A BIRTHDAY CHALLENGE

Iris turned six on the 22nd of September, yesterday.  As much as I regret  the rapidity of the passing of these precious years, I look forward to her (and Elsa's) birthday for many reasons...*the celebration; *the look on the faces; * the joy of the little one who doesn't sense how quickly time passes and is so happy to be a year older: *and the request for a specific cake.  In years past I have been asked to make a dog, a monkey, a kitty, a chick, etc.  This year, Iris, who is totally captivated with the Laura Ingalls Wilder series asked if I would make a 'covered wagon' cake...with the added request that Laura and Mary be 'peeking out'.

This was, by far, the biggest challenge she has given me regarding cakes.  I spent countless hours with this brewing in the back of my mind, and the cake took many transformations during that time.  At first I thought perhaps a flat cake in the shape of a covered wagon, but I really wanted to make a 3-D kind of cake, so then I thought about setting the 'wagon' directly on a piece of cardboard and attaching wheels, but really thought it should be up in the air, like a real wagon.  However was I going to do that?  I did not rush this thinking process, and took the challenge with me to the Black Hills where I sketched, and plotted and planned.  Finally, I thought I had the solution.

I found a small box that I thought could form the base on which to set the cake...

...and set about cutting out portions of it...

Now that I had that done, I needed to make the cake.  I baked an old fashioned 1,2,3,4 Cake (really a pound cake-1 c. butter, 2 c. sugar, 3 c. flour and 4 eggs).  I baked part of it in a small cake pan, and part of it in a 2 # coffee can, which would be the 'covered' part.

Beginning the assembly with much trepidations, was it going to work and was it going to look like a covered wagon?  I thought it just might work.

While in SD, I bought a Laura Ingalls Wilder paper doll book, and copied the figures on heavy paper, covered them with clear contact paper, and had not only Mary and Laura peeking out, but Ma, Pa, baby Carrie, and the dog, Jack alongside.

Transporting the finished cake to the party was a significant challenge of its own, but I finally found a crate in which I could put it, securing it with tape.  Carefully I drove the gravel roads to her house.  

The party was fun, lots of outdoor games, and then into the house for gift opening...

...opening the first of the gifts surrounded with friends...

...everyone was in on this part...

And finally on to the cake and the blowing out of the candles

Yes, it worked, and I do believe that she really loved it!

(Mmm, what will next year bring, I wonder?)

BLACK HILLS REPRIEVE

We took a six day/night trip to the Black Hills, just returning on Monday.  We went for the fishing, hiking, biking and touring.  The fishing wasn't the best, like the mid-west, the drought has wrecked havoc with the streams, leaving little water, and dying fish.  Still, Freddie prevailed and spent two days fly fishing, while I either biked, hiked, or read.  (My shoulder prevented me from casting.)

Sweet little cabin we rented via the internet.  It was built in the late 1800's, and has been refurbished.  It was a nice place to stay, EXCEPT that to get there we had to traverse about 6 miles of washboard gravel roads, the worst I have ever been on, and we could travel little over 5-10 miles per hour.  In addition it was really quite close to the owners home, like within mere feet.  This did not prove to be a problem, however we would have liked something a bit more isolated.  Still it was only $80 per night!

View of Deerfield Lake, about 4 miles from the cabin.  We hiked around this lake one day, it was lovely.

We were surrounded with lovely prairie like this, Freddie especially loved it and hiked it each morning.

Another view of the lake.

The Hills are covered with these dying pine trees, in some places it is really devastating.  The Mountain Pine Beetle is the culprit, and it is moving fast, it seems.

A pause in hiking.

Stunning rock formations everywhere.

Another pause in the hike.

Everywhere I looked was glistening, shining, bits of Mica, (?Fool's Gold?).  Anyway, I was a fool for it, and picked up piece after piece for my granddaughters, knowing they would love to put it on their Season's Table, or in their Fairy Gardens.

Getting ready to ride part of the 100 mile Mickelson Trail, a converted rail bed.

The Needles Highway has to be one of the most stunning drives in America!

...and again...

Three years ago we came to the Black Hills and stayed just outside of Hill City.  We were not far from Hill City this time either, which for me was a real plus.

The food in SD is nothing to speak of, unless one is speaking negatively, however this tiny place in Hill City, The Alpine Inn does serve really good food.  Three years ago we stopped by one evening for dessert (and another day for lunch.)  When I walked in the chef happened to be nearby and recommended that I try the Roasted Apple Napoleon.  Not being overly fond of apple desserts I hesitated, but in fact ordered it.  I must say that it was simply the best dessert I had ever eaten, and for the past three years I have been trying to duplicate that dessert, coming close but not quite.  So on this trip I decided to take photos of it....

Puff pastry triangles with caramelized cinnamon crust, roasted Fuji apples, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, all covered with a caramel sauce.  When I ordered it I thought I would be disappointed after drooling over it for three years, but I surely was not.  It still stands as the best dessert I have ever had.  Honestly, it is almost worth the drive to Hill City itself!!

Refreshed, but per usual, overwhelmed with catching up on fall gardening.

It was a Great Party

On Thursday evening, August 30, an art reception was held at Organic Valley headquarters for my friend Monica Jagel, colored pencil artist, and me.  Monica has drawn what she calls A Rural Alphabet, where each letter of the alphabet is symbolized by something rural.  When she had nearly completed the set, she asked me if I would be interested in writing a poem for each of the letters.

I was excited by the offer, and jumped at the opportunity.  The entire alphabet and accompanying poems are complete.  They first hung at The Blue Spoon Cafe in Prairie du Sac, and since the beginning of July have been hanging at Organic Valley headquarters.  

They are visible there on the wall behind us,

and here is a sample...

 J is for Jam

The smell wafted from the windows 

of the old farm house

saturating the senses

as she stirred the roiling pot

of just picked berries...

awaiting the precise moment

of jell.

Quickly she ladles it into glinting jars

which, when set,

catches the light

like a summer jewel. 

(A Rural Alphabet is available as note cards and can be ordered via Monica's link below.)

Monica is a superb colored pencil artist, and her drawings are truly something to see.  You can see them at her blog, http://colored-pencil-girl.blogspot.com. 

A great spread of food...

...a gathering of friends and OV employees...

Good food, good wine, good friends and great art.

And a good time was had by all!

Monica and I are grateful to Organic Valley for displaying our work.  We took the show down after the reception and it is going to be hung at The Portage Center for the Arts, this coming Wednesday and will hang there until October 2nd.

After that it will hang at the Driftless Cafe in Viroqua, WI, and then at the main library in La Crosse.

We have been asked countless times "when is the book coming out", and we are seriously considering this option.  We are excited and thankful for the wonderful reception that our collaboration has received.