NW OH | April/May 2016 | Issue 4

Salt Flavor for Everyday Life|April/May 2016|$3

A supplement of The Lima News

SPRIN TR AV G E ISSUE L

Explore the shops of downtown Wapak

15

household uses for lemon

Check out the 25 Ohio Scenic Byways

2 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

OVER 65 YEARS OF PROVEN VALUES SERVING YOU 40860737

Salt

Hide & Shake

Flavor for Everyday Life thesaltmagazine.com Northwest Ohio April/May 2016

Publisher Editor Food Editor Layout Design Content Sales

Pamela Stricker Lora Abernathy Andrea Chaffin Jayla Wallingford Adrienne McGee Sterrett Barb Staples

pstricker@civitasmedia.com labernathy@civitasmedia.com achaffin@civitasmedia.com jwallingford@civitasmedia.com amcgeesterrett@civitasmedia.com bstaples@civitasmedia.com

Contact Salt: editor@thesaltmagazine.com 3515 Elida Road, Lima OH 45807 419-223-1010 Salt is published six times a year by Civitas Media LLC and is available through The Lima News. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue, in whole or in part, is prohibited. Salt is free to The Lima News subscribers and is also available for purchase at the office of The Lima News.

Find the shaker in this issue and be entered to win a $10 grocery card.

Visit our website, thesaltmagazine.com, and click on the Shaker Contest link at the top to be entered. Please include your name, street number and name, city and zip code. Only your name and town will be published. All entries must be received by April 28, 2016. Only online entries will be accepted.

In the February/March issue, the shaker was hidden in the photo on page 15.

Congratulations to our most recent winner, Karen Schroeder of Ottawa.

You could be our next winner!

On the Cover Photo taken by Amanda Wilson at Casa Chic in Wapakoneta.

Please buy locally and recycle.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram @TheSaltMagazine.

Jerica LaRaye Humphrey

Front Porch

Front Porch Profile offers a personal glimpse into the lives of notable people in our communities

By Lora Abernathy

What would be the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A trip around the world.

Chocolate or peanut M&M’s?

Peanut.

What color is your dinnerware?

Orange, brown and yellow.

What do you love most about your community?

That they support the arts.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 3

Profile

Freed Center Interim Director and Arts Administration Program Director, Ohio Northern University

Salt CONTENTS

features

5 9 12 13 16 30 32 34 36

Recipe Index Find what you’re looking for in Wapakoneta’s downtown shops Brewing success Get going: Travel the Ohio Scenic Byways Farm stand success runs in the Hurley family In the kitchen with...

John and Tony Venturella

Getting conned Spring in bloom

4 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

Jameson Manor: A historic home for all of Lima to enjoy Rethink your patio this spring

34

Show off your ‘adulting’ skills 15 household uses for lemon

columns

6 7

24

Out and about

spring home inspiration

20 22 24 28

9

Publisher’s note

By Pamela Stricker

Salt notes

By Lora Abernathy

36

Salt Shakers

Recipe Index

Banana Split Cake ..........................................8

This shaker comes from Auglaize Antiques LLC in downtown Wapakoneta.

In each issue of Salt, we try to feature photos of creative salt and pepper shakers from our readers’ collections.

Please submit photos and descriptions to editor@thesaltmagazine. com by April 28, 2016 for consideration for printing in a future issue.

Chicken Piccata............................................26 Crispy Smashed Potatoes ...........................17 Grandma June’s Zucchini Patties ................17 Grandma’s Stewed Rhubarb.......................17 John Venturella’s Marinara Sauce ...............31 Lemon Drop Martini ....................................26 Pam’s Meatloaf................................................6 Rhubarb Custard Pie ...................................17 Rustic Raspberry Cobbler ..........................17 Skillet Spaghetti Squash ..............................17 The Hurley Hoagie.......................................18 Triple Lemon Cake ......................................25

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Joy Makers, Joy Breakers

6 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

In her book, “Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough” by Kay Warren, she describes joy like this: “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”

I like that.

I shared in the last edition of Salt that I am in pursuit of a deeper sense of joy in 2016. I want that calm assurance and settled-down peace even when all hell is breaking loose around me.

In my quest, I have identified some specific influencers of joy. I am recognizing things that bring joy and those things that do not. I call them “Joy Makers and Joy Breakers.”

Joy Breakers: • Agonizing over the past. “Yesterday’s gone; I let it die. Today is new and so am I.” Regrets often come and try to steal away my joy. Thoughts of all the “shoulda, coulda, wouldas.”

• Fretting over the future. Worry creeps in and gives way to fear. It’s so unproductive and yields to discouragement.

• Feeding the wrong things into my spirit. It seems to be a constant temptation to overload with information, or spend time around negative, depressed or angry people. There’s a time to reach out to others in need, but too much time with the wrong kind of folks can be so draining.

• Trying to fix others. I have to remind myself that that is not my job. I have to turn it over and trust.

• Holding others hostage, making them accountable for my joy. My friends, my husband, my children are not responsible for my joy. I have to own that.

• Lack of rest. The acronym HALT stands for hungry, angry, lonely and tired.

The combination can be a “joy breaker.”

Time to halt, pause and address my own needs.

Joy Makers: • Learning to be content. Not complacent, but content. That includes accepting the present the way it is, accepting others the way they are, being mindful of changing what I can, and content not to change what I can’t.

• Serving others. Doing something for someone else is probably one of the most selfish things I can do for myself. It fuels my joy when I can serve someone, whether

PAM’S MEATLOAF Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef 1 cup oatmeal (old-fashioned) 1 egg 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 large onion, diced 1 teaspoon garlic 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce or ketchup

it’s just a word of encouragement or taking care of a debt they can’t pay.

• Ask for help. Enlist the aid of friends, leaders or counselors. Let go of control (particularly challenging to me).

• Prioritize my responsibilities, whether it’s work, family or taking care of me. There is something about order that calms me and fuels my joy.

• Quit procrastinating. Tackle the task that is most dreaded first. Get it out of the way and get on with the day.

• Physical reminders of quotes, verses or sayings. Whether it’s a sticky note, an inspiring article, or a framed piece of art that addresses joy, these are good ways to keep the focus on joy.

• Take time to take care of my own physical, spiritual and mental needs.

Take time to inject some fun, entertainment, rest and recreation into the routine of my life. Find a hobby. Spend some time doing what brings you joy.

• Spend time with other joy makers.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all the ingredients, except barbecue sauce, in a large bowl, shape into two loaves, and place in loaf pans.

I like to put barbecue sauce on top or sometimes ketchup. Bake for about 45 minutes.

If you freeze one loaf, you do not have to bake it. Just pop it in the freezer after you have sealed the pan with freezer wrap.

Something else that brings me joy is spending time in the kitchen. Above is my recipe for meatloaf, one of those comfort foods that seems to be a welcome entrée, especially in cooler weather. It’s also good leftover to make into a sandwich the next day. I usually make two loaves, one to eat and one to freeze.

Lastly, joy doesn’t mean the absence of pain. Joy exists in the midst of pain, in the throes of sorrow, even in the midst of chaos.

It is that settled-down assurance that everything is going to be OK. It’s the expectation of the best possible outcome. It’s a choice … and I choose joy.

I hope you do, too, and don’t forget to please pass the salt!

Pamela Stricker pstricker@civitasmedia.com Publisher

SaltNotes

Booking the room Even better, we said to each other, our eyes lighting up as we thought about our room being even more “library-esque.”

But then we saw THE bookcase set, and we realized we had the opportunity to go really big with our dream and stay within our budget. This set had four bookcases, with the ability to “wrap” around a corner, and were close to 8 feet high. With our tall ceilings, it would be perfect.

Gary worked so hard putting everything together. These black cases were gigantic, stunning and fit perfectly in one corner. Surprisingly, our tiny room seemed bigger.

I then moved our books from several spots in the house to “the library,” as Gary and I call it sometimes using a haughty, English accent now that we’re officially fancy people, and began styling.

Sometimes, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. We had to clear out the big, unused table in the room to get a true appreciation for its potential.

After being subject to winter’s harsh elements for so many months, and letting the sun’s warmth renew our outlook on the coming year, there’s no better time than spring to re-examine what we truly need in our home.

There’s a book I just heard about that could help awaken that purpose. It’s called, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” by Marie Kondo, and it has reportedly sparked an organizing revolution.

According to an October 2014 New York

Times article about her book, “Kondo’s decluttering theories are unique, and can be reduced to two basic tenets: Discard everything that does not ‘spark joy,’ after thanking the objects that are getting the heave-ho for their service; and do not buy organizing equipment — your home already has all the storage you need.”

I frequently take clothes and furniture to the consignment store, and clutter isn’t a problem. My new bookcases are more for decoration and room-definition than storage; it’s simply that storage is the bonus.

But I’d like to hear more of what she has to say, because I really dig the concept.

According to a January Washington Post article, Kondo just released a second book titled, “Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up,” wherein she goes into more detail about how to organize.

Though, instead of reading what other people have written about her books, I suppose I should go buy them. I have just the place for them … in “the library.”

LORA ABERNATHY Lora is the editor of Salt magazine. She lives in southern Ohio with her husband, Gary, is mom to a yellow Lab named Boris, and trains and competes in triathlons. Reach her at labernathy@civitasmedia.com or on Twitter @abernathylora.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 7

Like many people, there is a room in our house that has always been difficult for us to define. It’s quite small, but we believe it must have been the master bedroom because of its large closet and the bathroom to which it’s connected. We’ve never used it for that.

We’ve called it the “whatever room,” because it has served three to four purposes simultaneously during the eight years we’ve lived there.

