As a kid, I hated boxed mac and cheese, and would only eat the noodles buttered—no orange-powder cheese sauce for me! That’s not because I didn’t like cheese; on the contrary, I loved cheese and did not suffer neon-colored cheese powder. I was also the only kid I knew who hated Goldfish snacks. I feel pretty much the same today: love cheese, hate the powdered or reconstituted stuff (white cheddar-flavored Cheez-Its being the main exception to this rule).  When I moved to Wisconsin as a teenager, I discovered real mac and cheese. Also known as baked mac and cheese, or...

Whenever someone asks what inspired the name Wild Cherry Spoon Co., co-owner and chief artisan Tim McGuire replies that cherry wood is his favorite material to carve. This inspired me to do a little research on what makes the wild cherry tree (Prunus serotina) special. Read on to learn about this abundant resource, from its historic use as imitation mahogany, to its possible medicinal properties--and to see some of my favorite images of our cherry wood products!   Prunus serotina goes by many common names, including black cherry, wild cherry, and whiskey cherry. According to Wood Magazine, the species was prevalent...

I have a confession: I’ve never enjoyed cooking all that much. I know, I know…working in a shop that specializes in kitchen tools, this confession is particularly shameful. In my defense, I love all things handmade, so if anything is going to convince me to spend more time in the kitchen, it’s working with gorgeous handmade utensils from Wild Cherry Spoon Co. And whether I enjoy it or not, my wallet always feels better when I commit to cooking at least a few meals each week. So even an impatient cook like myself has picked up a bit of kitchen...

 ‘Tis the season for spring cleaning: throwing open the windows for some fresh air, deep cleaning the rugs, and weeding out all the belongings that don’t spark joy. And for an extra-fresh start in the kitchen, why not shake up your cleaning routine by switching out harsh chemicals for natural cleaning products? If you’re not already on the natural cleaning bandwagon, you may wonder why you should bother taking the time to make your own cleaning products. The truth is, there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that typical household cleaners are harmful to people, pets and the environment. The...

If you’ve read our story online or stopped into our store in downtown Rock Island, you might already know that Wild Cherry Spoon products are hand carved from locally sourced urban lumber. But you may wonder what exactly that means, and why we are so proud to sell products crafted from this material. So today we’ve prepared a little post on what urban lumber is, and why we think it’s so great! Unlike traditional lumber, urban lumber is harvested from trees that grow in back yards, parks, and other metropolitan settings. According to the Urban Wood Network, tens of thousands...