Blue, Blue Blueberries

The best part of being a REAL RETIRED HOUSEWIFE OF FLORIDA is I can make an adventure out of anything.  My latest adventure was BLUEBERRY PICKING.  It started with Brian and I riding our motorcycles to CENTER HILL BERRY PATCH.

A motorcycle ride adds to any adventure.

Center Hill Berry Patch is owned by Rick and Bonnie.  They make picking easy and fun.  No preparation needed to pick blueberries.  You just show up.  Buckets are provided.  Bonnie drove us out to the farthest row and pointed out the different varieties (Jewel, Emerald, Windsor and Star).

We picked blueberries here a couple years ago at the end of the season.  Even though we got plenty of berries, we had to hunt through a lot of bushes.  This time we were amazed at how loaded the blueberry bushes were.

Bonnie mentioned that the berry patch is free of chemicals, so we could eat the berries while picking.  Of course, I had to taste-test to make sure I was getting the sweeter varieties.

I noticed dragonflies hovering overhead.  It wasn't the blueberries that attracted the dragonflies, it was the irrigation system.  They were drinking water.

After you are done picking, there is a lovely shaded area under a large Live Oak where you can rest, review your harvest and wait for a ride back.  Our berries were weighed (we both picked 4 1/2 pounds) and paid for.

There are lots of animals on the farm...emus, cows, rabbits.  Bonnie called the emus, lawn ornaments.  They were as curious of us and our motorcycles as we were of them.

At home I cleaned the berries, laid them out on sheet pans and put them in the freezer.  Brian requested a blueberry pie.  I like to check out recipes at allrecipes.com.  The site has some great recipes and helpful suggestions in the reviews.  I used this recipe with a few suggested modifications.  

I used 5 cups of blueberries, 1 1/4 cups of sugar (which I will reduce to 1 cup next time(, added a dash of lemon juice, baked at 400 degrees for 50 minutes and covered the edges.

For the crust I used a recipe from Ten Dollar Dinners host, Melissa D'Arabian.  It is a easy recipe using a food processor, plus how can you go wrong with 2 sticks of butter. 

Oh my, the pie is so good, I might need to get more berries.  I don't think I have enough for blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, blueberry cobbler.

Home is Where the Heart Is

A month ago, my heart was back home in Akron,Ohio visiting family and friends.  The planning started when I couldn't resist following up on an email from ALLEGIANT AIRLINES telling me about great specials on flights from Sanford/Orlando, FL to Youngstown, OH.  I found out there were good prices the week of my daughter, Michelle's, spring break.  Michelle is a Title I Tutor in the Cuyahoga Falls Public Schools.  The tickets were purchased!

The trip started early...real early on Wednesday morning.  I had a 6 a.m. flight out of Sanford (a little over an hour drive from home).  That meant getting up 3:15 a.m., out the door by 3:45.  WOW.  Not only was Brian supportive of my trip, patient with my list of things he needed to do while I was gone...he even volunteered to take me to the airport.  I thought there wouldn't be many people on this flight or at the airport.  I was wrong.  The airport was bustling when I arrived at 5 a.m and the plane was completely full.

The flight was uneventful, but the fun was just starting.  Michelle picked me up in Youngstown, OH (an hour east of Akron), we stopped for breakfast and drove directly to Cleveland, OH (an hour and half northwest of Youngstown) for the 38th CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.  This festival is no small event.  This year there were over 97,000 people attending the 12 days of movies (168 films from 68 countries). Michelle and I are big fans of independent films and attended the film festival once before.  This time we saw 2 films and a collection of short films.  All were very good, but by 6 p.m. the early morning was catching up with me.

Here are some highlights of my time in Ohio, visiting family and friends.

FAVORITE FOODS

No trip, short or long, is complete without visiting some favorite food stops. 

LUIGI'S, best pizza in town. The city rerouted Main Street, cutting off traffic past Luigi's and it didn't stop a customer.  Good food and great atmosphere.  I have been going here since college.

SWENSONS, best drive-in burger and onion rings.  The car hops run to your car, so there is entertainment while you eat. 

BURNTWOOD, great happy hour. Michelle took me to new fun spot in my home town.  The drinks were interesting, lots of infused vodka, muddling, fresh fruits.  Michelle's drink had infused pear vodka and muddled cucumbers...mine was served in a copper cup.  I loved the décor and the view of the Cuyahoga River.

DON DRUMM STUDIO

DON DRUMM is an artist known for his cast aluminum pieces.  His studio and gallery show not only his work, but also a variety of pieces from over 500 designer-craftsmen from across the country.  I leave the studio inspired.

I have been a fan for a long time.  I bought these pieces for my bathroom over 30 years ago (towel rack, toilet paper holder, platter).  They have followed me from house to house.

 
 I have several other pieces throughout my house.

WEATHER

I handled the weather better than the locals (of course they have been suffering through a very long winter).  I experienced freezing temperatures and a couple days of snow.  I saw some old time favorite reminders of Spring.

• Potholes.  So may potholes, so little unblemished roads.  I predict road construction will be busy this summer. 
• Spring Crocuses.  I forgot the thrill of watching the crocuses push through the snow.
• Blue Heron Nests.   Each year Blue Heron return to the Cuyahoga Valley.  Last year there were 176 nest in the Bath Road heronry.   The birds look similar to Florida Sand Cranes.  In addition to seeing them in the nests, they can be seen quietly sanding in wet areas, looking for food.

A FROGGY KINDA EVENING

Completely unplanned, we had a FROG-themed evening.  We started with dinner at a local brewery, HOPPIN' FROG BREWERY and had dessert at SWEETFROG.   The menu at Hoppin' Frog had 8 pages of beers and 2 pages of food...interesting.  I am not sure what is says about our group, but we left Hoppin' Frog early and stayed at sweetFrog Yogurt till it closed...wild and crazy!

A LITTLE BIT OF FLORIDA IN OHIO

In order to have a car to run around in during the day, I would take someone to work.  I noticed these BIG things in the back lot of Mallory's office.

Mal works at THOMARIOS, a diverse contracting company that has restored spacecrafts for display, including the Saturn Apollo V rocket.   A display in the lobby further reflects the company's connection with the space program.

I was invited to talk with a third grade class at Michelle's school (Elizabeth Price Elementary) about Florida.   After a brief history of Florida, I talked about "What does Florida have that Ohio doesn't".
Of course I covered the basics...Disneyworld, beaches, Kennedy Space Center, orange trees, alligators.  I ended it with saying, "There is one thing Florida has that Ohio doesn't and you can try all you want, but you won't guess this one."  When I flipped to this picture, there was a large groan.  LeBron James is from Akron, but defected to Miami.

There were many more fun times...breakfast with friends, a day with Keith (Michelle's boyfriend), game night at Mike and Mallory's, a party, dinner with Dan and Kelly, thrift store shopping, more movies.  It was such a fun trip, I might make it a yearly tradition.