Blue Boat: A Coffee Bar in Leland

My days in Leland have gotten a little brighter. One of the new businesses that opened in our little resort town is called Blue Boat and it's a coffee bar! This is an action shot (above) of a pour over coffee brewing. There were 4 choices of beans for pour over that day and since I am not an expert in knowing which region I like my beans from, they allowed me to make my choice by scent.

I noticed on the Blue Boat Facebook Page that their barista, Kent, participated in a latte art competition in Traverse City last month. How cool. I would love to go to an event like that, proving that Seattle is going to be a great new home for me. My friend loved her pour over and I thought that my latte was delicious. It was rich and smooth and divine and it wasn't just because I detected whole milk.

My extended family loves this new coffee bar and we had Blue Boat logo-ed paper cups all over the house during the July 4th holiday. Some even saw actor, comedian and summer resident, Tim Allen in line for a cup. I had a chance to meet Tim Allen and welcome him to the area a few years ago. I plan to frequent Blue Boat coffee and expect that someday soon I will the voice of "Pure Michigan" order a latte. 

Art in Leelanau County: An Alternative Day at the Beach

What a lovely day to paint! When my mom and I decided to spend an afternoon at the beach and we weren't playing volleyball. Have you ever painted a scene from your summer vacation?

This slope of land that juts into Good Harbor Bay is know as Whaleback, because the shape resembles a whale emerging from the water. I have photographed it many times and I knew that it would be a great landscape to paint.

Monet, I am not, but I did have fun trying my hand at the local landmark. I am going to mail this card out to Dan in Seattle. It's not wonderful, but it is definitely refrigerator-worthy.

Cue the Swan: Driving M-22

Cue the swan! Whenever we have guests at our cottage and we are enjoying a beautiful day, I call out "Cue the swan!" as if adding that little touch (real swan) would make their experience in northern Michigan perfect.  

Well we were rolling north along M-22 fromTraverse City when I noticed this beautiful view...complete with swan! Enjoy

Little Bee's Italian Ice in Suttons Bay

How can I have missed sharing this little gem with you?  I have loved Little Bee's Italian Ice in Suttons Bay for years, yet somehow I missed writing a blog post about it.  When I went to congratulate them today on making the cover of Edible Grand Traverse, I realized my oversight.

Jennifer and Tony are the artists and icy engineers that make Little Bee's incredible desserts.  Gelato, Sorbet and Italian Ices are made in house, in small batches daily.  I once walked into the shop when Jennifer was squeezing lemons and I thought, "Wow, they aren't kidding around. Fresh lemon juice, indeed."

And of course, the lemon ice was cold and tart and perfectly refreshing. Each summer I stop in as often as possible and I'm always greeted with a smile. 

The Suttons Bay shop also serves as an art gallery for Jennifer's landscapes and Tony's figurative sculptures. They have fashioned a creative life for themselves that I can appreciate. 

The couple concentrates on their frozen desserts in the spring and summer when Michigan fruit is fresh and the town is busy, and then they teach and work on their artistic endeavors (that will ultimately be displayed in the shop the next Spring!) during the quiet Winter months from November to May.

This is their vibrant all-natural sorbet on the cover of the Summer 2014 Edible Grand Traverse magazine. You can read the entire article online here - page 23 & 24.  Congratulations, Tony and Jennifer!

9 Bean Rows Pastries are a 10

It was the right thing to do.  When my dad and I stopped into the new 9 Bean Rows location in Lake Leelanau and saw their bakery case full of homemade French pastries, he said he thought that we should sit at a table and enjoy one right then. Amen.  

I had an apricot pinwheel and this sticky-chewy-buttery masterpiece got us talking about how it would be easier to turn down other pastries in the future, now that we have had the best. 

Did you notice the green magazine cover called "Edible Grand Traverse" in my photo (above)? I love this free foodie magazine that is printed by region (I found Edible Seattle in Washington) and spotlights the best and brightest in food and farms. Look for one in your area.

There are a lot of croissants and pastries in the world and I give you my word, the pastries at 9 Bean Rows rival the best I have ever had.

I also wanted you to see baker Jen's beloved baking books.  This is the well worn library of a master.  The most tattered cover belongs to The Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg.  If you want to learn the craft, I would start here.

Marsh Marigolds: Golden Mounds of Pure Delight

The sun was as high and bright as these clusters of yellow marsh marigolds.  If I could have taken my photos a few hours later, I would have been able to capture a little more depth in the blossoms (above). But...finding delight in everyday life means enjoying what this world has to offer when you can.  

I was driving from Leelanau county over to Gaylord, Michigan that afternoon, so I only had a short time to galavant with my mom taking pictures before I had to pack up and leave.  She had noticed marsh marigolds blooming in a ditch near Cedar, so we could only assume that our favorite spot was in bloom.

