NW OH | Nov. 2016 | Issue 8

Salt Flavor for Everyday Life November 2016|$3 A supplement of The Lima News

Decorate

for fall

Distillery makes whiskey ‘to die for’

Salt Marketplace and Cook Show Nov. 10

CHRISTMAS 27th Annual

at

APOLLO

December 3, 2016 Admission $3 • 12 and under free

Apollo Career Center 3325 Shawnee Road • Lima

Support our Career-Technical Clubs Skills USA • FFA • FCCLA • BPA • HOSA

Food Available

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2 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 3

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Salt Flavor for Everyday Life thesaltmagazine.com Northwest Ohio November 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.

Hide & Shake 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 and enter your contact information. Your name, street number, street name, city and zip code are required. Only your name and city will be published. All entries must be received by Nov. 10, 2016. Only online entries will be accepted.

In the October issue, the shaker was hidden in the top photo on page 25.

Congratulations to our most recent winner, Irene Meyer of Leipsic.

You could be our next winner!

On the Cover This photo was taken at the Apollo Career Center by Amanda Wilson.

Please buy locally and recycle.

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

Clothing, Jewelry, Boots, Purses, Furniture, Home Decore and More.

Kelly’s Boutique will keep you trendy and classy.

VISIT OUR NEW BOUTIQUE

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Unique fashion for all shapes with sizes: Newborn thru Women’s S-3X

Salt CONTENTS

features

Fall in love: Autumn decor tips to try at home Slowing down: Elida’s Log Home Traditions gives a reason to relax Reader Recipes Salt Marketplace and Cook Show Nov. 10 Salt Marketplace and Cook Show: Meet the cooks Salt Marketplace and Cook Show: Cooks’ go-to recipes

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Out and About

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columns

By Pamela Stricker

By Amy Eddings

Recipe Index

Chicken alla Alba .............................................................................21 Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Dip .............................................14 Gorgonzola Cheese Dip .................................................................21 Old-Fashioned Cream Pie...............................................................12 Pineapple Pie....................................................................................12 Pumpkin Pie ......................................................................................12 Reuben Casserole............................................................................22 Seriously the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies .................................22 Stuffed Shells ....................................................................................21 Sweet Potato Soup............................................................................22

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Fremont man makes a whiskey ‘to die for’

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Publisher’s Note

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d a o l r e v o d e From g g u l p to un

Staff PAMELA STRICKER Pamela is the publisher of Salt magazine, which she launched in southern Ohio in 2009. She also holds the title of publisher, Niche Product Division for Civitas Media. She and her husband, Jerry, reside in Lima.

JAYLA WALLINGFORD Jayla is the designer of Salt magazine and is the manager of the special sections team for Civitas Media. She lives in Harveysburg with two cats (and offers free handouts to a slew of feline drifters).

LORA ABERNATHY Lora is the editor of Salt magazine and the director of editorial digital strategies for Civitas Media. She lives in Hillsboro with her husband, Gary.

Reach her at 937-382-2574 or on Twitter @AbernathyLora.

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.

ANDREA CHAFFIN Andrea is the food editor of Salt magazine and the editor of The Madison Press. She can be reached at 740-852-1616, ext.

1619, or via Twitter @AndeeWrites.

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.

Judy Wells

Front Porch

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

By Lora Abernathy

With whom would you like to trade places for one week?

A lifeguard at Destin, Florida. I could use a vacation at the Gulf.

Onions or no onions?

No onions – except in soup. I love soup.

Who is the kindest person you know?

My brother, Michael. I have never heard him say a bad word or gossip about anyone. He’s a model I strive to emulate. In fact, the world could use a lot more kindness.

People are starved for it.

What scent takes you back to your childhood?

The smell of fresh-tilled earth in the spring. My dad always had a halfacre garden and we all had chores/ assignments to help him. Mine was planting corn and picking strawberries when they were ready. Very few made

it inside, though, since we would all eat them as we picked.

Would you rather swim 2 miles or bike 100?

Bike 100 miles – since it would take me just as long to swim 2 miles (not a very good swimmer).

What do you love most about your community?

I just spent two days at Link Lima/ Allen County’s MakerFest events with upwards of 1,500-plus high school students, employers, teachers and community leaders. The best thing about my community is how we come together, showcase our talents, and encourage our families to grow and thrive right here in our region. It was very uplifting. Plus, Apollo Career Center students took home both the skilled trades first-place trophy and the new STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) trophy this year.

I’m so proud of them.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 7

Profile

Apollo Career Center Superintendent

8 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

Fall in love

Photo by Craig J. Orosz

Autumn decor tips to try at home

By Adrienne McGee Sterrett

• The floral shop at Apollo Career Center is open 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 2 p.m. every day school is in session. It offers everything a traditional florist offers, from fresh-cut arrangements, balloons and memorial gifts. All items must be picked up; delivery is not available. Apollo Career Center is at 3325 Shawnee Road, Lima, and the floral shop is steps from the front main doors to the right.

