New cookbook is farmhouse fresh
Rachel Quenzer considers herself and husband Kevin “reformed Chicago suburbanites.” The pair left the Windy City in 2018 in search of a quieter life and ended up on a 7-acre farm in western Michigan, where she gardens, raises her two children, works on restoring their farmhouse and creates recipes. The fruits of her work are documented in her blog, sugarmaplefarmhouse, and featured in her hot-off-the-press cookbook, “Fresh from the Farmhouse.” Named for the 120-year-old sugar maple tree outside their front door, the book is a collection of recipes that honor the author’s heritage, the farm life she has created and her love for a good meal around a big table of family, she says. “In a way, it is a love letter to my grandmothers,” she says. The book is available on Amazon, Target, bookstores or through her website, sugarmaplefarmhouse.com.
Beekeeping basics in St. Clair Shores
Interested in learning to keep bees? If so, don’t miss the upcoming St. Clair Shores Yardeners presentation at 7 p.m. Oct. 14. Karen Burke will share what is involved, in time and cost, for successful beekeeping and give tips on what education and muscle is needed for rewarding honey production. Burke is the proprietor of Honey Hollow Apiaries and has been a supporter of the group’s annual garden tour. The presentation will be held at the St. Clair Shores Library, 22500 E. 11 Mile in St. Clair Shores. Visit www.scsmi.net/829/Local-Charitable-Civic-Organizations.
Motawi 2025 calendars now on sale
Start off 2025 in a beautiful way with Arts & Crafts tile wall calendars from Ann Arbor-based Motawi Tileworks. Available in two sizes, 12- by-13 inch or 7-by-7 inch, the calendars feature 12 full-color images of Motawi tiles along with monthly grids. Printed by Pomegranate, a Portland, Oregon, publishing house, they cost $16.99 and $8.99 and are available on the pottery’s website or in the gallery, 170 Enterprise Drive in Ann Arbor. Visit motawi.com.
Handcrafters Fall Market returns
Returning Oct. 11 -12, the Handcrafters Fall Fair Handmade Market offers a chance to shop handmade goodies, specialty foods, decor, jewelry, and more from 80 of the top Midwestern artists. New this Year is Witches Night Out from 4-6 p.m. Friday, included with admission. The event includes meet-and-greets, festive food and drinks, raffles, trick-or-treating, and special promotions from exhibitors. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; the event will be held at Embassy Suites, 19525 Victor Parkway in Livonia. The show was recently named one of the top 50 craft shows in the country by Sunshine Artist Magazine, according to a press release. Admission is $4. Visit hcshows.com.
‘Bargain Block’ takes on New Orleans
Fans of HGTV’s Detroit-based series “Bargain Block” can explore a new location with Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas starting Oct. 9, when their spinoff series “Bargain Block New Orleans” premieres. The renovation experts and partners restore rundown houses in another iconic city during the five-episode season. Keith and Evan will temporarily step away from Detroit for the unfamiliar New Orleans real estate scene with its unexpected construction challenges. To help revitalize neighborhoods in the competitive market, the couple will buy the most dilapidated houses on a block and take them down to the studs. Inspired by the Big Easy’s unique architecture, they’ll stretch their budget and creativity to rebuild affordable, fully furnished homes featuring classic NOLA design elements like wrought iron railings, arched doorways and corbel accents. Visit hgtv.com.