Guest Comments & Testimonials: 
"My two girlfriends and I were looking for fun activities for our vacation together. This was a perfect choice for an afternoon of learning how to cook Bread Pudding in a can and Strawberry/Rhubarb Jam. The recipes used ingredients you can get at the market and the process was simple and fun. Our teacher and host, Valerie, welcomed us into her home with open arms and made us feel like a part of her family right away. Her helper, Amanda, was a joy and also made our experience a fun one. Both used the knowledge and gifts given to them to create for us a unique experience that we will never forget. Thank You, Valerie and Amanda"
"<3 <3 <3 (<3 is heart) your class ... Your girls are lovely also"
"It isn't even possible to have a more perfect experience. It was absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge & stories. Lovely house. Great stories, thank you!"
"We made a pie from scratch, which I think might possibly be the BEST THING I HAVE EVER EATEN IN MY 53 YEAR LIFE! We also made soap, which I always suspected to be a truly complicated process, but Valerie made it very simple.
As our pies were finishing baking and the canned tomatoes and peach preserves were cooling, Valerie treated us to a lovely spread on her back deck. She served cinnamon scones, cornbread and zuccinni bread--all homemade and served with her HOMEMADE BUTTER! Fresh strawberries, frozen grapes and cheese rounded out the table, served with a stem of a local cherry wine.
I cannot recommend this experience highly enough. It was an eye-opener for me, extremely educational, and as Valerie provided written recipes and detailed directions, I know I will be able to replicate these recipes and apply what I learned to other fruits/vegetables, and, of course, PIES!!! I will even make soap--what a great gift item for the holidays! We left her house laden with the "fruit" of our labors!"
"For Christmas, my dad signed my mom, my sisters, and I up for a pie making and canning class. It was one of the best Christmas presents ever! Everyone there was extremely accommodating and it was just the four of us there for the lesson. We made four pies from scratch (one for each of us). Everything was explained to us and we were able to do it on our own. I'm not one to cook, and I absolutely loved making the pies! We also canned while we were there. That was also a lot of fun. We were able to drink wine and socialize all day while making pies and canning. We learned a lot and all of the food that we made was INCREDIBLE!! It was an experience as well as a lesson. I highly recommend it!"
"A wonderful & delicious adventure into yesterday! We'll cherish the memory forever and the delicious pies all week (unless we finish them off this eve!) Thanks for such a special time"
"Thank you for making our spontaneous vacation a success."
"Valerie was very organized and gracious as she walked us through the step-by-step canning process. It was very "hands-on" and her assistants did a great job cleaning up as we went along (even mixing up some Bloody Marys to taste with some already pickled asparagus)."
"I wasnt quite sure what to expect when our group of 4 got there, but i was pleasantly surprised! We spent time making pie from scratch, and activity i've never attempted to do before. It was a great time to say the least. Valerie was a great host, and filled the time with great anectodes and a delightfull sense of humor. If your looking for a unique experience, and a chance to learn some long forgotten traditions, this is really fun and enjoyable experience. What better way to spend a chilly evening in Michigan!"
"Had a good time here with my mom last week. Now I want to find a little butter churn like yours and make my own butter! (Also, my husband really likes the little kitchen soaps. Grilled fish last night and afterwards he washed his hands with the clove and coffee soap and -- voila! No fish smell! :)" |