Made In Ohio

Tommy's Jerky

3461 Broadway
Grove City, Ohio 43123
614.875.0028

After a cold and rainy Saturday, I was excited to get out, enjoy the weather and explore this past Sunday. Not wanting to travel very far, my guy and I decided to check out a jerky place that was featured a few weeks ago on the show 'Out and About Columbus'. While I am not a jerky fan, I am certainly glad we stopped in.

The store was immaculate and decorated with Western style touches. There were animal skins, antlers, taxidermy and lots of barrels. We were greeted right away by a dark haired beautiful woman named Stephanie. She promptly gave us a few pieces of information about the store and told us that we could taste whatever we wanted as long as we followed a couple simple rules to encourage proper sanitation. All of the rules made sense of course and made me feel secure about tasting the samples. The barrels housed the samples and toothpicks for tasting. The samples went from mild to spicy going toward the back of the store. I tasted my way through the barrels of the smokies first.  Just as things started to get a little spicy, I found my favorite smokey. The Sweet & Sassy was sweet with a little kick.  I continued to taste and found a couple more flavors I enjoyed such as the Jalapeno & Hot Pepper Cheese and the Roasted Jalapeno Beef.  Then I swapped sides and tasted the actual jerky. The jerky had even more flavor options which weren't limited to just beef. They also carry elk, turkey, buffalo, venison, alligator, kangaroo and when available, salmon jerky. I tasted everything from the game section except for the salmon because they were out of it. Stephanie offered to put me on a list so that I would be informed when the salmon came back in.

This was such a fun experience. I loved tasting my way through the store. I especially loved the grilled warm summer sausage.  I personally never thought about cooking summer sausage since I have always seen it sliced and eaten cold on a cracker. Stephanie suggests mixing it into eggs for breakfast. Yum! What I appreciate most about Tommy's Jerky, is that the jerky is made in Ohio. If you are a jerky lover, the jerky is delicious and they have A+ customer service. With the holiday season coming, I encourage you to keep your jerky lovers in mind. Tommy's Jerky will build gift baskets onsite. I wouldn't mind getting some smokies in my Christmas stocking this year or in a gift basket mixed with more of my favorite Ohio things. They also sell hot sauce, BBQ sauce, salsas and kettle corn, all made in Ohio. Just some ideas!

 

Until next time,

Be blessed! Be free! Be adventurous!

Eating My Way Through Findlay Market

Cincinnati Food Tours

I believe the best way to get to know a city is through it's food. So when I visited Findlay Market this weekend, I was shown the soul of the Queen City. Cincinnati Food Tours is the brain child of Barb Cooper, who is also a proud owner of Daisy Mae's Market where you can find beautiful fresh produce. Finding herself as a constant adviser to patrons asking for the best places to get a bowl of soup and other desired fare at the market or the Over The Rhine area, she decided to start Cincinnati Food Tours. She currently offers two tours: The Taste The World Findlay Market Tour and The Over The Rhine Walking Tour. Today I am going to cover my Findlay Market Tour experience. The tour is a great way to familiarize yourself with the market and gives you the opportunity to get the inside scoop on the businesses that make up the Findlay Market community. You could do the tour every weekend of a month and get a different experience each time because she alternates the 16 vendors she works with.

Running late, I arrived at almost three o'clock on the dot. I saw a group of people surrounding a very familiar little lady wearing her trade mark fruit covered hat. Previous to the tour I stalked the tour instagram page for months. I followed the business through the website and TripAdvisor for over a year. We were all given lanyards with tags that read Cincinnati Food Tours, a map of the market with the destinations circled and drink tickets for wine or beer for the end of the tour.

Fresh Table

After some history about the building structure, we headed to the first destination. We were greeted by Meredith, an owner and chef of the Fresh Table. She was wearing a green jacket that was customized with beautiful hand painted pumpkins and hand sewn embellishments. Attached to the back of her jacket was a tied up box, once untied it revealed a tray of faux miniature versions of her culinary creations. This is the kind of chef I would expect to make a non-pumpkin fan appreciate a salad made with pumpkin!  We were served a pumpkin and fig salad with swiss chard, chili pepper and feta cheese. It was the perfect fall salad with bursts of flavor from the fig and chili pepper. Fresh Table offers fresh soups and salads made with organic local ingredients. The dishes are well thought out using interesting flavor combinations. They also offer custom catering. The menu changes often so once you find something you love, you may find that it has been briefly retired the next time you are in the mood for it. Don't fret, there will probably be something just as delicious to replace it.

