I remember how in love I once was with Ebay. I thought “Man you can type in the word ‘fart’ and find something.”
Well, I’ve a new lover ladies and gentlemen. We met a couple years ago, but I finally took the plunge and purchased my first Etsy.com hand silk-screened tee.
Yes, I realize I’m now wearing crazy dog lady garb. If the shoe fits…okay, I’ve lost it.
I am so fortunate and blessed to have amazing people in my life.
One of the coolest women in my life is my best friend, Pamela DiMauro. 
Pam is an incredible person that I met at the St. Olaf Ice Cream Social. I was completely disenchanted with “Camp Olaf,” as I called it and thought I would never meet anyone I could connect with. I started making small talk with Pam at the Social, and she says to me, “I need a beer.”
We’ve been best friends ever since.
This woman has taught me so much about life, and because she is an artist she has mainly taught me to look at my world differently. I can’t look at plant without looking at its shadow, the sky without seeing something more than space, or an insect without noticing deliberate, intricate, patterns.
Not only a successful printmaker living in New Mexico in her fabulously “touched by Pam” historical home, Pam is a mother to Emmett, almost 4 years old, a wife, and one of the best letter/poetry/story writers I personally know. I’ve kept every letter she’s ever written, they are magical.
Pam’s newest exhibition, Reverence-Etchings, opened this past weekend at the New Grounds Print Workshop & Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The exhibition runs through December 1st. I feel especially honored for a piece about Marigolds that was inspired by me. The piece is titled, The Beautiful Allergy.
Pam was also televised making her art. Her you can see the step by step process of her print making, which I stole of the HGTV website. Tee hee hee! I have the print that you see featured in the demonstration. I traded her a little llama shrug/sleeve/sweater thing. It looks lovely on her. The last picture is of the finished print, which I have proudly hung in the heart of my home, the dining room.
Pam you’re the best. I am so absolutely proud of you.
As an intaglio printmaker, I am inspired by the surrounding environment, the weather, and that which grows on the land. truly fictitious. I employ various perspectives simultaneously in my images to create believable, magical realms.
Intaglio or copper plate etching lends itself beautifully to my purposes. It is an extremely sensitive medium that enables me to capture in minute detail what I believe to be most important. For me, creating an image in copper formally establishes its realness and renders it everlasting, as if set in stone. I see landscape as a tool for expressing human emotion, and intaglio printing allows me to devote attention to the significance of every expressive detail.
I’m going to attempt to catch up with my ranting & raving this week. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the time to venture off my S.haven beaten path and will devote some blogging to my most recent happenstances.
This morning I awoke, to that “get back to bed” loveliness the rain and cool weather bring. However, I had promised my friend Sue that we would visit the Downtown Art Festival taking place in Buffalo, MN and then head over to Howard Lake, MN for the Second Annual Garlic Festival! Yummy!
Sue and I are working with some other area folks on promoting the downtown Annandale area. We are hoping to sponsor a Mainstreet Farmer’s Market next year, and have been traveling around the area looking for inspiration. Sue is great and knowledgeable friend. Two weeks ago she introduced me to one of MN finest chefs, Brenda Langton of Cafe Brenda & Spoonriver. Sue and Brenda opened Cafe Kardemena together in the 1970’s. (see Spoonriver entry for more…) Today, Sue introduced me to some fiber friends from the MN Prairie Spinners guild. These women meet once a month to visit, discuss, learn and share experiences and knowledge about working with fibers. And, they meet in South Haven, which is about a mile from my house. Too cool.
Meanwhile, I was most impressed with the amount of vendors at the Downtown Arts and Crafts Festival, and the number of people who were brave enough to get a bit soaked whilst perusing the tents. The city had blocked off three city blocks from auto traffic and there were rows and rows of vendors. Like most area craft fairs, there were a lot of the sames. However, one booth in particular, totally stood out from the rest. Jill Webb a local jewelry designer had a rich and lush feel to her booth, and looked high class even while she was taking cover from the monsoon. Her jewelry was extremely affordable, chic, and funky and I scored a great beaded green cuff for $14! I had a crazy difficult time making a decision on the bracelet I eventually bought vs. this really stylish chandelier beaded necklace. Jill used beautiful black bowls and black trees (which I recognized as Ikea trees) to showcase her unique and sophisticated jewelry. Also, I think Jill might be married to a classmate of Adams…but I didn’t get a chance to ask her, for I made that little synapse connection once I got safely and warmly home.
Back to the garlic. Drum roll please for MN One and Only Garlic Festival!
It was a truly unique experience hosted by the Crow River Sustainable farmer society. This is the second annual festival held at the Wright county fairgrounds in Howard Lake, MN. Last year we were working a wedding, and this year I was blessed with no August weddings so it was “party on Wayne” time for me!
