Up on the Mission, after you pass the blue bay on the right and the blue bay on the left, then up and over the big hill with the scenic turnout and then, past a mature orchard of sweet and tart cherries lies a little farm called "Shang-ri-La Too". Lou and Irene manage this wonderful farm that multipurposes itself as a respite, a farm, a vineyard, an orchard, a b & b, an artist's studio and most likely a few other functions that i don't even know about. I stumbled on this friendly place when i was looking for the last of the season's strawberries for one last shortcake recipe for some desperate friends from Texas. Irene and Lou happened to be having a garage sale but were out of strawberries. As luck would have it, Linda my friend from Texas talked me into a ceramic cow with measuring spoons, a cylindrical orange mod a go-go vase and a retro copper tray. (No regrets!) We chatted about fruit and they told me that what i REALLY wanted was to come back to their farm in a couple of weeks to pick raspberries.
So, i marked my calender and showed up one Thursday morning to pick my share of raspberries for some jam. Irene took me out to her "patch" and Lou pointed me in the direction of the sweet and small raspberries that make fragrant jam. In fact, Lou doesn't even like his raspberries that much, since they have the aroma of "perfume".
Well, that works for me. I'll take perfumey raspberries any day. In fact, I wonder if lavender and raspberries would work. Hmpfh. Well, I picked enough to almost make a batch of jam so Irene had to finish off my pints.
It was so much cheaper to pick my own raspberries! Two pints for $5.00. And not only that, but i got to visit their lovely farm. See their many farm animals. ( See wild, native owl at left). And peek inside the B & B. For more information on picking raspberries, cherries or apples call Shangri-La Too at 231-499-0106.
And for information about their farm stay B&B ... well, call the farm number too!
oh! darn! i forgot to ask about the eggs!
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