365 Thru Amy's Eyes

AXO Texas Exec Retreat Preview

2012-02-02T21:07:00.000-05:00

I'm spending Friday - Sunday in Arlington, Texas, with collegiate officers and advisors from the 13 Alpha Chi Omega chapters in Texas.

Crown Plaza Suites Arlington

I like any hotel that has trees indoors! I'm a 'special guest' for the Texas Exec Retreat, which is a weekend for all the new chapter officers to learn more about their positions and enjoy the society of their sisters from around the state. I'll be presenting on Panhellenic issues and Recruitment, and meeting with most of the chapters individually, between Friday evening and Sunday mid-afternoon. I'll post a report next week!

Rice Pudding

2012-02-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

An old family favorite, this recipe comes from my Mom and is traditionally made with leftover white rice.

2 well beaten eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk, scalded
1 1/4 cups cooked rice, cooled
1 cup seedless raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash cinnamon
dash nutmeg

Combine eggs, sugar and salt.
Gradually add scalded milk. Add rice, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

a double batch, in the water bath

Pour into a greased 1 quart casserole dish. Set in shallow pan. Pour hot water into pan one inch deep (making a water bath for the pudding). Bake in slow oven (325) for 90 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.

Jonah's Fish & Grits - Review

2012-01-31T06:58:00.001-05:00

Chris and I headed up to Thomasville, Georgia to Jonah's for dinner on the actual day of my birthday, and then had birthday dinner with very sweet friends the next night at Decent Pizza. We hadn't eaten at Jonah's before but had heard good things, and they turned out to be true!

We shared a complementary plate of hush puppies and the Cyclone Shrimp (cornmeal battered, deep fried and tossed in a spicy citrus aioli sauce) for an appetizer. Chris also enjoyed a cup of grouper chowder. For dinner, he had blackened Shrimp & Scallops with grilled veggies for his side:

I had their signature dish, Shrimp & Grits. Not only was it chock-full-of-vegetables amazing, it was enough to feed an army. I had two lunches from the leftovers!

The staff was welcoming and down-to-earth, the prices reasonable and the food very good. Bottom line: it's definitely worth the trip to drive up for a meal at Jonah's. One caveat - they don't serve wine or beer (or any alcohol) - next time, we'll stop at the Sweet Grass Dairy Retail Shop for a drink and appetizer first!

Jonah's Fish & Grits
109 East Jackson Street
Thomasville, GA 31757

Chinese New Year Dinner

2012-01-30T06:03:00.002-05:00

A week ago Sunday, at T's request, we prepared a "take out remix" dinner from Guy's Big Bite. We even invested in a wok, which we have never used before. Here's the recap (I'll include the recipe at the end):

stir frying the marinated chicken

out goes the chicken, in go the veggies (onions, celery, carrots - somehow we forgot the red bell pepper!)

add snap peas and shiitake mushrooms

serve with sauce over the Hong Kong noodles

Our only trouble is the grocery store didn't have true chow mein noodles (only the crunchy kind used for toppings) so we substituted spaghetti, which didn't crisp up the way it should have. Next time we'll try Mike's Seafood and Oriental Market, recommended by our friend Sara! In any event, this was really delicious and didn't last long; T loved the sauce - hoisin being barbecue sauce it was not a surprise!

Hong Kong Style Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables
Ingredients
1/4 cup soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili garlic paste
4 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
2 cups chicken breast, cut 1/4-inch slices, skinless
16 ounces chow mein noodles
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup 1/8-inch julienne white onion
1/2 cup 1/4-inch strips red bell pepper
1 cup 1/4-inch sticks cut carrot
1 cup 1/2-inch bias cut celery
1/2 cup 1/2-inch strips shiitake mushrooms
3/4 cup 1/2-inch strips snow peas
1 cup mung bean sprouts
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup strips green onions

Directions
In a re-sealable plastic bag add, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chili garlic paste, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and mix thoroughly, then add chicken and marinate for 1 hour.

In a medium stock pot boil water and cook chow mein noodles until al dente, remove and shock in ice bath, shake dry and toss with 2 tablespoons oil to keep from sticking.

In a large saute pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil to almost smoke point and add chicken, separating each peace upon entry. Cook until browned on all sides. Remove and hold warm.

In same wok, add 2 tablespoons oil. Heat until almost the smoke point, then add the onions, bell peppers, carrots and celery., Saute for 2 minutes then add mushrooms, peas and bean sprouts. Cook for 1 minute, then add chicken saute for 1 minute, add hoisin, 3 tablespoons soy sauce and sesame oil, toss and remove.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick saute pan, add 3 tablespoons oil, heat to almost smoke point, and add chilled chow mein noodles. Cook on one side until crispy light golden brown. Flip noodles and another 2 tablespoons of oil and cook other side. When done, remove and let drain on paper towels, while holding warm.

Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch and chicken stock, and deglaze hot wok with mixture and let reduce by one-third.

Place noodles on a rimmed serving platter, top with chicken and vegetable saute, and pour chicken reduction over top. Garnish with green onions.

Quote of the Week

2012-01-29T06:57:00.001-05:00

source

This Week's Veggies and Fruit

2012-01-25T19:24:00.000-05:00

LOTS of great stuff this week: (clockwise from upper left corner) two kinds of lettuce, Napa cabbage, carrots, sweet potatoes, grapefruit and baby butternut squash.

look at that gorgeous Napa cabbage!

Sweet Pea Cafe - Review

2012-01-23T06:46:00.002-05:00

Our 'localtarian' group of Twitter friends met for dinner Thursday at a vegan restaurant that opened last year, Sweet Pea Cafe. It's a little place that sources many of its ingredients locally and specializes in sandwiches and brunch items. After you order at the counter, your food is delivered to your table. Extra points if you bring your own water glass or coffee mug (or take out container, if your order is to go).

Cute, right? Photo from the restaurant's blog

There are a few tables inside and a large patio with covered seating outside. It was a cool night so I doubled up on my hoodies and wore my coziest scarf and was able to share my scarf with a chilly friend.

John's photo he tweeted to Paula from dinner (she was in Orlando for work)
clockwise from bottom left - Jenn, Marc, Chris, Britain, Barbara, Jon, Bill, me, Chris, Abe (and Sara)

For dinner, I had a salad and the soup of the day which was Potato Bisque. The salad was great, very fresh with homemade croutons. The soup was warm and cozy and interesting - different from any potato soup I've had before. The secret ingredient may have been tahini.

my soup and salad

Chris had the Buffalo Fried Tofu (Panko fried tofu tossed in buffalo sauce with lettuce and tomato on multigrain oat bread) with poutine on the side (fries with chz and gravy). The fries are hand-cut and were delicious. Even the gravy and cheese tasted like they should (pretty impressive considering there are no dairy or meat products in either).

buffalo fried tofu

Chris R had the quesadillas (Cheddar chz in a whole wheat, white, or gluten-free tortilla, w/ salsa & sour crm) with poutine on the side:

Bill had the Reuben (Sautéed tempeh (Artie's- Gainesville, Fl), house ruby sauerkraut, melted mozzarella chz & million island dressing on toasted Rye) and really enjoyed it. He is a big Reuben fan and said that once you let go of the fact that it had no meat that the textures and flavors were really great together. (Sorry no pic of that one but it was pretty with red sauerkraut.)

One of the highlights of the evening (besides the great company) was the amazing carrot cake. It was so good I asked if it was really vegan! Chock full of carrots and raisins - and the slices are giant.

yummmm. photo from the restaurant's facebook page.

Besides encouraging their customers to bring their own cups, Sweet Pea Cafe also composts pretty much all of its garbage. The farm that delivers their produce picks up the compost while they're there!

My first thought was, "Thomas will love this!" Thanks Abe for the photo!

The owners/chefs were lovely and answered all our questions with patience and good humor. I definitely recommend this not only for our vegan and vegetarian friends but for anyone who wants a good meal in a friendly atmosphere.

Sweet Pea Cafe

832 West Tharpe Street

Tallahasseee, FL 32303

http://sweetpeacafetallahassee.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/spctally

Quote of the Week

2012-01-22T06:37:00.001-05:00

classic! from etsy

Eggies

2012-01-19T16:55:00.000-05:00

I admit I have not seen these advertised, but we received Eggies "As Seen on TV" as a holiday gift and thought it would be fun to test them out and report on how it went.

The idea behind Eggies is you can make hard boiled eggs without the shell. It's not quite as fast and easy as the packaging would have you believe. First you wash all the pieces-parts. Each Eggie has 4 pieces times 6 Eggies equals 24 pieces-parts. Next dry and then coat the inside of 2 big pieces-parts with oil. Last you assemble the parts, leaving off the cap.

Finally you're ready to put the eggs in the Eggies. It takes a little skill to get the whole egg inside the hole without breaking the yolk. After putting on the caps, you put the filled Eggies in a pot of water, deep enough to float them, and turn on the heat. There are specific instructions on how long to cook them (the count down starts when the water starts to simmer).

The interesting thing is the Eggies are pretty big so there is a lot of air space. That means the yolk can float to the top - which means it has less contact with the heat - which means it takes longer than you expect it will to completely cook through. It also means they look interesting when they're cooked!

