Stewart's Christmas

December 25, 2010

My name is Stewart and I have a special Aunt & Uncle who love me very much. Here I am opening the great christmas gift they gave me.

"humm....what's in here?"

"I think I need to get a better look."

"Cool! What flavor are they?"

"Yup, my favorite flavor - salmon & tuna."

"YUMMY!!!!!"

Thank you Uncle Bruce & Aunt Barbara!!!

Holiday Arrangements

December 24, 2010

I think I secretly want to be a florist.  

I collect vases in hopes of having abundant arrangements of fresh flowers on my table everyday. I study arrangements in magazines and on websites with the thoughts of reproducing them in my own home.  

Alas, I've come to the realization that 1.) I just really lack the flower arranging talent and 2.) I live in an area where beautiful flowers are just not available or are prohibitively expensive.

In the spirit of the holidays, I've dug deep into my creative soul and attempted some arrangements based on some inspiration:

Arrangement in Family Circle magazine:

My attempt:

The greenery was purchased from Strader's for $2.99 a bunch.  I think they were cast off trimmings which explains why the branches go in all different directions.  Both vases, the white milk glass and the silver vase, were purchased at a thrift store.  I even made the glitter ball ornaments - won't even go into the process that took!

I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE reading Eddie Ross' blog.  Here is the picture that inspired me:



Here is what I was able to achieve:


I couldn't find a small enough wreath (needed a 12-inch) to fit the cake stand.  The best part of this arrangement was the wreath only cost me $3.99 and the candle was $1.79 on sale at Michaels's.  I had the hurricane for a previous craft project (and was also bought at a thrift store.)

In the end I had fun trying to be creative but I won't be quitting my day job to become a stylist or florist anytime soon!

Herb Harvest

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Since we are nearing the end of summer, it's time to preserve the bounty of my herb garden.

I used to leave racks and baking sheets full of cut herbs all over the house to dry during the week.  This year I've discovered the quickest and easiest way to dry herbs - a Sweda food dehydrator.

Oregano, thyme, rosemary and mint all dry in about 2 hours.  One extra bonus of this process is that the house smells like fresh herbs!

After they are dried, I painstakingly strip the dry leaves from the stems and place in glass jars.  After three weeks of this process, I've just filled a small spice jar.  I now understand why herbs cost so much. 



Bobber Hunting

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Dave and I created a new sport this past weekend - bobber hunting. Although Dave usually picks up one or two stray bobbers each weekend, we actually decided to spend the beautiful afternoon hunting for stray fishing bobbers along the shores of Buckeye Lake.

An example of a stray bobber.

Last weekend I sustained an injury attempting to retrieve one of these stray bobbers.  Dave felt bad and decided to provide me with a retrieval tool:

His best golf ball retriever!

It actually worked well for round bobbers. Not so great however for oblong bobbers as the tended to fall through the sides. Never the less, it was a great help for those instances when we couldn't get close enough to the bank.

We had a very fruitful afternoon netting a total of 7 bobbers:

The days booty!!

If you ever visit our house be sure to check out Dave's growing collection of Buckeye Lake bobbers!!

Labor Day Traditions

Saturday, September 4, 2010

We wait all summer for this one day to pig out on fair food.  Our day begins at 7 am with a trip to McDonald's on our way to Swapper's Day, an annual flea market in Johnstown.  After several hours of looking for bargains, I enjoy a corn dog and fries. (My arteries are hardening as I write this.)

After a mid-afternoon nap (bargaining hunting is very tiring) we make our way to the Millersport Sweet Corn Festival.  Since I LOVE to watch the antique tractor pull, we start there first.  This year I was very excited to see two women participate:

The best part of the Sweet Corn Festival is the food.  In true central Ohio style, all one does at the festival is eat and people watch. And then eat some more.

My two favorite food booths include 1.) the sweet corn and 2.) the homemade doughnuts. 

Corn is $1.25 an ear and we never buy enough.  However the line is so long that we don't go back - there is always the elephant ears, fried bologna sandwiches, tacos in a bag.....

The ultimate is the doughnuts.  

"Oh, what should we get?"

