Christmas Eve Services Update

A quote from Pastor Nick...

How did things go on Christmas Eve?

If you were not able to be with us, I'd encourage you to check out the podcast at www.bponline.org

We had over 2,800 people attend the four services and I am still receiving emails from people who were deeply moved. In fact, I spoke with two Bay Pointe families on Christmas Eve who said it was their one-year anniversary – their first service was Christmas Eve 2008.

My hope is that many who attended will come back and continue a journey that will lead them to the cross of Christ.

I cannot agree more!

Christmas Eve Services

Just a reminder that you are invited to join us for Christmas Eve services at Bay Pointe Community Church. Services will be at 1:00, 3:00, 5:00 and 7:00 PM. Michael will be baking for the volunteers and we will both greet at all services. Pastor Nick has a special message planned and the music is always wonderful. Come alone, come with family, come with friends, come join us! We look forward to seeing you there.

What We Are Missing

Michael went shopping a few weeks ago
and checked out the brownie and cookie mixes on the shelves.

He bought two mixes.

This is what he brought home.

This stuff sounds disgusting!

Since I am the Director of Taste Testing, I had to try them.

They did not taste very good.

They had a cardboard, non flavorful taste to them.

They should, considering what they are made of.

One of the ingredients is cellulose.
Humans cannot digest cellulose. Cows digest cellulose.
It is referred to as 'dietary fiber' or 'roughage.'

This is not what Creekside Grains puts in our mixes!

Thank You Pathfinder

Michael and I spent a lovely day at the Pathfinder School Craft Show. The children were a delight to talk with! Many Traverse City families were able to sample root beer cookies, chocolate chip cherry chipotle cookies, mega mint cookies and whole wheat cherry ginger cookies. Lots of mixes were purchased for stocking stuffers!

Thank you Pathfinder friends and families and craft show attendees!

Vrooommm...

As fast as the Cruiser Cookies came into being,
they raced away.

We ordered plenty of Cruiser Cookie cookie cutters,
but sold them all
as soon as we took them to a craft show.
When we called to order more cutters,
we were very disappointed to learn that
they will be out of production until spring.

Just like Michael's Harley Davidson,
they will not be available
until after the snow stops
and the roads are clear.

Check the web site in the spring
for Cruiser Cookie delivery dates.
Until then, think snow
and enjoy the other baking mixes
that warm your kitchen and are fun to make!

On the Road Again

I will be heading to Lansing tomorrow morning for Shipshewana on the Road. If you need any mixes and live in the Lansing area, please let me know today and I will pack extra just for you!

The show will be at the Summit Sports Complex, off I-496. Hours are Saturday from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM.

Hope to see you there!

What a Great Weekend!

Michael was in Frankfort for the Holly Berry Christmas Craft Show and I was in Jackson for the Rose Festival Craft Show on Saturday. Both shows were well attended, with lots of smiling shoppers! I ran out of double chocolate chip cherry cookies at the same time that I ran out of the samples, so the timing was just right.

The root beer cookies were a smashing success, again! I would love to be able to videotape expressions when our clients taste a root beer cookie for the first time. The expressions are priceless! They range from smiles to disbelief! "Wow" is a popular expression, along with "different" and "tastes like root beer!" The disbelief expressions come from clients who cannot believe that we can make a root beer cookie and that it tastes so good!

Since I am from Jackson, my mother helped me at the show. It was fun to see friends and clients and to hang out with Mom for the weekend. I took a snapshot of Mom at the booth. When I find the camera (buried under milk crates and tablecloths from the show), I will post it on the site. We had a great time!

Back to preparations for this weekend's show. I will be in Lansing for Shipshewana on the Road. Michael may join me! Wherever we are, it will be a great weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving - Popcorn Pancakes

Michael made me incredible popcorn pancakes

for Thanksgiving breakfast!

He ground the popcorn in his new grinder

and out came corn flour.

Creekside Grains has a new mix!

Michael is so talented!

I am so blessed!

Mr. Rooster woke me up with a smile again this morning.

He was exceptionally loud today.

I think he was cheering that he was not a turkey!

Also, I was driving to the office

(we work every day - just less hours today)

and saw at least forty wild turkeys in a front yard.

I know that they were doing the turkey dance,

boldly,

knowing that they are not dinner!

A Six Pack of Beer?

If you knew Michael and me, you would know that we do not drink alcohol. So when he came home from the grocery store today with a six pack of beer, I had to ask. His response was...I am going to drink it and watch football all Thanksgiving Day. Well...since we do not have a television, I knew he was kidding about watching football, and I could not imagine him drinking the six pack!!!

The real truth is that Michael will be inventing new beer breads tomorrow, so he needs beer to put in the beer breads.

I really liked the other story, even if it was not true!

I will update with the beer bread results.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thank You Traverse City

The Artcenter Art and Craft Show at the Park Place Dome was a huge success for Creekside Grains. I do not know how many attended, but lots and lots and lots of people taste tested our root beer cookies and black cherry walnut cookies and double chocolate cherry cookies. We ran out of samples by 7:00 PM on Friday, so Michael made a triple batch for Saturday. We ran out of those samples by 1:00 PM on Saturday. It was a busy, fun, yummy time had by all!

Many clients purchased the cookie mixes for a cookie exchange. Many others purchased mixes for Christmas gifts, Secret Santa and hostess gifts. These mixes make great gifts - everyone has to eat, so make it a fun, unique Creekside Grains mix!

Next Saturday, I will be in Jackson for the Rose Festival Craft Show. Michael will be in Frankfort for the Holly Berry Show. It will be another fun Christmas shopping weekend!

Maya Loves Mega Mint Chocolate Cookies

Maya just ordered a large amount of mega mint cookies.

This is what she emailed to me.

"I bought them to give as hostess gifts, and to a few clients- as I am in sales.
They are by far the BEST cookies ever!
We bought them at the Frankfort Farmer's Market
and were immediately hooked!"

