Handcrafted Hoedown for the Holiday’s – Soaps and Candles!

  For the third year, Jen Geerdts will be selling her wonderful handcrafted soap at the Handcrafted Hoedown for the Holidays.  I have many customers that come in each year and stock up because they love it so much!     This year, Jen will be offering even more scents and varieties than usual (both of her boys are in school full time now…)  Here’s the list of scents for this years 2009 Handcrafted Hoedown for the Holidays:

Honey Oatmeal Soap - nutritive and appetizing
Clove Soap - warm and spicy
Cinnamon Seed Soap - exfoliating massage bars
Frankincense and Myrrh Soap - a great gift for wise men
Pumice Soap - abrasive and cleansing to smooth hands and feet
Candy Cane Soap - peppermint scent to wake you up
Lavender Soap - always a favorite, traditional and calming
Christmas Tree Soap - balsam fir scent refreshing and definitely Christmas

New this year to the Hoedown is CJ’s Country Classics and her fabulous Soy Candles!  She let me try a few samples and I absolutely love them…they are great smelling and burn very nicely.

To find out more about what she has to offer check out her website:  www.cjscc.com

New Additions!

Yup, it’s true! We recently added some new additions to our Kroncke Road Orchard – SEVENTEEN chickens (12 Rhode Island Reds and 5 Barred Rocks)! So far, so good. Rhode Island Red Barred Rock

We got them from my neighbor at the Sun Prairie Farmer’s Market – Rainbow Hill Farm. These chickens are ‘old’ and are not producing eggs like they needed them too so we took them in! They are free range chickens and so far we haven’t had any issues (knock on wood). Even the dogs and cats seem to have accepted them as their new friends. I just love having random chickens run by me…this city girl is really turning into a farmer!

Handcrafted Hoedown for the Holidays – Looking for Jewelry?

The Hoedown will be a one shop stop for all your jewelry needs this holiday season!  Not only will you see some great jewelry from theApple…a lot of what you’ve seen in the apple store this season and more that I’ve been working on this week and will continue to create up until the sale.

I have a few new additions to our jewelry artist line up besides myself this year.

One new comer is Julia Jiannacopoulos.  She has a variety of items for the show:  lightswitch plates, metal message boards, clock-purses, peace ornaments, napkin rings and jewelry.   Most all of her work is one-of-a-kind using upcycled materials: vintage jewelry and materials, found objects and cultural ephemera.  I know that I’m really excited to see the rest of her things!

I will also have some adorable bottle cap necklaces from StorylineDesigns.  Just visit her shop to get even more of a sneak peak!

OddStuffByXanthe will be bringing some adorable scrabble tile pendants along with many other fun items!

I will also be selling some fabulous jewelry from BlueHillByHand.  BlueHillByHand is the company that purchased my candy drop ring design and is selling it wholesale.  I also do contract work for them in my off-season for many of their earring designs.  I had fun picking out a collection of goods to offer at the sale.  I only have a few of each style so don’t wait too long to make it out to the sale!

These are just a few of the fun jewelry items that you will see…I just want to get a taste of excitement in your mouths for all the possible Christmas Gifts you can buy for friends, family, even yourself!  Can’t wait to see you in just a few weeks!

Recipe Sunday – Pumpkin Pie Cake

I have so many pictures I need to edit and blog about!  AND I have so many more ‘teaser’s’ for the Handcrafted Hoedown to post…now I just have to find some time to edit those pictures :)

Well, anyway, Happy November everyone!  November in our household is also known as ‘Cedi’s Birthday Month’.  I can’t believe she’ll be 3 at the end of the month!  WOW!  I hope you remembered to move your clocks back too…we almost forgot and were super happy to realize we had an extra hour to lay about.  We had my favorite breakfast of bacon, eggs and cheese bread…so good.  Keep an eye on all my blogs in the next few days for some really fun posting (www.kimscraftyapple.blogspot.com and www.onebeermom.blogspot.com) 

Here’s the recipe for today… I felt it was fitting being November and all…

Pumpkin Pie Cake

by Betsy Meeuwsen (my godmother who will also have some beautiful knit items at the Handcrafted Hoedown!)

4 c. pumpkin puree

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

3 eggs

1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk

1 pkg. 2 layer size yellow cake mix

1 c. chopped nuts

3/4 c. melted butter

Combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger.  Add eggs.  Beat until just combined.  Gradually add the evaporated milk.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin mixture.  Sprinkle with nuts and drizzle with melted butter.  Bake at 350-degrees for 1 to 1 1/4 hours until edges are firm and center is almost set.  Cool on wire rack.  Store in the refrigerator.

