Marrakech Cooking Class - May 15 & May 22

Marrakech, located in Morocco is teaming with fantastic flavors and spices.  Come join me as we take a trip to this exotic destination and taste its various foods.  We will start out by sampling various Moroccan salads scented with spices such as cumin and chili powder.  Your tastebuds will also sample 

Pot-Roasted Eggplant Salad with Tomatoes, Smoked Paprika and Cumin

Moroccan Beef Stew, fragrant with saffron, ginger and turmeric served with Noodles tossed in Sea Salt and Cinnamon

Pears, poached in Orange and Clove syrup served with pitted prunes

Semolina Pancakes drizzled with Pure Comb Honey

Cost of the class is $50, please reserve your spot by contacting me at ross@kon-tent.com

This class will be held on two different dates:

Warners-Stellian, Edina on May 15, 11 am-2 pm

Warners-Stellian, St.Paul on May 22, 11am-2 pm

Steak - NY Strip

The strip steak is one of the highest quality beef steaks on the market. In the United States and Canada it is also known as striploin, shell steak, Delmonico, Kansas City or New York Strip steak. In the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, the same steak is traditionally called a Porterhouse steak. Cut from the strip loin part of the sirloin, the strip steak consists of a muscle that does little work, and so it is particularly tender, though not as tender as the nearby ribeye or tenderloin (fat content of the strip is somewhere between these two cuts, allowing for a flavor profile to match). Unlike the nearby tenderloin, the strip loin is a sizable muscle, allowing it to be cut into the larger portions favored by many steak eaters.
When still attached to the bone, and with a piece of the tenderloin also included, the strip steak becomes a T-bone steak or a Porterhouse steak as the latter term is understood in the United States and Canada.
The Kansas City strip steak usually has a portion of the bone connected, whereas the New York strip steak is boneless. Here are the cooking times for a NY Strip Steak

1” First Side Second Side
Grill
Rare 5 minutes 3 minutes
Medium 6 minutes 4 minutes
Well 8 minutes 6 minutes

Broiler
Rare 6 minutes 5 minutes
Medium 8 minutes 6 minutes
Well 11 minutes 9 minutes

1 ¾ ” First Side Second Side
Grill
Rare 7 minutes 5 minutes
Medium 8 minutes 7 minutes
Well 11 minutes 9 minutes

Broiler
Rare 8 minutes 7 minutes
Medium 9 minutes 8 minutes
Well 14 minutes 12 minutes

Always let steak rest for 10 minutes before you slice it, which will allow the juices to flow back through the meat. Cover it with foil or keep in a warming drawer. Then serve the steak whole or carved -- and let its smoky perfume beckon.

Terrariums

Terrariums are fascinating eco-systems all unto themselves. They require very little maintenance and almost no watering. A terrarium is a collection of compatible plants grown in an enclosed, or partially enclosed, clear container.

Creating a terrarium filled with ferns and other small plants is a practical and fun way to have a miniature landscape inside your home. Their easy care is ideal for people who are too busy to spend a lot of time caring for plants. Your choice of containers is only as broad as your imagination. There are many ready made terrariums available, or you can use bottles, jars, aquariums, fishbowls, or even brandy snifters. The choice is yours. I have a vast collection of terrariums that I will feature here on the website.
Terrariums allow you to grow plants which require a high degree of humidity, which otherwise would probably perish in the dry atmosphere of a heated home. Once the plants become established within your miniature garden, the terrarium begins to create a climate of its own. The plants transpire moisture through their leaves, which then condenses on the glass, and flows back to the soil. This 'rain effect' allows the terrarium to go for weeks without watering. Terrariums should never be grown in FULL sun!

The gothic-inspired terrarium featured on this post is 18 inches square and 64 inches tall, making it perfect for orchids.

[kon-tent] music - Ultra Lounge - On the rocks

Hey midnight swingers! Summer is here and you need some great music playing in the background of your party. Ultra-Lounge On the Rocks is just what you need.

