Library News
Knitting the National Parks
Now on display in the Woodruff Cases at Hedberg Public Library, Elizabeth Matson, HPL's Head of Youth Services, shares her artful collection of hand-knitted National Parks hats.
Banned Books Week: Freed Between The Lines
Launched in 1982, Banned Books Week occurs every year, usually during the last week of September, and this year it is held from September 22-28.
Oh, the Irony!
Introducing Checkout Chronicles: Legends & Lore from Library Land, a new blog series that features tales from in and around our checkout desk.
STAFF CONTRIBUTOR:
Online Learning
AncestryLibrary
Access limited to library computers. Huge collection of genealogy databases - great place to start researching family history! Available to Prairie Lakes System cardholders.
AR BookFinder
Archive of Wisconsin Newspapers
Access to daily and weekly newspapers in Wisconsin, starting in 2005 to the present, with an embargo delay of 60 days. Available through the Wisconsin BadgerLink project.
Stream & Download
Hoopla
Instantly borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks, comics, movies, music, TV and more! Download the Hoopla app for even greater convenience. Limit 5 titles per month. Available to Prairie Lakes System cardholders.
Libby by OverDrive
Borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines to read on your phone or tablet using the Libby app by OverDrive. You can even send and read your borrowed ebooks to your Kindle ereader! It's free and easy to get started.
TumbleBook Library
A collection of animated, talking picture books. Also includes Read-Along chapter books, Tumble TV, games, puzzles and more. Hedberg cardholder exclusive.
Recommended Reads
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Flavors of Fall (213 Delicious Recipes!)
Whether you are craving for a novelty like Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, an old favorite like Kentucky Butter Cake, or a classic French Caramel Custard, there's a dish to make your mouth water and inspire you to spend some quality time in the kitchen.
When summer fades and the weather cools, our appetites turn to the hearty foods of Fall. Family Fall Recipes offers more than 200 favorites featuring the best of Fall ingredients—such as apples, pears, pumpkin, cranberries, winter squash, cabbage and root vegetables—as well as a broad sampling of foods that soothe the soul and warm the body in autumn. Chapters include appetizers and beverages, bubbly casseroles, hearty main dishes, one-pan meals, soups and stews, sandwiches and pizzas, and salads and sides. And because turning on the oven in the fall is a good thing, it also features the best of Fall baking—breads; cookies, brownies and bars, and a selection of fall desserts, including pies, tarts, cobblers, crisps and cakes. Eat up! -
This Land Is Their Land
Ahead of the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving, a new look at the Plymouth colony's founding events, told for the first time with Wampanoag people at the heart of the story.
In March 1621, when Plymouth's survival was hanging in the balance, the Wampanoag sachem (or chief), Ousamequin (Massasoit), and Plymouth's governor, John Carver, declared their people's friendship for each other and a commitment to mutual defense. Later that autumn, the English gathered their first successful harvest and lifted the specter of starvation. Ousamequin and 90 of his men then visited Plymouth for the “First Thanksgiving.” The treaty remained operative until King Philip's War in 1675, when 50 years of uneasy peace between the two parties would come to an end.
400 years after that famous meal, historian David J. Silverman sheds profound new light on the events that led to the creation, and bloody dissolution, of this alliance. Focusing on the Wampanoag Indians, Silverman deepens the narrative to consider tensions that developed well before 1620 and lasted long after the devastating war-tracing the Wampanoags' ongoing struggle for self-determination up to this very day.
This unsettling history reveals why some modern Native people hold a Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving, a holiday which celebrates a myth of colonialism and white proprietorship of the United States. This Land is Their Land shows that it is time to rethink how we, as a pluralistic nation, tell the history of Thanksgiving. -
From Harvest to Home
A gorgeous photo-driven lifestyle guide filled with autumnal activities, easy DIYs, and cozy recipes, for anyone who loves the fall season.
Crisp air. Vibrant foliage. Chunky sweaters. Pumpkin everything.
For anyone who loves all things fall, FROM HARVEST TO HOME is a stunning celebration of this cozy season. Brimming with gorgeous photography and tons of autumnal activities, creative décor projects, and delicious recipes, this beautiful lifestyle guide will inspire readers to make the most of this enchanting time of year.
Learn how to craft an eye-catching fall wreath. Plan an epic tailgate party. Host a spooky movie marathon with the ultimate watch list. Get inspired to go apple picking, then make Cardamom Ginger Apple Butter. Design an exquisite tablescape using decorative gourds, greenery, and candles for a Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving celebration.