Like half a giant egg, right?

We had some egg whites leftover after making custard the day before so we tried making hard boiled egg whites. They were supposed to take less time to cook through (whites cook faster than yolks?) but we had the same trouble - where the top center of each one could have been cooked longer. We also had a small leak that sealed itself once the egg started to set up. It looked pretty cool though:

Overall it was a pretty interesting experiment - and the no-peel eggs tasted fine. If you really hate peeling eggs, give them a try. Otherwise, they are probably more work than they're worth!

Making our Study a Study

2012-01-18T06:03:00.000-05:00

If you've been to our house, you know that we treat the room meant to be our formal dining room as a study. It is chock full of bookcases, books and puzzles. We had a small computer desk that was inevitably covered in what we affectionately call "my crap" - magazines, old mail, pictures, newspaper clippings, office supplies, there it all was. I spared myself and didn't take any "before" pictures.

As a surprise, while Chris was running the Relay in south Florida, Thomas and I put together a new desk and file cabinet for the space (and cleared out all the crap too!). There is a second desk coming that will give us lots of room to spread out and work. With Chris not teaching this semester, it'll give him space to work at home if he wants.

We put a power strip on the window sill to make it easy to plug in laptops, etc.

Our next project is to trim the bush outside the window!

The second desk will go right along the wall to the right of the file cabinet.

An Unquenchable Thirst

2012-01-17T18:56:00.000-05:00

When I saw this tweet it piqued my interest. I'm always looking for a good book to read and am partial to memoirs.

"An Unquenchable Thirst: Following Mother Teresa ..." by @MacDowellColony writer @_MaryJohnson named 1 of Best Nonfiction Books of 2011! ^TS
— Estelle Leonard (@EstelleLeonard) December 26, 2011

An Unquenchable Thirst: Following Mother Teresa in Search of Love, Service, and an Authentic Life is fascinating. I am about half way through - her story is so compelling. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a nun, or to take vows of chastity or poverty, this is a glimpse into the convent.

“Readers . . . will find themselves transported into another world by this powerful, revealing memoir. An aspirant to the Missionaries of Charity at age nineteen, the author spent twenty years living a life both extraordinarily simple and heart-wrenchingly complex. Johnson skillfully demonstrates this juxtaposition through her writing—mundane events, such as gathering eggs or learning to play the piano, often have tragic or miraculous implications. . . . [Johnson’s] memoir is exceptional.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Quote of the Week

2012-01-15T06:35:00.000-05:00

haha from etsy

This Week's Veggies and Fruit

2012-01-11T18:10:00.000-05:00

sweet potatoes, acorn squash, green peppers, tupelo honey and oranges

(frost last week took out some of the greens)

Loving Local Citrus

2012-01-09T06:55:00.003-05:00

Our Twitter friend John, who knows about T's love of juicing fruit, invited us over so T could pick some oranges from his trees. We stopped by last Tuesday and were so impressed by John's generosity - he let T pick a whole tree clean! T is not known for doing well in new situations, but give him a good farming task, and he is right in his element. He picked so much the bag was almost full!

After all the picking (and saying, 'thank you,' he reminds me as I write this), T practically could not wait to get home and get to work.

Special juice deserves a special glass, right?

Yes, T keeps fancy glasses in the freezer for occasions like this!

In the background, more goodies from John: a grapefruit and 2 tangerines

T picked two kinds of oranges: Chinotto and navel. Chinotto is a cold-hardy variety that comes to the US from China via Italy. There is a kind of chinotto that is sour but these are pretty sweet. In the photo of the bag, the chinottos are the smaller guys, the navels the larger ones.

We split the grapefruit for breakfast Wednesday - delicious!!

Thanks, John!

Quote of the Week

2012-01-08T06:30:00.000-05:00

from etsy <3

Flashback: 2004 Trip to St. Joe State Park

2012-01-06T06:21:00.000-05:00

In January 2004, we spent a couple days in a rustic cabin at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, just a few miles north of where we drove on the beach last week. Being back there again in the winter reminded me of how the white sand looks like snow - though of course this was diminished this visit by the 70 degree weather! The upper end of the peninsula has big sand dunes (not present at Cape San Blas). They are reportedly some of the highest in the US.

When we visited in 2004, the weather was cold with day time temps in the 40s. Climbing up and over the sand dunes to get to the beach in our winter jackets made me do a double take - in that kind of winter mindset the sand really looks like snow:

Here is a view of the dunes from the beach. I love that you can see my foot prints, though it definitely looks less like snow from this angle.

Look how little a 5 and 1/2 year old T was!

It was a little warmer the second day

We saw lots of wildlife at the park, including this buck (above) and doe (below), who were just wandering in and near the road near the park entrance on our arrival.

Another great feature of the park is access to beautiful sunrises and sunsets - here is the sunrise over the bay:

T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park

8899 Cape San Blas Road
Port St. Joe, Florida 32456
(850) 227-1327
Hours
Fees
Camping/Cabin Reservations

Go Team Data Driven Go!

2012-01-05T06:29:00.001-05:00

As I reported in November, Chris and 10 friends will run about 200 miles this weekend - from Miami down to Key West. We'll be cheering them on from home and also applauding the amazing work the team has done in fundraising for our friend, Erin, who is fighting Stage 4 breast cancer.

In just under a month, Team Data Driven has raised over $8,700 to help cover the expenses her insurance won't - like travel to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Read Erin's blog here.

It's not to late to help - click here to donate.

While they're running tomorrow and Saturday, you can track their progress on the Live Action Blog here and you can be friends with the Team (for photos and other updates during the event) on facebook here.

Go, Team Data Driven, Go!

New Year's Eve Feasting

2012-01-04T06:29:00.000-05:00

For New Year's Eve, rather than a traditional dinner, we had an evening of snacking with a variety of meats, cheeses, fruit and other goodies. Here are the highlights:

homemade pretzels (working on perfecting the recipe here)

fancy sausages and salamis and mustards

Vermont Creamery chevre (goat cheese) with fig-walnut confit,

Point Reyes blue cheese and a nice aged cheddar with grapes and raspberries

These are peppadews - Guy Fieri loves them so we had to try them! Spicy and sweet at the same time, I found them on the olive bar at Fresh Market. We also had stuffed banana peppers.

Some of our favorite accompaniments to the sausage - yummy handmade beer-thyme mustard (a gift from our friend Brooke) and 2 kinds of horseradish. (In case you're wondering Atomic is the truly hot one; the good-n-hot is hot but won't make you pound your fist on the table!)

A few other goodies we tried for the first time and loved: L'Epicuriun Fig and Walnut Confit (a fancy word for jam! super delicious with goat cheese, just like the label says), Edmond Fallel Seed-Style Mustard (nicely balanced with a hint of horseradish-y spiciness) and Stonewall Kitchen Caramelized Onion Mustard (perfect for pretzel dipping).

Hope you all had a happy New Year's Eve with lots of good eating!

The Year in GOOD Things

2012-01-03T06:54:00.000-05:00

Last month, when I voted for Crescent City Cafe* to win a $5000 grant from GOOD, I signed up for the daily email. I've really enjoyed their positive messages.

Our once-a-day email, The Daily GOOD, explores and amplifies the best in grassroots initiatives, up-and-coming organizations, and inspiring ideas making small steps toward a big impact—if you haven't signed up yet, you're missing out. This year, The Daily GOOD unearthed hundreds of "good" things, but we've scaled that down to a few favorites on a variety of topics we love—like food, design, and giving back to the community.

I wish I could embed their "top good things of 2011" slideshow (which you can see here). Since I can't here's an example of the goodness:

This year saw the sustainable food movement taken more seriously than ever by big players in the private sector, most notably supermarkets. One rising star in the industry is BrightFarms, a startup that plans to open three greenhouses on the rooftops of chain supermarkets by the end of next year. The greatest part of this concept? Food miles are reduced to zero when you buy produce where it's grown.

See also:
In.gredients, one of the world's only packaging-free grocery stores, opening soon in Austin, Texas.
Photo courtesy of BrightFarms

See the full slideshow here.
Sign up for The Daily GOOD at http://www.good.is/

*I learned about Crescent City Cafe on Twitter. One of the founders is an Alpha Chi Omega sister from Loyola University in New Orleans. And, yes, they won the contest and the $5000 grant!

The mission of the Crescent City Cafe is to serve breakfast to New Orleans’ homeless and low-income residents with dignity and to connect young adults together in service to our community.... Founded in February 2009, the cafe simulates a restaurant, complete with breakfast specials that change each month.... The Crescent City Café serves people who are homeless with dignity. We greet them, seat them and request their food and beverage order. We demonstrate respect. We transfer hope. And we hope that through our actions, homeless stops being a brand and starts being a circumstance – a real crisis that a real person is currently experiencing.

http://www.crescentcitycafe.com/cafe/

Getting a Beach Driving Permit

2012-01-02T06:32:00.003-05:00

A few quick tips from us on getting a permit to drive on the beach in Gulf County.

When you go to the Gulf County Courthouse, you'll need your license and registration. Note there are metal detectors at the entrance so leave your change in the car!