In December, after moving a dining room table out that served as Gary’s desk — which he never used — bringing in two antique sitting chairs and my wingback chair, we could finally see past “whatever.”

It was a beautiful sitting room.

However, it was missing something, and a family tragedy soon helped us see the room for what it really could be: our library.

Gary suggested adding a bookcase to one side of the room.

“We can have one shelf with Bela’s ashes, her collar, maybe her food bowl and some photos,” he helped me imagine.

“I like it,” I said through my tears.

Our near-12-year-old Great Dane, Bela, died peacefully in her sleep Feb. 1. We would, of course, have found a special place to honor her in the house but, as an avid reader, I liked the idea of a bookcase.

When we went shopping a few days later, the plan was just to buy one bookcase. We came home with four.

Once we got inside the store, we realized we would have room for two bookcases.

Reader Recipes BANANA SPLIT CAKE This is easy to cut in half for a smaller cake. This recipe also took second place in the Allen County Fair some years ago.

— Lee Williams of Lima Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups milk 1 package Duncan Hines yellow pudding cake mix 11 ounces cream cheese, softened Three 3 1/4-ounce Jell-O French vanilla instant pudding Two 20-ounce cans Dole crushed pineapple, drained 4-5 large bananas, sliced Two 12-ounce containers Cool Whip 1/2 cup diced maraschino cherries, diced 1/2 cup nuts, chopped Hershey’s chocolate syrup

Salt Scoop Send us your favorite recipe.

We may feature it in the next issue.

Directions: Mix and bake cake as directed in a 17-by-1 1/2-inch pan.

Blend milk with cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the dry instant pudding until thick. Spread on cooled cake. Slice bananas and layer on top of pudding mix.

Spread drained pineapple on top of bananas. Cover with Cool Whip and sprinkle cherries and nuts on top. Chill overnight before serving. Serves 24-32.

8 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

Contributors ADRIENNE MCGEE STERRETT Adrienne is the lifestyle/ special sections editor for The Lima News. She believes everyone has a life story worth sharing.

Reach her at 567-242-0510 or amcgeesterrett@ civitasmedia.com.

AMY EDDINGS Amy writes for The Lima News. She’s a former New Yorker and public radio host. When she’s not writing, she’s canning, cooking, quilting and gardening.

Reach her at 567-242-0379, aedddings@civitasmedia. com or on Twitter @lima_eddings.

SARAH ALLEN Sarah is a writer for Salt magazine. When she’s not writing, she can be found scrapbooking, reading or cooking.

JANE BEATHARD Jane is a writer for Salt magazine, a retired staff writer for The Madison Press in London, and the retired media relations manager of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

GARY BROCK Gary is the editor of Rural Life Today, a Civitas Media publication, a writer for Salt magazine, and has been in the media business for 39 years.

Reach him at 937-556-5759, gbrock@civitasmedia.com or on Twitter @GBrock4.

Visit our website, thesaltmagazine.com, and click on the Recipe Submission link at the top to be entered. Include a photo of your dish, too, if you’ve got one. All entries must be received by April 28, 2016.

Every submitted recipe will be entered in a drawing for a $25 grocery card.

Congratulations to Lee Williams of Lima who won for her banana split cake recipe submitted for this edition of Salt.

Find what you’re looking for in Wapakoneta’s downtown shops

By Adrienne McGee Sterrett The match holders were hung carefully, lined up in a neat column, waiting for collectors to choose their favorite color, design and era.

Popular during the time wooden matches were a household necessity, match holders — sometimes called safes — became decorative — done in ceramics with pretty painted flowers and the like. Only about the size of a person’s hand, and made to hang on the wall, the once-utilitarian item has now caught the eye of collectors.

And Jack Lambert, owner of Auglaize Antiques LLC, knows why.

“People don’t make that kind of thing anymore. It’s all hurry up and make a buck and give ‘em what they need,” he said.

Will your household continue to operate if it strictly adheres to the basics? Of course, but if the vintage glassware done in bold swirls or the quality-built wood furniture makes you smile at its whimsy or marvel at its lasting power, why not feather your nest?

Wapakoneta has plenty to offer along those lines these days, with its downtown filled with opportunities in which to linger.

“I originally came here thinking, wow, a working

Jack Lambert

Binkley

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 9

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RESULTS THAT MOVE YOU!!!

10 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

downtown,” Lambert said, explaining he’s not a Wapak native. He grew up in southern California, moved to the Pacific Northwest in his 20s, Findlay in his 50s, and then bought the antique store in 2004.

“I worked my whole life selling tools to machine shops,” he said. “And then I got interested in antiques.”

Naturally drawn to antique tools, the now-retired Lambert soon began frequenting auctions and had as many as 10 booths at various antique shops. Seeing how much he was spending on booth rent, he figured it would make financial sense to buy the shop.

He also fell for the building’s history.

The structure has been an antique store since 1992. There are currently more than 200 booths and showcases in 25,000 square feet. It was a JCPenney from the 1920s to 1990. Its earliest use was Timmermeister and Rogers Dry Goods, with an opera house and gambling hall upstairs.

“I thought this would be a fun thing to do … and I love it,” he said.

Just across the street is another old building with a new use — Casa Chic.

One of the owners, Landa Tomlinson, explained it was a variety of furniture stores — Nagel, Galaxy, Auglaize, Mike’s — since it was built in the early 1900s.

It, too, has a top floor built for entertainment. The ballroom, once accessible via a side stairway, also served for a time as a speakeasy. It still has its coffered ceiling with stamped tin details.

Casa Chic has been there six years, starting about 11 1/2 years ago “up the street,” Tomlinson said. She and co-owner Laura Clementz and some other ladies took part in a co-op home and garden

WAPAKONETA ANTIQUES AND SPECIALTY SHOPS Visit wapakshops.com for details.

• Auglaize Antique Mall • Casa Chic • Dad’s Toyshop • Riverside Arts Center • Relics • Village Green Floral & Garden Center • Thrifty Treasures • Everyday Furniture & More • Finders Keepers Consignment Store • Your Jewelry Box • The Bridal Emporium • Mercy Unlimited • Park Street Music & Mercantile • Oen Kitchen and Bath Showroom • Macky’s Health Food • Moon Florist • Wonderfully Made Boutique

WAPAKONETA DINING OPTIONS

• Marley’s Downtown • Cloud Nine Cafe (The writer recommends the Ham Pineapple sandwich.)

• The Alpha Cafe • Woody’s Diner • LaGrande Pizza Pub • Max’s Dairy Bar • LouAnn’s Tea Spot • A farmers market is open 8:30-11:30 a.m. Saturdays from June to October, weather permitting.

Photos by Amanda Wilson

Arts in April will be from 1-10 p.m. April 23. Each shop will have an artisan, and displays will be along the street. Admission is free.

For more information on other events, visit www.downtown wapakoneta.com. linson said. “Every one of them has their own customers.”

Clementz has been painting furniture for some years now, and repurposed furniture is a theme in the store.

“We say we move furniture for a living,” Tomlinson said, laughing. “That’s our joke.”

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 11

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store, and things grew. Now, Tomlinson, her three sisters and their mother work together to make Casa Chic a destination for quality new, vintage and one-of-a-kind items.

“None of us said, ‘Let’s go start a business,’ but in the end, we’ve been so truly blessed to have this in our lives,” Tomlinson said. “People one after another will come in and say, ‘This is my favorite shop.’ ” The shop features about two dozen vendors with items spread over three floors of retail space. The shop isn’t divided into strict booths, however, opting instead for a more open, cohesive feel. It also offers things for sale on consignment and layaway.

“It just gives a wide variety of different people’s tastes,” Tom-

Brewing

SUCCESS

By Lora Abernathy

Photos

by Lora Abernathy

12 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

From left, new Moeller Brew Barn patron Tom Thwaits chats with Wills Arling and owner Nick Moeller.

Nick Moeller held up his phone. He was sharing a selfie he’d taken during lunch earlier in the day of him and his family playing in the snow.

It was more, though, than a sweet photo. It was a cheerful reminder of the benefits of being self-employed.

“Some of the freedoms are lunches, but there’s different trade offs,” said Moeller, the owner of Moeller Brew Barn.

“Thursday night is brew night, so I’m not there for dinner (then), but I get to do a lot of breakfasts with the kids, so it’s nice to be your own boss.”

Moeller and his wife, Monica, were living in San Diego a few years ago. With two young children and no family nearby, they decided to move to Maria Stein to be closer to his family in 2013.

The home craft brewer wanted something else — to take his skills to the next level and open a brewery. So, on May 17, 2015, the Moeller Brew Barn opened in Maria Stein.

Moeller, a Maria Stein native and graduate of Marion Local Schools, had been brewing beer at home since 2007. He said he was confident the business could be successful and, with a “you-only-live-once” attitude, decided to take that leap of faith.

“The response has been awesome,” he said, raising his voice to be heard over an early evening crowd of patrons enjoying themselves at the bar. “We’re

getting so many calls for parties.

People love to come hang out in a relaxed environment.”

Tom Thwaits was at the Brew Barn for the first time on a recent Thursday, mingling with a group of regulars. He came in with high expectations — his wife is German, he lived in Europe 13 years, and he knows beer.

“They’ve got a very good selection of all kinds,” said Thwaits, of Osgood. “However, I will take this oatmeal stout. It’s very, very good. It’s full-bodied, it doesn’t have an after taste, it’s refreshing.”

Making great beer is the most important part of the job.

Being on the cutting edge is, too, Moeller said, as patrons are constantly wondering what his next craft beer will be.

The Brew Barn currently has 12 beers on tap and has brewed 19 styles since opening, making several seasonal beers.

