Omaha Children's Museum
If you have already discovered the Omaha Zoo, you know it makes a great family day trip. Even though it’s in Nebraska, it’s only a two-hour drive from St. Joseph. But a lesser known destination you’ll want to check out, especially for younger children, is the Omaha Children’s Museum.
No-fail gardening
This is the year for vegetable gardens, as interest continues to grow in raising our own healthy, fresh food. Vegetable gardening is up 19 percent and seed sales are up 30 percent to 50 percent, according to a Garden Media Group 2010 garden trends report. But unlike previous generations, many of us don’t have hands-on gardening experience from working with our parents on the family plot.
St. Joseph’s rite of spring
If you live in St. Joseph, you don’t need a groundhog to tell you when spring will be here. That’s because on the first weekend in May, spring comes marching down Frederick Avenue with bands playing and beauty queens waving in the form of the Apple Blossom parade. It’s been an annual tradition in St. Joseph since 1924. And although there have been short periods when the parade didn’t happen, such as during World War II, for the most part, the parade has continued like clockwork.
Sylvia Says: New Spa Cuisine entrées offer taste and fiber boost
Lean Cuisine recently added a little more to chew on to its popular Spa Cuisine entrees. The line has added 5 to 6 grams of dietary fiber per serving, which is 20 percent of the recommended daily amount. If you have never tried a Lean Cuisine meal, they make an extremely convenient, healthy, low-cal lunch or dinner.
We recommend for March 12, 2010
We recommend for March 12, 2010
The incredible, economical egg
When Sheri Caldwell cooks meals for her family, her goal is to make something they’ll like to eat. But she also wants to keep costs down and nutrition up. With four children, that’s not easy. Fortunately, as a dietician with Hy-Vee, she has learned some ways to do that. And one is by using the incredible edible egg.
Weekender: Little Switzerland
Haunted hotels, award-winning architecture, music shows, spas, tree houses and some really big cats — that’s just the start of what you’ll find in Eureka Springs, Ark. It’s a tiny little town hidden away in the Ozarks, but there’s so much to do in the area, it’s worth a trip — several times. “It’s not on the beaten track, so you really have to want to come here,” says Ken Rundel, a publicist. “But once you do, you’ll feel like you’ve been to a magical world in the northwest corner of Arkansas.”
Sylvia Says: AMP Energy drinks will get your juices flowing
You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to try a product with caffeine. There are days I wonder if I could make it out the door without it. However, I was a little hesitant to try the new AMP Energy Juice. That’s because I don’t really care for the AMP energy drinks.
Eats: Head down to Holt’s for a burger
In the 1989 movie “Road House,” a fictional bar in Jasper, Mo., called the Double Deuce was so rough they had to hire a guy named Dalton (played by Patrick Swayze) to clean things up. The movie could have been based on Holt’s Place in St. Joseph, if you talk to locals who haven’t been there for awhile. The movie is similar in that when owners Robbie and Tammy Wheeler took it over five years ago, they had their hands full cleaning it up.
The perfect blend
Collin Ryan is a nice guy and all, but don’t ask him for his chili recipe. The talkative meat manager at Apple Market North grocery store in St. Joseph will become silent pretty quickly. It’s not one of those things he’d have to kill you over — maybe — but he’ll only share that information with the co-workers who will be helping him at the 24th annual Chili Challenge, a fundraiser for the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation to be held March 7 at Civic Arena.
Vino shape-up
There is something about a glass of wine that sets the tone for a special meal. Or as André Simon, an English wine merchant, wrote, “Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.” You could drink it straight from of a can, as the Australian winemaker Barokes is now offering its customers. But to enjoy the best flavor of the wine, you need a glass. But which one?
A story behind every stitch
Pat Meyer carefully unfolds three quilts, each with a different pattern and story. The oldest is a tulip pattern her grandmother, Ida Carrel, sewed by hand in the early 1900s. You still can see the pencil marks she made to keep the quilting lines perfectly straight, although Mrs. Meyer says she would never erase them.
Sylvia Says: Snacks offer health-food benefits — and health-food taste
What happens when a couple of traveling musicians decide to get healthy and create a natural snack food? In the case of Dan and Jean Ehrlich, it’s Rock-n-Roll Gourmet, “the snack food with a rock ’n’ roll attitude.” And since everyone loves potato chips, but not the fat, they came up with Hippie Chips — baked potato chips with hemp seed (the nutritious, not the illegal, stuff).
Eats: A piece of Ireland in the Midwest
For an authentic Irish atmosphere, or at least what you might imagine one to be like, it’s hard to beat O’Malley’s Pub in Weston. But a new Irish pub in Kansas City’s Power and Light District has entered the competition.
