Getting Ready for the Fair

Common Ground's this coming weekend: September 20-22, 2013. We'll be spending the week finishing up towels, napkins, and produce bags, checking our tent, display tables, and getting excited for the fair to begin!

There is a lot to see at the fair: animals, gardens, arts and crafts, speakers, music, and more. One of my favorites is the sheep dog demonstration. I could watch those dogs work all day!

 If you're thinking of coming to the fair for the first time, here is a schedule of events for this year.

We sent packages to LooHoo Wool Dryer Balls in Camden, ME, Kennebec River Artisans in Hallowell, ME, Archipelago in Rockland, ME, and Conklin's Maine Mercantile in Belfast, ME last week, so if you're in any of those areas, please stop by and say hello!

 You can find out more about us by checking out our facebook page, our Etsy shop, or stopping by our booth at the fair!

Hope your week's a good one!

Easing into the Day

Just easing into this chilly September morning by watching the sunrise.

The color's already starting to fade a bit. Glad I stepped out on the porch when I did.

Lots on the horizon as we look forward to Common Ground Fair (less than two weeks away!), Close Buy, University of Maine Alumni's Black Bear Auction (more about that later), and the Maine Harvest Festival.

A quick shout-out to Conklin's Maine Mercantile in Belfast, ME, Northern Tides in Lubec, ME, and Window Panes in Bar Harbor, ME who received packages last week. If you are in any of those areas, please stop by and say hello for us!

We would love to hear from you in the comments (below), on facebook, or through our Etsy shop.

Hope your week's a good one!

The Maine Woods

Love this time of year to walk in the woods! Really peaceful. No mosquitoes. Nice to get a little breather before gearing up for the Common Ground Fair.

I am drooling over this old stone wall. It gives me ideas for my own yard. (Who has got a strong back and likes to lug rocks?).

Here is a shout out to our wholesalers this past week who received packages in the mail: Conklin's Maine Mercantile in Belfast, ME, Treats in Wiscasset, ME, Kennebec River Artisans in Hallowell, ME, and Attentif Design in Amesbury, MA. If you are in any of those areas, please stop by and say hello for us.

Off to find some coffee and get ready for the day. If you would like to leave a comment below, we would love to hear from you. You can also find us on facebook and at our Etsy shop.

Hope your week's a good one!

Nice Day for a Hike

It's always a great day when we can escape for a few hours and enjoy Acadia National Park. I didn't actually go on this particular hike, but considering I totally spaced off "Madder Root Monday" yesterday, I thought I'd share some of BF's photos of a recent hike of Pemetic.

We've been super busy (in a good way). We got out tea towels, napkins, and produce bags last week to Lisa Marie's Made in Maine in Bath and Portland, ME, Conklin's Maine Mercantile in Belfast, ME, and Minka in Kennebunkport, ME. If you're in those areas, please stop by and say hello for us!

As August comes to a close, we're getting excited for the Common Ground Fair. It's September 20-22, 2013, so save the date and keep your fingers crossed for glorious fall weather! We've got a new chickadee tea towel design that will be ready to go by then.

Anyway, off to find some coffee and get the day started. If you'd like to leave a comment below, we'd love to hear from you. We're also on facebook and can be found at our Etsy shop.

Hope your week's a good one!

Gilsland Farm

We had such a great time at Gilsland Farm this past weekend! Our booth was tucked under a sweet, old apple tree and we couldn't have asked for better weather for the show. Perfect August days!

We missed the peonies in bloom, but the farm was a great setting for the craft show. We loved catching sight of the ground hog family and the turkeys during set-up and take-down. And, as always, were inspired by the talented artisans and crafters who shared the show with us. 

Before we left for the show, we sent out packages to Bowerbird and Friends in Peterborough, NH and Conklin's Maine Mercantile in Belfast, ME. We do hope, if you're in either of those areas, you'll stop by and say hello for us!

Our next show will be at the Common Ground Fair in Unity, ME. Always such a fun event. This year, it's September 20-22. So, don't forget to mark your calendars!

If you'd like to leave a comment (below), touch base with us on facebook, or send a convo through our Etsy shop, we'd love to hear from you!

Hope your week's a good one!

The Pickling Project

Even though I hold out no hope of matching the puckeringly good tastiness of Morse's pickles in North Waldoboro, ME, I still wanted to try my hand at canning dill pickles again this year.

The cucumbers came from the Orono Farmers' Market.

 The garlic and dill are from my little veggie garden in the back yard.

I did learn to keep the jars in a simmering water bath as I pack them. Lost two jars when they cooled off too much. They broke when I put them back in the boiling water. I was glad I only lost two.

The weather was nice enough to set up the water bath outside on the porch. I like not having to heat up the house.

Done! I think BF and I canned 26 pints altogether. We got into a nice rhythm by the third batch. The hardest part of pickling cucumbers is waiting until they're ready to eat.

OK, off to do some work. We are getting ready for the Gilsland Farms Arts and Fine Crafts Show this coming Saturday and Sunday (August 17-18). The farm is a sanctuary maintained by the Maine Audubon, so we are really looking forward to checking it out. We hope that, if you are in the area, you will stop by our booth and say hello!

Have questions or want to tell us about your tips to getting that perfect pickle? Leave a comment below, check out our facebook page, or leave us a convo at our Etsy shop. 

A Beet Convert.

I felt compelled to pick up some beets at the farmers' market. Look at these in their richly colored glory! How could anyone possibly pass by the booth without getting some? Thing is, up until this weekend, I had never met a beet I liked.

I thought, maybe I would grill them. Everything tastes better on the grill, right? But, just about dinner time, the skies opened up with rain, lightening, and thunder. Very dramatic, but not very good for cooking beets outside on the grill. So I improvised.

I grated one beet to leave raw and cut the rest up thin. These I tossed in a skillet with some olive oil, shallots, orange zest, juice from said orange, some scallions, poppy seeds, and some white balsamic vinegar. I pan fried these just for a few minutes, then put the skillet in the oven to roast the veggies. The recipe I used is based loosely on this one.

Roasting the veggies in the oven reduced the liquids into a lovely sauce, sweetened the beets, and turned everything red. Some mozzarella sprinkled over the top and a side salad of greens and cucumbers with a mustard dressing rounded out the dish.

Definitely a beet fan, now that I know how to cook them right. Even BF said he'd have them again.

Anyway, last week was another busy one for Madder Root. We sent out tea towels, napkins, and produce bags to Archipelago in Rockland, ME, Conklin's Maine Mercantile in Belfast, ME, Rocky Acres Farm Stand in York, ME, Minka in Kennebunkport, ME, and Lisa Marie's Made in Maine, in Bath and Portland, ME, plus all our lovely Etsy customers. We do appreciate your support!

We've got our sights on August 17 and 18, 2013 when we'll be at the Gilsland Farm Art and Fine Craft Show in Falmouth, ME. Hope you'll stop by and say hi.

Want to share your favorite beet recipe? Just leave a comment below, check out our facebook page, or convo us through our Etsy shop.

Hope your week's a good one!