The Wally Post Red began as a seasonal in 2015 before the MLB All-Star Game as a way to celebrate baseball, but it became such a hit Moeller and his team have kept it in the lineup.

There are more than 70 locations across west central Ohio where craft beer aficionados can purchase Moeller Brew Barn beer, the payoff of a strategic effort to build the brand and the business before the Brew Barn even opened.

“I think that’s what a lot of people like about this place,” he said. “It’s a team of guys brewing beer for the people in the area.”

MOELLER BREW BARN

Address: 8016 Marion Drive, Maria Stein, OH 45860 Phone: 419-925-3005 Email: info@moellerbrewbarn.com Website: moellerbrewbarn.com Facebook: facebook.com/moellerbrewbarn Twitter: twitter.com/moellerbrewbarn Instagram: instagram.com/moellerbrewbarn Hours: Private events by appointment Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 3-11:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon-11:30 p.m.

Saturday, 12:30-10 p.m. Sunday

By Adrienne McGee Sterrett

The road less traveled.

That’s the appeal of the Ohio Scenic Byways to Sharon Strouse.

It’s such a strong pull that Strouse has been involved in championing historic roadways for some 20 years. The retiree of OSU Extension is involved closely with the Amish Country Byway in the eastern part of Ohio, as well as being involved with the Ohio and National Scenic Byway programs. She is currently president-elect of the National Scenic Byway Foundation, which provides tools and training for byway leaders. She lives in Millersburg.

And yes, even now, it comes down to the road less traveled.

“Byways are a chance for people to get off that freeway, get off that fast lane, travel the

natural. slow lane, and start thinking about enhancing their experi“The scenic driving routes really coincide with the highway ences along the way to their beautification movement from destination,” Strouse said. “I think there’s a rebirth in the idea Lady Bird Johnson,” Barrett said, saying the program began of traveling and enjoying the experience of the about 1962 in Ohio. drive.”

“If you travel There is plenty Did you know? one of these of culture in Ohio The byway sign routes, you can to see. Thomas has a flower on Barrett is the kind of take in some of these byways coordinait. It is a trillium, tor for the state, representing the intrinsic sites, and it can be a program run state wildflower. cultural and a through the Ohio learning experiDepartment of ence or an Transportation, escape,” Barrett said. “Get out and he said there are 25 byand explore, really.” ways in Ohio.

Neal Brady, treasurer of the To become a byway, there’s Miami Erie Canal Corridor quite a bit of research and docAssociation, has been working umentation involved, with the since 2003 to improve the marfocus on showing value in these areas: archaeological, historical, keting of the area’s history for scenic, cultural, recreational and quality of life for local residents,

tourism and the cultural experience. Area residents remember their Ohio history courses in school that detailed that the canal system was used for commerce before the railroads were built.

“This is the second-longest continuous portion of canal in the United States,” Brady said.

“It’s very unique to have that.”

Everywhere you turn in Ohio is unique. The Lincoln Highway was the first coast-to-coast road built squarely for the promotion of auto travel. Mike Hocker, director of the Ohio Lincoln Highway Historic Byway, is still enamored with that idea.

“A bunch of investors got together and realized they were not going to sell an increasing number of cars because cars literally could not drive on roads that existed,” Hocker said. “If they went more than 40 to 50

Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 13

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GET GOING

Travel the Ohio Scenic Byways

14 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

miles, they went by train or they went by oxcart, because the road was so bad they couldn’t get through them.”

Sections of the Lincoln Travel tip are still the Travel from original west to east brick. in the “I think summer so they need you aren’t to think in staring into terms that the sun. there’s more to do than just getting in the car and going to a destination,” Hocker said. “Think about how they go there and break up the monotony and go a different way or go with the purpose of looking and seeing.”

OHIO’S SCENIC BYWAYS • For detailed maps, visit www.dot.state.oh.us/OhioByways/.

Amish Country: 160 miles; winding curves and rolling hills; Amish/German history, farms, B&Bs; also America’s Byways designation Big Darby Plains: 27 miles, with spurs of more than 20 miles; Scenic Big Darby Creek views and parks; covered bridges; farms Drivers’ Trail Scenic Byway: 37 miles; scenic vistas connecting two other byways, Historic National Road and Ohio River Scenic Byway; was a route frequented by farmers taking goods to market Gateway to Amish Country: Kokosing and Mohican rivers; state’s longest covered bridge; trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding Heritage Corridors of Bath: Hale Farm and Village, Bath Nature Preserve, Cuyahoga Valley National Park; early homes, barns, mills Historic National Road: 225 miles; pike towns dot length; left behind by railroad popularity but resurged with modern automobiles; from West Virginia state line at the Ohio River to the Indiana state line; also America’s Byways designation

RESOURCES nsbfoundation.org meccainc.org www.dot.state.oh.us/OhioByways

FAVORITE ROUTES Barrett: He grew up in Newark/Licking County, and often used the National Road on drives to Springfield. He currently lives near Worthington and loves the Olentangy byway, especially by motorcycle. “It’s really kind of taking the scenic route right out of your back door,” he said.

Hocker: He enjoys the Lincoln Highway’s stretch east of Mansfield and west of Wooster. It winds through hills and is very easy to imagine how the drive would have been in the 1920s.

Brady: He suggests visiting Johnston Farm, where you can take a canal boat ride, and checking out Fort Loramie/ Minster/New Bremen to see the old structures and the communities.

Strouse: Her favorite summer drives are near water. She enjoys the Maumee Valley Scenic Byway along the Maumee River, because there are lots of towns for tourism activities. The Lake Erie Coastal Trail is also a draw because of its wineries, restaurants and sunset views of the lake. And, of course, the Ohio River byway has lots of eateries with patios overlooking the river.

“I think there’s a rebirth in the idea of traveling and enjoying the experience of the drive.”

— Sharon Strouse

293

The miles of the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio byway.

25 The number of byways in Ohio.

1962

The year the byway program began in Ohio.

2

Morgan County: 39 miles; Burr Oak State Park, foothills of Appalachian Mountains North Ridge: 9 miles; passes by more than 100 historic homes that date to the 1830s Ohio & Erie Canalway: canal history, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, farms, nature preserves, northern industry,

The Miami and Erie Canal is the second-longest continuous portion of canal in the United States.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Ohio River Scenic Byway: 452 miles; entire length of the Ohio River in Ohio; scenic views of the valley and small river towns; also America’s Byways designation The Old Mill Stream Scenic Byway: Blanchard River, “Down by the Old Mill Stream”

written by Hancock County native Tell Taylor as he looked at the Blanchard; farms, parks Olentangy Heritage Corridor: 10 1/2 miles; follows Indian trails of the Olentangy River; river, barns, churches, houses Presidential Pathways: 55 miles; Miami University, Hueston Woods State Park; follows lives of Presidents William Henry Harrison and grandson Benjamin Harrison Scioto Heritage Trail: ties into Ohio River Scenic Byway; Ohio River, Shawnee State Forest, Roy Rogers’ home, Branch Rickey history, overlooks valley Tappan-Moravian Trail: 55 miles; Tappan Lake, Clendening Lake, birthplace of George Armstrong Custer Wally Road: Mohican and Walhonding valleys; Toledo, Walhonding Valley and Ohio Railroad (the “Wally”); forests, ravines, wetlands Welsh Scenic Byway: 64 miles; Welsh churches, farms and cemeteries; Bob Evans Homestead; Raccoon Creek and Daniel Boone history

Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 15

40860744

Hocking Hills: 26.4 miles; scenic hills; hiking, camping, outdoor activities Jefferson Township: scenes of older barns and homes amid urbanization Lake Erie Coastal Ohio: 293 miles; beaches, state parks, lighthouses, outdoor activities, museums, Cedar Point, Maumee State Scenic River; follows Erie shoreline from Conneaut to the Michigan border; also America’s Byways designation Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches: 38.4 miles; German culture, Catholic church architecture, farms Lincoln Highway Historic Byway: 241 miles; first coastto-coast road for the car Lower Valley Pike: 11 miles; Mad River, George Rogers Clark Park, historic homes, Estelle Wenrick Wetlands Preserve Maumee Valley: 90 miles; former British Fort Miamis, Maumee River Miami and Erie Canal: 54 miles; views of canal, Johnston Farm & Indian Agency, hiking

Photos by Craig J. Orosz

Farm stand success runs in the Hurley family

16 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

By Amy Eddings HURLEY FARMS Address: 9249 state Route 117, Huntsville, OH 43324 Phone: 937-686-4463 Website: visithurleyfarms.com Winter/Spring Hours Nov. 1-May 31: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday Summer Hours June 1-Aug. 31: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday Fall Hours Sept. 1-Oct. 31: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday

You’d never know, by the look of the packed parking lot at Hurley Farms on a sunny summer weekend, that co-owner LeaDel Hurley never wanted to get into the produce business.

This 57-year-old farmer’s daughter grew up working for her parents’ seasonal farm stand, Wickherham Produce, on this very same site on state Route 117, just a few miles south of Indian Lake.

Wayne and June Wickerham started it in 1968, when LeaDel was about 10 years old.

When her parents called it quits and retired from the business in 1996, that, she thought, was that. An end of an era for the family and community.

And then her youngest son, Dan, who was 17 or 18 at the time, got it into his head that he could make some money selling sweet corn from the back of a pickup truck at the gas station in Huntsville.

“So, everybody asked him if we were going to do it again next year and Dan said, ‘Well, yeah, but if we’re gonna sell it, why don’t we just sell it out there at the market the way we used to?’” said LeaDel. “And I thought, oh no, no. I said, ‘I don’t want to own a farmer’s market. I don’t want anything to do with that.’ ” Two years later, the Hurleys opened Hurley Farms, with husband Russ and Dan stocking the stand with sweet corn and tomatoes from the family’s 300-acre farm and LeaDel running the retail side of things.