All these ideas and more are presented in an attractive package with foil on the cover that makes a thoughtful, seasonal gift alongside a scarf, a thermos, or a fall-themed candle.
WIDE APPEAL: Who doesn't love fall?! It's an undeniably beautiful, cozy season. This inviting, visually driven book will appeal to people of all ages who look forward to fall, decorate their homes for the season, and uphold traditions with friends or family, like going to football games, baking pies, or hosting a Halloween party. From Harvest to Home provides all the inspiration you could ever need to make the most out of this wonderful time of year.
BEAUTIFUL TO GIFT & DISPLAY: With foil on the cover and evocative photography of pumpkin patches, apple orchards, and country roads, as well as styled shots of seasonal food, drink, and crafts, From Harvest to Home is a stunning celebration of autumn. Display it on your coffee table alongside a fall-themed candle, a mini pumpkin, or a bowl of Halloween candy. Snuggle up by the fireplace with a cup of tea and flip through the pages to get inspired. Or, give it to the person in your life who loves all things fall--it's a perfect gift alongside a mug or knit throw.
UNIQUE OFFERING: Despite the large audience of people who love fall, there are no fall-themed lifestyle guides on the market. This is the first!
Perfect for:- Anyone who loves the fall season
- People who visit the pumpkin patch or apple orchard every year
- People who decorate their house for fall
- PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) drinkers
People looking for a seasonal housewarming, hostess, back-to-school, or Thanksgiving gift
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The First-Time Homesteader
Are you striving for improved self-reliance and self-sufficiency for yourself and your family? Author Jessica Sowards of YouTube’s Roots & Refuge Farm is the warm and welcoming guide you’ve been waiting for.
Homesteading is a mindset and a lifestyle aimed at living lightly on the land, being more resourceful, appreciating the value of hard work, and understanding the diverse and amazing connections between humans and the planet we live on. Homesteaders constantly strive for a more sustainable life and a greater connection to the cycles of nature and the foods and goods we consume. Starting your very first homestead is a journey of discovery and passion that’s also likely filled with questions and what-ifs. In The First-Time Homesteader, Jessica fills in all the blanks with honesty, humor, and charm.
Now you can take those first and most valuable steps toward establishing your own homestead with a seasoned homesteader at your side. Jessica warmly guides you through the process of setting up your property (no matter how small or large), establishing a garden, welcoming animals into the fold, living more resourcefully, and expanding your homestead kitchen tools and skills with grace and confidence.
Start your first homestead with lessons on:
- Raising chickens for meat and eggs
- Starting and operating a home dairy
- Housing, fencing, and processing advice for meat animals
- Planning and planting your homestead vegetable garden
- Keeping bees for honey, pollination, and beeswax
- Stocking your medicine cabinet with useful herbs and home remedies
- Living a resourceful existence by reusing and repurposing
- Stocking the kitchen with all the tools and techniques you need for success
You don’t have to live off-grid or give up contemporary conveniences to homestead. You just have to have the desire to live a more thoughtful and fulfilling life. Take your very first step today, hand in hand with an experienced and enthusiastic guide in The First-Time Homesteader. -
Homestead Recipes
From the author of Surprise-Inside Cakes and the hugely popular I Am Homesteader and I Am Baker blogs--a book filled with sass, charm, and 110 tried-and-true home-cooked favorite recipes that shine whether you're a megamart devotee or a garden-to-table enthusiast.
With 75 chickens, 25 ducks, 5 guinea hens, and a 1/2-acre garden on her Minnesota homestead, Amanda Rettke and her family have dedicated themselves to learning about the land and feeding everyone who steps foot on it, from beloved friends to delivery drivers. After pleasing many sweet teeth with recipes from her popular I Am Baker blog, Amanda opens up more of her kitchen to share how her family eats on a daily basis. All of her 110 recipes are accessible regardless of how close to the land you live, with a combination of ingredients you can grow at home (but don't have to) and store-bought staples. A small-town smart-aleck, Amanda pairs her recipes with sassy commentary and food and homestead photos as beautiful as her famous desserts. She'll make you feel right at home with practical, easy methods and real ingredients that give you incredible flavor.
Amanda has you covered with recipes for all types of meals, with chapters for breakfast, casseroles, soups, appetizers, ground beef, chicken, pork, vegetables, salads, bars, desserts, and cookies. She even has an entire chapter dedicated to zucchini recipes, as every Midwesterner with a garden has been subjected to Zucchini-pocalypse--that moment when you can't even give away the bounteous green deluge.
