Valerie's Workshop

Just about two weeks ago now we packed our bags, loaded the car with gear, snacks, John, Scott, Harper (dog) and I, and headed North. After five hours of driving and playing spot-the-dead-elm (we are avid morel hunters, you'll understand if you are too!) we arrived at our favorite place in the world, the Hamstra Family cabin. We all eagerly anticipate our time at the cabin, as it is such a restful place. After each visit to the cabin  I leave feeling relaxed, recharged, but most importantly I am reunited with my calm, happy self after months of busy, stressful life in the city. During the warmer months most of our time is spent fishing, either in the lake on which the cabin resides or in any of the numerous rivers in the surrounding area. We fish rain or shine, on dreary days and on hot sticky days and always love wading into the water to get up-close and personal with the fish (or to dunk ourselves on a hot summer day). When we're all tuckered out after a day of playi...

As long as I can remember I have shared a love of crafts with my mother. Many of my early memories took place around the craft table with my mother and brother and usually involved some sort of glue, a bit of a mess and a lot of imagination (the perfect combination to hold my interest for hours). Nearly all of my most prized possessions are items that my mother made for me; not a holiday goes by without decorating with an item she made.  My mother always encouraged creativity and helped us pursue whatever craft brought us happiness, whether it was piano lessons, art classes or the purchase of yet another box of crayons.  Throughout my life, whenever I was bored, gloomy or preparing for a holiday, I turned to my own craft supply bin and creativity; something I had been learning to do from my mother's example over many years. For this most recent Mother's Day, rather then sending my Mom a bouquet of flowers that would wilt just as soon as receiving them, or a box of chocolate...

Having four people living in one house we seem to have a constant stack of mail on the kitchen table that needs sorting. Well, we used to have a stack ...   ... now we have this! Last week was pretty laid back at our house, with few responsibilities taking me away from home, so I decided to build a mail sorting station. After a half hour of sketching and determining cut sizes I was ready for a trip to the hardware store to pick up a few pieces of hardware and some plywood. I got home from the store at noon; by 3pm the unit was assembled. Once assembled the entire surface was coated with stain (stain color name: driftwood) and two hooks were attached after the stain dried.  The next morning I brought it inside, hung it and was able to clear the table instantly. Everyone gets their own cubbie, a spot to hang their keys, and theirs even a little shelf to display some of my favorite bud vases. It's so nice to be able to grab the mail, walk in the door, toss it in a basket, an...

Well, I am proud to announce it's officially in the works! After months of reading, planning and reading some more our vegetable garden has been started. The garden plot was sectioned out in the back yard, seeds were purchased from Johannsen's Greenhouse and a few lucky seeds made their way into the soil of a starter tray. I have to admit, throughout the years I've become a bit of a produce snob. No, better yet, I've begun to realize and appreciate the advantages of locally grown, organic produce. There is something so special about biting into a sun-warmed tomato plucked from the vine in your garden or mincing a clove of garlic you harvested at the CSA farm. In the past few years, tomatoes are just about the only vegetable I've been able to grow for myself in my yard-less city apartments. Well, as it turns out, my housing has changed to my advantage and I now have a rather nice sized back yard in which to start a garden. (At this point I would be remiss if I di...

Well, it was another long Monday for me. I work every Monday, week after week, and they always seem to test me. Whether it is my patience, my kindness, or my nerves, retail-Mondays give me a run for my money. To reward myself (and ultimately my family) I decided to stop at Borders on the way home. Our local Borders is closing and I was able to reward myself with to half-price hard cover foodie books. To say I'm obsessed with cookbooks, and hoarding hard covered books in general, is an understatement and the additions to my library were a much need treat! fresh raspberries & liqueur I snatched up a copy of 52 Loaves by William Alexander. However, the book that has me really excited is this one ... Back to Basics, Traditional Kitchen Wisdom.  For years * now I've been baking my own bread, growing tomato plants on cramped apartment balconies and using fresh eggs from my friend's chickens. To say this book fits my lifestyle is an understatement. This year I plan to ...

For weeks and weeks now I've been wanting to make cupcakes. With all the commotion at our house lately, setting aside enough time to make dinner, let alone cupcakes, has been challenging. Well, that all changed on Wednesday! Wednesday was the first of two food-focused days for me, filled with making comfort food and necessity baking. I made two loaves of whole wheat bread and a batch of English muffins to restock our pantry, and for dinner I made a batch of fried chicken and cast iron skillet corn bread (with salads on the side for a bit of green). Thursday's baking, however, was all about pleasure. And what is more pleasurable then a pretty pink cupcake with a flower on top? (Answer: a cupcake with a cup of coffee, a sunny spot in the house and the sound of the radio, Bodie laughing, and Harper chewing on a bone drifting through the background!) Even though our general mood has been sad at home, lately, I've been trying to cheer everyone up the best way I know how ... ...