We love happy clients!

Thank you, Maya!

Artcenter Traverse City Craft Show

If you live in the Traverse City area and would like to do some Christmas shopping, join us tonight or tomorrow at the Park Place for the Artcenter Craft Show.

We have three new cookies for you! We also have great Christmas baskets that make wonderful gifts for your friends and family who have everything.

The show will be open tonight from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM and tomorrow from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Come join us for Christmas shopping fun!

They All Came Tumbling Down

If you have followed my saga of wood splitting, here's more to add to the saga.

Last week, I came home and took a double take! So far, I have four rows of wood stacked under our car port for the winter. When I looked at the pile, I saw that one row had fallen down! Not only did it fall down, it fell down about eight feet from the pile! It looked like someone had catapulted the wood away from the pile.

The wood looked like dominoes. The wood pieces were leaning very neatly at an angle on the ground. Problem was, they were supposed to be stacked neatly on the pile.

I am not sure why that row fell down. There was half a row in front of it, so the bottom half did not fall, but the top fell far enough for me to wonder how it got that far.

It took some time to fix the row and shore it up again, but piece by piece, I got it all back in line. Now I can go back to filling the rest of the carport for the winter. I only have about eight more rows to go!

I am very grateful for the nice weather we have had lately. It saves so much wood. It will not be long and the wood stove will be running full time to keep us toasty warm in the winter.

What a Week!

Let's see...Shipshewana on the Road last weekend, then home early Monday morning in time to deliver a wholesale order. Take inventory, pack more mixes, then repack the van to drive to Lansing on Tuesday afternoon for a food show on Wednesday. Drive back home on Wednesday night. Take inventory and prepare for the Craft Show at the Park Place Hotel next Friday and Saturday.

In the mean time, pack the van to photograph the Army Recruiters Ball in Grand Rapids on Saturday afternoon and evening.

It feels like Monday, but the calendar says it is Thursday.

I am so confused! Maybe I am tired and have been in the van too many hours this week.

Next week, I will catch up! Oops, cannot do that yet...Thanksgiving weekend, I will do it all over again. This time, I will be in Jackson for the Rose Festival Craft Show! One week later, it will be another Shipshewana on the Road in Lansing.

I look forward to a peaceful week between Christmas and New Year!

Off to Shipshewana

I am on my way to Mt. Pleasant for the weekend. I will be selling mixes at Shipshewana on the Road at Soaring Eagle Casino. Mom is coming up to help. It will be a fun time had by all.

Tomorrow, Michael will be at Immaculate Conception for their craft show.

If you have an hour to shop, come see Michael. If you have an afternoon, come see me!

Have a great weekend!

Laura loves cookies

Laura tried the whole wheat blueberry ginger cookies today.

While she was at it, she decided to make the double chocolate cherry cookies.

With cookie in hand, and smile on face, Laura is a "happy customer!"

We just shipped the
Mega Mint Chocolate Cookies.

I cannot wait to get her reaction!

Thank you, Laura!

What I learned from wood

Yesterday, as I was splitting wood, I studied the structure of the different types of wood. Their structure reminds me of my life.

White oak is very heavy and difficult to split. It seems to hold on to every shred of wood and does not give a clean split. The pieces hold on tight to each other until I force them apart.

Red oak is also very heavy, but easy to split. The pieces separate well, but will burn very hot, even when they are smaller.

Maple is so much lighter than the oaks. It also splits with a clean edge. What I notice most about the maple is the core. The lifeblood of the wood is in the core. It is tight and solid. When I try to split near the core, the core stays intact and the split occurs around the softer edges of the wood outside of the core. Like the oaks, the maple burns very hot.

Walnut is so heavy, with such fine grain. It is so strong. It splits clean like the maple.

Pine is the lightest and easiest to split. It also burns very quickly. I burn pine when I need warmth in a short time.

I like the core of the maple. It reminds me of my core. I want to have a strong inner being (core). When something or someone tries to separate me, my core remains intact and the softer outer edges give. I like to know that my core is strong. I thank God for giving me a core that will stand up to life's pressures.

I like the shreds of the white oak. They remind me of the next layer of my being. They protect the core and the softer edges around the core. They hold me together.

I like the strength of the walnut. Fine grain is packed with power. I would like my muscles to be like the walnut.

I like the smell of the pine and the fast burn of the pine. It is my adrenaline rush when I need it.

Splitting wood is good for me, both inside and out!

Pancakes, pancakes, pancakes

I have never had pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner...until today. Michael is testing a new pancake recipe. Since I am the Director of Taste Testing, I had to do my job today. I ate pancakes ALL DAY!

I had to set a pancake limit and could not eat another bite.

If it were a day of cookies, I could handle that!

Anyway, the pancakes were good this morning and great this afternoon! Michael kept "tweaking" the recipe and I love it!

Stay tuned for the official unveiling of the new pancake mixes!

Last Lettuce

I cannot believe it finally happened! We had the last of the lettuce from the farm market tonight for dinner. I have been buying fresh lettuce at the farm markets since the beginning of June. For five months, we have had the best tasting salads. It will be very hard to go to the grocery store and buy lettuce again.

Our farm market lettuce would last two weeks in the fridge. There were so many varieties throughout the season. When we added the vegetable of the week, every salad was different and so wonderful.

What a great concept...feed the farmers by buying local and feed ourselves fresh salads!

Hot out of the oven, Michael just brought me a freshly prepared apple crisp from the last of the farm market apples. It smells wonderful! I cannot wait for it to cool off.

I look forward to next summer!

Rain, rain, rain

It is raining and raining and raining! To quote a line from Winnie the Pooh, "it got floodier and floodier!" Our creeks are very high right now!

Good thing we are both inside tomorrow. Farm markets in the rain are not as fun. Craft shows inside are really fun.

