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.

Show Me A Sign

Last year I saw a lot of SIGNS.  Seems like everywhere I went I noticed a SIGN.  I am not talking about a SIGN to give me guidance.  I am talking literally...SIGNS...placards, notices, bumper stickers, posters tshirts.

Some pictures tell a story.  Here is how my son-in-law, Mike, proposed to Mallory.

And that led to some more great signs.

Of course, being A REAL RETIRED HOUSEWIFE OF FLORIDA, I saw a lot of signs on the golf course. 

Some of the golf course signs gave me pause...

 

Here is my golf cart sign.  I thought it would warn a fellow golfer before they agreed to ride with me, but most people don't see it until it is too late.  Sometimes I use all of the sign, other times I just point to one part...mostly the "sit down" and "hold on".



Tshirts come in all sizes.  Here is a collection I saw in Destin, Florida.  Way too cute.  I don't have any grandchildren (yet), but I was tempted to get one.

 

I saw lots of humorous warning signs used to get across important message.  This collection of signs is from Gatorland. 

 



Brian brought this sign to my attention while I was watching Lu the Hippo at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.  I moved away just in time.

Even stores and restaurants use humorous signs. 

I have seen this same message at several places.  The message would have scared me into keeping my kids under control.

Florida wasn't the only state where I found funny safety signs.  Brian and I saw this sign at Chimney Rock State Park.   We made the climb to the top of the 315 foot Chimney Rock (a mere 491 stairs).

When we got near the top and looked down to the parking lot, there was this sign.

To make my own sign, I followed the instructions at Inspired By Charm and spray painted magnetic refrigerator magnets.  At Christmas I gave the kids their names.  I wonder how many words they made out of their names.



Tupperware and Other Favorite Kitchen Gadgets

While driving to Gatorland a while ago, I noticed a Tupperware building along the way.  Later I checked it out and found that it is the world headquarters for Tupperware Brands.  I also found out that it has a visitor's center and gift shop inside.  So when Brian and I were back in that area, we stopped by to check it out. 

Ever wonder where the name "Tupperware" comes from?  From the inventor Earl Tupper in the 1940's.  The gallery has lots of interesting facts and displays.  The tour is self-guided and takes about a half hour.  Of course that depends on how nostalgic you are.  Bring your dollar bills, there is a vending machine that sells Tupperware Tiny Treasures.  I got the original bowl on a keychain.

It got me thinking...how many Tupperware items do I own?  Here is my vintage, heavily used collection.

I like Tupperware, but I have other kitchen items that are my favorites.  I am known as a KITCHEN GADGET QUEEN.  I haven't found a kitchen gadget I didn't want.  My salvation is that I have no problem getting rid of clutter, so once I lose interested, I get rid of it.  I have had a soy milk maker, bread maker, Ronco Rotisserie.   I have ordered from TV infomercials, spent hours in the aisles of Bed, Bath and Beyond, looked through catalogs and regularly buy items at thrift stores.  Here are some of my FAVORITE KITCHEN GADGETS...

First thing I noticed was that several of my favorites involved EGGS.   Brian bought me this Henrietta Egg Cooker as a gift when I was eating hard boiled eggs a lot.  I thought he was crazy, but once I started using it I loved it.  No more overcooked hard boiled eggs.

Once cooked, I use my vintage egg slicer.  I couldn't be without it.

I haven't used this gadget much, but it would be fun to serve a platter of square deviled eggs.

My favorite wine corkscrew, Le Creuset, stores easily and works every time.

It's a scraper, it's a cutter...it's a kitchen multi-tasker.

These Pyrex bowls were my FIRST kitchen gadget, before I knew how to cook.  The fact that they are glass and have lasted decades tells you how much I like 'em.  I like the handles (easy pick up),  one handle is small so you can use it as a spout and they stack for easy storage.

Brian brought this gadget into the marriage, the Boerner V-Slicer.  It is an engineering marvel how all the pieces fit together.  I haven't found a vegetable or fruit this thing can't slice perfectly.
 

This is a NordiacWare microwave steamer, broccoli in less than 10 minutes.  I find these frequently at thrift stores and give them away to family and friends.  I like the Tupperware one better.  I must have given it away.

 

Drum roll please...my favorite gadget!  The Vidalia Chop Wizard.  It is another gadget that I frequently find at thrift stores.  It is fun to use!

Here is the Vidalia Chop Wizard in action.  A friend, June Caputo, brought this to a happy hour and it was a huge success. 

Hot Vidalia Onion Dip

 

1 Vidalia Onion, finely chopped

1 cup mayo

1 cup shredded cheese (I used shredded cheddar)

Ritz crackers

 

Bake dip at 375 for 30 minutes, until bubbly.  Serve with crackers.

