2024 Shawnee Cave Total Solar Eclipse Festival (April 5-8, 2024)

We pulled off the most incredible 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Festival at the Shawnee Cave Amphitheater last weekend and everyone is still buzzing about the festivities! We threw one heck of a good party and we have several more festivals planned for the remainder of 2024. We had the time of out lives, to say the least :) Below, I curated some of my graphics and family fun moments throughout the event. If you would like to see more of our traditional photos covering the past weekend, please visit us on Instagram or Facebook.

Above, my poster design which inspired the event t-shirts. Below, Travis and I at the Shawnee Cave.

Me and the venue owner, Alexis. Look at our shirts!!!

We had such a fantastic lineup and we made sure to personally thank each and every one of the bands for their incredible talents and hard work.

Above, we had great success with our Grateful Dead inspired graphics I made, which were completely inspired by one of our headliners, Terrapin Flyer Band - a 20+ year Grateful Dead tribute band from Chicago, IL. They played Sunday and Monday, April 7-8, and the second day (the day of the eclipse), they completely rocked the stage and played before and after the 202 Total Solar Eclipse! Below is my poster singed by every band member. What an unforgettable experience.

Below, one of the most successful and entertaining aspects of the festival was our Eclipse Eve Late Night Dance Party (another fun graphic I tested out for this one)! Midwest Music Supply’s lights and sound production got to test out their new lighting setups and it went over flawlessly! This was the great beginning to festival season.

For more information about upcoming Cave shows, visit www.ShawneeCave.fun!

Below, a great view from the Eagle’s Nest at the Shawnee Cave!

Shawnee Cave Amphitheater Venue Owners, Shane and Alexis Wade.

Travis looking fly in eclipse glasses & my t-shirt design!

Travis has been getting his setlists signed for decades :)

Frank & Gandolph

Travis shot the most amazing eclipse progression photos!

I just love this man so very much :) He was a huge support throughout the entire weekend and leading up to the festival.

Most of the photos here are just fun family pics, but if you would like to see what I have been sharing on the Shawnee Cave socials, visit them on Facebook and Instagram! Until next time, friends!

Late March 2024 Garden Updates

We started this garden for practically nothing (only the price of seeds and one bag of dirt). The cups have been working out so wonderfully. I jst wanted to keep track of our garden as it grows…I shared a photo of the dirt I am loving lately, below.

Cave City Yellow Watermelon Planted 2/28/24, pic from 3/21/24. We saved seeds from famous melons last year.

Below, you will see how incredibly fast the green beans are growing! WOW.

Garden Green Beans, planted 3/8/24, pic from 3/17/24.

Garden Green Beans, pic from 3/21/24

DIll and Sugar Daddy Peas, planted 3/8/24, pic from 3/21/24.

Sugar Daddy Peas, planted 3/8/24, pic from 3/21/24.

Velvet Queen Sunflowers, planted 3/8/24, pic from 3/21/24.

Brandywine Tomatoes and “Tomato Mix”. Our sandy soil here in Arkansas will be perfect for them. Planted 3/8/24, pic from 3/21/24 - these took a while to show but I am sure they’re going to be great.

My fave view right now… :) I am going to put together a tutorial of how we started our little seeds soon.

Organic Sugar Daddy Peas - transplanted into a 5 gallon bucket on 3/20/24. Just realizing we may need two 5 gal buckets total for the amount of these pease we actually started.

Autumn Sunflower - planted 3/8/24 - pic from 3/21/24.

Lastly, our awesome Cave City Yellow Watermelons again, which we are most proud of, planted on 2/23/24 (pic from 3/21/24). Last year, we bought one yellow and one red Cave City Watermelon, and saved the seeds very carefully. Well that was a great idea, because soon watermelon vines will be trailing ALL over our fence!

Shawnee Cave Revival - June 7-9, 2024

Yesterday, our tickets went live and on sale for our next festival, Shawnee Cave Revival! I am most excited for Greensky Bluegrass too - I remember seeing them back in Carbondale, IL at Tres Hombres when only 30 folks attended and NOW, look at them - headlining HUGE festivals and selling out large venues.

