Valentines Day = Chocolate

Chocolate and Valentine's Day are a perfect pairing. Treat your sweetheart at a couple of local events this weekend!

River Valley Trading Company in Blanchardville is having their 2nd annual Chocolate Tasting and Auction on Saturday afternoon. From 2 until 4, sample delicious and unusual chocolates from TerraSource Gourmet Chocolates along with various wines. For only $2, you can sample all of the chocolates. Then, bid for your favorites in the silent auction. Stick around to show the selection of interesting and varied local gifts available at River Valley Trading Company, and save 10% on any of them.

After chocolate appetizers, head across the street to the new Pecatonica Grapevine. There, owner Christine Pieper will have another tasting, this time pairing wines with delectable morsels from one of our favorites, Stef over at Goosechaser Farm. Chef Stef will be bringing quiche with roasted duck on apple and fennel slaw with raspberry walnut vinaigrette; pumpkin gnocchi with sesame walnut butter; and red wine braised pastured pork with spaetzle and winter vegetables. If the samples are too enticing, pick up a full size dinner to take home. There will be more TerraSource chocolates here too! The event goes from 4 until 6, $7 per person.

Chocolate Temptation had a very popular chocolate fondue event last year, and they are repeating it this year. Now, both Saturday and Sunday are currently full, but I just spoke with Scott, and they are taking names to see if they have enough people to add another seating. I highly recommend it, so call them at 328-2462. If fondue isn't your thing, they will also be open for a while on the afternoon of Valentine's Day too, so take your sweetheart in to share a dessert and coffee drink.

Finally, take your little sweetheart to the Candyland Ball at the Masonic Temple in Freeport. From 6:30 until 8, little girls ages 10 and under can come with an adult in their lives (dad, mom, or whomever is special) to dance and enjoy the evening. $25 per couple, $28 for non-residents, each additional child is $7.

Most of the local restaurants will be doing reservations or special menus for this coming weekend, so treat your sweetheart. If you prefer to do the cooking yourself, consider a local foods menu! There are many places available to get local meat, including the previously mentioned Goosechaser Farm, and if you need some winter veggies, call Barb at Mainstreet to connect with the farmer's market coordinator. Many vendors do still have root crops like onions, potatoes and carrot available. Round out your table with wines from Famous Fossil or Primrose, or beer from New Glarus Brewing Company or Minhas.

Things to Do Around Monroe

Bring the canoe, load up the lawn chair! Here is a look at what is going on in the Green County area in the upcoming week:

~ Come Downtown on Thursday evening for the first Concert on the Square of the summer. Horsefeathers takes the stage at about 6:30. There is still time to book a boxed supper from Cafe Claudeen, Turner Hall or Garden Deli.

~ Young Professionals, come join me as I take the YPs of Green County on a tour of a local home. I will be talking as an EcoBroker about green home ownership, specifically environmental features that make sense for every home owner.

~ Stop in at The Green Door between noon and 7 pm on Thursday for their summer entertaining open house event. Stop in before you come to the Concert on the Square. Have some nibbles, browse the entertainment collections, chat with Judy and Nancy.

~ Chicago Ave in Downtown Freeport is the site for Music on Chicago, featuring oldies music in the historic Downtown area.

~ On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, New Glarus hosts the Roger Bright Polkafest. What kind of polka do you do? Skip your workout and come dance. The polka is more of a workout than an elliptical machine, plus it is a lot more fun!

~ If you prefer activity on the water, Canoe Fest begins on Thursday in Darlington and runs through Sunday. This event, in its 43rd year now, features canoe races, a parade, fireworks show, outdoor concerts and more.

~ Spice it up a little at the Pedal/Paddle. The Lena Park District sponsors this day of outdoor activity on the Jane Addams Trail and Pecatonica River. Bike 8.25 miles on the trail, then hop into a canoe or kayak for an 8.35 mile flotilla on the river. Worried you aren't up to the challenge? There will be a sag wagon and pontoon to help if you need a break. $20 if you have your own canoe, $30 if you need to rent. Call 815-369-5351 to register.

~ The New Glarus Brewing Company officially opens their Hilltop Facility for tours on Saturday, June 13. The grand opening takes place all day from 10 am until 5 pm. The Jimmys will be on hand to play R&B, so sit and stay a while.

~ Monroe Theatre Guild Youth Choir will perform their first concert on Sunday at 7 pm at the Stage Building in Monroe.

~ Get your picnic baskets ready! The first "Stirring the Pot: Dialogue, Discussion and Dinner in Dairyland" picnic happens on the lawn of the MAC following the Farmers Market on Wednesday, June 17. Guest chefs take the stage at 5:30 with a community picnic dinner and discussions following. There will be three picnics total, one in each June, July and August, sponsored by the group working to bring the Community Commercial Kitchen to Green County.

Have a great weekend here in Cheese Country!

Giving Credit where Credit is Due

Congratulations to New Glarus Brewing Company! Our homegrown talent has received an award from Alliant Energy's Shared Savings program.

