Canning: A New Adventure
By: Angi Cornwell Preserving your garden produce can be simple if you have the right canning information. One of the misconceptions about canning is that you must have a canning pot. That is not always the case. What you do need is a pot that is tall enough to hold the rack, jars, and an inch of water above or so of space where the water can boil.Any time you are using a stock pot, you need to find a small rack to drop into the bottom. I have used old canning jar rings, cake cooling rack, trivet, or a kitchen towel. You just don’t want your jars setting on the bottom of the pot. Here are a few tools that I use when canning. You’ll need a knife and cutting board, heatproof tool for stirring. Silicone is my favorite because it can just be placed in the dishwasher. A wide mouth funnel is always good to avoid a mess, a jar lifter is the best tool to have, its designed to give you a secure grip on the jars as you move them in and out of the water. How To Prepare Your Jars Place your rack or whatever you are using to place your jars on, fill your pot with warm tap water, helps with heating your water faster to a boil. I only fill the pot enough just to barely cover the jars. Put a cup of white vinegar in your canning pot before you start heating. This helps with minerals not depositing on your jars or canning pot. It does make for easier cleaning and keeps your pot in good condition. Recently, the experts at Ball Canning announced that it’s no longer necessary to simmer lids prior to canning, as the Plastisol sealant doesn’t require softening. Instead, just make sure to wash your lids in warm, soapy water before applying them to filled jars. How To Check That You’re Sealed When it comes to checking to make sure your jar has sealed sometimes we miss that pinging sound that gives you confirmation that your jar has sealed. Just because you did not hear it doesn’t mean it is not sealed. Here are just a few ways to check: Press down on the center of the lid. If it moves up or down, then no its not sealed. If its solid and concaved means you are set. You can also unscrew the band and pick up the jar with only the lid, if you have a good seal you will be able to do this with ease. Selecting, Preparing and Canning Fruit Berries – Whole Blackberries,...
North Market – 400 Flavors in 1 Location
By: Beth Muth Photos: Josh Triggs North Market Pop Shop, located at 241 North Market Street in downtown Frederick, Maryland, offers more than 400 varieties of craft soda from distributors worldwide. Michelle Schaffer bought the business from its original owners in autumn, 2013. A biochemist by trade, work brought Michelle to Gaithersburg, Maryland, but it was Frederick that reminded her of her hometown of Portland, Oregon. “I’d been doing science for a really long time, but I’m happier when I’m making other people happy – and you can do that with soda pop and ice cream,” explains Michelle, who was ready for entrepreneurship. What Locals Like About the Pop Shop Downtown Frederick is a melting pot, much like America itself. North Market Pop Shop offers a melting pot of soda choices which remind locals of other places outside the immediate geographical area. The shop’s charming interior harkens back to a time when soda wasn’t a household staple, displaying both vintage decor gifted by customers and hand-painted details from Marty Mummert, a Gettysburg sign painter. “People want something that isn’t a large chain,” Michelle observes. “We carry sodas from places remind them of home.” The shop features number of brands readily available for immediate purchase, from as close as the quadstate area to as far away as Australia, Europe, or Japan. You can buy single bottles or take advantage of discounted pricing for packs of four, six, twelve, or twenty-four bottles. Another advantage of discounted packs is that you can mix and match to create any combination of brands and flavors. Premium pricing for some drinks, like Bundaberg brand root beer imported from Queensland, require an upcharge but the packages are still a great value. A Diverse Menu to Tempt Various Tastes North Market Pop Shop carries a food menu which includes all-beef hot dogs. Michelle remarks, “Everybody loves the chili sauce, which we ship in from Webster Springs, West Virginia; we do sloppy joes, too, with the chili sauce. All of our toppings are from McCutcheon’s [in Frederick] and we use Sriracha mayo and squeeze cheese. We’re bringing squeezy cheese back!” Delectable treats like Pocky, a Japanese snack that consists of a thin, wafer-like pretzel stick covered in chocolate cream, and honey from hives on 5th Street in Frederick round out the options. Ice cream flavors from traditional vanilla and strawberry to unique blends such as java cookies and peach white tea, come from Trickling Springs Creamery in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and lack added colors, artificial flavors, or preservatives. Customers who follow a vegan or gluten-free diet will be happy to know the shop carries options from Little Baby’s, a...