Fast forward another 18 years, and Russ, LeaDel, Dan and his wife, Kristin, now sell sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, cabbages and cucumbers. They also sell peaches from Georgia and apples from Ohio orchards.

They’ve added a deli — LeaDel’s idea — offering several types of hoagies, hot and cold. There are jams and jellies, pickles, Amish egg noodles, and homemade good-

HURLEY FARM RECIPES

Russ and LeaDel Hurley

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup shredded cheese, optional

CRISPY SMASHED POTATOES Ingredients: 2 pounds small red potatoes, 1 1/2 - 2 inches diameter 3/4 cup water 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more if needed 1 teaspoon thyme Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: Cut squash in half lengthwise, discard seeds. Place cut-side down on microwave-safe plate.

Microwave each half 8 minutes or until easily pierced with fork.

Cool and separate spaghetti strands with fork.

In skillet, cook bacon until crispy.

Remove bacon. Add butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper to the bacon drippings in skillet. Stir in bacon and spaghetti squash, heat through.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese if desired (parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar or cheese of choice).

Directions: Preheat oven to 500 F. Place one oven rack at the lowest position and one at the top position.

Scrub the red potatoes and lay on a baking sheet. Add 3/4 cup of water to the potatoes and cover with foil. Bake in hot oven for 30 minutes.

When potatoes are done, remove foil, drain and let cool for 10 minutes. Toss potatoes with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, making sure each is coated with oil. Take a cup and “smash” each potato to about 1/3 - 1/2 inch thickness. This is the fun part.

Drizzle another 3 tablespoons of olive oil on the potatoes, sprinkle with thyme and salt and pepper.

Place the potatoes in 500-degree oven on the top rack and bake for 15 minutes.

Move potatoes to the lower oven rack and continue to bake for another 25-30 minutes until nice and brown.

SKILLET SPAGHETTI SQUASH Ingredients: 1 spaghetti squash 4 bacon strips, diced 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon brown sugar

GRANDMA JUNE’S ‘SECRET RECIPES’ GRANDMA’S STEWED RHUBARB Ingredients: 4 cups rhubarb, chopped 1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste 2 tablespoons water Directions: Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan set over medium to low heat. Simmer until sugar is dissolved and rhubarb is tender. Serve warm or chilled.

RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE Ingredients: 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup flour 3 cups rhubarb, cut up 1 tablespoon butter Pastry for double crust Directions: Preheat oven to 400 F. Beat eggs slightly. Stir in sugar and flour. Stir in

rhubarb.

Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Top with slashed top crust and flute edges.

Dot with butter and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes.

GRANDMA JUNE’S ZUCCHINI PATTIES Ingredients: 2 small or 1 medium zucchini, chopped 1 egg 1/2 cup saltine cracker crumbs Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Steam the zucchini until soft, 15-20 minutes.

Drain. Mash slightly with fork or potato masher.

Stir in egg, crumbs, salt and pepper.

Pan-fry spoonful of the mixture in hot oil 3-4 minutes per side or until browned. Flatten with spatula. Drain on paper towels.

RUSTIC RASPBERRY COBBLER Filling Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons corn starch 1 cup water 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 4 cups black raspberries Filling Directions: In medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn starch, water and vanilla.

Cook until thick. Stir in raspberries. Pour into glass baking dish.

Topping Ingredients: 1 cup flour 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter 1 egg Topping Directions: Preheat oven to 400 F. Stir together butter and egg. Stir in flour and sugar. Mix until crumbly.

Drop by spoonful over berry mixture.

Bake 40-45 minutes.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 17

ies like candied pecans, chocolate-dipped pretzels and granola bars. And there’s an assortment of pies, including an old-fashioned sugar cream baked by LeaDel’s Amish neighbor.

Dan is lucky. It’s rare for a teenager to tell his mom and dad what to do, and rarer still to have them take his advice. It’s supposed to be the other way around.

“I guess I just didn’t wanna work for anybody else,” said Dan, now 34. “I’d rather be outside working than being stuck inside a factory.”

On this sunny but cold late winter day, he’s inside, leaning against one of the two long checkout counters that flank the cash register.

“We call this ‘The Pit,’ ” said LeaDel. The nickname hints at how the checkout area must feel to LeaDel, Kristin and the staff on a July weekend, when the sweet corn and the Indian Lake vacationers are coming on.

The Pit is front and center at a retail store that the Hurleys built three years ago on the site of the old barn where they used to sell their produce. The shop has allowed them to switch from a seasonal operation to a year-round one.

LeaDel said the slower pace of the off-season gives her the chance to get to know customers like longtime Indian Lake resident Jack Hart, 70.

“Do you want to know the truth?” he said, with a mischievous look in his eye. “The service has gotten terrible and the product isn’t all that good.”

“You’d better start sleeping with one eye open, buddy,” said LeaDel with a laugh.

“And they never have what you want,” said Hart, who had two bags of potato chips in one hand and a box of sugar cookies in the other.

“I want peanut butter cookies, but I guess I can choke these down.”

“And we never have free stuff,” chimed in LeaDel. “I always tell him the free stuff was the day before he was here.”

There is free stuff at Hurley Farms. The family has added special events like Pi Day on March 12, during which they offer pie samplings and a drawing for free pie for a year. There’s a deli

Grab the sugar, flour and plenty of salt and pepper and let’s get started.

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Hart paid for his chips and cookies.

“I gotta keep working to pay for this stuff,” he quipped.

Dan looked around the store, at the deli, the display shelves and refrigerated cases, at what has grown from his good idea, a good idea that has run in this family for three generations and that won over a reluctant farm stand farmer’s daughter.

“I never thought it would be what it is now,” he said.

As for LeaDel, his mom, her “never thoughts” go back farther than that. She never thought it would even be.

“Did I ever think I wanted to work in a business with my husband?” she said, not needing to provide the answer. She paused.

“Would I change it now? No.”

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Directions: Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice hoagie, if it isn’t sliced already, and open it up. Place the bun directly on the wire rack of the oven. This allows the hot air of the oven to circulate and toast both sides of the bun.

Toast the bun in the hot oven for 2 to 4 minutes until its white interior is just starting to brown, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven and place on a baking sheet.

To assemble the sandwich, place 2 slices of ham, 2 slices of turkey and 6 slices of salami on the sandwich. Top with 3-4 slices of provolone cheese.

Return the sandwich, open-face, to the oven and bake it 7-10 minutes, watching carefully to make sure the provolone cheese doesn’t begin to burn. Remove from the oven when cheese begins to bubble and meat is heated through.

Sprinkle the banana peppers over the cheese and meat.

Pile on the tomato slices and a generous handful of lettuce.

Drizzle the Italian salad dressing over the lettuce and tomato.

Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Close the sandwich and enjoy.

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THE HURLEY HOAGIE Ingredients: 1/4 pound ham, sliced medium thickness at the deli counter 1/4 pound turkey, sliced medium thickness at the deli counter 1/4 pound salami, sliced medium thickness at the deli counter 1/4 pound provolone cheese, sliced medium thickness at the deli counter One 8-inch white or whole-wheat hoagie 4 or 5 banana peppers, diced 3 slices tomato 1 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded or chopped into thin strips 2 tablespoons Italian salad dressing Salt and pepper, to taste

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Spring Home Inspiration

Jameson Manor

Photo by Amy Eddings

A historic home for all of Lima to enjoy 20 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

By Amy Eddings Jameson Manor is one of those standout, grand old homes that piques your curiosity as you drive by.

The tall, red brick home looms over its expansive lawn. Its wide, overhanging eaves, heavily-molded double wooden doors, side bay window and double-column front porch suggest the Victorian Italianate style that was popular during the Civil War. It’s the kind of place that, viewed from the curb, makes you wish you could see inside it, too.

Well, you can.

Owner Shannon Wannamacher has turned Jameson Manor into an alternative event space. She sees her 2,690-square-foot, five-room mansion as the perfect place for a party, reception or family reunion. She wants to share

“We made the commitment to place our roots in this community and make it the best that we can. New York is already fabulous. Lima is fabulous, too, and I just want people to see that.”

— Shannon Wannamacher her home with all of Lima.

“I felt this was something the community needed to enjoy,” she said of 1028 W. Market St. The house was built in 1879 on land owned by lawyer and real estate developer George Jameson. He also owned surrounding properties up and down West Market Street in what would

Shannon and Andy Wannamacher on the front porch of Jameson Manor.

Photos by Jaclyn Sollars

lous, too, and I just want people to see that.”

Like any old home, there’s still work to be done on the house. Wannamacher will add a staircase from the second floor terrace into the backyard, to comply with Lima’s fire code. She wants to pave the private parking lot. She also wants to transform the two-car attached brick garage into an all-weather event space, with two wheelchair-accessible restrooms and a lift.

“The city has kindly asked me to stop holding events until I’m up to code,” she said with a chuckle. “I can appreciate that.”

Bill Brown, Lima’s chief building official, said Wannamacher’s love of 1028 W. Market St. is an asset to the community.

“It’s important to preserve houses of that nature because there’s so few of them left,“ he said. “They have a lot of historical character.”

A new chapter in the old home’s history is being written, now that Shannon Wannamacher is its caretaker. And, if she has her way, a new sense of what’s possible could be sparked, transforming Lima in the same way that George Jameson did when he bought up farmland for a community that no one could imagine at the time.

“There’s so much that I want people to see and feel,” Wannamacher said. “I want to change perceptions and I want … I just want a lot.”