I will be at East Middle School for the Extravaganza Craft Show.

Michael will be sampling products at the Village Market Food Center in Elk Rapids tomorrow early afternoon.

If you live in Traverse City or Elk Rapids, stop by and stock up for Christmas gifts!

Last Day

Today was my last day for the Farm Markets. I was at the Glen Arbor, Leland, Northport, The Village at Grand Traverse Commons and Suttons Bay every week this summer. It was great seeing new faces, the weekly "regulars" and I loved visiting with my fellow vendors. I will miss Jim's beautiful flower arrangements from Copper River Farm and great conversations with Margo from the Leelanau Peninsula Maple Sugar Bush. I will miss the fresh fruits and vegetables that were abundant all summer. I will not miss the cold and rainy Saturday's that seemed to prevail all summer.

Michael canned fresh peaches and tomatoes and made applesauce. I froze blackberries, so we will have some wonderful memories of summer.

Michael will continue the Frankfort Market all winter. It is year round.

I will be on the road with Shipshewana on the Road for three out of the next six weekends, so it will be a busy fall/early winter for me.

You can also catch me at a few of the local craft shows at schools, as well as the craft show at the Park Place in November.

Keep checking the web site for Michael's new creations! He is always inventing something new and exciting for me to taste test!

I Met Mr. Rooster

Finally! I was splitting wood yesterday and I heard Mr. Teenage rooster crow. Off we went to the neighbors house to find Mr. Rooster. We found him and his four rooster buddies and their chicken girlfriends. We got a lesson in chickens and roosters. They are fascinating!

Mr. Rooster and his buddies and girlfriends are bantams. The girls are multi-colored and gorgeous and the boys have beautiful feathered feet. They are fully grown now, but are half the size of a "regular" chicken and rooster. The girls lay eggs that are half the size, too.

When I started hearing them crow in the morning, they were still very young. I was right when I called him Mr. Teenage rooster. They are now about seven months old. They still have not completed their cock a doodle doo, but they are getting there. The "cock a doodle" is there, but the "doo" ending still needs some work.

I am so excited that I can now put an adorable face to the hysterical sound at 5:00 AM. Our neighbors feed them at 5:00, so the roosters have learned to sing for their breakfast, even if it is pitch dark out!

Now I know the rest of the story!

No Summer - No Fall

We enjoyed another great day at the Farm Markets until the winds came howling and the rain came down.

At Frankfort, Michael said it took four men to hold each tent to get them folded up. The winds were fierce. It was the Frankfort Pumpkin Festival today. I felt sorry for the visitors. It was so cold and windy!

Suttons Bay was very nice until closing time. Right then, the winds picked up. A few minutes after the car was packed, the rain started. It was perfect timing for me!

Since we had no summer and it looks like fall has come and gone, I wonder what winter will bring! Another long winter of very cold and lots of snow? Fine with me, as long as I can get the wood split and stacked soon.

Time to make an Italian Hot Chocolate and toast my tootsies by the fire.

Splitting in the Rain

OK, start humming the tune, "Singing in the Rain." Change the words to "Splitting in the Rain," and you will know what I did this morning.

We heat our Creekside home with a wood stove, so I need to split wood to keep the wood stove going. Splitting wood is my favorite thing to do, even in the rain. I just put on my father's Carhartt jacket, put the hood on and go for it.

My father died in 1995. We had bought him a new Carhartt jacket the winter before he died, but he did not feel well enough to wear it. After he died, I started wearing it to split wood and work outside in the winter. I think of Dad and enjoy God's fall spendor, even if it is raining. The jacket is starting to fade a bit and wear at the sleeves, but I like it when it gets broken in. What a great way to spend the morning...exercise, time alone with God and great memories of Dad.

By the way, I use a wood splitter. I do not have enough upper body strength to use a maul or ax. Twenty two years ago, Dad tried to show me how to split wood with a maul. After hours of trying, he gave up on me. I was useless! I could not hit the wood, let alone split it. After I have moved back to the mountains of northern California for the winter, Dad sent me a drawing. It had a picture of Bob with a big block of wood. It said, "Bob - whack." It also had a picture of Loretta with a little piece of wood. It said, "Loretta - thump."

Now you know why I use a wood splitter!

I am Official

I am official!

Many clients asked why I did not have a Creekside Grains business card.

So...Michael is having business cards made just for me.

I am now the Director of Taste Testing.

This is the best director job I have ever had!

I am a Gram (sort of)

Mark and I have been friends for over 35 years (since high school). He escorted me down the aisle when I married Michael eight years ago.

Mark has a son, Matthew, who I have known since he was born.

Mark and Matthew and I had a lot of fun when Matt was a teenager. Matt was born on the same date as my niece, so we had great birthday parties. He was so much fun to feed! That boy could eat!

I got to play Mom/Friend for the two years that Matt played Varsity Football in Heartland. I did not miss a game! Matt always made a point to stop and say hi to his dad and me before he went into the locker room or headed for the bus. Since I never had children of my own, it was so nice to have a part time son.

Matt married Sarah a few years ago. I will always remember the wonderful expression that Matt had when he saw Sarah for the first time as she walked down the aisle.

Matt and Sarah had a baby boy on Thursday evening. Grandpa Mark is smiling from ear to ear. I decided that since I have known Matt since his birth, and I got to play Mom/Friend during his teenage years, then I can be a Grandma, too! So...I am a Gram (sort of)!

I cannot wait to meet my grandson!

New Cookie!!!

He did it! Michael invented a new cookie and it passed everyone's taste tests today at the Elberta Farm Market!

Get ready to try a black cherry walnut cookie! Sweet black cherry concentrate, chunks of walnut and lots of dried cherries. Michael likes it better than the root beer cookie. I am still undecided on my favorite.

If you are close to Traverse City, come see us at Elberta, Elk Rapids, Northport, The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Frankfort or Suttons Bay for our new cookie mix.

