Oktoberfest in New Glarus

Last weekend Mike and I went to an "Oktoberfest" themed housewarming party in New Glarus. We slipped away  after dinner, to explore the larger Oktoberfest festivities going on downtown.
First we stopped at the Limburger stand. Where burly men, dressed like traditional Swiss women, persuaded me to try their notoriously stinky cheese. It smelled like nasty feet, but tasted surprisingly mild and creamy.
Next we got ice cream. Layla had her favorite, mint chocolate chip. While I tried two, new-to-me flavors. One flavor called "The Exhausted Parent" was the first to catch my eye. It's bourbon-spiked coffee flavor and dark chocolate chunks certainly lived up to this ice cream's name.
The second flavor, called "This  $&@! Just Got Serious" was my personal favorite. The salted caramel and crunchy cashews were a seriously great combination. If I could, I'd go back and buy the whole bucket.
We listened to an awesome band for a few minutes, but soon it was time to go. I can't wait to go back again next year. See you there!

Pine Hill Orchard

If ice cream is the best dessert of summer then caramel apples are the favorite treat in fall. Seriously, fall is the only time that I actually eat an apple a day. Only when they are smothered in caramel, of course! 
On the way home from the Art Farm, last weekend, we stopped at Pine Hill Orchard, to pick some apples up. Their road side stand has definitely upgraded. The first time I was there, They sold apples from small, portable tent. Recently, their stand has become such a hit that they built a permanent building and offer space to other vendors for more tents next to the apple building.
After sampling Pine Hill's cider and fruit, we purchase a few caramel apples.  I got plain caramel. The kids had "dirt cake" style apples, which were caramel apples rolled in oreo crumbs and topped with a gummy worm. It was hard for any of us to resist eating them in the car.
Tell me, what are your favorite caramel apples. Do you like them plain and simple like me or with nuts, sprinkles, or maybe even Oreos?

Holy Hill Art Farm

A few times a year, the Holy Hill Art Farm hosts a small craft fair hidden at the end of a long driveway. It's easily missed because the name deceptively implies that it's located closer to the Holy Hill basilica than it actually is. Despite that, the drive was pleasant because of the beautiful,  woodsy Kettle Moraine roads.
After arrival, it didn't take Mike and I long to find quality snacks. He picked out apple butter, smoked trout, and molasses cookies. We've only tried the later, so far. The  molasses cookies were from Wild Flour bakery in South Milwaukee. They were fairly large and had a well balanced flavor. The molasses wasn't heavy or overpowering like some molasses  cookies tend to get. We saved them for later to enjoy during the packer game.
I also bought Cinnamon Plum tea from the Spice and Tea exchange in Mequon. At first, I was unsure if the cinnamon or licorice would be too strong. But I'm sipping some right now and it's clear that I had nothing to worry about. The spicey, fruity blend is  perfect for fall. The package recommends mulling it into cider but I don't  have cider so that's going to have to wait until tomorrow.
My two favorite buys of the day had to be the pecan praline caramels and pumpkin seed toffee we got. My sweet tooth couldn't resist Cream City Caramel's large selection. We sampled their basic vanilla caramel. Then purchased a bag of pecan praline caramels, intending to save them as an occasional snack. We all know that didn't  happen though. It's only  three days later and the bag is already empty. Can you could blame me, though? Cream City Caramels made some of the best caramel I have ever had. The pecan praline had just enough nuts to give the caramel a nice crunch while still retaining its ideal chewyness.
The toffee, while made by a different confectionery, was equally as good. The brand, Sweet P's Pantry, offered so much variety at a price that's worth it. I selected their white chocolate coated, pumpkin seed toffee. The toffee, itself, had a hint of sweet fall spices but not a gross, "chemically" flavor. Additionally, the white chocolate wasn't too sweet and there was a good balance of nutty seeds throughout. Such a good balance, in fact, that I refused to share even when asked.
All together, we bought molasses cookies, apple butter, smoked trout, caramels, toffee, and tea. You can see our complete haul in a photo below.  According to their website, The Holy Hill Art Farm is open again on October 17th and 18th. So go and check it out for yourself!