Tah-dah! The marsh marigolds were at their peak! Look at the gorgeous mounds of leaves and blooms hovering over the clear cold stream.  We leaned on the highway guard rail (in a very quiet stretch of highway) and took photos from every angle we could think of.  The sun was so bright, we had a hard time seeing the camera screen against the glare. At any point I was hoping for the best framing and I am so happy with the results.

I chose this photo to show you just how many marsh marigolds there were, and to highlight how they meander far into the woods.  I said, "Cue the moose!" to my mom, as if this were a movie set and I could command mother nature to send in some Extras.  

Do me a favor and picture a moose stepping out of the woods into the sunshine.

Leelanau County: 9 Bean Rows

Even the natural lighting makes the new 9 Bean Rows cafe in Suttons Bay feel French.  You see it too, right?

We were some of the first to eat at the new cafe.  I have been tracking down the 9 Bean Rows croissants for 2 summers now (remember this?) and when I heard that they were opening a lunch spot in a nearby town, I could hardly wait. 

My first lunch at 9 Bean Rows was a hot croque monsieur and an order of french fries with garlic aioli, that I shared with my friends. We savored our lunch and enjoyed a chance to linger.  This would be the perfect place to duck in some afternoon and have some wine, bread and cheese before a movie.  

I am really happy that another great restaurant has opened on the Leelanau Peninsula. Beautiful fresh bread, tender pastries and fresh-from-the-farm (their farm!) ingredients.  Simple and delicious.

Ariel View: Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes

Birds Eye View, indeed!  I realized on my return flight that I shouldn't have my pocket camera on during take-off.  I didn't realize that anything with a battery had to be turned completely off.  Well this was before I knew better and was a Delta flight from Traverse City to Minneapolis.

Look at the view!  This can only be part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  I'm sure you remember me writing about this famous national park when it won "America's Most Beautiful Place" in a Good Morning America contest. The beautiful white areas on the shoreline are giant sand dunes (some over 400 feet high) that jut down straight into Lake Michigan.

I love the view from the top of the dunes (above), but seeing it from the air is spectacular too! I just had to show you. 

Leelanau Peninsula: Light of Day Organic Tea Farm

When I heard that Leelanau County had an organic tea farm (the only one in Michigan), I knew right away that I wanted to visit.  Light of Day Organic Teas is just 8 miles West of Traverse City and is an easy drive from the cottage.  

Dan and I drove over on a steamy ninety-degree afternoon and ran into the owner, Angela Macke tending (and watering!) the plants, flowers and herbs that she grows for her organic teas.  On this large and breezy farm, there is a gazebo, yurt, hoop house (that's where the tea grows) and many many garden beds full of flowers.

Angela, a self-proclaimed tea-evangelist, told us about the tea bar inside the retail store and encouraged us to stay for a tea tasting ($6), if we had the time. A tea tasting was exactly what I was hoping for. At the time, four customers were in the middle of a tasting, so we had a few minutes to wander around before our tea tasting would begin.  

Angela invited us to explore her biodynamic farm and told us that we were welcome to relax and lay down on a bench in the yurt. The yurt is where Angela holds her tea classes and seems to be the spiritual center of the farm.

Now, I have never been offered a chance to lay down in a yurt, so I took her up on it.  Angela said that it is a quiet restorative space and that every once in a while she loves to take a moment to lay down and reflect.  I can attest that it is a great space.

Our guide for the tea tasting was Rosemarie - she is a treasure! She has an incredible working knowledge of the Light of Day teas and their biodynamic farming practices.  The tasting included an explanation of tea leaves, preparation, tea and wellness, along with a sampling of hot and cold teas.  

When I returned with a friend this week, I was a bit disappointed to learn that the tasting format had changed to a less formal instruction.  I can understand that the change was necessary.  At the height of the season, it would be very hard to give a 2-4-person instruction and tasting, while new customers entered the store continually needing customer service and sales help.  I feel lucky that we were able to hear Rosemarie give her whole spiel uninterrupted - she's a born teacher.  If you see her in the shop, ask her questions!   

On my first visit I bought a tin of Strawberry Ice (White Tea buds and leaves, Strawberry, Chamomile) and All Heart (Green Tea, Pink Rosebuds, Montmorency Cherry).  I like them both!

If you are interested in learning more about Light of Day Organic Teas, I encourage you to visit the farm (and their website!).  Also, watch the YouTube video they have posted in their "Press" section of their website.  You can see Angela explain her philosophy and get an overview of her tea farm.  It's wonderful.  If you have a chance to visit this interesting tea farm, do it!

Leelanau Peninsula: Idyll Farms: A Lucky Find

There is nothing like stumbling upon a new culinary delight a few hours before you need to bring something to a picnic!

I was finally able to visit the Sara Hardy Farmers Market in Traverse City last Saturday.  Traverse City is becoming quite a mecca for foodies and I knew that I would be able to find the best-of-the-best from local growers and purveyors. 