If you want to go on an adventure, come on up to the Northport Lighthouse Festival on Saturday. It will be at the State Park in Northport. There are lots of activities planned. You can eat a pancake breakfast, go pumpkin bowling, make apple cider, tour the light house, stroll through the arts, crafts and farm market, enjoy the scenery and buy a new black cherry walnut cookie. Sounds like fun to me!

Mabel at the Market

Michael is at the Elberta Farm Market today (and a beautiful day it is!).

When Michael was at Bonneville, I went to the Elberta Farm Market. I got to meet all of the wonderful people that Michael had told me about. I also got to meet Mabel the dog.

After I met Mabel and her human mom, Julie, I was busy setting up my table, when Julie asked who had given Mabel a chocolate doughnut. Since no one had given it to Mabel, Julie had to do some investigating. After searching for clues, Julie found the answer. Midge, our neighbor vendor, had bought a chocolate doughnut from a baker vendor and had put the doughnut in her market bag...at eye level and nose level with Mabel! Mabel could not resist, so she reached into the bag and helped herself to the doughnut! She was a very happy dog, with a great doughnut in her mouth, until Julie took it away. Mabel had not even eaten any chocolate yet. She had just nibbled on the non chocolate underside.

You had to be there! It was a fun start to the morning!

Michael just gave me a call from the market. Mabel is happily receiving a tummy rub as I write this! What a great life for Mabel!

Salt Free Diet

Our minivan is now on a salt free diet, Bonneville Salt Flats, that is!

Michael took the not so great running van into the repair shop yesterday. After checking the transmission, our friend rinsed about a pound of salt out of the engine. The transmission is now running properly and the van is a pound lighter.

We will find traces of the salt for the next six months. Brings back good memories of Bonneville and not so good memories of the five days stuck in Wyoming!

My Poor Mother

How could I forget to share this story?

While Michael was at Bonneville, my mother came to Traverse City to help me with the Castle Farms Craft Show and to give me a general straightening out. This has become a once a year project to get me cleaned up and sorted out and ready for Fall. Mom tries so hard to keep me organized. It is a losing battle, but she is able to succeed for one week of the year.

Anyway...when Mom found out that Michael was going to be five days later arriving home, she decided to stay until he made it home. That gave me five more days to get organized. She was on the home stretch until Saturday morning.

Michael and I were at the Farm Markets on Saturday morning, so Mom had a leisurely breakfast and was starting to pack her truck for the trip home before she finished the few things that she had left on her "straighten Loretta list." She was on a roll, until...she took a box to the truck. Halfway to the truck, she looked back to see that the door had closed, which meant that it was now locked. No problem, she thought. She would just go to the other door that had been unlocked most of the time during her stay. Not Saturday morning! She had not gone out that door yet, so it was still locked, along with the door that she had just walked out of.

This was at 10:30 AM. Michael and I were not going to be home until 2:00 PM. Mom knew that she was in for the long haul, so she sat in her truck until it got too hot. Next, she moved to the back yard and sat on a very uncomfortable bench. For the next three and a half hours, she watched the creek, watched the road, watched the squirrels, tried to take a nap on a very hard bench and waited for someone to come home. When I came home, I looked for her inside for twenty minutes, until I looked outside and found her sitting on the bench...in her robe! She had not dressed yet, so she had to do all of this waiting in her robe!

I am so thankful that it was not raining or cold or windy. It was a beautiful day, but not one that Mom had planned on spending three and a half hours outside enjoying.

All this reminds me of the time that I walked outside at our Creekside home in March. I went out to feed the birds. The door accidentally locked behind me and I sat outside for six hours in my pajamas, until Michael finally came to get me. Ever seen woman stacking wood in her jammies before? That was me. I decided to do something to keep warm while I waited for Michael.

Must be something in our genes...

Making Cookies!!!!

Michael's five days stuck in a little motel in Wyoming
gave him time to invent new cookie recipes.

He is busy baking tonight to test his new ideas.

He has some great ideas and great ingredients to invent the cookies!

I love it when he tests and I taste!

I will let you know my favorites!

turtles

I did not get a chance to post this last week, but I had to share our latest farm market adventure. I was at the Northport Farm Market last Friday, when my neighboring vendor's wife found a turtle. He was hanging out by the bank, but ready to head for the road. Since we did not want a squashed turtle in the middle of Northport, my neighbor rescued him and put him in a pan of water for a temporary home until the market was over.

He has a friend who has a wonderful pond full of pond critters.

Mr. Turtle got to move to a new home and start a new, safer life. What I liked most was that he got to go to a good Christian home!

Michael is home!

I am sorry that I did not update right away. The nightmare is over. The van was fixed on Wednesday afternoon and Michael made it home late Thursday night. The engine sounds funny, but at least we can get it fixed here, instead of the middle of Wyoming.

Michael is now very busy trying to get layers of oil off the trailer and the motorcycle, along with the salt from the Bonneville Salt Flats. The oil covered the trailer and motorcycle when the engine blew and salt is in every nook and cranny of the van and trailer.

It is nice to have him back!

Engine Pieces

The sad news is that the van engine is in hundreds of pieces on the repair shop floor. More sad news is that Michael walked the twenty five minutes to meet the shop owner to check on progress. The doors were locked, the owner was gone and the engine was still in pieces, when the owner had told him earlier that the van would be fixed today. We are worried and trying to figure out our next plan.

This has been a very difficult five days. Prayers would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Still broken, only two hours closer to home

The van was supposedly fixed and Michael was on his way home. Michael made it two hours closer to home, but the van died again. This time it was in Rawlings, Wyoming.

He is in a very small town, in a very old, but clean motel and no way to get around town. The motel is seven miles away from the nearest grocery store. At least the motel has a great dog who keeps him company!

He will be there until Tuesday, when the replacement parts arrive.

Prayers would be appreciated. Thank you.

