All posts in Rose Park Neighborhood
Day of the Dead…Best Parade of the Year
Get your white and black face paint and your fanciest duds on…the Day of the Dead parade is tonight, November 2 and you don’t want to miss it! It is hands down the best parade of the year with huge steamroller prints, giant puppets, dancers, drummers, jugglers, and costumes that will take your breath away. From everyday plain old dead people to out of this world animorph spirit guides, corpse brides, and sometimes even a dead Elvis or two, you will be delighted and amazed. Festivities begin with the construction of the giant mandala at Caras Park during the afternoon (you’re welcome to come and help create it) and continue with belly dancing and drumming at the north end of Higgins at 6 pm as the paraders get organized. The parade itself begins at 7 and proceeds from Circle Square to Caras Park for more dancing, juggling, drumming, and admiring of each others’ costumes. See you there! I’ll be the sugar skull throwing candy!
Giant skeleton puppet is an annual favorite in the DOD parade
Best Lemonade Stand in Missoula
Okay, this is not, strictly speaking, in the Rose Park Neighborhood, but something so amazing cannot go unremarked. I am a big fan of lemonade stands…I have drunk my share of warm, sticky Country Time lemonade from a soggy paper cup, and was happy to do it. I mean, they are so CUTE…and I admire a budding entrepreneur. But Sunday I had THE BEST glass of lemonade ever, purchased at the corner of Hawthorne and Sherwood, across the street from Lowell School. First of all, the prystal (that’s clear plastic) glass was filled with ice, a HUGE bonus on a supremely hot day. The lemonade was perfect…tangy and sweet and refreshing. And the fresh strawberry chunks (you heard me…FRESH STRAWBERRIES) floating on top made it sublime. All for a quarter, although one of the proprietors let slip that most people gave them a dollar. AND THEY SHOULD…I did. So get right over there before school starts…it’s a deal at twice the price.
The stand is as attractive as the lemonade is delicious
Backyard Beekeeper
Urban beekeeping
We’re finally seeing some nice weather, and it’s fascinating what people get up to when they can go outside again. One of my favorite neighbors has a new passion … beekeeping. Although this picture was taken through the window, it wasn’t because of safety concerns; I just happened to see her and didn’t want to miss the shot. The bees are as gentle and self absorbed as tiny kittens. This particular box design is meant to more accurately mimic how they would nest in the wild … because it is a trough, with varying shapes and sizes of spaces inside, the bees can choose the shapes and sizes of their cells.
Unlike a Langstrom box, the trough allows for varied cell shape and size
One theory is that mites have adapted to attack the size and shape of the cells in the traditional square boxes, called Langstrom boxes. The trough, because the cells are not uniform throughout, allows the hive to withstand a mite infestation and fight them off.
Hanging out in this tiny back yard is just like being in any yard … the only bees that are obvious are the few coming and going at the door to the hive. But as soon as it starts to rain, you realize how many of these invisible little workers there are as they come streaming home to get out of the wet. They rise from the grass, they fall from the trees. They come in at speed from every direction, swerving smoothly around us as if we were rocks in a stream.
A lovely addition to the neighborhood, and I can’t wait to try honey made from the flowers I see every day.
Spontaneous Percussion
Another reason I love Orange Street Food Farm: you want to set up a few drums and hold an impromptu dance session in the parking lot? No Problem! Groceries, strong coffee, and drumming…an excellent combination. Friday was one of the first sort of nice days of the season…definitely coat weather, and these dancers were the only barefoot people I saw, but it’s May, and by gosh, Missoulians are outside. The parking lot of Big Dipper Ice Cream was packed, downtown was hopping, and the Strip was Hip. It’s Spring, Zootown, rain or shine!
Dancing in the parking lot
Valentine’s Day in the Rose Park Neighborhood
The Treats are Grand at Higgins and Strand!
Valentine’s Day in the Rose Park Neighborhood means…Dairy Queen! Dilly Bars! Yes, on February 14th we know that winter really is going to come to an end someday, because once again we can get our Dilly Bar fix at the Higgins Avenue Dairy Queen.
At Orange Street Food Farm, the big special for the week was white asparagus for $1.39 lb. So tender and crisp and juicy, we ate it raw with just a sprinkle of sea salt. It tastes like spring, like new grass and melting snow. Alas, it was snapped up in about 5 minutes, but asparagus is still a bargain; another harbinger of spring. Drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roast at 350 until just fork tender. Serve with browned butter seasoned with a dollop of balsamic vinegar…heaven!
Looks like Mother of Pearl, tastes like spring.