Homestead Recipes is sure to please, with Amanda's no-fail versions of delicious, unmistakably Midwestern staple recipes, including:
- Tater Tot HotdishBacon Stuffed MushroomsSkillet Hamburger NachosBuffalo Stuffed ChickenRoasted Asparagus Puff PastryZucchini Corn ChowderButterscotch BarsCream Cheese Pound Cake
Amanda invites you into her kitchen, garden, and family with this eagerly awaited, down-to-earth cookbook.
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The Sustainable Homestead
Join the permaculture revolution! Author Angela Ferraro-Fanning (Axe & Root Homestead) shares techniques and tips for a homestead with synergy between soil, plants, animals, and trees.
If you’re like most homesteaders, the dream is to make the most of your land by working with it, not against it. From capturing water and building strong soil to helping your animals live their best lives, The Sustainable Homestead is about making your homestead stronger by achieving synergy between what can seem like different parts.
In this book, new and veteran homesteaders alike can find detailed information to put to use this year, this month, even this week! Angela—also the co-host of the HOMESTEADucation podcast and author of the Little Homesteader/Little Country Cottage series of children’s books—has spent more than a decade building and strengthening her small acreage homestead and shares the lessons chapter by chapter:
- Site Selection: Evaluate the elements, water flow and management, wildlife considerations, effective layouts, land elevation, water access points, permaculture zones, considerations based on acreage, how to remedy site shortcomings
- Soil: The importance of soil, symptoms of poor soil, synthetics, water and erosion, healthier crops and animals, how to regenerate soil, cover crops, no-till method, perennial plantings
- Growing: Catching and storing water with swales, catchment ponds, and rain barrels; sunlight and garden design including mandala, terrace, and forest; plant choices; companion planting; holistic pest management including cultural, physical, and biological options
- Pasture: Design considerations, cover cropping, grazing, animal compatibility, pasture rotation, closed-loop grazing systems, maintenance, solar fencing
- Animals: Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and the sustainable coop; sheep, goats, pigs, and sustainable living quarters; horses, cows, donkeys, and sustainable stable; natural remedies; livestock guardian dogs and barn cats
- Compost: What is compost?, hot vs. cold, decomposition and carbon to nitrogen ratios, creating a composting system, tier considerations, access and rotation, uses of compost, compost tea
- Overstory: Nut trees and permaculture contributions, pollinator groups, fruiting trees, planting in guilds, pest management, tree health
Wherever you want to start first, follow along and make your homestead more resilient by making it more sustainable. -
The Creative Vegetable Gardener
For decades, gardeners have approached vegetable gardening the same way: planting in square or rectangular beds or in straight rows, keeping vegetables separate from flowers, and definitely not mixing perennial plants with annual ones. According to these old rules, every insect must be killed, the garden must be tidy, and nothing should ever be allowed to go to seed. It’s time to break the rules! Today’s gardeners are re-envisioning the vegetable garden as a creative, playful space where the beds may be circles or spirals, beneficial insects are invited to the party, flowers for cutting grow right next to annual vegetables (which might be chosen for their curb appeal as much as their flavor), and a bit of “untidiness” simply creates a garden that more closely mimics the natural world. With The Creative Vegetable Gardener, lifestyle editor and master gardener Kelly Smith Trimble encourages readers to widen their focus, be playful, and imagine a vegetable garden that reflects their own unique aesthetic and offers a meditative sanctuary as well as a source of fresh, homegrown food. From seed selection to garden layout and regenerative gardening practices, gardeners of all levels will find Timble's liberating advice a pathway to making the garden a place of nourishment for the soul and creative spirit, while also feeding the body.
