2020 Gift Guide: Made in Michigan
With everything going on and packages taking a little extra time to arrive, I decided to release my Christmas Gift Guides early this year, and I\’m doing things a little differently. Every day this week I will be sharing a new gift guide, each gift guide will feature companies and/or brands that I absolutely love and the best part is they will be small businesses. I am a huge fan of shopping small, and I think this year it is so important to support as many small businesses and local businesses as we can to keep them up and running.
Let\’s get the 2020 Gift Guides started with a look at my favorite made in Michigan products. I will be sharing my favorite products from Michigan businesses. If you have any made in Michigan products you think I should checkout, please leave a comment and let me know.
Made in Michigan Gift Guide
Reids Gourmet
Located in Holland, Michigan Reids Gourmet is best known for its delicious peanut butter and honey.
Gnomish Detroit
Located in Detroitish, Michigan Gnomish Detroit is a small home-based business creating the cutest modern gnomes that I have ever seen. Everyone on your holiday shopping list could use a little Gnomish Detroit gnome in their life!
Located in Oxford, Michigan Shea Woods Co. is a small Michigan company that produces soy candles, hand sanitizer, and hand soap that is inspired by nature and the beautiful surroundings of the Great Lakes State. My favorite products are the Hand Sanitizers and the Copper Forest Candle.
Located in Traverse City, Michigan Northern Nail Polish pulls inspiration from the everyday beauty of Michigan\’s towns, nature, festivals, and people. My favorite colors are High Rollaway, Niagra Falls, Painted Turtle, and M185.
Jack\’s Favorite Made in Michigan Shop
Wayfaring Wolves
Located in Grand Haven, Michigan Wayfaring Wolves is home to the cutest dog bandanas. Jack\’s favorite bandanas are Boho Yellow, Buffalo Plaid, and Roam Wild.
Michigan Mittens
Located in Pontiac, Michigan Michigan Mittens is home to the map on your hand mittens. My favorite color mittens are the Hunters Plaid.
Sanders Candy
Located in Clinton Township, Michigan Sanders Candy is home to my favorite chocolates. I especially love the Sea Salt Caramels. If you stop in the Sanders Candy Clinton Township or Rochester shop, make sure to get a hot chocolate.
Germack
Located in Detroit, Michigan Germack makes the holidays a little nutty. Two holiday must-have products are their Pistachios and Cashews.
Donckers
Located in Marquette, Michigan Donckers is home to that cute moose pancake I have posted so many times. Unfortunately, they cannot ship you the moose pancake, but they can send you The Wild U.P Sampler Box.
Cherry Republic
Located in Glen Arbor, Michigan you will find the Cherry Republic home to all things cherry. I love the Original Cherry Barbecue Sauce, Cherry Sour Balls, Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries, and Imperial Chocolate Covered Cherries.
Friday Favorites 10.23.20
The weather this week has been a bit chilly, and rainy, but today is supposed to be in the 70s and rainy. Jack and I plan on getting outside and dodging raindrops the best that we can to enjoy the weather. Did you do anything fun this past week?
This Weeks Favorites:
If you live local I highly recommend checking out Tillson Street in Romeo, Michigan
On Sunday from 3 pm – 7 pm, my favorite small shop Lottie Mae is having a Hygge Christmas-themed Open House.
I made a simple Halloween charcuterie board I think you will love it.
If you love macarons as much as I do, I recommend a trip to Le Detroit Macaron for the best macarons I have ever tasted – and we know I am a connoisseur of them.
I saw someone post that they spent $10 for a small jar of apple butter. Instead of paying that much on one jar of apple butter, why not make your own? I shared my simple recipe for apple butter – you can freeze it too!
Looking to make a simple sweet treat this Halloween? Checkout my pretzel Frankensteins, Mummy Rice Krispie Treats, Bat Bite Cupcakes, or Spider Web Cupcakes.
How adorable is this cabin plaid dog bed?
I definitely think Jack and I need matching PJ\’s this year for Christmas.
Need a fun craft? I am loving these DIY Ribbon Candy Ornaments.
How to Make a Simple Halloween Charcuterie Board
When I posted my Halloween charcuterie board on my personal Snapchat a few of my friends messaged me to ask how many times I rearranged the board and how hard it was to assemble. My honest response was I didn\’t have to rearrange anything, I had a process for how I assembled the board and thought I would walk you through my assembly process.