This year we stood in line for over 30 minutes:

Yes, all these people are waiting for doughnuts.

We did secure one dozen - 4 maple-glazed, 4 vanilla-glazed and, my favorite, 4 cinnamon sugar.  Sorry no picture - since they were still warm, Dave decided we need to sample a few.  A half a dozen later, he thought we should have purchased 2 dozen!!! Men....

Boat Drama

Sunday, August 29, 2010

This was the perfect weekend for boating - clear blue sky, sunny, and not too oppressively hot.   There is nothing better than boating across the lake, the wind in your hair and the sun in your face.

However, owning a boat is not as glamorous as one might think. There is a dark side - constant drama.  Look at what happened to this poor guy:

This poor guy in NOT having a good day.

Rumor has it the guy just bought the boat and put it in the water that day.  It didn't even make it across the lake before it began to sink.

So my boat drama for the day involved the process of taking the fishing boat out of the water for some maintenance. 

Step 1: Drive to location of trailer.  Play with the key and lock before realizing the key you have doesn't actually work on the lock. Decide to go back home to find correct key. [Estimated Time Spent = 30 minutes]

Step 2: En route to home, decide you are hungry and make a detour to Subway for lunch.

Step 3: Eat lunch, stop at home, find every extra, random key.  Make second trip to location of trailer. [Estimated Time Spent = 1.5 hours]

Step 4: Yeah - Key works! Drive trailer back home. [Estimated Time Spent = 20 minutes]

Step 5: Do routine maintenance on trailer -- fill tires with air, grease bearings. [Estimated Time Spent = 20 minutes]

Step 6: Divide & Conquer - Dave drives boat to boat ramp. Alicia drives big truck and trailer to boat ramp. No mailboxes were sacrificed.

Step 7: Load Boat on Trailer - that's Dave's job with a some small assistance from me. Then drive home.  [Total Time Spent = An entire afternoon].  

Boat safely loaded on the trailer

The drama isn't over - Dave gets to spend his vacation trying to fix the boat.

So if you are thinking about buying a boat, remember what BOAT stands for -- Break Out Another Thousand. (thanks to Intern for that tidbit!)

Fine Dining on the Lake

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Sometimes I just don't feel like cooking. I either didn't plan well, don't have any food or frankly, I am just not inspired.  Well, this is one of those weekends.  When this happens, we boat over to one of the 10 or so restaurants on the lake. 

Our two favorites are the Copper Penny or the Island House.  The Copper Penny is just one canel over from us and it attracts a lot of regulars. Here is what we usually eat:

Man's Meal: The Buoy Burger

Woman's Meal: A Salad

 




The Buoy Burger is composed of two (2) large hamburger patties, bacon, onion, lettuce, tomato, cheese and coleslaw. Only a very hungry male can eat this very messy, heartburn-inducing burger. I am told it is quite yummy.

The Island House is at the other end of the lake.  They have specials every evening and the best tasting raspberry iced tea.  This time I decided to dress up a bit for our excusion.

Day Shoes

Evening Shoes

Yes, fine dining on the lake only requires a simple change of shoes!

A Black & Blue Weekend

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Jeff Z., Dave's oldest friend and year-round Thornville resident, is currently obsessed with blackberries and blackberry cobbler.  Therefore, Dave is now obsessed with blackberry cobblers, asking me incessantly if I can make one for dessert.

My go-to recipe this season is a blueberry crumble recipe in Cook's Illustrated Cooking for Two (2009).  It's quick, delicious and just plain easy.  So having bought a quart of blackberries at the Worthington Farmer's Market, Dave got a Black & Blue Crumble for dessert on Saturday.

Blackberries + Blueberries = Black & Blue Crumble

And yes, that is homemade ice cream....

The black and blue theme continued to Sunday morning.  Using a leftover loaf of sourdough bread, I made french toast with fresh blueberries and blackberry sauce.

 

Thanks to Jeff Z. Dave is enjoying a summer of blue fruit recipes (and sausages....some deal they "cooked up" a few months ago.)

