You need to check out the artist co-op sponsored by Scraps-to-Soil

One might ask- “What do local knit goods, or tie-dye tee-shirts have to do with the community garden?” It is amazing how wonderfully intertwined the two things are, and once again shows us all how truly phenomenal the garden trio of George, Uchi and Cameron are.

Scraps-to-Soil’s mission statements is: …to empower individuals to enhance their lives by educating about the sustainability issues we face and the solutions to those issues, while inspiring cooperation to achieve a lifestyle that is more fulfilling, healthy and secure for the individual and the community alike.

In addition to this, they believe that…through our programs, locals have the opportunity to be more self-sufficient while contributing to a stronger local economy.  Small-scale entrepreneurial activities contribute to numerous environmental, economic and social benefits, and often times can evolve into significantly larger endeavors. Our goal is to provide access to markets for local hand-crafters.  This will be accomplished by diminishing the barriers that often prohibit small-scale entrepreneurial endeavors.

So, what does this all have to do with our Farmer’s Market? S2S has created a double booth for this season’s market.  One booth is filled with information about what they do, along with the wonderful produce that comes fresh from our local community garden. The second booth started as a corner of a table with a few knit hats, crochet booties, and a necklace or two- all made by local artists. From there, it has expanded each week, and grown to where the artist co-op booth fills up its own beautiful spot.  The garden trio nurtures this co-op booth the same as they do their garden-with strength and passion, love and patient support.  They never cease to amaze me. 

For those of you who haven’t allowed yourself the luxury to meander through this artists booth, you need to.  The colors and talent that weave these local artists together is one that will impress us all.  It demonstrates what we are all capable of, with love and support.  Thank you Scrap-to-Soil for all you continue to do for our community.

Living a dream to make folks of all ages happy

From the very first conversation with Carmen, her excitement and passion for what she gets to spend her days doing is obvious. I had looked into a small variety of ideas to capture families that are walking through the market, and create reasons for them to stay longer.  Within moments of chatting with Carmen, I had a feeling that she could help our market make this happen!

Waiting excitedly in anticipation

Carmen Consalvo was born in Chicago, Illinois, & as long as she can remember she’s been what she calls an ultra creative person. She attended Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming where she majored in photography and drama, & minored in art. She moved to Colorado where she enrolled in Ohio Center for Broadcasting. She hopes to someday have a career in entertainment using her unique voices in animated films & tv. She’s also interested in television & radio work. In the meantime, Carmen enjoys creating a large variety of crafts & art, and teaching students from ages 3 to 103 how to be creative. Recently she discovered she had a talent she didn’t know she had when she was hired to be a face painter by Artsy Face. 

“I really can’t draw,” she remarks, “but I was talked into it. I’m so happy that I took this job! I get to meet people & see the smiles on kids AND their parents faces when I paint a flower, scorpion, or other cool design on their face. I get to get creative doing something I never thought I could do & I get paid to make people of all ages happy! What could be better than that!”

Carmen is her starting her own creative business, Crimson Wolf Studios, creating a variety of handcrafted items & services, including teaching crafts to all ages. She is including a crafty party program called Gypsy Chameleon Parties. She hopes to start a non-profit to bring a little joy to kids in hospitals & shelters in the next couple of years using income from her craft & face painting. She can be reached at crimsonwolf1@msn.com or 720-237-1758 if your interested in voice overs, craft & art instruction, or parties. 

Carmen has been a great addition to our market.  She is friendly and kind, and so energetic and excited about what she is doing.  I have seen kiddos as young as 2, and as old as 16 sitting and enjoying the excited anticipation of watching Carmen’s magic unfold.  And from what I can tell, the magic has only begun to unfold.  I have a good feeling that Carmen has many layers of talent that we have only just begun to see.

Molly's Turtle

Meet Frank!

I’m learning so much about people through this experience.  This world truly does have all, and their differences are part of what makes this world turn.  I have done write ups on nearly all the vendors in our market.  Some send me websites; some, long detailed descriptions of how they got where they are today.  Now Frank, he doesn’t waste time with his words- he just wants to show me what it is that he creates.

Frank is a local who has spent a fair amount of time being involved in the county.  He started working as a glass artist, which turned into creating stained glass pieces.  From here, his talent further evolved into working with glass jewelry making.  Frank is a large man, with HUGE hands.  It is amazing to shake his hand, and then realize that it is the same tool that was used to create a delicate glass barrette, or a sweet glass nightlight.  His booth is filled with wonderful gems to discover.  He has bracelets, necklaces, and a wide variety of amazing things he has created.   Quick with his wit, and ready at any moment to sass- Frank is the kind to keep us all on our toes.  I am very pleased to have his local talent represented at the market.   Click here to see an album of Frank’s work.