Assembling a charcuterie board 101
1. Choose your serving platter and utensils
Pro Tip: Start by deciding on the serving platter you want to use. Sometimes I use baskets and other times I use boards, it all depends on what elements are apart of the board.
2. Add any bigger items to your board – such as cookies, donuts, condiments…etc.
3. Now add your cheese
4. Then your meats
5. Now you\’ll want to add your crackers (you can remove them to keep them fresh this will just help you get the design of your board down)
6. Add any fruits or veggies you want to the board
7. Add your fill-ins where there is empty space – I like to use nuts and candies
Choosing your cheeses
Buy what YOU like. If you don\’t like fancy cheeses, don\’t buy them! For this board, I went with Colby, Extra Sharp Cheddar, Gouda, and White Cheddar.
Pro Tip: When selecting cheese for a charcuterie board, I like to have a mix of hard and soft cheeses.
Charcuterie board full in items
Even when I am making a charcuterie board for myself I do not like to see any gaps. I fill the holes with things like apples, nuts, candies, berries, pickles, and more.
Choosing your crackers
Just like cheese, choose crackers that you love.
Pro Tip: The crackers may get soggy from touching other ingredients for too long or go stale from being in the open air. I like to put them on the board right before I am ready to serve it.
Charcuterie board finishing touches
I use cookie cutters to cut out pieces of cheese that fit with my theme to add some dimension to the board.
Exploring Tillson Street in Romeo Michigan
When it comes to Halloween, one of my favorite traditions is to visit Tillson Street in Romeo, Michigan. Tillson Street is best known for elaborate Halloween displays that adorn the homeowner\’s front yards. With COVID-19 still lingering and cases increasing daily, I wasn\’t sure that my favorite Halloween tradition would be happening this year. I am excited to announce that a lot of things may have been ruined in 2020, but the spirit of Tillson Street was not one of them.
Terror on Tillson Street is in fact happening, and it looks a little different this year. About 3/4 of the houses are participating and the houses that draw the biggest crowds (my favorite display the ball for example) are not present. Even though the heavy hitters may not be up for your viewing pleasure there are still plenty of houses for you to checkout on Tillson Street to give you your Halloween fix.
Don\’t forget to check out the street over from Tillson Street, where you\’ll find even more spooktacular decorations to enjoy (I especially love the ghosts). Here is a peek at my 2020 Terror on Tillson Street adventure.
Michigan Autumn Tradition: Yates Cider Mill
With a history that dates back to 1863, Yates Cider Mill is one of my favorite autumn traditions in Michigan. The Clinton River cascades over the Yates Dam (located across the street from the cider mill), creates the stream that the cider mill uses for water power. In 1876 the Yates family installed a cider press and incorporated the press into their existing water-powered process where they began to produce the best Michigan apple cider.
Today you can enjoy the same kind of fresh 100 percent all-natural apple cider that folks enjoyed back in 1876 at Yates Cider Mill – seriously how cool is that?
What is a cider mill?
A cider mill is a location and equipment used to crush apples into apple juice for use in making apple cider.
Does all apple cider taste the same?
Nope, all apple cider does not taste the same. The taste and color of the apple cider will change over the course of the fall season. In late August or early September apples such as Ginger Golds and Paula Reds will make up the apple cider and give it a lighter juice color as well as a tart flavor. As the season progresses more apple varieties ripen and come available. By mid-October, as many as six different varieties of apples are combined to make the apple cider.
While I love apple cider from Yates Cider Mill from the beginning of the season to the end of the season I do have a personal favorite time to pick up some apple cider. I love the mid-October apple cider from Yates Cider Mill. As mentioned above as many as six different varieties of apples are combined to make the mid-October apple cider and it gives it a taste like never before. I typically buy multiple gallons so I can freeze them and enjoy a glass of hot apple cider all winter long.
How many apples does it take to make a gallon of cider?
It takes about 40 apples to make a gallon of apple cider.
Can you freeze apple cider?
Yes! I love to freeze mine, let it thaw out and then heat it up in the winter with some mulling spices on a chilly day.
Where is Yates Cider Mill located?
The historic site of Yates Cider Mill is located at:
1990 E Avon Road
Rochester Hills, MI 48307
Fashion meets Food 