The drivers license office in Room 100 handles the permits. (The website says it's Room 147 so ignore that.) There is a little bit of paperwork to fill out - the forms are not online; you'll have to take care of that in person.

Gulf County Court House
Port St. Joe, FL 32456
(850) 227-5628
Monday - Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm EST

http://www.gulfcounty-fl.gov/

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T06:33:00.001-05:00

photo

Driving on the Beach

2011-12-30T19:53:00.001-05:00

We took a ride over to Port St. Joe today to get a permit to drive on the beach in Gulf County. It was a gorgeous day for a ride and for spending time at the beach!

at Cape San Blas

the permit (good for one year)

This picture below shows (in green) the beaches you can drive on. The dotted line between the two sections is closed during turtle nesting season (May 1- October 31) but open the rest of the year. Note on the map all the sections in white are water. (It feels to me like they should be blue not white! The land is pink.)

from the Gulf County forms page

We drove first on the southern beach at Indian Pass (at the bottom of the map). We went straight down CR 30 from St. Joe to the first beach access point and headed right (west) with the idea that we might be able to drive around to Cape San Blas (on the west side of the peninsula).

This part of the beach is not developed - very few houses even. There are more houses if you head to the left. We saw a few other Jeeps, a few people out walking their dogs, and some people riding horses.

Here's my view from the back seat:

We drove into the turtle nesting area but right after rounding the bend at the tip, the path was obstructed by big pieces of driftwood (some of them looked like whole trees). We turned around and headed over to Cape San Blas to check out that side. We drove down the beach a couple miles and then stopped to take a walk and have our picnic. We pretty much had the beach to ourselves:

We could not have asked for nicer weather - it was 71 and sunny! Crazy for December 30th. The sand was warm enough to go barefoot (which of course I did). After our picnic (turkey sandwiches, hardboiled eggs and pirate booty), we packed up and headed home. Here's the view from the driver's seat:

We're looking forward to more adventures driving on the beach this year!

Veggies This Week

2011-12-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

French breakfast radishes, butternut squash, baby beet greens, Romaine lettuce, spinach and sweet potatoes

The butternuts are from McClellan Organics which is a farm just outside Cairo, GA. Learn more about them here. We have two different varieties of sweet potatoes again this time - the lighter ones are yellow inside instead of the traditional orange.

Fun Times in the Madison Area - Laurello Winery

2011-12-28T06:17:00.000-05:00

source

Hubs and I had a chance to visit Laurello Vineyards and Winery while we were in Ohio for Thanksgiving. Mom recommended it after she and some friends went to visit while planning a lunch-time party for next summer on their outdoor patio. It was too dark to see the outside space but we did take advantage of their wood-fired pizza oven for a nice snack!

When you first arrive at this old apple and cider mill, it's a little unclear what you are meant to do but soon you realize that you order wine and food at the counter and seat yourself.

here's the side counter where you can also order

There are two main rooms indoors. The first, where the counter is located, has a beautiful stone fireplace and a variety of seating options - large and small tables as well as couches. The second room is smaller and offers less ambiance but was warm and cozy. It was busy when we were there, probably because the wines are pretty tasty. Here's the wine list:

Because it was Friday night and they were busy, we weren't able to taste too many of the wines but I did enjoy the Naso Bianco.

Here's the pizza I mentioned earlier. They have two sizes, and the woman at the counter was quick to point out that the larger size was a better deal, but we wanted to try two different flavors. Chris chose the Seafood Pizza with tomato sauce (Basil pesto, shrimp, onions and Feta cheese) and I ordered the Special which is a white pizza with spinach and bacon. They were small but super tasty from the wood oven!

Laurello Vineyards & Winery

4573 State Route 307 East

Harpersfield Township, Ohio

Mussels at Home

2011-12-27T06:27:00.001-05:00

Hubs and I like to eat mussels in restaurants but we have never made them at home... until now! We followed Ina Garten's instructions from Barefoot Contessa for Mussels in White Wine. It was easy and inexpensive. Who knew?

Step 1 - buy the mussels. I got Prince Edward Island mussels at Southern Seafood; a two-pound bag cost $5.50.

Step 2 - prep the mussels: soak them in water with a little flour in it so they'll spit out any sand they're carrying around. Ina says 1/3 cup flour to 2 quarts of cold water for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly several times. Then debeard them (that means pull off the little strings with your fingers. Throw away any that aren't fully closed.

Step 3 - prep the broth:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots (5 to 7 shallots)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes, drained (4 ounces)
1/2 ounce saffron threads (found these at Fresh Market)
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup good white wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large non-aluminum stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

Step 4 - cook the mussels. This is the easy part. Toss the well-drained mussels into the broth, stir well and let steam for 8-10 minutes. Discard any mussels that don't open while cooking, then pour the mussels and broth into a big bowl and serve. We enjoyed ours with a nice bagette from local bakery Au Peche Mignon.

They were delicious. Even Thomas loved them!

Solstice 2011 Recap

2011-12-26T06:51:00.002-05:00

Solstice Moon from Syracuse Cultural Workers

Celebrating the winter solstice is one of our favorite family traditions. We have a huge fire with the Yule log, eat home made pizza and sleep in front of the fire with mattresses dragged out from the bedrooms. The actual Solstice this year happened at 5am on December 22nd so we had our festivities that evening, partly because Thomas had school on the 21st. The weather almost did not cooperate - at lunch time Thursday it was 77 degrees! Luckily, it cooled off when it got dark out (or at least fell into the 60s which is cool enough for us!).

In the morning, T and I drove out to Monticello to Johnston's Meat Locker. We picked up some of their house-smoked sausage and a natural pork butt to smoke on Sunday. At 2:30 T and I made pizza dough (recipe here), then went to visit the chickens we help take care of. Back at home, we prepped our pizza toppings (fresh pineapple, mushrooms, and ham) and got the oven ready for pizza baking.

To make pizza baking more exciting, I bought us a pizza peel. T loves to do things "Big Bite" style (the way his Food Network chef Idol Guy Fieri does) and this is one of Guy's go-to tools. The way it works is you keep the pizza stone in the oven while it preheats, then slide the pizza off the peel onto the stone to bake it. Easier said than done! For the first pizza, I didn't get enough cornmeal on the peel and couldn't get the pizza to slide off. I took the stone out of the oven, set it on the stove top and from there I was able to move the pizza on to the stone and put it in the oven. Taking it out when it was done was a snap! The crust turned out nice and crisp too.

I decided not to give up and the second pizza went onto the stone much more easily. Hurray!

While the pizza was baking, C & T built the big, beautiful fire! We had a lovely evening together in front of it.

Here's to longer days and shorter nights ahead!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T06:25:00.005-05:00

photo

Tis the Season

2011-12-24T06:40:00.001-05:00

source

Vigilante Gardening

2011-12-23T06:13:00.000-05:00

A New Comet

2011-12-22T06:39:00.001-05:00

"On December 2, 2011, Astronomer Terry Lovejoy discovered a Kreutz or sungrazing comet using a ground based telescope. The comet was labeled C/2011 W3 or simply Lovejoy."
http://www.thesuntoday.org

Greek Greens Pie and Roasted Beets

2011-12-21T06:03:00.001-05:00

Monday we tried a new recipe for Greek Greens Pie alongside roasted Chiggogia beets (both were delicious!!). Here's the play-by-play. First, in batches, blanch about 2 pounds of greens. We used beet greens, baby beet greens, kale and spinach.

I blanched so many beet greens the water turned red!

After blanching the greens and cooling in ice water, drain and squeeze out all the excess water. Then chop them up, medium-fine.

In a pan, cook a finely diced medium onion in a Tablespoon of olive oil until softened. After five minutes add one bunch of scallions, finely diced, then the greens and a 1/4 cup each of chopped dill, mint and parsley. Stir together, remove from heat and mix in 5 ounces of feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups milk and 1/2 cup water to a simmer, then slowly stream in one cup of corn flour, whisking constantly. Keep simmering and stirring until the mixture is the consistency of polenta. Put half the mixture in an oiled 10-inch round cake pan (or the nearest equivalent - this pan is 10x5) and spread into an even thin layer (wetting your fingers helps). Then spread the greens mixture on the bottom crust, then add 3 Tablespoons olive oil to the remaining crust dough (and enough water to make it resemble wet sand (I missed this step)) and spoon it over the greens to make the top crust.

Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the top is browned. Let stand for 20-30 minutes to allow the crust to set up. Then enjoy.

While we were baking the pie, we roasted the beets by wrapping them all (together) in an aluminum foil packet with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. When they were soft all the way through, I took them out of the oven, peeled and sliced them. Aren't they interesting? Not solid red all the way through! They were sweet and delicious.

Chiggogia beets

Miccosukee Root Cellar - Review

2011-12-20T06:53:00.003-05:00

A new 'localtarian' restaurant opened in town which led to discussion Thanksgiving week on Twitter - have you been? what have you heard? Which led to a plan to visit the place en masse. Miccosukee Root Cellar was flying under the radar a bit - to the point where they didn't have a phone number listed on their website! Paula's detective skills triumphed and we became their first reservation ever!