JAMESON MANOR Address: 1028 W. Market St., Lima, OH 45805 Phone: 419-516-2852 Email: shannon @jamesonmanorlima.com Website: jameson manorlima.com

Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 21

become the backbone of Lima’s social scene and growing merchant class.

Wannamacher said although Jameson owned the house, he was a true developer and never lived in it. He wasn’t even the home’s most noteworthy owner.

That was the Boose family, which lived in the home from 1910 to 1995.

“It was hard not to name the home after them, knowing that history,” Wannamacher said. “But what I wanted was to honor George Jameson’s vision for the community. It was progressive for the time. It reflected what was happening in Lima at that time. It was a time of opportunity and great promise.”

She believes there’s opportunity and promise to be had in Lima again today, beginning with homes like hers near the urban core that she was able to purchase for just $137,000.

“Living in the city, there’s this negative perception, ‘Oh, aren’t you concerned for your safety?’” she said. “I don’t think that that’s a fair assessment of the city of Lima. With this property, I just want people to come, have a great experience, appreciate the beauty of these historic properties and feel like, ‘Maybe I could live in the city. What a steal these properties are.’ ” The 26-year-old Lima native could have gone somewhere else to live and work. She graduated from Fordham University in the Bronx, in New York City, in 2012 with a marketing degree and a fistful of career opportunities. “(Public relations) at UBS Financial, NBC Universal. … I felt like I could have stayed,” she said.

Then, her sweetheart, Andy Wannamacher, proposed — and all signs pointed home to Lima.

“We made the commitment to place our roots in this community and make it the best that we can,” she said. “New York is already fabulous. Lima is fabu-

Spring Home Inspiration

Rethink your patio this spring

By Lora Abernathy

22 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

Corey Henson considers what he does an art form.

An old, cracked patio can become like new, especially with stamped details. A drab garage can become another living space. A once gray front porch can now cheerfully welcome visitors to a home.

Henson has mastered the art of home transformations by updating and upgrading concrete. Work similar to Henson’s is often featured on HGTV, and photos from enthusiasts who undertake such renovations are regularly pinned on Pinterest, likely on a “My New Patio” board.

Henson, a married father of two from Ada, opened ReDeck of Northwest Ohio in 2011. He and his six full- and part-time employees can take existing concrete, such as a gray patio, and turn it into something beautiful with a stamped concrete overlay system.

“Some of it looks like granite when we’re done,” Henson said.

He and his team also do stencil overlays, acid staining, existing stamp renews, concrete wash and repair and epoxy garage floors.

Many senior citizens, he said, are worried about slipping on their garage floors. Re-Deck puts an epoxychipped coating over it. Henson said that many customers “actually hang out in there” after they’re done, turning it sometimes into an extra living space.

The most rewarding part of his job is seeing the transformations — and the owners’ reactions.

“When you pull up to somebody’s house and you do their whole front sidewalk and their patio and their pool deck, and when you’re all done, you just transformed it,” he said. “At the end of the day, we actually did something.”

RE-DECK OF NORTHWEST OHIO Address: 1698 Findlay Rd., Lima, OH 45801 Phone: 419-549-5762 Email: corey@redeckonwo.com Website: redeckonwo.com

Corey Henson’s top 2 tips for keeping concrete in good shape 1. “Concrete is porous. It’s like a sponge,” he said. To help prevent damage, homeowners should powerwash their concrete and garage floors each spring. The salt residue will sit on the surface all summer, and rain is not enough to get it off.

2. Concrete can “pit and pop,” he said, and the surface should be sealed every two to three years.

BEFORE

AFTER

Wanted: Show us your shed “Backyard” used to mean a swath of grass, a tree or two, and a cement patio for aluminum lawn chairs. Modern history has given us landscaping and outdoor rooms and gardens.

“Backyard” has become a sanctuary from the usual life stresses, a way to get your hands in the dirt and make something out of nothing in the garden. And that central hub of activity is the humble potting shed — a structure that now has transcended

its workaday beginnings and can become a beautiful retreat in its own right.

We’d love to see photos of your shed and learn a bit about how you use it. Send us an email at amcgeesterrett@civitasmedia.com (subject line “shed”) by June 30. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. Your submission will be considered for publication in a future edition of Salt magazine.

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Spring Home Inspiration

Show off your ‘adulting’ skills Welcome guests to your home this spring with 3 lemon recipes that are sure to impress

By Andrea Chaffin

Oh, what sorrow. Say it isn’t so!

I did my best to avoid conChicken Piccata NEWSPAPER REPRODUCTION suming lemon. I picked around See recipe on page minimum 26 133LPI required, the yellow candies and gobbled 150LPI recommended. up the red ones, spit out sips of oddly citrus beverages in exchange for Capri-Sun and Pepsi (don’t get me started on “Pepsi Twist”), opted for crispy, chocolate Thin Mints, and reached for blue Jell-O cups instead.

The only lemon exception made was pink lemonade, made from the powder. And notice, it was pink.

So, what happens as adults that we suddenly begin eating “gross” things such as broccoli, sauerkraut, salmon, olives NEWSPAPER REPRODUCTION NOTE: and lemon? Especially lemon-

There’s no more denying it.

I knew I was officially a grownup when I discovered I liked lemon.

Growing up, lemon was an artificial flavor that came in the form of yellow Warheads candy, instant iced tea, Savannah Smiles (my least-favorite type of Girl Scout’s cookie), holiday Jell-O molds and disappointment.

Discovering a cupcake was lemon and not a yellow, butter cake was similar to learning the chocolate chip cookie in your hands was actually oatmeal raisin.

133LPI minimum required, 150LPI recommended.

NEWSPAPER REPRODUCTION NOTE:

133LPI minimum required, 150LPI recommended.

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flavored water? (My inner 8 year old is shuddering.)

I don’t know the answer for most of those other foods — other than it’s how we cope with being forced to do “adulting” — grotesque tasks such as going to work and paying bills.

But, I think the key to liking lemon is using real lemons.

Certainly, any kid won’t turn down a glass of freshly-made lemonade, right? Or a slice of decadent triple lemon cake made with fresh juice and zest?

(Turns out that may not be the best example, as a 6 year old spit out her first bite of this recipe. Luckily, a couple adults were nearby to volunteer to eat the rest of her slice).

Lemons are great for many other grown-up things, such as dish soap, wood furniture polish, deodorizing a kitchen sink, soothing a sore throat and mixing with vodka.

So, maybe lemon is just for us adults, although, I still wouldn’t turn away a juice box,

Triple Lemon Cake bowl of Kraft macaroni and cheese or a corn dog.

TRIPLE LEMON CAKE This cake is not for the lemon faint of heart. A decadent dessert, it features distinct layers and makes a picture-

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perfect slice that will impress guests. All this lemon and not a drop of lemon extract. I used a total of seven lemons making it.

Ingredients: Cake 2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 2/3 cup canola oil 2/3 cup lemon juice 3/4 cup sour cream

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 25

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Spring Home Inspiration

26 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

Lemon Curd 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1-2 lemons) 2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated 1/3 cup sugar 4 egg yolks 3 tablespoons butter (I used unsalted) Lemon Buttercream 1 1/2 cups butter 1 1/2 cups shortening 9 cups powdered sugar 3 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest 6 tablespoons lemon juice 3/4 teaspoons vanilla Directions: Cake Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Add eggs, oil and lemon juice. Beat until smooth.

Add sour cream and beat until smooth.

Divide batter into two 8-inch pans.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until done.

Lemon Curd Combine all ingredients in a double boiler, or in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water (like I did).

Heat while stirring constantly with a whisk.

It is done when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Refrigerate until cool and thick.

Lemon Buttercream Beat butter and shortening together until smooth. Add half the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating to combine.

Add lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla and combine.

Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat to combine.

To assemble the cake: 1. Divide the cake into 4 layers by slicing each cake in half.

Do this with a serrated knife.

2. Fill 2 layers with lemon buttercream and the other 2 with lemon curd.

3. Frost the outside of the cake.

(Recipe adapted from lifeloveandsugar.com.)

Salt and pepper to taste All-purpose flour, for dredging 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1 cup chicken stock or dry white wine (I used Chardonnay) 1/3 cup brined capers 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Lemon Drop Martini LEMON DROP MARTINI This classic cocktail has been a staple for generations.

Never had one? Think about the Lemon Shake-Up at the county fair, and add booze. Rumor is it was created in the 1970s in a San Francisco bar with a goal to popularize “girly” drinks. Like with any martini that has so few ingredients and showcases the spirit, don’t use cheap vodka.

Ingredients: 2 ounces Ketel One Citreon vodka 2 teaspoons superfine sugar 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice Directions: Create a sugar-rimmed glass by taking a lemon wedge and rubbing the drinking surface of the glass so it is barely moist.

Dip the edge of the glass into sugar.

Mix the vodka, sugar and

lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well to make sure sugar is blended. Pour strained liquor into a sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with a lemon wedge or twisted peel of lemon.

Superfine sugar is instantly dissolving sugar that is typically used in drinks. If you want to avoid the shaking, make a simple syrup to use in place of the sugar.

CHICKEN PICCATA Piccata is a method of preparing food where meat is sliced, coated, sauteed and served in a sauce. This dish is simple to make, but looks complicated and elegant. Extra “adult” points for the fancylooking capers.

Ingredients: 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise

Directions: Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil, over medium to high heat.

Add chicken pieces to the skillet and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until browned.

When chicken is cooked, remove chicken from skillet.

Remove skillet from heat.

Add lemon juice, chicken stock or wine, capers and scrape up the brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Return skillet to heat and bring to a boil. Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Add chicken back to skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to a platter, add remaining butter, and whisk for about a minute.

