TULIP FESTIVAL CINO DE MAYO HOLLAND, MICHIGAN

Today is one of my favorite times in Holland, Michigan.  The Tulip Festival starts in Centennial Park with a big Art Show.  My friends Millie and Rod are part of the show with their Native Textures Stone Pendants.  Tom and I met Millie and Rod because we love their jewelry and then found we loved them too. 

This is the fountain in the center of Centennial Park in Holland, MI.  One hundred years ago, my Grandpa Budde sat on a bench in this park with his head in his hands wondering, "What have I done?" after immigrating to the United States.

 Millie and Rod's jewelry.  I will take one of each.

 Rod, cold and wet but working hard.

 So very pretty.  I'll just take the whole box.

Millie hiding her light behind her jewelry.  She was in the picture when I pointed the camera.

Three blocks from Centennial Park is Cino de Mayo Fiesta on 8th Street in the Holland Farmer's Market.  I could go from one booth to another and eat all day the luscious Mexican food available. 

One of my favorite restaurants, but the line is long and it is raining hard.

 Arturo's makes wonderful tacos.  His mother is fantastic.

 Fancy hats.

 Good looking fruit.

Deli Joe's is a bakery too.  I had a cream cheese strawberry empanada.  Yum.

 Great ingredients make great tacos.

 Do you want hot or mild salsa? 

My Pastor Taco, marinated pork with grilled pineapple, red onions, and avocado cream.  I like their hot salsa.

I don't know why most years it has to rain during the Art Show and Fiesta.  I came home soaking wet after walking through the show and standing in line at only one food booth.  Notice I said walking.  My new knees are starting to feel like they are part of me instead of those "things" in my legs.  I also came home with a happy tummy after eating Pastor Tacos from Deli Joe's.

Although most of the tulips are gone because of the warm weather in March, there are still flowers to be seen.  Here the home owners use umbrellas to keep the rain off of their tree peonies.

 What a colorful yard.

 I could live happily here.

  The end.

THE FIRST WEEK IN MAY IN MICHIGAN--HUMMINGBIRDS, TREE FRUIT, STEM FEST, AND PINTEREST.

We are already well into the first month of May.  Time seems to speed up every day and the world seems to be spinning faster and faster.  This post isn't about the whole state of Michigan.  People who haven't been to here have no idea how big of a state is Michigan.  When I lived in Marquette, Michigan, I was farther from my home in Grand Rapids, Michigan than I was when I lived in Missouri.

The first day of May, here along the lakeshore of Lake Michigan, I saw my first hummingbird.  It wasn't impressed with the orange I had out for the orioles and with the empty hummingbird feeder.  I quickly cleaned up the feeder and made some hummingbird food.  I learned this year at a bird store that I can use white vinegar instead of bleach to clean the feeders.  I find that easier.  I also have started use finely ground sugar like C&H's Baker's Sugar.  It dissolves much faster.


We have such crazy weather this year that the newest estimates is that Western Michigan has lost 75% of its tree fruit like cherries, apples, etc.  All along the coast of the Lake are acres and acres of fruit trees and bushes.  The very warm weather in March woke the trees up much to early.  Then in April came all the cold weather.  When it is cold, not only do the blossoms get frozen and die, the bees stay warm in their hives and don't wander out to pollinate the blooming trees.

Stem Fest starts Saturday in Holland, Mi.

May 5th is the opening day of the Holland Tulip Festival, the second largest flower festival in the country.  The first is the Rose Bowl Parade.  This year, again because of the crazy weather, it looks like we are going to have a Stem Fest.  Even though most of the tulips have bloomed and are gone, Holland is still a fun place to visit.


I, with the help of my son, Matthew, am still trying to figure out Pinterest.  Matt put three different posts up on Pinterest this Sunday, but I don't know if they work. I will get this figured out.  I will not let it defeat me.  I won't be an old lady who can't use a computer. 

DUTCH PIGS IN THE BLANKET ARE FINALLY POSTED

Google has completely changed the design of the blogger format.  I have done the post for Dutch Pigs in the Blanket over three times and lost them all.  Finally I hope it is posted.  I am afraid to look.

