Westcoast Backroads

from FOLK issue 1 | K. Taylor | 2011

In this vastly diverse country, folk means different things in different regions. The one thing that is the same to all folks, however, is the desire to return to a simpler way of life, to enjoy a slower pace, and find joy in the journey rather than the destination. It's appreciating the process, whether it's preparing a wonderful meal for those you love, spending hours in the gardens, tending to your fresh vegetables and beautiful flowers, or shopping at your local farmer's market for the freshest meats, dairy, and produce.

Here on the west coast and probably in many other places - there are so many things that bring joy to folks. It's the smell of laundry after it has dried on the line in the sunshine, or maybe it is those long, leisurely outdoor dinners on summer evenings, surrounded by those you love. It's a picnic by the shore, searching for tiny crabs under rocks and the smell of warm blackberries growing along sandy roads mixed with the scent of salty air. It's the smell of bonfires on cool autumn days, or the sight of golden leaves gently falling as winter approaches. Whether it's the smell of lilacs in the spring, or taking in warm summer breezes, harvesting apples for crumbles and pies and cobblers, or sitting next to a warm fire on a cold winter afternoon, it's all about slowing down and connecting with the people and things around us.

I hope in this column you will find inspiration. I hope you discover what brings us together, as well as be inspired by what makes us different. What we share is this - a common desire to return to a simpler way of life. We aspire to find the things in our lives that give us comfort, or remind us of times gone by. Whether it's your favorite comfort foods slowly and lovingly prepared, or sleeping under the weight of an old quilt made by your great-grandmother years ago, we all share the love of comfort.

In this column you will read about wonderful escapes - destinations here on the west coast that are perfect for a weekend away, maybe longer. I will share some of the best places to find my favorite things: small shops, mom and pops that have been around forever; fabulous vintage flea markets, where things are repurposed and put to good use. I hope you will learn to appreciate things that have a story, that were loved before, and that hopefully you will find a place for in your own home. You will discover wonderful items that are made in America by designers that see the importance of manufacturing things here in the United States.

Most of all, I hope you find the road less traveled, wherever you are.

A Day at Barn House

from FOLK issue one | Story & Photo: K. Taylor | 2011

Anyone who has ever attended a sale at Barn House will agree - it is an event, not a simple flea market

It's a beautiful Saturday morning in the Pacific Northwest.  Driving down a country road in southern Washington you can feel the excitement.   It's time for the Barn House Flea Market.  And, as if on queue the sun is shining brightly, as it seems to every year.  The Barn House farm is tucked away in the trees down long winding roads.  Coming over the crest of a hill, white tents suddenly appear on a mowed pasture in front of a large red barn.  There are three rows of them, their pointed tops contrasting against a bright blue sky, flags and banners rustling in the breeze.  Entering the driveway you are greeted by the parking boys in their "Barn House Posse" shirts.  With broad smiles they direct you into a spot in a field that has been cleared for the many cars that will be parking there that day.  You make your way to the entrance where a long line has formed.  There is excitement in the air - people with their coffees in hand, chatting about the last time they were here, looking forward to the treasure hunt that is about to begin. And then the gate opens.

The crowd flows into the market, eager to see what each booth holds.  There is coffee at the entrance, along with a delicious selection of cupcakes and scrumptious loaves provided and served by Folie a Deux - the catering company that has been with the boys serving up her delectable treats since the beginning.   The band Celilo is entertaining the excited shoppers, music floating down through the aisles, creating an atmosphere more reminiscent of a party than a vintage sale.  This year there's also the addition of a food truck - Four and Twenty Blackbirds - that served delicious empanadas.

The Barn House Flea Market is an event, rather than a simple flea market.  Every year the magic grows, and this year was no exception.  This isn't simply a group of vintage vendors, but a close knit community.  Joe and Jermonne - the Barn House Boys - have created an air of friendship on their little slice of paradise.  A slice of paradise that people want to be a part of.  And then there are the shoppers.  Everyone who arrives is received with hugs and smiles and one immediately feels like a cherished friend.

This year's additions included an incredibly delicious empanada food truck - Four and Twenty Blackbirds which was a huge hit with the hungry crowds come lunchtime.  Between them and the ever-popular Folie a Deux and their delicious baked goods, not to mention lunch specials, everyone was well fed.  Shoppers were serenaded by featured musical guests Celilo - the perfect accompaniment to a day filled with friendship, laughter, and great shopping.