We credit the word 'localtarian' to the Canadians; it means the ingredients are all sourced locally. In this case, pretty much everything they serve comes from nearby organic farms. The meat is sustainably raised, also locally, and they highlight interesting things native to our area (like satsuma oranges and Tupelo honey).

Because we had a large group, the owner prepared a multi-course dinner for us. For the first course, we had a whole bunch of goodies - house-baked bread with 2 different butters; fresh veggies (carrots, (including purple ones!), radishes (my first experience with watermelon radishes, which are red on the outside, fading to green inside), and broccoli; cheeses from Sweetgrass Dairy, each served with a special and delicious relish; nuts (Louisiana roasted Georgia Peanuts and Cane sweetened roasted Pecans with sea salt); and meats which I think they cured in the restaurant (including wild boar).

Along with our first courses (shared around the table) we enjoyed local or organic beers and wines. Next we had salads - love those local greens.

seasonal salad

We had two choices for our first course - meatloaf or pulled chicken (like pulled pork but with chicken).I had the meatloaf; Chris had the chicken, which was served in a Mason jar (cute) and came with kale chips.

Mini Meat Loaf, spicy citrus (satsuma!) BBQ, savory bread pudding with squash and kale

all of us enjoying a nice meal together
clockwise from lower left (Paula, Abe, Sara, me, John, Bill, Chris, Marc & Jenn)
(thanks Abe & Sara for the group photo!)

While technically, dinner was a tweet-up, it felt more like a dinner with old friends - perhaps since we've all been chatting so long, we are old friends. Nevertheless, it was great to meet John (and Bill) in person and have a chance to talk at length about life in general! And it was great to see everyone else and share a meal and a new experience together!

This is a great little place - cozy, comfortable and inexpensive. A great place to learn about what produce etc. is in season and available locally while enjoying a creatively prepared meal.

[Update 12/22/11: Please also check out Sara's post about our evening at http://twointally.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/twitter-wins-again-or-the-root-cellar/ - lots more photos; an excellent complement to what I've said above as she hits on different details!]

Miccosukee Root Cellar

1311 Miccosukee Road (near Magnolia)

Tallahassee

Cookie Party 2011 Recap

2011-12-19T07:42:00.001-05:00

Lots of fun at our house on Friday evening at our annual cookie party. I am terrible at taking pictures - must be too busy talking and baking but here are a couple.

Madie Rae with her cookies to take home

Chris always decorates one cookie. In the background, Abe enjoys a cup of soup.

We had two waves of guests - first the kids, starting with Abby (we brought her home from school with us) and then the Stewarts, the Lamberts and the rest of the Jacksons (as well as the other Jacksons, our neighbors (Heather and Greg)) all arrived around 4:30. For dinner, we made sloppy Joe's, cheddar chicken chowder and butternut-kale soup. The kids took turns rolling out dough, cutting cookies and then decorating them after they were baked. Just before 7, our adult friends started arriving, including Britain & Chris, Sara & Abe, Tara, Emily, and Jenn & Marc. We enjoyed wine, holiday-themed beers, soup, sandwiches, and more cookie baking!

Overall we had 22 guests (plus the 3 of us) for a total of 25. I made a quadruple batch of Cheddar Chicken Chowder. That was just about the right amount - there was enough to send home 3 cups with Britain and have about 8 cups leftover for us. I made a single batch of Soup with Squash and Greens (using butternut squash and kale). Sharing a pint with Jenn still left us with 5 cups of leftovers. We also had 6 batches of sloppy Joe's (3 large cans of sauce and 6 pounds of ground meat) which was way too much but it freezes well!

In the cookie department, I followed my advice from last year and made 2 batches of dough for White Velvet Cutouts, 1 for Sour Cream Sugar Cookies and 2 for Cut Butter Cookies. This was just about the right amount. We had a little leftover, but not a lot, and Thomas and I had fun Sunday morning baking and decorating a few cookie-sheets of cookies.

Quote of the Week

2011-12-18T07:04:00.000-05:00

from weheartit via pinterest

This Week's Veggies

2011-12-16T06:36:00.000-05:00

lots of goodies in our bag this week including beets, fennel, radishes, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnips and lots of greens

some thoughts on things to make

roasted beets

beef stew (turnips)

orange fennel salad

Greek Greens Pie with Cornmeal Crust

As usual, we ate the radishes right away, like they were candy, and had a spinach salad with dinner Wednesday.

Bornholm, Denmark

2011-12-15T06:03:00.000-05:00

In 1859, my mom's great grandfather (Thomas' great great great grandfather), Theodor Andersen Skovgaard immigrated, at age 20, to the United States from a village called Vester Marie on an island called Bornholm that is part of Denmark. Skovgaard was the name of the farm where his family lived. In the U.S. he used the name Theodor Andersen. Here are two videos to show us what Bornholm looks like (in the summer; they have lots of winter, being closer to Sweden than Denmark). The video above is a little slower so you can see each of the photos; the one below is peppier.

Butternut Bacon Quiche

2011-12-14T06:56:00.000-05:00

After we made the Soup with Squash and Greens, T and I had a half a butternut squash left so we peeled and chopped it up and roasted it. I was trying to think of something creative to do with some of it - here is the result. Thanks to this recipe for inspiration (esp with cheeses to use).

The first time we made this, it turned out delicious. Thanks Steve and Dawn for being our guinea pigs! I forgot to take photos so we had it again this Monday and can now share the whole process.

1/4 cup red onions, minced
a one-inch spring of rosemary, leaves stripped and minced finely
10 strips of thin "ready to eat" bacon
3/4 cup of roasted butternut squash, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup half-n-half
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 pre-made pie crust (we like the frozen Publix brand, defrosted)

Crisp the bacon and then saute the red onions on low heat in the little bit of bacon fat until they are sweet and tender. If there's not enough fat, add a teaspoon of olive oil.

While the onions are going, mince up the rosemary very small, and add it to the onions. Chop the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces while the onions cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until they're all one color and then mix in the milk and half-n-half. Set aside.

Begin layering the ingredients in the pie crust, starting with the rosemary onion mixture, sprinkling it evenly. Next half the butternut squash and then half the bacon.

Pour half of the egg mixture on top and then sprinkle with half of each of the cheeses.

Next layer in the second half of the squash and bacon, then pour on the remainder of the egg mixture. Top with cheese.

Seems like a pretty type A move, but I hate when all the fillings rest at the bottom of the quiche!

Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until the eggs are set. I put it in a big shallow Pyrex baking dish to bake. This makes it easy to put into and take out of the oven and keeps any spills contained. Give it a shake and if nothing moves, it's done. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve. We like it with a spinach salad on the side.

Happy Christmas Music

2011-12-13T06:41:00.000-05:00

Fun Times in the Madison Area - Tarsitano

2011-12-12T06:03:00.002-05:00

In November, hubs and I visited Tarsitano Winery & Cafe in Conneaut, Ohio, about half an hour from Mom's house. It's worth the drive!

source

This is a family run establishment, and it's a family full of character. One of the servers sang all evening as she went about her business. The restaurant was full (there was even a limo in the gravel parking lot); I was glad I had called ahead for a reservation. We were seated at a table facing the kitchen. The big draw here, in addition to the wine, is the focus on food. Almost everything is made from scratch, including the bread and pasta, and the meats are raised locally and sustainably.

Owners Ken and Kelly Tarsitano in Kitchen at Tarsitano Winery

source

We started our feast with a Cheese, Olive & Bread plate while we tasted a few wines and chose a bottle of tasty Riesling. The lighting in the restaurant was low and didn't lend itself to taking photos but I did get a shot of my dinner, which was amazing.

sun-dried tomato ravioli in a garlic olive oil sauce with grilled sirloin tip steak

Chris had the Black N Blue Steak which is described on the menu as "(Very HOT) Ken’s Own Special Rub of Hot Chilies and Spices topped with Gorgonzola Cheese; This Rub is not for the faint heated. It will leave you black and blue." Chris agreed and loved the heat (sometimes he is disappointed by food that claims to be spicy but isn't... no disappointment here).

I saved half my dinner for later so I could try the homemade double chocolate cheesecake for dessert. It was delicious - a little denser than I would have made it but overall excellent.

One note - if you are driving from the west, when you get off the I-90 in Kingsville and the GPS says to go straight, it's ok, it's not (just) the on-ramp to continue eastbound, it's also the straightest route to get there. Boy howdy it can be dark at night in the country!

Tarsitano Winery & Cafe

4871 Hatches Corners Rd

Conneaut, Ohio 44030

http://tarsitanowinery.com/

Quote of the Week

2011-12-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

in honor of this week's cookie party, from etsy via pinterest

Couscous with Roasted Vegetables

2011-12-09T16:36:00.000-05:00

I was inspired by this photo on pinterest to roast some vegetables we hadn't cooked that way before. We often roast potatoes, sweet potatoes and hard squashes but it may be true that almost anything becomes more delicious when you roast it!

