Wednesday at Lakeside

Busy Wednesday. I'm going to the herb group at 8:30 on the lakefront. I only use salt and pepper when I cook, but it's a lovely group and a nice way to meet people. Then I'm taking my friend Nancy out for a birthday lunch at that new pay it forward diner in Port Clinton that helps the low income http://www.bistro163.org/ .  I hear the food is great.  Staffed by volunteers.  Then the community picnic is at 5:30. I'm debating about attending the afternoon lecture on nutrition and fitness. Tough life at Lakeside Chautauqua, but someone has to do it.

Update:  The herb group meeting was great.  Looks like an interesting season of programs with a field trip to Mulberry Creek Herb Farm, 3312 Bogart Rd. Huron, OH 44829

Lunch at Bistro 163 was delicious.  What a wonderful program.  Suggested prices, and the staff are volunteers, sort of like docents, who explain what the non-profit is about.  During the school year they bring kids there for tutoring, and then send them home with a healthy snack.  I had salmon and a salad, and Nancy had flat bread with figs, bacon and focaccia which I tasted, and we both had coconut bread pudding for dessert.

I did make it to the afternoon nutrition lecture, which included some very basic information about calories, metabolism, micronutrients, and controllable and uncontrollable factors. She reported on the Biggest Loser study (2016) and long term change. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27136388 and some interesting books by Brian Wansick, Mindless eating and Slim by design.  I learned that people who have food on their kitchen counter, particularly cereal, are more likely to be over weight, and people who have fruit on the counter, weigh less.

Our high (herb) tea

The members of our herb class led by Jan Hilty had a wonderful tea at the hotel today. We each brought a dessert, or tea sandwiches, or nuts/candy and enjoyed a wonderful herb tea, either hot or cold. The hotel dining room isn't being used as a restaurant any more and it was really fun to be there. These days it is used primarily for receptions and events, but those of us who remember Sunday dinner there or special occasions really miss it. Some of us wore hats for the occasion.

Our trip to Mulberry Creek Herb Farm

The Lakeside Herb class had a delightful trip to Mulberry Creek Herb Farm in Huron, Ohio owned by Karen and Mark Langan. Not only was the weather perfect--70s and sunny--but the hosts were great fun and very educational, with a lunch for our group that was delicious as well as healthful and nutritious.

Karen has degrees in Agricultural Research and Greenhouse Production from Ohio State University's Agricultural Technical Institute and over 20 years experience working in horticulture. Mark has a degree in ornamental horticulture from Washington State University and has been working in the horticulture field since he was a teenager. Karen and Mark also teach classes at their herb farm on a variety of herbal topics, including organic gardening, aromatherapy, herbal crafts and herbal cooking. Karen and Mark are business members of The Herb Society of America. They also have a successful mail order business, but have decided that after 11 years they will discontinue that. Too bad--the catalog is delightful--great explanations, color photos, and tasty recipes. Karen says they are too large for pencil and paper orders, and too small to computerize. She likes to have a personal relationship with her customers and not get too big.

The annual herb festival draws nearly 2,000 herb enthusiasts. In 2008 the theme was Tuscany and this year (June 27-28) it was Ireland. There were workshops on Irish soda bread, Celtic traditions and Faery Lore, traditional Irish cooking, the Irish potato, with a menu by their caterer to match.

Mark first introduced us to his miniature plants used for railroad gardens--a feature that is very popular with men, and apparently America's newest hot hobby. There is even a magazine, Garden Railways. They have more than 300 varieties. Then Karen took over and explained the care and uses of many varieties, including companion planting which puts plants together that work well together. I'll never be a gardener, but this visit might encourage me to get a bit more adventurous in using herbs in cooking.

The railroad with the miniature plants. The train is barely visible behind the fence but was moving right along.

Mark explained that mint needs to be planted in 5 gal. buckets with 3" of exposed rim above ground or it will spread and take over your yard--or a small town.

Karen explains how to do companion planting and has our full attention.

This little Irish shed had succulents planted on the roof.

A celtic cross, I'm not sure if it is always here, or is for this year's theme.




We had such a good thyme!

Sports and Faith and Herbs and Pastels

Week One of the Lakeside 2009 season has been a bunch of Firsts for me. I've been attending Greg Linville's class on Sports and Faith in the morning. It has been outstanding. If you ever get a chance to take one of his classes at Malone University in Canton (Evangelical Friends related church school) or hear him at a conference, be sure to do it. I'm a complete non-athlete--have never even played golf, which Murray says has deprived me of one of the two best pleasures in life--the other being beer, which I've never tasted. Linville has opened up scripture in many areas, particularly in his lecture about Eric Liddell, the missionary to China, who ran in the Olympics (Chariots of Fire movie).

Then Monday and Tuesday I took a pastel class at the Rhein Center, and both efforts were total failures, but you never know you have no talent for a particular medium unless you try! My record is at my new blog, called Norma's Art.

This morning was the big--huge--stretch. The herb class led by Jan Hilty. It was so interesting I even signed up for the trip to Mulberry Creek Herb Farm in 2 weeks. I learned that this is the year of the bay, according to the Herb Society of America. It seems everyone but me knows you can keep bugs away with bay leaves. In your cupboard, just lay it on the shelves, or inside a pastry cloth, to keep those pesky visitors away. Our instructor said it is great for slow cooking, fresh or dry, although she prefers dry. It has a pleasant balsamic aroma and is good with heavy, fatty meats. It can also be added to sweet dessert dishes. We received some recipes, then walked over to Lakeside's herb garden where Jan went over the details of what was growing there. I'm sure for the old thymers it was well worn material, but it was all new to me and I came home with some freshly cut chives.



Jan cut various herbs and we all smelled them; some people took home various kinds that were ready to be harvested, but I only took the chives. I loved the lemon geraniums.