The boys of barn house lead a fairly simple life.  They enjoy their time on their farm  - hanging with their barnyard animals, from llamas, sheep and goats, to turkeys, chickens, and barn cats.  And they value their friendships greatly.  They moved to the farm 5 1/2  years ago.  With a charming old farmhouse and a large red barn, the potential was endless.

I spent some time with the boys of Barn House and asked them a bit about the background story behind their success, as well as what they envision for their future.

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KT - Where does your love of vintage come from?

Jermonne - Joe started early - he would go with his mom and sisters to thrift stores as a child, which lead to his love for collecting vintage treasures.  When we moved to Washington from Los Angeles, it was a perfect opportunity for Joe to find something he truly loved for a new career.  After about a year or so of exploration, Barn House was created.

KT - What gives you the most joy when it comes to the sales?

Jermonne - Both of us get the best reward from friends/visitors from all over the world who come and visit our little farm.  Their warm hugs and kind compliments about what we have created is the most rewarding.  Their generosity with their purchases doesn't hurt either.

KT - What are the biggest challenges with running a business on your property as well as running an online store?

Jermonne - The hardest part os juggling our responsibilities with my other gig (Jermonne holds a full time job as well), managing a little farm, keeping up with the property maintenance during a short, but accelerated growing season here in the Northwest AND finding time to roam the countryside for treasures.

KT - What is your dream/plan for the Barn House brand?

Joe - The future for Barn House is to keep the business on the farm as long as possible.  I would love to become fully sustainable here and be an inspiration to those who dream of a beautiful and simple way to live.

KT - Have you ever considered creating a line of products by Barn House?

Joe - I have my head full of ideas and creations.  It wouldn't make sense not to share my creative gift with everyone.  So, designing Barn House products only makes sense.  American made, of course!

5 acres of vintage treasures, sweet farm animals, music, delicious food, happy shoppers, sunshine, laughter, hugs,

The Season's Favorites

My favorite time of year is fall. I love all things fall — football, hot cider, chai tea, bonfires, and gold, yellow, and red leaves. I love Halloween, even though I don’t often dress up for Halloween — I have fun dreaming up Halloween costumes (my kids won many contests!). I love Thanksgiving, for the simple reasons of cooking our most requested recipes (and trying out some new ones) and gathering together with family and friends. This time of year, when I go out in the early morning to feed the cats, I enjoy spotting freshly woven webs, glistening with morning dew and my mind always drifts to — ”When the frost is on the punkin“ — Happy fall, Y’all!

Fresh Apple Cake

1⁄2 cup shortening
2 eggs well beaten
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cup chopped, peeled Golden Delicious Apples
2 cup sugar
2 cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup blackberry jam
1 cup chopped black walnuts

Cream together shortening and sugar; add eggs one at a time. Sift together flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add this slowly to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts, dates, raisins, jam and apples. Bake in well greased, floured tube pan for 1 hour 20 minutes at 325, or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Icing

1⁄2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 3⁄4 cup powdered sugar 1⁄4 cup milk

Melt butter and brown sugar over low heat, add milk and bring to a boil. Cool, add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.

Jodie’s Sweet Potato Pie

2 cups of boiled, mashed sweet potatoes 1 tablespoon flour
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg

Generous pinch of ginger
3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 1⁄2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 unbaked pie crusts

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Pour 1⁄2 mixture into each pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Settlers Beans

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained 1 onion chopped
16 0z can kidney beans, drained
1⁄4 c brown sugar

1⁄2 c ketchup
1/2 lb bacon, fried and crumbled 16 oz can pork and beans, drained 16 oz can butter beans, drained
1⁄4 c white sugar

Mix and cook in crockpot.

This is one of my mom’s recipes that I love, with cornbread, in the fall! There is no cook time listed, but if you put this in the crockpot in the morning, you’ll have a satisfying dish for supper! Enjoy.

Hunt and Gather

GATHERING OF THE SEASONS. A trio of apple desserts, a fabulous fall arragement, and one stellar location come together to create a fete for the fall. Designer Evan G. Cooper creates a memorable fall gathering perfect for the southerner or the rustic lover in us all. This story is from October 2012.

Apple Pie

8 sweet apples, peeled, sliced, and cored
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or to taste

2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter

2 unbaked pie shells

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, flour, nutmeg, and salt; mix thoroughly. Pour the spice mix over

the apples and stir until the apples are coated. Line one crust in a 9 inch deep dish pie pan. Place the apples in the pie crust. Dot the apple filling with butter. Cut the second pie crust into strips. Creating a lattice pattern starting from the center cover the pie with the strips. Press the crust down gently and cut four slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape while the pie bakes Bake in the preheated oven one hour or until the crust is golden brown. Check the pie after the first

30 minutes of cooking: if the crust is already browned reduce the heat to 350 degrees to allow the apples to cook without the crust burning.

