Author: The Park Wife
The Park Wife is a tribe builder. She is the founder of Arkansas Women Bloggers
(ARWB), an online community designed to gather,grow, and connect bloggers in our state. Stephanie recently launched her company The Women Bloggers
and expanded her state-focused blog communities into Oklahoma, Kansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. Through ARWB, she holds the popular, smaller niche blog conference Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged, submerging
bloggers in an environment that fosters relationships, communication and some
pretty fierce dedication and camaraderie. Considered an old-timer in the blog
world, since 2005 she has written what she hopes is a love letter to her children
on her lifestyle blog, The Park Wife. Raised in the debutante world of Mississippi,
she married her hunky park ranger and moved to Arkansas 15 years ago and has
fallen in love with the state. She loves gardening, porch swings, a beautifully
set table, a delicious meal surrounded by great conversations, their cabin in the
woods and monograming everything that is not nailed down. She is a devoted
wife and fun-loving, homeschool mom to two extraordinarily cool little gentlemen
and is fortunate enough to live on one of Arkansas’s premier state parks.
First Day of School 2013 {Wordless Wednesday}
I love our ARWB blog family! Check out all the cute kiddos on the first day of school.
As you know, it concerns me when bloggers use their children’s names along with their school name, church name, favorite playground, and I have even see info with their doctors names. I get really freaked out when they tell the world in advance where their kids will be at a certain time. So, I chose to not tell you where these kiddos are from, just that they are children of Arkansas Women Blogger gals, so they are like my kiddos too.
#AWBU 2013 Update ~2 1/2 Weeks Away
It is almost time for #AWBU 2013 and we are getting excited, are you? Here is a little update.
If you have not checked out our speakers and sessions, do that now. If you have chosen the #FoodieFriday Add-On, go check out that fabulousness.
For Foodie Friday attendees: Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and we will start the program at Noon sharp. We have a lot to cover and will stick to the schedule, so do not be late, you will not want to miss out. Grab a bite to eat on your way, we will have snacks and drinks throughout the day but no lunch as programming starts at Noon.
Full Conference attendees: Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. and the conference begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.. We will have a reception with food, so come hungry. Also, Natural State Distributing will provide a wine tasting at the reception, but the rest of the weekend is BYOB. Please take note of this as we will not be “turning the truck around” for you guys this year (if you were at #awbu 2012, you get that). Again, we have an informative, fun-filled weekend planned so come ready to learn, meet new gals, interact with brands, and no, you will not get a ton of sleep. I urge you to take advantage of all the wonderful offerings this weekend, our tribe rocks.
We are happy to announce that New Balance Arkansas will host a 5K on Sunday morning. If you are a runner, be ready. If you would like to walk, that is more than fine and could be a fun time with the other gals strolling the route. If you are not interested in running or walking, we need cheerleaders! We would love for you to pop a squat along the route and take pics, Instagram, Facebook and Tweet sweaty pictures of your fellow #AWBU gals. There might be a reward for doing this, hint hint.
This year, we have added the AWBU Handmade Marketplace. We have some extremely talented artisans among our bloggers and they will be peddling their wares on Saturday evening. In addition, we have eight, yes EIGHT, published authors in attendance that weekend and we will have a time for your to purchase their books and have them signed. Great Christmas presents ladies! Some will take credit cards, but most cash and checks, so be prepared.
We are excited that for our annual cookout, Hotdog Mike will be there cooking some of PetitJean Meat’s famous hotdogs. We will have vegetarian options throughout the weekend. If you have specific food concerns, please email Stephanie and let her know so she can make plans.
We have a lot more in store for the weekend, we will keep you updated, but also there are things we are keeping under our hats. Don’t you love surprises?
If you have not filled out the survey I sent out, please do that NOW. The shirts are in WOMEN sizes, so that changes some people’s mind on what they originally told me.
If you have any questions, let me (@theparkwife) know. We look forward to another great year at #AWBU!
Sunday Link Up {August 18, 2013}
Farmers’ Markets are not just for the weekend {Foodie Friday}
By Lyndi Fultz, nwafoodie
Who here loves a leisurely stroll through the local farmers’ market on a lazy weekend morning? Besides the fact that you can go home with a bounty of local produce and handmade goods, what is not to love about potentially bumping into a neighbor, friend, co-worker, and chatting it up with the booth tender? And people-watch. Definitely people-watch.
