Had a good time at the St. Joe Valley Engine Show

Over the weekend we visited the St. Joe Valley Old Engine Association Antique Tractor and Engine Show held on their show grounds at Boot Hill Ranch near Jones, Michigan. I grew up not far from Boot Hill Ranch and have fond memories of attending shows in my younger years. This year's show featured Case tractors as well as vintage Sears, Craftsman, and David Bradley garden tractors. They had an obstacle course set up for the garden tractors, a threshing demonstration, steam powered sawmill, and some great food.

Speaking of the sawmill - here is a brief clip of it in action. I didn't have my tripod with me so it wasn't the steadiest of videos.

I don't know what their attendance figures were, but we had to park quite a ways from the gate and it seemed to be well attended. One thing I've noticed this summer at different festivals and events in Michigan is that they seem to be better attended than in recent years. I wonder if high gas prices are encouraging folks to stick closer to home.

Flower Power Pizzas

I made up the recipe for these cute little pizzas this evening and they were great.  I'll try to post a picture the next time I make them.  I didn't think of it until they were almost gone tonight. Ingredients

• 8 frozen dinner rolls (dough)
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 tsp. grill seasoning (I used a combination of steak and barbecue seasonings)
• pizza sauce
• 1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 10 chives, chopped
• real bacon bits

What you do

• Thaw dinner rolls according to package directions.  When thawed, flatten with the palm of your hand and arrange close together on a cookie sheet in a flower pattern (one in center and seven around to create the petals) .  Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Let the dough rise another 15 minutes or however long it takes your oven to heat.
• Bake dough for approximately 10 minutes.  You want it to just barely start to turn golden brown.
• Brown the burger and season it.  Drain the grease.
• Assemble your flower power pizza by topping with pizza sauce, cheese, chopped chives, and bacon bits.
• Bake another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and delicious.

Blueberry Pudding Cake

I clipped this recipe out of a magazine years ago and finally tried it this year. I don't know what took me so long - it is delicious and so easy! 2 c. blueberries 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. lemon juice Combine above ingredients and place in a greased 8-inch square baking dish.

1 c. flour 3/4 c. sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 c. milk 3 Tbsp. melted butter Combine above ingredients in a small bowl and spoon over berries.

3/4 c. sugar 1 Tbsp. cornstarch Combine above ingredients and sprinkle over batter.

1 c. boiling water Slowly pour over everything.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is done.

Enjoy!

Free things to do in Michigan

Here are just a few ideas for great free things to do in Michigan (besides reading this blog of course ;) ) before summer is over. I picked these from this book, "What's Cheap & Free in Michigan." Deadman's Hill - a great view of the Jordan Valley from one of the higher spots in the lower peninsula. You can reach Deadman's Hill off of 131 11.5 miles north of Mancelona. Take Deadman's Hill road two miles up to the parking area.

Horton Bay General Store - Whether you are on an Ernest Hemingway pilgrimage or just passing through this is a great place to stop. Look over the photos of Ernest Hemingway while waiting for your ice cream cone to be served up from the vintage soda fountain counter. Then, take your ice cream outside and sit on one of the comfortable benches on the porch and watch the world go by.

Take U.S. - 31 north out of Charlevoix and turn onto Boyne City Road which takes you right into Horton Bay.

Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery - This is where the state of Michigan raises trout and salmon for distribution across the state. Here you can view main show pond, DNR Fisheries Lab, antique fishing tackle display, history of fishing here in Michigan, and more.

Located 8 miles west of Kalamazoo on M-43. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Listen to a song about Tiger Stadium

"The Corner" was written and sung by Ben Hassenger about his and others' memories of Tiger Stadium. He plans on heading down to The Corner from his home near Lansing to shoot a video. You can take a listen at his MySpace page or the Detroit Free Press.

I think he did a great job. It's got a nice beat to it and his lyrics paint a picture of what once was and will now only be a faded picture in our memories.

Sleeping Bear Dunegrass and Blues Festival is this week

The Sleeping Bear Dunegrass & Blues Festival runs Thursday, July 31st, through Sunday, August 3rd. You can still get tickets online through tomorrow, July 30th, for pickup at the festival. The gates are open every day at 8 a.m. until 12 a.m. One day passes are $48.50 with full weekend passes starting at $123.50 (with either no camping or off-site camping) on up to $138.50 for on-site camping. VIP passes start at $303.50 (no camping or off-site camping) up to $403.50 for on-site camping.

Here's a smattering of some of the acts this year: Arlo Guthrie Del McCoury Band Railroad Earth Greensky Bluegrass Cornmeal Steppin' In It Daisy May and Seth Bernard

Check out all of the acts at the 2008 Dunegrass & Blues Festival.

On the fence about going? Watch this clip from last year. It sure looks like a lot of fun and sounds great.

If the player does not appear, view it here.