Rhubarb Cake recipe

My good friend Kimberly shared this recipe with me at the market on Friday.  She saw that I had bought myself a beautiful share of the Rhubarb from Scraps-2-Soil, and said that this is her favorite way to eat Rhubarb! Molly helped me whip up the batter this afternoon, and we all just finished up enjoying a piece, warm and steaming from the oven.  Just one more wonderful way to use Rhubarb! Yum, thanks Kimberly!

Grease a 9X13 pan Preheat the oven to 350.

Cream together 1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar with 1/2 Cup Butter.  Add 1 tsp of Vanilla, and then two eggs, one at a time.  Mix well.  Add alternately 2 Cups of flour (mixed with 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. soda) and 1 Cup of Buttermilk.  Fold in 2 Cups of diced Rhubarb.  Sprinkle with cinnamon on top (optional).

Bake until toothpick comes out clean- about 30 mins.

Wonderfully yummy! Give it a try!

Have you ever pondered a bar of soap?

I don’t mean any ol’ bar of soap; a brand new bar, one acquired in a special place, made by the hands of talented folks. I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let me help you understand my train of thought here…

I started my day with a brand new bar of soap from the Farmers Market. (Thanks Flora, Shonna, and Roger!) I bought this particular bar several weeks back, while buying gifts for others, and have been waiting in excited anticipation to use it.  I carefully unwrapped the paper from around the bar, and instantly smiled at the color.  This bar, sunflower in scent, is the most amazing blend of reddish-orange my eyes have ever seen outside of mother natures own creations.  I am a blue and green kind of girl, every now and then purple- so the fact that an orange color can stop me in my tracks and almost take my breath away, well, that is note worthy! It is such a bright and happy hue, that one can’t help but smile, even if they are only half way through their first cup of coffee for the day!

The thing with a new bar of soap, with a REAL bar of soap, is that it’s hardly love at first feel.  A new bar is awkward.  It is square and chunky; the edges seem to catch themselves in your hands as you try to work it smooth.  It is a relationship you must work at, slow and gentle.  A new bar of soap is not like a creek rock that you pick up and find it fits perfectly and smooth in your hand.  It takes a bit of time, and patience.  One must work through a shower or two before it feels like you have found just the right fit.  It is almost like a pleasant challenge; where you know if you put in the time and effort in the beginning, you will be rewarded with a perfect lather soon enough!

Deep down, I was aware of all of this as I unwrapped my bar of Sunflower soap this morning.  I pondered this all, this simple bar of soap through my shower, and continue to smile as I sit here and enjoy the small wonders of life.  Today I challenge you to do the same- take the time to ponder a bar of soap!

A beautiful array from the soap booth- sunflower is the second basket from the bottom.

Inspired by others

It never ceases to amaze me how crazy the last hour of our day is before putting the girls to bed.  I feel like in the worlds of other parents, that same hour is filled with quiet, peaceful reflections and gratitude about the day.  Ours is filled with wrestling on pj’s, brushing teeth between giggles, and completely selective listening.

guilty of giggles!

After the latest chapter of Little House in the Big Woods, I sat down to quietly check one of my favorite blogs (www.mountainmamacooks.com) to see if she had any recent entries on a tasty summer dessert.  Instead, I found a dearly written blog entry that shares heartfelt emotions, similar to those we all have at some point in our lives.  I am always impressed when one can share their emotions in a way that you can also feel them, but without pity or feeling sorry for them. The entry gracefully combines her dinner choice with sweet reflections on her Mother-in-Law, whom she dearly loves and misses.

The recipe looks simple, fresh, and delicious- (here).  Afterwards, she includes a link to several other wonderful looking recipes that use basil. We are growing basil in a window box, and our community garden; and yet, I am hesitant to pick it, because it seems like a treasure that should be saved for just the right moment.  I was sent home from the market last week with a beautiful bunch of basil from my sweet Miller Farm gals, and used it the very next night tossed with pasta, sweet cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese. YUM! I adore basil, and pesto seems to be a sauce we all love in this household.  I wanted to share a basic basil pesto recipe- and while you are on her blog, check out the suggested ideas as to how else to use basil- You will have SO many options when you pick some up at our market this week!

basil pesto recipe from mountainmamacooks.com

Loving July and cherries

Summer is here….completely.  It has taken awhile in our small mountain town.  It seemed like it hasn’t been truly summer until about now.  And I’m sure there is no coincidence that cherries are here in full swing.  The two go hand in hand. Not much can beat sitting on the porch (yard, park, etc…) with your daughters (good friends) and munching on cherries.  The sun seems to twinkle in happiness, whether for its own warmth and brilliance, or for the understanding of the fresh fruit  we are able to indulge in during this time of year.