I used the recipe that goes with the photo as the starting point for the project and sort of winged it from there.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

1 pint of grape tomatoes
3 small/medium zucchinis, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 large sweet onion, cut in bite-sized pieces

Put all these in a big bowl, slosh a little olive oil on them, then season with salt and pepper. Stir well then dump onto a big baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes to an hour or until the veggies begin to caramelize. The house will smell delicious!

here they are, roasting away

While the vegetables are roasting, prepare an appropriate amount of couscous. I started with two cups of dry couscous and followed the package directions. When it is ready, put it in a big bowl, then add all the roasted vegetables and any juice from the roasting pan. Give it a big stir and throw in some fresh herbs or lemon juice if you like (we added a little chopped parsley from the garden). Crumble a little fresh goat cheese on top and serve.

We roasted 3/4 of a pound of shelled shrimp on a separate pan and served it on top of the couscous to complete the meal. Yum. This was easy and delicious!

Our favorite Black Bean Soup

2011-12-09T07:01:00.001-05:00

We love this soup because it's easy to make, tasty, full of texture, and satisfying, even though it's completely vegetarian.

20 sun-dried tomoatoes (not packed in oil)
2 cups boiling water

3 cups finely chopped onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
2-4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2/3 cup water
2 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (I usually get 1 can petite diced and one regular)
4 16-ounce cans cooked black beans
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

sour cream or yogurt for garnish

In a small bowl, rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes by covering them with the boiling water and setting aside.

In a big pot, saute the onions and garlic in the oil until the onions are translucent. It's important to cook them pretty thoroughly at this point, otherwise they'll be crunchy later. Add the cumin, 2/3 cup water and the tomatoes (including their juice - do not drain first). Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the black beans and their liquid, and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Drain and chop the softened sun-dried tomatoes, reserving the liquid in case the soup becomes a little dry. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the soup and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the onions are tender. Turn off the heat and add the cilantro. Puree half the soup in the blender and return it to the pot. If the soup is too thick, add some of the reserved water from the sun-dried tomatoes or tomato juice.

Serve each both with about a teaspoonful of sour cream or yogurt on top. We like low-fat sour cream.

Adapted only slightly from

Thanksgiving 2011 Recap

2011-12-08T08:24:00.000-05:00

It was good times at the farm for Thanksgiving as we had 46 for dinner (tying last year's record). We all had a great time, the weather cooperated, and no engineers were required to lay out the plans for the tables (well maybe they were consulted).

Thanks to my brother, Christian, who took the photos this year.

Here are our newest and most senior Thanksgiving guests. On left, baby cousin, Samantha (5 months old), with her Dad, Ed, and on the right, Aunt Lillian, who just celebrated her 87th birthday.

family hug with Uncle John

welcoming Laurie to the family (she's in the vest; marrying my cousin John, in black, in April).

enjoying the beautiful weather

sitting down to eat; this is one end of the table.

the farthest end of the table (it's shaped like a lower-case h with a long stem).

action shot of eating

relaxing after dinner

Family Photos

2011-12-07T08:20:00.000-05:00

On Thanksgiving morning we took family photos with Mom and my brothers and their families. Here are our favorites

Mom on far left, my brother John behind me and brother Christian on far right.

Most importantly, Thomas is looking at the camera!!

John's wife, Gayle, next to me in blue and Christian's wife, Chrissy, behind her.

C & C's boys, Elliot (7) and Ethan (10) in front.

Hubs next to Mom; T to his right.

We also like this one because if we're not looking at the camera, we're laughing.... but it's missing Christian

Coming tomorrow... more Thanksgiving photos.

New twist on eggs and potatoes

2011-12-07T06:07:00.000-05:00

When I saw this photo on pinterest I knew we had to try it

Officially called Idaho Sunrise, this couldn't be easier.

First you bake the potatoes. You'll need one per person. For larger potatoes, 2 eggs fit, but if you have smaller potatoes (or smaller appetites), you'll just need one egg per person. A little chopped bacon (1 strip per person, depending on taste, we use less), some shredded cheese (1-2 T each), a little herbs (parsley, oregano, chives, whatever you like), salt and pepper and you're in business. Remember the eggs will expand a little as they cook, so leave a little room at the top. Put the filled potatoes on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil (in case of leaks) and bake 15-25 minutes at 350.

The original recipe calls for putting a teaspoon of butter in the bottom of each potato after hollowing it out. I've tried it both ways and can't tell the difference. The key is to bake the eggs just until the eggs are the way you like them - we like our whites cooked and our yolks a little runny - remember it will keep cooking after it comes out of the oven. I tend to leave them in too long and the yolks end up fully set... which is still yummy.

Enjoy!

New Holiday Decorations!

2011-12-06T15:28:00.000-05:00

Our yard AND the Jeep are both in the holiday spirit! See our other inflatable yard decorations in last year's post "Happy Holidays... from our yard to yours!" Here are some of the new additions this year:

Cute little penguin from our friends Britain & Chris

Santa towing away the broken-down sleigh. He waves and the package on the back spins.

Front view of Santa in his tow truck

Chris strung Christmas lights in the back of the Jeep! He has an adapter that turns his cigarette lighter into a traditional household outlet to plug the lights into.

The Jeep lit up!

Happy Holidays!!!

Over the Top Pretzels

2011-12-05T06:36:00.000-05:00

Adapted from this recipe, we might need to tone these down again when we make them again. They are delicious - but do you really need 3 1/2 cups of cheese in a recipe with just 4 cups of flour? :)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm water, 110 degrees F
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for work surface
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 egg
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar

Toppings

2 tablespoons milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a measuring cup, add the warm water and the yeast. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the dry ingredients and the Parmesan and mix together until well combined. Add in 1 egg and the warm water and yeast mixture. Mix until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface or cutting board. Knead 10 to 12 times, adding a little flour, if sticky. Cut the dough in half and set aside.

Roll out 1 piece of dough to a 12 by 17-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the Cheddar in the middle (short way). Fold 1/3 of the dough over, and sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the Cheddar. Fold the last third over and pinch the edges closed. Roll with a rolling pin to form an 11 by 15-inch rectangle. Cut into 1 1/2-inch lengthwise strips.

Pinch the cut edges together and then roll into cigar shape. Form into a pretzel shape and put on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Repeat with second ball of dough.

Beat the remaining egg and the milk in a small bowl. Mix well. Brush the formed pretzels with the egg mixture and then sprinkle evenly with the kosher salt.

Bake until nicely browned, about 14 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Serve warm or room temperature.

Quote of the Week

2011-12-04T06:48:00.002-05:00

from etsy; pretty cute, eh?

Soup with Squash and Greens

2011-12-03T07:58:00.000-05:00

I adapted this recipe from one for Tuscan-Kale-and-Squash Minestra from Food & Wine December 2011. My theory is you can use whatever hardy greens you have (kale, chard, collards, spinach even) and the hard squash of your choice (Hubbard, butternut, acorn, etc.)

wilting the greens

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
3-4 pounds of your favorite hard squash for 5 cups peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes. - we used butternut, neck only, as the original recipe indicated.
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or substitute 1 teaspoon dried)
12 ounces of greens of your choice (by weight) - we used Collards. Original recipe called for kale. If you use that or spinach you might double or even triple as it will shrink more than some other greens.
9 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
1 cup ditalini or tubettini pasta
1 15-ounce can navy beans, drained

In a large pot, heat 2-4 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, and cook over moderate heat, stirring until softened. If it's dry, either cover or add a little more oil. Add the squash, stirring until lightly browned in spots but not tender. Stir in garlic and rosemary for a minute then add the greens and stir them in until wilted. Add the broth, cover and simmer just until the vegetables are all tender. Season with salt and pepper.

While the vegetables are cooking, boil the pasta until it's al dente. Drain.

Add the pasta and beans to the soup and simmer until it's slightly thickened. As the greens and pasta absorb liquid, at this point you may need to add a little extra stock.

The original recipe calls for adding 1/4 cup of olive oil to the soup before serving but I left it out as the soup already tasted amazing.

Serve with shaved Parmesan and garlic toasts.

finished product - yum!

Taking the Train Across Canada

2011-12-02T06:56:00.001-05:00

This one is for Jenn, who told me it's one of her dreams to take the train across Canada.

This Week's Veggies

2011-12-01T06:47:00.002-05:00

We got our first bag of goodies from the farm Wednesday so I thought I would share what was in it!

radishes (red (baby French Breakfast) and daikon), 3 kinds of lettuce (mesclun, baby arugula and spinach), sweet potatoes and Collards.

The radishes were amazing. I ate half of them like candy. The daikon radishes were super tangy, much spicier than the red ones, and a little woodier too (not to mention much smaller than I expected!). We had salads for supper (T ate a whole bowl of spinach before dinner even started) so that was a success as well. We are excited to try the sweet potatoes and chard too.

Tough Mudder 2012

2011-11-29T06:37:00.001-05:00

Hubs is going to take his running events to a whole new level of insanity by participating in the Michigan/Ohio Tough Mudder 2012 this spring. It's being held in Amherst, Ohio (Lorain County) April 14-15. Yes, it could be snowing. He has a whole new team of running friends to take on this challenge with so let the training begin!