Broken

Michael is stranded in Evanston, Wyoming, with a broken oil something on the van. Not good on a long weekend...Replacement parts may make it tomorrow morning. If not, parts will make it next week. Prayers would be nice. Thanks.

He made the record, but...

Heart of Michigan passed tech inspection for an alternative source motorcycle. Michael made four runs and gained 4 mph on each run. He topped at 95 mph. Michael made the fastest run on the Bonneville Salt Flats with a rotary engine motorcycle. The bike handled beautifully. However...

Once he went back to tech, the officials changed their minds for the type of motorcycle he was running. Since they changed their minds, they will not allow the record to be official.

They may change their minds back and let the record stick, but until then, I told him that he has to go back next year to make it official.

I will update if the mind changing happens before he leaves.

96 degrees

Michael wondered why his feet were hot. He thought that he needed new shoes. Then he looked at the thermometer. 96 degrees! Even if he has the best shoes, his feet will still be hot at 96 degrees!

They recommend wearing old shoes on the salt. Shoes get ruined, so an old pair gets thrown away at the end of the week.

Michael is waiting for the salt to dry and make it feel more like pavement. The drier the salt, the safer the run. It rained a bunch last Monday, so the salt needs time to dry. Many drivers are making the attempt, but it looks like Tuesday will be his first attempt.

He also did not want to hang out in line for the track in his fifty pound black leather suit (maybe not fifty pounds, but it sure is heavy). He said the other drivers put on their suits, pour a bottle of water in, and zip up. The water keeps them cooler. Hot, wet leather does not sound like a good combination to me!

Michael is also an official red neck! He pours the sun block on, but it melts off and his neck is burning! It is bright red!

I am so glad that Michael is there, but I miss his cooking. For those of you who know me, I do not cook. My three favorite words are "dinner is ready." I have been whining for weeks that I have to cook for two weeks while he is gone. I am a great salad maker, so I have been dining on Farm Market lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, corn on the cob, broccoli, blackberries and peaches. I have had some wonderful dinners, but it is still not the same as Michael's incredible cooking.

More later!

RE 5 Passed Tech Inspection

After a few hour wait, the RE 5 passed tech inspection. Many motorcycles are from professional racing teams and they did not pass inspection. Michael's one little tool box and a few spare parts put him in the running with the big boys! Michael is so excited!

He hopes to make a run tomorrow.

Today, I got to hang out in the rain at the Suttons Bay Farm Market. It has rained every Saturday for weeks. What happened to summer? It was 95 degrees in Bonneville today. What a difference 1800 miles can make!

More later...

Sheep Bottoms

When Michael told me about the sheep running, I did not hear the part about the sheep bottoms. Along with the running sheep, there were sheep already at the feeding station. It was covered, with small holes for them to feed, so all Michael could see were sheep bottoms sticking out of the holes. He was going too fast to take a picture, so you just have to imagine a feeding station of sheep bottoms.

More tomorrow!

RE 5 at the Salt

Michael was gate guard all day. While Michael was gate guarding, he spent the day watching the dog of one of the race prep men. Buddy the dog spent most of the day in his master's trailer. Michael was not his master, so Buddy did not want to play with him. It also could be the heat. It was 93 degrees a few hours ago.

Michael just told me that the Suzuki RE 5 is at the salt and ready for tech inspection. The RE 5 motorcycle is so rare, that almost everyone who came to the flats stopped to look at it today. Michael said there was always at least 2 or 3 people admiring the bike at the same time. He is ready to race!

More tomorrow. Heat at the Flats and rain in Traverse City, again. There has been so much rain and it has been on Saturday for weeks! Rain rain go away!

I forgot a great story. As Michael was driving through Wyoming, he saw a flock of sheep running full speed ahead. He could not figure out what they were doing until he saw their owner on a tractor, dumping food. They were a long way away, but knew the sound of the tractor meant food and they were going to get it, fast! You had to be there...

He is there!

Michael arrived at the Bonneville Salt Flats an hour ago. He is ready to go to the meetings, get tech inspection over and run the bike!

Official opening is Sunday, so he will have time to see old friends and help the Bubb Racing Team prepare for their record run. He works with them when he is not preparing his motorcycle. They go really, really, really fast - over 300 mph! Too fast for me!

Camping in Cheyenne and Home Grown Tomatoes

Michael is snoozing in Cheyenne at another campground. You know you are out west when you have bbq for dinner at the campground and it is the best dinner in town. He said it was great! The corn on the cob was double the size of Michigan corn. Wonder why?

One more day to Bonneville!

I picked our first large tomato tonight, right off the vine, right outside our kitchen door. I was going to use half, but once I took a bite, I put the whole tomato in my salad. Poor choice. That wonderful, eat alone tomato got covered in other salad stuff and the flavor disappeared. Next tomato is all alone!

See you at the Elberta Farm Market tomorrow!

The cows are loose

Michael is driving through Nebraska. When he looked to the side of the highway, he noticed that the cows were loose. They were eating their way through the corn fields! I wonder how the farmer will react when he notices that they are missing, then finds them with a belly full of corn.

The black and white cows in Iowa are now brown and white cows in Nebraska. What color will the Wyoming cows be?

One more day to Bonneville! More later...

What to do with the extra root beer extract

For you root beer cookie lovers, Michael puts a little extra root beer extract in the bottle, to make sure that you have enough for the cookies and the frosting. I try to give our clients suggestions on what they can do with the extra root beer extract. Sometimes, I forget to tell them. Since we have had requests for suggestions, and my great client friend Susi asked on the blog, here goes...

You can get a bottle of vanilla cream soda and put a few drops of the remaining extract in the bottle. You will have a great bottle of root beer! The number of drops depends on the degree of flavor that you like your root beer.

I have not tried this, but you can also pour some extract over french vanilla ice cream and make a new version of the root beer float, only without the float!