So, there you have the traditional St. Valentine’s Day dinner: asparagus, chocolates, and a Dilly Bar.
A Rare Treat
Flora, by John Waterhouse
I know the University isn’t strictly in the Rose Park Neighborhood, but one of the great things about our neighborhood is its proximity to just about everything, right? Three minutes by car, ten or fifteen walking, and you can be at the PARTV building (I frequently show my age by calling it the ‘new’ PARTV). On Sixth St. E, across from the fieldhouse. Even if you’re not that into art, treat yourself and make the trip. An anonymous collector has loaned a private collection of art to the University. It is on display at the Meloy Gallery until March 12…hours are Mon, Tue, Wed, Sat 12-3 and Thur, Fri 12-6. I saw a story in the paper and thought, oh, I should go…and that’s as far as I got with that. Lucky for me, a friend wanted to go so we did. So I’ve been to see this exhibition four times now, and will most certainly go again. As my daughter says, OMG.
Some of the artists we’ve all heard of…Renoir, Gauguin. Some, like John Waterhouse, were so popular in their time that we’ve probably seen reproductions of their work without actually knowing who they were. All are stars to people who know their art history. These are original works…and even if you have seen major masterpieces in person, the experience of seeing them in an intimate setting like the Meloy is like nothing you can imagine. To be inches away, with all the time you could ask for…no ropes, no glass, usually very few other people. You may use a magnifying glass if you wish…they have one for you.
After about my second or third visit, I became curious about some of the paintings, so like a good geek, I googled them. The entire collection was acquired at various auctions from 2008 through 2010. The identity of the owner is so secret I hear that only one, possibly two people at the U know who it is. The mystery adds to the whole experience, I think.
A Missoula Institution: Bill Steinhoff’s Joint Effort
1918 Brooks St
I had to scrape the frost off my windows this morning…it is officially fall and hurtling toward winter. While lemonade and watermelon belong to summer, crisp fall days call for heartier fare, like sausage.
Lucky Missoula, to have a gastronomic artisan in our midst. Bill Stoianoff, proprietor of The Joint Effort, has long been famous for his culinary skills, so when he began to offer his hand-crafted sausages at Farmers’ Markets and in his store, Missoula rejoiced. These are not your typical brats. Think Spanish Butifarra, a mild and flavorful blend of white wine, garlic, clove and nutmeg. Think Strasbourg, my personal favorite, with white pepper and cardamom.
While you’re pondering the extensive list of mouth-watering choices, you can browse the retro tin wind-up toys, the psychedelic black light posters and the wild assortment of hot sauce. This eclectic display will make you wonder how Bill decides what to sell in his store…his business philosophy? Fun. Fun fun fun fun.
The Joint Effort is tucked into the building in the lot of the Holiday Village on Brooks…opened on Friday the 13th, 1968, on Higgins Ave, it has been, over the years, on the Hip Strip, on Main Street, near the Oxford, back to the Hip Strip, and now here in our own Rose Park Neighborhood, handy for dropping in and picking up some sausage and maybe a pair of joke nose glasses.
Do we get a recipe? You betcha.
Recipe using Garlic Chipotle sausage: figure one per person
(I have to interrupt here…my husband and I polished off a package of five once)
“Do you want the recipe or not?”
“Yes, please.”
Okay, one garlic chipotle sausage per person, 1/2 can of black beans per person. Cook a chopped onion in cooking oil. Stab the sausages four times with a fork, add to onion and brown the sausages. Cover with the rinsed beans, fill pan with chicken broth and cover. Cook for 1/2 hour. Divide beans into bowl, cut the sausages into bites and add to the beans. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, and corn tortillas. Serve with Negro Mortadello beer. Enjoy! Uncle Bill
Black M
You may have noticed that the big white M on Mount Sentinel was the big black M on Saturday. My daughter noticed it first, and as the Griz game was on the radio we listened closely, thinking that surely the Griz game announcers would mention it, but no.
We speculated that it may have been friendly prank vandalism by the visiting team, or maybe the Ladies in Black making a statement for peace. Of course, there is always the possibility that the incoming students don’t have enough studying to do and need to make their mark on their new town…the L has been the subject of some very creative alterations in the past!
I even wondered if it wasn’t an art student doing a Cristo-like installation; you could see it was covered in some dark, shiny material as it blew in the breeze. After the game, we saw people up there removing the covering and there was our big white M once again.
It was the work of the Montana Meth Project, to focus attention on their preventive efforts across the state. Folks were also encouraged to wear black to the Griz game, I understand.
