For some, it was haircuts. For some, travel. For some, hugs. For me…it was restaurants. They were the thing I missed the most during the lockdown. They were the big hole in my heart. With restaurants having been closed for months, and now reopening, I’m pondering the question: what does a restaurant…
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Usually, during this time of the year, businesses are gearing up for summer, getting ready for the flood of people venturing back up north to their homes or rentals. Locals are typically anticipating the upcoming months of chaos. Chaos in the best way possible. During the colder months, the small…
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It takes an abundance of tiny leaves to make a single pound of tea, and it is grown almost exclusively in temperate zones. So how does a Tea Fairy in snowy Leelanau County manage to grow hundreds of certified organic tea plants on her farm? The cured leaf of the tea plant ("Camellia sinensis") has…
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Are you bored during quarantine and looking for ways to spice things up while stuck inside? Do you like cooking and feel like challenging yourself with more involved recipes? Look no further than “Nonna's at The Homestead” Facebook page, where Executive Chef John Piombo cooks up different dishes…
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Last April, in a post about early spring, I wrote, “Fact is, spring will always find you. There is no repressing spring, no stopping it. It is a promise that is always kept. It is a wish that always comes true. How many things in life are like that?” What a different April we found ourselves in this…
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The picturesque Grand Traverse region is such a remarkable place. With its gently rolling hills, surprisingly tall sandy bluffs, and sparkling water views at nearly every angle, you sometimes have to pinch yourself as a reminder that you’re still in the Midwest. To sit at the same latitude as some…
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To a thoughtful eye, an entire universe may seem to exist within the smallest of scenes. Present in the smallest pool of water, countless small organisms are carrying out biological processes—photosynthesizing, cycling nutrients throughout the food web, aerating the soil; some of life’s most…
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This is going to be a different sort of blog post, because we’re living in different times. Though we’re looking forward with hope, and spring is rapidly springing from the earth, we’re currently in the belly of the beast. Michiganders are under a stay-at-home order. To be clear: now is not the time…
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While we are all cozied up at home, area bookstores are delivering what few can: An escape, a pastime, a pleasure. Here, we looked into what our bookstores are doing for their readers even while their retails shops are closed. Below, a few good books to try! The Cottage Book Shop, Glen Arbor You can…
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How does a Leelanau County farmer spend the winter months? For 9 Beans Rows’ Nic Welty, it’s about “lasagna gardening.” Yes, you read that right. For Welty, winter in northern Michigan means a multitude of responsibilities both on his property and in the surrounding community. Since starting a CSA…
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