I created all the artwork for the festival, which I am so very proud of. Abive is the 18x24 poster and below is our schedule!

Below, you can check out all the Artist Frames I created using the same style as the poster. I am thrilled with this and all the bands approved them right away. So happy to be an integral part of this amazing place.

Additionally, I am in charge of working with Etix to re-design our new website, www.shawneecave.fun. Etix Rockhouse did such a fantastic job of making our venue shine. Below, is a photo of Travis and I last June at the Shawnee Cave Weekend At The Cave Festival 2023. We had the best weekend EVER.

Here is a photo of the venue at night. They have such high quality sound and light production, and I am happy to say this is somewhere we can be proud to help grow and flourish!!! If you want to learn more about the venue, please visit our website for details on Shawnee Cave Revival (June 7-9, 2024) and our incredible Shawnee Cave Total Solar Eclipse Festival (April 5-8, 2024), visit our website here, the Shawnee Cave Instagram page and Facebook page here!

Plus, they are now offering event rentals and wedding venue rentals, so stay tuned as that progresses!

Easy St. Patrick's Day Treats - Lucky Charms Pops

Want a fun and easy treat for St. Patty’s Day? Look no further! With just a few supplies you can make these pops in less than 20 minutes. By using these molds found on Amazon, I was able to easily craft the cutest holiday treats in minutes flat. The molds worked incredibly well and the chocolate came right out, easily.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Marshmallows separated from Lucky Charms

  • White chocolate bark or Ghirardelli White Chocolate

  • Sprinkles

  • Pop Mold with Sticks

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Insert pop sticks into molds (find molds here which came with the sticks). Tape the sticks into the molds, like shown below. Separate marshmallows from Lucky Charm’s Cereal and set aside. I needed 2 marshmallows per pop. Set pop molds onto baking sheet so you can move it around easily.

  2. Melt white chocolate bark until smooth. Spoon into each circle cavity in the mold and fill just covering the sticks. Tap mold on counter lightly until chocolate smooths out and no air bubbles remain. The sticks should be covered.

  3. Add 2 marshmallows to each pop then add a few sprinkles to each one.

  4. Let cool on countertop or in fridge for 20 minutes and then remove tap from molds and remove pops from molds carefully. These ones were so nice to work with, and very good quality.

  5. Individually wrap each pop in a cute treat bag or store in the fridge in an air-tight container. Enjoy!

These were so easy to complete and I definitely plan on making more cereal themed pops soon! Stay tuned for more ideas along the way!

Garden Progress + DIY Palette Garden Bed - Mid March 2024

We are in year tow of our garden here in central Arkansas, zones 7a-8b,. Last year, we started some of our garden via seed, but we started all seeds outdoors. We built our amazing DIY palette garden beds (one of which we rebuilt this year), and cannot wait to plant our little seedlings in our new garden beds once they are a bit stronger.

HERE’S WHAT WE PLANTED ON MARCH 8, 2024

Notes from the garden: 2/25 and 2/28/2024

Planted basil seeds from our garden then planted organic basil seeds from store. Also planted Cave City Yellow Watermelon (one cup grew wonderful and one did not grow at all).

3/8/2024

Planted seeds of the following: Sunflowers, Bell Peppers, Cilantro, Dill, tomatoes, peas.

3/14/2024

Seeing growth on the following: Peppers, sunflowers, and peas, cilantro.

Below, you can see some of my most cherished seedlings! Last year we went on a fun adventure near Cave City, AR. The watermelons from that city are famous so we decided to wash/dry/preserve some of those seeds from last summer. We saved both yellow watermelon, shown below, and I just started some of the red Cave City watermelons a few days ago, and I am already seeing growth on them!

Above, Cave City Watermelon Seedlings after one week, and below, after two weeks and transplanted into a larger pot.

