Morel Mushrooms

 

We hunt Morel Mushrooms every spring where we live here in Brown County, Indiana.  They are very hard to find because you have to look in a location that's just right.  Shade with part sun, moisture (but not wet), usually at the bottom of valleys.  It's like going on an Easter egg hunt with camouflaged eggs that might not even be there. 

 

We soak them in water for a little bit.  That helps keep them moist before you cook them.   

Megan is cutting them in half down the middle and cutting off any dirt at the root.  Sami didn't help because she won't eat them anymore; she gorged herself on the morels once and made herself sick.  

While still damp, we roll them in flour, salt and pepper.  Everyone does it differently, like dipping them in egg first or rolling them in corn meal.

We fry them in hot oil till crispy and lightly browned.  Some people fry them in bacon grease, but I don't want the bacon to hide the mushroom's flavor.

 Megan is gently flipping them over.  

Time to eat!  These are a local delicacy, and sell for about $25/lb.  They taste very  light and meaty at the same time, and taste nothing like button mushrooms. 

 

We Were Busy Again but Calming Down Now

We've had a couple of busy weeks again.  Here's what's been happening:

-My mother had pneumonia so the girls and I have been helping out by taking Mom to her doctor's appointments, getting groceries, and helping out around the house.  My sister Amy also helped out a lot in these areas.  Abby would have helped, but she had a lot to deal with because of her terminal brother-in-law. 

-My blind, special needs brother broke his ankle and was staying at Mom and Dad's, so I helped out by driving him to and from his group home and helping him around the house.  Amy, again helped a lot.   

-We managed to go to story time, play dates, and have sewing lessons in there a couple of times.  Those were fun!

-I had my own set of dental appointments and Sami had doctor's appointments. 

-My sister's brother-in-law passed away so we helped babysit her kids a tiny bit, and also helped watch my brother so that my parents and I could take turns going to the funeral home. 

On the good list? 

-We've had a couple of really beautiful weather days.

-I got to mow the lawn (yes, I like mowing)

-Our Dave Ramsey gazelle budget is rocking and rolling. 

-My tooth that has been hurting since early January is finally feeling better.

-We learned how to make onigiri.  Yum! 

-I'm learning how to make socks.  Even though I'm screwing it up, it's still fun. 

-Sami is still doing well with her OCD meds, although I can see a trend and we may have to increase her dosage a little.  We'll see if calming our schedule down helps her this week before we change any medication.  She's so brave. 

-We get to spend today at HOME.  :)

I've been remarkably optimistic even with how busy we are.  I hope I stay this way, and I hope that our schedule doesn't come up with any more emergencies.