Valerie's Workshop

F or the second day of summer, the weather is a bit too cool and gloomy. The rain let up long enough for me to run outside for a garden update. The ankle deep grass in our backyard was covered in rain drops and the local finch family was curiously watching my movements from their home in the clothes line. If I stood still long enogh, Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal would even swoop in from the maple to say hello and grab some sunflower seeds from the feeder. With the exception of my pepper plants (the rabbits ate them all , down to the ground!! gasp!), all of the plants in our garden are coming right along. The raspberries are a little behind due to the cool spring, but in a matter of days, or a week, we will be harvesting ripe, red berries from our bushes. Located near the raspberries there is a trellis. Made from an old latter, this will be the suppor from which various plants will grow. One of my hopefuls are the morning glories. I envision their fuzzy vines reaching skyward, coverin

It's hot. I'm tired. We're childless (for the evening). I'm making a drink! Feel the same? Make my "Hello Weekend" Mojito. These are best when sipped with a loved one on a hot, sticky summer's night. "Hello Weekend" Mojito Makes 4 drinks. (Why make one when you can share with friends?) Ingredients: 4 high ball glasses 4 tablespoon sugar 20 mint sprigs, or spearmint, 8 roughly broken apart Ice 6 ounces light rum juice of 1-2 limes 4 large strawberries, sliced Club soda 1 lime, sliced into wedges Place 4-5 mint sprigs and 1 tablespoon sugar in each glass. Muddle to release oil from mint. Place ice in glasses and pour in approximately 1-2 ounces of rum (depending on desired strength). Divide lime juice and strawberries evenly between glasses. Top off each glass with club soda. Garnish each glass with a lime slice and straw. Hope you enjoy your weekend, whenever it may be. It's 5 o'clock, somewhere, right?! Cheers.

I’m a firm believer in the idea that the fastest way to any man’s heart is through his stomach. As today is Father’s Day, I thought I would test that idea and bake something for Scott’s dad in lieu of a buying him a gift. Alan has a sweet tooth and I had the perfect recipe for the occasion; gesundheit kuchen. Gesundheit kuchen is German for good health cake and happens to be one of the recipes I learned from my grandmother. It is a rich, dense cake with hints of lemon, reminiscent of a pound cake. The smell of the cake baking instantly takes me back twenty years to my grandmother’s kitchen, where we used to spend hours talking about and baking all sorts of treats. Since this cake was being baked for a special occasion, I decided to step my grandmother’s traditional recipe up a bit (or to be more accurate, I went over the top!). What resulted was a moist, golden brown cake drenched in chocolate ganache –AND– dropped, drooling jaws on both Scott and John when they saw the cake this mo

Well, it should go without saying that we've been busy lately! The weather has surpassed the spring blahs and reached the pleasant, mild weather of early summer, drawing us outdoors and away from the computer. We've been on many adventures lately, taking us all over southern Wisconsin, doing everything from mushroom hunting to swimming to antiquing. Almost two weeks ago now, Scott and I got to escape for an evening. As a birthday present, a friend reserved a room for the two of us in the Fountain Prairie Bed & Breakfast. Our Garden Room was on the second floor of a turn of the century Victorian farm house. (something I would LOVE to own myself someday, with a possible bed and breakfast/hobby farm as my pass-times). I was in heaven ! The two of us had a hard time not drooling over the pristine woodworking, the claw-footed tub, and the stunning view from the barn (which was even more enjoyable since we both had just been handed a chilled glass of white wine). After a