Dreaming the Hawaiian Life

Posted on January 23, 2014January 23, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Since my 2 vacations in Hawaii the idea of living there is never far from my mind. Lately I’ve been missing Hawaii even more because there’s a great show about Hawaiian Real Estate on HGTV.

Hawaii is known to be an expensive place to live. As an island everything has to be brought in from the mainland. One of the largest and oldest cattle ranches in the United States is located on the Big Island. Known as the Parker Ranch is was founded in 1847, almost 30 years before most of the southwestern ranches on the mainland.

The ranch is a working cattle ranch even today and is now run by a charitable trust. The Ranch owns approximately 26,000 head of cattle, mostly Angus and Charolais breeds, with 17,000 pastured on the Ranch at any given time. The rest are in pasture or feedlots on the mainland. With about 300 breeding bulls, the cowherd is divided into two breeding seasons, winter and summer, with about 50% of the herd in each season.

When we visited the Big Island we drove past sections of the Parker Ranch but we didn’t take time for the tours.

One night we stopped at a local grocery and bought a steak to grill. Since we were on vacation I didn’t hesitate to buy it but I did notice it was expensive. It surprised me since we’d just heard about how big the Parker Ranch was and how much cattle was raised there.

Never being shy, we asked about the high price of beef and milk and were told that the Parker Ranch sends just about all of it’s beef cattle to the mainland for slaughter and then the butchered meat is shipped back. That extra step is the added cost but I will tell you it was one of the best steaks I have had in a long time. Well worth the extra money.

Back to the show, Hawaii Life, I was surprised that they show case many affordable homes less than $500,000. It looks like the real estate market is comparable to the Boston market. Of course , there are the million dollar homes too. 🙂

Anyway, in our meeting yesterday at work, our manager said the company is planning to expand into Hawaii. Of course that is on the drawing board and no one knows how soon it will actually happen, but maybe my dream of living there isn’t so far fetched after all!

Ohio, The Buckeye State

Posted on October 7, 2013October 7, 2013 by Dusty Roads

We’ve reached the “O” states. The first of which is Ohio and another No for the count.

Ohio is called the Buckeye State after the Buckeye tree, one of the first to leaf in the spring and the official state tree. But I rather like the Buckeye Cookie, a peanut butter and chocolate delicacy.

Without even doing any research I know one place I want to go….The Columbus Zoo.

Why you ask? Well besides liking zoos I especially want to see this zoo. This is Jack Hanna’s zoo. Recognized around the country as America’s favorite zookeeper, Jack has made countless television appearances since 1983 on shows such as Good Morning America, CNN’s Larry King Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Talk, Fox News Programs, and the Late Show with David Letterman. Jungle Jack is Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo.

Columbus , Ohio also hosts one of the Premier Ballroom Dance Competitions, The Ohio Star Ball. This was very big when I was involved with Arthur Murray Dance Studios and although people went from the studios where I was either a student or working, I never managed to go. Sometimes it would be broadcast on PBS. This was long before “Dancing with the Stars”.

When I think of Amish Country I think of Pennsylvania but Ohio boasts a one of the largest concentration of Amish settlements in the US. Travelers can follow a 76 mile Amish Country Scenic Byway. On the eastern edge of Amish country is the picturesque village of Zoar. Many of the fine historic homes have been preserved as Zoar Village State Memorial, where visitors can take guided tours and costumed interpreters give craft and cooking demonstrations.

Not of interest to me but possibly to others is the Pro Football Hall of Fame located in Canton, Ohio. So plan to divert there for the football fans in your entourage or you’ll never hear the end of it!

Between Columbus and the Ohio River to the southeast is a scenic area that is not well known except in the Midwest. Known as Hocking Hills the area is made up of several state parks and reserves. Cliffs, gorges and caves were created here as glaciers retreated and water scoured the sandstone laid down on an ancient river delta. At the northern end is Rock House, a 300 foot tunnel along a sandstone cliff face with enormous window like openings carved out overtime by water erosion. And just outside the park is the 100 foot natural bridge at Rockbridge State Nature Reserve, a stunning 50 feet above the bottom of the gorge.

If you want to think you are seeing double, Twinsburg, Ohio is host to “Twin Days”. Started in 1976 this gathering of twins, triples and even Quads and Quints , has grown to attract the multiples from around the world. Over 3000 sets converge annually on this little town of 17,000! The festival is held the first full weekend in August.

Other notable attractions are the Lake Erie Islands in northern Ohio, an archipelago that stretches north from Marblehead Peninsula across the placid water of Lake Erie and the Serpent Mound in Peebles, Ohio; a remnant from the ancient mound -building cultures. This mound has been estimated to have been constructed around 1070.

So Ohio has a lot to offer a curious vacationer.

