Monday, July 29, 2013

Art On The Green

Hello all,
 Had a really great time at an art event in La Crosse ,WI on UW campus this weekend....Here are a few photos from Art On The Green....All items are handmade by driftless area artisans...Enjoy







The next big art event will be the
    Driftless Area Art Festival
Celebrating the Visual, Performing, and Culinary Arts of the Driftless Area

2013 Event
Saturday, September 14 10:00-5:00
Sunday, September 15 10:00-4:00

Beauford T. Anderson Park, Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin
































   

Saturday, July 27, 2013

My Nerdy Day Trip To The Dry Grocer ( but , I love it !)

    Hello again from the driftless!
 
 We went on a day trip to a little town called Coon Valley, and stopped by a dry grocer, which offers a wide array of pastas, sauces, cereals, chips, sweets and everything in between. They carry many bulk products for cooking and baking, that are all natural and organic. I just love Valley Market and stop in anytime we are in Coon Valley.
 




Candy,nuts,meats, cheese, mixes, any kind of flour, spices, rice and grains

One of the very best things about this market is the spice section.This photo doesn't show half of what they have to offer. 


Thanks for tripping along with me! Valley Market is located at 701 Central Avenue,Coon Valley ,WI

Friday, July 26, 2013

New Hummingbird Totes

  Hello all,
 The weather is mild here in the driftless today and here at Down The Wooded Road , we've opened a little gift shop full of beautifully restored ,vintage art print tote bags and other gifts, as well as our new Driftless 100% cotton canvas green tote at Crazy Creek Designs gift shop.These totes are just beautiful !

New Hummingbird Tote at my Crazy Creek Designs shop!


Saturday, July 20, 2013

Thursday, July 18, 2013

How To Pick And Wash Wild Blackberries or Raspberries

Hello all,
  One of the very best things about Summertime in the driftless, is gathering  wild blackberries and raspberries.  Both typically peak during June in the South, and in July in the North.We pick 'em right about now, so I thought I'd share a few things to know when picking these yummy little gifts from the good earth.

 Select plump, firm, fully blackberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked and aren't very tasty.

There are two types of blackberries to know about: thorny and thornless. Most wild bushes do have thorns, so wear tough clothing (like denim) when going out to pick (People say the thorny varieties are a bit sweeter)

  Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down. You don't want all that goodness to be smashed out 'em!

Look in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you'll see berries that you would have otherwise missed.

Even in the best condition blackberries will only keep for a week in your refrigerator, so for the best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible . I've never found bugs in my berries but, if you see small bugs or tiny worms, soaking for an hour or more in salt water (1 cup of salt to the gallon), may help draw them out.
 Otherwise just rinse them with cold water and enjoy!
                                                                                                  Try this recipe

Monday, July 15, 2013

Country Style Coffee Cake

I wanted to share this inexpensive and flavorful recipe.
You will need:

3/4 cup brown sugar
 2 teaspoons cinnamon
 6 tablespoons butter, softened
 1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
 2 eggs
 1 cup milk
 1 cup sugar
 1/4 cup vegetable oil
 2 teaspoons vanilla
 2 cups flour
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 13x9" pan and set aside.
In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and butter and mix together until blended. Stir in oatmeal until crumbly. Set aside while preparing batter.

 



 
Crack eggs into large bowl and beat with a fork until combined. Add milk and mix well with a wire whisk or eggbeater. Add sugar, oil, and vanilla and mix until blended.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Add to egg mixture and mix with a spoon for 20-30 strokes just until combined and all dry ingredients are moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Pour batter into prepared 13x9" pan.
 
Sprinkle oatmeal mixture evenly over batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes until puffed and golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve Quick Coffee Cake with coffee or ice cream .


 I enjoyed having you in my kitchen. Hope you enjoy this very yummy coffee cake .     I added raisins ..but you can add nuts too. 
 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Buying Local From Our Farmers Market

 Hello all,
We like to shop our local farmers market and help stimulate the local economy (always a good thing) Also, when we purchase food from out of the country, it's difficult to know the quality of the water, the types of pesticides or other things which can impact the healthfulness of the food..So here are some photos of my latest trip to the farmer market. My purchase was less than $25 (What a haul !!)




Friday, July 5, 2013

Easy and Crazy Beautiful Double Peonies .

Peonies are my favorite garden flower and I've been growing them for about three years now. This year we had a good crop of flowers for cutting. Peonies like full sun all day, but will bloom as long as they receive four or five hours of direct sun daily. Plant them in well-drained soil (I think fall it the best time) and allow at least two feet between dwarf varieties and four feet between standard varieties (They grow a bit wide within 5 years) When you plant, cover the peony roots so the pink buds or "eyes" are pointing up. Make sure to plant the top of the roots only one and one-half to two inches beneath the soil . A common error is to plant them too deep, which means they won't bloom.

Most peonies will flower for years (20-50) with little care , if you plant them in a sunny area in rich, well-drained soil. I love the outrageously beautiful double peonies, which have multiple rows of petals emerging from the crown of the flower with the crown of the flower covered by petals. There are many varieties include Japanese and Anemone Peonies, Semi-Double Peonies, Bomb Double Peony Flowers. Here are my Sarah Bernhardt Peonies.....Enjoy!                               
                                  

 

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Free E-Book

Hello all , I wanted to stop in and share a free e-book or two. You will need Kindle for the downloads. You can download Kindle for PC FREE KINDLE APP I'll be sharing books from time to time,as they pertain to homesteading (These books are free for a limted time) I love reading free e-books and will share any and all that are relevant. How To Cook From Scraps (I will post these as soon as I see them. Please know that Amazon gives each e-book away for a very limted time)