from the blog
Cross Quarter Club
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from the blog
Our first gathering of the new year was held on Sunday, February 4th at the beautiful and historic Quaker meetinghouse in downtown York, Pennsylvania. Our workshop this season was botanical needlefelting led by Debbie Mancuso from Teaching Museum for the Fiber Arts and Textiles in Felton. As always, we enjoyed a spread of seasonal snacks and drinks and our cherished Sharing Table tradition. Read on for a complete recap!
At every Cross Quarter Club gathering since the beginning, we’ve put together a spread of seasonally-inspired snacks and drinks. Over the last two years, there have been quite a few recipes that were a big hit! I thought it would be fun to compile all of the most requested recipes in one place for future reference…
I first met Jennifer Lubman after CQC’ers Sharon and Mel told me about her adorable garden shop in Shrewsbury. Jenn's eye for design is evident in the evolving, seasonal displays she curates for the store, featuring unusual plants, preserved florals, and all manner of garden-inspired home and gift items. It’s like having our own miniature Terrain, here in York County!
Our fourth and final 2023 gathering was held on Sunday, October 15th, at our favorite park pavilion in Yoe, Pennsylvania. We met at 2 pm and enjoyed a lovely fall afternoon with a dried wreath workshop led by Jennifer Lubman of Muhly & Cedar, followed by charcuterie, hot apple cider, and the sharing table. Read on for the complete recap!
On a Friday evening in late-September, we had our last Garden Walk at Little Farm Flowers East for the year. The garden was showing off its beautiful autumn colors and textures. The weather was perfectly crisp but not too chilly. The firepit was roaring and the s’mores and herbal sodas were delicious.
Sharon and I weren’t originally intending to have a garden walk this month, but we decided to offer one as a make-up rain date for those who couldn’t make it last time due to the crazy weather. I’m so glad we did! This time we started a little bit earlier to make time for extended introductions
Our third gathering of 2023 was held on Sunday, August 6th at our favorite park pavilion in Yoe, Pennsylvania. We met at 4 pm and enjoyed a beautiful midsummer evening with our botanical eco-printing workshop, first harvest dinner, and a garden bounty share. Read on for the full recap!
Nestled into the rolling hills of eastern York County, Pennsyvlania is Flying Fibers Wood & Lavender Farm owned and operated by Jeri Robinson-Lawrence and Irina Lawrence-Mathias. Jeri and Irina are a vibrant and hardworking mother-daughter duo, on the farm and in their business.
This summer, we’ve started something new for Cross Quarter Club: Garden Walks at Little Farm Flowers East. Our first one was held this past Friday and it turned out to be such a lovely, relaxing evening!
Last night, a few of us from Cross Quarter Club took a field trip to Conestoga House & Gardens in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and I loved every minute. Wandering the picturesque grounds together felt a little like being transported to Europe for an evening…
Our second gathering of 2023 was held on Sunday, May 7th at our favorite park pavilion in Yoe, Pennsylvania. We had the best afternoon filled with locally grown flowers, good conversation, a full spread of seasonally-inspired snacks, hot tea and dessert, and the first ever CQC Member Demonstration by Little Farm Flowers East.
When you are first getting into foraging, a common recommendation for trying new-to-you edible plants is to make a pesto out of it! I certainly didn’t invent this concept, but I had fun coming up with a flavor combination using wild plants readily available during spring in my bioregion.
The sharing table has been a part of every Cross Quarter Club gathering since the start. It’s an idea that fits within our club values, but the inspiration actually came from my grandmother. Today, I’m sharing the story behind the sharing table and why it’s so meaningful t to me.
Our fourth and final gathering of 2022 was held on Sunday, November 6th at Nixon Park and Nature Center in York, PA. This time we met just after noon for a group hike and 10 minute mindfulness break, then cozied up inside
One of the strongest desires that emerged for me out of the early years of the pandemic was the desire for more real, in-person connection and community. This was my motivation for founding my Cross Quarter Club in the winter of 2022. We have all heard the saying…
There is something about the ritual of making a cup of tea that transcends space and time. For thousands of years and all over the world, people have been combining leaves and hot water to create simple beverages that are deeply nourishing to both the body and soul.
I’ve tried baking all different kinds of breads over the years, but the recipe I return to again and again is this simple and easy beer bread. It’s a one-bowl, quick bread recipe that requires no yeast or kneading and just 5 ingredients that you probably have in your pantry already.
Our third gathering was held on Sunday, July 31st at a beautiful park in Yoe, Pennsylvania and it may have been my favorite one yet. We had an incredible evening learning how to quick pickle, sharing the bounty from our gardens and enjoying a simple, seasonally-inspired
Pickled vegetables are a favorite summertime snack of mine and with quick pickling, they are so easy to make yourself! Maybe you have memories of your grandmother or great grandmother pickling fresh vegetables during the summer
Mid to late summer is peach season here in Pennsylvania. I’m not sure if there is a more delicious fruit than a fresh picked, perfectly ripe peach! I wanted to make a recipe that incorporated locally grown peaches to celebrate the height of summer.
Our second gathering was held on Sunday, May 1st at a beautiful park in Yoe, Pennsylvania. We had the best afternoon filled with locally grown flowers, good conversation, hot tea, honey cake and the sound of rain on a tin roof. It was the perfect celebration of spring.
As seasonal living has become more of a priority in my life, I’ve come to see spring, summer, autumn and winter not as four, static, monoliths but a succession of mini seasons that blend and circle around each other.
At this time of year, the earth is bursting with flowers. My oldest daughter, Sage and I have been excitedly waiting for the wild violets in our backyard to bloom. Picking them has become one of our special activities we do together. We’ve made
Our first gathering was held on Sunday, January 30th at John Rudy Park in York, Pennsylvania. It was such a treat to spend a chilly winter afternoon sipping cider and sharing/sowing seeds by a roaring fire.
For what feels like the first time, I’m really savoring the slowness of midwinter. With the rush of the holidays behind us, I have been settling into what the rest of the natural world is doing; resting, reflecting and conserving energy for the coming year…
Our family has been big into maple syrup since we were given The Little House Picture Book Treasury two Christmases ago. Sugar Snow remains one of our most requested stories, so when I started thinking about a recipe to share with you this winter, the idea for these maple flavored scones popped into my head immediately…
In my opinion, no party is complete without a little background music. Whether it’s a simple dinner with friends, the holidays, or any kind of celebratory gathering, the right playlist can set the tone and add a thoughtful touch. I’ve gotten a few questions and comments about the music I play at Cross Quarter Club’s Midseason Gathers, so I decided to share my playlists here!