I love wine, so when the opportunity to enjoy a whole weekend of it presented itself, I gladly accepted and decided to make it a celebration. I invited my sister, cousin and best friend up to visit me for a girls weekend of wine tasting, laughter and cheers to one another! Being the organizer that I am, our tickets were purchased a month in advance and itinerary emails were sent weekly in excitement for another girls' trip. As the weekend approached, I emailed everyone with a final outline of ou…
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Posted by Renee on November 11, 2009 at 11:35am —
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I have always believed that the bl…
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Posted by Len McDougall on November 2, 2009 at 4:30pm —
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When Henry David Thoreau left the village of Concord on July 4th - a date he contended was, more or less, coincidental given the inference to our American Revolution - he would later write that he had gone to the woods to "live deliberately" - and thus was the first in a string of paradoxical experiences. Several miles outside of town. Alone. Living in a 10 by 15 cabin he, himself, had built. Home for the next two years. 1845. Walden Pond.
Though his intent was deliberate living, Thoreau wrote:…
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Posted by Darren King on May 23, 2009 at 2:30pm —
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It’s been a few days since I’ve attended the Wisconsin Cheese Throw Down at Bowers Harbor Inn, and I apologize for the delay in the post-party blog. But you see, I’ve been in a cheese coma.
This is what happens when a cheese lover attends an event showcasing a thousand-plus chunks of fine cheese and a dozen cheese-inspired gourmet dishes, all of which is washed down with her favorite local beers and wines.
Judging by the turnout (Bowers Harbor Inn, its fabulous new outdoor patio and spiffy new…
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Posted by Lynda Twardowski on May 11, 2009 at 2:30pm —
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Living now in Traverse City, a place I consider a food lover’s paradise, it sometimes shames me that my three favorite foods haven’t changed as I’ve become an adult. They are, exactly as they were at age six: pizza, ice cream, and cheese.
These are my deserted-island three. My last-meal trifecta. My go-to, triple-time-healer of a broken heart, bad hangover or even slightly irritable episode of P.M.S.
I eat the big three, I feel joy. It’s very simple.
They don’t have to be high-end either. In…
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Posted by Lynda Twardowski on May 5, 2009 at 9:11am —
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I am obsessed with the concept of sustainable energy. It is so Northern. Inherent in harnessing the wind and storing the sun’s energy is a self-reliant, DIY attitude that agrees with the way we live up here. Of course, we wood-burning Northerners have long loved the feeling of controlling our own energy destiny—if only long enough to toast marshmallows around a bonfire.
Which brings me to my wood-burning hot tub. It was invented by students at the University Alaska—not Northern Michigan, true,…
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Posted by Elizabeth Edwards on February 27, 2009 at 11:00am —
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Max was sitting on the potty, yelling in that half-asleep moan that reminded us why there is an old adage that says to never wake a sleeping baby—or overly exhausted four year old. The snow was falling steadily outside. Lizzie was squirming and yelping with an obvious desire to match her brother’s screams decibel-for-decibel as I stuffed her back into her fleece bunting (for the fourth time that day).
By all accounts,…
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Posted by Kate on December 2, 2008 at 5:00pm —
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Saturday, November 1, dawned bright and warm. The autumn leaves were beautiful--still plenty of golds and reds, and Lake Michigan was a summery shade of turquoise. It was a perfect day for the first Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour. At 11 am, when I pulled up to kitchen #17, located deep in the Leelanau County countryside, and found that 35 people had already been there I was convinced the tour was going to be a success.
Less than an hour later, 75 people had found their way to kitchen #16 on the…
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Posted by Elizabeth Edwards on November 3, 2008 at 1:32pm —
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I just checked the weather report for tomorrow, November 1--it will be mild temperatures, dry and partly sunny. I can't think of more perfect weather for the Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour. If you don't have your ticket yet, don't worry. Just choose one of the homes/kitchens near you to purchase your ticket and get a copy of the directions. Here's a list of the homes and locations--and if you have any questions at all, please call me on my cell phone, 231-624-1524. We'll see you out there!
P.S.…
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Posted by Elizabeth Edwards on October 31, 2008 at 12:09pm —
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As children, my brother and I lived with our parents in a suburb of metro-Detroit. But really, we grew up on the lakes and rivers of northern Michigan. There, our father gave to us the values that come from experiencing first-hand, nature and wildlife. Hiking for hours through the Porcupine Mountains seeing black bears, camping along Grand Traverse Bay, fishing the flood-waters of the Au Sable River. We always stopped for lunch on a sandbar and the evening always ended with a roaring campfire, w…
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Posted by Darren King on October 30, 2008 at 6:30am —
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More excitement over the Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour this week ... Yesterday TV 7 & 4 filmed Steve Cobb (Wolf/Subzero Northern Michigan rep) and me in kitchen # 14 on the tour. The kitchen is one of my faves--it's way out at the end of Old Mission Peninsula with views of a vineyard and East Bay. It's a warm sophisticated cottage look with wonderful vintage-looking cabinets, a gleaming white porcelain farmhouse sink and granite that looks like oatmeal raisin cookies (yes, it makes you want…
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Posted by Elizabeth Edwards on October 28, 2008 at 2:00pm —
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The Kronbergs' kitchen wasn't finished yet when I scouted it for the Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour last summer. Even so, I knew I would love it. The small but light-filled space looks out on a vineyard at the end of Old Mission Peninsula. The Kronbergs were working with the designers at the Wooden Hammer Annex in Traverse City to remodel a dark oak-filled 1980's kitchen into a style I call Vineyard Cottage: white cabinetry, sophisticated granite, stainless steel appliances. Yum!!!
I get to see…
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Posted by Elizabeth Edwards on October 24, 2008 at 4:30pm —
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Things are really heating up for the Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour, Saturday, November 1. Yesterday, our marketing director, Rachel North, and I headed down to Grand Rapids so that I could talk about the tour on Channel 13's Take Five morning show. That meant waking up at 3:30 am and hitting the road by 4:30 am.
The show went well--live television jitters and all. We talked about the tour as a great excuse for a girls' weekend Up North. Really, I think that would be very fun. If you want ideas…
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Posted by Elizabeth Edwards on October 22, 2008 at 4:30pm —
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Sixteen days until the Ultimate Up North Kitchen Tour (it's November 1 from 9 am to 5 pm in case you haven't heard yet!) We've been working on it for over a year, scouting kitchens, printing tickets and maps ... This morning I was on Mary in the Morning (106.7 FM) to talk about it along with Nancy Blandford, the National Kitchen and Bath Association chairperson of the event. We had a great time on the air and I was reminded again how cool these kitchens are. All 19 of them are different--from mo…
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Posted by Elizabeth Edwards on October 15, 2008 at 11:26am —
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A Toast to the Season: Cheers to Wine Weekend Fun!
Wildlife Experts versus Media Showmen
Walden
The Cheese Throw Down Afterglow (and a Trip for Tastebud Travelers Who Missed the Party)
Alternative Energy—Up North Style
Up North, please meet me under the mistletoe
