farm fresh Monday

Today starts a week long journey into the joys of the local farmer's market.  Here in the cities, you can find a market almost every single day of the week, and this time of year the bounty is tremendous. 

We start this week with a lovely bunch of Fingerling Potatoes.  I usually use red potatoes in this dish, but when I spied these I had to have them.  This is one of my favorite go-to recipes in the summer, when all I have do is pull the fresh herbs from my garden, boil up the potatoes, and toss them with the simple dressing.  It is best made about 30 minutes before you want to eat it, and do so at room temperature.  Great with burgers, or fish, or chicken, or pork....or if you want to go total vegetarian make some more veggies to join the party.

Tuscan Potato Salad

6 medium potatoes, cooked and cut into thick slices or quarters  (if using tiny potaotes, adjust quantity accordingly)
2 Tbsp. good fruity olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender, drain.  Combine all the remaining ingredients, then toss lightly with potatoes.  Let it rest at room temp for 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Bon appetit!

Ghost Lake Lodge

Northern Wisconsin is dotted with lakes, and most of those lakes are home to at least one resort or camping area.  Some of them have been run by the same family for generations, others have been owned by different folks through the years, but are still thriving. 

Most of these vacation spots are looking for weekly visitors in the summer, but after much interent research and some digging, we found one that could accomodate us for our unusual (and last minute) Saturday and Sunday night booking.  Not to mention they had the nicest website of those I had perused.  http://www.ghostlakelodge.com/ .

The Ghost Lake Lodge is located on, um, Ghost Lake.  I never did remember to ask if there was a story behind the name of the lake, and loving ghost stories I am kicking myself.

The lodge itself was built in 1935, and while the main building burned down and was rebuilt in 1955 (with a beautiful open design, with lots of glass, which I am glad I don't have to take care of...) the cabins are still vintage 1930's.  The lodge has a rich history, which the current owners are happy to share with you, of Percy Faith staying there and playing the grand piano that used to be located in the hall, or Edgar Bergen and his daughter Candice spending time there.

Amy and Nathan are an absolute delight, and clearly have a passion for what they are doing.  The epicenter of the lodge is the little bar that greets you when you walk in through the screen door, which cheerfully acknowledges your arrival.  Mike and I shared stories with them over glasses of wine and bottles of locally brewed beer, and they are full of tips on places to dine and thnigs to do in the area.

The lodge is full of things to occupy yourself, and since there are no phones in the rooms or cabins (or cell phone coverage) they have a charming phone available for guest use in a cozy corner of the lodge.  At first the remoteness of it all, and the lack of communication with the outside world seemed a bit daunting, but I quickly let that go and reveled in the peace and quiet.

It was a hot, sticky night when we arrived, and as Amy showed us to the room we had reserved in the lodge she quickly offered the room next door, which had 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and a full kitchen and living room.  Obviously, it was far more room than just the two of us needed, but since one of the bedrooms had the only air conditioner in the whole resort, we quickly took them up on the trade (being city wimps...)  Such wonderful hosts!

They suggested several dinner spots, we ended up driving to the Garmisch Inn near Cable, which was a perfect choice.  A lovely view of the lake and the setting sun, delicious meals of steak and salmon, and an impromptu fireworks display not far from the Inn made for a perfect evening.

Back at the Lodge, the grounds are lush with native plants, and the hummingbird feeders are alive with activity throughout the day.  Those little buggers are so busy Amy has to refill the feeders twice a day.  Nathan regaled us of bear sitings in the yard (one year he counted 39) but none of them came to visit during our stay. 

The lodge is located at the end of a winding road, and the minute your drive in you instantly feel calmer.

With inclement weather on Sunday, we took advantage of our living room and spent the day reading and snacking, and I even got some knitting done. 

 As the sun made it's way to the west, we headed in to Hayward for some pizza and beer at Coops (clearly a major hangout for the town) and found a spot to watch the fireworks.  Those Wisconsites really love their fireworks, and we were the happy recipients of the fun.

Monday morning we packed up, knowing it was time to head back to the real world.  We had an incredible breakfast at the tiny Spider Lake Cafe, then headed in to Hayward for the weekly Flea Market. 

Eighty vendors are housed inside and outside of the community sports center, I found a wonderful old sewing basket full of notions, an antique thermos (it had a cork for the top!) and a stack of old recipe cards.  Mike was clearly not having as much fun as I was, so we stopped at the Red Shed Antique store (where we had scored some fun finds on a previous trip), then headed out of town.

Winding our way through the rural back roads of Wisconsin (to avoid some of the post holiday traffic), we breathed deeply and enjoyed our last hours in a beautiful state.  I would not be a bit surprised if someday you are addressing Christmas cards to us at our home there.

music for a summer night

Rain soaked pathways, dripping trees, humidity heavy in the air, Joelle and I made our way through the pathways at the Minnesota Zoo last night.  Our destination was the amphitheater, located next to a small lake (or large pond, depending on how you see it).  We were there to see Mary Chapin Carpenter, one of my favorite singer/songwriters.

Not having been to a concert at the zoo before, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I had read all of the info on their website-show is rain or shine, no umbrellas, no refunds.  It had rained, heavily, much of the afternoon, which delayed things getting started, and once we were finally in our seats I could tell it would be an uncomfortable night. 

The concert is held where they have the outdoor bird shows, and your 'seat' is a 15 inch spot on the wooden benches that surround the stage.  The rows are so close together, I had less leg room than on an airplane, and felt bad that my knees kept bumping into the back of the man in front of me.  There were folks in our row whose bottoms took up twice the allotted fifteen inches, forcing the rest of us to squish our cheeks and turn our shoulders so we could all fit.  And you have to sit like that for the whole concert.  The slipped discs in my spine and the arthritis I suffer from left me in pain by the end of the night.

