Farmers' Market Opens May 5!

Shop for Local Produce Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at O'Donnell Lake

Heralding the beginning of the summer growing season, the St. Charles/Waldorf Farmers’ Market opens on Saturday, May 5 at the waterfront O’Donnell Lake location near St. Patrick’s and Smallwood Drives near Waldorf, MD.  This year, the producer-only St. Charles Market will grow, incorporating the local farms and vendors from the Festival at Waldorf Market.  This year’s vendors will offer a smorgasbord of foods and products including:

Delicious Asian Fusion Restaurant Opens in St. Charles

by Jennifer Rudolph

Every time I see a new non-chain restaurant pop up in the Charles County area I get excited.  So, imagine my delight when I found the old Great Wall location had been transformed into an Asian fusion restaurant called Joe’s Noodle House.  I immediately did what any foodie would do which was grabbed my coworker and headed off to lunch.

Local Gifts to Polish Off Your List

Six  days and counting until Christmas, and you still need gifts for Aunt Marion in Phoenix, your new sister-in-law, and your Secret Santa pick from your book club.  Oh, and a hostess gift for your boss’ wife…their annual holiday party is tomorrow.  Whether you haven’t been able to locate a unique gift for that special someone or you’re just beginning your holiday shopping, consider visiting one of our region’s local farms for unique local items.

This year the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC) has added a holiday component to their Buy Local Challenge: “think farms” when doing your holiday shopping.  Following are some ideas to jumpstart your gift giving creativity, inspired by SMADC’s 2011/12 Holiday Guide.

Wreaths, Ornaments & Crafts

Holiday decorations make an appropriate present for just about anyone on your list.  Middleton’s Cedar Hill Farm offers custom designed Christmas decorations, as well as a nice selection of hostess and office gifts.   Willow Oak Flower and Herb Farm also offers handmade Christmas ornaments.  You can find a selection of Poinsettia at Greenstreet Gardens or Miller Farms.  Make an appointment at Scarborough Farm for unique holiday wreaths, swags, garlands, and centerpieces.  Their collections are adorned with greens, pods, peppers, berries, shells, and herbs, as well as optional ribbons, lights and candles.  Ferny Brae Farm Crafts offers crafts made by hand from their sheep’s wool.  Choose from a selection of angels, snowmen, reindeer, fairies, animals, and sheep.

Unique Gifts

Looking for something a little less traditional?  Serenity Farm, right here in Charles County, offers walking sticks at their farm store.  Or, consider a mohair throw blanket from Tree Stump Acres.  At Finca Serena Alpaca Ranch you’ll find unique alpaca gifts from socks, gloves, and hats to finger puppets and teddy bears.

Wine

Wine from a local vineyard makes a great gift for the wine connoisseur, the novice, or anyone who’d enjoy a taste of Southern Maryland.  Local wineries include Fridays Creek, Perigeaux Vineyards, Port of Leonardtown Winery, Roman Vineyard & Winery, and Solomons Island Winery.

Dowload Now for Enhanced Shopping!

Unless you have your own team of elves, holiday shopping can be overwhelming.  The vast selection of products and retailers — both on and off-line — is mind boggling.  Following is an elite selection of the available Smartphone apps designed to help you choose the best product, get the best price, and remember everyone on your list.

The Find

Scan and compare.  The Find allows you to shop and save money using your Desktop, Tablet, Smartphone, or Facebook and synchs these platforms to allow you to research and buy seamlessly – both at home and in-store.  Barcode scanning technology lets you quickly compare prices, locate alternate nearby retailers, and even map your route.  Also includes the ability to set price watches and share favorite items with friends.  Works with Apple and Android devices.

iGive Gifts

Get organized.  iGive Gifts allows you to neatly organize gift ideas, events, and gifts given and received.  Budgeting software allows you to track your finances for a given event and identify how much budget is remaining.  A shopping list allows you to sort and view not yet purchased gifts by store.   This app costs $0.99.  An upgrade option provides even more functionality.   iPhone compatible.