Below, you will see one misfortune in the seedling game we are playing. Before I thought to use my plastic cups for seedlings,we purchased two type of Spinach seeds online and the Giant Noble spinach seeds from a farm in Columbus, OH barely had any growth since 2/28/24, and the American Spinach seeds I ordered elsewhere has shown less than half germination. So, perhaps it was the seeds, but maybe I over watered, or something? So, I will try these same sets of seeds in my clear plastic cups and let you all know if it is the tray or what. You never know what you are going to get!

I am wondering if it is honestly these trays or what, because most everything else I started in my cups, has been germinating within 5-7 days! Below, you can see a cup I planted our Sugar Daddy Peas in on 3/8/24 and wow they are taking OFF!

DIY Palette Garden Bed Instructions:

Materials Needed:

4 Palettes, 2 1/2” wood screws, drill, saw.

Tools We Use:

Instructions:

We cut/sawed apart a total of 4 palettes length wise, and used them to create the four sides. We used 2 1/2” wood screws to attach all the sides together. Next, we used smaller boards which were still attached to the extra pallet pieces as sides, in lieu of using weed barrier fabric like we did last year on the blue bed.

After you have reinforced the sides and made sure there is nowhere for dirst to fall out, then fill the bed with as many sticks as you can. This helps us save because we use less bags of dirt

Lastly, fill the remaining space in with bags of dirt. We like using the Miracle Grow soil if we can!

Once our seedlings are strong enough and there is no more cold weather snaps forecasted, our seedlings wil be plated outside in these beds, in an efort to have an even bigger and more varied garden than year one, last year!

I wish I had known about these exact DEWAT Tools being on sale but I provided some links to the deals below for our handheld saw and our amazing cordless handheld drill from DEWALT. They have lasted a long time.

BELOW, OUR GARDEN FROM LAST YEAR (2023)

We got tons of tomatoes and tons of basil (which grew nestled beneath all of our tomatoes, shown here.

Below, out first palette garden bed built last year, then the awesome GardenWerx bag and gardening tools Travis got me as a surprise last year. I could not find a link for them, but I included a few cute ideas below.

Can’t wait to see how the garden performs this season!

Falling Water Falls (Waterfall) - Sandgap, AR - Richland Creek Wilderness Area

Hello! I’m back from a little blogging hiatus to share with you a stunning waterfall we visited in Northwestern(ish) Arkansas called Falling Water Falls. Located in Sandgap, Arkansas, in the Richland Creek Wilderness area, this waterfall is well worth the drive. There are other beautiful waterfalls along this drive too, which we will cover in upcoming posts.

The best part, this one is actually roadside. You park very close to the waterfall, and within a few steps, you are met with a majestic, blue rushing waterfall that looks like one of the best swimming holes ever.

The Explore The Ozarks website had some great information about this place, found here.

WATERFALL INFORMATION:

  • Height: 10'

  • GPS: N35 43.317, W 92 56.964

  • USGS Quad: Smyrna

  • Distance: View from road

  • Difficulty: Easy

  • Location: Ozark National Forest

  • Ranger District: Big Piney

  • Region: Arkansas Ozarks & Boston Mountains

DETAILS & DIRECTIONS:

This beautiful little waterfall is conveniently located right next to the road, so you don't even have to get out of your car to see it! Falling Water Falls is located on, of course, Falling Water Creek, just a few miles east of Ben Hur, on Falling Water Road/FR# 1205. There is also a nice big pool that the falls spill into, and it is a popular swimming hole in the summer. This waterfall is located just south of the Richland Creek Wilderness Area, which also has numerous other beautiful waterfalls, well worth a day of exploring.

To get to Falling Water Falls, travel East on AR Hwy 16 from Pelsor/Sand Gap, which is located on Scenic Hwy 7 between Russellville and Jasper. Travel about 9 miles on AR Hwy 16 (past Pedestal Rocks/Kings Bluff) to the community of Ben Hur. About a mile east/south of Ben Hur, Turn Left onto FR# 1205/CR# 68/Upper Falling Water Road. Falling Water Falls will be 2.3 miles north on this road, and there will an area to pull off on the side of the road, right next to the falls.

