All the Small Things
Yesterday, I went to the Compost Symposium at the State Fairgrounds. It was super interesting, and I wish I could’ve stayed for all the workshops. (Yeah so I like compost and worms and stuff. Deal.) You can read all about it in this week’s edition, but I just wanted to share some wisdom from the…
Energy-saving tips and tricks: Day Five
I’m not going to lie, I’ll probably spend a fair portion of my weekend doing laundry. It may not be glamorous or exciting (as glamorous and exciting as this town gets when I saw a bartender wearing overalls last Friday night – step it up, Springfield!) but I have a pile of dirty clothes that…
Let the good times roll for Superbowl XLIV
Except for 1985, when the Chicago Bears won Superbowl XX, and in 2006 when they lost Superbowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts, I’ve never much cared who was playing. For me, the Superbowl is usually just an excuse for a party. Not this year. On Sunday, I’ll be on the edge of my seat, rooting…
Stimulus money slow to get here
Sangamon County stands to gain $666.5 million in stimulus funds under the year-old American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but little of that money has arrived. The county’s share of economic recovery funds rank it third in the state behind Cook and DuPage counties, according to records from the state stimulus Web site. But as of…
Expressions in the Dark goes red
In a city largely absent of activities and events related to African American culture, Springfield’s black residents have long suffered from the “there’s-nothing-to-do syndrome.” To cure their thirst for culture, many have adopted the habit of traveling to St. Louis, Chicago and Indianapolis for concerts, plays and comedy shows. But in recent years some are…
Chinese classic
Everything including the backdrops, costumes, choreography and sound is expansive and colorful in this production. The New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts, including a live orchestra, brings the ancient culture of Chinese dance and music to Springfield Tuesday night. The experience promises to leave you in awe. Shen YunTuesday, Feb. 9, 7:30pmSangamon Auditorium, UIS 206-6150$39-$80
THE BURNING QUESTION
Should bronzed beauties and golden gods have to pay a sin tax? After the majority of United States senators said yes, tanning businesses like The Ultimate Tan in Springfield answered with a massive email campaign, urging members to “band together to defeat this discriminatory and unjust tax” and to contact their elected senators and congressmen.…
The hole next door
The dilapidated eight-unit tenement at 805 S. Fourth St. sits forlorn and dejected – once a striking Greek Revival home, now a bleak shadow of its former glory. Just steps from Springfield’s historic Dana-Thomas House, piles of garbage – old televisions, a tire and bags of who knows what – litter the ground beneath cracked…
Waste not
Learn to recycle yard and food waste into soil fertilizer whether you’re a backyard gardener or a farmer with a large-scale project in mind. Experts will instruct you on composting organic materials and vermicomposting, reprocessing waste using worms. Sponsored by the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, University of Illinois Extension, City of Springfield’s Division of Waste and…
A setback for wind power
Sangamon County board members are considering an amendment to make green energy developers plant wind turbines farther from people who don’t want them. The amendment penned by board member Tom Fraase “is about an inch thick,” says Tim Moore, chair of the Public Health, Safety and Zoning committee, and would make the existing wind farm…
Spicy Caramelized Pecans
1 c. pecan halves 1 egg white 1 T. Cajun seasoning, such as Souileau’s, Emeril’s Essence, or Paul Prudhomme’s Magic 2 T. dark brown sugar Beat egg white until it begins to froth. Add the seasoning and sugar and mix well. Stir in pecans. Turn onto a greased foil-lined pan. Bake in a 350 oven…
Open mic
Expressions in the Dark celebrates seven years with a special red-night celebration featuring hosts Explicit and Dj76Kid, a surprise guest, prizes and gifts. Since 2003, droves have descended downtown the first Friday of each month to recite their poetry or spoken word, sing, play an instrument or showcase their talent. Open mic soars to a…
Oysters Bingo
Oysters in the shell Chopped cooked spinach, squeezed dry, approximately 1 – 2 tsp. per oyster Aioli, recipe follows, 1 tsp.-1 T. per oyster Freshly grated Parmesan, approximately 1 tsp. per oyster Preheat the broiler. Shuck the oysters and discard the top shell. Place them on an ovenproof tray or cookie sheet, preferably lined with…
With Rome it’s the same old song and dance
If I’ve been experiencing anything at the movies lately, it’s a sense of déjà vu. If I’m not sitting through another apocalyptic thriller then I’m suffering through a by-the-numbers romantic comedy. Case in point: When in Rome has more than a passing resemblance to Leap Year, a rom-com from three weeks ago. Once more we’re…
Energy-saving tips and tricks: Day Four
Did you catch my mallards story in today’s paper? I hope so. I had a lot of fun writing and researching it. Who knew people studied ducks so intensely? Anyway, here’s Tip #4: use a humidifier. As I’m sure you know, everything dries out in the winter: your skin, your sinuses and even the air…