Not Your Typical Bookstore
By: M.T. Decker Photos By: Josh Triggs Located at 18 N. Main Street in Boonsboro, Maryland, “Turn the Page” is anything but your typical bookstore. Family owned and operated for 21 years, Turn the Page is an independent bookstore, with strong ties to the community of Boonsboro. Owned and operated by Bruce Wilder, the bookstore focuses on novels by Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb; but, they also carry books by local authors and books about local historical sites. The store includes custom printed ‘green’ cards, Nora Roberts related souvenirs and collectibles. They also support local businesses and artisans selling scented oils, soaps and soy candles that have been specifically designed for their customers, or based on Nora Roberts’ characters. The people at Turn the Page’ have worked hard to build a relationship not only with the town of Boonsboro, but with Nora Roberts fans world wide. When I arrived at the bookstore, they were in the process of getting ready for a book signing, one of the six they hold every year. This book signing event marks their 9th annual book signing, and people have been coming from all over the country to connect, not only with their favorite authors, but with other book lovers.”It’s a low key weekend,” Janeen Solberg, manager of Turn the Page explains. People will come early, opt to stay in the area and make a vacation of it. “With the shops and local historical sites, there is never a lack of something to do. Some visitors opt to stay at the Inn Boonsboro and will visit historical sites in nearby Shepherdstown, Harper’s Ferry and Antietam. The store itself is welcoming, and the staff is quick to greet customers. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the scent of honeysuckle, combined with patchouli, fresh coffee and new books. The scents help to create something magical that you can only get in a small, family run shop. This atmosphere only serves to enhance the experience. That feeling, that sense of connection, is something you can only get in a physical book store and it is something the folks at ‘Turn the Page’ are very proud of. Janeen admits that connection is something they’ve worked hard to establish, both in the store and online, through their Facebook page and website. Their Facebook page is active and between it, Nora’s blog, and newsletters, there is a relationship that makes ‘Turn the Page’ more than just a book store. It is part of the community not only on-line, but in Boonsboro itself. “It’s not uncommon for customers to come in and resume a conversation they started on-line,” she...
Modern Cuisine a Highlight of Historic Mill Restaurant
Magnolia’s at the Mill Delivers on Atmosphere, Food and Service By Pam and Tim Lettie Trending culinary menu options and historic atmosphere don’t often go together. Yet few of our country or Valley restaurants can rival the combination at Magnolia’s at the Mill in Purcellville. The exterior is reminiscent of the building’s roots as an old mill. A sunroom and patio off to the side increase the seating capacity. Our favorite rooms are the large and irregular historic interior rooms showcasing 12- to 16-inch roughhewn wood columns and beams. Frank Lloyd Wright shaped the expectations of guests to the homes he designed with low-ceilinged entryways. A tight entryway foyer contracts your expectations. Then, entering the dining area, you are lifted with broad expansive access to light and natural materials. Walking into the main dining area, you feel the entire footprint of the old mill. The heavy wood and the roof vaulting up three stories give a sense of the spacious seating beyond. Looking up, you can see details of the old mill, often subtly lit to add to the ambiance. The tables along the closer wall are curved booths, so all of the diners face into the main dining room. Inside, the wood rafters and paneling add warmth and coziness with pulleys, belts, wheels, and pipes harkening back to the restaurant’s origins as a mill. The remnants of the mill serve as artwork for diners who look up toward the ceiling. A sunroom and patio off to the side increase the seating capacity, but our favorite rooms are the historic interior rooms. Up a long flight of stairs is additional seating, including a separate room that can comfortably seat a larger group in a semi-private area. The open kitchen and the hanging artwork along with the wood add a modern and hip feel to the historic building. During happy hour the bar hums with the sound of after-work chatter as the bartenders and staff move fast to get the evening’s libations to the clientele. The waiter brought us the extensive beer and wine list. Ever interested in the local offerings, my friend selected a local merlot. The waiter offered his suggestion, saying that a less expensive Spanish bottle was the best deal going – great taste for a great price. We appreciated the cost savings and went with his recommendation. It was delicious. We didn’t have bread with our meal, but on other occasions, we have indulged. The bread is a relatively thin bread with hints of salt. It melts in your mouth as you dip it in olive oil and sip your pre-dinner cocktail. The menu mentions all...