To get to Falling Water Falls from the Richland Creek Campground, travel about 7 miles South on FR# 1205, and you will come to the falls on your left.

Falling Water Falls - Upper Falling Water Rd -

Sand Gap, AR 72856

 

After moving from Illinois to Arkansas last year, Travis and I are REALLY enjoying the mountains and creeks and hiking opportunities here in the Natural State.

We could imagine having a picnic or fun swimming day here soon.

Just steps from the road, you can step out onto the top of the waterfall and explore the area. Such a stunning view!

Below are a couple of cute Hiking-Inspired finds you may enjoy too. Having good boots and cute socks make a world of difference when adventuring like we do.

While we were just here for a little bit, we are definitely going back this spring, and we are really looking forward to it.

Until next time!! - Love, Katherine, Travis, Porter, and Luna

Inspired by Bubble and Fizz Co!

Aren’t you so inspired by these photos from Bubble and Fizz Co.? This incredible company offers event styling and some catering services and they look top notch. Here’s a bit from her site, “We offer packages suitable for Baby showers, Bridal Showers, Birthday parties, Weddings and more”!

Bubble and Fizz Co combines a love of sweets with a high end, dreamy aesthetic. I always had aspirations of being a dessert table stylist for events, so this is right up my alley.

I’m so drawn to this look, I hope to one day have this sort of loom and aesthetic for a small side business of my own!

Micro Ingredients - Top Healthy Recipes For Winter

This winter, I am trying to incorporate as many smoothies and healthier recipes as I can into my daily routine. Here are a few amazing smoothie, drink, and recipe ideas from my friends at Micro Ingredients!

Below, you will find some of the season’s top healthiest (and EASIEST) recipes, to keep you feeling great throughout these winter months.

Spirulina Smoothie Recipe (Above)

Recipe:

Organic Spirulina powder, Milk, Fruit and Nuts(optional).

Instructions:

  1.  Add ice to blender

  2.  Add 1 scoop of Spirulina powder

  3.  Add milk and blend!

  4.  Pour in the smoothie to a cup

  5.  Top off with your favorite fruit and enjoy!😍

Awesome Organic Beet Root Powder is a stunning pink color and can be used in smoothies and other recipes as a natural food coloring. Get yours here!

Tropical Fruit Punch Sparkling Drink (Above)

Recipe:

Organic Mango Juice Powder, Organic Lemon Juice powder, Organic Pineapple Powder, Hot water, Ice, Sparkling Water.

Instructions:

  1. Add 1 scoop of Mango juice powder

  2. Add 1 scoop of Pineapple powder

  3. Add 1 scoop of Lemon juice powder

  4. Add 1/4 of water

  5. Mix until dissolved

  6. Add Ice into the cup

  7. Add sparkling water

  8. Enjoy！

Also, this Chaga Mushroom Extract Powder, below, can be added to hot or cold drinks and compliments hot cocoa and coffee very well.

Avocado MCT Smoothie Recipe (Above)

Recipe:

Organic MCT Oil powder, Organic Stevia Powder, Ice, Milk, Avocado.

Instructions:

  1. Add half Avocado into blender

  2. Add 1 scoop of MCT Oil Powder

  3. Add 2 scoop of Stevia Sweetener

  4. Add Ice

  5. Add some Milk or Coconut Milk

  6. Blend

  7. Enjoy!

Psyllium Husk Blended Coffee Drink Recipe (Above)

Recipe:

Organic Psyllium Husk Powder, Organic Stevia Powder, Black coffee, Milk, Ice.

Instructions:

  1. Add 1 scoop Psyllium Husk powder into blender

  2. Add 2 scoops of Stevia Sweetener

  3. Add ice

  4. Add 2/3 of your favorite black coffee

  5. Add milk and blend!

  6. Pour in the drink to a cup

  7. Enjoy!

Matcha Latte Recipe (Above)

Recipe:

Organic Matcha Powder, Organic Stevia Powder, Milk, hot water.