Sue and I started off our journey through the festival with, what else, a sampling of raw garlic. I never knew there were so many different types! Each booth had at least a dozen different varieties. I had a difficult time choosing a bulb to take home. Meanwhile, I decided I’d go with something on the mild side, since it would probably be used in pesto for the kiddies. I chose Inchellium Red-mild but lingering flavor from The Coffman’s farm located in West Concord, MN. I plan on using one bulb for cooking and will plant one this fall. I was told by one of the Coffman farmers, that it is really important to mulch your garlic bulbs. So, I will mulch my little old heart out and hopefully be rewarded with fresh garlic next summer.
Besides the obvious, there was plenty to see at this festival full of goodness. I chatted with a really nice woman, the owner of Swenson Gardens in Delano, who specializes in growing peonies who supposedly don’t “flop.” I told her the peony is most definitely my favorite flower, but that my husband didn’t particularly care for them and that he didn’t care that the plants we had were looking very sickly. She asked me what they looked like. I told her they had black spots, and she thought they were getting too much water. Concluding, that I should move them this Fall. She showed me a plant, and explained the different parts-the eyes, the energy, etc… She took a whole bunch of time with me, telling me how to save my beloved plants, and I really felt like I should buy something from her. Instead, I thanked her for her knowledge and helpfulness. Turns out my mom, who I ran into unexpectedly in the restaurant area bought me a plant for Adam’s birthday! Karma.
Sue and were harassed by some clowns who took my umbrella away, claiming that it was owned by them. I didn’t think it was too funny, just creepy, and I was thinking, “Does a Garlic Festival really need clowns?” This clown in particular had a thick Eastern European accent, and I had the sneaky suspicion he had some off intention of getting my phone number in exchange for my umbrella. By the way, I was looking real hot that day-not! Think drowned rat…
I think Sue felt kind of bad for me, maybe a bit guilty over laughing at my clown encounter. She offered to buy me lunch at the Great Scape Cafe were we ran into my mother. We had a delicious meal of grilled corn with cilantro/lime/jalapeno butter and fresh bread with olive oil and roasted garlic. Yummy! For dessert we bought some garlic chocolate chip cookies. I was surprised by the way the savory and sweet coupled so nicely.
Sue introduced me to some of her fiber spinning friends, and we stumbled upon a woman who made really great beauty products. Although, I’m extremely partial using natural bath products from the one and only Lush store, after testing her samples I’m not so sure anymore… Honestly, my hands have never felt softer. I didn’t buy any of her lotions, but I did buy a lip balm (I was running out of money) and when the owner gave me back my change I thought “Holy shit! This woman’s hands are like a baby’s bottom!” She lives about a mile or so away from me, so I will definitely look her up! She doesn’t have a web address or anything but I have a snail mail address and we’re hoping she can commit to our Main Street Market.
Another vendor I would like to solicit for our Market is out of the Hutchinson, MN area. They are a young hip couple who have an organic farm and share a mutual love of Apple computers with Adam and me! I bought some of their Jalabenaro sauce and have been dousing heirloom tomatoes from my garden with this shite for lunch everyday. Their farm is called August Earth. Who knew there were so many cool things about this area? I definitely did not. Yay! Central Minnesota!
So I’ll end this post going back to where I met up with me mum. I ran into her in the building I had only visited at fair time, and instead of serving up the usual greasy hamburgers this place was serving some really yummy eats. Rock on Garlic Festival. I’ll see you folks next year. Here is a quote from the Garlic festival website-
Celebrity Chefs at the Minnesota Garlic Festival
8/04/07
Howard Lake, Minn. – The 2nd Annual Minnesota Garlic Festival will offer a unique culinary experience this year with a cadre renowned Minnesota chefs converging at the festival cafe, “The Great ‘Scape”.All six chefs were named as Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine’s “Restaurateurs of the Year”, which honored them for their commitment to local farmers, organic and traditional methods, and environmental awareness. Not only will they be preparing dishes in the cafe, but some will also present cooking demonstrations (schedule below).
The Festival Chefs for 2007 are:
Mike Phillips, The Craftsman (www.craftsmanrestaurant.com)
Chef Mike Phillips spent some time traveling and eating in other parts of the world, and then started cooking in area restaurants such as the Modern Cafe and the Walker Art Center. His interest in sustainable living, organic quality, and European cooking techniques are an integral part of the cuisine at The Craftsman.
Alexander Roberts, Restaurant Alma (www.restaurantalma.com)
Though born in Buffalo, New York, Alex’s formative years were spent in Minneapolis, working in local kitchens in high school and through college. In the early 1990’s, Alex moved to New York City, where he attended the French Culinary Institute. Upon his return to the Twin Cities, he opened Restaurant Alma, advancing his commitment to organic, sustainably produced food. Just this year, Alex was nominated for the prestigious James Beard Award as “Best Chef in the Midwest”. His new rotisserie, Brasa, is now open at 600 East Hennepin.