Farmers’ Markets are the definitive symbol of all what is good about summertime. And fireflies.
Here is another question for you. Who here loves a leisurely stroll through the local farmers’ market… on a busy weekday morning?
Anyone?
If you are not taking advantage of the weekday farmers’ market, you are missing out. I find that I can easily eat lunch, stroll the market to determine all that is available, make my selections, make my purchase, chat with the booth tender, and then head back to the office over my lunch hour.
It can make your weekday extra-special.
I got to thinking about Northwest Arkansas and all of the farmers’ markets in our area and something clicked. If someone was so inclined, they could pretty much go to a farmers’ market every day of the week. Yes, almost every day of the week! How cool is that?
Monday – West Fork
Tuesday – Fayetteville, Eureka Springs, Huntsville, Siloam Springs, Springdale
Wednesday – Rogers, Green Fork, West Fork, Botanical Garden of the Ozarks
Thursday – Fayetteville, Eureka Springs, Huntsville, Springdale
The Rogers farmers’ market is one of my weekday favorite lunchtime errands. Shopping for fruits and vegetables over lunchtime makes me feel like I am doing my part in contributing to the local economy. Shopping there makes me think about why it is important for all of us take advantage of this summertime event.
5 reasons to shop at your local farmers’ market on a weekday:
1.You are supporting small businesses and farmers who arrive after they harvest their weekday bounty.
2. You will be surprised by extraordinary offerings like zucchini squash blossoms.
3.You get the pick of the litter since the crowds are smaller on the weekday.
4.You have to buy your weekly fruits and vegetables anyway. Why not buy and support local?
5. It forces you to slow down. There isn’t much better than observing a farmer with his kid tending a booth or two old-timers spinning tales about gardening, fishing, and small town living.
As the kids go back to school and summer winds down, farmers’ market are one last lingering aspect of summer that will keep on for at least the next few months.
Let’s take advantage of them more often.
They are more than just a weekend trip.
Eat well, my friends. Eat well.
Lyndi, NWAFoodie, writes about living and eating well from her life in beautiful Northwest Arkansas. Much of her blogging inspiration comes from this gem of a place which she refers to as the proverbial land of milk-and-honey.
Farmers’ Market locations in Lyndi’s neck of the woods:
Eureka Springs Farmers’ Market
Main Street Siloam Farmers’ Market
To find a market in your area, check out ArkansasMarketMaker.com
Sunday Link Up {August 11, 2013}
Smokin’ Hot! {Foodie Friday}
By Debbie Arnold, Dining With Debbie
You may have followed along recently when nwaFoodie, Lela Davidson and I challenged one another to this little Fourth of July #Virtual Smokeoff. We had such a good time hosting that event and participating in Lyndi’s giveaway of a Masterbuilt electric smoker. Hubby and I, of course, won by a not-too-small margin with our All-American Independence Day Ribs prepared in our Cookshack© electric smoker.
What I couldn’t tell you at the time, but I can tell you now, is that Cookshack© has generously donated one of their amazing electric smokers as a giveaway to one of our #FoodieFriday attendees. I was beyond excited to learn that they wanted to do this and could hardly contain my excitement for the past several weeks.
Cookshack© will ship one of our lucky gals the Smokette Elite (SM025)© electric smoker. This is the same model that Hubby and I have, and I sometimes think he loves it every bit as much as he does me. It’s just that awesome.
Cookshack© technology has eliminated the need for labor intensive manual operation of old-fashioned pit barbecue smoking. From delicately smoked salmon to fiery jerky, you can easily master the techniques needed to turn out smoked foods that your family and friends will love!
You still have time to get registered for the #AWBU conference and the Foodie Friday add-on, but don’t delay. Our spots are limited. Not only will you get to enjoy five incredible sessions led by talented, professional speakers, you have a good chance to take home this fantastic electric smoker as well.
#AWBU 2013 Foodie Friday Speakers Announced!
by Debbie Arnold of Dining With Debbie
When Stephanie asked me several months ago if I would consider working on the AWBU pre-conference we affectionately call Foodie Friday, I was certainly flattered, but I also knew that I know food. I love to cook it. I love to watch it being prepared. I love to grow and harvest it. And, it goes without saying, that I love to eat it!
