bygone basics

Thank you Sheila L. IT was certainly nice to get to know you. I look forward to the pressure cooker session coming up too. I think you'll enjoy having some of the scariness and myths cleared up and get right into canning on your own after leaving. I must admit, that was one beautiful loaf you took home. :)

Thank you. We love mother-daughter visits and yours was no exception! The Bygone Basics Experiences you had were quite varied and went from private so you both could create bonding memories and really engage in a skill; to the big 8 person Chocolate extravaganza where you met 6 other new friends to laugh with. A very special time together indeed. We loved every moment of it with you. Thank you.

:) Thank you for your review. We feel very much like we have a grand extended family as we get to know the great people who spend time with us in our heritage kitchen. The fondest memories are made when gathered around the table.

Thank you. My daughter(s) and I sure had a lovely time with you in our heritage kitchen! I hope to hear soon that you did some successful canning at home.

You two were so much fun. Your Experience here in the Bygone Basics kitchen was truly a pleasure. Let us know if there are any follow-up questions! Hope to see you again in the future!

We really appreciate the time you took to do a review. John and I are so pleased that you both enjoyed your experience at Bygone Basics. We stand by our comment that those were outstanding pies! :) We enjoyed your company as well and hope to see you again!

Thank you! John and I had a lot of fun sharing your apple pie Experience. We wondered how long it took before one was cut into! Thank you for choosing to spend a memorable "date day" with us. We hope to see you again soon.

Thank you! Deb and I really enjoyed your time with us. It was a pleasure to be part of your sisters trip with Mom....down Memory Lane....and making new memories too. More memories to come when you enjoy that Apple Butter. :)

Thank you!! I am so pleased to hear that the pies were a hit with you mother. We use all natural ingredients, such as our own organic free-range chicken's eggs & produce we grow, in our specialty bakery's heritage recipes. The use of no preservatives or other chemicals do reduce our ability to ship a pie and ensure its high standard of quality on arrival.Perhaps a road trip every month? :)

Thank you for your kind words. We fully enjoyed the time you spent with us. Next birthday, you can stay here! ;)

Thank you for the review. We really enjoy each and every guest at Bygone Basics. Your Apple Pie Experience, all of you, were such fun for us too. Thank you for choosing to visit us on a December evening and bringing with you such humor and willingness to immerse yourselves in heirloom traditions....and FOOD. :)

Valerie was very organized and gracious as she walked us through the step-by-step canning process. It was very "hands-on" and her assistants did a great job cleaning up as we went along (even mixing up some Bloody Marys to taste with some already pickled asparagus).

For Christmas, my dad signed my mom, my sisters, and I up for a pie making and canning class. It was one of the best Christmas presents ever! Everyone there was extremely accommodating and it was just the four of us there for the lesson. We made four pies from scratch (one for each of us). Everything was explained to us and we were able to do it on our own. I'm not one to cook, and I absolutely loved making the pies! We also canned venison while we were there. That was also a lot of fun. We were able to drink wine and socialize all day while making pies and canning venison. We learned a lot and all of the food that we made was INCREDIBLE!! It was an experience as well as a lesson. I highly recommend it!

Our instructor/hostess was the most pleasant, lovely person you would ever want to meet. She greeted us in her front yard and invited us into her home,introducing us to her equally engaging daughter who was to be her helper for our experience. We learned canning, including all the details of using a pressure cooker, which I had never used before. We made preserves using a water bath. It was interesting to learn the differences between the two and when this should be used instead of the pressure cooker. We made a pie from scratch, which I think might possibly be the BEST THING I HAVE EVER EATEN IN MY 53 YEAR LIFE! We also made soap, which I always suspected to be a truly complicated process, but Valerie made it very simple. As our pies were finishing baking and the canned tomatoes and peach preserves were cooling, Valerie treated us to a lovely spread on her back deck. She served cinnamon scones, cornbread and zuccinni bread--all homemade and served with her HOMEMADE BUTTER! Fresh strawberries, frozen grapes and cheese rounded out the table, served with a stem of a local cherry wine. I cannot recommend this experience highly enough. It was an eye-opener for me, extremely educational, and as Valerie provided written recipes and detailed directions, I know I will be able to replicate these recipes and apply what I learned to other fruits/vegetables, and, of course, PIES!!! I will even make soap--what a great gift item for the holidays! We left her house laden with the "fruit" of our labors!I think the skills learned here would be of interest to anyone who loves to putter in the kitchen or who fancies themselves a cook; extremely helpful to anyone wanting to stretch their grocery dollars; and very useful to anyone who keeps a kitchen garden so that they might make full use of all their bounty! It would be an excellent family experience, fun for older children, or a great activity for sisters or girlfriends to share. Plan to spend a few hours, and do attempt more than one "class". Valerie is quite adept at beginning a new project while waiting for the dough to cool or the pressure cooker to reach the desired temperature, without ANY confusion for her students. Take full advantage of your visit!WELL DONE, VALERIE!!! I LOVED IT ALL!!!!

My two girlfriends and I were looking for fun activities for our vacation together. This was a perfect choice for an afternoon of learning how to cook Bread Pudding in a can and Strawberry/Rhubarb Jam. The recipes used ingredients you can get at the market and the process was simple and fun. Our teacher and host, Valerie, welcomed us into her home with open arms and made us feel like a part of her family right away. Her helper, Amanda, was a joy and also made our experience a fun one. Both used the knowledge and gifts given to them to create for us a unique experience that we will never forget. Thank You, Valerie and Amanda.