Oh yes, it's time to "fest". Fall is the time of year where you can find a "Fest" of some sort in most small towns and big cities all around northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. This past Saturday I went to Fall Fest in Chester Park right by my house. My dad came up and we ended up with Honeycrisp apples from Bayfield, a metal snowflake for a Christmas tree topper, hand made soap for Brian, and a dried flower thing for my front door. The apples were the biggest score because every year I go to Apple Fest in Bayfield (yet another fest this time of year....this year I'll be going on Oct. 8th) in hopes to get Honeycrisp apples, and the past three years I've been skunked. There is a limited supply of them and if you've never had one before, you would know why they sell out so quickly. Quite possibly the best apple ever. Anyway, I scored a 10 lb. bag of them, so if I can't get more on the 8th, then I'll be ok. Dad and I also went to check out what you could call Hawk Ridge Festival-for the annual hawk and raptor migration. Last year, we saw TONS of birds flying by...it was really amazing. This year, it was cloudy and the wind was from the south which apparently is not conducive to bird migration, therefore we saw three birds. Not very impressive.
Last Saturday, Kate and I went to Harvest Festival. It is near the lake and consists of area crafts/businesses, a huge farmers market, stustainable living booths, fun stuff for kids, and a tent with the newest green technology. Found some yummy cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, heirloom garlic (I didn't know there were so many kinds of garlic!), and onions. It's a very laid back, hippie-esque crowd and is a fun place to go.
This coming weekend I can take off from fest-ing and then the 1st it's down to Stone Lake to the Cranberry Fest and then the 8th to Apple Fest. Some may say that these festivals are a bit cheesy and overdone, but I disagree. There are usually a lot of local foods and hand made items that are pretty cool. You just have to be patient and move through the irritatingly slow-moving crowds of people and look past all the greasy (yet delicious) food, to find the good stuff.
Today was spent in the kitchen making use of the veggies Dad brought up with him. I canned green tomato pickles, stewed tomatoes, and baked oatmeal molasses bread. I was talking with my friend Stacy on the phone today and she summed it up nicely by saying that this time of year really brings out the Suzy Homemaker in people. I agree. Plus it helps to use the stove to bake and can when it is only 55 and raining outside! Especially when you refuse to turn on your furnace (even if it has frosted for several nights in a row) because it is only September for god's sake and I will not turn it on until at least mid-October. We'll see about that one I guess......
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