Coffee Shop Farmer

I promised to share a project with you this morning but my camera has decided to have issues, so perhaps tomorrow I'll have this figured out. Until then I'll tell you about the most astounding thing I saw yesterday.

Honestly, there are some very wierd things that happen around this countryside. A while back I shared a story with you called Field Trip - Java. It's the background story to what happened yesterday. If you have a moment, take a read.

FIELD TRIP JAVA

That's right! Not only does Josie have a car hidden in a corner of this hayloft,



....but the farmer across the road has an entire drive-through coffee shop behind his silo! The first time I saw it I almost got in a car wreck, it was so surprising.




My mind cannot comprehend what kind of capricious spirits came into play yesterday that led me to an encounter than involved this farm and coffee shop. Each and every time I drive out to DeKalb I see this farm and smile and wonder why this farmer would have an entire coffee shop on his property.



Yesterday was no different. I drove to DeKalb, watching for the farm and coffee shop on my right hand side. On the way home I was met with a big surprise, a VERY big surprise. As I approached the farm I noticed that traffic was stopped just ahead. There was a semi in the other lane and amazingly the tractor was backing into the farm with ANOTHER drive through coffee shop on the trailer. What are the odds that I would be driving past at the moment that coffee shop was being delivered.

And why? Why does this farmer now have TWO coffee shops stored behind his silo? Maybe I should stop and ask but honestly I love mystery and quirkiness of the image.

I'll go back after my camera is done having it's problems and get a shot of the twin coffee shops.

Postcards from Quoz

Anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile knows about my love for postcards. I can't explain it, I'm just fascinated with them. I love travel and the limited space of a postcard requires you to distill the experience into just a few words. Well, maybe more if you write really tiny.

Many of you have received postcards as part of one of my postcard projects. After reading the book Road to Quoz by William Least Heat-Moon I was inspired to create my own postcards. These cards are reports on my attempts to find Quoz and report them to Heat-Moon and his wife Q.

What is Quoz? Here's the definition:

Quoz (kwoz) Noun, both singular and plural. Anything strange, incongruous, or peculiar. The unknown, the mysterious.

The Quoz postcards are a fun and creative effort, sporadically posted as I stumble upon Quoz. I've set up a separate blog entitled Postcards from Quoz. The title is inaccurate because Quoz is not a place, but I was hard pressed to come up with anything that rolled off the tongue.

The postcards are real and stored in my sewing room. Try as I may, I haven't been able to search out an address for Heat-Moon or his literary agent. I suppose I could send them c/o General Delivery but I wonder if they would be delivered.

Here's the link to Letters from Quoz. Remember, it will only be update when I find Quoz.

POSTCARDS FROM QUOZ

Have you read this book? Did it inspire you to find and identify quoz?

NOTE: Be sure to come back tomorrow. I am working on a very cool project to share with you.

Taffy Apple Sundae

One a year I allow myself a special treat from Alice's Place. It's a tiny ice cream stand, one of the best parts of life in a small town. People living in town can walk, or in the case of one spunky senior citizen, ride your Hover-round in search of soft serve cones.



In the fall Alice's serves up Taffy Apple Sundaes. They are worth the wait. Take a look and see if you don't agree.


Taffy Apple Sundae

It is served in a hamburger take-out container because it tends to get too messy in a sundae cup.

The warm caramel sauce starts to melt the ice cream and the salty nuts mingle with the sweet caramel and the tart apple. It's heaven. Take a closer look.



Now that you're longing for a taffy apple sundae, and realizing that it's way too far to drive, I'll show you how to make them at home. It's easy.\

Here's my instructions, republished from last year.

First, find some nice serving bowls. I have some wonderful pressed glass bowls from Goodwill that are just the perfect size.

Next we're going to need some apples. Normally I use Granny Smith apples but today I'm going to use what I have on hand.



Cut the apple into bite size pieces.

To assemble the sundae we're going to need vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, chopped apple and Spanish peanuts.



Put several scoops of vanilla ice cream into the serving bowl.



Sprinkle with chopped apple.



Drizzle caramel sauce on top.



You can heat the caramel sauce if you wish, but it tends to melt the ice cream really fast.