The extra extract does not have to be refrigerated. It can hang out in the cupboard or pantry with the rest of the extracts.

Hope this helps!

Bonneville or Bust!

If you cannot see it closely enough, I will explain.
One of Michael's loves is motorcycle racing.
Michael is on his way to the Bonneville Salt Flats
to attempt a world land speed record on this motorcycle.

If you have never seen the World's Fastest Indian, I suggest you rent it.
It is a great movie!
Michael saw this movie and decided to go to Bonneville two years ago,
just to see the events.
He was hooked!
Now he will be one of the racers,
instead of just one of the observers.

The race team is called Heart of Michigan.
Since Michael is Executive Director of Miss Heart of Michigan,
we thought it would be a great team title.

He is in Illinois, eight hours into the trip to Bonneville.
He has two more days to get there.

I am staying home, holding down the fort
and going to the Farmers Markets.
I will also be at Castle Farms for their
Annual Craft Show on Labor Day weekend.
If you get some time and want to play, come see me!

I will update daily with Michael's progress.

Great Clients!!!

I was so excited to talk about our Farm Market dinner that I neglected to tell you about our great clients.

My greatest distance client bought local maple syrup from me today. She lives in Honolulu! I love Hawaii. I took my nieces to Hawaii for their high school graduation present. We had such a nice time. It is great talking to clients to see where they are visiting from. I am sure that Honolulu wins the prize for the greatest distance.

Just as I was packing the car to leave the Leland Farm Market today, a very handsome boy walked up to the almost empty table (there were only a few cookie mixes left - everything else was in the car). He smiled at me and said that I was the lady with the pumpkin pancake mixes. I smiled back and said yes. I then told him that I had them in the car just waiting for him. When his family joined him, we were able to get him his pumpkin pancake mixes and talk about their home town. Their home town of Napoleon just happens to be twenty minutes from my home town of Jackson. Thirty years ago, my grandmother had a restaurant in the little town of Napoleon, so we talked about what building lives there now. We also found out that the father works just across the street from the Subway restaurant where my 81 year old mother works. He remembered my mother! Next time he goes into Subway, he can say that he saw me. She will be surprised!

Michael got to enjoy time with two beautiful girls with pink tops and pink headbands at the Elberta market today. They taste tested a root beer cookie, then chose the best sample for their mother so she could enjoy a sample, too. What sweet girls!

A few weeks ago, a couple stopped at the Frankfort market. I knew the woman looked familiar, but I could not place her. After a few minutes conversation, we found that I graduated with her sister. A few minutes later, we found out that we grew up less than a mile apart from each other. When you lived in my farming community, a mile apart was a close neighbor! Not only was she familiar, she was close neighbor familiar!

Michael just received a phone call from a very happy client. They loved the Mega Mint cookies! At least four people in the background also let Michael know how much they loved the cookies. They are ready to place a great big order for Christmas gifts. What a great idea!

Back to packing the cars for tomorrow's markets! See you there!

support your local farm markets

After a great day at the Farm Markets, Michael and I had a wonderful dinner. Everything but the ham was purchased at the Farm Market. We had a great salad with five kinds of fresh lettuce, cucumber, carrots, broccoli and the first tomato from our very own tomato plant that Michael purchased at the market in the spring. I could not resist a fresh loaf of bread bought at the market to complement the dinner. We also have fresh corn on the cob and yellow beans in the fridge for tomorrow's dinner. Michael came home with fresh blueberries to make crunch and I have a bag of apples for him to make apple crisp! Yum!

It is so much fun to come home with so much fresh, picked that morning produce. Besides tasting incredible (the fresh cucumber reminded me of my childhood - my father grew so many cucumbers in his garden), we were able to add to our local economy. When it is all added up, the Farm Markets bring in needed income for the local farmers and vendors. What a way to kick start the economy, right at home.

If you have a Farm Market in your area, I urge you to visit. Once you go, you will get hooked. Fresh, local is the best!

See you at the markets tomorrow and Saturday!

college scholarships and world land speed records

If you have not heard about Michael's other interests,
here is a quick synopsis of a few things that he loves...

Michael is the Executive Director of Miss Heart of Michigan,
which is a preliminary scholarship pageant
for Miss Michigan and Miss America.

Miss Heart 2007 (Ashlee Baracy) won Miss Michigan in 2008
and was top ten at Miss America this year.

Miss Heart 2008 (Rebecca Ransom) got married today!

Miss Heart 2009 (Katie LaRoche) was First Runner Up at Miss Michigan 2009.

These young ladies are the best of the best.
We are so proud to be a part of Miss Heart.

If you want to keep up with the adventures of Katie and the contestants,
go to our website, www.missheartofmichigan.org
You will find daily updates on the blog.

A portion of all Creekside Grains sales goes to Miss Heart.
By purchasing mixes from Creekside Grains,
you are supporting small business and young women!

If you are interested in donating to the Miss Heart scholarship fund,
all donations are appreciated and are tax deductible.
Because of a very generous donation this year,
the winner of Miss Heart of Michigan 2010
will receive a $10,000 scholarship!

Michael is also a motorcycle racer.
In two weeks, he will be going to the Bonneville Salt Flats
to pursue the world land speed record
for alternative power source motorcycles.

While Michael is in Bonneville,
I will be at Castle Farms
on Labor Day weekend for their annual Craft Show.
If you have some spare time and want to enjoy northern Michigan, come visit us!

I will be posting daily updates of his adventure on this blog.
Stay tuned...

Blackberries in the rain

Unless they are waterproof (which I do not know, because I do not have one), I would think that electronic Blackberries do not like the rain. However, my back yard blackberries LOVE the rain! They are so beautiful when they are covered with drops of water.

This morning, I got out my umbrella, strolled to the back yard and spent thirty minutes picking the most wonderful blackberries in the rain. They are so pretty to look at and wonderful to eat!