Instructions:

  1. Add 1 scoop Matcha powder into cup

  2. Add ¼ hot water

  3. Mix until dissolved

  4. Add ¾ milk into another cup

  5. Add 2 scoops of Stevia Sweetener

  6. Mix until melted

  7. Pour dissolved Matcha

  8. Mix and Enjoy!

Above, the Organic Freeze-Dried Pomegranate Juice Powder is truly a gem! This is an amazing way to incorporate more antioxidants into your diet! Have a happy, healthy, and prosperous winter, friends!

Pink Halloween Trends

I have noticed some of the most adorable, pink-inspired Halloween ideas recently. Loving this trend!!

Pink Halloween Bark Recipe via A Bubbly Life.

Decorate your mantle for Halloween! Found via BohoFrisco.

Paint pumpkins in pastel pinks and polka dots! Found via SlowMoon.

Have a pink-themed Girl Gang party for Halloween. Found via UniGirlCo.

And, finally, the most popular on Pinterest right now…Halloween Charcuterie Boards via The House of Food.

Hope you have enjoyed these Pink Halloween-Inspired Ideas! Find more Fall-Autumn-Halloween posts by yours truly, here! Let’s connect on Pinterest!

Heron Pond - 50th Anniversary

Thrilled to be a part of this upcoming event in southern Illinois. I created the poster graphic, below, learn more about this amazing event!

Register on Eventbrite or Donate Here.

Learn more on the Friends of IL Nature Preserves Website Here.

Come celebrate the dedication of Heron Pond - Wildcat Bluff as an Illinois Nature Preserve!

The Cache River wetlands in southern Illinois represent the northernmost extent of North America’s vast Coastal Plain physiographic province. However, only ten percent of the original extent of the Cache River’s swamps and bottomland forests remain, and an even smaller fraction still resembles its historical condition.

For the diverse native species that call it home and the many people who have witnessed its splendor, Heron Pond hearkens back to the wilderness of the original Cache River swamps. Thanks to the efforts of local citizens, conservationists, and government agencies, this remarkable ecological legacy has been protected as an Illinois Nature Preserve since 1971.

We welcome you to celebrate 50 years of permanent protection for Heron Pond and its upland counterpart, Wildcat Bluff, on Saturday, April 9, 2022. This one-day event is hosted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in collaboration with the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, Friends of the Cache River Watershed, and Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves. Event highlights include informational talks by pivotal figures in the acquisition, protection, and early management of this unique site; a juried art exhibit; and field tours of Heron Pond and Wildcat Bluff. Please join us for this celebration of our irreplaceable natural heritage!

Main Ceremony

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Join us for an outdoor ceremony at the Barkhausen Wetlands Center. Ecologists Max Hutchison, John Schwegman, and Andy West will speak about the early days of the Cache River, the acquisition of Heron Pond, and the original efforts to restore and manage the site’s swamps and bottomlands.

Presentation: Natural Areas Day at Heron Pond

(2:00 PM- 2:45 PM)

Watch a pre-recorded presentation by John Schwegman on the 1972 Natural Areas Day event that celebrated the then newly dedicated Heron Pond – Wildcat Bluff Nature Preserve. John will be available after the talk to answer questions from the audience. The recording will be made available online for later viewing.

Cache River Wetlands Documentary

(1:00-1:15 PM, 1:30-1:45 PM, 3:00-3:15 PM, 3:30-3:45 PM, 4:00-4:15 PM)

Site Interpreter Molie Oliver will introduce this 12-minute video on the history of the Cache River Wetlands.

Follow our Facebook page for updates and more information about each of the event partners.

COVID Protocol

Attendance to this indoor event and other indoor displays may be capped in consideration of IDNR COVID protocols at the time of the event.