Mexican Food & Ohio Weather

Saturday, August 21, 2010

This weekend I was prepared to cook - I planned my meals, shopped accordingly and felt inspired to create some healthy meals.  

Inspired by recipes at Goop  (http://www.goop.com/newsletter/86/en/), Gwyneth Paltrow's fabulous blog (thanks Patricia for hooking me up!), I thought Baja Shrimp Tacos would be a refreshing and light summer meal.  Then Ohio weather set in.....

As I began making the fresh pico de gallo, the sky got darker.  Then as my shrimp were marinating in the lime juice, it began to sprinkle.  Of course, the minute I was ready to grill the shrimp, it began to pour. Not to be deterred, I proceeded with my plan and made the tacos anyway.

Despite grilling in a thundershower, my shrimp tacos with homemade, fresh pico do gallo tasted great.  They just would have tasted better on a hot, sunny day.

(Note: I wasn't pleased with the blue corn tortilla's - that's the last time I take some advice from a stranger in Whole Foods.)

Kayak Storage

Saturday, August 14, 2010

We recently got kayaks. They are great fun but, frankly, are kind of a pain to take in and out of the boat house every time we want go out.


My little overachiever Dave just created this cool storage system:

My kayak, for obvious reasons, is the one on the bottom.

Since we are using Bobbie's (that's our other neighbor) boat house posts, he created this rack to be temporary. The secret?

Zip Ties!!!!

Isn't he so clever? However, now I have one less excuse to take them out for a workout......

Plum Cake

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Last week my friends Kairee and Sheryl gave me some plums from a tree in their yard.  Dave ate about 6 of them and then lost interest.  I'm not really a fan of eatting stone fruit in its natural form, but I'm great at using it in something else. [Last weekend it was homemade peach ice cream.]

This weekend I decided we needed a treat so I made a quick plum cake. 

Here is how I did it -

1. First I washed and sliced the plums very thin. (I wasn't sure I was going to have enough.)



Gotta love Jiffy Cake Mixes!

2. Then I put 3 T. of butter in a 9-inch cake pan and let it melt as the oven preheated.
3. I prepared a Jiffy yellow cake mix according to the instructions on the box.
4. After taking the pan out of the oven, I mixed in about 1/2 C. of brown sugar and carefully laid out the plum slices.
5. Finally, I poured the cake mix on top and baked it about 25 minutes. 

Unfortunately, I didn't wait long enough to let the cake cool, before I flipped it out. My top got a little messed up, but it still tasted good.

Spa Water

[Got to love the pitcher - only a $1 at Target] 

Saturday, August 7, 2010

By August I get tired of iced tea.  So in the steamy hot days of late summer I like to make "Spa Water" - an  herb flavored water.  I like my spa water "green" made with limes, rosemary, and mint.

I just walk over to my garden a snip a few sprigs of rosemary and mint.  You could use other herbs like basil, lemon balm, and even thyme. Try swapping out the lime for a lemon.

Put everything in a pitcher, add some good
water (we have reverse osmosis water now) and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.  You could also use sparkling water, but I have yet to try it.

There are no exact rules - just experiment. But according to neighbor Roxanne, my combination is the best. Thanks, Rox!

 The Finished Product:

Cooking Garden

by Alicia Kehrig

August 5, 2010

 Herb Garden Growing Next 

to the Boathouse

I have embraced the concept of local foods.  This year I planted my first real herb garden - in the ground - not a few pots of herbs on the front steps.  

It was surprisingly easy.  After prepping the soil with a sprinkling of Osmocote, I just planted Greek oregano, garlic chives, thyme, sage, basil and rosemary plants that I purchased at various outlets - Home Depot, Whole Foods, and various garden centers.  A month later, voila - the garden grew. I love just being able to walk out of the house and cut a few herbs to use in my chosen recipes.

The garden is so prolific that I bring them home and share them with my friend Tacy. I've discovered that I can use a food dehydrator to dry them in one hour instead of leaving them strewn across the dining room table during the week. (However, I've learned it takes a lot of fresh thyme to make even a tablespoon of dried.)

I now love to garden. Next year, a vegetable garden!!

Next post...using herbs to make Spa Water.