Watch for the Quail MotoFest in 2027 at the site below for event dates, tickets, and motorcycle information:
https://www.peninsula.com/en/signature-events/events/motorcycle
Reposted by Ruth Paget
-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books
Grilled Swiss Apple-Cheese-Pesto Sandwich at the Fat Cat Coffee Works in New Glarus, Wisconsin by Ruth Paget
On Day 5 of our vacation in Wisconsin, my husband Laurent and I set out for New Glarus in southwestern Wisconsin.
New Glarus is a slice of Switzerland in the US. Its streets are full of Swiss German chalets, restaurants and taverns where you can eat Swiss specialties like cheese fondue, souvenir shops with Swiss products, and the New Glarus Brewing Company on the edge of town where you can do beer tastings, take tours, and buy merchandise in the gift shop.
New Glarus was founded in 1845 when the Canton of Glarus in Switzerland suffered a financial crisis that was brought about by several factors:
-crop failure
-overpopulation
-widespread poverty
The Canton of Glarus helped a group of settlers find fertile land to farm in the US to ease the overpopulation at home.
For brunch, Laurent and I went to the Fat Cat Coffee Works, which is located in the town’s old train depot. Neighboring shops sell local crafts and art, vintage kitchen items, clothes, and flowers.
We ordered an iced tea for Laurent and an iced latte for me, which was delivered on an antique hutch. We placed orders for French toast for Laurent and a Swiss grilled apple sandwich for me that was made with melted cheddar and Swiss cheese and freshly made pesto. Both dishes were delicious.
I liked learning a new dish to make with apples to give some Swiss flair to fall at home in California. I liked the paintings of tractors in the dining area along with the coffee pot that had been repurposed into a light. A framed photograph of a light brown Swiss cow, a tractor, and a red barn was selling for $125 by Brian Schmitt.
On the way out, we bought two 2-pound bags of locally roasted Ancora coffee beans that were selling for $37 each to drink at home through fall as a souvenir of our trip.
Wisconsin Dairyland Vacation 2026 Day 5 Morning – Complete!
By Ruth Paget
-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books
-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games
-developer of food and beverage knowledge games
-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center
-creator of French travel and culture games
-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs
-family genealogist
-developer of 9 music theory games
Pheasant Branch Conservancy and Longhorn Restaurant Lunch in Middleton, Wisconsin by Ruth Paget
On Sunday (Day 4 of our vacation), my mom took Laurent and me to lunch at Longhorn Restaurant in Middleton, Wisconsin outside Madison. The drive to Middleton from DeForest to the West Towne Shopping Center where Longhorn is located was beautiful.
We drove all along the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. The Conservancy according to various online sources is a 682-acre natural area in Middleton with:
-restored prairies
-oak savannas
-mineral springs
-a creek corridor that provides fresh water to Lake Mendota around Madison
The lunch at Longhorn was leisurely, which we started with salads full of freshly, shredded cheddar cheese. I love cheddar cheese and relish-heavy Thousand Island salad dressing. I was happy with the meal already.
The three different main dishes that were reliably great included:
-Parmesan chicken for mom with mashed potatoes
-a Flo Fillet 6-ounce steak for Laurent with mashed potatoes
-two juicy, well-cooked pork chops with about 4 cups steamed broccoli for me that I dunked in the delicious pork chop juices
Wisconsin is prime pork chop country. The pork chops were so good that I ate both and all the broccoli. I did not have any room for dessert after that.
We drove back home the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and heeded the turtle crossing signs as we laughed at Wisconsin’s dangerous driving conditions in August.
We nibbled cheese and sausage for dinner and went to bed full of energy for the upcoming week’s touring.
Wisconsin Dairyland Vacation Day 4 – Complete!
By Ruth Paget
-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lesson written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books
-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games
-developer of food and beverage knowledge games
-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center
-creator of French travel and culture games
-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs
-family genealogist
-developer of 9 music theory games
Athens Restaurant, Sweet Lodi, Amish Country, and Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet Day Trip from DeForest, Wisconsin by Ruth Paget
On the third day of our trip to Wisconsin, my mom took us out to eat at the Athens Restaurant in Westport, which is located halfway between Madison and Middleton in a strip mall on Madison’s west side.
You order at the counter and servers bring your food to the table and take away dishes at the end. Laurent and I shared a gyros sandwich platter for two.
I love spicy lamb and beef gyro meat with thin-cut, white onions and tzatziki made with thin-cut cucumbers, yogurt, garlic, salt, and red wine vinegar. The gyro sandwich bread at Athens is chewy and seemed to be made with some yogurt. I have never had a bad meal at a Greek restaurant. The Athens Restaurant joins Detroit and Chicago Greektowns as a good place to eat.
After lunch, Laurent and I visited Lodi named after a northern Italian with a long history for battles including one with Napoleon and cheese. Lodi’s dairy contribution to the community in Wisconsin seems to be ice cream at the town’s pizza parlor.
On the way into town, we saw signs for fresh strawberries and eggs along with billboards for the Lodi Sausage Company. Lodi as a town was very clean. Having a butcher shop seems to promote cleanliness to keep the butchered meat sanitary and cool.
