Besides filling up my wedding planning binder, the last few months have also been filled with lots of fun activities enjoyed alongside my fiancé (I love saying that word!), our families and friends. Summer wouldn't be complete without a few trips Up North of course! We spent the Fourth of July holiday with both of our families, on Pelican Lake and Lake Vermilion. We also spent the Labor Day Holiday on Lake Vermilion with my parents who were conveniently 'cabin-sitting' for a friend! Over Labor Day weekend, we stopped at the farm so Dad could show off their garden. Let's just say it put our little backyard city garden to shame!
As impressive as their garden was, including the bountiful harvest we enjoyed, I'm still partial to our garden. In Spring, as I kept a close eye on my seedlings basking in the warmth of the window sill, I was nervous that our garden may be a complete failure. On the contrary, our small plot produced two rounds of green beans, seemingly endless amounts of cherry and Roma tomatoes, enough cucumbers to share, and more. My herb pots didn't fail to impress either, yielding plenty of mint for fresh mojitos, chives for baked potatoes, basil for a little Caprese salad, and more to dry and preserve for winter. I'm quite impressed with the success we had, and we've already compiled a list of garden notes for next year - including some expansion and new crop varieties.
With the success of our garden, we decided to attempt another new project - canning! We didn't have quite enough produce to get the process underway, so we supplemented with some locally produced, farmers market veggies. In just a couple of Saturday afternoons, our basement shelves are now stocked up with dill pickles, pickled dilly beans, salsa, and tomato sauce!
We also participated in another type of harvest this year, joining the CReW at Cannon River Winery to help in their annual grape harvest. We picked Edelweiss grapes which are used to create their Sparkling Edelweiss wine, which is their version of champagne. It was such a fun, unique, educational experience - plus, we got to taste wine in the Vineyard - what's not to love! I've had an interest in viticulture since I enrolled in a 'Vines & Wines' course at the University of Minnesota, and I've enjoyed putting that knowledge to use and sampling more and more varieties of MN Wines made from cold-hardy grapes.
What's even more exciting is the fact that Cannon River Winery & Vineyard is where we are tying the knot next year! So when we're toasting our glasses to a life full of love, we'll be drinking the wine that we helped create - how neat is that?! We fell in love with the place on our first visit, and we're excited to be able to celebrate our marriage with the unique, beautiful backdrop of rolling, vine-filled hills looking over the Sogn Valley. I'm particularly anxious to see all of my ideas and 'Pinspirations' become a reality!
Though I'm partial to Cannon River wines, I've also had the opportunity to taste some other delicious MN wines at Parley Lake Winery and Schram Vineyard & Brewery in Waconia. My friends from college were in town for a weekend and we spent a lovely Saturday afternoon picking apples, sipping wine, and catching up on the latest in each of our lives. Mitch and I may cross a couple more wineries off the list this weekend, as we're planning to head up the St. Croix River to Taylor's Falls and Interstate Park in search of some falls colors!
This post may have been more short and sweet than normal, but I've already got a few great things on the horizon, so the next post should be just around the corner. After all, fall is my favorite time of the year! Plus, I'm sure there will be plenty pre-wedding excitement, crafts and stories to share, too!
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