 

 

  

This is where the Vidalia Chop Wizard comes in

 

Mix ingredients together, bake at 375 for 30 minutes until bubbly, serve warm. 

 

With all these gadgets,
you would think I spend all my time playing in the kitchen. 

lets just say that I don't cook often,
but when I do I have fun.

Recycle Reduce Reuse - The Wedding

You probably have seen this symbol before.  It is used in waste management and environmental programs.  I have my own version of these terms.

REDUCE

Three years ago when I made the BIG MOVE from Ohio to Florida.  I reduced my household inventory by  80% or more.  I have the donation slips to prove it.  These slips don't include all the furniture we sold or gave away.

I am happy to say that after 3 years, I still have not reverted to my old hoarding ways.  I think before I buy and continually get rid of things I don't need.  It is a very liberating feeling.

REUSE and RECYCLE

Oh, these are my favorite two words.  Environmentally these are two separate concepts, but sometimes I think of them as the same...recycle an item by reusing it.  I have a house full of "recycled/reused" projects.  Recycle crafts are a passion of mine. 

Another example of RECYCLE is how I have recycled items from Mallory and Mike's Wedding. 

 

(photos compliments of Studio SPC)

 



After the wedding I gathered up the paper flowers Mallory made for the boutonnieres, painted them white and added them to a table arrangement.

I couldn't let the bouquets or centerpieces go into the dumpster, so I also took them, painted them and put them on top of my hutch.

I collected the table numbers to match our address and arranged them near the front door.

By REUSING these items, I have daily reminders of a happy and fun day.

OATMEAL LACE COOKIES – SO EASY, SO GOOD

Christmas time = Christmas cookies  

Oatmeal Lace is a family favorite at Christmas.  These cookies are so good.  They are the "crack" of cookies.  Be careful, you get addicted very easily.  In fact, I don't dare make them unless I know I can share.  Otherwise, I might just stay holed up in my house, eating these cookies morning, noon and night...until they are done and I am in a sugar coma.  Okay, kinda dramatic, but closer to the truth than I want to admit.

This year, the addiction started when I was video-chatting with my daughter, Michelle, while she was making these cookies for Christmas.  Oh the sight of her dropping the cookie dough on the pan, putting the pan in the oven, licking the dough off her fingers...oh my.  Finally, I got my opportunity to make and share them on New Year's Eve.  Here is the recipe:

 

This recipe is correct with the ingredients and amounts, but I put them together a little different, and cook them less.  Here is my version:

 

OATMEAL LACE COOKIE

Ingredients:

    1 cup sugar

    1/2 cup butter

    1 egg

    1/2 teaspoon vanilla

    1 cup rolled oats

    3 tablespoons flour

    1/4 teaspoon baking powder

    1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with oil.

Cream butter, add sugar, then egg and vanilla.  In a separate bowl mix together oats, flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to the wet ingredients.  Stir until all ingredients are mixed evenly.

Drop a 1/2 teaspoon (or less) on the greased foil-lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until the edges are brown.  Longer if you like a crisper cookies.  When the cookies are completely cooled, they should release from the foil easily.

 

Step into my kitchen and I will demonstrate

First, get the ingredients together...all pretty basic ingredients.  You can use old-fashioned oats or quick oats.  NOT instant.  Old-fashioned oats makes for bigger oatmeal pieces in the cookie.  Both taste the same, use whatever you like.

The original recipe calls for you to beat the egg and then mix everything together.  I prefer to cream the butter and sugar, then mix in the vanilla and egg.

Next I mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and add them to the wet ingredients. 

At this point I use my mixer to do a quick blend, and finish the mixing by hand.

 

I think that the other bakers in my family use the original recipe method of mixing everything together at once.  And to tell you the truth, all the cookies taste great.  I am not sure why I modified/complicated the process.  Maybe I have watched too many Martha Stewart cooking shows.

Drop the cookies in small amounts, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons on the greased, foil-lined cookies sheet.  I have used Reynolds non-stick foil, but recently I started using cheap foil, sprayed with vegetable oil.  It works just as good.  When I use the cheap foil, I use a new sheet each time.

The cook time depends on how big the cookie and how crisp you want it.  I like the cookies medium done (brown on the edges), so I start the timer at 5 minutes and watch it till the edges start turning brown.  You can cook them longer for a crisper cookie.  Be careful, they bake fast...one moment--just right, the next moment--burned!  Watching a timer is not one of my strong skills.

 

Welcome to my addiction...