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Lissa’s Swoon:
Arrgh and Away!
Tip: If you have littles, stop into the gift shop at the dock and pick up a kids’ pirate ensemble—hat, sword, eye patch, earring and pouch with gold coin—so they can play along.
Photo by Lissa Edwards
Photo by Lissa Edwards
Allison's Swoon:
Farmers Market Treats
A few weeks ago, I came across a new market vendor, Harmony Freeze Pops, and I had to stop by the cart. Co-owner Brooke Loseke and her husband were inspired by their six-year-old daughter to find more nutrient dense grab-and-go snacks for children. “Mind you, we aren’t perfect when it comes to feeding ourselves and our daughter Lucille, but we are certainly putting our best foot forward and helping people savor the flavors of Northern Michigan summers all year round,” Brooke says.
The all-natural freeze pops are only sweetened with honey (Sleeping Bar Farms) or maple syrup (Awesome Woods) and made without artificial colors, flavors, additives or preservatives. Follow the freeze pop fun on Instagram to see what markets they’ll be at next: @harmonyfreezepops.
Photo by Harmony Freeze Pops
Cara's Swoon:
Beach Reads
For the locavore/foodie: Shared Abundance: Lessons in Building Community Around Locally Grown Food by Diane Conners.
This is a gorgeous homage to the growers, farmers, chefs and advocates who fill our tables with goodness and create thriving communities. Part compendium, part recipe collection, part love letter to our region, it’s a book that will leave you hungry to dive in and make local food a meaningful part of your life.
Photo by Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities
This sweet little book follows the summer adventures of a young boy from the city visiting his great-uncle, a kindly Northern Michigan cherry farmer who teaches him the magic of “bucket filling”: “When we are good to someone, we fill their bucket with a little more happiness, and that fills our bucket, too.”
The plot is as delicious as the setting—as three sisters shelter on the family cherry farm during the pandemic, they urge their mother to share details of an early romance with a now-famous actor. It’s classic Patchett: reflective, funny, beautifully written and paced. (Don’t miss Patchett’s Traverse City appearance at the National Writer Series on Aug. 12.)
Carly's Swoon:
Sweet Summer Paddles