Mel Torme singing 'Sunshine Superman'? Julie London warbling 'Quinn, The Eskimo'? Exotica Supremo Martin Denny taking on 'Incense & Peppermints'? No, you haven't gone insane, you're just listening to the ultimate curve ball CD from 'Ultra-Lounge'. This may be one of the most mind-warping albums I have ever heard; extremely tasteless and misguided takes on your favorite 60's pop hits by desperate loungers trying to be 'relevant' to 'the kids'. They miss the boat entirely, but the result is this strange hybrid; not quite lounge music, not quite rock, not really muzak...but it is (in the words of The Firesign Theatre) 'weirdly cool' . On first listening I didn't know WHAT I was hearing, but this disc has become strangely addictive...

Sit back, get mellow, enjoy a cocktail and take a listen to these groovy 'Ultra-Lounge' versions of your favorite rock tunes with a twist.

Alliums

There are hundreds of alliums, including the onions and garlic we eat. The ornamental varieties often have leaves similar to onions, as well as the onion’s round ball shaped flower heads. However there are many varieties with star-like clusters of flowers and others, like A. Cernuum, the ‘Nodding Onion’, with hanging pendants of blossoms.

Alliums grow from bulbs. Allium bulbs may resemple onions, but it's the flowers you are after with these ornamental varieties. Alliums are easy to grow and are undemanding. They have strappy, undistinguished leaves and straight tubular flower stalks. The flower form in clusters and are best known in the round pom-pom form, but they can be start shaped, cup-shaped, semi-circular or pendulous.

My favorite allium is the globemaster. Its' 8" purple pom-pom head sticks almost three feet off the ground making a truly wonderful display in your garden or great for a spectacular cut arrangement.

Show your support at participating restaurants next Thursday

Dining Out For Life® is an annual fundraising event involving the generous participation of volunteers, corporate sponsors and restaurants. In exchange for their financial support, restaurants are listed in a city wide marketing campaign in an effort to increase customer traffic.


In 1991, Dining Out For Life® was created by an ActionAIDS volunteer in Philadelphia. Dining Out is now produced in over 55 cities throughout the United States and Canada.

More than 3,500 restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds from this one special night of dining to the licensed agency in their city. Nearly $4 million dollars a year is raised to support the missions of agencies throughout North America. With the exception of the annual licensing fee of $1,000, all money raised in these cities stays there.  http://www.diningoutforlife.com/

10-Layer Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

This salad is super easy and great as a main course, side or on a buffet.  After making it in a large portion, I am inspired to do these in individual portions.  It's all about assembly here and compacting, I use a piece of plastic wrap placed over every couple of layers to press down to solidify the salad.  I used a 9X13 glass dish so you can see the layers.  Try and use a smaller head of iceberg lettuce here, a larger head will make the salad become cumbersome.  I also used my OXO Plastic Knife so the lettuce does not brown as this salad needs to set for a minimum of six hours.  I also used my chop & measure (available at Williams Sonoma) to chop all the other veggies.  For the dressing, I used teh Buttermilk Ranch Rub available at Williams-Sonoma, but you can certainly use Hidden Valley Ranch dressing powder here too.

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
4 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
8 oz. sliced mushrooms, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, minced
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 small bag frozen peas, thawed and dried on paper towel
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and chopped

Dressing
1 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Ranch Rub or Ranch Dressing Powder
1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar

Begin by making the dressing - put all ingredients together into a bowl and mix to combine, set aside.

In a 9X13 glass dish assemble the salad in this order

Three-fourths (75%) of the chopped lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped pepper
Chopped mushrooms
Minced onion
Chopped eggs
Remaining one-fourth chopped lettuce
Peas
Spread dressing over top leaving about an inch around the edge free of dressing
Shredded cheese
Bacon
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for a minimum of six hours.  Serve and enjoy!

Oxo Clear Knife

I love this Oxo knife and what simplicity it brings to my kitchen.  Developed to cut lettuce since when you cut lettuce with a metal knife it has a tendency to brown the lettuce, this eliminates that completely.  Making chopped or layered salads for later is a breeze now because my lettuce is no longer brown.

BUT, this always works wonders in all of the non-stick pans to cut in.  We pay oodles more money to make our lives easier for these pans and yet when we need to cut the product in the pan, you have to use the micro precision of a surgeon to try and not hurt your pan.  This knife, eliminates any worries.

Best of all, it's cheap - Go get one, you will be so happy you did.  In fact, get two so you have a spare!