 

ENJOY!

Apple Update and another Sneak Peak at the Hoedown

Looking for a great bag, quilt, table runner, placemats, or other fabric made goods?  Well then don’t miss 2009’s Handcrafted Hoedown for the Holiday’s.  You’ll find a little bit of everything fabric made by a variety of skilled people.

  Janet from JanetQuilts has brought gorgeous wallhangings, lots of table runners, placemats, aprons, fabric bowls, a wide assortment of bags, and more.  From classic to kooky…you’ll find a little bit of everything when you look through all of JanetQuilts Offerings.

My aunt-in-law, Barb, the talented long-arm quilter will also have things at our sale. 

Barb offers a wide variety of quilts, bags, wall hangings, and new this year, fabric signs.

   To get a sneak peak and what she may have at the sale check out her etsy shop:  www.quiltsbybarb.etsy.com.  I’m sure her things will catch your attention.

And of course, fabric goods from my mother-in-law and I will be for sale as well – quilts, table runners, wall hangings, bags, ornaments, aprons, hooded towels, fiber bowls and MORE. 

 

Don’t forget to stop by the orchard this weekend for some yummy cider donuts (we just finished making them), unpasteurized, unpreserved cider (1/2 gallon or gallon), caramel apples, and regular apples!  All of the Honeycrisp’s are out of the cooler so it’s only a matter of days until they are gone for the season.  We still have a wide variety of apples for you to choose from though…don’t forget to ask us to sample any that you’ve never tried.

I will also be attending the very last Sun Prairie Farmer’s Market of the season tomorrow from 7 until 12.  If you don’t want to drive all the way up to Poynette, you can stop by for cider donuts, cider, caramel apples, McIntosh, Cortland, Idared, Gala, Jonagold, Red Delicious, Empire, and Cameo’s.  I would love it if you stop by to visit me!

I plan on taking the girls trick or treating in a neighborhood in Poynette tomorrow (we have to ‘borrow’ a neighborhood).  I’m not sure what time it all begins but we’ll be out there.  Cedi went from wanting to be a pink ghost, to a pink snake with a long tongue, to a pink jellyfish, to our kitty, Smoky Cheetoh.  I’m really glad I’m waiting until tomorrow to make her a costume.  Our kitty is grey so my plans right now are to put her in a grey sweat suit outfit, pin a grey tail I made up tonight on her butt and then hand stitch some ears to a headband…I think that will work.  I also have a couple of yards of pink fabric to play with if she changes her mind yet again.  So, when you stop by the store in the afternoon tomorrow, don’t be surprised if you see me surrounded by sparkly pink fabric, scissors and thread!  Oh…not quite sure what Capri is going to be…either a princess, a bee (no I didn’t make the costume), a pink jellyfish, or a ghost…only time will tell…

I would love to hear what your kids are going to be for Halloween…or you, just leave a comment below!

 

I don’t usually include things about my online store with the apple orchard stuff, but if you want to try to win $30 worth of credit to my etsy store KimsCraftyApple you can enter HERE.  Please do not feel obligated…just didn’t want you to miss out on this opportunity if you were interested.

Last Weekend of the ‘Back Room’ at the Orchard Store

Don’t panic yet.  Yes, this weekend is the last weekend that the ‘back room’ full of handmade crafting goods will be open for this season at the orchard store but it is NOT your last chance to buy things.  We are closing up the craft section because we have craft sales every weekend in November and the first weekend in December.  So, you still will be able to buy things…you just have to find us!

Where can you find us?

November 7th:  Christmas Market at the Travel Center in Belmont, WI

November 13th and 14th:  Holiday Craft Fair, 7100 Spring Hill Dr., Middleton, Wisconsin

November 20th and 21st:  Hand Crafted Hoedown for the Holidays at Lapacek’s Orchard

November 28th:  Holiday Craftacular – Madison, WI

December 5th:  Holidays at Home in the Village – Village Hall, Poynette, WI

And of course, many of the things you’ve been drooling over in the back room are also available on my websites:  Kim’s Crafy Apple and theApple.  If you are looking for something you remember seeing just send me an email and I’ll do my best to help you out!

Old Fashioned Goodness - Idared

This comes directly from the Wisconsin Apple Grower Association Cookbook.

Savor the old-fashioned goodness of baked apples, especially Idareds, which holds their shape perfectly and look beautiful on the table.  Developed in Idaho, Idared is a cross between two old time New York apples, the Jonathan and the Wagener, first raised in Penn Yan in 1791.  Idared’s debut in the United States came in 1942 and today the variety is prevalent in orchards in the East and Midwest, despite its mountain state origin.