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Gardening for Everyone
A guide to creating and growing a backyard garden simply and sustainably--from planning to planting to harvest, with profiles of essential vegetables and herbs, ecological tips, and fun and creative projects
Growing food in your backyard (or even on a porch or windowsill!) is one of the simplest and most rewarding ways to nourish yourself, be self-sufficient, and connect with nature in a hands-on way. Here sustainability expert Julia Watkins shares everything you need to know to grow your own vegetables, fruits, and herbs (as well as wildflowers and other beneficial companion plants). The book covers all the nuts and bolts of creating and caring for your garden--planning, building, planting, tending, and harvesting--followed by a deeper dive into the plants themselves: demystifying annuals vs. perennials, cold-weather vs. warm-weather veggies, and profiles of favorite crops. Throughout, Julia offers tips for creating an eco-friendly and sustainable garden (such as vermicomposting, no-till "lasagna" gardening, and attracting pollinators), plus some fun and unexpected hands-on projects like how to build a bean teepee, make wildflower seed paper, and enjoy refreshing herbal lemonade ice pops. -
The Creative Vegetable Gardener
For decades, gardeners have approached vegetable gardening the same way: planting in square or rectangular beds or in straight rows, keeping vegetables separate from flowers, and definitely not mixing perennial plants with annual ones. According to these old rules, every insect must be killed, the garden must be tidy, and nothing should ever be allowed to go to seed. It’s time to break the rules! Today’s gardeners are re-envisioning the vegetable garden as a creative, playful space where the beds may be circles or spirals, beneficial insects are invited to the party, flowers for cutting grow right next to annual vegetables (which might be chosen for their curb appeal as much as their flavor), and a bit of “untidiness” simply creates a garden that more closely mimics the natural world. With The Creative Vegetable Gardener, lifestyle editor and master gardener Kelly Smith Trimble encourages readers to widen their focus, be playful, and imagine a vegetable garden that reflects their own unique aesthetic and offers a meditative sanctuary as well as a source of fresh, homegrown food. From seed selection to garden layout and regenerative gardening practices, gardeners of all levels will find Timble's liberating advice a pathway to making the garden a place of nourishment for the soul and creative spirit, while also feeding the body.
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My Tiny Veg Plot
Food can be grown just about anywhere, and lack of space should not put you off growing and enjoying the taste of your own fresh vegetables.Not everyone has access to outside space or what we traditionally think of as a garden, but we all have window ledges, doorways, often stairways, sometimes even a balcony or roof space. This book offers solutions and inspirations for these tricky spots that we frequently overlook or neglect, and highlights some unusual growing spaces such as a minuscule balcony in Bristol, an innovative installation of hexagonal polytunnels full of salad leaves in Amiens, France, and an ingenious self-sufficient growing system that provides a wealth of vegetables in an old swimming pool in Phoenix, Arizona.Filled with practical advice, inspiration and planting and design ideas, My Tiny Veg Plot tells you how to prepare your beds whatever the size and situation; there is advice on filling containers, creating ingenious planters, using planting mediums, soil and water and which fruit and vegetables will thrive in which spot. My Tiny Veg Plot contains straightforward information on what to grow and how to grow it, from seed to ready to eat.
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Magnolia Table, Volume 2
From breakfast to dinner, plus breads, soups, and sides, Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Table, Volume 2 gives readers abundant reasons to gather together--an instant #1 New York Times bestseller!
Following the launch of her #1 New York Times bestselling cookbook, Magnolia Table, and seeing her family's own sacred dishes being served at other families' tables across the country, Joanna Gaines gained a deeper commitment to the value of food being shared. This insight inspired Joanna to get back in the kitchen and start from scratch, pushing herself beyond her comfort zone to develop new recipes for her family, and yours, to gather around.
Magnolia Table, Volume 2 is filled with 145 new recipes from her own home that she shares with husband Chip and their five kids, and from the couple's restaurant, Magnolia Table; Silos Baking Co; and new coffee shop, Magnolia Press. The book is beautifully photographed and filled with dishes you'll want to bring into your own home, including:
- Mushroom-Gruyére QuichePumpkin Cream Cheese BreadGrilled Bruschetta ChickenZucchini-Squash StrataChicken-Pecan-Asparagus CasseroleStuffed Pork LoinLemon-Lavender TartMagnolia Press Chocolate Cake
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The Ranch Table
From the star of Magnolia Network's popular show Ranch to Table--a stunningly beautiful cookbook celebrating a year on a ranch on the California coast, featuring simple yet festive recipes, inspiring menus, and fascinating culture and history.
Elizabeth Poett was raised on Rancho San Julian, a 14,000-acre ranch on Santa Barbara's Central Coast that her family has been working since 1837. Her years are structured around the land's natural rhythms and annual events: celebrations big and small, harvests, and work days that bring her family and community together--and always end with large meals for everyone to share. Elizabeth feeds her friends and family with seasonal ingredients--including vegetables and meat grown and raised on the ranch and fish from California's Central Coast--barbecuing tri-tips, turning local cod into tacos, and using heirloom tomatoes and summery eggplant into delicious, family friendly pastas.