Whole Wheat Bread

So today I wanted to share with you my recipe for whole wheat bread.  As with my traditional white loaf, you are using the same concepts but the ingredients are mixed up a little.  When it comes to whole wheat I kick up the sweetness to offset the heaviness of the bread by adding 1/2 cup of brown sugar or honey.  You can use regular sugar if you choose to, I out of habit use the former.  Also, here we are substituting some of our regular flour for whole-wheat flour.  All of the other measurements are the same.

Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup honey, brown sugar or white sugar
5 tsp. yeast
1 cup water
8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour

First off, I proof my yeast. What this means is that you want to make sure that what you need to help make the dough rise IS going to make the dough rise. No heating the milk in the pan, then this, then that stuff. I put my milk and sugar into a glass measuring cup and place them in the microwave to get the milk warm. The reason I always put the sugar in with the milk is that the yeast needs food to grow and the sugar is just that - the food. This also allows for the warming of the milk to help dissolve the sugar in my mind. I take the milk out and if for some reason I have overheated the milk, I let it rest until when I stick my small finger into it - it is warm. It is ONLY at this time that I put in my yeast - generally 5 tsp. two packets in my world. A little more, a little less isn't going to kill anyone.

I whisk the mixture together to incorporate it and I walk away for a couple minutes. A watched pot never boils. After a couple minutes when I come around again, I should have a foam beginning to build on the top of my milk mixture. This means we are ready to go on the rest. If you do not have this, you need new yeast.

My next step with anything I am making is that I put all of the ingredients MINUS the flour into the bowl. THEN I add the flour, Here you are going to put ALL of the whole wheat flour in the bowl, BUT ONLY 3/4 of the white flour the recipe calls for - NO MORE. I place the dough hook onto my mixer and turn it on low to medium depending on what I am making. Then, I watch. You want to begin to see that the mixture is coming together. Patience here my friend, don't try to rush it along by putting it on high. Be thankful that you aren't having to do this by hand. Grab a cocktail and take a sip while you let the mixer do the work for you. After about a minute, maybe two you will see it forming together - creating a mass so to speak.

Look into the bottom of the bowl at this point and see if it is sticking. If it is, take 1/2 cup white flour and put it in the bowl. Watch again until this flour gets incorporated fully. Look into the bottom of your bowl again for sticking, or is it coming clean? If not, add that scant amount of flour again and repeat.

Once you see that it is no longer sticking to the bottom of the bowl, let the dough hook do its' work for another minute or two then turn it off.

NOTE: The amount of flour you use today will vary from the amount of flour you use in two months, where you live or what brand you use. Getting to know this method will be the key to your success in making dough

Remove the dough hook and the bowl from the mixer. I remove the dough from the bowl and butter the inside of the bowl, then roll the dough around to get it buttered on all sides. I cover the bowl and place into an oven. I then set the oven to 200 degrees and set my timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes I turn the oven off and set the timer for one hour.

After that hour, I remove the dough from the cozy oven it has been rising in. I then place it into the desired form I need and allow it to rise for another 30 minutes until I am ready to bake it off.

I will include my grandmother's bread recipe here for you to try. Please try it out and let me know. Front to end, this usually takes me about ten minutes of actual work time as long as I have all my ingredients laid out (mise en place) and ready to go.

Another suggestion, I always, always, always (did I say always?) use a whisk to sift my flour for any recipe. This means taking your whisk and plunging it into the flour and moving it around to lighten it and incorporate air. This means you don't over flour your recipe. You can always add more, but trying to fix a dense or heavy recipe is not easy.

Saffron Orangeade

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
½ tsp. saffron threads
8 cups fresh orange juice (18 oranges), or ½ gallon Simply Orange

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add saffron. Allow to cool. Combine orange juice and saffron syrup (strain, if desired). Pour over ice and serve.

Churrasco [chuh-ras-koh] Cooking Class

The recipes you will be learning take their inspiration from churrascos, the traditional outdoor barbecues of Argentina and Brazil. These spicy, but not-too-hot dishes, complimented by icy rum cocktails are prefect for an upcoming summer party.