Sprinkle with a good dose of Spanish peanuts.



Dig in!!

These peanuts weren't salty enough for my taste. I like that sweet salty taste of a real caramel apple.

This would be fun to serve if you're having a Halloween party.

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The other wonderful thing about living in a small town is that a place like Alice's serves as a community information center. Taped to the window are all kinds of announcement, pronouncements and invitations, including a public invitation to the retirement of a local man.

Here's an flyer for a Swedish Meatball dinner being sponsored by the Swedish American Children's Choir. The flyer begins with the phrase, "If you loved our pancakes, you're gonna love our meatballs!"

That's making me regret I missed the Swedish Pancake breakfast because although Swedish meatballs are good, they just can't compare with the pancakes.

Have a great day everyone. Thanks for visiting with me and taking time out of your busy day. Try the Taffy Apple Sundae and let me know what you think.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore Toto

Each week I try to have a general idea of what I'm going to be talking about. I'll jot ideas down in a spiral notebook but it's all very loosely organized.

As I've said many times before, the weather here in the midwest dictates our lives at times. Monday night and Tuesday were a great example of this dynamic.

The wind is a constant here in northern Illinois. It blows incessantly and as I've said it's part of the landscape. On Monday night things started to ramp up and for a midwesterner to say the wind is crazy is really saying something. The wind was crazy strong and gusting at what we know now was category 3 hurricane levels.

One of the windows in my sewing room actually blew out of it's frame and I found it lying on the floor. Let's just say none of us got a good night's sleep on Monday night.

On Monday morning the blue skies were gone.



Replaced with these clouds.



The wind was gusting up to 90 miles per hour and there was a tornado watch in nearby Elburn. The electricity was out in that town for most of the day and we lost power sporadically. I'm very thankful that we installed one of those natural gas powered whole house generators last year. It's absolutely necessary with an 89 year old in the house because if the power goes out in the wintertime a power outage means the temperatures in the house will plummet within minutes. You cannot imagine how cold it can get when the temps outside are 30 below zero.

One of the gusts caught a notch in the Bradford Pear tree in the backyard.




Nature's power can be awesome and terrible. Half of this 22 foot tree was peeled away down to the ground.



There was much gnashing of teeth and tears involved when the Other Mother saw this sight. It was her tree, one of her favorites. We're not in a forest and the trees she has planted are standing alone and unbuffered by the distant treeline.

Someone has dubbed this event, "Chi-clone", as in cyclone. The "Chi" refers to nearby Chicago.

So how was the weather in your neck of the woods yesterday?

Field Trip - Fall Harvest Fest

This was the first year for the Fall Harvest Fest in Belvidere, Illinois. My sister and I both agreed that the organization did a terrific job. Everything was well organized, they had provided interesting and fun things for families to do, the signage was great and it was in a beautiful location along the Kishwaukee river.

All the activities were located across from the historic Baltic Mill, built in 1845. There were guided tours of the mill being given all day.

You will remember that shortly after setting up our pop-up tent (those things are amazing) it began to rain. Lots of rain. The other crafters had heavy plastic panels that attached to the sides of their tents. We did not and so we improvised with blankets and other covering that we thought might be used as table coverings. It all looked a bit sketchy but we soon discovered that our tent sided in fabric was a far superior design.

We sat inside the tent and stared through the rain at the couple selling decorated gourds and birdhouses. One of the other crafters had a phone that could connect to the internet and gave us all a weather report. The weatherman said the rain would work it's way across the area and it would be clear after 10 a.m.

We waited. The rain slackened and we were hopeful. What the weatherman failed to mention was that trailing behind the rain were strong, gusting winds. I've mentioned before that wind in northern Illinois is as part of the landscape as the trees and the crops. But the winds that followed were gusting strongly, the air filling one tent like a balloon, picking it up and tossing it aside. Those crafters soon gave up and left.

Our tent, with it fabric sides that allowed air to breathe through, was steady and strong. Then there's the fact that the fabrics were soaked and heavy, anchoring the sides. It was quite an adventure! My sister and I sat in the tent, her knitting while I crocheted. What's a girl to do?

