April Member of the Month: Cindy Koepke

Meet our member of the month, Cindy Koepke,
the talented blogger behind Yarnstead.

What was you original motivation for your blog? What keeps you motivated? 

“I love reading blogs and have learned a lot from them. My creative pursuits (food, fiber arts, and gardening) have a lot of ups and downs but bring me lots of happiness. When I began to see them as different ways of being creative, I felt that a blog would be a great way to explore those creative pursuits and get in some writing regularly (something else I enjoy). What keeps me motivated is that it’s a fun way to connect with others, to share what I’ve experienced, and to learn both from readers and from looking back at what I’ve done to get a longer view. I’m not good at keeping up a garden journal, but the blog gives me a nice overview from year to year.”

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

“That’s a tough one because I love food! From-scratch pizza with a thin crust (from my favorite Artisan Pizza & Flatbread in 5 Minutes A Day recipe), roasted cherry tomatoes, Wisconsin cheese, and greens sauteed with onions and lots of garlic. Dark chocolate for dessert.”

What has been your biggest cooking disaster? 

“Some summers I make canned salsa. A few years ago, I made a batch and didn’t taste the peppers first. They had no heat so I ended up with a batch of very fancy, vaguely Mexican tomato sauce that didn’t taste like salsa at all.”

What would be your perfect spring picnic menu? 

“A sandwich with crusty fresh bread and Jordandal Farms bacon, salad of spring greens with a simple vinaigrette, and rhubarb pie!”

What is the best April Fool’s Day prank you’ve done or experienced? 

“I watched a young relative attach a crumpled dollar bill to fishing line and then yank it away as his dad bent to pick it up.”