On the menu:

Pineapple Batida Cocktails

Grilled Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

Tomatoes with Avocado Salsa

Latin American Potato Salad

Caipirinha Cocktail (Rum & Lime Cream) Pie

Class size is limited to 12, cost of the class is $50 per person. Reserve your spot here: ross@kon-tent.com

May 1 - 11 am-2pm
Warners-Stellian - St. Paul

1711 N. Snelling Avenue

Collecting - Cuckoo Clocks

My favorite movie of all time is Out of Africa. Karen Blixen was a fighter; the true definition of resillience. The first time I saw that movie, I wanted a mantle cuckoo clock to remind me of the struggles Karen Blixen went through, so I would always remember that she made it through them and so would I.

Ten years ago I was purchasing a wall cuckoo clock and I mentioned to the clock shop owner that if he ever ran across a mantle version to please contact me. Many months later I received a call as he had found one - the price was $2000. I was running a successful business at the time, and so I said I would do it. The owner drove four hours to hand deliver it to me. Even after ten years, I still marvel at the beauty of this clock and what it represents to me.

The clock was made by Dold Uhren, who has since gone out of business and it carries a Reuge movement that plays Lara's Theme one hour and Edelweiss the second hour as miniature, hand carved hummels dance around in circles. The cuckoo's wings even flap when he comes out to announce the hour at hand. Pears, bird nests and hunting dogs are not common carvings on cuckoo pieces. It stands 29" high and 17" wide - this is one large clock.

I knew when I purchased this clock that it was rare, I was told that only four of these were ever made. Of course, now it is even more rare which has caused its' value to soar. I used the stock photo from when I purchased it as any picture I took did not display all the intricate workings of this beautiful piece. If you can afford such a rarity, I would highly recommend it so you too can have a part of history of a time when craftmanship was prized and well thought out.

If my 14-yo can make bread, so can you.....

So I admit it, I wanted to do an experiment.  I decided to see if my 14-yo daughter could take measurements of ingredients and successfully make a batch of bread.  The results are in the photo - this is her first time.  I would say that having me stand there and tell her what to watch for obviously was a big help, but it inspired me to make it my goal to try and help as many people as possible learn this valuable life skill.  One other thing that was fun, was I had a thought 'what if someone was out of regular sugar, but had brown sugar?' - so we did it with brown sugar and it is fine, no taste difference or color variation at all.

1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar, brown sugar or honey
5 tsp. yeast
1 cup water
2 tsp. salt
6 cups all-purpose flour (possibly more)
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

First off, I take any recipe and I proof my yeast. What this means is that you want to make sure that what you need to help make the dough rise IS going to make the dough rise. No heating the milk in the pan, then this, then that stuff. I put my milk and sugar into a glass measuring cup and place them in the microwave to get the milk warm. The reason I always put the sugar in with the milk is that the yeast needs food to grow and the sugar is just that - the food. This also allows for the warming of the milk to help dissolve the sugar in my mind. I take the milk out and if for some reason I have overheated the milk, I let it rest until when I stick my small finger into it - it is warm. It is ONLY at this time that I put in my yeast - generally 2 1/2 tsp equals one packet in my world. A little more, a little less isn't going to kill anyone.

I whisk the mixture together to incorporate it and I walk away for a couple minutes. A watched pot never boils. After a couple minutes when I come around again, I should have a foam beginning to build on the top of my milk mixture. This means we are ready to go on the rest. If you do not have this, you need new yeast.

My next step with anything I am making is that I put all of the ingredients MINUS the flour into the bowl. THEN I add the flour, for this recipe it is six cups - NO MORE. I place the dough hook onto my mixer and turn it on low to medium depending on what I am making. Then, I watch. You want to begin to see that the mixture is coming together. Patience here my friend, don't try to rush it along by putting it on high. Be thankful that you aren't having to do this by hand. Grab a cocktail and take a sip while you let the mixer do the work for you. After about a minute, maybe two you will see it forming together - creating a mass so to speak.

Look into the bottom of the bowl at this point and see if it is sticking. If it is, take 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour and put it in the bowl. Watch again until this flour gets incorporated fully. Look into the bottom of your bowl again for sticking, or is it coming clean? If not, add that scant amount of flour again and repeat.