Coupon Sherpa

No more clipping!  Coupon Sherpa allows you to check for deals at stores near you.  More than 100 coupons are available.  No need to cut or print - the cashier will scan the barcode directly from your mobile device.  Compatible with Apple and Android devices.

Barcode Hero

Get a recommendation from everyday users.  Barcode Hero is an interactive community that allows you to comment on your favorite products and read reviews from other users.  Scan a barcode to quickly locate feedback on an item you’re considering.  Barcode hero integrates with Facebook and Twitter and includes millions of products in over 20,000 categories.  Works with the iPhone.

Buy Local: Friday's Creek Winery

If you like bright red barns as much as you like bright red wines, then Friday’s Creek Winery in Owings, MD might be the perfect stop on the Patuxent Wine Trail for you. Situated at the end of a road where residential houses give way to fields and farms, the winery is impossible to miss with its fully restored red barn and associated buildings. The restoration is a testament to the owner’s “other” job as a builder, and his attention to detail is just as evident in the wines he produces as it is in the buildings.

Though Friday’s Creek produces a wide variety of both red and white wines, it being autumn I was compelled to stick to reds. Of the several I tasted I found both the old vine Zinfandel and the Cabernet Sauvignon to be to my liking. The latter possessed an undertone of smokiness I don’t usually associate with the wine but that worked well with this particular bottling. With a bottle of the Cab tucked under my arm, and at the advice of the staff, I took a tour of the rest of the facility.

A unique feature of the winery is that both the fermentation room and the barrel room are on full display. Too often, wine enthusiasts get to see the vines in the field and the wine in the bottle, with little vision into what goes on in between. By offering a view into these two rooms, Friday’s Creek invites visitors a little deeper into the process. Another feature I found appealing was the second level gallery, which displayed both works from local artists and historical artifacts from the surrounding area. To its credit, Friday’s Creek seems to appreciate its place as part of the local community. One may come for the wine but is just as likely to leave with a more permanent remembrance of their visit.

Oh Christmas Tree - How Lovely Are Your Branches

Early last December my friends took their two year old twins to a tree farm for the first time.  They enjoyed a magical day selecting and cutting their tree, driving it home, and setting it up.  Over the next few days they spent many hours lovingly adorning it with lights and ornaments.  They enjoyed the beautiful tree for several weeks — even as they became uneasy about the massive quantity of needles dropping.  Three days before Christmas their tree was nothing but bare branches with heaps (HEAPS!) of needles beneath it.  This could not be the backdrop for their Christmas morning photos!  Off they went to select and then decorate a replacement tree.

For many, the Christmas tree is the centerpiece of the holiday celebration and also one of the biggest headaches.  Following are some things to consider to avert disaster with your own Tannenbaum.

Do Your Homework

Before you head out to pick your tree, measure and measure again the height of your ceiling.  Be sure to make deductions for the tree stand as well as the tree topper.

Fresh is Best

For the freshest tree, choose and cut your own at a tree farm.  Pre-cut trees can also be very fresh, particularly if they come from a local farm and thus haven’t been shipped long distances.  Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources recommends the following tests for freshness:

• Bend several needles on the tree. If they spring back into shape, the tree is fresh. If they break or remain bent, the tree has dried out too much.

• Tap the base of the tree on a hard surface. If many needles fall off, the tree is too dry. The tree should have a pungent evergreen smell, and its branches should be full and springy.

• Feel the base of the tree. It should be moist and sappy. Make sure that the base is small enough to fit into your stand.

Minimize Drying

The ride home can dry out your tree.  Place it inside your vehicle, when possible.  Otherwise, wrap it in a tarp to minimize drying.  At home, keep the tree in the basement or garage for a couple days before moving it into the house.  Bringing it immediately into your warm home can shock your tree and cause it to lose needles prematurely.  Cut one inch off the base, with a diagonal cut, and place the tree in a bucket of water until you’re ready to bring it into your home.