Party Season: Cheese Needs A Sidekick Like Roasted Grapes

If Ethel Mertz is the cheese in my anecdote: dry, reliable, comfortable. Then these roasted grapes are all Lucy Ricardo: fun, unexpected, engaging.

It may sound silly, but I've made these roasted grapes on many occasions and they always make a lasting impression. This appetizer gets requested and referred to more than any other I make and I want to encourage you to give this simple and delicious appetizer a try. 

Preheat your oven to 425-450 degrees (you decide how your oven responds). Place non-stick foil on a cookie sheet.
Wash and lightly dry your fresh, seedless grapes. Leave just a small artistic cluster still on the vine, and pluck the rest of them from the stem and scatter on the foil. You'll want the ones on the vine for artistic effect, but know that if you roast them on the vine, most of the flesh clings when you pull it off to eat. That's why we're plucking most from the vine before roasting.

Drizzle with a little olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I always use a specialty vinegar by Beekman 1802: Fig & Elderberry Blaak Drizzle. 

Keeping an eye on them, roast the grapes for 10-20-30 minutes until they split, sizzle, char and collapse. Sometimes it works faster than others, probably based on the sugar content.

Once they have cooled a bit, arrange them on a platter (with toothpicks nearby) with your favorite cheese and cracker bites. We're heading into party season - Enjoy!

Far Flung: Finding Beekman 1802 on the Other Side

What luck! While my mom, aunt and I were spending the day in Snohomish, WA, we happened into a cute shop called Lost & Found. 

It was lucky because the store had a display of my friends, Josh & Brent's brand Beekman 1802. I took the photo of their mansion that is used on their Honey & Oats Goat Milk scrub bar packaging and it was fun to be able to show my aunt the product in person. It's a little thing, but I was feeling proud.

Have you tried the Beekman 1802 soaps yet? They smell terrific and create lather x10.

So there I was thinking that I'm starting a new life "on the other side of the world" and then I see this display. It's a small world after all.

Beekman 1802 Cherry Pie Filling

Today was the day that I opened my jar of Beekman 1802 cherry pie filling from Target and made a beautiful dessert.

I had been looking forward to trying this product from my friends' (Josh & Brent, the fabulous Beekman Boys) line at Target, but it was when I came across my "slice of pie" cookie cutter that I knew I would be baking a pie soon. Sometimes I make things just for the embellishment!

The pie baked up beautifully and Dan just said that he's looking forward to tomorrow, when he can have another slice. I highly recommend it!

#beekman1802 #finddelight

Garden Art: Hudson Valley Seed Library and Beekman 1802

The first time I came across the Hudson Valley Seed Library was this year at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. I was taken with their idea of blending art with gardening. They commission artists to create images as diverse as the heirloom seeds they sell and turn the seed packets into paper collectibles in their own right. As a matter of fact, I have their Breadseed Poppy Mix hanging on my memo board right now! 

My friends, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge (aka Beekman Boys), have an ever expanding effect on the home, garden and how we see country life in general. This year they have partnered with the Hudson Valley Seed Library to create a limited edition series of non-GMO heirloom seeds from their own vegetable garden at their farm and sold through their store, Beekman 1802. 

The artwork on each Beekman seed packet features a goat, naturally, as their brand began with a simple goat milk soap. Remember when my photograph of the Beekman mansion was featured on their honey & oats soap? 

Heirloom vegetables are key component of the Beekman 1802 business. Josh and Brent have written an Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook and continue to trumpet the importance of growing and preserving our vegetable heritage.  

Now order some seeds and get out to the garden! It's March and I can't wait.

Beekman Boys at Target: Farm to Shelf

I want to highlight a wonderful new product line called Beekman 1802 Farm Pantry at Target, created by my friends Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge (aka The Fabulous Beekman Boys). You might know them from their television show, or as winners of The Amazing Race or even from a cookbook signing at the Country Living Magazine Fair. 