Much like Elizabeth's life, The Ranch Table is also organized around the work and celebrations that take place on the San Julian throughout the year, giving readers and cooks a chance to dive into the ranch's most important workdays, family traditions big and small, and annual celebrations. Each chapter begins with a description of an event or a special day--the work of a branding, the joys of the annual family reunion, the fun of a fall cider press, the quiet beauty of a winter evening spent at the kitchen table--and invites you to join in on the day with both beautiful photos of the ranch today and archival images of its past. In each chapter, Elizabeth also shares the recipes for the dishes she makes for these occasions, including:
Spring, Branding Day
- Pistachio Breakfast Bread
- Onion-Braised Brisket Sliders
- Fudgy Caramel Brownies
Summer, Fiesta Family Reunion
- Beef Empanadas
- Blackberry Margaritas
Fall, Cider Press Potluck
- Turkey Barley Soup
- Spiced Honey Apple Pie with a Ginger Crust
Winter, New Year's Eve
- Chanterelles with Toast
- Standing Rib Roast
- Green Salad with Winter Fruit and Citrus Dressing
The Ranch Table is an invitation to explore a unique California way of life and enjoy delicious, hearty, seasonal meals, made to be enjoyed with family and friends.
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Milk Street Vegetables
Move vegetables into the center of your plate from the realm of sides and salads with this vegetable-cooking bible of more than 250 full-flavor recipes, from James Beard and IACP award winner Christopher Kimball's Milk Street.
Chili-spiked carrots. Skillet-charred Brussels sprouts. Mashed potatoes brightened with harissa and pistachios. These are just three ways to put vegetables in the center of your plate.
Here in the U.S., meat is cheap and has been in the center of the plate for centuries. The rest of the world, however, knows how to approach vegetables, grains and beans not only with respect but with a fresh, lively approach, one that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.
To get a vegetable education, we traveled to Athens to learn how winter vegetable stews could taste light and bright, not hearty and heavy. In Cairo, we tasted eggplant and potatoes that punched up flavor with bold pops of texture from whole spices. And in Puglia, Italy, we had a revelatory bite of zucchini enriched by ricotta cheese and lemon.
This is a world of high-heat roasts, unctuous braises, drizzles of honey, and stir-fries aromatic with ginger and garlic. And with 250 recipes, the possibilities are nearly endless:
- A simple head of cauliflower can become Cauliflower Shawarma, Sichuan Dry-Fried Cauliflower, or Curried Cauliflower Rice with Peas and Cashews
- Humble cabbage travels the world to become Butter-Roasted Cabbage with Citrus, Hazelnuts and Mustard; Hot and Sour Stir-Fried Cabbage; and Thai-Style Coleslaw with Mint and Cilantro
- Mushrooms are transformed into Stir-Fried Mushrooms with Asparagus and Lemon Grass or Miso Soup with Mixed Vegetables and Tofu
- and greens get the Milk Street treatment in dishes like Pozole with Collard Greens; Hot Oil-Flashed Chard with Ginger, Scallions and Chili; and Persian-Style Swiss Chard and Herb Omelet
It's never too late to get your vegetable PhD. -
Vegetables
This collection of wow-factor vegetable dishes can all be enjoyed by flexitarians, vegetarians and non-veggies alike.
It’s time to turn foods that used to be relegated to side dishes into the stars of the show. In this book, chef Mat Follas uses his culinary skill and understanding of flavor to bring together a selection of wow-factor plant-based recipes to be enjoyed by flexitarians, vegetarians, vegans, and non-veggies alike. Organized by produce type, there are delicious ways to enjoy everything from roots, squash, and brassicas to shoots, stems, and funghi. Choose from Smoked Parsnip, Pear & Stilton Salad, Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower, Kale Gnocchi with Kale Chips, Goat Cheese & Marjoram Ravioli Marinara, Rainbow Chard & Comté Quiche, Artichoke Frittata, and Champagne Mushrooms. Vegan substitutions are suggested wherever possible and Mat’s ingenious recipes for Dairy-free Cheese and Cream and No-egg Mayo,make switching out the dairy easy. Mat also shares the secrets of his Chef’s Storecupboard—tasty recipes for sauces, relishes, pickles, and dressings—designed to give your veggie dishes a flavor boost. -
Eat Your Greens, Reds, Yellows, and Purples
Gather your ingredients and get busy in the kitchen creating tasty, healthy meals with your kids with Eat Your Greens, Reds, Yellows, and Purples.
With 25 delicious and simple vegetarian recipes, this healthy cookbook makes fruits and vegetables fun and delicious while teaching kids the benefits of eating healthy. Teach your kids how carrots help their vision while baking carrot and orange muffins or why peppers boost their immune system while making a red pepper hummus.
Written in a friendly, positive tone that focuses on why colorful fruit and vegetables are good, Eat Your Greens, Reds, Yellows, and Purples is perfect for parents looking for a way to get their children excited about fruit, vegetables, and cooking. The delicious meals and fun facts are enough to satisfy any hungry young appetite, so reach for your reds, pick up your purples, and don't forget to eat your greens!