Sauce will thicken a bit.

You can return chicken to skillet and garnish with parsley.

Alternatively, you can pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley.

Serve over buttered angel hair pasta.

(Recipe inspired from jocooks.com.)

ANDREA CHAFFIN

Andrea is the food editor of Salt magazine and the editor of The Madison Press in London, Ohio. She can be reached at 740-8521616, ext. 1619 or via Twitter @AndeeWrites.

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 27

Spring Home Inspiration

15 household uses for lemon For a sore throat or bad breath, gargle with some lemon juice.

Toss used lemons into your garbage disposal to help keep it clean and smelling fresh.

Use one part lemon juice and two parts salt to scour chinaware to its original luster.

A few drops of lemon juice in outdoor house-paint will keep insects away while you are painting and until the paint dries.

28 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

To make furniture polish, mix one part lemon juice and two parts olive oil.

To clean the surface of white marble or ivory (such as piano keys), rub with half a lemon, or make a lemon juice and salt paste. Wipe with a clean, wet cloth.

To remove dried paint from glass, apply hot lemon juice with a soft cloth. Leave until nearly dry, and then wipe off.

Suck on a lemon to settle an upset stomach.

Rub kitchen and bathroom faucets with lemon peel.

Wash and dry with a soft cloth to shine and remove spots.

Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with two tablespoons of salt to make a rust-removing scrub.

Create your own air freshener: Slice some lemons, cover with water, and let simmer in a pot for about an hour. (This will also clean your aluminum pots.)

Before you start to vacuum, put a few drops of lemon juice in the dust bag. It will make the house smell fresh.

To get odors out of wooden rolling pins, bowls, or cutting boards, rub with a piece of lemon. Don’t rinse: The wood will absorb the lemon juice.

After a shampoo, rinse your hair with lemon juice to make it shine. Mix the strained juice of a lemon in an eightounce glass of warm water.

Fish or onion odor on your hands can be removed by rubbing them with fresh lemons.

Knowing what’s below helps keep you safe. Call 811, it’s the law!

Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 29

40850863

Tony Venturella

Photos by Amanda Wilson

In the kitchen with …

John and Tony Venturella at Casa Lu Al

30 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

By Amy Eddings There are challenges to interviewing John and Tony Venturella inside the brothers’ restaurant, Casa Lu Al. First of all, you’ve got to get them to sit down.

“Here’s the problem with me sitting down at the table here,” said Tony, 57, moments after sinking into a chair after the lunch rush. “I feel compelled to go check on everyone to make sure they’ve been waited on.”

He was up and out of his seat in a wink to walk through the dining room.

Then you’ve got to be ready for interruptions.

Longtime patrons Joe and Joanna Varga were coming in for lunch and saw the brothers sitting at the table.

“I got something for you,” said Joanne, 65, holding a paper bag in her hands.

“You do? Is it ticking?” said John.

“It’s homemade banana bread,” Joanne said. “It’s really

good warm with a glob of butter ern, hire people to run it,” said John. “I’ve seen a lot of people or whipped cream.” throw their retirement away.”

Yes, Casa Lu Al is that kind of The continued success of place, a restaurant whose ownCasa Lu Al in an industry of fickers, staff and patrons interact like one big family. It’s been part le tastes, demanding customers, and paper-thin profit margins of Lima’s dining scene since is a testament to the business John and Tony’s father, George, and their Uncle Dominic bought savvy of John and Tony. Within 10 years of takThe Blinking Owl tavern “Here’s the problem ing over from and turned it with me sitting down their father and into an Italuncle, the Venat the table here. I ian restaurant turella brothers in 1960. John, feel compelled to go expanded the 65, stepped check on everyone dining room, added a bar in to help his to make sure they’ve and a walk-in dad and uncle in 1973. Tony refrigerator, and been waited on.” joined the famimproved the kitchen. ily business in — Tony Venturella One thing 1982 when the they didn’t elders retired. tinker with was the food, esThe brothers are quick to say there’s nothing romantic about pecially the pasta sauces. The running a restaurant. menu still proudly states they’re “made in our kitchen from Mrs. “It’s not a 40-hour-a-week Venturella’s recipes.” job,” said Tony.

“It’s all about the quality of “I see people who retired from good jobs, nice pensions, the tomatoes,” said John about thinking they’ll buy a little tavCasa Lu Al’s marinara sauce.

“We don’t change the brand of tomato we buy. We buy from Stanislaus, a California product.

It’s fresh-packed. A lot of commercial brands, it’s reconstituted product. Stanislaus, those tomatoes are almost like eating a fresh tomato.”

Then there’s the matter of the spices. Dried basil. Salt and pepper. That’s it.

“We don’t use oregano,” said Tony.

“It’s too overpowering,” said John. “My mom didn’t use it.

My complaint with the canned Italian products, the first thing I think of is, what did they do, order a trainload of oregano?

Because it’s all I taste.”

The brothers are equally proud of Casa Lu Al’s fish dishes.

“Our salmon is terrific,” said John. There’s simple, grilled salmon, Mediterranean salmon that’s lightly blackened and served with asiago cheese, and San Francisco salmon with asparagus and Hollandaise sauce.

“I like the pork tenderloin

sandwiches. They’re the best in the city,” piped up Joe. “We’ve been coming here since the 1970s. It’s a good neighborhood restaurant.”

John and Tony hear this often, but it never grows old.

“To stand here and hear customers say, you have such a great place, you do such a good job, thank you for being here … it takes the edge off, at least,” said Tony.

“Whatever aggravation you had that day,” said John, “it makes it all worthwhile.”

JOHN VENTURELLA’S MARINARA SAUCE “My mother always said, ‘Don’t ask your aunts for a recipe.

They’ll accidentally leave something out so it doesn’t taste as good as theirs.”

With this caveat, here are John’s instructions for making his version of marinara sauce. He couldn’t give specific weights and measures of ingredients because, at this point, he makes this sauce by instinct.

Start by preparing the toma-

toes.

“I take a can of whole, peeled Alta Cucina tomatoes (a Stanislaus brand), and I break them up with my hand so that what’s left is just the pulpy part. I let the juice run out,” John said. He does this over a bowl, to save that juice.

You’ll need it later for the sauce.

What size of can? Most canned tomatoes come in 28-ounce cans, but the Stanislaus Alta Cucina brand that John mentioned is 6 pounds, and available through Amazon.

Yes, you’re making a lot of sauce.

Set aside the tomatoes. Sauté in a pan over low to medium heat three bunches of green onions, “chopped, with some of the green part but not all of it,” in good olive oil.

“I use Filippo Berio. Pompeiian, too,” John said.

Sauté until opaque. Add a tablespoon of minced garlic.

Stir frequently, being careful not to let the garlic burn and get bitter.

Add the tomatoes.

“Stir that around for 15, 20

minutes,” John said. “Add the (reserved) juice.”

Let the tomato pulp, juice, green onions and garlic sauce come to a low, slow boil.

“A smile, not a laugh,” said John.

Add a tablespoon of dried basil, “more if it’s fresh,” he said.

He mimes dumping chopped basil leaves into the cupped palm of his hand.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

John said no sugar is necessary to cut the acidity if you use Alta Cucina tomatoes.

“Maybe Midwestern tomatoes, you do,” John said. “California tomatoes, they’re sweet on their own.”

Simmer low for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until thickened to your liking.

“It doesn’t have to cook all day,” he said. “My mother didn’t do that! If you did, you’d have tomato paste, not tomato sauce.”

When thick, add one stick (1/4 cup) of butter. Stir until it melts and simmer a bit more until the butter is incorporated. Serve over pasta. Lots of it.

John Venturella

CASA LU AL Address: 2323 N. West St., Lima, OH 45801 Phone: 419-229-0774 Email: thecasalual @yahoo.com Website: casalual restaurant.com

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 31

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ut & Abou

Out & About ALLEN COUNTY

April 22 A Spring Show, 6:30 p.m., ArtSpace/ Lima, 65-67 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-222-1721, email artspacelima@ woh.rr.com or visit artspacelima. com.

April 29 Parmalee, 8 p.m., Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-2241552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.

May 3 “Bats: What You Didn’t Learn Watching ‘Batman,’ ” 7:30 p.m., OSU Lima Visitor’s Center, 4240 Campus Drive, Lima. Call 419-221-1232 or visit jampd.com.

May 4 The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Gala, 5:30 p.m., UNOH Event Center, 1450 N. Cable Road, Lima. Call 419-222-6045, email chamber@ limachamber.com or visit limachamber.com.

May 13-15, 20-22 “Making God Laugh,” 8 p.m. May 13, 14, 20 and 21, and 2 p.m. May 15 and 22, Encore Theatre, 991 North Shore Drive, Lima. Call 419223-8866, email encore@mw.twcbc. com or visit www.amiltellers.org.

32 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

May 14 The 45th annual Bluffton Arts and Crafts Show, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Main Street, downtown Bluffton. Contact Jerry Burkholder at 419-722-1521 or jlb1646@wcoil.com. Call 419369-2985, ext. 118, or email blufftonchamber@gmail.com for further information.

AUGLAIZE COUNTY

April 22-23 Village of Minster community garage sales, 5 W. Fourth St. Call 419-629-0411 or visit auglaize.org.

April 23 Arts in April, downtown Wapakoneta. Visit wapakshops.com.

April 23 A fundraiser featuring T & Rich Dueling Pianos, 7-11 p.m., VFW Post 9289, 1309 E. Spring St., St. Marys. Call Country Truck Sales at 419-394-7178, Kathy Langsdon at 419-305-8045 or BRW Tool at 419305-7384.

April 28 Auglaize County Historical Society bus trip to Richmond and Wayne counties, Indiana. Call 419-7389328.