There are endless ways to use cherries, besides enjoying the juices of the fruit itself.  Here are some great looking ideas from Whole Foods! Enjoy!

Salmon with Caramelized Cherries

Cherry Ambrosia

No-cook cherry vanilla pudding

Cherry Pie

Local Artist Helen Patz

Usually when introducing vendors, I take info from their websites, and create a little write up.  I asked Helen for a brief bio so I could do the same for her, and she eloquently wrote a description that I don’t need to alter at all! Thanks for making my job so easy!

Helen is originally from Puerto Rico, and moved to Idaho Springs four years ago.  She is a self-taught jewelry maker.  She studied art in Texas, and is interested in focusing on 3-dimensional design and how it relates to the human body.  In her jewelry, she ties the past into the present, and gives it a twist of something that has not been seen before.  She tries to carry the charm and elegance of semi-precious stones into what may resonate with fashion today, as well as adding subtle ties of the space age into her work.  A large sum of her work has been inspired by many expressions of the female gender: the classic 20’s Flapper, the Hippy chick, the Gothic girl, the 9-5 profession, the dinner party hostess, and so on… Recently she has also turned her focus to the male gender and has started creating masculine designs as well that may be seen as more androgynous or Unisex.

Helen is kind and sweet, and obviously talented and creative.  She is pleasant to speak with, and is fun and easy to learn from.  Her art work speaks for itself, and is a joy to look at.  For a full album of Helen’s artwork examples, check out the Idaho Springs Chambers Farmers Market page on Facebook.

Love of Rhubarb

I’m not quite sure where it comes from, but I love, love, LOVE Rhubarb.  It is one of those things that has always represented summer to me, and as long as I can remember, I have loved anything to do with it.  I admire its beautiful, dark red stalks, complemented so perfectly by the work of mother nature with its dark green leaves- wide and broad like a hand spanning its fingers to their greatest reach.  As I sit here, all the delicious ways I have enjoyed rhubarb over the years float excitedly through my thoughts- jams, sauteed topping on ice cream, cobblers and pies…ah, divine and delectable tastiness! Its wonderful tartness is the perfect complement to other fruit in season right now, and the options to enjoy it are absolutely endless endless.

I am thrilled to see rhubarb in our market, and debate over all the ways I want to try it this year! Old favorites, or new treasures?

Here are a few recipes that look pretty darn tasty! Let me know if you have any that you want to share!

Rhubarb Cream Pie

Strawberry-Rhubarb Topping

Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Recipe from Whole Foods

My favorite granola recipe

I have a great friend that I steal the majority of my recipes from (thanks Hannah!)  This amazing granola recipe is a perfect example of the wonderful ideas she shares with me! My sweet four year old helped me make a batch this morning.  I was able to use my Winter Park Fireweed flavored honey, and it turned out even better than usual. Granola by nature is one of those recipes where all you need is a good base to start from, and then you can adapt it to your family’s specific tastes or needs.  Hannah’s basic recipe is-

Mix the following ingredients together-

3 Cups Oats            1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour        1/3 Cup Flax meal

1/3 Cup nuts or seeds of what ever type you like the best!

Spices- nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger- any mixture of these to whatever amount seems right to you!

1/2 Cup honey- I used Winter Park Honey from our market- it is divine!

1/2 Cup Canola oil- mix these two in a sauce pan until well blended.  Pour over the dry ingredients, again mixing well.

Dump onto a cookie sheet, spreading it to the edges.  If you want chunkier granola, press it together, as if making a large bar. You can break this up after it has cooled, and it creates larger chunks.  Stir granola away from the edges twice to keep it from burning. Cook for up to 20 mins. and let it cool completely before storing.

Again, all sorts of variations may be added to this basic recipe.  I have done orange and lemon zest, coconut, and Craisins (all separately).  You can mix in pumpkin seeds to the mix, or any variation of dried fruit after it has been cooked. Frankly, anything your family enjoys, you can throw in there! It always ends up tasting double yum! Happy baking!