Lucia Watson, Lucia’s Restaurant & Wine Bar (www.lucias.com)
Chef Lucia Watson is the proprietor of one of the Twin Cities’ favorite neighborhood establishments, Lucia’s Restaurant & Wine Bar. A third generation Minnesotan, Lucia pursued her cooking passion at the School for American Chefs with Madeline Kamman and received her first level Master Sommelier certificate.
With two critically acclaimed books to her credit, Chef Watson has been honored with many awards over the years, including three nominations for a James Beard Award, and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s “Commitment to Community Award”. In addition to her work with the Farmers Youth Project, she lectures and teaches nationally and locally, often in support of sustainable food.
Phillip Becht, The Modern Cafe (www.moderncafeminneapolis.com)
Winner of the City Pages “BEST STAR-CHEF EXPERIENCE IN A RESTAURANT” award, Chef Becht is a very “hands-on” cook at the 1940’s style Modern Cafe.
Tracy Singleton, Birchwood Cafe (www.birchwoodcafe.com)
Voted City Pages “Best Vegetarian Restaurant” in 2000 and “Best Vegetarian Friendly Restaurant” in 2003, Tracy uses fresh local organic ingredients for her vegan, vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes at Birchwood Cafe, with an emphasis on simplicity, seasonality and buying local.
Russell Klein
Well known for his past work at W.A. Frost & Company, Chef Klein’s first cooking job was at Remi in New York City, and he studied with Cyril Renaud at La Caravelle and Fleur de Sel. With an obsession for local ingredients and high quality, Klein has championed local cheeses, and extended the concept of working with farmers by focusing on small, artisanal producers.
“The Great ‘Scape Cafe” (garlic lovers know that the “scape” is the flower stalk on certain garlic varieties that is in itself a delicacy) is MN Garlic Festival’s al fresco restaurant. Diners can choose to enjoy their meals, with foods from each of the chefs, at adjacent outdoor locations including the Concert Tent and the Chef Demonstration Tent. Most of the food is very local, with much of it actually being provided by farmers who are involved with the festival. It’s not uncommon to see cafe manager Greg Reynolds, an organic vegetable farmer who supplies several of the best restaurants and co-ops in the Twin Cities, shopping around to various booths at the festival, buying food that will be on someone’s plate within the hour.
Yesterday I celebrated my 31st year on the planet, Earth. Yee-Haw! My birthday is actually the ninth of July…but it was a Monday and everybody knows Tuesday is a much nicer day to party.
So, instead of buying me some “thing” my lovely husband Adam arranged an amazing birthday “getaway.” Yeah, I’m gloating…he’s Rave Number One on this post. And, yes, this is a terribly stupid picture of me to include with a Rave Review. It just happened to be one of Adam that I have on my desktop!
Adam and I dropped off the kids with Granny One & Granny Two and headed down the highway bound for Minneapolis. I knit the whole way.
I’m knitting a nice chevron cotton sweater from the book Glamour Knits (Rave Number Two).
I’m using some beautiful blue and brown Schaefer yarn which I purchased whilst visiting Sharon and Andy last year in Mississippi at the best yarn shop in the world. Yeah, you read right, I said Mississippi!!! Okay, my knitting world is not yet vast enough to really declare this. However, if you ever for some odd reason find yourself in downtown Columbus, Mississippi please visit Christy at Yarns Downtown. Here is a photo I stole off their website: 
Her cyber appeal is lacking-the pictures of her shop don’t do it justice. It’s got such a good yarn vibe, lots of juicy creative energy. Added bonuses of the shop besides the great selection of fiber and notions are it’s housed in a historical downtown building with 14 foot high ceiling, there are beautiful custom made black cabinetry, flat screen televisions, comfy chairs, bright cheery yellow walls, and way too cool/expensive knitting “purses.” I did a lot of coveting here (Rave Number Three).
Back to the sweater. I’ve knit up the back and am almost finished working the front. I didn’t use the color/yarn suggested in the pattern because that would be conforming to the masses, and those of you who know me well know that this would be out of character. Instead I am using primarily this nice blue
cotton/silk blend from Schaefer Yarns it’s called Empress Wu.
Much to Adam’s chagrin, I’ve also included anice band of the more brown-ish Elizabeth Blackwell 
around me middle love handle area (I’m jumping rope to cure My Mother of Two Muffin Top).
The colors were named after great women in history. Isn’t that cool (Rave Number Four)?!
Adam and I decided to spend the first couple hours of our “honeymoon” at the Walker Art Gallery. We were both curious to see the new exhibit Picasso and America Art.
