Mushroom Madness

Paul and I both LOVE morel mushrooms, and the appearance of trillium (above), mayapple (below) and rainy conditions is our signal to start looking. Although I was raised in town, our suburb had an awesome, woodsy park area in which I have a fond recollection of finding my first morels while tromping around with my parents and brothers. Walking around looking at the ground may sound boring, but if you're a nature lover like us there's always something to observe and signs of spring everywhere.
Once the first mushroom (or 4-leaf clover, or whatever you're trying to identify) is found, one's eyes seem to focus more clearly for finding more. I can recall filling an entire grocery bag full! Mom would slice and then roll them in flour and sautee them in butter with a tad of salt, and nothing in the world would taste better!

These are definitely NOT morels, but I figured it's a good sign to see other mushrooms popping up.
On one of the first years we lived on our farm, we decided to see if our land could support any morels. After probably an hour of hunting, I came upon a small patch of the coveted fungi and we found more there in many subsequent springs, as well as a few other random patches. The past several Aprils, we have come up empty-handed- probably just not looking at exactly the right time. I am determined to look every few days this spring so that we don't miss them!

It was a cold and dank afternoon, with the temperature having dropped nearly 40 degrees from the day before when Mirian and I rode the horses in t-shirts (us, not the horses). Ya gotta love Kentucky this time of year for it's fickleness. I enjoyed hiking in my new, stylish Dubarry boots, just had to show them off!
My foray yesterday didn't produce any morels, but I did enjoy the hunt, as well as the wildflowers (and domesticated ones in our yard). These daffodils, which bloom later than the others, are my favorites to bring inside as they are fancy AND fragrant.

I hope wherever you are, you're getting a taste of the outdoors! Pin It Now!