As promised things cleared up and finally we had a break. Everyone came out of their tents and the husband and wife who owned the Kettle Corn business started popping up their treats - traditional kettle corn (slightly sweet) and caramel corn. My sister ran over to buy our first treat of the day, a bag of kettle corn.


Fresh Kettle Corn

The corn is popped in a very large open kettle and it's wonderful and fresh.

I wandered off to find the bathrooms which were inside the old mill. These interesting wooden sculptures are displayed outside.


Wooden Indian

This shows some of the detail.


Another wooden Indian

One of the local businesses sponsored a wine tasting.



There was a scarecrow contest and all the entrants were lined up facing the street. There were some very clever entries. I'll add a photo of the People's Choice Winner later because my photo editing software is giving me fits right now.

Like I said, the organizers did a great job. They hired a face painter and she was so talented. The kids looked great and were having a good time.


Face Painting

There was an area filled with pumpkins for the taking and just behind that area was the Make-and-Take-a-Scarecrow.

There were piles of clothes.



And piles of hay.



And scarecrows were born!


Woman working on a baby scarecrow.


If you grabbed one of those pumpkins, you had yourself a scarecrow.



At this point the wood fired pizza guy rolled up. Oh yeah! Can you imagine having your own wood fired pizza oven that you could take anywhere with you?


Wood fired pizza.

My sister and I shared a artichoke and Gorgonzola pizza. At this point it seemed a possibility that we would spend more money than we were taking in. Luckily, with the break in the weather people starting showing up and shopping! At this point we were glad we'd stuck it out, unlike some others that had packed up and left.

The park was ablaze with fall colors and what happened next was one of those beautiful serendipitous moments in life.

From behind the mill came a whirlwind of purple, traveling fast across the landscape. It was Quinceanera on the move! A Quinceanera is a girl's 15th birthday celebration and most times it outshines even her wedding day.



Many of these gowns are actually wedding gowns that have been ordered in a signature color. This group was in the park for a photo session before heading off to the party. Can you imagine the stroke of genius ordering this purple gown? It was magic against the blaze orange, red and yellow palette of the forest.


Quinceanera gown

After the early disappointments the day got better and better. In the afternoon one of my readers arrived and introduced herself, it's Marianne!



She lives on a nearby farm with her husband and daughters. She has a wonderful blog called Spend the Thyme Farm. Go visit with her. Marianne and I talked chickens and stuff. I was so happy to see her because you know..... you guys left me sitting all by myself under a tree one time, with a picnic basket full of food. Seriously, how rude!!! HA.

Marianne got free stuff. Do you see how it's a good thing to show up? I totally understand that it's impossible to drive to a craft show in Illinois from say, California or Germany. And that is why I'm going to give you a chance to win free stuff also.

Here's what you do. Leave a comment telling me where you're from. I think we're all interested in knowing where our blogging friends call home. Just say, "Sorry, I couldn't meet up because I live in _________________." Fill in that blank. Lurkers should feel free to de-activate the cloaking device and join in.

Thanks for coming along to the Fall Harvest Fest. After that early rain it was a great day and I'm looking forward to doing this fair again next year.

Monday Morning Staff Meeting

It's Monday again. How the heck did that happen? The older I get the faster time flies.

This morning I'm serving up something really special.



I will admit that it doesn't look like much. In fact, it looks like a small mound of mashed potatoes. It's a coconut macaroon from a batch that my-nephew-the-baker made for my brother's birthday. Believe me when I say that they do not taste nondescript. They're wonderful.

Forget those sticky, sweet macaroons that you buy at the store, or every piece of dry meringue you've ever eaten. These are light as a cloud. In fact, you must handle them gingerly because they break apart easily. They're slighly sweet and very moist and fluffy. Just terrific.

My nephew says that the secret is to make French Meringue, which involves beating the egg whites to a soft peak stage before adding any sugar.

I know you will love them.

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This morning is going to be a short one because I'm leaving to sit in on my mom's doctor's appointment. I'll be just another set of ears, making sure that nothing is missed or misunderstood.