Dean's Mediterranean Imports

The second stop was  Dean's Mediterranean Imports where we met Kate; the second generation learning the ropes to take over the shop for her father, Dean Zaidan. She emphasized the importance of quality when it comes to what they import. They put much thought into where to purchase the best products for their customers like their dried dates and figs. Then there are a lot of items made from scratch in house like three yogurt options and their hummus. Their amazing nuts are also roasted on site and tossed in delicious seasoning combinations including herbs like rosemary and various ground peppers for those who like things a little spicy. For our sample we were treated to a small spread much like we would experience if we were guests in the Zaidan family home. We enjoyed a selection of flavored cashews, dried figs, dates and apricots and for the main course there was a tray full of falafel sandwiches.  Though I enjoyed it all, my favorite thing were the cashews.The family has been a part of the Findlay Market community since the 70s and are among some of the longest remaining residents of the market.

Churchill's Fine Teas

Our third destination was Churchill's Fine Teas where Jerry served us a very refreshing Exotic Fig Oolong tea. The tea was so flavorful, I saw no need for sugar. Churchill's specializes in loose leaf teas that have been hand picked. They carry 265 varieties of tea and all of the teas are made with natural ingredients. There's are no artificial flavors. If you select a flavor with fruit in the description like Lemon Mango Punch, expect to find those fruits in dried form mixed into the tea leaves. Because it is fall, the current popular flavor is Pumpkin Spice but if that doesn't strike your fancy, there is a whole wall categorized by tea types. Whether you have a preference for green tea, white tea or black tea; they have it all. From there you can select a flavor. The wall presents the opportunity to smell the teas you may be interested in. "If it smells good to you, it will taste good to you,"  says Jerry.

Maverick Chocolate 

Stop number four was Maverick Chocolate Co. I was truly excited about this stop and so were the other participants on the tour. We lined up and cheerfully inhaled the fragrance of chocolate permeating through the air while we listened to the history of the Maverick Chocolate brand. The chocolate is created in the small onsite chocolate factory from the roasting of the cocoa beans to the final product. I can't help wondering if it's because they can only produce small batches at a time, that the chocolates taste of perfection. They also pride themselves with only working with small farmers who have great labor practices. That social responsibility is to be admired, as should the product they produce. We got to select four of the flavors to taste. Naughty me! I will admit, I may have tried a couple more than that. My favorite flavor was Fahrenheit 513, which they recently received a Good Food Award for. The best news is,  Maverick Chocolate brand produces gluten, soy and nut free chocolate, so everyone who loves chocolate can enjoy the treat without worry.

Taste of Belgium

The final stop was a brand I was slightly familiar with because there is a location in the North Market in Columbus. What I did not know was that Taste of Belgium got its roots at Findlay Market. The waffles are baked one at a time in a special cast iron waffle maker . The recipe is an improved take on a family recipe that has been passed down for generations. No syrup needed! The waffle has sugar built into the thick batter. They serve both sweet and savory items on the menu, such as waffle sandwiches and crepes. At North Market in Columbus and their other Cincinnati locations, they offer a take on chicken and waffles that sounds amazing. For our sample we got to taste a seasonal waffle made with apple and cinnamon. It was quite delicious. I left this stop feeling like I needed to add Taste of Belgium to my to do list once back in Columbus.

