Happy Halloween!

Oh yes I did.  From Japan.

dill pickle soup

My good friend Dave always told me about Polish dill pickle soup he ate growing up, and cooked up a pot when he was up for the pop-up dinner.  The soup contains chopped dill pickles and some of the brine from the pickle jar, amongst other ingredients, and is absolutely delicious.  There are many recipes on the internet and I suggest you find one and make some - best soup ever!

zombies!

Some participants in Traverse City's annual zombie run came through the farmer's market on Saturday - so awesome!  

Note his zombie stocking garters and chain belt

in her autumn gown

The big Norway maple changing colors

Bowerman Road's glittery breath

Full frost in the mornings these days - it's coming

October thrift haul

Large rainbow and windsurfer theme towel, frightening Raggedy Ann & Andy vintage pillow case, nice set of vintage floral cotton twin bed sheets

the wealth of the praying mantis

Found this little friend on the drive-up window at the bank

donut perfection

Buchan's Blueberry Farm in Traverse City sell the best donuts I have ever tasted - this is their pumpkin donut, which they sell at the Saturday farmer's market

beer & cheese with Short's Brewing

17 of the coolest people visited Boss Mouse last week - Joe Short and his team spent 3 hours pairing beer and cheese, playing music and partying up in the dairy room.  Great beer, great people - thank you Shorts Brewing!

ringers

I've been making dried apple rings in the dehydrator - so delicious!

Happy International Day of the Nacho Day!

sky study #119

sunrise October 6, 2014

a respectable DTL

Cozy's morning double turkey leg style

salsa de dedo

Roasted the last of the tomatoes and peppers from the garden

Cooked down with some guarillo chilis into a warm and rich Mexican salsa de dedo - "finger sauce"

I love Dave & Raquel

Ultra friends Dave & Raquel were up last weekend and worked their asses off helping with the 

pop-up dinner.  Dave cooked us up a Polish feast the night before the event, preparing a pot of dill pickle soup and pierogis in caramelized onions

Detroit cousin Caesar channels his inner Halloween bat

#pinktips

Dyed the ends of my hair pink

an Autumn Dinner

My friend chef Michelle Rodroguez and I hosted a pop-up dinner inside my big barn last Sunday night - it was a great success

Boss Mouse staffer and all-around amazing lady Caitlin

the cheese course

Brandied pumpkin pie with Boss Mouse smoked butter crust

corn stalks and a pumpkin decorate the barn posts

tartan and gourds on the bar

Butternut squash soup

Halloween is coming!

Rudy is ready

snow break

Dad and his neighbor David constructing a snow break above the main door to the big barn.  Last winter, the snow fall from the barn roof was so bad, it blocked the entrance no matter how we tried to keep up with snow removal and ice chipping, so we will enter the season more prepared.  Take that, Michigan winter!

A British tar is a soaring soul

driveway got re-surfaced this week

The tar guys had great footwear - this is the masking tape spats look

Straight up tar boots & pants

looks great

Fall colors from space

Photo from NASA shows the leaves turning in the Western U.P. and Canada - the beautiful Fall colors are here 

cheese school

Teaching a great group of people how to make fresh farmer's cheese and mozzarella earlier this week through Oryana Food Co-op in Traverse City

at the farm this morning

Timothy eating oats

ha

vinegar

I have started a batch of home made apple cider vinegar - you start with apples, not cider, and slowly ferment the fruit over a few months, draining and skimming as necessary.  I will report back with progress.  Bring on the fruit flies.

  

more microfashion

Young man in hand-knit hat at the Farmer's Market Saturday

birth announcement

Perpetual Mother hen Blackie hatched another chick this week - congratulations!  Look closely, the chicks head is sticking out of her feathers xoxo

mailbox protection

The mighty Dad K installing ground chains which will secure my winter mailbox shield, a large wooden A-frame he designed to prevent the wall of snow that the plow projects from taking out my mailbox, like it did last year

boozapple

Big batch of maple-bourbon apple butter