Here's a glimpse at what they're in for:

One of the best parts of the event is that it raises funds for the Wounded Warrior Project - in May they passed the one million dollar mark in donations! WWP seeks "to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in this nation's history." They have a whole host of programs aimed to helping veterans have healthy minds and bodies, find jobs and support each other.

Veggies

2011-11-28T06:36:00.000-05:00

I am excited to report that we joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and will pick up our first "share" this week on Wednesday. We're starting out with a half share which means we'll get a bag of produce every other Wednesday. The farm, Orchard Pond Organics, is not far from our house (off Meridian between Summerbrooke and Bannerman, for those of you familiar with Tallahassee). We're looking forward to trying some new things and eating more vegetables!

I'll report in after I pick up our first share, but in the meantime, here are pictures from the farm to hold you over. Most of the items we'll get (since it's fall/winter) will be greens (both hardy and delicate, at least until it frosts here) and root vegetables. The farm grows both familiar varieties (spinach, kale, radishes, sweet potatoes) and more exotic ones (such as mizuna (a Japanese green) and daikon radishes (also Japanese - these are really big compared with traditional radishes).

mesclun growing in the field (spring mix lettuce)

mesclun ready to eat

chard - in many colors

mizuna (from the mustard family, sweeter than most greens)

pink beauty radishes

daikon radishes

Quote of the Week

2011-11-27T10:28:00.000-05:00

from etsy (great 8x10 print, right?)

One More for Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-26T10:09:00.000-05:00

"Nature’s beauty can be easily missed -- but not through Louie Schwartzberg’s lens. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day."

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:34:00.000-05:00

from pinterest

Making the Connection

2011-11-23T06:38:00.000-05:00

As we get ready for Thanksgiving, the biggest food holiday of the year, it's a good time to think about the connections between the food we eat, the way it's produced and the great outdoors. This TED talk from Maine focuses on bees as the link that keeps us all fed.

Key West Relay

2011-11-22T06:18:00.009-05:00

Now that Chris has tackled the half marathon, he and his running friends are taking on another Relay. (see last year's here and here.) This one runs from Miami to Key West the first weekend in January.

Here's the official description:

PICTURE THIS: A 199 mile running event that will push you and 11 pals as far south as you can go in the continental U.S. Starting in Miami and finishing in Key West this relay offers runners a unique opportunity to run, near the ocean side, and across the southern end of the state of Florida. Along the way you will run across multiple bridges including the Seven Mile Bridge hopping from Key to Key, passing through popular destinations such as Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon Key and Big Pine Key. The race (and your stamina) will wrap up in the tropics of the southern most city in the continental U.S.A., Key West.

If this video won't play here, click on it to watch on youtube - it does a great job of showing why people enjoy it so much - it might even make you want to try it too!

Taking the Train

2011-11-21T06:51:00.001-05:00

This week we're living vicariously through our cousins who are traveling from Denver to San Francisco by train to celebrate Thanksgiving and my aunt's 70th birthday. From amtrak.com:

One of the most popular western trains, the California Zephyr traverses much of the West's spectacular scenery. Departing from Denver, you'll snake upward on the Front Range of the Rockies and cross the Great Divide. As you go by train, try to imagine how this daunting landscape must have looked to the first settlers who came by horse or on foot.

To go through this exceptionally rugged terrain, the train takes numerous switch-backs as it gains altitude. Traveling through the first of 29 tunnels, it's easy to see the huge obstacles that early railroad companies had to surmount. In the Roosevelt National Forest, the train crests the Continental Divide at the famed, six-mile-long Moffat Tunnel. When it opened in 1928, the tunnel reduced the time it took to cross the Continental Divide from hours to minutes. In the midst of the tunnel, you will reach a high point of more than 9,000 feet above sea level.

As the train runs into the deep Gore and Glenwood Canyons, sheer rock walls towering above the Colorado River envelope the train as it glides through. As the train skirts the river, you'll see rafters taking advantage of this natural wild ride. Fiery red mountains and spectacular rock formations are highlights of the Colorado River Valley, particularly in Ruby Canyon.

Exiting the valley, you'll spot Grand Mesa, the world's largest flat-topped mountain. Then you'll head across the Utah desert to Salt Lake City. From there, the colorful Nevada desert will lead you towards the High Sierras and California's famed Donner Pass.

Finally, this journey that has taken you to the heights of exhilaration ends with yet one more visual masterpiece — the city by the bay, San Francisco.

One of the cool things about the trip, beside the scenic route, is that it's part of the Park Service's Trails & Rails program through the US Forest Service Intermountain Region (from Denver to Grand Junction):

The Trails & Rails programs are as diverse as the volunteer rangers presenting the programs. On any given route you may hear the stories of the area or have an opportunity to closely examine artifacts that relate to the route. On some programs you may find musical offerings, or rangers dressed in living history costumes or historical attire.

It'll take 33 hours (8am first day until 4pm second day). I can't wait to hear how it goes and how they like it!

Quote of the Week

2011-11-20T06:31:00.001-05:00

from http://fitisthenewbeautiful.tumblr.com via pinterest

Mom's and T's Favorite Meat Loaf

2011-11-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

T and Mom love this meat loaf. Posting it now so I'll have it easily available while we're visiting her. Originally from Taste of Home magazine, June/July 1997

Ingredients

Meat Loaf:
½ cup chopped onion
2 eggs
¾ cup milk
2/3 cup finely crushed saltines
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon rubbed sage
dash pepper
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
Topping:

1 cup ketchup
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, saltines, onion, salt, sage and pepper. Add beef and mix well. Shape into an 8 ½ inch by 4 ½ inch loaf in an ungreased shallow baking pan. Combine remaining ingredients; spread ¾ cup over meat loaf. Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes or until no pink remains; drain. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining sauce. Yield: 6-8 servings

Notes: we make a double batch (2 loaves) since we like this so much. Eat one now, throw the other in the freezer. A double batch uses one sleeve of saltines. We just use a regular loaf pans. I make the regular amount of the sauce and then split it between the 2.

Slovakia

2011-11-18T06:17:00.001-05:00

My paternal grandmother and grandfather emigrated (separately) from Slovakia to the US as children at the turn of the last century. My aunts have been to visit but until I saw this video (on facebook, I have a friend who lives there) I had no idea how the country looked!

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

2011-11-17T06:31:00.000-05:00

Our friends Yaacov and Erin have a Meyer lemon tree and generously shared a bag of lemons with us. Here is a great recipe we found to use some of them. When T tasted these, he said, "Mom, you're a genius!"

Ingredients

Strawberry coulis:
1quart strawberries, topped and quartered
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
Pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for egg whites
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, separated
1 heaping cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup milk
2 Meyer lemons, zested and juiced
Butter, for cooking the pancakes
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

strawberry coulis

Strawberries:
Toss the strawberries with the sugar and orange juice. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. [We used about a third of the sugar and orange juice since we had nice sweet and juicy ripe strawberries.]

After the berries and sugar have macerated and become very juicy, remove 1/2 of the berry mixture, put it in a food processor and puree until smooth. Return it to the rest of the berries and reserve until ready to use. [We cheated and mashed the strawberries instead of processing. The sauce was amazing, you could eat it on pretty much anything - ice cream, pancakes, waffles, yogurt...]

Pancakes:
Sift together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the egg yolks, ricotta, milk and lemon zest and juice, and mix until it becomes homogeneous. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients to the well and whisk until combined.

Preheat a griddle.

In another bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture in thirds. Do this quickly and gently so the pancakes will be light and fluffy.

Melt small pats of butter onto the preheated griddle, and spread it around with a paper towel to remove any excess butter. Spoon or ladle the pancake batter onto the prepared griddle to desired size of the pancake. When the top of the pancake is full of holes, like bubbles have risen to the surface and burst, the pancake is ready to flip. Flip the cakes and cook until the bottom is golden brown.

Remove the pancakes from the grill to serving plates. Top with the macerated strawberry coulis and garnish with powdered sugar.

Tremont Tap House

2011-11-16T06:06:00.007-05:00

We had a delicious dinner with my brother and sister-in-law at Tremont Tap House in June.

photo source

Clearly we haven't visited Tremont in a long long time because we found it to be a shockingly safe-looking neighborhood. We drove under a bridge that had no graffiti anywhere on it. Spooky. (In a good way of course.) We sat at the bar while waiting for John and Gayle to arrive and loved it when they opened the big garage door type window behind the bar so we could see the patio!

photo from flickr (click on it to see original)

A view of the window to the bar from the patio - from flickr, click to see original

What a great beer list. I had a sampler of 4 beers they had on tap that I hadn't tried before (rarely does that happen, and I love to try new things!).

Also a fan of the chalkboard sampler tray!

For dinner, Chris had the Green Chili burger with a fresh egg on top. He said it was amazing.

John and I both had the mac and cheese, his pictured here with chorizo added. It was delicious but a little heavy for the beautiful summer weather we were enjoying.

Gayle had the pan-roasted chicken with wild mushrooms.

We'd definitely recommend it - service was good, food impressive and inexpensive, beer list stellar.

Tremont Tap House

2572 Scranton Rd, Cleveland

Disney Half Marathon Recap

2011-11-15T06:33:00.000-05:00

Sending a shout out to hubs and his crew on their great finishes at the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon last month! Here are some photos from the send-offs and the race:

Jeannie baked this great cake for the gang. And then she ran the full Chicago Marathon. Go Jeannie go!