I wanted your Foodie Friday this year to focus on the foodie in you. Whether you are a food blogger or not, we all love a good meal and want to prepare nutritious meals for ourselves and our families. With that in mind, it’s exciting for me to announcement this year’s line-up of Foodie Friday featured speakers. They come to you with outstanding credentials and a willingness to inform and assist you. Do not hesitate to see each and every one as a personal resource.
And, of course, no Foodie Friday would be complete without the return of our traditional, creative, fun-filled…and highly competitive AWBU Foodie Friday Iron Chef Competition which involves all of you who are attending.
This year’s judging panel is composed of some of our state’s best-known foodies and food bloggers. They all know how to share a good meal, and they know how to have fun. Trust me. Each one has been encouraged to join in the fun (and probable harassment) of the event.
No, they may not accept your bribes.
You are coming, aren’t you? How could you miss it? I look forward to seeing you the afternoon of September 6 at Ferncliff Camp in Little Rock. Come on down…or up…or over. Whatever. Just get here.
So without further ado, the speakers:
Chef Donnie Ferneau ~ Cooking Like a Chef
Meenakshi Budhraja MD (@gastromom)~ You Are What You Eat
Kelly Brant ~ You Stole My Recipe! Copyright, Plagiarism, and Recipes
Stephanie Parker, aka Plain Chicken ~ The Business of Food Blogging
Chef Liz Bray ~ Searching for Perfection
Click here to read more on the speakers and the big reveal of our “Iron Chef” competition judges. AMAZING!
Registration Questions? Email Stephanie at theparkwife@gmail.com.
Sunday Link Up {August 4, 2013}
Delicious Chicken on the Grill {Foodie Friday}
by Lana Soto of Little Bitty Life
Pretty much everyone loves chicken. Who can resist?! But how imagine much more delicious chicken is when you raise it in your own backyard! Well, this year we found out. For the first time ever in our 5 years of marriage, we ventured into backyard farming and tried our hand at raising our own chickens for meat. The process itself is really neat. You get to watch your chicks grow into big chickens, and you get to know exactly what quality of food, water, and general care is going into your birds. We have so much still to learn about the whole process, but this year we certainly learned a LOT. One thing we had to learn in particular with backyard chicken meat is how to prepare it in a way that is tasty and tender. I remember talking with a friend of mine who tried processing their own backyard chickens.
She said to me, “I just felt like we had a whole freezer of meat that went to waste. We just never could figure out how to prepare it where it tasted good.”
We ran into the same problem ourselves on our first try of preparing the chicken meat when we baked it. We quickly found out the meat tasted rather gamey and tough when it was baked. The next time we cooked it, we decided to try grilling it BBQ-style – and BINGO! We have found a method that satisfies even the pickiest eaters (that’s me). It is all really rather simple and straightforward. Here are the ingredients we used:
– Your favorite BBQ sauce and Tony Chachere’s. Mix these ingredients together and then marinate the chicken in this mixture for 3-4 hours before grilling for best results. I think the BBQ sauce really helps lock in moisture and infuses the chicken with flavor. (We don’t leave the skin of chicken on when grilling, so it can be tricky sometimes to get the meat to stay moist.)
– Fire up the grill. To get the chicken to cook longer and slower, grill other items (like your vegetables) before the chicken so the grill will have cooled down some. (Of note, we are using a charcoal grill that reduces in heat as it is used, not a gas grill with a thermostat.)
– When you are ready, place your chicken on the grill. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal meat reaches at least 165 degrees. When you are sure the meat has reached an adequate temperature, take your chicken off the grill. You don’t want to overcook it because it can easily become dry and tough.
– ENJOY. We especially love to have our home-raised chicken with other goodies from the garden, as you can see!
Lana Soto is a newbie farmer/gardener on 3 acres in backwoods Northwest Arkansas. She works from home as a medical transcriptionist in order to be able to look after their chickens, geese, cats, dogs, pony, and small vegetable garden. She and her husband have dreams of supporting a family on a self-sufficient homestead with more acreage. Lana loves to share stories about her animal and gardening adventures on her blog, Little Bitty Life. She can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.