Tom Lake: a novel by Ann Pachett and Cherry Burrata Salad

I have a new favorite book club book to recommend: Tom Lake by Ann Pachett. It's set in northern Michigan on a cherry orchard during the pandemic (when all three young adult daughters are home because of the lockdown) and has the 57-year-old mother recounting her days when she was a 20-something actress starring in the local summer theater where she dated a now famous movie star. 

The story is rich with truths about friendships, loyalty and ambition vs a quiet life. It's wonderful, albeit wholly dependent on the reader being fluent in Thornton Wilder's play Our Town. If you aren't aware of the big parallels between the characters, scenes and lessons, you may miss some of Pachett's most effective scenes (when Duke walks into Joe's Aunt's kitchen and then up into the cemetery you realize that he has seen the set of Our Town come to life).

I recommend watching this version of Our Town from Broadway with Paul Newman on YouTube. 

I brought a Cherry Burrata Salad to our book club on a State of Michigan melamine plate. I made sure that the cherry region near Leelanau peninsula was visible. The salad is simple. Place several blotted dry burrata cheese on a platter and cut them through crosswise. Scatter fresh pitted cherries, (washed and sliced in half) and cherry tomatoes (washed and halved) around the burrata. Slice fresh basil in thin strips and garnish across the top. Drizzle all over with olive oil. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Crack fresh pepper and sprinkle with sea salt. 

State Silhouette Sweatshirt

This is my Michigan State sweatshirt! Ha ha ha...  Isn't it fabulous?  I really wanted a casual Summer sweatshirt that I could throw on and wear: to beach fires, on the boat etc.  Something that said I was happy to be away from it all and at the cottage.  There are many northern Michigan sweatshirts but most of them have giant typeface splashed across your chest.  Not exactly what I was looking for.  I had seen someone last Summer with a blue on blue "State of Michigan" silhouette and I loved it, except for the blue on blue part.  And it was a hoodie.  So I was inspired to create something just for me.  It's so cute, I am showing you how to make it just for you.

I had this pretty periwinkle sweatshirt from the GAP (circa 1994?) and chose to make my state silhouette in peach.  Pretty, right?  Here's how you do it:

I found this State of Michigan silhouette at a free download website.  I downloaded the image and saved it to my computer.  Then I opened the software called Microsoft Publisher and chose "New Document."  Then I chose "insert picture" and chose the State of MIchigan image from where I saved it on my computer.  You can choose "Forma", "Size" and increase the image until it fills an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper, which is the largest you can print.  (I actually increased it so that the lower peninsula filled the sheet (and saved it), then I went back and increased the upper peninsula by the same percentage (and saved it with a different name) so that they would match and stay in scale.)  Put your mouse on the image and "right click". Chose "format picture", "Recolor" and then click the drop down arrow to see the variety of colors to choose from (you can see even more if you then select - "more colors").  Click on the shade you want, click "ok" and "ok and you will see the State of Michigan in your new color!  Now you will print it on a Printable Fabric Sheet.  When the ink has dried, iron the area to set the ink according to the package instructions.  Then peel away the protective sheet.  Now follow the instructions on a package of double sided fusible interfacing and iron an 8.5 x 11 piece of it onto the wrong side (no color) of the sheet of fabric that you printed Michigan on.  Now painstakingly, cut out the entire state.  Position it onto your sweatshirt where you want it and (follow the double sided fusible interfacing packaging) to iron it onto your sweatshirt.  The double sided interfacing makes it adhere to the sweatshirt and kind of acts like double-sided tape.  Wear and enjoy!   

If you don't want to make your own, you might find a combination you like with a silhouette of the State of Michigan on this website.