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When Irish Eyes are Smiling
Posted by Tami Hoff on 7/8/10 |
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 Whenever I need a special gift for 100% Irish mother, I head straight to Mystic Ireland in Appleton. The store recently changed locations from College Avenue to 201 S. Walnut Street in Appleton, but the merchandise and owners are the same.
Mystic Ireland is owned and operated by an Irish family who came to the United States eleven years ago. They pride themselves on offering products that truly represent the Irish culture – past and present. The owners keep in contact with their relatives in Ireland and also travel to Ireland twice per year to stay up to date with the latest trends.
My mother is very hard to shop for, but Mystic Ireland has so many great things to choose from: jewelry, clothing of all kind, wall hangings, blankets, frames, ornaments, perfumes, Galway and Waterford Crystal and much more! I settled on a beautiful Irish throw for my mother. She loved the Irish blessing and the beautiful scene on her new throw. Mom’s Irish eyes were definitely smiling and so were mine.
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The spice of life
Posted by Chris Church on 7/7/10 |
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 I’m not an adventurous cook. In fact, for a few years, I didn’t have any black pepper in my house because we didn’t use it. My mom was horrified!
She’d find it hilarious that now one of my favorite shops is Penzey’s Spices on Casaloma Drive just west of Fox River Mall. It’s a bazaar of new sights and smells.
With more than 200 spices and seasonings, there’s a lot to choose from. Who would have known there are two different kinds of poppy seeds (white and blue)? Or pink peppercorns? Or six different chili powders?
Besides bringing home new spices for my own kitchen, I’ve become a Penzey’s gift-giver. One family member wants me to bring her poppy-seeds when I visit while another relative asks for Fox Point Seasoning. At a recent family reunion out of state, I gave everyone Vietnamese Cinnamon and Spanish Paprika, both of which got rave reviews. Easy to carry in your suitcase, and because Penzey’s is a Wisconsin-based business, it’s really fun to give to friends and family.
And don’t forget to sign up for their free catalog when you're at their store. They have great background stories on their wares along with some terrific recipes.
Oh, and about the pepper? Yes, we have it in abundance at our house now. Mom would be proud!!
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To market, to market!
Posted by Chris Church on 7/7/10 |
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It’s a pot pourri of wonderful food, great smells, beautiful sights and a sparkling array of one-of-a-kind specialty items. It’s downtown Appleton’s Saturday morning Farm Market, and there’s something for everyone.
My husband and I never miss the first market of the year which is usually the 3rd Saturday in June. I made a bee-line to the booth featuring egg rolls. You don’t need directions to find it. Just look for the longest line of people on College Avenue. Even though there were 20 people ahead of me that morning, I wasn’t discouraged. It’s been a long winter, and I wasn’t going to wait another day for this treat. They’re fabulous!
Then we just strolled the Avenue, looking at all the produce and deciding what we needed. I try to bring enough shopping bags so we can carry what we buy, but everything looks so good, it’s hard to pass anything up.
This past weekend, I was on a quest for strawberries. They’re just at their peak, and they’re delicious. Couldn’t resist the blueberries or raspberries, either. Then I wandered from booth to booth looking over the vegetables and herbs. Two shopping bags later, I came home laden with lots of fruit, tomatoes, mint, cilantro, green beans and potatoes.
It’s fun to see the crafts and gift items at the market as well. I’ve gotten some really terrific items for friends and family, and have even had custom things made. Last year, I showed a vendor a picture of a dress that one of my granddaughter’s wanted for her doll. She made the doll dress along with matching dress for my granddaughter. Wow! They'll be remembered for a lifetime.
And maybe the best part of the whole experience is just seeing everybody meandering through the market, seeing friends, making new friends and enjoying the day. Don’t miss it. It’s one of those leisurely community events that starts the weekend out on just the right note.
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Savore
Posted by Pam Seidl on 7/7/10 |
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 I had a fabulous lunch at Savore the other day. Asparagus with goat cheese and fresh herbs and a roasted garlic crust. It came with a side of Savorè Harvest Salad with Pumpkin and Cranberry Nut Breads with Orange Infused Mascarpone. Yes, it tasted as good as it sounds!
The rest of the menu looked just as tasty. On my next visit I'm Definitely trying the "soup flight" ... all four of the weekly featured soups.
Savore is more that a restaurant. It also offers cooking classes and specialty deli items including: extra virgin olive oils, aged vinegars, organic seasonings and salts, more than 100 rare teas. Complementing these selections are artisan breads and 40 flavors of all-natural, hand-made pastas.
Savore is located at 2400 Kensington Ave. on Appleton's East side. Their website is: savoreartisans.com
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Fireworks
Posted by Pam Seidl on 6/29/10 |
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For those not wanting to miss a single "boom" or the chance to practice their "oohs" and "aahs" this 4th of July, here's a list of fireworks displays around the Fox Cities. A careful planner will be able to take in fireworks on three nights. Enjoy!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Appleton Fireworks - Big Boom
Appleton Memorial Park
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Communityfest
Riverside Park, Neenah
Jefferson Park, Menasha
Sunday, July 5, 2010
Kimberly Fireworks
Sunset Park, Kimberly |
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T-Rats Baseball is Summer Fun for the Whole Family!