Red’s Apple & Cheese Casserole

2-3 lbs fresh apples, cored, peeled, and sliced

1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 pounds of sharp cheddar

4 cups sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

3 cups flour
2 cups milk

Combine 1st 3 ingredients in skillet, cook on medium-low heat until apples are semi tender (they will continue to cook in casserole). In bowl combine remaining ingredients. Drain cooked apples, stir into bowl, and then pour into greased casserole dish. Cook at 300 degrees until firm and golden.

Apple Filled Puff Pastry

1 package puff pastry
3 apples, peeled cored, and sliced 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 teaspoons flour
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 beaten egg

Thaw puff pastry. Heat oven to 350°F. Peel, core and chop apples up coarsely.. Combine apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Flour surface lightly and cut pastry sheet into nine 3x3 squares. Place approximately 1/4 cup apple mixture on each square and brush edge with beaten egg. Place second pastry square on the top of the already filled pastry to form a pocket. Press down the border with fingers to seal and then press with fork to decorate the edges. Cut several vents into each pastry. Place on well greased baking sheet and give each one an egg wash. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden.

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Stylist: Evan G. Cooper/ Evan & Co.
Photographer: Nick Drollette
Venue: Emerald Mountain Equestrian Club
Assistants: Jonny Marsh, Rae Culver/ LeRae Events + Design Rentals: Brendle Rentals

Evan G. Cooper, is a stylist and floral designer with a knack for creating settings filled with southern charm. Rustic or regal matters not when it comes to making his designs full of rich, authentic details. His passion carries over into affections for photography, missions abroad and good ‘ole southern hospitality. He’s right at home in Montgomery, Ala- bama as owner of Evan & Co., an event and floral design company.

A Handmade Holiday

A Handmade Holiday

The History + Art Behind Vintage Valentines

BY JEN O'CONNOR || EARTH ANGELS STUDIOS

Valentine’s Day is a decidedly handmade celebration. How can it not be when love is so personal, friendships so treasured, and the traditions of the holiday so old, that a simple love note penned from the hand seems a most apropos gesture of the heart?

At one point or another, we’ve all ventured to fashion a Valentine card. Bits of construction paper, the frill of a doily, markers, crayons…these are the things of school days’ crafting that have survived memory and time. They’re still present at the most technologically advanced of today’s grammar schools and likewise, in our habits of dashing off a love note festooned with a doodled “heart” or an “x” and an “o”…or two.

We learned early on, the gesture of a simple card is perfect, if the sentiment is true. Valentine’s Day is best celebrated when we're given the excuse to express sweet feelings in a few, well-chosen words, or with the help of a more-clever writer’s imprinted ditty or eloquent dedication.

And while there are a legions of commercially produced Valentines onto which you can add that personal flourish, something given by hand – however simple, charms the recipient. Indeed since Valentine cards predate postal service by centuries, those most traditional among us still hand deliver cards – a gift in themselves -- with envelopes unsealed, simply tucked in as etiquette dictates all hand-delivered correspondence should be.

 

A Peek at the Sweetest Holiday’s History

While there is little reliable information to confirm one Saint Valentine, the most common of histories describe him as a Roman priest imprisoned and killed for marrying Christian couples. That said, we have acknowledged February 14 as the feast day of “Saint Valentine” since the 1400s. This feast day has grown in fact and fable, history and tale, and has long been associated with the declaration of courtly love.

The first statements of love in honor of Saint Valentine’s Day, were said to be sung or recited and are referred to as poetical or amorous addresses. Handwritten notes emerged in the 1400s with the very first written Valentines attributed to the imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1415. During his time of confinement in the Tower of London, the besotted young Duke passed time writing romantic verses for his wife, far off in France. More than 60 of his heartfelt poems have survived and are preserved among the treasures of the British Museum.

So how did Valentine greetings become tradition in a time when reading and writing, paper and pens were not the things for the common man or woman? Love finds a way.

The tradition of putting forth heartfelt sentiments continued as it could among Western Europeans and by the Eighteenth Century exchanging written Valentines was in vogue among the educated and wealthy, and an emerging tradition among those with less means.