My favorite find was this simple but delicious combination of fresh lemon curd topped with spreadable goat cheese from Idyll Farms.  Yum!  It has a sweetness from the lemon curd and a cool tang from the goat cheese that was perfect for a picnic.  I simply opened the container and put it on a bamboo plate with nasturtiums and crackers. 

It was a perfect light and fresh start to the annual Bar-B-Cruise picnic held by the Leland Yacht Club.  Every year members decorate their boats in a theme and parade past the judges for points and a chance at winning the Mermaid flag.  At night, 700+ people come together for a casual picnic dinner of ribs, meat, corn on the cob and more meat all cooked on site.  This is summer fun.

Leland: The Blue Bird Patio

A new twist on a classic.  When you start talking about your upcoming trip to Leland, Michigan, it won't be long before some insists that you eat at The Blue Bird.  They are right; The Blue Bird's whitefish dinner (broiled, with lemon) is not to be missed.

The twist is that for the past two Summers, they have opened a patio on the Leland River.  They have a limited menu, but you can still have their famous whitefish, just hot off the grill!  It is the perfect place to have an easy dinner in the open air.  A vacation dinner without the reservation.  Bravo!

Leelanau Peninsula: Hearth and Vine at Black Star Farms

It is the Hearth and Vine Cafe's Blueberry Salad with pea shoots, baked ricotta cheese, honey, candied pecans and chive blossom verjus.  If you read that description, wouldn't you order it?  They had me at verjus.

It was lovely, and fresh, and tasted like summer on a plate.  I recommend ordering this beautiful salad (plus one of their wood fired pizzas) and then find a table out on the patio.  

After lunch, walk over to the tasting room to sample wines from the Black Star Farms vineyard.  When you've made your choices, walk outside and around to the back of the building and visit Leelanau Cheese. You can buy the freshest cheese around to go with the wine for tomorrow's dinner.  

See, aren't you having fun?  This is the Leelanau Peninsula at its best.    

Leelanau Peninsula: Go for a beach walk

Everyone can benefit from some time on their own.  The cottage life can be a noisy life and a 30 minute walk on the beach can reset the calm and energize you for the next bit of fun.

When you are on the shore of Lake Michigan in the Leelanau peninsula, your walk might take you past a few petoskey stones, if you're lucky.  The petoskey stone is a rock composed of fossilized coral and it can only be found in the upper peninsula and certain areas of the northwestern lower peninsula of Michigan.  The stone has tiny circular lines of coral that are most apparent when wet.  There is a even a Petoskey Stone Festival that is now in its eighth year - I bet you could find a lot of jewelry in the artist booths there.

Petoskey stones are beautiful when polished and many local artisans polish and drill them to create jewelry, a bit like a regional flag.  If you recognize this as a petoskey stone (Michigan's State Stone), then you know where I come from.  As a child, we rubbed petoskey stones with Vaseline to make the pattern appear and the sheen would keep the pattern visible for days.

So keep your eyes out on your beach walk.  You never know when you'll find a little piece of Michigan's history.

Breakfast at Martha's Leelanau Table in Suttons Bay

One of the things I love about summer is meeting friends for breakfast at Martha's Leelanau Table.  During the year, it isn't realistic to think that we can meet for a leisurely breakfast; our schedules just don't allow for it.  Yet when friends of mine are on vacation out on the Leelanau peninsula (Suttons Bay, Leland, Northport, Glen Arbor), it is the "breakfast" time slot that makes a lot of sense for us to get together. 

Their children are still asleep or puttering around the house with dad having pancakes and the big plans for the day (dune climb, boating) are scheduled for later in the day.  My friends know that I am in Leland for big chunks of the summer and call me to meet up for a visit and some one-on-one chats.

I always suggest Martha's Leelanau Table because the food is delicious, the atmosphere is bistro-like and we can usually score a table on the garden patio outside.  Who doesn't enjoy eating breakfast al fresco?

I like their huevos rancheros (corn tostada with scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheese, black beans, Martha's salsa and sour cream) and on this particular morning I had Dan with me, so we split an order of cherry bread french toast (french toast made with cherry bread and served with cherry preserves 
and Leelanau maple syrup) too.  Yum yum yum yum yum.

The next time you are on vacation within reach of a good friend, put "Meet (insert name) for breakfast" on your list of things to do.  Somewhere after "go kayaking" and "eat S'mores."  You'll make a whole different kind of vacation memory. 

Leelanau Peninsula is Cherry Country

I am in cherry country!  I had to pull off the road on my way back from the lavender farm to photograph these cherries hanging from the trees.  They looked too good to be true.  Aren't they beautiful?

It seems like every branch of every tree is loaded with bright red cherries.

And I mean loaded - look at the tree above! 