Once you see that it is no longer sticking to the bottom of the bowl, let the dough hook do its' work for another minute or two then turn it off.

NOTE: The amount of flour you use today will vary from the amount of flour you use in two months, where you live or what brand you use. Getting to know this method will be the key to your success in making dough

Remove the dough hook and the bowl from the mixer. I remove the dough from the bowl and butter the inside of the bowl, then roll the dough around to get it buttered on all sides. I cover the bowl and place into an oven. I then set the oven to 200 degrees and set my timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes I turn the oven off and set the timer for one hour.

After that hour, I remove the dough from the cozy oven it has been rising in. I then place it into the desired form I need and allow it to rise for another 30 minutes until I am ready to bake it off.  Please try it out and let me know. Front to end, this usually takes me about ten minutes of actual work time as long as I have all my ingredients laid out (mise en place) and ready to go.

Another suggestion, I always, always, always (did I say always?) use a whisk to sift my flour for any recipe. This means taking your whisk and plunging it into the flour and moving it around to lighten it and incorporate air. This means you don't over flour your recipe. You can always add more, but trying to fix a dense or heavy recipe is not easy.

Collecting Faux Bamboo

In the world of cabinetmakers and other craftsmen, sometimes fake or faux is better than real. Furniture from earlier centuries had painted wood grain (faux bois) or special stains that made the wood look like a more expensive variety.

During the late 19th century, bamboo was popular as both supports and trim on furniture. It was an exotic wood that fit in with the Victorian Aesthetic Period, which was inspired by Asian designs. But bamboo is not strong enough for hardwood cabinets and chairs, so makers made wooden turned rods that resembled bamboo, then painted and stained them to look even more realistic.  The style was popular during the rococo revival period....1880 to 1900....and well after.

Collectors today, like myself own several variations of faux bamboo - from small tables, to flatware with faux bamboo handles, to large faux bamboo bedroom sets and chairs. The key is good design and workmanship.

Varvatos Cologne

This is a classic fragrance that I get compliments on every time I wear it.  I was instantly attracted to the bottle with the leather collar wrapped around it, this said man all over it. 

The smell of this cologne is timeless with top notes - This is what your nose smells first, these dissapate quickly) of West Indian tamarind tree leaves, Medjool dates and Mediterranean herbs

Heart notes (this is what you smell secondly, these emerge as the cologne evaporates.  They are used to mask the initial unpleasant odor of the base notes which become more pleasant over time.  They can last for two minutes or up to an hour, are coriander seed, clary sage flower, tobacco, Indian ajowan, sage and thyme

Base notes are balsam, amber, leather notes, sandalwood and vanilla.  Base and middle notes are the central theme to most fragrances.  These notes are meant to be strong and deep, and generally are not understood for roughly 30 minutes when they begin to bloom.

John Varvatos is like an ideal combination of masculine aromas that succeeds in coming across as familiar. It evokes the atmosphere of history and tradition.  It imbues the picture of a virile man relaxing at a table nursing a glass of whiskey between his hands while the fireplace crackles in the background.

Beading for guys

I think there is a popular misconception out there that beading jewelry is for girls, and although I would hold to the belief that it is mainly a female-oriented industry there is a lot that us guys can do too.  I find that most casual necklaces and bracelets out in the market for men (when you can find them even) at retailers are not manufactured very well.  Going to the bead store and picking out beads that are closer to my personality and style, coupled with the fact that I am going to take care to make sure it stays together makes hand-crafting your my own jewelry have added value.  I really don't have many rules when it comes to beads outside nothing with facets and no crystals (ahem, I think this should go without saying...)!

For the top piece I chose jasper tubes and strung it with leather, tying a simple knot in between each piece.  I was inspired for the tiger-eye piece below, because I am a collector of faux bamboo.  I simply took the beads and strung them along common beading wire and finished it off using a hematite-colored clasp.  Each one of these pieces took no more than ten minutes to make and I will get years of use out of them.  I think my total investment in each necklace was around $15-$20, so easy on the pocketbook too.

As always, I get my beads from The Bead Monkey.  They have to brick and mortar locations as well as a wonderful website, their kits make great gifts.