I went to college with Josh and I am so very proud of the brand he and Brent are building. You must read their version of this exciting partnership. It not only brings the produce of small farms to the shelves of Target, but actually directs a portion of the profits back to small American farms. 

That is a Win-Win that is truly Fabulous-Fabulous.

It takes a great marketing mind to encourage fans to take a "shelfie" - a photo of themselves with a stocked shelf of Beekman 1802 product at Target. I obliged and posted it on Facebook to help lend my support to their growing brand. 

You can read my blog posts about visiting Josh and Brent at their home and farm in upstate New York and shopping in their Mercantile in Sharon Springs.

Beekman Boys are Married 

Visiting Beekman 1802 Mercantile

Beekman Boys: Goats Galore

I encourage you to seek out the Beekman 1802 Farm Pantry products at Target and give them a try. So far I love the Pot Roast Starter (the kitchen smelled so good), the Rosemary Sprig Salad Dressing as well as the Rosemary Garlic Veggie Seasoning. The Backyard Cherry Pie Filling is next on my list and I know it won't last long.

Beekman 1802 Honey & Oats Scrub Bar and Photo News

Brace yourself. It is my photograph of the Beekman Mansion on the new Beekman 1802 Honey & Oats Scrub Bar packaging! I am as proud as can be. You can see the original image below.

When Dan and I were in upstate New York, we were able to visit my friends, Josh and Brent at their farm in Sharon Springs. Josh and I have been friends since college, where we were English majors at Michigan State University.  I was part of a close knit group of friends (Josh, Tracy, Kerry, Me) and I don't think a day went by that we didn't see each other.  We are all still good friends, but life has us living in separate parts of the country and our visits are more often on the phone, than in person  


Over time, Dan and I have become friends with Josh's husband, Brent too and we make an effort to see each other whenever we go to New York or when they come to Michigan on a book tour.  

It was a glorious day when we toured the farm and with their blessing, I blogged about their growing lifestyle brand, flagship store in Sharon Springs and their win on the Amazing Race.  You can read my original post here.

My photo of the mansion was noticed online and I was contacted about granting rights for the use of my image on their new packaging. I would do anything to help Josh and Brent and in my own small way, I am doing my part. 

The Honey & Oats Scrub Bar is a big, beautiful bar of soap that they describe as "Skin Softening Formula: Gently Exfoliates with Natural Bran & Oatmeal. Notes of apricot & honeyed blossoms, hint of fresh wildflowers." It smells divine and I'm sure it will delight.

You can order the Honey & Oats Goat Milk Scrub Bar online or buy it right off the shelf in the flagship Beekman 1802 Mercantile in Sharon Springs, New York (photo above). If you'd like, you can read all about my first visit to the mercantile here.

As someone that loves and admires beautiful packaging, I love that one of my photos is now a permanent part of Beekman 1802 packaging. As I said, I am very proud.

OMG it's Ommegang!

I have had "find Ommegang fruit beer" on my to do list for ages. Yesterday I found a selection of it by accident. I was in Costco and noticed a display of wooden crates tipped on an angle, full of medium size bottles with wire cork caps. Hmmm...

I couldn't believe my eyes. There were 3 varieties of Ommegang (Hennepin, Three Philosophers, Abbey Ale) available by the bottle, each around $7.  I bought 4 to try and this is how pretty they look on the shelf in my refrigerator. The beauty of everyday moments, right? I really don't drink, but I know that Dan will think its fun to try these and remember our first taste back at the Beekman Boys farm.

Josh Kilmer Purcell and I are old friends from college and his husband, Brent Ridge and Dan and I have tried our best to see each other whenever we can. I am hoping to see them again soon on a book signing tour for their latest masterpiece, The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook. 

Anyhoo, last summer we took a vacation in upstate New York and were able to visit Josh at home on the farm.  We caught up around the kitchen table and ate some of their delicious Beekman 1802 cheeses and drank Ommegang fruit beer, which paired perfectly. Ever since that trip, Dan occasionally mentions that fruit beer and I have been meaning to track it down.  Thank you, Costco!