• Save the date: The Christmas at Apollo craft show is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dec. 3. Admission $3 adults, free ages 12 and younger.

• Floral adult education classes will begin in January. Check apollocareercenter.com for details.

• The floral department’s new greenhouse will allow for bedding plants offered for sale in spring, forced bulbs in winter, poinsettias at the holidays, and vegetables for use in the school’s Garden Café. kins, corn shocks, Indian corn, straw bales — but keep it up until Thanksgiving. There’s no need to be regimented — Halloween, then fall harvest, then Christmas. It can flow into each other.

“I’m a firm believer in celebrating all the way up through Thanksgiving,” he said. And then Christmas is “an explosion of glitter and color and lights.”

Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 9

Joe Warnement, floral design/interiors instructor at Apollo Career Center, was in constant motion during a recent visit as he busied himself putting the finishing touches on the floral shop at the school.

An open house in late September welcomed everyone to check out the renovation at the school, and Warnement wanted his department to be at its best.

And since it was all new, he and his students were faced with the challenge of a display space they had never decorated before. How best to design the mantel?

What fits best on the hutch? What about these shelves? And the dining set?

The spacious shop offers many areas in which to feature different designs, with Warnement trying to demonstrate to a shopper what that arrangement might look like in their own home. A job, yes, but a fun one.

“Fall is such a beautiful and easy season to decorate,” Warnement said.

“It’s the colors, I think, because they’re so warm and inviting.”

He was quick to riff on different ideas: • Muted metallics. Think coppers and golds, the warm tones.

“And it transitions well into the holiday season,” he said.

• Shiny/bright.

“People want that color and the lights and the glitter. It just lifts people’s spirits.

If we lived in Alaska, we’d need a lot of glitter,” he said.

• Natural themes.

“With pumpkins and gourds and just branches, you can make anything look great,” he said. “One of the biggest items that is readily available and very popular right now is burlap.”

• Terrariums.

“It always comes back,” he said of the succulent craze that was last popular in the ‘70s.

No matter your style, add a living green thing as a point of interest, and it will make you happy.

Idea No. 1: Find a good spot for an old trunk or interesting crate. Fill it with gourds and branches. Maybe twist some grapevine through it.

Idea No. 2: Source a wagon, wheelbarrow or crate you enjoy. Line it with burlap, maybe weaving the burlap through the spaces of the wagon/crate.

Fill it with potted mums. Make a burlap wreath for your front door to echo the theme.

Idea No. 3: Do the traditional pump-

Photos by Amanda Wilson

Slowing down

10 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

By Adrienne McGee Sterrett

Hospitality.

It’s not often you can sum up a place in one word, but that’s the word for Log Home Traditions.

Mervin and Beverly Shirk work very hard to be sure you feel nothing but relaxation when you make a visit.

And hunger. Hunger is important.

The Shirks operate Log Home Traditions, between Elida and Delphos on state Route 309, out of their home that Mervin built from several log cabins that date to the 1800s. They serve from-scratch meals to diners hungry for both great food and reminiscing.

“When people come here, there is an atmosphere of relaxation,” Mervin said. “There’s just a sense of satisfaction … just to see them enjoying the meal and just the atmosphere.”

He explained they visited a similar business several times before taking the leap themselves.

“Every time we walked in there, I was like, ‘Mom, I’m home,’ ” he said.

The Shirks, both 54, have been serving meals at their home for seven years. Mervin, who is originally from West Liberty, came to Lima for college. That alone was a leap, as his father was the first man in his Mennonite family to get an off-the-farm job.

“They’re all farmers. They’re all at home,” he said.

He and Beverly met here — she started baking for him, and he was done in — and Mervin worked as a mechanic at an auto dealer. They prepared baked goods for farmers markets and Old Thyme Pantry and meals for monthly service meetings, with both enjoying kitchen work. When the economy took a downward turn, Mervin left his job.

“We prayed a lot about it because it was a leap of faith,” he said. “We just felt the doors open.”

Beverly had concerns but wanted to follow God’s leading.

“I said we had a good marriage, and I wanted to keep it,” she said, wondering what it would be like to be together all the time. But the concerns ended up disappearing, as they’ve both settled in easily to the different routine.

Not to say it hasn’t had its scary moments.

They printed brochures for their dinners and handed them out all summer at farmers markets. There was not a single phone call.

“We just sat down and prayed about it,” Mervin said. “We had two phone calls that day.”

“It was a sign,” Beverly said.

Elida’s Log Home Traditions gives a reason to relax

LOG HOME TRADITIONS 6700 Elida Road, Lima 419-339-2697 loghometraditions.com

Photos by Amanda Wilson

A table on the spacious porch welcomes visitors.

Mervin Shirk transplanted the gladiolus from his mother’s place, and finds other interesting wildflowers or objects around his home to make a simple arrangement during fair weather. “There’s a lot of color out there,” he said.

• A minimum of eight guests are required for meals. Lunch is served Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Dinner is served Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Suggested donation per plate is $15 for lunch and $22 for dinner. Meals are served family style, and the person making the reservation sets the menu.