 Those of us who upgraded our tickets to include beer or wine, ended our tour at Market Wines. I ordered a glass of white wine and digested all of the great samples I got to try. I really enjoyed the tour but it left me wanting to explore more of the market. The vendors the tour exposed me to were so awesome that I wondered about the many vendors I did not get to check out. I thought Barb, our guide was very informative as well. She knew a lot about the history of the market and the Over The Rhine District. She also made me curious about the Over The Rhine walking tour. I see a return trip in the near future.

until next time,
Be blessed! Be free! Be adventurous!
Kris,

The Castle of Loveland

Imagine having lunch in front of a real castle! Friday this was reality when my sister and I made a stop in Loveland, Ohio to visit Château Laroche. Known to most people as Loveland Castle, it was built by Harry Andrews with the help of a group of young men he taught in Sunday school. The group of young men called themselves Knights of the Golden Trail. While on a tour of duty in the Army stationed in Europe during World War I, Andrews was inspired by the castles of France and decided to build  his own. Andrews spent over fifty years working on the castle. He started the construction in 1929 and he was still working on the castle just before he died in 1981. Though he did not completely finish the castle according to his plans, the Norman style castle contains 15 rooms which includes the bedroom that Andrews slept in, a banquet hall, a great hall and a small dungeon. The grounds outside include a rock garden with a Loch Ness monster, flowers and gorgeous vibrant plants.

For a fee of $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under, you can tour the castle and the grounds. This is a beautiful place with plenty of photo opportunities. I recommend packing a lunch and picnicking on the grounds. When you are asked what you did that day, you can casually reply, "I had lunch at a castle".

 

 

 

For more information check out the Loveland Castle website.

Be blessed! Be free! Be adventurous!
Kris,

Top Ten Things To Do In Disney World

Disney World is a place that everyone should experience at least once in their lives. It is after all  "The Happiest Place On Earth".  I remember spending a few days each summer with my dad and sister riding rides, taking photos with Mickey & Minnie and eating sugary concoctions. It was the highlight of the summer each year no matter how many times we'd been. Last week I had the same feeling at 33 years old. I was so excited to be exploring the world of Walt Disney again. I felt like I was a snaggle-tooth child, only this time I had an even greater appreciation for many things I never really payed attention to before. One of those things was Epcot's World Showcase. While there were some positives, there were also some negatives. The affordable family park experience that was once Walt Disney's priority, was now out of reach for many. For those able to handle the price tag, waits for ride lines are over an hour in some cases. Using the wait line apps and fast passes help but the experience is nothing like it was when I was younger. I almost felt bad for my nephew who was experiencing it the first time but then I remembered he didn't have anything to compare the experience to. To him it was still great. Seeing it through his eyes was awesome. 

If Disney is in your near future, I wanted to share a few suggestions. Even with the many changes, I will always love Disney World. You will too, if you plan ahead and keep a sense of calmness. It will be just as magical as you want it to be.  Sign up for the My Disney Experience app before you go, which offers wait line information and allows you to get advance fast passes for rides. Carry extra batteries or some kind of battery pack for your phone if you plan to use the app. Fall is the best time to go if you can.  Get park hopper passes if you can't dedicate a day at each park. Stay hydrated and wear comfortable shoes.

Top Ten Things To Do In Disney World

10. Get 'It's A Small World' stuck in your head.

This is either going to be the cutest or the most irritating part of your Disney experience. It is a ride that everyone can get on, even the elderly. The song will surely be the soundtrack of your Disney experience.

9.  Take photos in front of the Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom and Spaceship Earth at Epcot.

If you don't take photos these days, it's like the experience never happened. If you don't plan to take many photos, you have to pause long enough to at least get photographs in front of  the monuments at the park you are visiting.

8.  Try to catch the lions while they are still active on the Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom.

If you are planning to visit Disney Animal Kingdom, early is best to get a peak at the lions before they go to sleep. Remember, lions are most active late in the evenings to early morning. If you miss the lions, there are still plenty of other animals to see on the preserve.

7.  Stay at Magic Kingdom, Epcot or Hollywood Studios long enough to catch the fireworks.

There are fireworks at all the main parks except for Animal Kingdom. They go off in order of closing time, Epcot, Hollywood Studios then Magic Kingdom. Epcot's show includes a light show.

6. Take a stroll through Downtown Disney or Disney Boardwalk.

Both of these areas offer great restaurants, free entertainment and visual stimulation. At Disney Boardwalk you can take free boat rides.

