Let's do brunch! Treat your mother to a meal that's leisurely and delicious
Perhaps more than any other meal, brunch, with its mid-morning start, invites us to take our time at the table and enjoy the company of the people we are with. This is no up-and-out-the-door breakfast, nor is it a power lunch. It's brunch. By it's very name, it suggests a certain freedom from the usual regimented schedule.

It's also an opportunity to exercise a little creativity in the kitchen. As a lover of breakfast foods who doesn't always have the time to prepare more elaborate dishes, I appreciate the chance brunch provides to "upgrade" my usual breakfast fare to something truly special. More »

The ties that unite: A farm partnership built on the traditions of two families
Digging his hand into a large tub of potting soil, Elmer Mess smiles, sighs and says, "It's spring."

Elmer, his son Rick, and grandson Aden are about halfway done setting small geranium "plugs" into 4-inch pots while waiting for Mike Schwartz to arrive and start another task. Together, they make up RM Growers. "Bet you can't guess what the RM stands for," jokes Elmer.

While Rick Mess is the "R" and Mike Schwarz is the "M" in front... More »

Nature's classroom: Indian Creek Nature Center offers programs for all ages
Indian Creek Nature Center is situated just off Mount Vernon Road east of Cedar Rapids. Signs for the center lead visitors down a barely-graveled road and across a tiny, bright-blue metal bridge. At first glance, you may think the nature center — Iowa's oldest, incorporated in 1973 — is just a small barn with a building attached to it. Behind this quiet facade, though, there is a buzz of constant activity.

The nature center's... More »

Q-C Bike Month: Events planned to celebrate two-wheeled transportation
April showers may bring May flowers, but the folks at Bicycle Friendly Quad Cities and the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau are more interested in pedals than petals this May. These two organizations and their partners are celebrating May as Bike Month with a full lineup of local rides, events and promotions.

According to Dan McNeil, one of the event volunteers, the idea behind Bike Month is simply to encourage Quad-Citians to get... More »

Try, try again: Knitting imperfections lead to fun gatherings at yarn shop
As the Friday fog rolled across the cornfields, my friend Jenn and I set out to get ripped. I know what you must be thinking and no, we weren't heading out for a wild night on the town or even an intense weight-lifting session. The "Get Ripped" event we wanted to attend was a quaint little potluck and frogging session at a yarn shop called 365 Days on a Farm, recently opened in Eldridge, Iowa.

To frog, in knitting terms, means to rip out a... More »

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