Beekman Boys Heirloom Dessert Cookbook

If you are new to my blog, "Welcome!" I have been blogging 5 days a week for 6 years about the beauty of everyday life. I write about how visual images, tasty treats and simple storytelling can enhance the human experience. 

The impact of flowers; the joy of friendship; the satisfaction of 

collecting – these ideas are the foundation of my first book, "Moments of Delight" and my blog.  Explore the sidebar to see posts by month and my City Series.

This is to catch you up on my recent Beekman adventures. Remember my visit to Sharon Springs and their Beekman 1802 mercantile? And my tour of the farm? It was a wonderful trip and I am so happy that we had a chance to visit again so soon.

As for this last weekend with The Beekman Boys...I've been recruited!  I will be participating in the "Bake Like A Beekman" blog where we will bake our way through the new Beekman 1802 Heirloom cookbook.  Doesn't that sound wonderful?  I'm a baker at heart and I have the apron collection to prove it.

Dan and I drove to Lansing on Sunday to and support Josh and Brent on their cookbook tour.  I finally have a copy of their long-anticipated desserts cookbook and I got to spend some quality time with my friends. I was so happy that Tracy was able to make it to the book signing from Grand Rapids. If only Kerry could have come up from Tennessee! Next time! The four of us haven't been in the same place in 20 years. 

The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Desserts cookbook is just beautiful - perfect to display on the cookbook stand in your kitchen. I can't wait to make the Roasted Caramel Pears and the Lemon Lavender Squares.  Yum! The bonus of this great day was that I was able to meet some of Josh and Brent's other friends and realize how much we all have in common.  Like baking...

Beekman Boys Are Married And Coming to a City Near You

The night we had dinner together (July 26)  happened to be Josh and Brent's one-month wedding anniversary.  We weren't at the wedding, but at least we could toast this first married milestone. Josh was at our wedding twenty-one years ago and it was so fun to reminisce.

After the success of their first cookbook, The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook, which is loaded with beautiful photographs and wonderful family recipes, Josh and Brent have written the much anticipated cookbook on Heirloom Desserts!  

Butter and sugar and eggs, oh my!  They are about to embark on a book tour and I look forward to seeing them in Lansing, Michigan, near our beloved Michigan State University, where Josh and I went to college. Are they coming to a city near you? Check their schedule here.

Josh and Brent were married at their farm on June 28, 2013 and Martha Stewart took some beautiful photos of the big event and blogged all about it here in The Martha Blog. Enjoy!

Polka Spot at Beekman Boys Farm and Goats Galore

I have a dear friend who loves watching the Beekman Boys on The Cooking Channel (who doesn't?).  But she is not an internet girl and she doesn't follow their life and career on Facebook or Twitter.  Her perception of them is frozen in time, if you will, bound by the episodes filmed on their farm in Sharon Springs.

So when I told her that I was going to visit my friends (who happen to be The Fabulous Beekman Boys) at their farm in New York, she had one request.  "I just want to know that the llama's okay."

THE llama is named Polka Spot and she has quite a following of her own.  The picture above shows her happy and healthy, eating hay and showing off the new haircut she got for Josh and Brent's wedding.  I printed this photo of Polka Spot for my friend and I'm sure that it's up on her frige.

These are some of the goats that were curious about our visit.  

When we toured the barn, I was happy that we had a chance to meet John, the goat farmer. I "know" him from the television show and wanted to give him my best in person.  He was busy milking the goats and tending to their every need. 

These are the goats that produce the milk for the very fabulous soaps and cheeses that the world is buzzing about.  Here is an excerpt from Vogue urging the beauty-minded to head to Sharon Springs and buy their goat milk soap.