Partners

Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves, a newly founded 501(c)(3) in support of nature preserves in the state of Illinois and non-profit Friends of the Cache Watershed collaborated on coordinating this event in support of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

Hike Descriptions:

Hike 1, Heron Pond

Free

1:00-2:30 PM at the Todd Fink Trail

Join Natural Heritage Biologist Mark Guetersloh (IDNR), John Beardsley (Illinois State Water Survey), and Dr. Jeff Hoover (Illinois Natural History Survey) for a tour of the Todd Fink trail out to the Heron Pond boardwalk. Learn about the ecology of this unique wetland and the work done to restore its hydrology. Registration required to attend and capped at 25 participants.

Hike 2, Heron Pond

Free

3:00-4:30 PM at the Todd Fink Trail

Join Natural Heritage Biologist Mark Guetersloh (IDNR), John Beardsley (Illinois State Water Survey), and Dr. Jeff Hoover (Illinois Natural History Survey) for a tour of the Todd Fink trail out to the Heron Pond boardwalk. Learn about the ecology of this unique wetland and the work done to restore its hydrology. Registration required to attend and capped at 25 participants

Hike 3, Wildcat Bluff

Free

1:00-2:30 PM at Wildcat Bluff

Join Natural Heritage Biologist Christina Feng (IDNR) and Natural Areas Preservation Specialist Kevin Sierzega (Illinois Nature Preserves Commission) on a tour of Wildcat Bluff. Learn about the natural communities that exist at this interface between bottomlands and uplands and the management being conducted to restore this incredible landscape. Registration required and capped at 20 participants per hike.

Hike 4, Wildcat Bluff

Free

3:00 -4:30 PM at Wildcat Bluff

Join Natural Heritage Biologist Christina Feng (IDNR) and Natural Areas Preservation Specialist Kevin Sierzega (Illinois Nature Preserves Commission) on a tour of Wildcat Bluff. Learn about the natural communities that exist at this interface between bottomlands and uplands and the management being conducted to restore this incredible landscape. Registration required and capped at 20 participants per hike.

Reserve your Heron Pond 50th Anniversary Fundraising T-shirt by adding it at Registration.

We Love Hill Prairies Work Day + Chocolate Covered Strawberries

We hit Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve again yesterday to do work on another portion of the area. We headed up with a group of seven volunteers, on a mission to clear invasive bush honeysuckle, which were taking over several places. We rewarded everyone with outstanding, chocolate-covered strawberries to round out the lovely Valentine’s Day theme of the workday and everyone had a great time.

Every time I get to participate in one of these workdays, I have such a great time.

Volunteer Work Days at Fults Nature Preserve

Lately I’ve been spending my time outdoors a little differently. I am honored to be helping Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves, a non-profit organization that spends its time helping to maintain nature preserves in Illinois. While the organization is still relatively new, and mostly based in northern IL, we have been making great strides to help in areas of southern Illinois. Fults is a stunning state-owned IDNR property, and while there have been certain challenges in navigating that system, I believe the rewards have outweighed any hurdles.

Below are photos from our Winter Solstice Work Day (12-21-21). We had a large group of amazing volunteers from around the state helping to clear bush honeysuckle and woody species from one of the sections of the Hill Prairies. We had a lot of fun, and WOW - that view is fantastic!

Additionally, I helped to facilitate Friends of IL Nature Preserves as this quarter’s Wooden Nickel recipients at the Neighborhood Co-op where I work! Donations have exceeded $1,500.00, way more than most other organizations have ever received in the Co-op’s history of the program.

Life Lately...

In the past year or so, I’ve changed focus a bit…

I sometimes wish I was a food blogger full time, but admit it was very difficult at times. I am currently working two places locally as well as help market and design for the new SIU Cannabis Science Center. I am and always expanding my horizons for new marketing and photography opportunities, and hoe that I have grown into someone who others look to for inspiration. I am always trying to support our amazing local community. Hopefully a few new projects will help push me in the right direction.

I’ve been reaching heavily towards nature to help me hopefully find some answers as to which way the future may guide me.

Now that the Makanda Mushroom Festival was a success, I am SO excited about future opportunities. But I am still a bit unsure about what the future holds. Wish me luck!!

Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve 50th Anniversary Celebration

I visited an incredible Hill Prairie in southern Illinois today, and I was mystified by its incredible beauty. They are hosting a conservation event this Saturday from 10am - 1pm, and I will be covering the event. Located at Cedar Bluff Park Pavilion in Fults, IL (at the corner of Fults Road and Church Street). Then we will proceed to hike the trails up to the Hill Prairies to some stunning overlooks. Below are some images I shot today.

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The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves will be holding a belated 50th Anniversary Celebration of the dedication of the Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve in Monroe County. Fults was dedicated as a Nature Preserve in October 1970. With activities restricted in 2020, the 50th-anniversary celebration of this dedicated Nature Preserve and National Natural Landmark site will take place this year.

Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve was the 30th nature preserve dedicated in the state of Illinois and the first in Monroe County. The beautiful site has the largest complex of high-quality loess hill prairies in Illinois. The site includes a 1.4-mile loop trail through the hill prairies, glades. and woodlands.

The event will include a short ceremony at the Cedar Bluff Park pavilion in Fults, IL at 10:00 am (at the corner of Fults Road and Church Street). The ceremony will be followed by guided hikes at the nature preserve, with regional conservation experts leading the hikes and sharing stories along the way.

Noted guests for the event include John Schwegman, Andy West, Phil Borsdorf, Marty Kemper, and Mark Phipps.

The public is encouraged to attend, dress for the weather and rugged hike, and to earn their “out of breath hiking crew” patch.

The Illinois Nature Preserves System was established by state law in 1963. In preserves owned by scores of agencies, organizations and individuals, dependent upon popular support and inter-agency collaboration, the 607 preserves and reserves protect the state’s finest woodlands, prairies, and wetlands for the benefit of science, the public, and for the survival of nature itself. These lands and their rare and endangered species represent thousands of years of heritage and millions of years of evolution. They are crucial resources for the future. This event provides an opportunity to celebrate this nature preserve and for attendees to learn about the history and ecology of the site while enjoying the stunning views from the bluffs of Monroe County.

Easy Vegan Potato Soup Recipe

Vegan Potato Soup Recipe
Vegan Potato Soup Recipe

This soup pairs well with a nice, dark, stout beer!

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Vegan Potato Soup Recipe

Using vegan cheese options is a great way to add flavor and dimension to your dairy-free soups.

Vegan Potato Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS (found here, via A Virtual Vegan)

  • 2 TBSP vegan butter or olive oil.

  • 2 medium onions , chopped finely

  • 2 ribs celery , diced

  • 2 large carrots , diced

  • 4 cloves garlic , chopped finely

  • 2 teaspoons salt , plus more to taste

  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper , plus more to taste

  • 4 tablespoons all purpose flour , or gluten-free all purpose flour

  • 2 cups non dairy milk , cashew milk or soy milk are my milks of choice for savory recipes but any other unsweetened creamy non-dairy milk will work too

  • 2½ - 3 cups flavorful vegetable broth/stock , divided

  • 5 medium / about 700 g potatoes , cut into ½ inch cubes

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg , (optional)

  • 1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

  • To a large saucepan, add the vegan butter/oil and warm over a medium heat before adding the onions, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onions are just starting to get a little color, then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

  • Add the salt and pepper, then the flour to the pan and stir it all around for about a minute to cook the raw flour taste out, then slowly add the soy milk, stirring as you go to work out any lumps. Then add the vegetable broth (reserving about ½ a cup), chopped potatoes, nutmeg and the bay leaf.

  • Stir really well then let it simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and just starting to break down. Add all of, or some of, the reserved ½ a cup of broth if you prefer a thinner consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Vegan Potato Soup Recipe

Squish Honey!

Elevate up your life with Squish CBD-infused, local honey! Our friends at Peace, Love, and Bees offer a beautifully floral clover honey, then Squish botanically infuses it with their organic CBD flower.

This is the MOST unique honey experience I have ever had, and if you’re looking to get some of this honey, it’s one of the newest products on their website, and can be found online, or at their storefront in Marion, IL.