In these staff meetings I try to share some interesting things I've found during the week. If you're interested in helping women in need there's a clearing house for volunteer efforts to improve the lives of women and children living in shelters.

This is a subject near to my heart because I had a friend who spent almost a year in a long-term shelter with her five children. It's hard to make a temporary dwelling feel like home, especially for the children. The site is called Enchanted Makeovers.

They have all types of projects ranging from re-decorating the spaces to providing colorful pillowcases and other handmade items for the residents.

Here's a video featuring the founder.

Enchanted Makeover Video

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Sorry, that's all from me today but be sure to come back tomorrow when I'll tell you the rest of the Harvest Fest story.

I'm turning the meeting over to you. Feel free to discuss whatever is on your mind today.

The Concept of the Two Minute Cry

Thanks for you kind comments about the mountaintop video. Like almost everyone else in the world I hate the sound of my own voice. Oh my, it's Chicago all the way although the Farmer's voice is even more Chicago, if that's possible. Think Mike Ditka.

You must seriously be careful what you say to me. Katrinka mentioned that I should do more videos. If you say something like that to me I'll be off to the races and then you'll be innundated with videos.

As you know, yesterday was the Harvest Fest in Belvidere, Illinois, just around the corner from where my sister works at the Boone County Conservations District's Heritage Gardens. With her encouragement we put together a booth filled with our things.

Keep in mind that as my brother-in-law reminded me, it has not rained here in two months. TWO STINKING MONTHS!!

So, here's the video. Watch this first and then we'll talk about the Two Minute Cry.



As I pulled into Belvidere it started to sprinkle. We'd been warned by the weather report but we were hoping that it would just be a light rain. The people in Illinois are a tough breed and a little drizzle will not deter them. But, as you can see in the video, it turned into something more. Just after we finished putting up the tent it began to pour.

I'd forgotten something in my car and so I ran to the parking lot, arriving soaked to the bone. Yes, I'd also forgotten my umbrella! There I sat, pondering on the dismal skies and the keen disappointment. Sometimes these things just cut like a knife. My sister and I had worked hard to put this effort together and now we faced a day of sitting inside a soggy tent and watching the rain.

I felt myself tear up and thus began a Farmer's Wife tradition - the Two Minute Cry.

It's cathartic. This is something that began when my doctor gave me some not-so-very-good-news years back. At that time I walked to my car, allowing the full impact of what she suspected to wash over me, and then the tears began.

I cried for about two minutes, allowing the fear and uncertainty to work it's way out. And then something amazing happened. I felt total peace emerge from under that fear. That peace allowed me to move to what I call the "now what?" stage.

Now what? If what the doctor suspects is true then I face the possibility of dying.....

If I'm going to die, then hell's bells, I'm gonna live.....

The two minute cry was over. I had peace and I had a plan. I put the car in gear and drove to the Hematologist's office. That's right, my doctor insisted I leave her office and drive directly to the specialist. My white blood count was astronomically high and she would have put money on the fact that I had leukemia. I did not. The specialist assured me that something was wrong but it was positively not leukemia. After a year my white count returned to normal and no one had a clue as to what had happened.

All I know is that I had learned the benefits of the Two-Minute-Cry. Allow yourself to feel the pain, the fear, the disappointment, whatever it is, and then pick yourself up, dust yourself off and charge back into life with a plan.

I know, I know, sometimes easier said than done but on this day it was just a disappointment, nothing more. And so I had my cry (only 1 minutes because this was actually a minor disappointment) and reached into the back seat for my hot pink umbrella.

I jumped out of the car, pushed the release button and the pink umbrella proceeded to EXPLODE!! Pink rip-stop nylon ripped, metal bent and the useless umbrella almost blew away.

I quickled dashed back to the craft area in the downpour because you're only allowed one Two-Minute-Cry per day!


NOTE: Tommorrow is our staff meeting, but come back on Tuesday to find out what happened next at the Harvest Fest.

From the Mountaintop

I'll be gone all day tomorrow at the craft fair in Belvidere.

I'm leaving you something peaceful to look at in my absence.

Hey, if you listen closely at the beginning of the video you'll hear my mom asking, "Who ARE you talking to?"