Chris rented a van for the drive to Orlando and bought glass chalk to decorate it. I had a fun time drawing on the windows!

Abe, Jill, Sara, Carla and Chris, ready to hit the road

Sara and Tara in costume with Chris before the race started.

Chris en route to the finish line.

And here are the results (of 8275 finishers total in the half marathon):

Abe ran like the wind and finished 16th in his division (men 35-39) and 99th overall! 1:36:26

Jill finished 54th in her division (women 30-34) and 815th overall 1:56:46

Carla finished 274th in her division (women 40-44) and 3931st overall 2:31:02

Sara finished 408th in her division (women 30-34) and 4133rd overall 2:33:01

Chris finished 346th in his division (men 40-44) and 4132nd overall 2:33:00

Tara ran the relay with a friend and they finished well - Tara ran her part in 45:36 (9+ minute miles).

Congrats all on a job well done!!

Fun with Cousins

2011-11-14T06:13:00.000-05:00

We had good times with my cousins Andy and Karen and their kids Quinn and Helen who stopped at Mom's on their trip across the country last June. Here are some pictures from the day we spent with them and my brother and his family.

Mom is the pied piper of children!

Helen is 3 going on 30. Love her excellent questions.

It wouldn't be summer at Mom's without a fire by the pond.

Quinn and Ethan

Elliot still loves s'mores.

Trevor the Toad

Trevor the toad has his close-up.
He was released into the wild not long after when chasing fireflies became more exciting!

Quote of the Week

2011-11-13T06:30:00.000-05:00

from 320 Sycamore via pinterest

Pumpkin Beer Tasting

2011-11-12T06:17:00.000-05:00

Hubs and I had a blinded taste test of 7 pumpkin themed beers available here in Tallahassee. Here's a quick synopsis of the winners and losers.

In order to make our tasting as blind as possible, I poured the beers into the glasses and wrote a number on each square of paper in front of them. I kept a record of which beer each number corresponded to. Chris (who was in the other room for the pouring) then reorganized all the glasses, keeping each number with its glass. Then he turned each number over and wrote a letter on the back (in case I remembered which one was number 1, 2, etc.). We took notes on each beer based on the letter and then used our list of numbers to translate back to which beer was which after the tasting.

Pumking from Southern Tier Brewing Company was our favorite by far!

photo source

It takes like pumpkin pie. Yum.

Others we enjoyed included the Hoppin Frog Brewery's Frog's Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale (very good, low hop, can taste cinnamon; nice aroma, full-bodied); and Dogfish Punkin Ale (which I thought had a similar taste to Great Lakes Brewing Company's iconic Christmas Ale).

We thought these were decent: Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale (not as good a mouth feel as the others, also heavily spiced); Terrapin Pumpkin Fest (nice flavor, on the strong side, heavy on cloves; slightly creamy, just a little too hoppy).

We weren't impressed with Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale or Tommyknocker Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale (we described them as ok and boring).

Happy Veterans Day

2011-11-11T06:44:00.000-05:00

Thomas and I plan to pay our respects by going to the parade downtown today.

Tender at the Bone - Review

2011-11-10T06:11:00.010-05:00

Jennifer sent me Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone: Growing up at the Table recently. I was predisposed to like it as I had read another of the author's books, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, after Dawn recommended it to me.

Reichl takes you on a journey - her story of the people and experiences that shaped her love of food and all things food related (cooking, baking, restaurants, wine, food writing, and of course eating and entertaining). Each chapter includes a recipe that is at the heart of what she's sharing - so not only can you travel along with her, you can cook and eat your way along as well! Let me tell you (without giving away anything) that her life growing up was a bit more exciting than most - her extended family being a bit eccentric (some of them in fact mentally ill) with a good deal of travel and time spent abroad.

This would be a great book to read while traveling (or during another activity where you are frequently interrupted) because each chapter can stand alone. I definitely recommend it and look forward to trying some of the recipes! (I'll let you know how they turn out.)

Berry Muffins

2011-11-09T08:14:00.000-05:00

A long-time favorite in our house, this recipe comes from my Mom.

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups fruit

Topping
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a mixing bowl cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, milk and vanilla: mix well. Stir in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in fruit. Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups two-thirds full. Combine sugar and nutmeg, sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Yields about 2 plus dozen.

The recipe was for frozen blueberries; we almost always use red raspberries.

Ecowatch.org launches in Cleveland

2011-11-09T06:16:00.008-05:00

I learn the most interesting things reading Cool Cleveland and watching their videos. Last week I learned that Ecowatch.org launched in Cleveland because of its significance in the environmental movement. In an interview while he was in town, RFK Jr brings so many points from the struggle to protect the environment down to Earth. Definitely worth a watch to hear him lay out the issues involved so eloquently.
http://ecowatch.org/
@ecowatch on Twitter

Back from Hiatus

2011-11-08T06:35:00.001-05:00

image source

Not sure what happened but I went a few months with very few posts! I apologize for my unplanned hiatus. I'm writing new posts and hope to get back to my regular six day a week schedule here on the blog. If you have questions or things you'd like to see me write about, give me a holler. xoxo and thanks for reading.

Meatless Monday

2011-11-07T06:57:00.000-05:00

Quote of the Week

2011-11-06T06:24:00.000-05:00

from Kerry's Kronicles via pinterest

Cinnamon Apple Chex Mix

2011-11-05T09:39:00.001-04:00

This was recommended by CWRU Alpha Chi Omega who sold it at the Domestic Violence Awareness Week Bake Sale last month. Easy to make and mildly addictive (and high in fiber too!).

Ingredients
5 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup lightly salted whole almonds
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped dried apples
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt-covered raisins

Directions:

1. In a large microwavable bowl, mix cereal and almonds.

2. In a 2-cup (I used a 1-cup) microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and cinnamon uncovered on High about 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until mixture is boiling. Stir.

3. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave uncovered on High for 3 minutes, stirring and scraping the bowl after every minute. Stir in apples; microwave on High for another 2 minutes just until the apples begin to brown on edges.

4. Spread mixture on waxed paper, foil or parchment paper to cool, 5-10 minutes. I stirred it occasionally to make sure it wasn't clumping together. Store in an airtight container.

Nutritional info:

1 Serving: Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 3g, Trans Fat 0g);Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 200mg; Total Carbohydrate 32g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 15g); Protein 4g from Chex.com

Update 11/8/l1: I altered the recipe to use the whole box on Wheat Chex. It was so annoying to have that little bit leftover.

1 14-ounce box Wheat Chex (about 7 to 7 1/2 cups of cereal)
1 1/2 cups lightly salted almonds (we use half plain raw almonds and have roasted salted almonds)
6 Tablespoons of butter (if unsalted, add a big pinch of salt)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cup chopped dried apples
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt-covered raisins

Follow the rest of the directions as written. It took about 30 seconds longer for the apples to start to brown on the edges but otherwise was the same and turned out great!

Quote of the Week

2011-10-30T06:35:00.000-04:00

from Apollo Ideas via pinterest

Quote of the Week

2011-10-23T10:33:00.002-04:00

from proper topper via pinterest

New Halloween Inflatables

2011-10-11T06:49:00.000-04:00

Our yard says Happy Halloween!

our new inflatables

the ghost goes down into the pumpkin...

and then pops back up! He's a big hit with the kids in the neighborhood.

New Book about President Garfield

2011-10-10T06:58:00.010-04:00

I am really enjoying reading this new biography of President James A. Garfield. There's so much I am finding out I didn't know about the time period (1880s). For example, the White House was considered the People's House and anyone could walk in with the expectation of speaking with the President. Wow.

Learn more here:
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

The book's description from amazon:

James A. Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired reformist congressman. Nominated for president against his will, he engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupt political establishment. But four months after his inauguration, a deranged office seeker tracked Garfield down and shot him in the back.

But the shot didn’t kill Garfield. The drama of what happened subsequently is a powerful story of a nation in turmoil. The unhinged assassin’s half-delivered strike shattered the fragile national mood of a country so recently fractured by civil war, and left the wounded president as the object of a bitter behind-the-scenes struggle for power—over his administration, over the nation’s future, and, hauntingly, over his medical care. A team of physicians administered shockingly archaic treatments, to disastrous effect. As his condition worsened, Garfield received help: Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, worked around the clock to invent a new device capable of finding the bullet.

Meticulously researched, epic in scope, and pulsating with an intimate human focus and high-velocity narrative drive, The Destiny of the Republic will stand alongside The Devil in the White City and The Professor and the Madman as a classic of narrative history.

Quote of the Week

2011-10-09T06:46:00.000-04:00

from propertopper.com via pinterest

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats

2011-10-08T13:44:00.000-04:00

Adapted from this recipe for Fancy Shmancy Krispies (which is also the source of the photo below).

5 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 10.5-ounce bag of mini marshmallows
1 1/4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
6 cups of rice krispies

Prepare a 13"x9" pan by spraying the bottom and sides with non-stick cooking spray. I used butter-flavored spray.