Lazy Salsa

So I admit, sometimes I make things from cans - nothing wrong with that.  In fact, one day when I was hungry for salsa but too lazy to go to the grocery store and pick up the ingredients I came up with this concoction.  I was so happy with the result, this is the way I make it most often now, so I call it Lazy Salsa because it requires minimal effort with great results.  This is good on grilled chicken or steak too!

Salsa means 'sauce' - Picante Salsa means 'hot sauce', picante is just an abbreviated form. Salsa is thicker than picante as well.

1 28-oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 15-oz. can mexicorn, drained
1 15-oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 red onion, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (seeded if desired)
3 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp. salt
Cilantro - if desired (I personally don't desire...)

Combine ingredients in a bowl, refrigerate for at least two hours - serve

Creamy Enchilada Bake

Part of what I hope you learn as you follow our tips and suggestions is how to take a recipe you already like and do what I call, remix it.  Here I took the enchilada bake that I made a few weeks back, but I rearranged some of the ingredients to create a more creamy version.  Living in Minnesota, it is hard to get away from canned cream soups - they are just a staple of our comfort food menu.  Here I took canned cream of chicken soup to help create the sauce for this recipe.

1.25 lbs chicken breasts, poached and shredded
12- 6" flour tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup picante sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tomato, diced
1 bunch of green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, mix together the soup, picante sauce, sour cream and chili powder.  In a separate bowl, mix together the shredded chicken, 1 cup of the sauce mixture, 1 cup shredded cheese and salt - set aside.  In a 9" square baking dish, place 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce and spread around, top with four tortillas.  Place another 1/2 cup of sauce and sprinkle with half of the diced tomato and half of the sliced green onion, then another four tortillas - press down on tortillas to compact.  Repeat these two steps again, finally topping the final layer with the remaining sauce, tomatoes and green onions and the second cup of shredded cheese.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes, remove foil and bake for 20 more minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand for ten minutes - serve.

The Best Flour Sack Towels - Primitive

Like old, vintage-antique country, farm and ranch primitives, these towels imbue the feel of yesterday and the values of traditions past embroidered onto wonderful 36" square flour sack towels. This set of four is $36.

Sparkles for Education Campaign

My 14 year-old daughter Hadass has become quite the jewelry maker. She is creative and inspiring. Currently in 9th grade this year, she is aware of the challenges facing schools with respect to budget cuts and how this affects not only her, but other kids education.

With that said, she is starting a personal fundraiser to help her school earn funds so they do not lose some key programs, i.e. laptops for students, etc. by donating half of her proceeds for her Sparkler rings to her school. I am impressed to see her being so proactive and wanting to pitch in to help her school, and that she is able to see that she can do something in a personal way to benefit people on a larger scale. Her website is http://www.sparklingconversationdesigns.blogspot.com/. Here you will be able to see her designs and help support education.

The various rings she has are called:

Planetarium, Crystal Bridge, Sparkler & Double Sparkler - she can do them in a myriad of colors. They sell for $10, except the Double Sparkler is $15- you can order one by emailing us at ross@kon-tent.com and stating your style & color preference.

We will keep you posted on the progress and how her Sparkles for Education Campaign is doing. This really will affect

Road Trip Rules 101

Road Trip Tips From Someone Who Loves to Travel by Car.

I have fond memories of summer when I was younger and we would go away for the weekend, or a week up along the North Shore of Lake Superior.  This always meant a road trip which I am positive now being a parent myself, made this type of 'vacation' a mixed blessing for my parents with three rambunctious children.  For me, it was like an exciting adventure - getting in the car and going someplace new!  Back then, I could just sit back, listen to the 8-track tape of Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash or maybe Meryl Haggard (the latter being my father's choice).  We would all pile into that 1978 Mercury Grand Marquis, with it's textured cloth seats and opera lights on the outside - truly luxurious travel in those days. Going over a bump on the  road in that car was like gliding over a cloud. 

It ultimately never really mattered where we were going because even as a small child, travel to me was thrilling!  I sometimes would pretend that my father was the chauffeur and I was his boss. I loved the ability to view the out-of-the way scenery, the antique shops and the diners or cafes - all so rich with history and interesting people to meet.