Beechwood Cheese in Beechwood (Adell), WI

Last Saturday morning we went on a family adventure to Beechwood Cheese, a small cheese factory in Beechwood, WI. The kids happily tasted samples while the adults  focused on more serious business in the cheese cases. First I picked out a bag of squeaky white cheddar curds for the kids. Unsurprisingly, the curds were gone before I could take a picture.
Then I grabbed Mike some smoked gouda (he loves smoked cheese) and something called Snappy Jack.  The Snappy Jack differed from a typical pepper jack because its made with only red peppers. Which, according to the store clerk, results in a sweeter spice.
Finally, an exotic cheese called Juustoleipa caught my attention. The clerk helpfully informed us that it is pronounced "Hoo-stah-lee-pa". She explained that its a Finnish "bread" cheese. I couldn't resist buying it. Especially after learning that Juustoleipa is traditionally served warm. Picture hot, buttery cheese cubes mixed with sautéed vegetables. Doesn't that sound heavenly?

**UPDATE: I made the Juustoleipa, but not with sautéed vegetables. We ate it with chicken, green beans, and zucchini bread instead. The picture is below.

Blog Update

Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that there are going to be a lot of upcoming changes to the blog. First, I've started a facebook page. Be sure to follow it so you don't miss anything. Then I'm  going to be purchasing my own web domain soon. Thus losing that annoying  blogspot.com suffix. It will make my blog much easier to find. I will let you know the minute that changes. Finally I'm going to take my blog in a slightly different but still delicious direction by sharing alot more of my favorite places to go and eat. In the mean time, here's a cute picture of Layla picking flowers in our front patio garden.

Lazy Labor Day Weekend

It may be Septemember, but it sure didnt feel like fall last weekend. Mike and I had to work Saturday but we made sure to squeeze in time for a beautiful beach day, at one of my favorite parks, before hand. We arrived at the Kohler-Andrae State Park early, before the fog cleared, which getting only three hours of sleep worthwile. The kids snoozed for most of the drive up to Sheboygan but woke immediately after I parked in our favorite spot. They didn't waste any time jumping out of the car to run, shouting, through the flock of relaxing seagulls on the beach. The Grandparents and I followed with our beach supplies, including a box of doughnuts to enjoy while listening to the waves roll into shore. Despite being overcast all day, the kids couldn't wait to get into the frigid Lake Michigan water. So Grandma watched them play while my dad and I went for a long walk down the beach until I hit my Fitbit goal. Along the way we talked about work, collected a handful of perfect lake stones to accent my potted houseplants, and rescued a few monarch butterflies. They had landed too close to the lake and were struggling to climb away from the waves. On the way back we walked on the cordwalk through the giant sand dunes. Afterwards we rushed to grill Polish brats for lunch before I hustled back to work another night shift.

Not Your Grandma's Pumpkin Pie

Hey remember that time I dropped the whole mixing bowl into the pie crust I was trying to fill? It seems like it just happened. Oh wait, thats probably because it did just happen. Just kidding! But for a split second I was afraid  it was going too!
Autumn is here. The world has begun it's annual pumpkin craze and so have Layla and I. The first  pumpkin  treat we chose to make were classic pumpkin pies. There was no scraping out pumpkin guts for these girls, though . We made them from a can. Well, two cans actually, one thirty ounce can of Libby's easy pumpkin pie mix and half a twelve ounce can of carnation evaporated milk.  Also, two eggs and a crust that you unroll from a box.
I know your grandma is probably turning over in her grave at the thought of not  baking from scratch, but its ok. These weren't her pies and I have no problems taking a shortcut sometimes. Our home still smells as wonderful as if I had started these pies from scratch and each slice taste will taste just as delicious. Especially  the piece I'm going to have for breakfast tomorrow. (Don't lie, you know you've had pie and coffee as a 'healthy' breakfast before too).
Even Layla couldn't  wait to try the pumpkin pie. I caught her with her finger it it soon after I set it out too cool.