Kimberly’s Pumps and Pearls, An Apple Blossom Recap
By: Chelsea Cornwell THERE is nothing quite like an event that brings the community together in one place. Not to mention an event tailored for women to come together and win prizes, do some dancing, purchase custom made shoes and dresses, as well as help sponsor the 90th Apple Blossom Festival this year in Winchester, VA. That event was the 8th annual Kimberly’s Pumps and Pearls Ladies Party, on April, 25th, 2016; located at the George Washington Hotel in Winchester. The event was from 7:30pm to 10:00pm and was, “The best turnout we have ever had. Our tickets were nearly sold out and we had over $7,000 in prizes donated for the community to enjoy.” Kimberly explained. Since the very beginning of festivals, there have been special events just for women. “Being the title sponsor for Apple Blossom for 8 years in a row now has been a blessing…” explains Kimberly Sowers of Winchester VA. And owner of Kimberly’s; an extremely popular and high-end retail store in the heart of Winchester, carrying everything from the best of wines, to boutique-like clothing for women, extremely personalized gifts from glass to sculptures. Kimberly’s carry’s stationary and wonderful handmade beauty products; there really is no store in the Eastern Panhandle that compares to the quality, economical price and eccentric variety that Sowers provides at Kimberly’s (135 N. Braddock St in Winchester, VA.). It is that very passion for providing the community with a variety of wonderful goods and services that inspired Sowers to begin Pumps and Pearls Ladies Annual Party, as a way to give back to the community. Women from all walks of life are welcome and encouraged to come, enjoy good company and beautiful products. It is an event to celebrate your friends-old and new- because Spring has arrived! Ladies were able to create their own original Bloom Pumps (www.TheBloom.com) and purchase already made products. With a sea of Pink and Green, flooding the George Washington Hotel’s Ballroom, there were wonderful prizes to win such as: Pearls, a Lilly Pulitzer Tray, Specialty Shoes, High-End Girly gifts and much, much more that had been donated by the local stores, shops, artisans and crafters as a way to give back to these women, participating and donating their time and money to a wonderful cause in Winchester. “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” -Henry Ford Sowers was thrilled with the out-pouring of women that came out this year, as she saw all sorts of new and familiar faces. “There are some women that have been coming since the very first one, eight years ago, which is...
Freshie’s… Donuts Made Right Before Your Eyes
By: Chelsea Cornwell AS the Glass door opens and I step into a vibrant and colorful shop with two dining tables, with four chairs each, and a bar to order from and physically watch as the donuts are being made. The aromas are a mixture of both sweet, as well as salty, with high notes of fruit, sweet icing, paired with the smell of the infamous fryer that is an assembly line of donuts being made, constantly, by a machine that drops the dough into a fryer as a mechanical spatula picks the timed, perfectly cooked donuts, up and flips them over into, yet, another fryer where the final spatula, finally, drops them onto a tray to be decorated and served. This magical invention makes the donut making process so much more precise and ensures the donuts are cooked perfectly. Along with the incredible donut as a base, there are an array of over ten icings and 12 toppings to choose from, making the possibilities endless. At this point, you are probably asking yourself, “Who on earth came up with this incredibly brilliant idea because not only does she do specialty donuts, but she caters and does weddings. This Super Woman of the donut creating world is Marion Mason of Inwood, WV. started out working for an Oral Surgeon from the age of 18. She did, however, always dreamed of having a bakery and has always made cakes on the side for friends and family and those who requested her services. “I just started to get burned out,” Marion explained. “I just want to do something different; something that no one else is doing. So, to get away, my husband and I went to the beach (Ocean City, MD), where I stumbled across a Fractured Prune (www.facebook.com/FracturedPruneDoughnuts) and I thought to myself, we do not have anything like that around here. “Originally she looked into a franchise store, to open a Fractured Prune, but found it to be a bit too expensive and decided to venture out on her own. She found the location in Inwood at 27 Hovater Drive, and loved it because there was nothing around that compares to what she does within a very large radius. Freshie’s has been open since February of this year and has had a tremendous turn out. When asked what her secret is to the overwhelming success so far, she claims that adapting to her environment and demographic is important. For example, she started doing Glazes only but realized that ButterCream is a much better seller in the Inwood area. Marion also has two wonderful daughters that live down the road...
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