It is now a year since I lost my Tommy.  I still don't know what I am doing on the computer let alone with all the extra equipment we have.  Now, on my own, I have to learn to use all the new bells and whistles.  Life sure doesn't seem fair.  Oh well one step at a time.  One foot in front to the other.  Sometimes it is just getting through one minute at a time.

I hope you enjoy the United Methodist Church's Dutch Pigs in the Blanket post.  The church does so much good work and there are so many people who work very hard, plus their food is fantastic.

HOW TO MAKE DUTCH PIGS IN A BLANKET--6,000 AT A TIME or FOR JUST A FAMILY.

 

SAUCIJZENBROODJES

PIGS-IN-THE-BLANKET

Pronounced as: Si-sen-broaches, and translated into English as pigs in the blanket or sausage and bread, Dutch pigs are a seasoned meat mixture wrapped in a light pastry dough and baked.  The meat mixture can be beef and pork or just pork.  The meat is lightly seasoned with nutmeg and bound together with Dutch rusk crumbs, eggs and milk.  They can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack, enjoyed with soup, for a light dinner or as an appetizer.   Frequently they are garnished with ketchup, mustard or maple syrup.  The syrup is especially popular for breakfast pigs.  Another version of the Dutch pig is WORSTENBROOKJES, bratwurst wrapped in pastry.

DUTCH PIGS IN THE BLANKET

Dutch "pigs" are wrapped in pastry dough while Polish "pigs" are wrapped in cabbage.

PIGS IN THE BLANKET   SAUCIJZENBROODJES

First United Methodist Church of Holland, MI saids that Pigs in the Blanket are their Specialty!!!  They make the "pigs" twice a year for the Holland Tulip Festival and for Christmas.  They also make other Dutch food for the Festival and the Winter Market.

MEAT

4 lb. ground pork, not sausage

2 lb. lean ground beef

2 t salt

1t pepper

1 ½ c saltine cracker, crushed

3 eggs

¾ c milk

1 t nutmeg

DOUGH

9 c flour

2 T baking powder

1 T salt

1 ½ lb. margarine

3 eggs

3 c milk

For the Meat:  Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. 
For the Dough:  Mix dry ingredients and cut in margarine.  Mix eggs and milk and add to margarine mixture, mixing well by hand.  Place part of dough onto floured surface and knead lightly.  Roll out until quite thin.  Cut dough with knife into squares about 4x4-inch.  Place a scoop of meat mixture, about 2 ½ to 3 T, onto dough square.  Form meat into tube shape extending it to the end of the dough square.  Roll dough around meat tube and place on trays to freeze or baking sheet to bake.  Repeat roll outs until meat is gone.

Bake at 375°:  Thawed 30 minutes.  Frozen 45 minutes.  

 The first step in the process of making the "pigs" is to cover the whole kitchen with plastic including the flour.

 Assemble the ingredients.

 Post the recipe.

 Good Michigan flour makes good "pigs."

 Makes flour and eggs together.

Measure flour and add baking powder/salt.

 Break up margarine into small pieces.

 Makes the margarine and flour together like making pie crust.

 Mix well.

 Add liquid.

 Mix well.

 Knead lightly.

 Form into a ball.

 Balls of dough ready to roll on the left of the picture.

 Starting to roll the dough.

 And roll.

 Keep rolling.

 Getting close to the end of rolling out the dough.

 Everyone gets covered with flour.

 The church usually has a butcher mixes the dough.

 Meat is scooped into 1 1/2-ounce balls.

Balls of meat are placed in the middle of a square of pastry. 

 The pace is fast.

Meat balls are smushed down with fingers.

 Meat is spread from one side of square to the other.

 It is not necessary to roll the meat into a sausage shape.  Just smush it out.

 The rollers fix any imperfections.

 Start rolling the pastry around the meat.

Place rolls seam side down.

 There was a reporter from a TV station to film the process.

 The reporter had a lot to learn about making pigs.

 Mary Jo, who is in charge of this project and who works so hard, is laughing because the reporter found flour on his camera.

 Some "pigs" are baked for the workers to sample and for the reporter to take back to the station.

 Pigs baked and ready to leave the oven.

 Yummy.

 Unbaked "pigs" are packed six to a meat tray with seam side down.  Two meat trays are packed into a plastic bag with the baking insturctions.

 On the way to the freezer.

 The meat inside the pastry.

 "Pigs" are usually served with ketchup or syrup.

 ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!!!!