‘Community’ Category

Making Cider: Part One

Posted on September 7th, 2011 by Tonia 2 Comments

With a new cider press around, I’m sure you’re not surprised by what happened next. The weather has been acting like fall already, which only aided in getting us in the mood for “pressin’ cidah!”

The press was a group purchase between two other couples and us. They came over, plus some other friends too {because once word gets out that fresh cider is to be had, a party happens} and we got busy picking.

The tree limbs were shook gently, apples rained down, and heads were covered with arms.

Our tarp was filled quickly with crisp early season apples.

“You missed one!”

There was a plethora of opinions and strategies. Means to the same end.

The dogs watched from a safe distance, once in a while swooping in to grab an apple to munch.

Full buckets in hand, ready to press!

To be continued…

Laboring on Labor Day

Posted on September 5th, 2011 by Tonia 2 Comments

Q: What is the best way to spend a chilly, rainy weekend?

A: Building an apple cider press with friends, of course!

Happy Labor Day!

Blueberry Picking

Posted on August 23rd, 2011 by Tonia 6 Comments

{Alternate title: Kurplunk!}

It’s the tail-end of blueberry season ’round these parts, which means the bushes are loaded and the berries are tastier than ever. The plants can sense that fall is closing in, and they think, “Crap! Must procreate!” and they put all their energy into beautiful fruit. Yum.

My aunt, uncle, and two cousins were visiting from Chicago and we got the berry-picking itch. Blue Vista is one of my favorite places to pick because their farm is gorgeous- perched on a hill overlooking Lake Superior- and they’re organic, so we headed north with visions of blueberry pancakes and muffins and pies to come.

Blueberries here, raspberries behind us.

A blue heron overhead, the big lake below.

Whole handfuls of berries coming off the bush all at once.

“She picked three more berries and ate them. Then she picked more berries and dropped one in the pail-Kurplunk! And the rest she ate.” -McCloskey, R. (1976). Blueberries for Sal. New York: Viking Press.

What beautiful girls my cousins are…

And yet they can make the weirdest faces…

Hmmm, yes, I do believe we are related. Except, why are they so tall and I am so short? Unfair.

Sunday Brunch

Posted on July 31st, 2011 by Tonia 2 Comments

We were out a *little* past our bedtime last night with friends. Ok, a lot past. And {old farts that we are} we paid for it bigtime this morning in the form of raging headaches and general orneriness. Luckily, we have a secret weapon against such mornings: brunch.

Brunch is maybe my most favorite thing that humans ever invented. Brunch is especially awesome when its contents are composed of fresh, local ingredients. And in that regard at least, this was a rockstar brunch.

The pretty pink potatoes came out of our garden, and so did the kale that we sautéed them with. The flour in the pancakes was grown and ground down the road from us. The milk, too. I picked the blueberries yesterday at a farm in Bayfield. The eggs came from Sarah & Bob’s chickens, living in our yard. The maple syrup was made by my family. The bacon came from Blaise and Jes’s farm down the road.

We fed our souls with laughter and fellowship, and our bellies with yummy morsels.

See how much happier we all look already? I’m telling ya, brunch is a miracle worker.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- we’re so blessed to live in a community full of family farms and folks who care about their community, the earth, and good food. Couldn’t ask for anything more than this right here.

And after this happened, I got my bum to the beach, read my book and fell asleep for a while, and floated in {the deliciously ice-cold} Lake Superior for two whole hours. So in other words, this was a pretty fantastic weekend.