Fabulous peaches at Orange Street Food Farm! I used four to make a pie, but I really could have used six, so we have a peach/strawberry pie. Peel & slice your peaches (and strawberries, if that’s how you roll) and toss them with 3/4 of a cup of honey and 1t grated fresh ginger. Whisk 2 T flour, 1 t cinnamon, 1 t allspice, and 1/2 t nutmeg and toss the peaches with the dry mixture. I use premade crust, so you’re on your own there. Add the peach filling to the bottom crust, cover with a top crust and slit the top in any decorative fashion you wish. Bake in a hot oven (400). When the crust starts to brown on the edges, brush the top with a whisked egg white and sprinkle with raw sugar. Finish baking till golden brown. (Should take 45 minutes to an hour). Serve with Big Dipper cardamom ice cream.
The M looked very strange on Saturday
Aaagghh!! It’s That Time Again Already!
The Western Montana Fair has come and gone, fireworks are just a whiff of gunpowder on the wind, and the dandelions have finally, FINALLY calmed down to just an occasional bright spot on the lawn. And yet I was able to convince myself that we were still in the midst of summer…the days are beautiful and the nights are warm; the big yellow Big Dipper ice cream truck is still tooling around town spreading joy and beer flavored ice cream. The river still has lots of water and people in inner tubes, the Sacagawea Park turtle pond is still going strong.
Then this appeared in my living room:
This Year's Backpack
Yes, this year’s backpack. School starts any minute. Can football and Halloween be far behind? To check out the Rose Park neighborhood schools, click on these links:
Paxson Elementary
Washington Middle School
Hellgate High School
St. Joseph’s Elementary
Loyola Sacred Heart High School
And the big buy at Orange Street Food Farm today is cross rib roast for $2.19/lb.
From the same general area of the cow as prime rib, this cut is leaner and more flavorful and very versatile…stir fry, steaks, roast…it does it all. But I am not through with summer yet, so we are having Uncle Joe Black’s Poor Boy:
Combine 1 small bottle ketchup, 1 small bottle French dressing, 1/2 C brown sugar, loosely packed, 1/2-1 cup soy sauce, the more the saltier. Sprinkle mixture with garlic salt or garlic powder until there is a thin, even film on the top of the mixture, stir in well. With a fork, poke holes in the cross rib roast, marinade in sauce for at least an hour, but overnight is best.
Cook on the grill, off to the side, covered, turning every 10 or fifteen minutes. An average size roast will be medium rare in about 40-45 minutes. Slice and serve with rolls or French bread…keep some in the kitchen for yourself because when you go back into the house to get the potato salad, the meat will disappear.
Sacagawea Park Gets a New Playground
I have to admit, when I saw the construction begin at Sacagawea Park, I had a moment of angst…my first thought was that they were installing a splash deck like the others around town and, while all of the splash decks are very cool (in every sense of the word), I feared it meant the end of the turtle pond. It’s one of two in Missoula, and it is as much a part of the neighborhood as Sacagawea Park itself. The splash decks are flashy and fun, and kids love them, but the turtle pond is a lazier, more relaxed part of summer. Moms sit and chat and the littlest kids get wet and splash around at a slower pace. And sometimes a guy comes along and washes his bike.
The turtle pond is a great place to wash your bike and cool off
Oh! But I digress! Sacagawea Park is one of the four parks in Missoula to benefit from $380,000 in stimulus funds awarded by the state. So, not only do we keep my beloved turtle pond, we are getting a brand new playground, installed by local contractors AND…there’s a foursquare court. See you there.
Exciting find at Orange Street Food Farm: A 2 lb. bag of miniature sweet peppers, orange, yellow, and red. If you are going to a potluck any time soon, this is the perfect thing to take because it is best at room (or air) temperature.
Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and roast them until charred. Put them in a paper bag to cool (put the bag in a bowl…they’ll leak). When cool, slip the skins off. Slit each one on one side and stuff them with this:
A sprinkling of sea salt
A mixture of:
2 C bread crumbs, 1/2 C capers, rinsed & drained, 1/2 C golden raisins, plumped in warm red wine, 4 oz. crushed garlic (just use your best judgement…you can’t use too much), 4 oz. coarsely chopped Greek olives, 1 C freshly grated pecorino cheese, 2 T olive oil. Knead into a paste and stuff the peppers.
Place the stuffed peppers in a shallow dish, and cover them with 1 C red wine and 2 T balsamic vinegar. Braise at 375 for 1/2 hour, basting with their own juices. Allow to cool to room temperature, then serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
Handpainted by neighborhood kids