A foggy morning again on the farm. This warm weather is melting the little snow we had making for mornings like this. While it’s great for the chore girl, the heifers are coughing and have runny noses. They would prefer a little less moisture in the air and a little colder.

For me, it did not disappoint. I follow Tangletown on Facebook. A couple of days before I went to Wise Acre, they had posted a picture of salad greens growing in one of their greenhouses. I was craving a good salad after seeing the picture.

A salad was exactly what I ordered.

Wise Acre Salad

This salad had a ton of different greens, giving it so much flavor. You could order it with either spicy egg salad or herb chicken salad. I opted for the chicken. The sherry-mustard dressing was the perfect finish. I absolutely loved this salad. To me it was perfect, in fact just thinking about it makes me want it for lunch today! Another lady I was with ordered it and thought the chicken was bland and the dressing was too sparse.

Two other ladies ordered the same chicken salad as a sandwich and also thought it was bland. Someone else had the turkey wild rice chowder and loved it. The last person in our group had the chilli and also loved it. We all ordered custard for a sweet treat and everyone agreed it was really good. I want to go back, every plate I saw going past our table looked really good.

The service was excellent. The place is dripping with charm. It’s a small restaurant so expect a wait if you’re going at prime lunch or dinner time. I guess the best way to sum it up is a down to earth place that serves real food, with a touch of class.

Wise Acre Eatery

Wise Acre Eatery - 5401 Nicollet Ave. South – Minneapolis, MN – 55419 – (612) 354-2577

This morning it feels like single digits. We still have the frigid north wind and it’s snowing. I thought the cold would be easier to take since we haven’t had much of it this winter. I was wrong. I still hate the cold. The plus side is, hopefully the lakes are making good ice. We bought a new ice house this year and have been anxious to try it out. The farmer is thinking this weekend. I’m a little nervous. Last night on the news the sheriff’s department from the county next to us issued a warning to stay off the ice. I’m always a little nervous anyway, so that didn’t help.

I’ve been slacking on the writing lately. It was pointed out to me over the weekend that last winter’s blog was more interesting to read. The weather was a big part of blog last winter. It’s amazing to me how big of role the weather plays in farming. Crops depend on the right mix of sun, rain, and heat to grow. Animals get sick easier during big temperature fluctuations. The farmer always says once it gets below freezing he wishes it would stay there all winter. On our heifer farm, we’ve been lucky this winter. There haven’t been too many sick ones despite the constantly changing temps. On the warmer days there is quite a bit of coughing, but then the temp drops and the coughing stops. I think we’ve only lost one heifer here this winter and she was a runt to start with. I better stop and knock on some wood now.

Any way, I’m sorry for the lack of interesting stories to tell, but things really have been running that smooth. Of course if this cold weather sticks around that could change.

Ingredients:

1 can whole kernel corn, drained          1 can cream-style corn

1 package Jiffy corn bread mix              8 0z sour cream or plain greek yogurt

2 eggs, slightly beaten                             1/2 cup butter, melted

Mix all the ingredients well and pour into a greased, 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Corn Spoonbread

I always forget to take a picture until I’ve already eaten. You can tell where my priorities are! The porkloin I made to go along with this was just as tasty.

A nice sunny beach has a little different meaning when it’s winter in Minnesota.