Sunday, July 10, 2011

Little fellers, big feet


Dozens of teeny frogs cling to Laurie's Prior Lake house wall, waiting by the carriage lights for their nightly bug feast. On some evenings she's counted as many as 38 of the little fellers with the big feet, who have no difficulty scaling the highest reaches of the exterior to find the best hunting. None of the neighbors are so favored; the word is out, the best eats are at Laurie's.


Click to enlarge and see four of
Laurie's pals on her garage wall.
Ruby Red Premium
Pickled Beets, nature's finest.
We gathered there too last night, inside, under the friendly light shining over Laurie's dinner table for Stan's Endless Birthday Celebration. We feasted on a spread of oven-roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, fruit cubes, pork roast and a favoring of Laurie's home-canned beets, yanked from local soil, pickled and preserved. Stan took home his personal Mason jar of the prized goods, along with a unique South Dakota vintage chosen for him on a recent trip to The Black Hills: a fine bottle of "Red Ass Rhubarb" wine.