Shared Savings is a program that promotes energy efficient updates and planning for businesses. New Glarus Brewing Company participated with construction of their new facility on the hill just south of New Glarus.

They developed an energy efficient waste water treatment facility to ease the burden on the municipal facility. They utilized green building practices while building the entire facility. The brewery also developed the facility with energy efficiency and environmental principals in mind. Shared Savings helps businesses identify, implement, and finance these improvements.

Congratulations to Deborah and Dan Carey for their forward thinking environmental stewardship! We are proud to have business owners like the Carey's in the area.

The next time you open a bottle of Fat Squirrel, you can do so with the knowledge that it was made by a brewery that not only cares about a quality product, but also cares about preserving our environment.

Tasting Tour #1

There are some pretty amazing flavors that come out of our stomping grounds here in Green County.

Whether you are a tourist visiting the area or a long time resident, take a little vacation and sample some of our goods. Try a day trip to the area with a Tasting Tour.

I am writing these myself; they are not from any visitors guide book or tourism site, so please keep that in mind. These are just fun ways to spend a day or two here in the Green County area.

Tasting Tour #1 will focus on beverages, alcoholic and non. If you want to do the full tasting tour, start promptly at 10 am and follow the schedule as given. If you would rather linger longer in the New Glarus area, adjust the tour so that you get to Monroe in time for the 3 pm brewery tour and leave off the final winery stop.

Start your day in New Glarus at 10 am. Here is where you will find New Glarus Brewing Company, a quickly growing upstart in the craft brewing world. Fat Squirrel, Spotted Cow, Organic Revolution, Crack'd Wheat - these are names known to beer aficionados in the Midwest. Dan and Deb Carey are the founders. This company is unique because it is the first brewery in the US founded and operated by a woman. Deb runs the company, Dan is the brewmaster, and an incredible local product is the result. Self guided audio tours are available from 10 am until 5 pm Monday through Sunday. The new facility on the hill just south of New Glarus will be open to the public this year. If you would like to sample, stop in the Tasting Room where $3.50 will get you three samples and a New Glarus Brewing tasting glass.

After learning about New Glarus beers, stop over at Primrose Winery around 11 am to learn about local wines. Primrose began in 1986 when Peg and Bob Borucki decided to turn their wine making hobby into a business after many raves from their friends about their products. Primrose Winery uses Wisconsin fruits to create 13 handcrafted wines. Primrose is special because they do use chemicals to clarify their wines, instead relying on old fashioned racking. They do not offer tours, but they offer free tastings year round at their building in Downtown New Glarus. They do have an Open House event coming up in late May.

Noon means lunch time! Pick up a sandwich for lunch and the coffee drink of your choice at Fat Cat Coffee Works before leaving New Glarus. You'll enjoy the quality ingredients and the charming ambiance at this small town coffee cafe. If you want to do the full Tasting Tour, leave New Glarus at about 12:30 to give yourself enough time to get to your next tour at 1 pm. Otherwise, wander over to the New Glarus bakery for a pastry dessert and visit some of the New Glarus shops as well.

Next stop is Monroe for a tour of Minhas Brewery. This has been a brewery since 1846, the oldest continuously operating brewery in the Midwest. The name has changed a few times, the product labels are different, but the product is still the same - mostly beer. During Prohibition, they began producing excellent root beer and sodas. When alcohol became legal again, the soda stayed in the line up. The brewery has changed hands a few times in 163 years, and in 2006, it became Minhas Brewery. Minhas still produces Blumer's, Berghoff, and Huber, but has grown to include such brews as Lazy Mutt. Do stop in for a tour. They are fun and tasty experiences. Tours are offered every Friday at 1p.m. and Saturday at 1p.m. and 3p.m. It is recommended to call to reserve a spot: 608-325-3191. Tours are $10 for ages 13 years and older, kids under 12 are free with parent. The tour price does include a Minhas Craft Brewery Gift Pack including several bottles as well as Minhas gifts.

If you made the 1 pm tour at Minhas, you will have time for the final stop on our Tasting Tour. (If you had the 3 pm tour instead, browse around our Downtown or catch a matinee movie at Goetz Theater before skipping ahead to dinner).

Drive a little farther south towards Freeport, IL to tour Famous Fossil Vineyard and Winery. Famous Fossil is a charming winery that has a certified biodynamic vineryard (meets organic standards plus some). Their tasting room is open from 11 am until 5 pm on Thursdays and Saturdays, 11 until 7 on Fridays and noon until 4 on Sundays. Sit on the deck, sample the wines and enjoy the countryside and vineyard views. If you call ahead, they will arrange a box meal for you to enjoy on site.

If you prefer a restaurant dinner, drive on back to Monroe and enjoy a leisurely dinner at Barrett's Brick Cafe, Cafe Claudeen or Poncho & Lefty's, opening soon. End your tour with a stop at Baumgartner's on the west side of the Square for a final glass of your favorite beer of the day, great camaraderie and (on many Saturday evenings) live music.

Don't forget the designated driver on this tasting tour! We want you to get back to your hotel or bed and breakfast safely.

If you are making a weekend out of visiting our area, combine this with Tasting Tour #2.