The score now 12 to 23

It’s Apple Pickin’ Season

Posted on September 29, 2013September 29, 2013 by Dusty Roads

As you know I am not a food blogger. I can cook but I like basic , home style cooking. I’m happy with meatloaf and mashed potatoes instead of chicken cordon bleu. That said I felt I had to share this recipe. Although you can certainly make it all year round, I tend to think of it when the fresh apples abound. So here it is. Enjoy

Apple Pancake

1/2 cup flower (I like Bisquick but any all purpose flower will work)
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 large or 2 medium size apples (Granny smith, Macintosh are great…cortlands tend to get a bit mushy)
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix sugar and cinnamon. Set aside

Whisk flour, milk and eggs together until smooth. Melt butter in cast iron skillet (this is essential). Remove from heat. Pour mixture into skillet. Peal and thinly slice the apples. Place on top of mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of that. Bake 20 minutes.

Enjoy.

Additional Tips and comments:

You can serve with syrup but I don’t think it needs it. I don’t peel the apples either as I like the skins. If you use a stick margarine or butter you get a crispier crust than with a whipped margarine. That’s also the theory behind the cast iron pan. You could use a pie plate but you won’t get as much “crisp.”

Welcome Corporalchef!

Posted on July 30, 2013July 30, 2013 by Dusty Roads

I love finding new blogs to follow and it’s especially nice when I know the person behind the name. It makes me feel like I know a celebrity.

Anyway, one of my former co workers from my “old job”, whom I hold in very high esteem for the job he has always done there, has a habit of posting the most delicious, yummy looking things on Facebook. It appears that he is quite a cook.

To everyone’s delight he has decided to share some of his creations on a new blog along with his comments on some of the celebrity chefs that rule the airwaves today. Look at this mouth watering chicken dinner he recently posted.

Want the recipe? It’s on his blog.

Whether you agree with his observations or not you can’t fault his home grown recipes. I expect his blog will generate some lively discussions.

I hope you’ll check out his blog http://corporalchef.com/

If you like what you see let’s pass it on so he can grow his audience. After all, who doesn’t like food. And maybe we can all say we had a hand in helping the Next Celebrity Chef!

What about Skagway?

Posted on April 5, 2013April 5, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Port of call # 3 is Skagway. Skagway is billed as the Gateway to the Klondike; a place where “the romance and excitement of yesteryear linger around every street corner, every bend in the trail”. With that kind of build up it was pretty clear we’d have lots of excursions to choose from. We finally settled on a combo that includes The White Pass & Yukon Railroad and

The Yukon suspension bridge , ending with a gourmet lunch. The official tour description follows.

Travel aboard the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad, renowned as the “Scenic Railway of the World.” Against all odds this iron trail was forged through some of North America’s most rugged terrain. Relax in vintage railcars and marvel at the spectacular waterfalls, cliff-hanging turns, tunnels and historic sites you pass on your journey to the summit of the White Pass and beyond to Fraser, British Columbia.

Your trip continues by motorcoach as you travel just a few miles north en route to the Yukon Suspension Bridge. Some of the most magnificent scenery on earth greets you as you step outside, breathe the pristine air, and feel the thrilling sensation of a swaying walkway 57 feet above the churning rapids of the Tutshi River (pronounced TOO-shy). Observe Mother Nature in all her glory from the main platform, then walk through the museum-quality displays that detail the areas unique human and natural history.

Reboard your motorcoach for a scenic drive along the historic Klondike Highway. Discover the area’s amazing landscape from a different perspective as you return to Skagway. Along the way, your guide thrills you with stories of stampeders as you trace their footsteps along Brackett’s Wagon Road, Pitchfork Falls, Dead Horse Gulch and the infamous Tormented Valley. You’ll stop for photo opportunities along the way.

Continue your nature-filled tour to Jewell Gardens, site of pioneer Henry Clark’s family farm. The Clark farm grew produce for the thousands of miners on their way to Dawson City and the Klondike Gold Rush. Stroll the gardens and look for hand-blown glass, created on the premises, artfully placed among nature’s creations and the playful, G-Scale model railroad, built within a model town that looks a lot like Skagway did 100 years ago.

Considered the area’s premier organic flower and vegetable garden enjoy a gourmet lunch overlooking the spectacular blooms. You’ll savor a seasonal soup, organic garden greens and homemade quiche along with a freshly baked dessert. Many ingredients for your meal come from the edible landscape around you. Ample time is provided for you to browse the quaint gift shop before returning to your ship.

The only problem I have with this tour is that I don’t like quiche. Who would have thought that in the heart of lumberjack country that the main course would be the food that earned the saying “real men don’t eat quiche”. I may not be a man but I haven’t met a quiche that I liked either! I hope the salad is good.