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Holiday Gathering and Boutique

Decenber 11, 2019

Join us for a festive Holiday Gathering and Boutique featuring items made by members and suitable for a hostess gift, Secret Santa exchange, or little something for friends and neighbors. We will begin at 11:00 AM to allow more time to socialize and of course shop the holiday boutique.

The holiday boutique is a special part of the Garden Club of Oak Park and River Forest December program. The holiday boutique sells holiday gift items made by members. The gift items include: garden coasters. soup mix, cookies in a jar, Boxwood Trees, Christmas aprons, ornaments, Yule Logs, homemade candies and cookies on serving dishes, bird seed wreaths, vanilla, and vinegars.

Refreshments will come out at noon including tea and decaffeinated coffee. Members volunteer to design and set up the centerpieces in the dining room and on the tables. Members that would like to volunteer to use their creativity to design and make the centerpieces should contact Kathy English of the Hospitality Committee, kathryn_english@comcast.net.

Presenter : Andrew Pavarrano. Andrew of Andrew’s Garden in historic downtown Wheaton will demonstrate unique European floral designs, https://www.andrewsgarden.com. The presentation will begin at 1:00 PM. The floral arrangements will be raffled off. Please direct future speaker recommendations to Joan Meister, joanmeistr@icloud.com

Join us and bring friends for a lovely afternoon.

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Forest Bathing: Health Benefits of Nature

November 13, 2019

12:00 PM at the Chaney Mansion, 220 N. Euclid Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois. Free parking is available on the street

Presenter Jane Grillo: Learn what science has now proven but what gardeners have long known, working outside in a garden and walking in nature is beneficial to health.

This month’s speaker works with a variety of garden clubs, schools, church groups in expanding their understanding of nature and the environment. She worked at The Natural Garden and Midwest Ground Covers, both located in St. Charles, Illinois. She has designed and coordinated a handicapped accessible therapy sensory butterfly garden at a therapy facility.

We start the meeting at 12:00 PM with light refreshments including tea and decaffeinated coffee. Members volunteer to set up the centerpieces and refreshments. A short business meeting precedes a one hour garden related presentation at 1:00 PM. The meetings are free and open to the public; guests are always welcome.

Members that would like to volunteer to use their creativity to design and make the centerpieces and set up refreshments should contact Kathy English of the Hospitality Committee, kathryn_english@comcast.net.

Please direct questions and speaker recommendations to Joan Meister, joanmeistr@icloud.com

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September Meeting

September 11, 2019

THE FIVE WAYS TO PRESERVE THE HARVEST

In this interactive presentation, food blogger and cookbook author Emily Paster will cover five ways to preserve your garden harvest from canning to freezing to drying and root-cellaring. Emily will offer an in-depth description of water-bath canning, a versatile and accessible method of home food preservation suitable for many common fruits and vegetables grown in home and community gardens. You will also walk away with Emily’s “Freezer Cheat Sheet” which demystifies the process and benefits of freezing local and home-grown fruits and vegetables as well as an overview of safe water-bath canning procedures, fermentation and suggestions for helpful resources for further study.

Bio:

Emily Paster is the author of two cookbooks, 2016’s Food Swap: Specialty Recipes for Bartering, Sharing & Giving and The Joys of Jewish Preserving published in 2017. She is the writer and photographer behind the website West of the Loop, which has been called “a family food blog to savor.” As the founder of the Chicago Food Swap, a community event where handmade foods are bartered and exchanged, Emily is a leader in the national food swap movement.
If you need further information, consult her professional websites:

www.emilypaster.com

www.WestoftheLoop.com