In a large pot with a heavy bottom, melt the butter and continue to cook it until it browns. Stir regularly and be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot to evenly brown all the milk solids in the butter.

When the butter is nicely browned and smells nutty, turn the heat down and add the marshmallows, stirring to help them melt. When they start to melt, add the pumpkin pie spice. Once the marshmallows are fully incorporated into the butter and spice, remove the pot from the heat, add the cereal and stir to combine fully. Quickly move the contents of the pot to the prepared 13"x9" pan. I spray one hand with non-stick cooking spray and use that hand to gently press the krispie treats evenly into the pan.

Let cool then cut into squares.

Quote of the Week

2011-10-02T19:17:00.000-04:00

from http://life-love-laughter.tumblr.com/ via pinterest

Quote of the Week

2011-09-25T06:44:00.003-04:00

from http://writebeforeyoureyes.tumblr.com/ via pinterest

Quote of the Week

2011-09-18T14:10:00.000-04:00

Quote of the Week

2011-09-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

from upnorth via pinterest

New Dishes

2011-09-08T10:53:00.000-04:00

This week I ordered new every day dishes (finally - this task has been on my to-do list for almost 2 years!). I'll share more photos when they arrive but here's a sneak peek:

They're from Crate and Barrel - I love how all three colors look together so instead of sticking with one, we'll mix and match.

The Infamous Box

2011-09-05T06:47:00.003-04:00

from http://soulpancake.tumblr.com/ via pinterest

"Think outside the box" is such a 90s term and I think this image illustrates the dangers of too much thinking inside the box - and the fact that it influences those around you to also stay inside the box. However, thinking inside the box gets a bad rap - there are plenty of times that you must think inside the box. For example, when you're writing a grant proposal, you have to understand both the RFA (request for applications) and the funding agency regulations or guidelines. There's no reason you can't be creative but it has to be within the parameters the agency sets or you shouldn't waste your time applying!

Quote of the Week

2011-09-04T06:54:00.000-04:00

from table tonic via pinterest

something to aspire to

Quote of the Week

2011-08-28T06:56:00.000-04:00

from Tumtum Tree via pinterest

not sure I agree with all of these but it's nice to have affirmation of my trained early riser behavior

Quote of the Week

2011-08-21T06:48:00.000-04:00

via pinterest

Quote of the Week

2011-08-14T07:02:00.001-04:00

from 28.media via pinterest

Uncle John's NASA SHERE project

2011-08-11T12:25:00.000-04:00

My brother John sent a link to this video of one of the projects he works on. He says, "Here's a link to an excellent video Mike Fossum made of SHERE II (one the experiments I designed) during our first science runs on Monday. It has been posted to the NASA web site, and it really shows off SHERE well!"

Astronaut Mike Fossum With SHERE

Flight Engineer Mike Fossum aboard the International Space Station takes a moment to demonstrate the Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment. Known as SHERE, the experiment investigates the effect of rotation on the stress and strain response of a polymer fluid being stretched in microgravity. SHERE provides information that is critical for the evolution of containerless processing, an important operation for fabrication of parts used on future exploration missions.

Zucchini Casserole

2011-08-10T07:11:00.006-04:00

This is a favorite in my extended family! I'm posting it here so we don't have to dig through Mom's recipe box for half an hour to find it. =D

Gayle assembles the casserole deliciousness:

And here's the recipe:

Recapping T's Birthday/Schotz's Big Bite Take 3

2011-08-09T06:50:00.006-04:00

For T's birthday, July 24th, we did Schotz's Big Bite Take 3 (Schotz's Big Bite here, SBB Take 2 here) with the Guy's Big Bite episode "Boardwalk Wieners." We made hot dogs (wieners Rhode Island style), onion rings, peach cobbler, and T got a special present from Heather, his babysitter.

We started by slicing two onions (Texas Sweets) in buttermilk for an hour:

Next we made the chili...

... made the peach cobbler filling...

... and got ready to fry the onions. Seasoned flour is in the big pan, beer batter in the smaller one (we used Sweetwater 420 for the batter).

Making the onion rings:

We boiled the hot dogs, steamed the buns and assembled the Boardwalk Weiners. Final product:

Baking the cobbler:

The whole dinner was a big success. T especially liked the onion rings (so much so that we didn't get a photo of the finished product!). The icing on the cake was this adorable "cookie T" that Heather made him:

Happy birthday T!

Wade Chapel

2011-08-08T18:06:00.000-04:00

While we were at Lakeview Cemetery on Friday we visited the Wade Memorial Chapel.

The interior was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his studios in New York and it is stunning. The centerpiece is an enormous stained glass window at the front of the chapel:

Along the side walls are intricate mosaic murals (each one is 8 feet tall and 32 feet long) depicting sections of the Old Testament of the Bible. The docent, a former Latin teacher, shined a light on different areas and explained their significance.

My nephew, Ethan, who visited in the spring with his gifted class, told us about the back entrance. The chapel is built on a hillside with the back a level lower so the horse-drawn carriage could deliver the coffin sight unseen. Inside the back entrance, a series of pulleys would raise the deceased up to the front of the chapel.

On a side note, even the floor in the chapel was beautiful:

Learn more about the chapel here.

Terminal Tower Observation Deck

2011-08-07T19:52:00.000-04:00

Saturday, T, Gram and I visited the Observation Deck on the 42nd floor of the Terminal Tower in downtown Cleveland.

Photo from All Things Cleveland of the Tower, taken from the Cuyahoga River

The Observation Deck is open Saturdays and Sundays from mid-April til mid-December on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased online at http://terminaltowerodeck.eventbrite.com/ (with a small credit fee per ticket) or at the Guest Services desk in Tower City (cash only). We parked in the underground garage at the corner of W 6th and Superior - from the P2 level our elevator came out right in the lobby of the Tower. (Just be careful because many of the spots are marked reserved.)

We were really happy that the weather held (there was a 60% chance of rain). Here are our pictures from the Observation Deck:

Looking to the north: Browns Stadium and Lake Erie; Key Building on the right.

close up of the wind turbine in front of the Great Lakes Science Center.

Cuyahoga River

Looking northwest. The dots in the lake are two lighthouses.

Zooming in on the lighthouses.

Looking down at Public Square.

The Observation Deck opened in spring 2010 after being closed for years. It's been restored to its original 1920s decor. One of the nice features is that at each of the windows there is a photo with major landmarks labeled so you know just what you're looking at. The whole building is beautiful.

Compass on the floor of the observation deck area

lobby elevator doors

The staff told us visiting in December you can see all the holiday lights and decorations... so maybe we'll have to go back up!

Quote of the Week

2011-08-07T06:56:00.001-04:00

from theinksociety on etsy via Christine on pinterest

The Garfield Monument

2011-08-06T08:17:00.002-04:00

Friday we visited Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland primarily to see the Garfield Monument. T has been really interested in the US Presidents lately; the monument memorializes the 20th President, James A. Garfield.

the front of the monument

The tomb is on the lower level (aka the basement). President Garfield and Mrs. Garfield are both laid to rest: the President's has the flag. Their daughter and her husband are in the urns.

On the main floor is the rotunda with this statue of the President. The room is three stories tall (maybe higher) and is beautifully painted all the way up to the top. The thirteen original colonies and his home state of Ohio are depicted in a series of stained glass windows and murals around the perimeter of the rotunda:

New York's window

Ohio's mural

One of the big attractions of the monument is the view. We climbed up 5 flights of spiral staircase to the balcony and said, "Wow!"

In the foreground, you can see University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University. In the background, downtown Cleveland and Lake Erie.

In this picture you can see the lake better. In the foreground is the new "Village" residence hall complex and stadium at CWRU.

More info on the Lakeview Cemetery website and on wikipedia.

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse

2011-08-04T07:37:00.000-04:00

Wednesday we visited the Fairport Harbor Marine Museum and Lighthouse (and accomplished one of the items on my Cleveland area to-do list!). It's a great little museum with a whole variety of artifacts on the local area. One of the big draws is the story of the ghost cat that is said to haunt the Keeper's house.

This is an 'official' photo of the lighthouse and museum (in red, the Keeper's house) taken down the hill (between the harbor and the site).

Accompanying us on our adventure were Gram, my sister-in-law and nephews. The highlight of the visit was the climb to the top of lighthouse.

Gram, Ethan and Chrissy at the top!

The pretty but scary stairs to the top. There's only a railing on the wall side and the spiral is really tight. T and I made two attempts. One the first one, an older man ahead of us had to turn around so we went back to the bottom (there's not much passing room and I was feeling a little scared, I'll admit it!). On our second try, we made it past the 50th step (less than 20 to go), when Thomas said it was time to retreat. Not sure if he was worn out or claustrophic or afraid, but going down is much harder than going up!

We were proud of Elliot because he didn't want to go up at all, but after an initial attempt that didn't succeed, he tried again and made it all the way up! To his left, above, you can see the "door" to the outside, which is actually a hole in the wall that you have to crawl out of to get outside!

We met for lunch at Fairport Family Restaurant, just across the street from the lighthouse, and would recommend it for an inexpensive meal - everything is made from scratch and was delicious! Service was great too.