Underneath a supple red skin, the fruit’s crisp, pale yellow-green flesh is juicy, fine-grained and tender.  It has a aromatic fragrance similar to that of a Jonathon, but is moderately tangy with a slight sweetness.

Idared keeps its shape and flavor well in pies, yet cooks down nicely and is often used in apple butter.  This variety is also suitable for eating fresh, and for use in cider salads, freezing, desserts and processing.  Idareds make a beautiful pink applesauce.  Cook the apples with the skins on and strain the sauce to get the best pink color.

Available in Wisconsin around the middle of October. 

A Golden Find - Jonagold

This comes directly from the Wisconsin Apple Grower Association Cookbook.

 

Visualize the best of two worlds – the crackling tart Jonathan and the oh-so-sweet Golden Delicious.  You’ll think you’ve gone to Apple Heaven when you treat yourself to your first taste of a large, luscious Jonagold.

The name of this brilliant golden-red apple reflects it parentage of Golden Delicious and Jonathon.  Noted for its beauty and flavor, Jonagold was chosen by experts as one of the two most preferred dessert apples in the world. 

This is yet another product of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva.  Jonagold was released in 1968 and has been more popular in Europe and Japan than at home in the United States.

It was the leading apple west of the Cascades in Washington State and in British Columbia.  Jonagold rivals McIntosh as the number one variety.

With its unique blend of all the best traits from its parent varieties, Jonagold is marked by scarlet red over yellow-green skin.  Underneath is the flavorful yet mellow, cream colored, juicy flesh, an excellent choice for pies, sauce, salads, freezing or eating fresh. 

Jonagolds make great fried apples.  Simply sauté in butter and add a little cinnamon.  No sugar needed!

In Wisconsin, Jonagold is harvest from October 7 through October 20, but can be store until March.

Golden Delicious – Not a Cousin of Red

Some people think that Golden Delicious is simply the yellow cousin of the Red Delicious apple.  But, in fact, they are related in name only. This honey sweet apple is a special treat all on its own.

The Golden Delicious apple is an excellent “all purpose” cooking and eating apple with a thin skin and firm, crisp, juicy flesh that retains its shape when baked or cooked.  Its rich, mellow flavor is an asset to any recipe.  The Golden Delicious skin is so tender and thin that you can skip peeling it for many recipes.  Because it is so sweet, Golden Delicious can be used for pies and sauces with little or no sugar.  It’s also a great apple to blend with other in cider.

Golden Delicious began as a chance seedling on a farmer’s hillside near Bomont, West Virginia in 1914.  In that same year, the Stark Brothers bought the trees for five thousand dollars and protected it with a cage and burglar alarm. 

The apples ripen in October in Wisconsin.  Skin that is pale yellow is desirable, as opposed to the chartreuse of a Golden picked prematurely or the darker yellow of one picked too late.  This variety should keep well if refrigerated in a crisper or plastic bag.  Try using Golden Delicious as an attractive fruit bowl and fresh eating apple.  [I love the way Empire’s and Golden Delicious look together!]

Keep Warm this Holiday Season – A Teaser for the Handcrafted Hoedown for the Holidays 2009

It’s always a great gift to give something useful for the cold winter season…oh and cute and cozy too!

I have quite a few artists selling their cozy winter wear at the sale…for both adults and kids!

The hit of the sale last year were Karol Tomlinson’s recycled wool mittens. Using wool sweaters she puts together these one-of-a-kind, beautiful and warm mittens! They make a great gift for others (trust me…I gave quite a few pair out) and a fabulous treat for yourself! Stop in and see what Karol’s selection has to offer this year!

A new addition to the sale this year is Lil Noggin Tops (this is a link to her facebook photo album of more hats and things). Amy of Lil Noggin Tops crochets adorable hats for kiddo’s and adults! Another great gift!

My Aunt Betsy has been knitting me things for years and years, along with the rest of her family…especially her grandchildren. I still have the sweaters she knit for me when I was little stored away for when they’ll fit my daughters! Above is a picture of a couple of the hats she knit for Cedi and Capri last Christmas…so adorable and fun! You’ll find some hats and scarves knit by her at the hoedown this year too!

So between felted mittens, and crocheted and knitted goods we should have your warm and cozy gifts covered!

The Handcrafted Hoedown for the Holidays 2009 will take place on November 20th and 21st from 9 until 5 at Lapacek’s Orchard.

81 pound Pumpkin

I really try hard not to double post but I just had to today.

Some parents told a young girl that she could have any pumpkin she could lift into the wagon and get to the car…she managed to get an EIGHTY-ONE POUND Pumpkin! All I can say is “Nice Work.”