5.  Watch 'It's Tough To Be A Bug' at Animal Kingdom.

Inside this tree is a 4D bug themed show. Grab your 3D glasses and experience a cute show that covers almost all of your senses. There are smells released, liquids thrown (probably just water), and the images coming toward you through the glasses are pretty cool. I won't tell it all, it's just a must. 

4. Ride every ride with the word 'mountain' in the title at The Magic Kingdom.

Living in Ohio near the Roller Coaster Capital has changed my thoughts about coasters and rides but while in Disney, the best rides have mountain in the title. When you get to the park, hopefully early, make sure you go to one of these first because they have the longest lines. For those unfamiliar, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain (seen here).
 

3. Take a picture with your favorite Disney character.

This is a given! These are the celebrities of the parks.

2. Watch the Festival Of The Lion King at Animal Kingdom.

The costumes are amazing! So is the talent! If you have seen The Lion King Broadway Musical, you will love it. The show includes 30 minutes of the best songs from the movie and musical, amazing visual stimulation with parade floats added. If you have never seen the musical, this is the next best thing. Plus it gets you out of the Florida heat for a half hour.

1. Taste your way through the countries of Epcot.

A foodies paradise! This was the highlight of my trip but I wished I had a full day at Epcot dedicated to tasting at all of the countries. The countries I did get to visit were Mexico, Norway, China, Germany & Japan. I had to skip a few countries and purchase food items like candy to take with me. I was full by Germany, alternating between foods and adult beverages. I was also alone at Epcot. I recommend starting early and bringing a friend to share the countries fare with, so the tasting isn't all on you. 

Until Next Time!

Be blessed! Be free! Be adventurous!

Kris,

July Concert Wrap Up

Yesterday I did reviews on the three Ohio wineries I visited. This month I did so much. In addition to the wineries I visited, I went to a couple of concerts. I love music as much as I love my wine. So today's post is about the concerts I attended this month.

I have a broad selection of music that I listen to. This year I have seen Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Tyga, Stevie Wonder and Tesla. This month I added Whitesnake, Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa to the list.


WHITESNAKE

My beau loves 80s hair bands, so I went to see Whitesnake with him, his brother and his friend a few weeks ago near Dayton. Songs you may be familiar with are, Still Of The Night, Is This Love and Here I Go Again. I was impressed with the energy of lead singer David Coverdale. He is in his 60s and moves just as he did when I was wearing cloth diapers and Huggies. The band's songs are still being used in the soundtracks of current shows and movies.

The show was great! All though I was not familiar with every song, I still had a good time. I danced, sang along to the songs I knew and drooled over guitarist Joel Hoekstra. I also met a couple who got engaged at a Whitesnake concert many years ago. The husband celebrated seeing his 100th Whitesnake concert that night.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Photos

The Whitesnake Set

David Coverdale

Joel Hoekstra

THE BOYS OF ZUMMER TOUR

I took my preteen nephew to his first concert two weeks ago. It was a festival style concert where Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa were the headliners. It also featured Hoodie Allen and a few other acts I was not familiar with.

It may not have been the best concert to take a twelve year old because of the the glamorization of a certain natural drug that Wiz Khalifa refers to often; no judgement to those who appreciate it. His set even included giant inflatable joints that the crowd tossed around. The concert itself was entertaining and lively. I forgot how many Wiz Khalifa songs I actually knew. We went because my nephew was a Fall Out Boy fan but he left more of a fan of Wiz. Aside from the second hand smoke we inhaled during his entire show, it was a good time.

Fall Out Boy sounded just as they do on their tracks. Their set used a lot of graphics, laser lights and pyrotechnics. I felt like an old lady, jumping every time there was a big boom.  My nephew got a kick out of my skittishness. We sang along to Centuries, Light Em Up, Uma Thurman and older hits like Thanks For The Memories. Hopefully the concert will be a lasting memory for my nephew. You only get one first concert.

LEICA V-LUX 1 DIGITAL CAMERA

The tour banner

Samsung Camera Phone Photo of us at the concert

Wiz Khalifa

Wiz

Patrick Stump & Pete Wentz

Joe Trohman & Andy Hurley

Light Em Up played as we headed toward the exit.

Until next time,
Be blessed! Be free! Be adventurous!
Kris,