'Julie and Julia' and Lonnie
Lonnie Taylor was very excited. The $768 she sold a cookbook for on eBay would come in handy for remodeling her kitchen, which had avocado appliances and shag carpeting. If that seems like an extraordinary amount of money for a cookbook, it is. But that’s because this is not an ordinary cookbook. It’s a copy of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” signed by author Julia Child and her husband, Paul.
Career shift
Everyone tells you how lucky you are to have a job. So you smile and try to agree, but the truth is you’re not happy. And you’ve got plenty of company. According to a study by the Conference Board research group, only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their jobs — the lowest level recorded in more than 22 years of studying the issue. So why not change careers?
Crime junkies
Ten white plastic evidence bags lie in a row, all numbered. Each bag contains evidence about a murder case. And in each case the murders are heinous, disturbing crimes, ones that would make a person’s skin crawl. But the group gathered here tonight will talk about them — and eat some chocolate.
Sylvia Says: Dyson Blueprint reinvents the vacuum
You can buy a vacuum for 50 bucks, so why would you want to spend several hundred? The Dyson Blueprint is one of those reasons. I would not attempt to compare it to all vacuums, but I have used plenty of the under-$100 variety. And the Dyson is like switching over from a typewriter to Microsoft Word. You can type on both, but they are worlds apart on how they get the job done.
Slash your grocery bill
Erin Chase had a revelation in July of 2008 that would change her life. That was the summer gasoline prices shot up to $4 a gallon and she and her husband were spending $500 a month filling their cars just to get around town. Although they had made the decision that it would be best for her to stay home with their two children, the extra expense was killing their finances. They went through every line in their budget, but there was no place to cut. She realized food was the only area with wiggle room, so she made it her mission to reduce grocery spending and came up with a plan to feed her family dinner for $5 or less with nutritious, tasty foods. In the process, she cut their grocery bill in half.
Eats: Try taking tea at da Capo
If you happen to be in or around Platte City, Mo., around lunch time, you’ll want to stop at da Capo Teas & Eatery. It’s housed in a 130-plus-year-old storefront on Main Street across from the Platte County courthouse. Locals will remember it formerly as Fanny’s, which was a tradition there for many years. The owners have given it a trendier look, but it still has the old-world charm with lots of dark wood, rich fabrics and a ’50s era soda fountain.
Staying connected
Being the first grandchild in a large family comes with some high expectations, especially when you’re as cute as 4-month-old Ciaran, son of St. Joseph residents Adam and Ragen McGowan. Relatives want to see those big blue eyes, hear him coo and watch him smile. But that can be a problem when one set of grandparents lives in Washington state, another lives in New York and uncles and aunts are scattered all over the country. Thanks to advancements in technology, though, it’s much easier than it used to be to stay connected. The McGowans communicate with their family in some form every day, and almost all of it is low-cost or free.
Bounce House at Zona Rosa
Bouncing and children go together like peanut butter and jelly. But instead of letting them jump all over the living room, take the clan to the Bounce House at Zona Rosa in Kansas City.
Cell phone longevity
Cell phones have become our lifeline. We not only depend on them for emergencies, but for staying in touch with work, friends and family every day. But unfortunately, just like our cars, battery problems can leave you stranded. There’s nothing more annoying than having a full charge in the morning only to have it go dead by the time you need it in the afternoon.
Sylvia Says: Caramels let you ‘Indulge’ in a gourmet treat
When I was in fifth grade, a standing argument out on the playground was over the correct way to pronounce caramel. Is it care-a-mel or car-mal? (We argued about everything.) One thing’s for sure: In fifth grade, caramels were great for pulling out loose baby teeth. The sticky, almost glue-like consistency made it easy to speed up nature in that way. Since I am no longer interested in pulling out teeth or dental work, I usually stay away from caramels. But I broke down and tried one of the new caramels from Indulge Gourmet Soft Caramels.
A time to reconnect
Heart-shaped wreaths hang in the windows. Side chairs are wrapped in red fabric. Candles abound. And in the middle of the room is a large pink satin-covered table decorated with ribbon, with a Valentine’s Day tree in the center, surrounded by platters of chocolate-dipped strawberries, heart-shaped cookies and all kinds of decadent sweets and treats. It’s like a Valentine’s Day valapoloza.
Eats: J.C. Wyatt House offers a special night of dining
When it comes to eating out, there are restaurants that serve food and then there are dining experiences. The J.C. Wyatt House would be the latter.