Recipe Sunday – Sour Cream Apple Coffee Cake

Happy Sunday to everyone! It looks beautiful out this morning so hurry in and get your cider donuts, cider and apples to enjoy for the week!

As I was looking through our new Farm Fresh Recipes from Lapacek’s Orchard Cookbook this one from Patty Koch caught my eye. I hope it sounds yummy to you too!

Sour Cream Apple Coffee Cake

by Patty Koch

Topping

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. chopped pecans

2 T. melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

Cake

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. shortening (oleo)

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. sour cream

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. apples (chopped up)

Cream together brown sugar, shortening, egg, vanilla and sour cream. Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture and blend; fold in apples. Grease and flour 9 x 13 cake pan. Pour in batter and cover with topping. Bake at 350-degrees for 45-50 minutes.

ENJOY!

Haunted Hay Ride at the Mackenzie Center

Tonight, Jared and I headed to the Mackenzie Center for the Haunted Hay Ride at 6:30. We were just two of many people there for the fun and to support such a wonderful facility!I had to take a picture of the line we waited in. It was quite a long line but I picked up some popcorn at the food stand to snack on for the wait. You could also roast marshmallow’s for s’mores and grab a cup of hot chocolate (or you could do this after your ride). This demon saw us on our way.My camera was having an issue taking pictures in the dark so this was going to be what we saw as we first entered the haunted hay ride…instead…I got a beautiful picture of the grass… Here’s one of the fun scenario’s the Friend’s of Mackenzie set up for our enjoyment along the way.

I had a wonderful time on the hayride. It wasn’t crazy scary but I definitely screamed once…maybe twice along the way. We took the girls last year but decided this year it might scare them as they comprehend more of what was going happening. It was nice to go just the two of us.

One thing we’ve been pondering is a doing a Haunted Orchard in the future. Any opinions? Please leave me comment on this post with any thoughts, suggestions, and yeah or neigh’s.

More New Faces at the Hand Crafted Hoe Down for the Holiday’s!

Today, I’m going to give you yet another sneak peak at a few of the artists’ that will have their work at the Hand Crafted Hoe Down for the Holidays coming up in less than 30 days!

I have two more local Poynette Artist’s joining us: Robert and Inge Shaw!

I’ll start by showing you a few things that you can find on RobertShawDesign’s new etsy shop.

Here’s what he has to say about himself and his work:

The furniture I have built in the past has been to order. The pieces I have put in my etsy shop, are somewhat experimental. Mixing metal and wood, coloring wood and leaving wood not so finished, so you can see what a piece of lumber would look like before it is planed and finished glass smooth. A lot of the process of furniture building I do using hand tools, especially the tops. They are too big to run through the thickness planer, so I take the rough glue ups and plane them down using different hand planes and scrapers in a long multi-step process. Some of the table tops I leave in the stage two of the planing process, leaving diagonal ruts from the Scrub Plane left in. I have always loved that wavy pattern that the Scrub Plane leaves behind. So that's where I stop, the top is then lightly sanded and the finish is applied.

His wife, Inge is also a very talented artist and will also have some of her work at the hoedown. To see more than what I’m showing you be sure to take a peak at her new etsy shop IngesAccents.

Here’s what I learned about Inge:

My connection to words, shapes, color and light - that's what began my interest in creating these art pieces. The metal art adds unique dimension to interior spaces. They are strong symbols in my life, each symbol or simple word reminds me of what is important or help me with direction.
Friends and family have also found a sense of inspiration from these simple symbols in their homes.
For people who know me, vocally I am a person who uses few words (not a talker). I make statements short and sweet, and that is what these pieces are about also. There really is a lot of depth in a symbol.

Stay tuned for some more ‘sneak peaks’ into the upcoming Hoedown!

Empire – A Fresh Favorite (and Apple Picker Jared’s Favorite!)

This comes directly from the Wisconsin Apple Grower Association Cookbook.

One of the newest apple varieties, Empire is a cross between a McIntosh and Red Delicious [I never would have guessed that!], was developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva and unveiled to the public in 1966.

It’s a medium-sized, attractive, dark red apple that’s an all-around winner in flavor, use and post-harvest storage.

A blend of sweet and tart, this juicy, crisp apple has a creamy white flesh. It’s as well suited for eating fresh and salad use as it is for use in baking, sauce and pies.

Because of its sweetness, Empires are often added to cider blends. Pack small Empires in school lunches. Kids love Empire’s sweet-tart taste and super crunchy texture. Harvest in Wisconsin is from September 25 through October 10, but apples are typically available from September through July.