Country Woman June/July 2018

JENNIFER.ZEIGLER@TRUSTEDMEDIABRANDS.COM Summer comes late in my part of the country, but this month it really gets going. And that means I can get growing—finally. Digging in the dirt has a soothing effect on me. Watching dinner spring forth from neat rows is a miracle I never tire of observing. You friends in the South are likely already trying to figure out what to do with all your tomatoes, while those of us in the Midwest are looking upon tiny green orbs with anticipation. Whether you’re watching and waiting or wondering how to use up the excess, there are some tempting recipe ideas beginning on page 42 of this issue. If summer fruit is more your thing, consider the light and sweet desserts on page 46. I mostly grow vegetables, but I do like…

Support for Sarge The December/January 2018 “Good Neighbors” story about Kim Opperman’s battalion of knitters inspired the St. Peter Lutheran Church Mission Fund board in St. Ansgar, Iowa. The board sent a $300 check to Socks for Soldiers after parishioners John and Mary Muller shared the article. Secret Pie Tester I broke out in a big smile when I saw the Shoofly Pie recipe in the February/March 2018 issue. It brought back memories of camping with our three young sons in West Virginia. We had purchased a slice from a nearby country store after a cashier told us it was a local favorite, and I put it in storage for the night. The next morning, I noticed a big bite was gone, so I decided to try it, too. After no one would…

Q: What are your tips and techniques for making light work of gardening? The $10 molded-plastic snow sled I kept for years helped with transporting gardening tools, soil and pots across the yard. It slid easily over snow, grass and stones, and the molded sides kept hand tools from spilling out. It outlasted wheelbarrows costing 10 times as much, and it was much easier to handle and store. LORI SCHMITTER EAST HARTLAND, CONNECTICUT As I walk around the yard with my corgi, Wesley, I take my hand trimmers with me. As he’s sniffing here and there, I’m trimming the dead twigs and small branches out of bushes and trees. I’m so surprised how much I can trim in a few minutes. JULIE REYNOLDS AURORA, COLORADO I would not part with my wagons. I attached a…

Carry a Tune Perhaps you strum a passed-down banjo or guitar. Maybe you play your grandmother’s favorite songs on a family heirloom piano. Or you might be a skilled singer, harmonizing with family and friends. Tell us about your musical talents. Patriotic Parties Whether it’s the Fourth of July or Canada Day, we want to see how you celebrate the most patriotic holiday of the year. Send us pictures and stories that capture the spirit of your Independence Day soirees. All in the Family Summer is the perfect season for reunions. Take us to yours. Do relatives from near and far gather at the family farm each year? Do you make it a destination get-together, picking a new spot every time? Share your family reunion tales with us. Get helpful hints for submitting on page 62. Circle…

“I became known as the bee lady.” Tami Enright knows how to create a buzz. Every morning in the front yard of her home on Isle of Palms, South Carolina, she’s clad head-to-toe in beekeeping gear, tending to her two hives. Curious neighbors flock to her, asking all manner of beekeeping questions, and now her yard has become a hive of the community. “Our neighborhood in Isle of Palms has maybe 400 houses. When I started beekeeping here, I only knew two of my neighbors even though we had lived at our address for five years,” Tami says. “Neighbors started stopping by to ask what I was doing. I became known as the bee lady, and I readily shared advice on keeping bees. Now, several other houses on the island have hives.” She…

1 Cold Brew Coffee Maker Mason Jar forwardproducts.net $25 Cool down with an icy drink. Simply add coffee grounds or tea leaves to this 2-quart mason jar, steep overnight in the refrigerator and enjoy while out and about on a hot summer day. 2 Nano-Ice Cooling Scarf nano-ice.com $52 Drape this freezer-powered cooling scarf around your neck before gardening under the summer sun. Each scarf is filled with spheres that stay cool for at least two hours when frozen, and they won’t soak through to your shirt. 3 Vornado VFAN Mini Classic Vintage Air Circulator vornado.com $50 Keep things breezy with this retro-look fan. Its portable size makes it easy to move from the kitchen countertop to the living room bookcase to your bedside table.…