Demo and Dine Live! classes offered
Demo and Dine Live! is a new weekly living food workshop conducted by raw foods chef, kitchen coach and educator Val Rea Jacobson in St. Joseph. Participants learn first-hand how to transform their eating style to a healthy, earth-friendly, allergen-free way of preparing foods. This is “high raw” life-style (higher percentage of raw foods), glutten-free, sugar-free foods that can help you transition to a healthy plant-based diet. It’s casual and everybody eats a full meal.
It's a doll's world
Although she doesn’t look it, Barbie is now a half-century old (her official birthday is March 9, 1959). Of course, the fashion diva has had a few makeovers, but that doesn’t matter to those who loved her as a child and love her now. And even if you have some less-than-fond thoughts on this international icon, you’ll want to head down to the Toy and Miniature Museum in Kansas City to see the special Barbie exhibit on display until the end of the year. It really has something for everyone.
Sylvia Says: Eco Coffee Cup looks sharp, cuts waste
It looks like a disposable paper coffee cup, but pick it up and you’ll know right away that this is something very different. The new Eco Coffee Cup by Smart Planet, designed as an earth-friendly alternative to disposable coffee cups, holds 12 ounces of coffee and is microwave and dishwasher safe.
Emerald City
When the kids are bouncing off the walls and your humor has left the building, it's time for a road trip to Emerald City. Located near the intersection of Interstate 35 and 87th Street Express at 9063 Bond St. in Overland Park, Kan., Emerald City is a 24,000-square-foot gymnastics facility filled with enough jumping, climbing, swinging and bouncing opportunities to wear out even the most hyperactive child.
The felt gourmet
“Dip, dip,” says 18-month-old Scarlett Robison as she dips a small sushi roll into a container. Her mother, Karen Robison of St. Joseph, says sushi is one of her daughter’s favorite foods. The colorful rolls are homemade, soft and easy to hold. But the best part, at least for Scarlett, is you can throw them on the floor. That’s because this is homemade felt food, an increasingly popular toy for children and a surprisingly successful home business for Mrs. Robison.
Sylvia Says: Sure, you could buy mberry ... but why?
If you’re ready for something wildly different for your taste buds, get a packet of the new mberry Miracle Fruit Tablets and throw a flavor-tripping party. Don’t worry, this is nothing illegal. The tablets contain no drugs, sugars or additives, but through a completely natural phenomenon they “turn ordinary foods into the extraordinary, turning on your taste buds and seducing your senses.”
Bacon mania
A slightly spicy, smoky aroma wafting through the air was our first clue that the Bacon Explosion had arrived. We quickly gathered around the table as if for a Thanksgiving feast and fixed our eyes on the platter holding the meaty masterpiece. “It’s like a dream for my taste buds and a nightmare for my cardiovascular system,” said Blake Hannon, one of the News-Press reporters who was on hand to sample the Explosion.
Romantic night out
February is the month for romance, a time to let that special someone know how much you care. It's a time for flowers, candy, cards and jewelry. But when you get down to it, a really special dinner out takes the cake. Not the usual place you go, and not where you can get the most grub for the money, but a place to feel elegant and pampered and to indulge in some fantastic food. So where should you go? There are so many places to choose from, so we came up with our top five tried and true, bona fide, awesome places to go. They are all moderately expensive, but yes, you are worth it.
Springtime in the basement
It happens every year about this time, when those tempting seed catalogs start filling your mailbox. The slick pages featuring juicy red tomatoes, shiny peppers and exotic veggies (like cosmic purple carrots) make us yearn for spring, when we can get out in the fresh air and dig in the dirt with the sunshine on our hair. As we look in the catalogs at the smiling people wearing straw hats and holding baskets of fresh vegetables pulled right out of their garden, we declare that this will be the year we will have a garden like that and vow to get started now by ordering some seeds. But for many of us, it doesn’t work out that way.
Sylvia Says: Click Espresso Protein Drink keeps you moving
Click is a new protein drink that claims to boost your energy, curb your appetite and increase fat burn so you can perform throughout the day. It’s being marketed as an alternative to sugary coffee drinks as well as fattening, calorie-laden protein drinks and bars to help you lose weight as a meal replacement, snack, or as a pre- or post-workout drink.
Eats: Eating is entertaining at Fuji’s
A quick cure for the winter doldrums and ho-hum meals is eating at Fuji’s Seafood and Steakhouse. You have your choice of sitting at a table for regular restaurant style dining or around one of the Hibachi cook tables, where one of the chefs freshly slices and dices your meal in front of you, adding an entertainment element to the mix.