It looks like the rains will end tonight. We should have a beautiful week to enjoy all of the farm markets. Stop by and see us!

What it Takes

This morning, Michael and I could not go to the farm markets. The wind howled and the rains came down. Even our neighborhood teenage rooster did not start crowing until 7:30 AM. He must have stayed inside until it lightened up outside.

Michael took the spare time to gather supplies and prepare more mixes.

He went to our supplier and bought 250 pounds of flour, 200 pounds of sugar, 50 pounds of brown sugar, 50 pounds of oatmeal and 50 pounds of chocolate chips.

When Michael was paying the bill, the clerk asked what he was doing with all of those items. He said that he makes chocolate chip cookies for all of his friends on rainy days! She gave him quite the "look."

Altogether, the supplies made sixty gallons of Creekside Grains mixes, just for you to bake on rainy days!

Blackberry

I have tons of blackberries...not the modern kind, but the kind that I walk into the back yard and pick! They are wonderful on my Cheerios in the morning!

Last year, Michael would buy new bushes and plant them, without saying anything to me. I never noticed that the bushes were taking over that area of the yard. When I walked into the back yard a few weeks ago, I was shocked at the number of berries that were waiting to be picked! They are so good!

Give me old fashioned blackberries over the new electronic version any day!

Rooster in Training

I am not an early bird. I am a night owl. However, the early morning farm markets have changed my schedule and I am now an early bird.

God has a great sense of humor. He knows that I have a difficult time getting out of bed in the morning. I am not grouchy, but I am not singing, either. But...God found a way to make me laugh every morning!

I sleep with the bedroom windows open, so I can hear the soothing running waters of Beitner Creek. When I wake very early in the morning, I hear the birds, and especially one unique bird. Our neighbors have a baby rooster, who wakes me up with the most unusual sound that I have ever heard. Instead of a rowdy "COCK A DOODLE DOOO!," he says "COCK A DOODLE ooooo." It could also be interpreted as "er, er, er, er, er, ooooo." He tries so hard to be authorative, and he does okay until he hits the last "do." It sounds like a sigh...Michael says he sounds like stuffed animal.

This funny rooster in training wakes me up and makes me smile, every morning. Thanks, God!

Pet Tags

This is just a reminder to all pet owners to make sure that their pets have identification tags on their collars.

On Monday evening, we found a young woman crying over a dog that she hit with her car on Three Mile. It was a beautiful dog with a collar, but no tags. We had no way to find the owners. The police officer had to put the dog by the side of the road and hope that the owners found it.

Yesterday, the dog was gone. We are glad that someone found the dog, but so sad that the owners do not know what happened.

It is so sad when a pet escapes, but even more sad when something tragic happens and we do not know how to contact the owner.

Please have a tag with the pet's name, the owner's name and number and the vet's name. It will save much heartache later.

Pumpkin pancakes and pups

Last week, I said I would share the story of the pumpkin pancakes and the dog. I hope I get the story right! A client said that she was preparing to make the pumpkin pancakes. When she left the room for a moment, she came back to see her dog covered in pancake mix! He was telling her that he liked the pumpkin pancakes as much as she did! I wished she had been able to photograph him with the new pancake makeup look. It would have been great.

If you are feeling creative, take some photographs of your family (or pets) with the pancakes while camping, or the cookies at a party, or wherever you enjoy Creekside Grains. I will be glad to post them on the site.

One last note for the day. Don't read the last two chapters of Marley and Me while you are in public. I was at the Suttons Bay Farm Market on Saturday morning. We had a few quiet moments, so I thought I would pull the book out and read. Bad idea!!! Within seconds, I had big tears in my eyes, then the small sobs started coming. I had to put the book away, so I could be happy sharing Creekside Grains instead of sobbing at the clients. I was able to finish the book last night, then cry myself to sleep...

I had the world's best dog. Annie died two years ago and I still miss her desperately...

Mama and baby ducks

As I drove home from the Leland Farm Market on Thursday, I was on a busy stretch of M-22. Next thing I knew, mama duck decided to cross the busy road with all of her babies. It looked like there were eight to ten of them. I had time to stop, but Mr. Crazy driver on the other side was not paying attention. Mr. Crazy slammed on the brakes, stopped and blocked the road so that mama had no way to continue across the road. I was squealing, mama was quacking and babies were scattering everywhere! One baby did a somersault, but landed safely on his feet again.

Anyway, Mr. Crazy driver moved on and mama was able to finish her journey to the bay. Let's hope it was a one time crossing and they will live on the water side of the road from here on.

If I had a video camera, it would have been a great segment! The babies were adorable and mama was very good at trying to keep them in check!

Farm markets are not just for selling Creekside Grains. They are also for taking beautiful drives to the markets, visiting with awesome people and watching God's creation along the way!

Farm Market visitors

The past two weeks have been incredible for Farm Markets! We have had hundreds of visitors who bought lots of Creekside Grains mixes. Michael cannot make the root beer cookie mix fast enough!

The people we met have been so nice and very interesting to visit with. They came from all over the United States and several European countries, too. I cannot forget the four legged friends, either. Sometimes, it felt like a doggie convention. They have been so much fun to watch and sneak a pat on the head every now and then.

I especially want to thank the Brotman family for spending time with me. We met last week and were able to visit at each different market during the week. They are a very sweet family (with a great dog, too!). They gave rave reviews about Creekside Grains (especially the root beer cookies) and we are very grateful! They visited from the Chicago area. I hope to see them again next year!

Today, I met Mario Batali and his wife Susi Cahn at the Northport Farm Market. They were very gracious! I would love to have a review of Michael's root beer cookies from the experts!

Time to get back to packing the car. Two more markets in the morning!

strawberries and shortcake

This week was the first week for strawberries at the Suttons Bay Farm Market. They sold out in less than two hours! Michael has the best biscuit/shortcake mix that will go great with fresh strawberries. Next week, we will sample the biscuits so everyone will know how great they are!