Thank god the music made up for it.  Mary Chapin Carpenter has the sweetest smile, and she truly loves to entertain and sing for you.  Due to the delays, the opening act only played a three song set, and Mary played straight through, with no 30 minute intermission.

Her songs include beautiful ballads, rocking, toe-tapping romps, and wistful views of life.  She played one of my favorites, she has written so many amazing songs I was thrilled when I heard the familiar chords of this tune begin:

Why Walk When You Can Fly

In this world there's a whole lot of trouble, baby

In this world there's a whole lot of pain
In this world there's a whole lot of trouble
But a whole lot of ground to gain
Why take when you could be giving, why watch as the world goes by
It's a hard enough life to be living, why walk when you can fly


In this world there's a whole lot of sorrow
In this world there's a whole lot of shame
In this world there's a whole lot of sorrow
And a whole lotta ground to gain
When you spend your whole life wishing, wanting and wondering why
It's a long enough life to be living, why walk when you can fly

In this world there's a whole lot of cold
In this world there's a whole lot of blame
In this world you've a soul for a compass
And a heart for a pair of wings
There's a star on the far horizon, rising bright in an azure sky
For the rest of the time that you're given, why walk when you can fly

It was a full house, and an interesting crowd.  Her band really made the evening fun, and they returned after a rousing ovation to play three more songs.  She talked about our giant mosquitos, and let us know we could come on stage and share her bug spray.  A panicked duck flew over the crowd for a bit, before finally flying right over Mary's head and out into the water.  A very loud tree frog accompanied the band most of the evening, she had great good humor about all of the spontaneous additions to her concert.

I left the zoo aching and sore, and glad to be stretching my limbs.  And more in love with her than when I arrived.

And Joelle-this ones for you!

Wooden benches
Sticky bodies
Croaking frogs
Pass the Poncho!

No umbrellas
Fowl drama
Large behinds
Pass the Poncho!

No raindrops
Cold lemonade
Darting bats
Pass the Poncho!

Thanks for such a fun night, it made for a great summer memory.

travel tip: Hayward

After dropping Charlie off at scout camp, Mike and I wound our way through the curving county roads in Wisconsin.  It was a sunny summer day-the corn fields lush with green, water twinkling on the lakes and ponds, and a slight haze in the air from the high humidity.

Our destination, Hayward.  A town of just over 2100 people, it balloons in the summer with cabin people, and those enjoying the hundreds of lodges and resorts in the area.  An absolutely adorable downtown, decked out in flags for the weekend.  Even on a hot Saturday afternoon, the sidewalks were full of tourists enjoying the shops, everything from a Ben Franklin that seems pulled from an old movie set, to an enormous candy store, where they demonstrate their fudge making and taffy pulling on a regular basis. 

There are high end shops that cater to those wanting to add to their cabin's charm, clothing stores with every expensive sporting good brand, a tiny bookshop for those rainy days, and everything in between.  Restaurants have outside seating, and live music can be heard ringing through the air.

Mike and I found ourselves in the wine shop.  Imagine that.  Hook Stone Winery is making wine from California grapes and selling it in Wisconsin.  A tasting of each of the 12 wines they produce was $4, and you got to keep your Hook Stone Wine glass.  Having traveled through Sonoma and Napa, and paid California prices for wine tastings, Mike and I quickly sat at the bar for a tasting adventure.

The owner and winemaker was a delight, deftly pouring each wine and giving us background on how it was made, while at the same time sharing stories and keeping an eye on each customer who walked in the door to make sure everyone was taken care of.  The artwork on the bottles is delightful, and the wine was pretty darn tasty too.  The finale of our adventure was port in dark chocolate cups, a perfect way to enjoy grapes.  We ended up taking home nine bottles of our favorite wine, the Sunfish red (a syrah with viognier), and two bottles of Vacationland Viognier.  They also make their own olive oils, and all were available to sample.  We had to make room to bring home a bottle of the Garlic oil, it was amazing.

So a good while later, we found ourselves back on the busy sidewalk, the wine making us feel languid as we explored the rest of the downtown, picking up chocolates at Tremblays and goodies at the bakery.  The day was waning and the heat and humidity were building, it was time to head to our resting place-the Ghost Lake Lodge.

Stay tuned!

boys just want to have fun

The house is very quiet today.  No Xbox playing in the background, no dirty socks lying on the floor. Mike and I delivered Charlie to Scout Camp on Saturday, near Birchwood, WI.  He is there all week, and Mike will join him on Friday night and then they will pack up Saturday morning.

  

Last year, long time blog readers will remember that Charlie struggled a bit with stomach troubles, and homesickness.  I wonder how he is doing this year.

There is no communication with them all week, and he specifically asked me not to send him a letter, as I did last year.  So I didn't.

He is now a seasoned scout camper, and is there to provide guidance to the younger campers.  I am thinking he will do just fine.

He was very eager to go, although the thought of no video games or ipods for a whole week did give him pause.  But knowing he wouldn't have to listen to his parents all week made it sound like the perfect adventure.

I watch the weather, to see if he is enjoying their beautiful campsite, or if he is sitting in a damp tent.  They have a perfect spot, on top of the hill overlooking the lake, so I am guessing the sweet lake breezes dry things out pretty quickly.  I can still remember the smell of the pine, and the sound of the water, when we were there on Saturday.

But here in St. Paul, it's a little too quiet.   I miss him already....