Posted by Alexandra Rathbone on 6/28/10 |
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 If you are looking for a fun family night that’s not going to break the bank, check out a Timber Rattlers baseball game. The Timber Rattlers are the Class A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and play at the Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton. I attended a game on Saturday night and between the game, go-cart races, fan contests, birthday sing-a-longs, and flying brats, I was not sure if it could get much better for $7 bleacher seating. But, it turns out that on Friday and Saturday nights you also get the chance to see a great fireworks display that starts right after the game! A local band rocked out in the background while we sat back and enjoyed the show.
If you are worried about squirmy kids who are not big fans of baseball, check out the giant sandbox behind center field. The sand box includes benches for parents who don’t want to miss any of the action during the game! The stadium also provides a beautiful Rainbow play set and a bounce house that let kids take a break from watching the game.
Tickets for T-Rats baseball games can be purchased in advance or at the door. Go to www.timberrattlers.com for more details or call 920-733-4152.
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A fun night with the family
Posted by Matt Ten Haken on 6/25/10 |
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 Recently, my parents, sister, and niece and nephew came to the Fox Cities to visit me after work. My parents and sister had been to the Victoria’s in Green Bay and said that I needed to experience it, so they took me to the Victoria’s Italian Cuisine in downtown Appleton.
First off, the number of Italian options on the menu was a bit overwhelming for me, and I wanted to be adventurous, but I instead went with the old standby: lasagna. While waiting for our meal to arrive, we needed to restrain my nephew (7) from eating all the delicious breads that were on the table.
I was happy with my “safe choice” of lasagna, because it was fantastic! The amount of cheese and sauce was incredible! I felt proud of myself because I ate over half my meal. No one else in our group did better than me, the portions were massive! We walked out satisfied with full stomachs and more than a grocery bag of leftovers!
Following our meal we hopped on the free Downtown Cool Trolley in front of the Performing Arts Center. On a warm summer night, the trolley was really “cool” with its air-conditioned interior. During our 20-minute loop around downtown, all the benches we full of smiling faces gazing out at downtown businesses, historic residential neighborhoods, Lawrence University, and the Fox River. My animal-loving niece (3) particularly liked crossing over the Fox River and seeing the ducks, geese, and seagulls and said to me: “Where are the foxes?” Maybe next time I take a ride on the trolley I will get to see a fox near the Fox River.
For more info on Victoria’s: victoriasitalian.com
For more info on the trolley: appletondowntown.org
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Vince Lombardi Steakhouse
Posted by Lynn Peters on 6/21/10 |
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 We were meeting friends in downtown Appleton recently and stopped at the Vince Lombardi Steakhouse for a before-dinner drink. The bar is small and serves mostly restaurant guests, but anyone can plunk down there for a beverage.
It was early and there weren’t many people in the restaurant, so I asked the maitre d’ if we could look around at the Lombardi memorabilia. He gave us a cheerful go-ahead. There’s a lot of great stuff! I think the personal letters to and from Coach Lombardi are particularly intriguing. It’s like a great little museum, and for the price of a drink we had a wonderful time.
Vince Lombardi’s is a top-notch steakhouse and I’ve had several special occasion meals there. Most famous for great steaks and extra-large side dishes, I also suggest that you splurge on the amazing football-sized strawberry shortcake.
If dinner at Lombardi’s is out of your price range, just follow my lead and stop for a drink before the dinner rush begins—you’ll get a good drink and a glimpse into the life of the legendary Coach Vince Lombardi.
The Vince Lombardi Steakhouse is located in the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel. You can get more details at
www.vincelombardisteakhouse.com. |
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Just Act Natural: 'Going Green' in Downtown Appleton
Posted by Alexandra Rathbone on 6/16/10 |
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| As more and more people become aware of the environmental problems and health hazards in our world, the environmental or ‘going green’ movement continues to grow in businesses and individual households alike. For people who are looking to make their home, family, and community a little more green, Just Act Natural, located at 129 E. College Avenue in Downtown Appleton, is a great resource. They carry sustainably manufactured and socially responsible products that use natural, organic, non-toxic, or recycled materials. That means you can find anything from organic clothing, BPA-free water containers, and composters, to natural cleaning products, mineral cosmetics and sunblock, and handmade soaps. They also carry non-toxic and sustainable products for children, such as toys, diapers, eating utensils, and sippy cups. Just Act Natural is also a great place to visit for gift buying; I personally love the greeting cards that contain seeds. The recipient can plant the card right into the ground or a pot and grow their own flowers from it! J.C. and Dianne, owners of Just Act Natural, also set up free educational seminars on subjects such as composting to help educate the community on how we can all contribute to the health of our families and planet. Stop in and discover how fun and easy it is to go green! |
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Downtown Appleton
Posted by Mae Ibe on 6/14/10 |
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 My cousin from Albuquerque, NM was recently in the Fox Cities for a quick weekend visit. I took her to one of my favorite restaurants: Pullman’s. We sat outside, enjoyed a margarita, beautiful weather and had a wonderful pasta dish. It was great! After our meal we jumped on the downtown Appleton trolley. I’ve never ridden on the trolley, even though it’s been running the past few summers. The round trip trolley ride took us by Lawrence University, the Building for Kids, Paper Discovery Center, and of course many of the stops were within steps of many bars, pubs and restaurants. She was very impressed with our offerings in downtown Appleton!
The next afternoon we decided to visit the Paper Discovery Center. We took my 12 year old son with us and set out to make paper. When we arrived we watched a short video on the history of the paper making industry, did a scavenger hunt, and headed over to our blenders to begin the paper making process. It was so much fun learning about the different steps that are involved in making one of the necessities we use daily. I now have a much greater appreciation of the paper products that I use at work and at home.
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