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Welcome to The Morning Star Update!
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Greetings!
In March Manhattan can experience anything from blizzard conditions to hot summer-like days. The record low temperature in this area for the month of March was -12 degrees; the record high, 95 degrees. No matter the weather, in March, Manhattanites start to feel as though Spring has sprung. This is evidenced by a plethora of events of various themes springing up around town: wine, gardening, theater, Moms' Weekends, and of course, St. Patrick's Day. Getting into the spirit of things, The Morning Star has donated an "It Had to Be You" Wedding Package to the Saturday auction at The Flint Hills Festival of Wines. (See right hand column.) The Festival is the major fundraiser for Homecare & Hospice, so it is a good cause! On a completely different note ... Congratulations to Pam and Rich Green of California, MO on having their house featured in this month's issue of Old Home Journal. (Even though it is March, the issue date is May 2012.) Pam and Rich have stayed with us many times over the past 12 years and have become good friends. A number of The Morning Star's guests have gotten to know Pam and Rich over pleasant breakfast chats and might want to pick up a copy of the magazine. The article about them and their house is called, "Lasting Legacy" and starts on pg. 35. It's a lovely piece about lovely people. |
 "Mona had Good Taste" and The Merits of Facebook
One of the great things about running a bed and breakfast is getting to know and become friends with the people like Pam and Rich who are regular guests. People who stay with us on a regular basis when they travel to town on business, to visit relatives, or to attend events become quite special to us. Kathy from Kansas is one such friend and she is just delightful. She recently sent this humorous picture to me with the caption, "Mona had good taste." Really, who could disagree?
Kathy sent the picture because I am a "Boston person" but also because she found it on a friend's Facebook page; and Kathy and I had recently been debating the merits of Facebook. I may go kicking and screaming, but I think that y'all are getting closer to getting me to join the age of social networking. So let me ask your opinion: Would you like to see The Morning Star have a Facebook page? This is a question which I have thought about on and off and have decided that it is time to revisit the topic. Thanks, Kathy, for the nudge. We'll have to see which way things go ... |
 Recently, my friend Darcy, another regular guest, gave me a copy of The Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson; and in it I found inspiration for a recipe for this issue of the newsletter. "Potato and Pea Curry" is an aromatic but mild dish that I based on one of Finlayson's recipes. Thanks for the book, Darcy! You're great!
Potato and Pea Curry1 T. vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, cut in half then peeled and sliced
4 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 T. minced ginger root
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
1 c. vegetable stock
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" dice
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" dice
1 T. red curry paste
1 c. coconut milk, divided
12 oz. bag frozen green peas, thawed
fresh cilantro
Warm oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and sauté. When onion is about half cooked, add garlic, gingerroot and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent without letting any of the ingredients brown. Stir in vegetable stock, boil for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large (3.5 -5 qt.) slow cooker. Add sweet and russet potatoes. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, stir red curry paste into 1/4 c. of the coconut milk. Stir until perfectly smooth. Stir the remaining coconut milk into the curry mixture then stir curry mixture into the crock pot. Add peas. Cook on high for about 15 minutes or until the peas are hot. Carefully taste the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with fresh cilantro leaves.
Serving suggestion: Serve with Jasmine Rice or Naan (Indian Flat Bread) and with dishes of roasted peanuts, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and red pepper flakes. |
 The Lotus Eaters By Tatjana Soli
I am not sure how I came across The Lotus Eaters originally. It sat in my to-be-read pile for about a year before I got to it; but once I started reading this novel set in Vietnam during the war, I was totally absorbed by it.
