. In a way, walking is an art. It’s a meditation. It’s getting comfortable with the way your body and your mind move together. Now I sound like Shirley MacLaine!

I need to discover more favorite walks in Des Moines. I think perhaps Joe and I will go for a little hometown hike this weekend!

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January 22, 2012 · 4:26 pm

How does your garden grow?

It felt like an old-fashioned barn raising — friends and neighbors gathering over food and celebrating with drinks, building something together. In the corner, a fiddle player and guitarist made people want to dance (and a few did). The room was all exposed beams and excitement.

In a way, last night’s benefit for Jennie Smith and her Butcher Crick Farms heirloom tomato project was a barn-raising. But instead of using out collective strength to pull a wooden frame into the air, we were bidding on spices and pies and Locally Grown T-shirts in a silent auction.

photo via one of Jennie's Facebook friends!

Jennie, who I met when I wrote a story about how she quit her insurance job to start up a tomato operation on her family’s Century Farm, is an inspiration to a lot of people in Des Moines. Some of the city’s best chefs cooked and donated amazing food and desserts, breweries and wineries provided kegs and cases of wine, and the third floor of the Teachout Building in the East Village was bustling with community members who wanted to wish one of Des Moines most beloved farmers well. Jennie’s traveling to New Zealand to learn more about sustainable agricultural practices and bring new techniques and ideas back to farm again in 2013. It was awesome to see our city rally around this woman, who it the essence of home-grown Iowa wonderfulness.

She spoke at last year’s TEDxDesMoines about her journey:

I am so impressed by how Des Moines comes together, pooling energy, talents and resources to make dreams like this come true. Jennie spoke last night about how her farm operation wouldn’t be possible without hundreds of hands chipping in and laboring alongside her, and last night was a celebration of all that and a bright new future for a farm.

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January 21, 2012 · 5:31 pm

Fox face

The two most frequent funny questions people ask me:

1) Are you Asian? (No, I’m Irish/Mexican.)

2) Is that a fox? (Gesturing toward Wilbur.) I like to tell people that he is a fox, because it comes off as badass and because otherwise people spend the next five minutes trying to repeat Shiba Inu and then telling me he really does look like a fox.

Joe got me a fox hat for Christmas, because I’m secretly 8 1/2 years old and really wanted one. I used to have a bear-shaped hat in high school and it was one of my favorite things ever. I especially like to try to get Wilbur to wear it, which he totally loves:

That lasted about four seconds.

Speaking of fox faces, that was the nickname of a character in The Hunger Games, which I just finished. (Well, book one.) It’s the second book I read on the iPad (first was The Submission for book club) and I am going to have to say that I’m fully aboard the eReader bandwagon. Mostly because, since it’s lit from behind, I can do what I did this week and stay up extra late devouring a book while Joe sleeps undisturbed by the light. I was totally one of those kids who used to stay up with a flashlight under the covers, reading. (Nerd alert: I read Gone with the Wind in fifth grade.) I can’t wait to download and start book two!

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January 18, 2012 · 9:04 pm

As seen on…

It appears that a bunch of little side projects I’ve been working on recently all debuted in the world, so I thought I would share them with you!

First off, if you pick up the latest issue of Do It Yourself Magazine (Spring 2012), there’s something I made on page 60! (The guy at the Walgreen’s checkout did not share my excitement.)

I occasionally write for this magazine (which is edited by one of my favorite ladies), but I’ve never made anything for it before. The pressure was on when I got a white canvas delivered to me and was basically told to, well, paint anything! Mine is #8. Not the coolest, but it doesn’t look totally lame, so it was neat to see everything come together.

I feel like it’s so easy to spend time thinking about crafting and adding to my stash hoarding supplies, but I forget to carve out time to just get lost in a project instead of hurriedly making a gift or just not crafting at all. The clock hands are reused from a 25-cent garage sale clock I poked through the canvas (batteries taped to back) and the circle outline is slices made out of paint chips.

Then last week, I had the Juice magazine cover story, “Home Sweet Warehouse,” for the first time as a freelancer.

It felt so good to write in the Juice “voice” again, but I will admit that the night before my stories come out, I get wicked nervous. I had to get up in the middle of the night and just play on the computer because I couldn’t sleep! It’s nerve-wracking because it’s so easy to see the reaction to those pieces online, and I actually see most of these people on a regular basis. I’m glad so many readers seemed to have liked it.

And today, Danny Heggen posted my entry (#10) in his “31 Tips for DSM in 2012″ series. It’s about introducing people.

Re-reading it, I’m a little worried that it comes off like I’m saying you have to introduce people otherwise they’ll be lame, which I didn’t really mean. I mean there are a lot of cool people doing interesting things, and I sometimes assume they already know each other, which isn’t necessarily the case. Also, making friends as an adult takes some guts. So don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and connect people, in case something constructive could come from it!

I met up with my amazingly talented friend Amy, and the lovely Jillian (a mostly online acquaintance) for coffee this evening after work. Going into a friend date can be even scarier than a romantic date, but it was a nice chat and it might turn into a progressive dinner sometime! Leave it to me to find more people to cook for me.