The day we were in Lodi, there was a small, classic car show going on and a duck show on a small river that meanders through town (the Wisconsin River is nearby and this may be a tributary of that river).
The town’s tourism magazines advertised wine and whiskey tastings along with shows by blue grass and blues bands. Outside town, there was a large park where people walked with their children.
The tourism guide said there was an “Amish Country” nearby, so we drove down hilly and crooked roads by very organized and clean farms. People in Amish Country all seemed to have blue Harvestore silos for food to feed cows and farm animals.
We wound our way back to DeForest and stopped at Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet to do some shopping. We bought some garlic and herb sausage and three kinds of cheese:
-Swiss-style gruyère
-Mesquite wood smoked 7-year cheddar
-2 year-old aged Swiss
We ate the sausage, cheese, and toasted bread with my mom for dinner. The Monterey Mice were happy in DeForest on their vacation.
This was a waddle-to-bed day for me. I had fun all day and conked out sleeping.
Dairyland Wisconsin Vacation Day 3 - Complete!
By Ruth Paget
-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books
-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games
-developer of food and beverage knowledge games
-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center
-creator of French travel and culture games
-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs
-family genealogist
-developer of 9 music theory games
This is a great recipe that makes use of the expanding magic of lentils and pasta to 5 times their size it seems.
California, especially Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, grows and produces all the ingredients in this dish.
For a vegan version, I have rehydrated dry mushrooms and used their soaking water and chopped mushrooms as a vegetable broth:
Giada de Laurentis’ recipe video follows:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B9F3e9gx9wk&ra=m
Happy Cooking!
Reposted by Ruth Paget
-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books
-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games
-developer of food and beverage knowledge games
-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center
-creator of French travel and culture games
-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California blogs
-family genealogist
-developer of 9 music theory games
Potted chrysanthemums, mums for short, are selling for $12.99 at Costco in Sand City, California today(8-22-2026)
These fall flowering plants come in a variety of colors ranging from pastels to rust colors while supplies last at Costco.
They are perfect for livening up window sills and patios.
By Ruth Paget
-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books
-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization Games
-developer of food and beverage knowledge games
-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Centet
-creator of French travel and culture games
-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs
-family genealogist
-developer of 9 music theory gams
Feta Cheese Omelet at the DeForest Family Restaurant in DeForest, Wisconsin Right Off I-94 on Highway V by Ruth Paget
On our first day of visiting Wisconsin, we went to the DeForest Family Restaurant, which is about 10 to 15 minutes away from I-94 on County Highway V depending on if you had to stop at traffic lights.
The DeForest Family Diner is a classic American diner, which in the Midwest means that you will probably find some Greek dishes on the menu since many diner owners in the past had Greek ancestry. I was able to order a breakfast that I often ate at the Agora Restaurant when I was a student at the University of Chicago in the Hyde Park neighborhood:
-feta cheese 3 egg omelet
-crispy brown has brown potatoes that remind me of Swiss rösti potatoes
-whole wheat toast made with the addition of flax seeds
-3 strips of thick-cup, hickory smoked meaty bacon
-2 glasses of bitter iced tea that are usually made from Canadian Red Rose tea to combat humid and very hot weather (85 to 90 degrees)
That great breakfast made me happy. I cannot find restaurants on the West Coast that make feta cheese omelets, so I considered this a vacation treat and somewhat exotic.
Laurent and I took my mom back home and then we set out for some grocery shopping at Piggly Wiggly in Waunakee, also located along Highway V in the opposite direction of DeForest. Waunakee is also about 15 minutes away from the I-94, but the turn off is not indicated, so you will need a GPS to get there.
Piggly Wiggly is a chain I associate with the south that has expanded north. My sister K. in Atlanta asked us to check out the bakery section, which they are well known for in the south. Laurent bought very good French baguettes and Danish kringle pastries.
There are many people with Norwegian ancestry in Wisconsin who eat Danish foods, since Norway and Denmark have been united as kingdoms
throughout different periods of history. Laurent and I have now joined the kringle eating crowd.
Kringles are large, oval pastries with a large hole in the middle made of layered, yeast dough. Laurent bought one made with raspberries and cream and another simply flavored with cinnamon and sugar. We ate slices of these with bitter coffee in the morning during our stay.
On the way back home, we passed two of my favorite restaurants in Waunakee that locals and tourist alike dine at:
-Rex’s Inn Keep for steak, seafood, and Friday Night Fish Fry. Rex’s is expensive but worth the money.
-Cuco’s Mexican Restaurant right across the street from Rex’s. The dishes are milder than they are in California. They will happily increase the spiciness upon request.
Both Rex”s Innkeeper and Cuco’s have their own parking lot.
We drove around and planned to visit some neighboring towns. I find driving by 7-foot high corn stalks and well-tended white-washed farmhouses, cow barns, and silos very peaceful. The air outside smelled like sweet baked corn in the heat.
Dairyland Vacation in Wisconsin Day 2 – Complete
By Ruth Paget
-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books
-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games
-developer of food and beverage knowledge games
-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center
-creator of French travel and culture games
-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs
-family genealogist
-developer of 9 music theory games