As an adult, I now get to take road trips with my own family and I like to sneak in an opportunity or two to tell my daughter what life was like when I was her age.

Planning for a road trip is just as important as flying in a jet plane - it starts with good planning and preparation. So to help get your summer car road trips start off on the right tire, I'm sharing a simple list of things that I do both before I leave and things I do along the way.

Before you leave:

Check your cell phone coverage (roaming fees are not fun).

Get maps, guides and travel brochures ahead. Surf the web for ideas and itineraries!

Memberships in automobile clubs and warehouse stores often have lodging and tourist discount privileges.

Be sure to have proper car seats for children. Make sure they're fasten properly.

If renting a vacation vechicle - ask for child car seats when making reservations.

Have your car well inspected and serviced to all manufacturers' recommendations.

Check your lights, signals, wiper blades (including the rear), horn, and radio.

Check fluid levels, belts, caps and hoses, and filters.

Check and adjust tire pressure (right tire pressure equals safer driving and better fuel consumption).

Make sure your spare tire is useable.

Have an emergency road kit packed with these and other items you may need:

1. Waterproof matches and candle. 2. Flashlight. 3. Road Flares 4. Whistle. 5. Blanket. 6. First Aid Kit. 7. Towel. 8. Collapsible Shovel. 9. Jumper Cables 10. Rope. 11. Cutting device (box cutter, pocket knife). 12. Duct tape. 13. Tool kit. 14. Gloves, hat and boots. 15. Chains or traction device. 16. Gallon of water. 17. Spare hoses or parts.

Comforts for the Car:

Bring a wide music selection to fit passengers tastes, singing is required on roadtrips

Have a cooler filled with beverages

Have plently of snack foods

Have surprise goodie packs with activity toys when the "are we there yet?" starts.

Remember motion sickness remedies.

Blankets and pillows for sleepy passengers.

Wear comfortable, light-colored, loose-fit clothing and shoes.

Take a comfort pack for each passenager - made-up of a damp washcloth, lemon twist, a couple of ice cubes tossed in a zip close bag. Great way to refresh after hours of driving.
Take along books on tape.
If you have a DVD player - find road trip or destination related movies.

En-route:

Take the Scenic drives and turn outs. Get off the freeways and travel the back roads.

Arrange seating orders for children - switch along the way so everyone gets to see out a window.

Be sure to stop every couple of hours to stretch, re-fresh and take a break. Sitting for long periods can cause leg cramps or a condition known as DVT. Wearing specially designed socks for men and women help eliminate this condition.

If you haven't prearranged lodging be sure to start looking for your evening room around 3:00 p.m. Hotels and motels fill up later in the day, especially around heavy tourist areas. Use your cell phone to call ahead and reserve a room while still on en-route.

Hotel chains often have family discounts when lodging is pre-arranged. Ask for specials or upgrades.

Request hotel travel directories which list other facilities and plently of helpful information and maps.

Have fun and enjoy the summer - get out and "drive-the-land!" there's lots to see and it's always an adventure. Go out and make your own Road Trip Memories. I might just see you on the road!

Red Sangria

The weather is getting nice and it's time to start thinking about refreshing beverages to sip on while you enjoy the sun.  One of my favorite staples is sangria.  It is simple to put together, but does require some planning by placing all of your ingredients in the refrigerator overnight to chill them.  And to be honest, it's not all that essential since you are going to be pouring it over ice-filled glasses - but it's still what I do.  You can easily double this recipe if it is all you are going to be serving AND you can make it ahead of time so you can use your time more efficiently.  Lastly, you can either put the fruit in with the sangria OR have it out in a bowl separate and let your guests put it in the glasses themselves which is what I prefer.  Oranges, Lemons, Apples and Grapes are my choices as well - it all depends on what I have on hand.

3 bottles Zinfindel

1 quart orange juice - (I use Simply Orange, pulp free)

1 quart club soda

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup Courvoisier

1/4 cup Cointreau

1/2 cup superfine sugar

4 cups assorted diced or sliced fruit

Thoroughly chill all ingredients. Pour the wine, brandy and Cointreau into a punch bowl. Stir in orange, juice, lemon juice and sugar, stirr until sugar has dissolved. Place fruit into the bottom of a glass, top with ice and add Sangria.