I made an impromptu cheese board when we got home from our trip.  We lovingly traveled back to Michigan with a wheel of Beekman 1802 BLAAK and put simply, I-LOVE-IT.  I served it with a variety of crackers and a cube of honey comb, along with a spreadable goat cheese/lemon curd combination from Idyll Farms in northern Michigan.  The dinner that followed paled in comparison, that's for sure. 

Beekman 1802 Ice Cream Social in Sharon Springs

I am never one to miss a party.  Add ice cream to the docket and I'm there for sure!  It just so happened that the Beekman Boys planned an ice cream social at their store, Beekman 1802 Mercantile in Sharon Springs, New York for the same weekend that we were visiting!

Here we are with my dear friend, Josh.  You've already read in earlier posts about how we have been friends since our days at Michigan State University.  It was great to be together again.

Josh and Brent introduced Beekman 1802 ice cream (made with cow and goat milk) to their line of Beekman 1802 products this summer.  We were happy to join the party and devour these cartons of artisanal tart cherry almond and orchid vanilla ice cream. Townspeople and customers alike gathered on the steps of the Beekman mercantile and socialized. We agreed that nothing tastes as good as cold ice cream on a warm summer night.  It was a little like Mayberry and I loved every minute of it.

Thank you, Josh and Brent, for hosting some old-fashioned fun. 

Beekman 1802 Mercantile & Mortgage Lifter Ad on The Super Bowl

As a girl that has dreamed of owning a general store (dollhouse size one at the very least!), it warmed my heart to step inside the beautiful Beekman 1802 mercantile in Sharon Springs, New York.  The fact that this old fashioned concept has been recreated by my two friends and filled to the brim with items inspired by life on their farm, made my visit all the more sweet.   

Naturally I have been buying their fabulous Beekman 1802 products online for years, but I must admit, that the store ambiance, selection and tasting bar made me want one of everything they offer x 3!  In fact, Brent teased me about having to replenish the shelf of "Blaak Drizzle" after I loaded 4 bottles into my basket.  It is a concoction of balsamic, fig and elderberry that I drizzle on everything from meats to salads and back again.  I was smart enough to buy an extra bottle to keep at the cottage too, so I'll never be without. 

So, yes, these are my friends, and yes, I want them to succeed, but I am writing about their store and products because they are unique, delicious and truly bring delight.  There is no question about that.  So I thought it would be fun to show you pictures of the store and tell you which products in particular that I love. 

First I must start with their goat milk soaps, because that is where it all began. Beekman 1802 started with their now famous goat milk soaps.  Their selection of natural soaps are named (and scented) based on the 12 months on the farm.  
When my friends at home asked me to bring them "a little something" from the store, I chose the month of July soap (since I was visiting in July) for each of them.   The Beekman 1802 July soap has a fragrance "inspired by a walk through the Beekman 1802 Herb Garden with hints of thyme, mint, and more tasty summer favorites."  It was a hit!  They all loved it.

I bought myself a bar of "After The Garden: Tart Cherry Pit" soap to keep with a bowl of water on my potting table. I will use it to clean up after I've spent time in the garden.  The ground cherry pits are to help loosen the dirt and the cherry scent is fresh and lovely.

The store has a lit showcase in the wall (above) to display a product as the work of art that it is.  When I was visiting, the "Summer" bar of soap was in the spotlight.

This is a display (above) of the "Good Neighbor Pie Kit," which is a set of 3 heavy duty metal pie tins stamped with Beekman 1802.  The intent is to encourage the baking and giving of homemade pies by creating a good-looking, yet reasonable a pie tin that the baker can feel good about giving away.  

I love this idea.  The funny thing was that when I showed these pictures to my mom, she saw these pie tins and proclaimed, "That's what I want!"  Really? She doesn't bake.  But mine is not to question why.  I've added a set of pie tins to my next online order, just for her.

This photograph shows a bit of the delicious and inspirational "Mortgage Lifter Heirloom Tomato Pasta Sauce".  Have you heard about this sauce?  Josh and Brent won the Amazing Race last year (didn't I mention that?). Watch the Albany news station's broadcast (below) to see the announcement that the Beekman Boys had won $1 million dollars on The Amazing Race. It's a great synopsis.