While I’m not drawn personally to works by Picasso, the breadth and depth of his works and influences are at the least awe inspiring. So many great artists were challenged and directly influenced by Picasso. To make the subject manageable, the exhibition concentrates on Picasso’s impact on ten Americans (Max Weber, Stuart Davis, John Graham, Arshile Gorky, Willem de Kooning, David Smith, Jackson Pollock, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns). Weber was the first American to respond powerfully to Picasso. I was most drawn to Weber’s rich, dark, secretive piece entitled Trees. Adam and I had a quick bite to eat before viewing the artwork in the cafeteria style lunchroom on the eighth floor. We shared a nice pungent ceasar salad sure to make our breath comparitable to that of a dragon, and each had a delightfully yummy grilled vegetable panini. Which, they had strangely enough under the “Cold” sandwich category. Those silly artists. We moved eventually outside to enjoy the beautiful 7o plus something degree day in the Sculpture Garden. No, we did not hang with the art cliche’ otherwise known as the spoon on the cherry. Instead, we walked around a square of granite benches. Each bench had something to say etched across it. My favorite was something about how alarming it is to see one person’s breath, and how really strange it is to see a crowd of people’s breath, to see how far it reaches. I’m paraphrasing. Our afternoon at the Walker Art Museum, Rave Number Five!
At three o’clock, just in time to have our car parked and check into our hotel room we arrived at the Chambers Hotel! 
Prepare yourself for some insane raving, a raving lunatic I am about to become!
Adam had reserved the Hanky Panky Package, and boy was he about to get some…I’ll spare you the details. Included in this package are white strewn rose petals, which I actually think are a bit cheesy- but they gave me a good chuckle, dinner for two in the Chambers Kitchen, champagne, valet parking, and a late three p.m. checkout
.
I am seriously still to enamored from my stay, and possibly a bit tired, to go into detail about this place. It was f!@##$%%^^&&* awesome! The highlight was our dinner downstairs in the hotel restaurant. Possibly the best vegetarian meal of our lives. Our waitress was kick-ass, and a fellow vegetarian so she really knew her way around the menu and we of course bonded with her right away! I wasn’t sure what our veggie options would be, I knew from reading reviews that the restaurant was killer, but I was pretty sure the menu was definitely carnivore friendly. You can download a menu here. We started our meal with our server’s recommendation-King Oyster Mushroom and Avocado Carapaccio, in addition to a fancy version of the beloved tomato soup and grilled cheese, and a warm asparagus salad with enoki shrooms. Our main course, was two filets of deep fried tofu. The tofu was lightly battered and floated on my tongue. I can only guess they are deep frying the tofu in an oil that can take a lot of heat, maybe grapeseed oil? It was just so beautiful. Sheer perfection, like eating my grandpa’s fresh caught beer battered crappie fish, only way better. I guess you could say the cooking is like Asian/French/did I mention it was f!@@##$$%%^^&&* awesome?! For dessert they brought out warm chocolate cake, with fudge around the rim of the plate wishing me a “Happy Birthday.” The service, as I said was impeccable, never snooty and the manager was constantly made available, as he went around the dining room speaking with the customers. Rave! Rave! Rave! Rave 6 and Rave 7!
After dinner, one bottle of champagne, one bottle of wine, good food, and swell conversation later, Adam and I changed into our rocking clothes and got ready to dance down to the Fine Line Music Cafe. I can’t believe I’ve never been there before, it was a great little music venue (Are we up to Rave 8?) We had tickets to a favorite group of mine, The Polyphonic Spree. You may have heard one of their songs on the movie soundtrack to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. We got to the Fine Line early enough to catch the opening act, which I was totally going to skip, and I’m so glad serendipity stepped in. Jesca Hoop opened for the Spree, and she is haunting. Adam and I haven’t recovered. Her voice is so different, refreshing, there are some many clones out there. Jesca Hoop is Rave 9.
It took the Spree a while to set up, I guess that’s what happens when you have over 20 musicians taking the stage! I have three words for you- harp, moshing, and confetti. The 2 and 1/2 hour concert was incredible. I have a bruise and ringing ears and I’m too old for this shit, but it was incredible. Please check out their music, buy it, and attend a concert. You will not be sorry. Polyphonic Spree=Rave 10.
After the two of us “old farts” wound down with a game of pool at the Lone Tree, we headed back to crash on our feather bed at the Chambers. We woke up early enough today to take a walk over to Hell’s Kitchen for a yummy breakfast. I think I had about ten pieces of bread slathered with their famous homemade peanut butter (Rave 11).
What a way to end a truly memorable birthday present.
Adam? I’ll keep him around for a couple more years…
I Rant I Rave 