In The Lotus Eaters, Soli uses the intertwining stories of three war photographers - Helen Adams, Sam Darrow and Tran Bau Linh - to write about what happens to one in bearing witness to war and what it takes to extricate oneself from its darkness. This richly detailed, beautiful, suspenseful novel derives its title from Homer's Odyssey in which those who ate lotus fruit lost all thought of returning home. As Soli explains in the interview included at the back of her novel, home is not just the physical place one is from but is a place of comfort and familiarity. Can Adams, Darrow and Lihn be restored to lives of happiness after what they have witnessed? The Lotus Eaters is a provocative book that invites discussion. |
 Tulip Care
Back in October, I wrote about forcing tulips. The picture right is of some Orca tulips that I potted up for forcing. I took this photo of them in mid-February, 2 weeks after I took them out of the refrigerator and placed them in a kitchen window. What a breath of Spring!
Forcing tends to exhaust tulip bulbs and the same ones cannot be reused year after year. If you want to try to save the them, however, you will need to keep the foliage growing for as long as you can in order to nourish the bulbs. You should use a little water-soluble fertilizer to help. Once the foliage has died back, plant the bulbs in your garden mixing bulb food into the soil. You might get lucky and get blooms in your garden the next year, but don't be terribly disappointed if you don't. (I am going to try to save these ... nothing to lose, right?) For indoor enjoyment of tulips next year, start with new bulbs. Tulips grown outdoors should be fertilized when the bulbs are planted. There is no consensus as to whether they should be fertilized again before blooming. I usually add a little bulb booster to the soil as soon as the soil has thawed. The most important thing for keeping your bulbs going year after year, however, is to keep the foliage alive for as long as possible. You may cut the stems on which the flowers are borne, but do not cut off the leaves until they have turned completely brown. Bear in mind, however, that most tulip varieties are short-lived and will need to be replanted about every 5 years give or take ... that is if squirrels don't eat them first! |
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As always, I hope that you have enjoyed this issue of The Morning Star Update and would love to hear from you. Have a great month ... and think Spring!
Sincerely, Laurie Pieper
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Under Water
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In February, Bill took a trip to the Dominican Republic to go motorcycle riding ... and, of course, he had a great time. He took this picture while swimming with friends in Blue Lake - apparently an aptly named location.
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Blessing of the Taps
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An annual St. Patrick's Day tradition at The Little Apple Brewing Company is the Blessing of the Taps. The blessing will be March 17th and is to followed by a performance by Patrick the Roving Bagpiper and His Merry Men! And, you guessed it ... the Brewery will be featuring Irish food specials! If any of your aren't familiar with "the Brewery", it's the place to go steaks, beer - my favorite being their Bison Brown Ale, and a whole lot more. (On Fat Tuesday, I had a Sazerac, boiled crawfish, and blacked mahi mahi at LABCO. Yum!)
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Flint Hills Festival of Wines
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The Festival of Wines will be held March 2nd and 3rd. The weekend begins with a Wine Dinner and Live Auction held at the Manhattan Country Club at Friday at 6:30 p.m. Dinner guests will enjoy a gourmet multi-course meal featuring a different Chateau Julien Wine Estates wine paired with each course. The main event - the Grand Tasting will held on Saturday from 6:30 - 10 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn. Grand Tasting participants can sample from a variety of over 200 wines and spirits from all around the world and taste gourmet hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants. The Grand Tasting also features a large Silent Auction and a Private Tasting Room. Private Tasting Room tickets are sold separately and allow purchasers to sample some truly desirable wine and food not featured at the main Grand Tasting event.The event is a fundraiser for Homecare & Hospice. Call 587-0688 to purchase tickets.
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Wellness Retreat
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Have you heard about the Wellness Retreat at The Morning Star June 1st - 4th? The retreat is a chance for guests to pamper themselves with three days of yoga, tai chi, meditation, walking tours, healthful food, wine tasting, art journaling, and just plain old relaxation. It will be a lot of fun, so be sure to tell your friends. The cost for this unique event is $625 single occupancy and $725 double occupancy, plus taxes. We are taking reservations until May 1st or until the rooms are all booked. Make your reservation.
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Dates to Remember
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through March 31st: Prairie Medley - A Photographic Journey through the Great Plains, The Columbian Theater, Wamego |
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