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‘Henry V’ production proves simplicity can still be quality
The one thing any Shakespeare play doesn't need in order to be successful is extraneous sensationalism. The Bard's text alone often makes the plays so dense that any effort to heighten them with elaborate or ornate design elements can seem like depreciation. With language so beautiful, characters so rich, and dramatic turns so engaging - all Shakespeare needs for a quality production is a talented and dedicated cast, supported by equally worthy direction. With Milwaukee's Quasi-Production' staging of Henry V, a vast array of talent has assembled to create a simple but highly engaging depiction of the solidarity of soldiers, the beauty of love, and the power of unity.
Jun 3rd, 2009 by Michael Madden
Minding the rules
Building a consensus in the kitchen
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Farmers markets help nourish local economies as well
Supporting local growers comes with many benefits for food consumers
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Fine wines
Tapping the Dairy State's 150-year-old winemaking tradition
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Environmental illness in your life
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: What is it, and could you be suffering from it?
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Love bites
When you live in a rural area, or even a small town, there is almost always at least one dish in your cabinet that is freshly washed and simply awaiting return to its rightful owner.
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Salad grains
For quick and versatile summer salads, you can’t top this trio: couscous, quinoa and bulgur
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
The shape of hope
Running headlong into the future - with optimism
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Cool it
The right foods can help keep you cool this summer. Foods grown in the summer are often rich in water content and easier to digest, which helps to keep our bodies cool.
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
News you need to know
Researchers, farmers hope bee population continues rebound from colony collapse Will this year be a good one for bees? Time – and analysis – will tell if our country’s bee population will continue to bounce back from lows suffered two years ago. Bee colony collapse has not been in the news much since the sumemr of 2007, when 35 states reported Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The news was alarming: pollinators (which includes bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, birds, bats and the wind) are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops. In Wisconsin, cranberries and apples are among the agricultural crops almost totally dependent on honeybee pollination. The loss of 50% or more of adult worker bees was a wake-up call that demonstrated once again how little we knew about how we affect nature. Since 2006, Wisconsin has participated in the Bee Alert Survey and agreed to voluntary request inspections of hives in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Apiary Program offers inspections beginning in May and going through July and resuming in the fall. The inspector will find the queen, look for varroa mites, foulbrood diseases, viruses and any other pests or diseases. Some early signs of CCD are: • An insufficient workforce to maintain the brood • The workforce seems to be made up of young adults • The queen is present, appears healthy and is usually still laying eggs • The cluster is reluctant to consume food provided by the beekeeper, such as sugar syrup and protein supplements • Foraging populations are greatly reduced or non-existent Since local bees alone can’t effectively pollinate huge acreages of crops, migratory beekeepers from Florida, Texas, Mississippi and California haul about 40,000 hives or colonies into Wisconsin to help pollinate fruit and vegetable crops. Local farmers often rent the visiting hives for pollination. Although the mingling of local bees with migratory bees may be beneficial to the gene pool, it can also spell disaster when a very serious die-off of honeybee colonies spreads across the country. Since no one knows the exact cause of CCD, there are only precautionary guidelines for beekeepers to keep their colonies safe. They include: • Not combining collapsing colonies with strong colonies • Storing equipment where bees won’t have access to it when CCD is found • Treating with certain bacterial agents and not others Timothy Fulton, president of the Wisconsin Honey Producers Association says: “ There seems to be a number of factors that are affecting CCD. One of the most important aspects is nutrition. Bees need a variety of proteins from a variety of flowers. Having a population just available for alfalfa, for example, weakens their systems.” He also mentioned viruses, mites, certain insecticides and mold. Last year was a good year, with very little die-off. It is uncertain yet what the bee population will be like as of this writing since they are just beginning to stir from their […]
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Summertime, and the sweet treats are freezing
Ever meet a person who doesn’t like ice cream? Me, neither. Ice cream is a great uniter of people. All religions, creeds, races, nationalities and ages agree … we are happy to indulge in a scoop, whether it be gelato, soy-based, frozen custard or the old-style creamy stuff. Movie-makers would have us believe that every woman, when disappointed in love, turns to a tub of Häagen-Dazs for comfort. And who can forget (those of us who are old enough) the spectacle of comedian Eddie Murphy impersonating the spoiled kid whose ice cream fell onto the dirty ground? As author Jim Fiebig puts it: “Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone.” We took an informal survey of our staff (and a few other Milwaukeeans) wanting to know their favorite parlors, creameries, pints and flavors. With warmer months finally here, let’s celebrate our luck… someone invented ice cream. The daytripper When you live in Milwaukee, pretty much anything you need is on your doorstep. Unless what you need is fresh ice cream from a creamery made with all-natural organic ingredients from cows with names like Blossom. For that, you need to become a daytripper. Blossom and her mom, Marlie, can be found at Sassy Cow Creamery in Columbus, a short drive outside of Madison. You may have seen Sassy Cow milk in the cooler at the co-op, with its cheerful red tags, but these dairy farmers also produce ice cream, which they serve in their store. All Sassy Cow products are made with rBGH-free milk, and their cows are well-loved and cared for. Just ask Blossom. The ice cream comes in many flavors, including the intriguing Purple Cow. Find out more at www.sassycowcreamery.com or sign up for an Outpost-Sassy Cow field trip and come and see for yourself. If it’s organic you’re looking for, it doesn’t get more natural than Sibby’s. Produced at the creamery on a Viroqua farm, Sibby’s Homestead Organic Ice Cream is made with only five ingredients and served up soft-serve in the Ozone Ice Cream Parlor in the public market on Main Street. To date, Sibby’s comes in just two flavors, chocolate and vanilla, but owner Suzanne “Sibby” Sebion hasn’t ruled out the option of more flavors and wider horizons. Forbes Traveler magazine recently stopped by and gave enthusiastic reviews, declaring Sibby’s “one of America’s best ice creams.” A little closer to home, at the end of the railway line in East Troy, is J. Lauber’s Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor. This is a place to come when you’re feeling nostalgic. With staff dressed in old-style soda jerk costumes, and penny-candy on the shelves, it’s a daytrip back in time. As one Outposter said: “We come here whenever we are in the area, and sometimes make a special trip from Milwaukee just for the ice cream. They have great old-fashioned sundaes like the tin roof, turtle, and grasshopper as well as old fashioned sodas.” Local legends When commercial […]
Jun 1st, 2009 by Liz Setterfield
Greening the White House
Madison woman wins national grassroots vote to send a farmer to transform lawn into organic garden.
May 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