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January 15, 2012 · 7:43 pm

Sunday night syndrome

“Sunday night syndrome,” also known as the evening of dread before school/work/the one-two-punch of school and work. Luckily, I’m loving my new job. But starting Tuesday, I retreat back to the cave that is graduate school, where I have a semester of accounting for nonprofits (heart clutch! eye roll! plank fall!) and business ethics ahead of me. I really do enjoy challenging myself and learning new things, but I hate missing out on all of the events that fall on school nights.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, though:

And by light, I mean the crazy bright kind that requires big sunglasses and a sassy straw hat.

My best friend from college is getting married in the Dominican Republic in May! Joe and I will be packing up for our first ever beach vacation (the resort we’re staying at has a swim-up bar and everything), and so in addition to logging hours in class, I will be logging miles to get swimsuit ready. I’ll be running on my own and at events like this weekend’s Forey Fest 5K, a benefit for Des Moines favorite barefoot/mullet and kilt wearing runner, who was brutally beat in a bar fight and came out of a coma in time to celebrate with all of his concerned friends.

It’s shaping up to be a busy spring! I plan on doing the Drake Relays Half Marathon before we head to the beach. Maybe I should have waited until I crossed the finish line, but I already have my DR motivation suit, scored on clearance at Boden. Love the big polka dots and retro style.

 

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January 11, 2012 · 9:55 pm

Holiday office party decor

I know, I know, this post is about a month late, but I just had to share these signs before a whole calendar year goes by!

We hosted Joe’s co-workers for their holiday party this year, which was awesome because he works at “Cuisine at Home” magazine, so they’re a bunch of foodies who brought appetizers. All I really had to do was prepare the basics and clean the house. (Takes the stress out of having a bunch of chefs over!)

Anyhow, I’d stopped in to Foundry Coworking for a meeting and they had an awesome set of holiday party “caution” signs created by the one and only Saturday Manufacturing. Brian is so clever! All of their work makes me smile.

I got to take the set home with me (the agency had sent them out free as a holiday card package) and used them to decorate for our party:

We nearly had an open fire when Joe put his Tacos Jose* appetizer into the oven and then forgot about them. His boss smelled burning and saved the day!

Guest safety is a top priority, of course!

There were quite a few more, but I had to go on a grocery (right) run before I was able to snap photos of them all. This sign, which I put on the downstairs bathroom door, is probably my favorite:

I totally think these should get sold through FredFlare or Chronicle Books or something, don’t you? At the very least, these clever designs should illustrate a story with tips for hosting a holiday party article for a magazine, right?

My big tip: If everyone is bunching up in one area and you want to create more flow, move the drinks away from the food. Miss Manners will probably tell me this is a terrible faux pas, but we have a lovely den that gets zero traffic (there isn’t even a door!) during parties. That is, until I moved the booze into it. Then it becomes quite popular and people don’t just bunch up near our little galley kitchen.

Tacos Jose
(A fun little appetizer Joe adapted a few years ago and that has become a staple)

What you’ll need:
1 can black beans
Shredded cheese
Red pepper, diced
1 or 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
Salsa (chunky works better than runny)
Chili powder
Large flour tortillas

Directions:
1. Grease or spray a cupcake tin with non-stick spray and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut three tortillas into four pieces each. You should have 12 pie-shaped pieces.
3. Fold the tortillas into cups by doubling over one of the straight edges and place into cupcake tin.
4. Put a little bit of cheese into the bottom of each cup.
5. Put a small spoon full of beans into each cup.
6. Put a small spoon full of peppers and tomatoes into each cup.
7. Top ingredients in each cup with a bit of salsa and then a little more cheese on top.
8. Sprinkle a little chili powder on top of each cup.
9. Bake at 375 degrees until cheese in melted and edges of tortillas are browned.
10. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. As they cool they should firm up enough to pull them out of the tin without falling apart.

Ole! Enjoy!

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January 6, 2012 · 7:32 pm

In case you ever wanted to be a groundhog

I’m sure one of you has an entry in your bucket list that relates to waking up before the crack of dawn and donning a suit in the shape of a giant rodent to help people party at High Life Lounge / El Bait shop before noon on a Thursday in February. I just saw this opportunity and I had to share.

The Full Court Press Polk County Paula contest is extremely tempting to me. Apparently the lady who typically plays Paula is preggo and relinquishing her duties. Most creative “Why I want to be the groundhog” wins:

The winner, of course gets to play the Groundhog at the High Life’s annual party. Winner must be available to play the role at least from 6 AM to noon, Thursday, February 2nd. Breakfast will be provided for the winner, along with costume for the day and one of this year’s Groundhog Day t-shirts and one $25 gift card good at all Full Court Press establishments. Second place wins one $15 gift card. Third gets one $10 card.

But then, it’s really not fair if I enter. I know technically an aardvark is not a rodent, but 12 years ago, I did wear an Arthur costume and entertain children at the Centennial Beach in Naperville. This would clearly be the next step.

