End of the Season Specials

A recent art crawl adventure on Saturday brought me to several new undiscovered locations around northern lake countryside. Each place visited was a visual display of showy gardens with an array of interesting art works that included fiber, pottery, jewelry, wood products and photography. Actually a shopper's paradise!
Toward the end of our 6 hour journey moving from one location to another I was excited to see that we were so close to the Fairyland Cottage. I told my friend that I wrote about discovering this cottage on a canoe ride to a nearby lake in a July 7th blog entry. The front entrance seemed more impressive than I had remembered. The lush arched entrance and winding paved walkway certainly was an invitation to step inside the store. But for me the sign: End of the Season Sale scheduled for Labor Day is what really caught my attention. I knew in instant that a shopping trip there would be a must for Monday.
Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the Fairyland Cottage on Monday to see Will passing out fliers advertising in store specials to customers entering the store. My guess is that in July he and Holokai did such a good job with the crowd at the Sock Mart Sock Competition that the Fairyland Cottage owners knew he was able to draw in a crowd.
I inquired where his sock monkey friends were and it turned out the Sock Mart also had a big Labor Day sale going on and they were needed at the store to entertain the crowds. Will said all this work was coming to an end now with the start of school this week. But he hoped Holokai would get hired again next summer at the Sock Mart.
One of the best purchases I made at the sale was buying Sock Sacks. These sacks are paper bags (lunch size) with directions inside for making your very own monkey socks. And even the right amount of yarn was included. I am anxious to make a pair since the weather has turned rather chilly as of late.
I posted some pictures for your enjoyment.
But before I start a knitting project I think I will make this apple bread recipe.
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Apple Walnut Carrot Bread

Ingredients:

• 1- 3/4 cups of white flour-option: do half white and whole wheatflour
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 TB. baking powder
• pinch fine sea salt
• 1-1/2-2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and allspice
• 2/3 cup apple juice
• 5 TB. butter melted
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 1-2 large tart apples chopped in very small chunks
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

• Grease well a loaf pan
• Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices set aside
• In another bowl mix apple juice, melted butter and eggs
• Gently fold this mixture into flour mixture
• Use your hands to squeeze out any extra moisture from carrots and apple before adding to mixture
• Stir in walnuts
  

Bake 350 check at 45 minutes bread is done when toothpick comes out clean
Recipe adapted from Lunds and Byerlys Real Food magazine Fall issue