Josh and Brent used their winnings to pay off their mortgage on the farm and this allowed Josh to leave his job in New York City and fulfill his dream of living on the farm full time.  The two also put some of the million dollars into starting a line of heirloom tomato products (using tomatoes from their farm and other farms) called the "Mortgage Lifter."  They in turn, have announced that "25% of the profits of this amazing sauce are donated to directly help struggling small American farmers."  Isn't that outstanding?  They are using their success to help others succeed.  I'm in.  Oh, and the sauce is wonderful.  Rich and flavorful.  I know that I will serve it for dinner again and again.  

***Want to help them sell more sauce and therefore help more American farms? Intuit is having a "Small Business/Big Game" contest for a small company to win an advertisement to be broadcast during the Super Bowl - click here and vote for Beekman 1802!

While I was in their store in Sharon Springs, I also bought "Spring Harvest Honey" - yum! I have some of their "Rosemary Creamed Honey" at home that I serve often when I make a cheese tray, so I thought a classic pure honey would be a good next step.  I was right.

So...can you tell that my luggage was packed to the brim?!  I was so happy to support my friends and have lots of new products to enjoy. Shopping at Beekman 1802 is a win-win, all day long.  If you would like to see more of Josh and Brent's world, be sure to visit their webpage www.Beekman1802.com and look for their tv show "The Fabulous Beekman Boys" on The Cooking Channel.  It will be time well spent. 

Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Anne Reeves at the Beekman 1802 Farm

Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Anne Reeves at the Beekman 1802 farm.

I finally made it to upstate New York to visit my friends, Josh and Brent at their farm in Sharon Springs.  I have known Josh since college, where we were English majors at Michigan State University.  I was part of a close knit group of friends (Josh, Tracy, Kerry, Me) and I don't think a day went by that I didn't see them.  We are all still good friends, but life has us living in separate parts of the country and our "visits" are more often on the phone, than in person (though I do get to see Tracy next month!).  

Over time, Dan and I have become friends with Josh's husband, Brent too and we try to see each other whenever we go to New York or they come to Michigan on a book tour.  

We started planning this trip back in January and were so happy to be able to combine a visit to see Dan's relatives near Albany with a trip to see Josh and Brent and the world of Beekman 1802 that they've built in Sharon Springs.

This is their beautiful Beekman mansion on a picture perfect July day.  

Now we've come to the portion of this blog post where I get to rave about my friends. Maybe you know of them already, Josh and Brent are The Fabulous Beekman Boys.  I know, can you stand it?  

They are stars of a reality show on the Cooking Channel called "The Fabulous Beekman Boys." It revolves around how two Manhattanites leave the big city to work and live on a beautiful piece of property in a quiet New York town called Sharon Springs. The house (built by William Beekman in 1802), land and its history takes on a life of its own and eventually turns Josh and Brent into "accidental farmers" that create a lifestyle brand around products like goat milk soap, cheese and heirloom vegetables.  You can delve into their fascinating world and shop for all of their wonderful products online at Beekman 1802.

Is a show about a goat farm a little crazy? Yes. Is it a bit like "Green Acres?" You bet. But it is also light, charming, and a really fun blend of modern life with age old farming rules. Tweeting & pigs? Josh. Worried about having a clean farm? Brent. 

The show is full of love and nature and goats. The beautiful cinematography showcasing all four seasons on the farm alone makes it worth watching.  And my friends do indeed show the world what I've known all along...they are fabulous.  

So when Josh wanted to "show us around" the house and farm, we were technically walking around a television set.  Yes, this is the barn that houses all their beloved goats.  I must say, it was surreal (and wonderful) to visit my friends' home, after having seen it on national tv and in the pages of Country Living magazine.  It is a wonderful place to call home and since filming ended a while ago, the house and farm seem peaceful.  How could you not relax with a summer breeze blowing across the open landscape?