Cookin' with Betty
It's about an hour before noon and the parking lot is full outside Betty's Cafe in south St. Joseph. Inside, a mixture of farmers, retirees, construction workers and businesspeople are packed into the small restaurant for some "home cooking," as the sign outside advertises. Today's special: meatloaf with your choice of three sides, all for $5.99. And looking out from a glass refrigerator door is dessert: homemade cakes and pies.
Home safe home
The bad news: Burglaries are up 25 percent from a year ago in St. Joseph. And nationally, there are 8,600 break-ins a day - one every 13 seconds, according to FBI statistics. The good news: You can do something about it. Thanks to advancements in technology, there now are affordable options that a decade ago were generally available to only the wealthy. By combining these technologies with a few basic, common-sense precautions, you can greatly reduce your chances of being victimized by crime.
Car Angels to the rescue
It's called the final straw - that point in your life where you are like an overloaded camel. Add one single straw to your load and it's a disaster. For Diane Embrey, that final straw came when her only vehicle, a 1987 Toyota pickup truck, needed repairs.
Sylvia Says: Mad Hectic Oatmeal is great for breakfast
One of my favorite food memories from when I was a child is breakfast on frosty, cold mornings. I would sit at the kitchen table snuggled up in my robe and flannel PJs and my mom would bring me a steaming bowl of oatmeal. She would place a heaping spoonful of brown sugar in the middle and pour cream or half-and-half on top. Mixing it all up and eating it with a slice of buttered toast would make me feel all warm and cozy inside.
Eats: Nachos, Goochy Goo style
The pork nachos began simply as something different to serve during the Savannah High School 100-year class reunion last year, says Goochy Goo BBQ owners Michael and Dee Ventucci. They wanted something easy to hold for carry out, but not the same nachos as everyone else has.
Cleaning (with a smile)
Cleaning the bathroom together may not be your idea of quality family time, but numerous studies have found there are more benefits in doing such chores than a sparkling toilet bowl. From reducing stress to staying connected, keeping your house clean together appears to be the way to go. One study on child rearing by Markella Rutherford, assistant professor of sociology at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, found giving children regular household chores will keep them grounded and help them develop a caring attitude. And if that's not enough, a report published in the Journal of Family Issues found that wives and husbands who spend more hours on household labor have more sex than those who spend less time at it.
Financial fitness
Did you resolve to get in shape this year? Lose weight? Important goals, but perhaps you should also focus on getting financially fit. Controlling what you spend is just as important as watching what you eat when it comes to feeling good about yourself and your future.
Sylvia Says: Campbell's Soup at Hand is good in a pinch
If you eat on the run or at your desk and want something neat and easy, you'll want to try Campbell's Soup at Hand. The soups come in a 10.75-ounce container with a red plastic cap. To eat the soup, you just "heat and sip" as the instructions say. Of course, they have more elaborate instructions on the back in case you can't figure it out.
Nature's gift
There is something surreal about seeing a bald eagle with your own eyes. The symbol of our nation, with its distinctive white head and hooked beak, is nothing short of majestic as it soars through the air with wingspans from 6½ to 8 feet wide. And watching them is one of nature's gifts this time of year, particularly in Missouri, where more than 2,000 of the birds regularly spend their winter. Just ask Deborah Weems, a St. Joseph photographer and physician, who recently took a trip to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge to get a glimpse.
Sylvia Says: New mascara offers something different
Every month some company comes out with a new mascara that promises to give you longer, thicker, richer lashes. But I am sure Maybelline has broken ground by coming out with a motorized wand for your lashes. Yes, you read that right. It's a patent-pending vibrating brush that they say will transform your lashes to perfection.
Eats: Get your fill at MacKenzie's
One of the most popular food requests at MacKenzie's Bar and Grill in St. Joseph is the MacKenzie Burger. It's a huge sandwich packed with two six-ounce grilled hamburger patties, bacon, two kinds of cheese and grilled onions.
Some like it hot
Somehow a cold beer or frozen margarita just doesn't cut it about now. But instead of moping around missing those warm days of summer, embrace the cold by enjoying some hot winter cocktails.
Be wise and accessorize
The right accessories can turn plain into stylish, frumpy into trendy. And it's as easy as throwing on a scarf or putting on some earrings. So what's hot this season? Big, bold and back to the '80, according to fashion experts Andrea Ash, shoe and accessories manager at Dillard's in St. Joseph's East Hills Shopping Center, and Sylvia Thompson, co-manager of Forever XXI at Zona Rosa. We're talking about big hoop earrings, big bags, big hair and big watches to wear with a very '80s silhouette. "The '80s acid-washed jeans, oversize tops, skinny bottoms, knee socks and leggings were really popular last year," Ms. Thompson says. "This season it's following through with the rest of the '80s trends."
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