Proof:

Yep, that’s me in the suit! The glasses gave it away, didn’t they. I brought a whole giant box of photos home from my mom’s so I can scan them, but they’re really just a massive archive of what a huge nerd I’ve always been. Might be best to keep the blackmail potential to a minimum.

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January 4, 2012 · 9:02 pm

Cheese party! Tasty Des Moines date

Some girls like to be wined and dined. I’d never turn away a nice meal and a $10 Malbec (expensive wine is wasted on me), but on a Wednesday night I’m just as happy to be beered and cheesed. Joe and I went on a weeknight date to The Cheese Shop of Des Moines on 42nd Street, just a few doors down from La Mie. The neighborhood has a new contender for favorite place, after our sampling session there.

Cheeses, galore! If there was a Shetland pony riding a manatee in the corner of this picture, I would say this image would be a perfect element of a fantastic dream sequence.

Joe and I split a cheese plate, bread and a big bottle of New Belgium Prickly Passion Saison ($25 total tab) and sat at the high top tables and just chatted about our day and eavesdropped on owner C.J. explaining cheeses to the after-work customers.

When we talk about good growth for Des Moines, The Cheese Shop gets it right. It’s clearly an authentic endeavor that’s a bit of a gathering place, a bit of an educational experience and an indulgent, friendly spot for people who geek out on good cheese. I met C.J. Bienert a few times when I was writing for Juice and he was working at Gateway Market and was worried when he left Iowa to intern with cheesemakers in Vermont (or so I recall through the Register) that he wouldn’t really come back and set up shop here. But he and his wife, Kari, actually made this dream come true. And knowing that, the Portland-hip woodgrain walls and handsome bar take on an extra layer of warmth and richness that maybe someone randomly coming in off the street looking to pick up a few ounces of Brie might not get right away. It’s not Trader Joe’s. It’s young people with a passion creating a new place special for us Des Moinesians. And it’s full of cheese and wine and beer and other such delicious morsels!

The Cheese plate. All paired awesomely with our beer choice!

My favorite from our plate was the Iowa goat cheese:

Yum.

Here’s a peek at the menu. I think that they said the cheeses in the cheese plate change weekly:

I was trying to avoid saying that The Cheese Shop has a Portland feel to it, but I can’t help it. I want to say, though, that it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be hipster or anything. It’s just cool in a way that, when Joe and I visited Portland a few years ago, I wished we had more places in Des Moines with a just doing what we love / awesome design aesthetic / solid playlist vibe. The Cheese Shop has that.

Oh, and if you’re free Saturday afternoon, you should stop by this event:

Cheese Party!

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January 3, 2012 · 10:13 pm

My first time caucusing

Four years ago, I was lugging camera equipment (weird role for me, but other duties as assigned!) around the State Historical Building following an undecided Democratic voter named Frank during the 2008 Iowa Caucus for a short video chronicling his experience. That undecided voter later went on to become a good friend, and I was able to witness a caucus firsthand, but I wasn’t able to participate as a voter. This year, I donned my Obama shirt for the first time in public in anticipation of my first experience as a caucus participant. My mom bought it for me after I attended Obama’s campaign announcement in Springfield, Ill., (Joe likened it to wearing the band T-shirt to the concert).

First caucus state!

It was strange to see so many people flocking to Roosevelt High School (which is gorgeous, by the way) after dark. Everyone seemed subdued but excited/proud at the same time. I was totally surprised by how many Democrats caucused even though Obama is an incumbent and we wouldn’t be standing in different corners to select a candidate. (Check out this Register graphic on how the caucuses work.)

It was a full house in the Roosevelt cafeteria. This isn't even everyone!

It was neat to run into so many neighbors and be in a room of people who were excited to be feel part of the political process. President Obama even addressed us Iowans via a video chat to help kick things off.

Then, we split up into our precincts — shuffling off to different high school rooms where citizens from our nearby streets presented resolutions that they wanted to be brought before a larger committee. I didn’t take a picture inside our classroom because it was such an intimate-feeling gathering, with 45 or so of us bunched into desks, though most gave seats to the elderly and stood. I felt like it would be invading privacy. A few people brought their kids and babies, and it looked like one had rolled in an oxygen tank.

We decided to hear one minute of presentation on each resolution (10 in all, I think) and then voted as a group whether or not we wanted them to pass to the larger committee. Topics ranged from immigration to underwater mortgages to big bank bailouts and regulations for genetically modified organisms. It made me catch my breath, the bravery of Iowans to stand before their neighbors and stump for issues near to their hearts. The whole thing felt a little bit like being in a boat in one of those life or death scenarios, where you have to choose who get to stay in and who must tread. This wasn’t life-or-death, but it was thoughtful and cramped. The proceedings were orderly, with just a few small outbursts of disapproval. Not everyone agreed, but civility reigned.

Here’s a peek into another precinct, through the windows:

Joe and I walked the mile or so home in the crisp Iowa night and I felt happy to be a part of the community. Glad I’d spent the evening listening to my neighbors because, whoever wins the election this fall, these are the people whose values make up the place I’ve chosen to live.

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