Community Groups at the Market: Prince George's County Master Gardeners

How's your garden looking this summer? A little rough? Between incredible damaging storms and endless excessive heat and draught, we've certainly had great challenges to plant life this summer. Well, help -- in the form of good information -- is on the way.

It's the first Cheverly Community Market of the month, and that means that Prince George's County Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and give helpful advice about your garden this Saturday. Make sure to stop by their table, and ask Dave, Casey, and the other Master Gardeners anything about nutrient and pest management, plant problems, and other gardening questions. We're so lucky to have experts here in Cheverly!

Community Groups at the Market: Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek

Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek had a great, if hot, work party on July 28. We removed a lot of the pesky invasive vine, Chinese wisteria, which grows in abundance along the new trail near Magruder Spring.

Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek will be back at the Market this Saturday. If you don't yet have a trail map, be sure to stop by and pick one up. You can also sign up for upcoming work parties and learn more about the great work this community organization does.

Have you nominated a Cheverly Great Tree? The deadline for nominations is October 1. Get details at the Market or see the notice on the Green Plan website. You can also review the results of the July 14th BioBlitz on the Green Plan website.

This Week at the Market: GiGi's Quilts

Gisela Lombardo of Gigi's Quilts is back with us this Saturday! She makes really lovely quilted bibs, placemats, potholders, table runners, wallets, bags and more, in addition to really cute crochet and knit pieces. Her fabric combinations are lovely and the craftsmanship is terrific. 

Gigi has been really busy creating new products -- stop by Cheverly Community Market to check out her soft chalkboard placemats and great big granny square purses (we saw several teenagers sporting them at the last Market). This is a great time to begin stocking away those holiday gifts, and anything from Gig's Quilts would make lovely, thoughtful presents when you're vacationing at your friends' or family beach house...stop by and see Gigi this Saturday!

This Week at the Market: Classic and Carefree Bake Shoppe

Have you visited Danielle and Laura at Classic & Carefree Bake Shoppe yet this season? We're so happy that they joined us this year -- not only for their lovely, sparkling personalities (it's true!) but for their absolutely delicious baked goods! Honestly, if you haven't given them a try yet, you owe it to yourself. And if you have, you know you want to visit again. 

Classic & Carefree Bake Shoppe will have new fall flavors coming soon, but let's enjoy these final weeks of summer with some of these delectable treats...

Classic Cupcakes

Peanut butter chocolate chip: This one is for the peanut butter lovers! A peanut butter chocolate chip cake is smothered in a deliciously creamy peanut butter frosting and topped with chocolate and peanut butter pieces

Mocha latte: A deliciously moist chocolate coffee cake topped with espresso-infused buttercream icing

Strawberry lemonade: A light, fresh lemon cake dalloped with strawberry buttercream frosting

Classic vanilla: As a special kid-friendly treat this week, our classic vanilla cupcakes will each be decorated with an edible turtle friend!

Carefree Items: gluten- and allergen-free as always!

Tomato-Olive Bread: The market favorite is back in both regular and mini loaf sizes!

Fig & Walnut Bread: a brand new flavor combination, this light and delicious bread is great for a filling breakfast or a tasty afternoon snack

Strawberry Cupcakes: the perfect summer cupcake topped with fresh, ripe strawberries

Lemon-Glaze Cupcakes: a sweet cupcake with a hint of lemon, topped with a citrus glaze

Chocolate Chip Cookies:a classic favorite remade without gluten, grains, or dairy - but so delicious that you wouldn't know!

Snickerdoodles: a crackled, sweet, thin and chewy cookie with the delicious taste of cinnamon

Honey Cookies: it's not a complete market without these sweet treats! This week will feature the vegan version...yay! 

Stop by the Classic & Carefree tent this Saturday and pick up a box of cupcakes to take to a picnic, a loaf of bread you can feel good eating, and some healthy cookies for snacking. What a treat!

This Week at the Market: Cygnus Wine Cellars

Cheverly Community Market is proud of our standing as the first farmer's market in Maryland to bring wine directly to our customers, and we continue to strenghen relationships with our Market favorites, and build new relationships even as other markets open their doors to the wineries. A recent article in the Washington Post touts Maryland wines, and the news is spreading.

Since 2008, the following wineries have been part of the Cheverly Community Market family:

Basignani Winery

Black Ankle Vineyards

Boordy Vineyards

Cygnus Wine Cellars

Elk Run Vineyards

Running Hare Vineyard

This Saturday, we're pleased to welcome Cygnus Wine Cellars back to Cheverly Community Market. Cygnus joined us last year for our Thanksgiving and Holiday Markets, so this is a real treat. This small family winery, located in Manchester, Carroll County, first crushed grapes in 1995. Winemaker Ray Brasfield creates wonderful, balanced wines and consults other growers in order to promote the very best possible wine culture in the region.

"It's a blend of art and science. There's an artistic and a technical side. There are a lot of technically correct wines that are stylistically boring. You must take the science and merge it with a sense of style and artistry."
Ray Brasfield - Winemaker/Owner

Cygnus offers a full range of wines, from dry, semi-dry and sweet table wines to sparkling wines. Visit the Cygnus website for a complete list and descriptions of the wines, and a detailed description of the winemaking styles in use at Cygnus.

Visit Ray at Cheverly Community Market this Saturday. Talk to him about the wines learn about the growing tradition of spectacular Maryland wine.

This Week at the Market: Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm

Yesterday, my daughter was asking repeatedly -- okay whining -- about Pixie Stix, those little tubes of colorful flavored sugar. She had purchased several at the pool's serve-yourself candy cart (that bane of many a parent) and wanted to eat them one after another. She got upset that I said no, telling me that she had spent her own money and everything. Things escalated, as they are bound to during that pre-dinner hour when everyone is tired and hungry but unable to admit either, and we ended up doing battle. Again. Over candy. How many of you have been in this situation? I bet that, if you're a parent, this scenario is all too familiar. Well, here's where the story gets good. I got my daughter out of her room by telling her that I was going to prepare something for her that was even tastier than candy, but she had to give me a chance. We went into the kitchen, and I pulled out a handful of cherries, some corn, and a peach. We rinsed the cherries and I asked her to eat just one. She did. Her eyes lit up. She ate another and another, and admitted that they were way better than Pixie Stix. We had fresh corn -- nothing on it -- and a small quesadilla for dinner, followed by that fresh, ripe peach, thinly sliced for dessert. And she admitted the corn and peach, too, were way better than the Pixie Stix. Crisis averted, and a very nice time for us to reconnect -- and stop fighting -- over food.

This Saturday at Cheverly Community Market, Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm brings us the very best alternative to the candy cart that you could possibly imagine: fresh, ripe peaches, nectarines, plums, blueberries, ginger gold apples, zestar apples, sansa apples, and summer rambo apples, which are juicy and tart. Bring your kids over and let them choose the fruit they want to purchase, then open your very own home alternative to the candy cart. You'll be glad you did.

KidMarket Spectacular: Make-a-Monster-Face Cupcakes and Dance Party!

Have you signed your children up for Make-a-Monster-Face Cupcakes yet? If you haven't already reserved your spot, make sure to do it today! Spaces are going quickly and registration is required for this limited-seating event. Visit the original blog post here for all the details and a link to the registration page.

At 10:30, everyone is invited to a KidMarket Dance Party! Shake, rattle, and roll with all your Cheverly Community Market friends, then make sure to shop with our wonderful vendors, visit our community groups, and enjoy the amazing music from the Roosevelt Dixieland Combo.

It's a great morning at the Market for kids of all ages, and we can't wait to see YOU there!