Barbequed Shrimp
1 1/2 – 2 lb. shrimp, shelled and deveined, shells reserved 1 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable stock 1/2 lb. unsalted butter PLUS 10 T. chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1 tsp. crushed red pepper,…
FOLLOW THEIR TWEETS
Central Illinois birdwatchers are invited to submit observations from their bird feeders during this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count from Feb. 12-15. The event, sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited and organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, asks participants to count the birds in their backyard, parks or other community…
Blagojevich trial will make the campaign interesting
Lawyers for Rod Blagojevich told reporters last week that there might be a delay in the former governor’s criminal trial when a federal grand jury, as expected, hands down a new indictment. But they also stressed that they were working hard to keep the trial on track for its June start date. As I write…
Radio Flyers
Just a foot or so off State Road 97, nature is taking back what was once lost. Drivers can’t miss the sprawling wetlands, sunken floodplain and “narrow shoulder” signs, as the road winds across empty lands. The Emiquon Preserve, about an hour and a half northwest of Springfield, stretches 7,100 acres along the Illinois River.…
The cure for common sense
There seems to be no end to commercials for prescription drugs these days. They all seem to feature the same type of generic scenes of people strolling on the beach in billowy clothing, laughing at a cozy family get-together, or looking thoughtful while doing some other activity unrelated to the drug itself. I remember a…
Someone from outside
“One thing I don’t like, and Springfield don’t like, is someone to come in from outside and tell us about Lincoln.” That was the late Murray Hanes, talking as only Hanes could talk, to the late A.J. Liebling during a 1950 interview in Hanes’s office in the late downtown Springfield. Hanes was one of old…
Spinach Salad with Oranges, Tasso Ham, and Spicy Caramelized Pecans
I found this salad dressing in an old cookbook of Louisiana plantations’ recipes. Blood oranges are in season and available locally; they make an especially attractive presentation. Any good Cajun spice mixture will work for the pecans, but for a locally made version, try Souileau’s. (For more about Souileau’s, see my 10/29/09 column at IT’s…
Telegraph 3am
Here comes a new band featuring several familiar area musicians including Brian Reilly (guitar and vocals), John Reilly (vocals), Mike Taft (lead guitar), Charlie Barnes (bass), Pat Miller (drums), and Rory Davis (assorted instruments). The band member pedigree includes associations with the Damwell Betters, Mugshot, Thunderbeast, From the Attic, Reel Channel Cats, Lazer Dudes and…
Bridges takes center stage in Crazy Heart
Country singer Bad Blake has given up trying to deal with all of the disappointments in his life. You can tell by the way he carries himself, what with his unkempt hair and dirty clothes. But it’s the fact that he often appears with his belt undone and pants loosened that tells us all we…
GOP wants campaign limits
Illinois Republicans want to curb the power of legislative leaders, with a new bill that would limit campaign spending for leaders’ caucus committees and political parties. The bill, HB 5008, aims to close the loophole in a campaign finance reform law approved by the governor last December. The law, which will not go into full…
Aioli
1 tsp. Dijon or stone grained mustard 1/2 tsp. salt 3 – 4 sliced garlic cloves or to taste 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil 1/2 c. neutral flavored vegetable oil such as canola Combine the egg, sugar, mustard, salt and garlic cloves in the container of an electric blender or food processor. Blend a…
Red Grapes with Grand Marnier and Sour Cream
This is a light and refreshing dessert; something that’s easily made ahead of time, and can hang out on a buffet table for the duration of the game. 4 c. stemmed seedless red grapes 1/2 c. sour cream 2 T. Grand Marnier, or to taste dark brown sugar Combine grapes and creme fraiche or sour…
African-American archives
Feb 6, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Abundant Faith Christian Center, learn little known stories of ethnic group diversity and their roles and achievements in Lincoln-era Springfield. Monday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. in SIU School of Medicine’s south auditorium, Dr. Sonja Boone, M.D., speaks about health disparities among underrepresented minority groups. Feb. 4 through Feb.…
Live longer
The facts are sobering. Heart disease kills more women than any other disease. 450,000 women die each year, that’s about one each minute. One in three women have some form of cardiovascular disease. In Illinois, more than 55 percent of women are overweight and obese. But, 80 percent of cardiac events in women could be…
Festive February fodder
Somehow during the global conference on holiday scheduling meeting many millenniums ago, someone must have felt sorry for shorting February in the number of days and made up for it by overloading on the holidays. My all-time favorite, Groundhog Day, kicks off the gala run that includes Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday,…