Today, I gave samples of the root beer cookie. A common word for the cookie was "interesting!" It is such a good cookie!

I also had a client stop at the table to tell me that she bought the pancake mix a few weeks ago. When I told her that it was the best pancake mix in the world, she just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. She waited a week to make the pancakes, then was so excited to come back and tell me that I was right! It is the best pancake mix! I love happy, well fed clients!

One client is sending mixes to her daughter in the Congo! They will be well traveled mixes!

I will share the story of the pumpkin pancake mix and the dog in a few days...

Farm Markets

We are in full swing with the Farmers Markets. If you are in the Traverse City area, stop at one of the markets and say hi! You can find us at Glen Arbor, Elberta, Leland, Northport, Elk Rapids, The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Suttons Bay and Frankfort. Whew! It is a busy season ahead!

New cookie to report - Michael just created a Whole Wheat, Ginger, Blueberry cookie. It got rave reviews at the farm markets!

Enjoy the summer, finally!

Frankfort Farm Market

Michael is shivering at the Frankfort Farm Market today. This was the first weekend that the market is outdoors. The weather was supposed to get better, but chilly and rain still prevail.

He is dressed warmly and is offering a new cheddar cheese buttermilk biscuit, so it will be a great day.

Soon all of the Farm Markets will be open. Sunday and Wednesday will be the only days that Michael will not be at a market. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, we will both be at different markets. It will be great to get outdoors and enjoy the summer weather that will be here soon!

New Orange Chocolate Cookie

It took me weeks of begging before I could convince Michael to bake an orange chocolate cookie. The orange cream cookie is to die for, but I also love chocolate with my orange. He finally gave in and tried a new recipe for me. I think they are great!

He thinks they need to be tweaked, so I will keep "suggesting" that he make them until he loves the recipe. I love being the taste tester!

If you like orange and chocolate combined, please post on the comments. If enough of us keep up the suggestions, Michael will make it happen.

Our Creekside Home after the blizzard

When we bought our farm house six years ago, Michael immediately named it Creekside
(he names all of his homes, cars and motorcycles).

When he decided to offer his baking mixes for sale,
he called the company Creekside Grains.

Beitner Creek runs through the property.

Michael was so impressed by God's handiwork after the blizzard,
that he walked around in knee deep snow to capture the beauty.
I want to share the images with you.

You cannot see much of it, but there is a 125 year old maple tree on the left of the image.
That tree is one of the reasons that we bought the house. It is huge!
The trunk is eight feet in diameter.
The branches reach up to the sky!

The bridge on the labels and on the web site connects each side of our property.

It is almost hidden because of the heavy, snow laden branches covering it.

This bridge is a great place to hang out when I get overwhelmed with life!
The rapidly running water and the view make everything better.

Michael's cookies help, too!

What a Day!

Yesterday was a gorgeous day.

I split wood for the fireplace, with warm temperatures and a shining sun.

Suddenly, it started to snow.

Michael was baking cookies in the kitchen and looked out to find his wife covered in snow!

It snowed and snowed and snowed!
After snowing and blowing for a few hours, we got ten inches of snow.
It quit as quickly as it started!

Michael unburied the car from the snow drifts this morning,
came to work and watched the snow melt all day in a heat wave.

What a difference 24 hours can make!

At least I got to eat a few cookies after I melted all of the snow off!

We're Back!

We lost access to this blog for awhile, but we finally figured out how to fix the problem. Being non blog savvy, it took us longer than it should.

We are receiving massive amounts of snow today, so it is a good day to stay inside and bake. You can bake bread, or cookies or brownies or crunch. They are all easy to make and all taste great!

Michael made a new version of the orange cookie. This time, he tried lemon. It was just as wonderful as the orange cookie. He will try lime, too. I will update with the official taste test.

This weekend sounds like a pancake weekend to me. You will need a great hot breakfast to get you ready to play snow games.

Enjoy the snow for another month or so! I know that I will!

Free Shipping!

Check out the opening page for the Free Shipping offer! This only lasts one week, so go for it now!

It's Cold Outside

When it is this cold, it is time to turn the oven on and bake something warm and yummy!

It's too cold for ice cream, so a warm root beer cookie and a glass of milk will keep us toasty, and still taste like a root beer float. Sugar cookies are also good when it is really cold. Many times, I do not wait for the frosting. I like them hot off the cookie sheet.

I am trying to convince Michael to make a chocolate orange cookie. He is not excited about it yet, but I will keep working on him. I love orange and chocolate, so I will update on the taste test when I have a cookie in my hand.

The orange cream cookies passed our friend's taste test, so we just have to wait for the legal part of the process to make the cookies available. You are going to love this cookie!

It was 10 degrees below zero last night! Stay warm tonight!

Super Bowl Sunday

If you get to be the chef for Super Bowl Sunday, or will be bringing a dessert to a party, why not try a Chocolate Chip Cherry Chipotle cookie? It has just the right amount of sweetness, to go with the smoky kick that follows the sweet.

If you prefer a more traditional flavor, a Chocolate Chip Mega Mint or Double Chocolate Chip Cherry cookie would work, too.

If cookies involve too much work for you, try a Cherry Crunch. It is the easiest dessert to make! Anyone can make it! Take it out of the oven, have your favorite french vanilla ice cream available, and you will be the hit of the party.

We welcome other suggestions for the mixes. Drop us a note! We look forward to hearing your stories.

New Cookie in the Making

Loretta, the taste tester is at work. Michael is experimenting on a white chocolate chip, orange zest cookie. I am not sure what it will be officially called, but it is a very pretty cookie and it has a wonderful creamy orange flavor. It reminds me of a Creamsicle.

We will let you know when the cookie has passed the baking tests, has the nutritional label and is ready for delivery. Until then, I will keep tasting!