Compiled by Sarah Allen and Lora Abernathy

April 29 “Cabaret,” noon, Wapakoneta High School. Visit wapak.org.

May 31 Farm to Table, 6:30 p.m., Wapakoneta library. Call 419-738-2921.

April 29 Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA, 5:307:30 p.m. Call 419-739-9622.

June 3-4 Community garage sales. Call the Wapakoneta Area Chamber of Commerce at 419-738-2911 or visit wapakoneta.com.

May 1 Moon City Swap Meet, Auglaize County Fairgrounds. Call Bill Lininger at 419-394-6484.

May 1 Let’s Go Fly a Kite at the Museum, 1 p.m., Armstrong Air & Space Museum, 500 Apollo Drive, Wapakoneta. Call 419-738-8811 or visit armstrongmuseum.org.

May 4 Sertoma Jedi Challenge Run, 6:30 p.m., Wapakoneta YMCA. Call 419739-9622.

May 6 Beacon of Hope fundraiser, The Grand Plaza, 913 Defiance St., Wapakoneta. Call Community Health Professionals at 419-7387430.

May 7 Derby Days Wine Tasting, 5-7:30 p.m., Marley’s Downtown, 15 Perry St., Wapakoneta. Email Judie Presar at jpresar@bright.net or visit downtownwapakoneta.com.

May 7 United Way of Auglaize County Day of Caring. Call Randy Fisher at 419739-7717.

HANCOCK COUNTY April 13-17 “Hearts Like Fists,” 7:30 p.m. April 13-16, and 2 p.m. April 17, John & Hester Powell Grimm Theatre, 1001 Cory St., Findlay. Call 419-434-5335.

April 17 An open house will be held for April Fools in Nature at the Oakwoods Nature Preserve, 1-4 p.m., 1400 Oakwoods Lane, Findlay.

Contact Jessie Elsass at jelsass@ hancockparks.com.

April 22 “Beauty and the Beast JR,” 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 2300 S. Main St., Findlay. Call 419-422-3412, email boxoffice@artspartnership. com or visit artspartnership.com.

April 22 “The Four Seasons with a Twist,” 8 p.m., Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Marathon Performing Arts Center, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay. Call 419-423-2787 or visit marathoncenterarts.org.

May 14 Auglaize County Suicide Prevention and Awareness Walk, 10 a.m., Memorial Park, St. Marys. Call Jessica Braun at 419-296-0933.

April 23 The 18th annual Enchanted Forest Walk, 7:30 p.m., Discovery Center at the Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Oakwoods Lane, Findlay. Call Jessie Elsass at jelsass@hancockparks. com.

May 21 Astronomy Day, 10 a.m., Armstrong Air & Space Museum, 500 Apollo Drive, Wapakoneta. Call 419-7388811 or visit armstrongmuseum. org.

April 23 A Stunt Dog Experience, 2 p.m., Marathon Performing Arts Center, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay. Call 419-423-2787 or visit findlayforthearts.org.

May 21 Astronomy Night, 7 p.m., Armstrong Air & Space Museum, 500 Apollo Drive, Wapakoneta. Call 419-7388811 or visit armstrongmuseum. org.

April 23 Mom Prom, 7:30 p.m., a ladies night out for charity in which women wear their old prom or bridesmaid dresses. Elks Lodge, 900 Melrose Ave., Findlay. Visit facebook.com/ findlaymomprom/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf or momprom.org.

May 21-22 Wapak Tug Fest, Auglaize County Fairgrounds. Call Matt Gossard at 419-738-2515.

May 27 Party in the Parkway featuring The Staples, 7 p.m., downtown Wapakoneta. Call the Wapakoneta Area Chamber of Commerce at 419-7382911.

April 24 “Under the Streetlamp,” 3 p.m., Marathon Performing Arts Center, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay. The show will highlight classic hits from the American radio songbook. Call 419-423-2787 or visit findlayforthearts.org.

April 28-30, May 1, 5-8, 12-15 “Guys and Dolls,” Fort Findlay Playhouse. Call 419-423-7168 or visit fortfindlayplayhouse.org.

April 30 The eighth annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, 10:30 a.m., Riverside Park, 219 McManness Ave., Findlay.

Sponsored by The Union Bank Company to raise awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault. Call 419-420-9261 or visit openarmsfindlay.org.

May 6 The May ArtWalk, 5-7 p.m., Findlay Airport, 1615 Gray St., Findlay. Call Sarah Foltz at 419-422-4624 or visit artspartnership.com.

May 7 Re-Creation Party Rock USA!, presented by the Findlay Elks Lodge #75, 7 p.m., Marathon Performing Arts Center, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay. Call 419-423-2787 or visit marathoncenterarts.org.

May 7 The 20th annual Fish Festival, 8-11 a.m., Riverbend Recreation Area.

Call 419-425-7275, email hpdparks@hancockparks.com or visit hancockparks.com.

May 7-8 Springtime in Ohio Craft Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hancock County Fairgrounds, 1017 E. Sandusky St., Findlay. Call 419-429-7344 or visit cloudshows.biz/event-calendar/ event/22/28th-annual-springtime-inohio-art-craft-show.

May 14 Spring Disc Golf Tournament, 8 a.m. registration, Shelter 5, Riverbend Recreation Area, Findlay. Contact Rob Ledwedge at 419-934-2713 or pictureperfect_rob@sbcglobal.net.

May 14-15 The Hancock Historical Museum will host a historic homes tour, with a Champagne and Candlelight preview from 7-10 p.m. May 14. Call 419-423-4433 or visit hancockhistoricalmuseum.org.

May 22 A Pioneer’s Day Off Open House, 1-4 p.m., Litzenberg Memorial Woods. Learn how McKinnis family members entertained themselves in their valuable leisure time. Call 419-425-7275, email hpdparks@ hancockparks.com or visit hancockparks.com.

June 3 Boogie on Main, 6 p.m., South Main Street, between Main Cross and

Crawford streets. Visit artspartnership.com.

June 4 Judgement Free 5K and 1 Mile Walk/ Roll/Shuffle, 8:30-11:30 a.m., Riverbend Park, 9250 TR 208, Findlay.

Call 419-422-3000 or visit planetfitness.com/gyms/findlay-oh-209.

Visit thesaltmagazine.com and click on the Add Events link at the top to enter your event information.

(The calendar is for organizations’ special events only and excludes listings of regular meetings.)

HARDIN COUNTY April 28 “Swing in the Spring,” 7:30 p.m., presented by the Ohio Northern University Jazz Ensemble, Freed Center, 525 S. Main St., Ada. Call 419-772-1900 or visit onu.edu.

April 28 Hospice Beacon of Hope Dinner and Charity Auction, 6-8 p.m., ONU Ballroom, McIntosh Center, 525 S. Main St., Ada. Call 419-634-7443 or visit hardincountyoh.org.

May 6 Senior Citizens Day with a “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Community Building, Hardin County Fairgrounds, 14131 County Road 140, Kenton. Call 419673-1102.

May 7 The sixth annual Hardin County Sports Hall of Fame, 6:30 p.m., Upper Scioto Valley High School, 510 S. Courtright St., McGuffey. Tickets may be purchased at any Quest Federal Credit Union location in Ada and Kenton.

May 19 Hardin County Community Foundation Celebration, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Hardin County Armory, 128 N. Main St., Kenton. Visit hardincountyoh. org.

April 30 Crystal Gale, 2 and 7:30 p.m., The Overdrive, 3769 state Route 127, Celina. Call 419-925-9999, email contact@theoverdrive.com or visit theoverdrive.com.

May 1 Sunday Speaker Series: Bill Kennedy, site manager of Sunwatch Village, 3 p.m., Fort Recovery State Museum, 1 Fort Site St., Fort Recovery. Call 419-375-4649 or visit fortrecoverymuseum.com.

May 6 The 18th annual Hopefest, 4 p.m., Wally Post Athletic Complex, St. Henry. The event will include inflatables, a survivor’s ceremony, and a grocery grab drawing. Contact the Cancer Association of Mercer

May 6 Cruise-In, 6-10 p.m., Brick Street, Fort Recovery. Sponsored by the Fort Recovery Merchants and Fort Car Club.

May 7 Coldwater community garage sales. Email coldwatergaragesales@hotmail.com.

May 7 Mercer County Tire Amnesty, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mercer County Fairgrounds. Call 419-586-3695.

May 13-14 The Mercer County Ribfest, Mercer County Fairgrounds, 1001 W. Market St., Celina. Call 419-586-3239 or visit mercercountyohiofair.com.

May 15 Summer Concert Series: “Annie Jr.,” 2 and 6 p.m., sponsored by the Friends of the Arts, Fort Recovery Elementary School. Call 419-8524941 or 419-375-4000, email fortrecoveryfriendsofthearts@gmail. com or visit fortrecoveryfriendsofthearts.com.

May 17 The Culpepper and Merriweather Circus, 5 and 7 p.m., Fort Recovery Middle School, sponsored by the Fort Recovery Merchants. Visit fortrecovery.org.

May 21 Penny Gilley, 2 and 7:30 p.m., The Overdrive, 3769 state Route 127, Celina. Call 419-925-9999, email contact@theoverdrive.com or visit theoverdrive.com.

May 21 A Mad Run: Muddy 5K with Obstacles, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Ambassador Park, 2205 state Route 49, Fort Recovery. Proceeds will benefit the St. Henry EMS building project.

Visit themadrun.com.

May 27 Celina-Mercer County Chamber of Commerce golf outing, 12:30 p.m., Fox’s Den, Celina. Visit celinamercer.com.