I simply spread goat cheese onto some crackers, placed them onto an adorable platter, then worked the magic. A honey dabber was the perfect tool to apply honey to each cracker! This honey contains 10mg CBD per 1 tsp, and I didn’t have to use very much to make the perfect snack for Valentine’s Day!

“The taste of honey…much sweeter…than wine…” as sung by The Beatles has been in my head since yesterday! What a fun way to share the love.

Squish Global grows organic hemp flower in Marion, IL. Southern Illinois soil to oil!

Learn more about Squish on their Website!

Makanda Mushroom Festival - October 1-3, 2021

We are proud to announce, the Makanda Mushroom Festival will be held on October 1-3, 2021. We aim to offer a wide variety of educational opportunities to learn about fungus and the natural world around us.

Fall is a great time to view a wide variety of species fruiting in and around southern Illinois and the Shawnee National Forest. The festival will feature workshops about culinary and medicinal mushrooms, fermentation, wellness, outdoor crafts, and more. We will also host a Juried Artist Market + Mini Farmers Market, and host several local bands Friday and Saturday evenings. For now, tickets will only be available at the gate so we can honor those who have already purchased tickets initially. Three-day passes include camping, access to workshops and artist/farmers market, live music, and more!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Reese's Cookies

Looking for a recipe to make you smile? Everyone who has tried these has fallen in love with them. They’re delicious eaten around a camp fire, or make a few for a friend who needs some cheering up. These may be hard to share once you try them, just warning you!

Oatmeal Cookies

RECIPE (ORIGINALLY FOUND HERE):

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened

  • 1 cup brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 cups quick oats

  • 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

  • 1 cup REESE’S Pieces or M&M candies

Oatmeal Cookies

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

  2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter with a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

  3. In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and quick oats; whisk to combine. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and REESE’S Pieces candies by hand.

  4. Measure out ¼ cup balls of dough and place them on the baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown and the top still looks slightly undercooked. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. Before these have cooled completely, they will be crumbly. I suggest letting them cool completely before tasting.

  5. Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Enjoy!

Squish Global Grand Opening

Saturday, August 22, Squish Global in Marion, IL held their Grand Opening. It was so great to get out, meet some new folks, enjoy delicious CBD-infused food, and learn more bout the future of CBD. In attendance was most everyone in the wonderful Lawler family, two SIUC professors, the Marion Mayor, and other local officials in our community.

Squish Global Grand Opening Ceremony
Squish Global Grand Opening Ceremony

Below, CBD plants grow in an aeroponic system from aerosourceH, a high-performance, client-centered cannabidiol (CBD) wholesale, extraction laboratory and processing facility located in Kevil, Kentucky.

Squish Global Grand Opening Ceremony CBD plants

Below, the Chicken Satay Skewers, Potstickers, from Thai-D in Marion, IL. The peanut sauce that was infused with Squish’s CBD Avocado Oil!

Squish Global Grand Opening Ceremony (Thai-D Marion, IL)

Everything tasted absolutely delicious!

Squish Global Grand Opening Ceremony (Thai-D Marion, IL)

Powerful and impactful speeches were given by so many people.

Squish Global Grand Opening Ceremony

Before the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony!

Squish Global Grand Opening Ceremony

I love Squish products and that’s why I am so happy to stand behind them. I use the CBD-infused avocado oil on my skin every single day! I have always had dry lips and skin and this product works miracles. Below, we shot a few photos of a couple of their products while out on the lake. So happy to have a southern Illinois-based company I am SO happy to rep!

Next, a product that is new to me is the Squish CBD Muscle Freeze, a topical rub made with organically grown, high resin hemp flowers, arnica flower, shea butter, mango butter camphor essential, peppermint oil, and cooling menthol crystals to provide pain relief and a soothing, cooling effect. Shown below on the kayak on Little Grassy Lake.

I am so happy to help share these incredible products with the world! If you have any questions, comment below! Check out Squish on Facebook, Instagram, or their website!