HA, HA.... myself, of course!



It's the view from the lookout just beneath our property. For the life of me I can't imagine why it's titled "Socks", and I don't have time to fix it. But, of course you're smart enough to figure out it's not about socks!

Have a great day and thanks for visiting with me.

The Sandwich Kids

The Farmer and I are Sandwich Kids. No, this does not mean that we are fond of peanut butter and jelly on squishy white bread. It means that we are sandwiched between our children and our aging parents. It's true that our kids are not young, but one is still at home and navigating nursing school.

Our fathers are gone, having died at the relatively young ages of 65 and 68. I can honestly say that as a child I never actually knew a person that was in their 80's or 90's. That was an extraordinarily long time to live in those days. But through the miracles of modern medicine I know many, many people who are over 80 and 90, including both our mothers.


Mom and Dad, holding me - 1948

The "miracle" is a two edged sword and I'd like to continue the conversation I began yesterday. It started innocently enough, talking about winter coats, but as I wrote the subject swung around to moms and failing memories, my own memory included!

The care of elderly parents is a big part of many of our lives. Personally I feel like I'm sailing alone in uncharted waters. Some would criticize the fact that I speak plainly here on an open forum about the Mother and the Other Mother's problems. I would understand that criticism because in the past we believed in keeping family issues in the family. But that all changed during my battle with depression. One of the most crushing problems I dealt with was the feeling that I was alone, the only one going through the struggle. When I discovered otherwise it was a tremendous breakthrough and I vowed to speak out openly in the hopes that someone else could find comfort.

It's important to discuss these things openly. There's someone out there who has been through your struggle and might have a solution or suggestion that might help. Just the fact that they can listen and empathize is huge.

Yesterday Terri left this comment:

"My Mom sewed all our clothes... even stuff I wore in college. I think my wedding dress was my first purchased dress. I wish she was still that person, but she has had some stokes and now she is mean to everyone. (A little memory loss is not always a bad thing.) Thanks for reminding me of a happy memory. - Terri"

I was stunned because my sister and I spend alot of time discussing this very thought. As people age and are beset with health problems their personality changes. It's unsettling and strange, you never know who is waking up in the morning. We talk at length whether her personality was always this way and we just didn't see it, or perhaps age and illness have magnified the negative aspects. I just know that as time goes on it's getting harder and harder to remember the person she was, or is it the person we thought she was?

Another comment from yesterday:

"It is exactly my goal, my role . . . to remember for my mother w/Alzheimers. I remind her of the many memories she has related to me . . . entrusted to me. I retell them to my Mama and watch for a spark of rememberance, of recognition. I gift wrap the memories and give them back to my beloved Mama. - Nance "

Nance seems to have found acceptance and a positive response to her mother's disease, but I can tell you that coming to terms with the changes is proving very difficult.

I can remember being 19 or 20 years and thinking, "As I get older things will get easier and easier. I'll have plenty of experience under my belt and I'll be able to deal with everything."

Oh, to be 19 again and totally ignorant!!

Warm Winter Coats

Today's post is about more than just a warm winter coat. It's a tale of the true warmth behind the winter coat.

Amy at Angry Chicken has posted photos of her daughter wearing the coat she made back in August, preparing for the arrival of cool weather. It's so beautiful and I know well the work that went into it's construction. Not the least of the problems is the bulky layers of fabric that must be fed through the machine.

Sewing winter coats seems to be a tradition in my family, but since neither of my children know how to sew, perhaps the tradition will end with me.

I sewed coats for my children. When they were young we were in no financial position to afford the beautiful Rothschild coats that some of the other children wore to church. Besides, sewing the coats myself meant that I could create in just the color and style I had in mind.

One day not long ago, my mother was visiting and watching me sew in my little studio. I was astonished when she commented, "Oh, my goodness. I'm amazed at your talent and the things you can do."

Huh? As if she had no clue from where creativity had sprung!

The problem is that her memory is compromised and she didn't remember the gorgeous velvet collared winter coats she would sew for us girls. The coats were detailed and difficult projects.

I left a comment on Amy's post and this is what I said.