June 4-5 Water Race & Field Trial, Ohio Progressive Sportsman, 740 St, Peter Road, Fort Recovery. Visit fortrecovery.org.

PUTNAM COUNTY April 21 Stroke Awareness in a Nutshell, 7:45 a.m., The Meadows of Ottawa, 147 Putnam Parkway, Ottawa. Event includes breakfast. Call 419-523-4092.

May 6 Leadercast, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., New Creation Lutheran Church, Ottawa. Visit ottawachamber.org.

June 3 Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday, 4-7 p.m., Ottawa municipal parking lot at Oak and Main streets, Ottawa.

June 7-8 The Friends of the Putnam County District Library annual Used Book Sale, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fourth Street Gym, Ottawa. Call 419-523-3747.

VAN WERT COUNTY April 17 The Texas Tenors, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit npacvw.org.

April 17 Pistol Fun Shoot, 1-5 p.m., Van Wert County Outdoorsmen Association Range, 9065 Ringwald Road, Middle Point.

April 23-24, 29-30, May 1 “Buying the Moose,” 7 p.m., Van Wert Senior Center, 220 Fox Road, Van Wert. Call 419-605-6708, email info@offstagetheatre.com or visit offstagetheatre.com.

April 30 Brian Culbertson, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit npacvw.org.

April 30 Master Gardener’s Plant Sale, 8

a.m. to noon, Van Wert County Fairgrounds, 1055 S. Washington St., Van Wert.

May 6 Leadercast, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lifehouse Church at YMCA Camp Clay, 9196 Liberty Union Road, Van Wert, sponsored by the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce. Call 419238-4390 or visit vanwertchamber. com.

May 12 Night at the Museum: Paper Flowers, 6:30 p.m., Van Wert County Historical Museum, 602 N. Washington St., Van Wert. Visit vanwert.com/museum.

May 12-15, 19-22 “The Outgoing Tide,” Van Wert Civic Theater, 118 S. Race St., Van Wert.

Call 419-238-9689 or visit vwct.org.

May 13 Ohio City Arts in the Park, 7-9 p.m., Ohio City Memorial Park, 102 S. Main St., Ohio City. Visit visitvanwert.org.

May 14 Van Wert Service Club Pancake and Sausage Day, 6 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Van Wert High School/Middle School Commons, 10708 state Route 118, Van Wert. Visit visitvanwert.org.

May 15 Van Wert County Historical Society Speakers Series: Collins Fine Foods, 2-3:30 p.m., Van Wert County Historical Society, 602 N. Washington St., Van Wert. Visit vanwert.com/ museum.

May 15 Van Wert Area Boychoir Spring Concert, 3-4:30 p.m., Trinity United Methodist Church, 220 S. Walnut St., Van Wert. Visit visitvanwert.org.

May 16 The Van Wert County Agricultural Society’s free fair entertainment fundraising auction, 10 a.m., Junior Fair Building, Van Wert County Fairgrounds, 1055 S. Washington St., Van Wert. Contact Jason Rawlins at 419-771-0237 or jrawlins3@roadrunner.com.

May 20 Spring Pioneer Camp, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., YMCA Camp Clay, 9196 Liberty Union Road, Van Wert. An interactive re-enactment of how life was in the 1800s. Visit vwymca.org.

June 3-5 The 41st Annual Van Wert Peony Festival Weekend and Artrageous, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fountain Park, downtown Van Wert.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 33

MERCER COUNTY

County at 419-584-0014, camc@ bright.net or camc-ohio.org.

Out & About

Want to see your event listed in Out & About?

At the 2015 Cincinnati Comic Expo held last September, a row of stormtroopers “guard” a display promoting the new “Star Wars” film.

Gary Brock photo

34 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

Getting conned Your guide to science fiction, horror, comic book and anime conventions

UPCOMING CONVENTIONS April 29-May 1 Animatic Con. Eastgate Holiday Inn and Suites, 4501 Eastgate Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45245. Visit animaticcon.com.

By Gary Brock

June 5 Lake Effect Comic Book Convention. Holiday Inn, 7850 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. Visit comicsandfriends.org/lakeeffectcomiccon.

They are growing both in popularity and numbers, and their numbers in Ohio could reach an all-time high this year.

We are talking about science fiction, horror, comic book and anime conventions, collectively known as “fan expos” and “cons.”

Thousands of Ohioans who are devoted fans of these conventions used to have to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to attend a gathering of like-minded followers. But not anymore.

Now the conventions are coming to the fans.

Already this year, the Wizard World Comic Con in Cleveland was held in February. In March, the HorrorHound Weekend was held in Cincinnati.

Early in April, the Cinema Wasteland movie festival was held in Strongsville, near Cleveland.

But not to worry. If you missed these conventions, there are plenty more in Ohio and neighboring states all spring and summer. Also, if you enjoy “dressing up” as your favorite action heroes or heroines, conventions will love to see you, and there are often costume contests with cash prizes.

June 10-12 Midwest Haunters Convention.

Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43215.

Haunted house-related seminars, trade show, haunted house tours, costume ball, contests and 100-plus vendors.

Visit midwesthauntersconvention.com.

June 24-26 Days of the Dead horror convention.

Wyndham Indianapolis-West, 2544 Executive Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46241.

Visit daysofthedead.net/indianapolis.

July 29-31 FanDom Fest. Kentucky Fair and Expo Center, 937 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209. Visit fandomfest.com.

Wizard World Comic Con. Greater Columbus Convention Center, 500 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43215. Visit wizardworld.com.

Aug. 14 NEO Comic Con. Holiday Inn, 15271 Royalton Road, Strongsville, OH 44136.

Visit neocomiccon.com.

Sept. 2-4 Days of the Dead horror convention.

Crown Plaza Louisville Airport, 830 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209. Visit daysofthedead.net/louisville.

Sept. 23-25 Cincinnati Comic Expo. Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. Visit cincinnaticomicexpo.com.

Sept. 30-Oct.2 Scarefest horror and paranormal convention. Lexington Convention Center, 430 W. Vine St., Lexington KY 40507.

TO BE ANNOUNCED Horrorhound Weekend. Indianapolis.

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Spring

in bloom

By Jane Beathard

36 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

By the time this issue of Salt magazine is in readers’ hands, Ohio’s spring wildflower season will be well under way.

Skunk cabbage always appears first. The spunky plant pushes its way through icy surface soil in mid February via a unique ability to generate its own heat, according to Jim McCormac,

Marsh Marigold

a naturalist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Skunk cabbage blooms until mid March, when favorites like harbingerof-spring, hepatica, bloodroot, white trout lily and buttercup begin to sprout.

Sunlight, more than warming temperatures, spurs the appearance of most wildflowers. They are subject to Ohio’s “photoperiod” — those brief weeks in late winter and early spring when

Photos courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Best Places and Times for Spring Wildflower Walks Hamilton County: Shawnee Lookout Park, mid March to mid May Adams County: Ohio River Bluffs Preserve, mid March to late June Adams County: Edge of Appalachia Preserve Lynx Prairie Trail, late April to late May Adams County: Whipple State Nature Preserve and Gladys Riley Golden Star Lily Preserve, late March to late April Greene County: Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve, mid April Lake County: Hatch-Otis State Nature Preserve, mid April Preble/Butler Counties: Hueston Woods State Nature Preserve, mid April Jackson County: Lake Katherine State Nature Preserve, mid April Fulton County: Goll Woods State Nature Preserve, late April Richland County: Fowler Woods State Nature Preserve, late April to early June Highland County: Miller State Nature Preserve, late April to early May Portage County: Eagle Creek State Nature Preserve, early May Fairfield County: Shallenberger State Nature Preserve, early May Ottawa County: Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve, mid May Champaign County: Cedar Bog State Nature Preserve, mid May to early June

leaves are not yet on trees and sunlight reaches the forest floor for more minutes each day.

“There’s not as much diversity of wildflowers after trees leaf-out,” McCormac said. “Although, some bloom all spring, summer and fall.”

Not surprising, wildflower color first blankets the slopes of the Ohio River. Thereafter, the season moves north about 10 miles a day. Peak bloom statewide comes between mid March and late May, he added.

“Ohio ranks toward the top among Midwestern states for wildflowers because we have such diverse habitats. It’s a ‘crossroads’ state with boreal forests from the north, prairies from the west, Ohio River Valley specialists on the south, and Appalachian influences from the east,” McCormac said.

He calls Adams County the state’s most floristically diverse — largely because the great glaciers that once covered much of Ohio missed that area.

“The shortgrass and cedar glade prairies in (Adams County) are loaded with rare species — perhaps the greatest concentration of rare plants in the state and the richest in native plants,” McCormac

added.

About half of Ohio’s 1,800 native plants are wildflowers.

Naturalist Robert Henn categorized 313 of the most popular in “Wildflowers of Ohio,” the first field guide to the state’s wild blooms.

“It took me four years to write the first guide,” Henn said.

Indiana University published the book in 1998. A second edition appeared in 2008.

It included not only descriptions, but also background stories of the flowers and how pioneers used them for medicinal and other purposes.

The guide, currently priced at $19.45 through Amazon, remains popular, Henn said.

“Colleges use (the guide) for botany courses,” he added.

Henn’s book promotes wildflower preservation — an issue near and dear to the author’s heart.

“Humans tend to place little value on things they cannot name,” he said. “A field guide names the flowers and provides a reason to value them.”

Regular updates on Ohio’s spring wildflower bloom are available on the ODNR website at naturepreserves.ohiodnr. gov/wildflowers.

Above, Wild Blue Phlox; below, Red Trillium

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 37

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38 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photo taken by Kim Knauff in Jackson County, Ohio.

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | April/May 2016 | 39

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