tarsi210

Most of you by now are used to my semi-infrequent posts on this blog concerning food.    I find food to be one of the truer things in life; it’s generally hard to hide things from the senses when it comes to food and it presents a multi-dimensional challenge to the chef to create something that assails you from every direction and not simply taste. Meat and I go a long way back.     Born and raised as a farmer’s son, I was whelped on a wide variety of animal proteins, ranging from simple... Read Full Story

Everyone should make their own bread at least once in their life, because the sheer experience of it is not only so dang fulfilling, but the end result can be astounding to a level of mental orgasmic bliss.    Add to that the fact that you’ll know everything that went into it and you have a wonderful recipe for success and good feelings. This bread is adapted from a bread machine recipe I found on AllRecipes.com and adjusted for a handmade system instead.   Vegetarian compatible but not... Read Full Story

People change a lot in a year.   And sometimes not. Making observations of my relatives at some of the larger gatherings this past week has been a pile of curious and profound and amusing all wrapped into a crazy little white elephant gift and shoved underneath the tree, tape sticking out everywhere, with gaps here and there where things don’t quite meet up but you can’t tell what’s inside anyway because you used a hair dryer box to wrap up a shirt and who would ever give a blower to a guy... Read Full Story

A true story for your holiday season.    May you find more blessings, fulfillment, and joy than you ever looked for.    From mine to yours, the happiest of seasons. – Nathan We were a ragtag bunch of youthful musicians and, being of un-proven and uncivilized manners, were likely not worthy of the term at that age; but, inspired, led, and driven (kicking and screaming), we attempted a pseudo-mastery of the art.   The shiny instruments attached to our grubby hands and sassy mouths were... Read Full Story

I am, as usual, strapped for time for any sort of meaningful, lengthy postings, but I did want to hammer this short one out for you folks, including the below picture. The picture below is of my Grandpa Schermer (Mom’s dad, obviously) that I scanned last night from a very old picture that we recovered from my grandparents’ house when they both went to the nursing home.    I loved this image when I first saw it so I’ve kept it since. The year is unknown, but given the age of the photo, my... Read Full Story

This one word pretty well sums up where I find myself. Or rather, where I don’t. The fact that this blog hasn’t been updated in 31 days is only a small indicator of the state of the entire system; a small window of view into the whole malaise. It is difficult to state exactly how I feel, but I’m going to attempt it, because maybe by writing it down I can better align my mind to it, and perhaps find a way out of it.    That’s not to say this is a definitive list of what’s mulling around... Read Full Story

You are not here for a Reason. There is no inherent Purpose to your life, existence, or presence. You’re not here to fulfill any particular duty, perform a service, bring meaning to someone’s life or situation, teach a lesson, provide a basis for change, revolution, or stimulus.    In no way are you charged with a mission or quest; you are not abiding by any master’s wish or mandate.   There are no giants and tilting at windmills will, at best, earn you a concussion. You are not here... Read Full Story

Beware the red herring, waved in front of your faces by mass media, distracting you from the real issues at hand. Oh, they’re attractive and everyone’s talking about them.    They seem important, even ground-breaking, until you really break them down and look beyond the hype.    If you share and talk and rant about them, passing the news on Facebook and Twitter and getting in heated discussions on this aspect or that around the water cooler, you’ll feel a part of the action — the here & now... Read Full Story

“Hrm,” I reflected as I got into my car this morning.  “That wasn’t exactly the flavor I had hoped to be tasting all morning.”   The pseudo-buttery taste of the margarine from my cinnamon-and-sugar bread lingered on my tastebuds as I pulled away, making me wish I had eaten that first and then had my apricot-pineapple-chipotle salsa-covered fried eggs last.   I eventually drowned it out with some pop and time, but it took awhile.   It’s funny what lingers on for tastes, isn’t it? Of course... Read Full Story

In less than 16 hours I will be embarking on the start of a 185-mile journey across the middle of Iowa on two wheels, powered only by my legs and sense of determination.   It is something I have been training for (368 miles down) and preparing for several months, finally culminating in actually being able to do it and succeed.   It’s RAGBRAI , The Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, and it’s going on right now, and I’m joining in for 3 days of bicycling and fun. I sure hope I’m... Read Full Story