Inflation peaked
The former Chief Global Economist of Principal Capital Management, Bob Baur, told our Monday Lunch Zoomers last week that inflation has peaked. Check out the video for the full range of topics within his wheelhouse. Geek out on discussions about China, India, Ukraine, government instability, etc. You will find our participants along with an economist, such as Bob Baur, make for a fascinating hour.
Our next Monday Zoom Lunch will take place on November 14, with entrepreneur Raquel Graham about her experience on Shark Tank. I had the honor of working with Raquel in my Chicago Vistage group. Here is a video of her appearance:
If you want to participate in the Monday Zoom Lunch discussions, simply become a paid subscriber. You will then have access to some interesting notable thought leaders and make it possible for emerging writers to receive a scholarship to the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat, September 17-20, 2023. By the way, I’ve already booked new speakers, Rachel Jones, Maura Casey, and Amy Ferris. Many of our favorite speaker alums will be with us again, too.
Potlucking Hits the Road
I asked if readers wanted to hold a potluck in their town, with the request to invite 12 people they consider community influencers. The first volunteer was Susan Beckman of Burlington, where I wrote three pieces from the visit.
Dianne Prichard gathered a group in DeWitt. I’ll be doing these somewhat regularly. If you want to put one together, the assignment is to invite 12 influential people in your area to a potluck. Let's find a date.
DeWitt
Our host in DeWitt, Dianne Prichard, wrote this following up on my visit to her home:
The world needs more potlucks. But a potluck dish has to be prepared from scratch. No restaurant pizza or gas station chicken. No hamburger helper. It has to be a source of pride, a display of skill, and a celebration of ingredients from the local grocery store—no truffle oil. No tahini. Because equity is a component of potlucks.
The world needs more potlucks Because dishes hot from the oven or cold from the frig are conversation starters.
What's in this?
Where did you find this recipe?
Thanks for making something gluten-free!
Is this a family heirloom?
And later….would you share this recipe?
And later…Marybeth left the lid on her casserole here; I'll drop it off.
And later…Charley, I tried your recipe…we all loved it.
And at the next potluck
Alice, is this your Spaghetti Supreme?
I hope George brought his pickled peaches.
Dori, can you stay to help clean up?
And the next
Sunny, we missed you in September. Is everything OK?
And the next.
Fern, how's Gib?
And the next
And the next.
We need more potlucks because we need more conversations.
Pastor Dianne Prichard
Community Church of Toronto, Iowa
Hope Lutheran Church of Dixon, Iowa
…and here are the recipes from the Burlington Potluck
Apple Salad ala Amy (Amy Camp, Burlington)
Honeycrisp apples cut in bite-size pieces
Celery cut into bite-size pieces
Roughly chopped walnuts or pecans
Mini marshmallows
Mix dressing: mayonnaise, sugar to sweeten, milk to make it just right, a small dash of wild raspberry, white balsamic olive oil (if possible)
Add dressing to apples, celery, nuts, and marshmallows
Add drained maraschino cherries gently (as many as you like)
Stir gently and refrigerate until serving.
The recipe may be altered as desired by the cook. A splash of any flavored vinegar or olive can work to add a little zest. Add other fruit if you prefer.
Guatemalan Blue Squash / Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Roasted Squash (Diana Small, Burlington)
Note: This is the recipe Diana used, but she didn’t add the shrimp or serve it on greens. (editors note: it was delicious)
2 cups Guatemalan Blue squash, cubed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound shrimp
Butter lettuce or other greens
2 Tablespoons lemon garlic dressing
1 lemon, sliced (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the cubed squash, minced garlic, oregano, 1 ½ Tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper, in a cast iron pan or on a baking sheet. Mix and roast for 40 - 45 minutes.
Add ½ Tablespoon olive oil and fry shrimp in a nonstick pan for 3-4 minutes or until fully cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove squash from the oven, and plate with shrimp over the greens of your choice. Drizzle with your favorite lemon garlic dressing and garnish with a lemon wedge.
Recipes adapted from Bay Area cookbook author and food blogger My Nguyen, whose website offers simple and nutritious meal ideas. Myhealthydish.com
Raspberry Crumble Bars (Susan Hoisington, Burlington)
(Original recipe from “ Pinch of Yum”)
9x13 pan - lined with parchment or foil
Preheat oven to 350
Ingredients
Raspberry Filling
24 oz frozen raspberries (6 cups) - must be thawed and drained**
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. corn starch
3 Tbsp. lemon juice***
Crumble Layer
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
12 oz. butter - melted
Filling Instructions:
Place raspberries in a large colander. Run warm water over them for a minute, and then let the liquid drain out for about an hour until the berries are soft and thoroughly drained (or plan well enough ahead to let them just sit and thaw). Mix drained raspberries with sugar, flour, cornstarch, and lemon juice.
Crust Instructions:
Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir vanilla into melted butter and pour over dry ingredients; mix together into a crumble-like mixture. Press 2/3rds of the crumble into the bottom of the lined 9x13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Carefully spread raspberry filling over partially baked crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumble. Bake for another 30-35 minutes (filling should be partially bubbling.
Remove from the oven. It can be eaten right away but will be more like a fruit crisp. If you want perfectly shaped bars, you must chill before cutting.
Notes for ** and ***.
Using frozen fruit that you thaw and completely drain is the key to these bars staying together and cutting so beautifully (although a generous amount of crust helps as well). I have always felt bad about not using the liquid from the thawed fruit, so was inspired to substitute citric acid and some of the drained liquid for the lemon juice. ⅛ tsp. Citric Acid plus 1 Tbsp. fruit juice for each Tbsp. of lemon juice. I am very happy with the results. Using frozen, drained fruit for the filling also opens up the possibility of using pretty much any berries (and even rhubarb) for the filling.
Next Stop; CR
I’m heading to Cedar Rapids today, where I will initially visit with the First Offense Writers group, which formed during the 2021 Okoboji Writers’ Retreat.
Next, Libby Slappy of OWR II (Okoboji Writers’ Retreat of 2022) and other fame will host a potluck in Cedar Rapids tonight. It will be fascinating to see what unfolds in our discussion tonight. Let me know if you’d like to host a potluck of 12: julieokobojiwriters@gmail.com
Remember: Everyone brings something to the table.
The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative
I’m honored to be a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
Below are the members of the Iowa Writers Collaborative in alphabetical order. There is a lot of talent here, and I’m honored to be on the list. We allied with one another and the Iowa Capital Dispatch to provide commentary about all things Iowa.
Friday, we held the first gathering we call the Office Lounge. It is a premium for any of our paid subscribers. This experiment links readers directly to writers for ad-free content about and by Iowans. Click on the links below and take a look:
Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights
Doug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll
Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines
Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake
Suzanna de Baca Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley
Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County
Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji
Jody Gifford: Benign Inspiration, West Des Moines
Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla
Dana James: New Black Iowa, Des Moines
Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey
Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines
Barry Piatt: Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona
Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County
Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport
To receive a weekly roundup of our columns, subscribe here: Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
Recipes for the economy and a potluck