"Well, let me tell you that I am over 60 now, and I remember so well the beautiful coats my mother would make for us each year. She made jackets and beautiful Rothschild inspired dress coats. There were four kids and my dad was blue collar, so the coats were sewn from necessity. But we never felt that. We just felt the care and time that our mom put into those coats."



So, like Dolly Parton's coat of many colors, my winter coats meant the world to me.

And mom...... I will remember for you.

Cider Doughnuts

We've talked about cider doughnuts for a couple of days and some of you have expressed interest in this yummy treat. I dug around in my recipe card files and came up with a recipe to pass along to you. I haven't made doughnuts in many, many years although I still have a vintage aluminum doughnut batter dispenser somewhere in the kitchen cabinets. That's a black hole, let's not go there.

APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUTS
Makes 18 doughnuts and doughnut holes.

1 cup apple cider
1 cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk

Put the apple cider into a saucepan and boil until it is reduced to 1/4 cup. (about 30 min.) Allow to cool.
Cream the butter and sugar together in your mixing bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended. Add buttermilk and cider the 1/4 cup of reduced cider.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg together in separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to liquid ingredients, stirring just enough to combine.

Transfer the dough to lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the dough with flour. Roll out the dough until it is approximately 1/2 inch thick. If the dough is sticky, work in a bit more flour.

Cut out the doughnuts using a doughnut cutter. Arrange the doughnuts and holes onto a cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Pour cooking oil into a saucepan to a depth of at least 3 inches. Heat the oil to 350 F (check with a frying or candy thermomenter).
Fry doughnuts until golden brown, turning once or twice. It should take about 1-2 minutes per side.

Remove the doughnuts with metal tongs or a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain.
While still warm, shake a few at a time in a paper bag containing cinnamon sugar.

Cool on a rack OR eat while still warm.

ENJOY!!

Sorry no pictures of hot sugared doughnuts. You don't seriously think I have time to make the doughnuts! Well, not this week anyway.

NOTE: Thanks to all the fabulous blogs that are posting pictures of their fall decorations. My goodness they are beautiful. I'm loving those white, blue and even grey natural pumpkins. Unfortunately you're not going to find anything around here besides a ratty fall wreath on the front door. When the kids are grown and you're plumb out of enthusiasm for that type of thing, it falls by the wayside. Oh well, there's always NEXT YEAR!

Field Trip - The Apple Orchard

I thought you might like a look at the nearby apple orchard.



The above photo was taken back in 2005. Dorothy M and her husband owned and operated the orchard for many, many years but when Dorothy's husband passed away she sold it to a young family who has carried on the tradition.

I was very surprised the first time I saw it because the trees are very small, very short. No ladders needed here.

The most famous part of the orchard experience was the ability to pick your own. There was a small gift shop and a bakery where they made those cider doughnuts fresh every day.

It's really grown since the last time I visited. Let's go to the Orchard Shop.



Later in the day the Lion's Club will be grilling brats in that big tent.

Since the Kuiper's took over they've added the farm across the road, where in the fall there's a corn maze, pumpkins and everything else imaginable.

At the entrance to the Orchard Shop they've got some wonderful vintage tractors displayed. I'd love to give one of these a spin.



Shopping carts are corraled in a small silo.



The shop has greatly expanded and they've got all kinds of specialty food items. I seriously had to curb myself. But I did promise myself to go back and get some fresh ground peanut butter and some jelly.



They've created a cool photo op area where you can pretend you're actually riding a tractor in the corn field. The kids were getting a kick out of this.



Don't you love these huge fans on the ceiling?



Somebody had fun designing this place.

The Kuiper's are a new breed that operate something classified as Agri-tourism. They're entrepreneurs and employ alot of local people. Great for the local economy. In the winter the business focuses on cut your own Christmas trees. It's a wonderful day in the country.

KUIPER'S FAMILY FARM

I tasted all the different varieties in the sample area and I bought 1/2 peck of Sun Gold apples for us to share. Hope you like them.



This is very typical family excursion here in the American midwest, along with any number of Fall Festivals, Scarecrow Fests and Pumpkin Festivals. We love autumn!

How about your area? Is there a special fall outing that your family takes?