Josh and Brent have so many interesting aspects to their life and business and I want you to know them and support them, as I do.  I will share more about my visit to their mercantile soon.  

Beekman Boys win Amazing Race

Our cheers for Team Beekman worked!  I am delighted to report that my friends WON The Amazing Race, which means they have won a million dollars!  

Dear friends of mine, Josh and Brent, were a team on the fall season of The Amazing Race.  The show began on ABC on September 30th and the finale was last night.  You can watch a pre-show video interview with Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge here.

I only use my photographs on my blog, so I've put a picture of Josh and me back in 2006 in NYC.  Josh and I went through the English Literature BA program at Michigan State University and I am so happy that this win means that he can stop commuting (for work) between NYC and their goat farm in the country and live with Brent in Sharon Springs full time.  

Josh and Brent have an exciting life as goat farmers, founders of the brand Beekman 1802 (a lifestyle brand founded in small town America) that features goat milk soap, BLAAK aged goat cheese and a selection of artisanal onion jams, caramel cajeta sauce and rosemary-creamed honey. (*Hint: I'm giving some of their glorious products for Christmas this year and I know the recipients will be thrilled!)  

You can actually watch their life on a TV show called "The Fabulous Beekman Boys."  An entire season is being rebroadcast on The Cooking Channel.  Originally filmed and broadcast on Plant Green, we are all hoping that the show gains a large enough audience to justify filming another season of life on the Beekman farm.  Could a win on The Amazing Race clinch another season? I hope so!

Josh and Brent's lifestyle/reality show is a charming look about the real life issues of working in NYC and trying to establish a new venture in small town America.  The photography is stunning (believe me, you will want to visit), plus the animals on the farm are characters in themselves.    

Josh is an advertising executive and New York Times best selling author and together he and Brent (MBA/Physician) have also written a Heirloom Cookbook, using the recipes they created from their heirloom seed garden.  Their talent is endless and a "game show million" couldn't benefit a nicer couple.


After last night's exciting win, Josh and Brent posted this thank you on their website and I wanted you to see it: 7 Billion "Thank You" Notes. | Beekman1802.com

Team Beekman: The Amazing Race Cheering Section

I want you to join my cheering section on this season on The Amazing Race.  One of my oldest friends and his partner are a team on the fall season of The Amazing Race!  The show begins on ABC on September 30th and you can watch a video interview with Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge here.

I only use my photographs on my blog, so I've put a picture of Josh and me back in 2006 in NYC.  Josh and I went through the English Literature BA program at Michigan State University and I couldn't be happier to lend my support and try to promote his efforts here.  

Josh and Brent have an exciting life right now as goat farmers, founders of the brand Beekman 1802 (a lifestyle brand founded in small town America) that features goat milk soaps, BLAAK aged goat cheese and a selection of artisanal onion jams, caramel cajeta sauce and creamed honey.  

You can actually watch their life on a tv show called "The Fabulous Beekman Boys."  An entire season is being rebroadcast on The Cooking Channel starting September 20 at 10pm.  Originally filmed and broadcast on Plant Green, we are all hoping that the show gains a large enough audience to justify filming another season of life on the Beekman farm.  It is a charming show about the real life issues of working in NYC and trying to establish a new venture in small town America.  The photography is stunning (believe me, you will want to visit), plus the animals on the farm are characters in themselves.    

Josh is an advertising executive and New York Times best selling author and together he and Brent (a physician) have also written a Heirloom Cookbook, using the recipes they created from their heirloom seed garden.  Last year, The Beekman Boys helped to breathe life into a local Heirloom Seed company by partnering with Williams Sonoma to promote a special collection of Beekman 1802 heirloom vegetable seeds.  Neat, eh?   

As you can see, these "boys" are creative entrepreneurs and savvy businessmen, but most of all they are kind, generous and steadfast friends.  If anyone can win The Amazing Race, it's Team Beekman.  Let the games begin!