There is a whirl of data about the benefits of eating tart cherries and while they are great in a pie (try my recipe here), I have found a way to add them to my diet that is more daily than dessert.

My source for adding a bit of cherry year round is Michelle's Miracle.  She makes a tart cherry concentrate that I keep in my refrigerator and can add a tablespoon to my daily drink of sparkling water mixed with a few inches of cranberry juice.  It's refreshing and it makes me feel like I am doing something wonderful for my all of my cells.  It's not scientific, but I like it.

Leelanau Lavender Breezes in Leelanau County

The Lavender is blooming on the Leelanau Peninsula!  Leelanau Lavender Breezes is a lavender-based business that has opened a farm stand selling their lavender products and fresh cut bouquets every Friday and Saturday from 10-3 in July.  You'll know they're open by the white sign they put out on the road where Kilwy Road meets County Road 651 (Good Harbor Trail) in Cedar, Michigan.

Leelanau Lavender Breezes sells their products at the Glen Arbor and Leland farmer's market, as well as in a few local shops. While I own a few of their culinary products, I had never been to their beautiful lavender farm.  I didn't even know that they were planning on opening a stand at the farm, but when I mentioned lavender to my mom she immediately referred to the sign that was just put out on County Rd 651.  Moms know everything, right?  

Since the stand was open for another hour, we hopped in the car and went in hopes of finding lavender that was ready to harvest into bouquets.  When I opened the car door, the scent of lavender was everywhere.  I didn't need the sign to confirm that I had found the right barn.  

We were greeted by owner, Penny Spencer's darling daughter and spent the next little while admiring their beautiful selection of culinary lavender, formal bath soaps and drawer/dryer sachets at the farm stand they have set up in their barn.  I have a container of their Chef's Finishing Essence in my cupboard at home and I like to sprinkle it on grilled chicken or steamed green beans.  

When it was time to cut the bouquets, we followed our young charge into the lavender field and took photos while she expertly cut our bouquets.  She was just wonderful. 

Two varieties of lavender are in bloom right now (more are expected to open in the coming weeks) and we bought bouquets of each.  Another darling daughter packaged our purchases with care in purple tissue and a bag; she's too young for the clippers, but she handled the gift wrapping with ease.

I was able to meet Penny in the lower level of the barn where she was distilling fresh lavender into a spray called hydrosol.  This family is committed to a life of delight - bringing the visual, edible and aromatic benefit of lavender to their customers in northern Michigan and beyond.  I feel relaxed already.

Leelanau Peninsula: Painted Furniture Artist Dona Kelly

I have long admired northern Michigan artist Dona Kelly and this is the perfect time to put her in the spotlight.  Her signature style is blending uplifting phrases with locally-inspired illustrations on furniture and mirrors.  She was recently commissioned to make a "Leland" piece for the entrance to the newly remodeled Leland Lodge.  In a word, it is spectacular.

She has brought a map of Leland to life on a beautiful sideboard with drawers (Psst...open the drawers to see more images inside!).  If you have ever walked the streets of this charming town on the shores of Lake Michigan, you will feel right at home.

She has the Leland River winding past the Riverside Inn, the library, the Merc and over the dam to into historic Fishtown, just like you remember.  

I feel like this will become "the art to visit" for generations to come - a trip wouldn't be the same without spending a few minutes studying the map.  I know that young and old will enjoy finding their favorite stores, locating where their cottage is or pointing out where they had a picnic.  This is art reflecting life in the best possible way.

If you love this piece like I do, you can contact Dona Kelly to get something for yourself!  Her email is kellygirlart@yahoo.com  She will also be selling her upbeat collection at the Leland Artist Market at the Old Art Building on July 13, 2013 from 10-5pm.

Martha Stewart Spotlights Leelanau Peninsula

Martha Stewart Living magazine is touting what we've known for years...the Leelanau Peninsula is the place to be in the summertime.  Have you noticed that many of Martha's picks have already been spotlighted in my blog?

I've written about:

• visiting The Grand Traverse Lighthouse in Northport
• the endless inspiration for photographers at the Sleeping Bear Dunes
• reflections on the Leland Harbor
• the satisfaction of eating fresh pastries by 9 Bean Rows
• a taste of raclette by the Leelanau Cheese Company
• visiting historic Fishtown and making "tug" cookies
• buying and grilling fresh whitefish from Carlson's
• a girl's lunch at Martha's Leelanau Table

Good times!  Martha Stewart has directed everyone to some great spots - but she barely scratched the surface!  I am looking forward to another wonderful summer here on the Leelanau Peninsula.  Stay tuned for photographs and stories highlighting the best of the best.  And look in my "City Series" section in the right hand sidebar - I have my "Leland" and "Leelanau Peninsula" posts there.  

To see Martha's list, look at this online article (a companion to the July issue of Martha Stewart Living).