Visit loghometraditions.com for menu items.

• The Shirk family Christmas is celebrated the third weekend of January, so Christmas decor stays up quite a while. The reservation book can be full during holidays, so be prepared to be flexible when making plans.

• Dessert special orders are due on Tuesdays, or shop at Old Thyme Pantry, Elida, for items ready to be picked up Fridays and Saturdays.

The calls came from customers of Old Thyme Pantry, in Elida. The right people had to discover them. Since then, the business has succeeded mainly through word of mouth.

Another learning experience was how busy they like to be. They tried doing meals twice a day — offering lunch and dinner to two different parties on the same day — but it left no time for them to relax.

Simply doing the dishes afterward is a big task.

“It took the fun out,” Beverly said. Once they understood that they were the ones in control of how full their reservation book is, the joy returned.

“It’s fun as long as he continues to enjoy doing bread,” Beverly said, nodding in the direction of their son, Paul, who they have hired. He was not still for one moment — and he couldn’t be, as one bread batch makes 18 loaves. He bakes six kinds of bread, both to serve at meals and to sell.

What does Paul enjoy about being the bread baker?

Recipes

Ingredients: 3 eggs, slightly beaten 2 cups pumpkin 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/4 teaspoon cloves 2 cups milk (She uses 2/3 of a cup evaporated milk then fills to 2 cup mark with regular milk) 2 unbaked 9-inch pie shells of your choice Directions: Preheat oven to 425 F. Put eggs in blender. Spin for a moment. Add rest of ingredients and mix to combine. Pour into pie crusts.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake 40 to 45 minutes.

Ingredients: 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple Water, about 1/3 of the empty pineapple can; and 1/4 cup water, divided 1 cup sugar 4 tablespoons cook type Clear Jel or cornstarch (Note: Clear Jel will result in a better-looking pie, as cornstarch will result in a cloudy filling. But cornstarch works just the same.)

Pinch of salt 1 tablespoon butter Unbaked 9-inch pie shell of your choice, plus dough for top crust Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, Clear Jel and salt. Add 1/4 cup of water and stir until thickened. Set aside.

Pour the pineapple and its juice into a saucepan with the can measure of water. Heat on the stovetop to a low boil. Add sugar mixture. Stir constantly until thick. Add butter.

Pour into crust and add top crust, pinching the edges to seal.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.

OLD-FASHIONED CREAM PIE

Ingredients: 2 cups whipping cream Pinch of salt 6 tablespoons flour 3/4 cup sugar Cinnamon, to taste Unbaked 9-inch pie shell of your choice Directions: Preheat oven to 425 F. Warm the whipping cream to lukewarm, either in a microwave or on the stovetop.

Mix the flour, sugar and salt well. Pour the cream into the dry ingredients, and whisk together until incorporated. Pour filling into the pie shell. Sprinkle about a pinch of cinnamon on top. Bake for about 9 minutes.

Turn down oven to 350 F and continue to bake about 25 to 35 minutes or until set.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The filling is simply mixed together, not whipped. This pie is done when cracks appear in the filling along the outside edge and the middle is set, not jiggly.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 11

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Salt Shakers

A glimpse at a recent week’s pie work: Old Thyme Pantry — 83 9-inch pies and 43 6-inch pies Moulton Country Store — 30 or so The Mennonite schoolhouse benefit auction was happening, so they made 47 pies for that.

The usual schedule: Fridays or Mondays — bread and cinnamon roll frostings Tuesdays — stir up pie crust and whatever else might need done Wednesdays — roll out pie crust, bake pecan and old fashioned cream pies Thursdays — bake pies and cinnamon rolls Friday mornings — bake cream pies for sale at shops “I like eating it,” he said, laughing. But it’s the challenge of it, getting the timing right so everything rises how it should, and loaves are ready to go in the oven when loaves are ready to come out.

Paul doesn’t help serve at meals; his role is in the kitchen, behind the scenes. While the kitchen is around the corner, he still feels connected.

“Just hearing people and listening to their conversations, it’s so much fun,” Paul said.

Beverly agreed.

“They said they love watching us as a family to work together,” she said, realizing that the modern family’s dynamic can be quite different than theirs.

Joan Moening, of Fort Jennings, shares this salt and pepper shaker set.

Lives are busy, schedules are full, people are scattered. But a Log Home Traditions meal invites people to slow down, gather around the same table and relax and share.

“The one thing that you do have here is you have a reason for families to come together,” Mervin said.

“I have a sign out there that says ‘enter a stranger, leave a friend,’ ” Beverly said. “We have met so many nice people. … There’s still a lot of good people out there.”

Nothing makes them happier than hearing their granddaughters’ career goals.

“When they get older, they want to work for Log Home Traditions,” Mervin said.

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Reader Recipes

Salt Scoop Send us your favorite recipe. We may feature it in an upcoming issue.

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 Nov. 10, 2016.

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

Congratulations to Diana Johnson, of Lima, for her recipe submitted for this edition of Salt.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CREAM CHEESE DIP Me, my sister and niece went to the Amish Country in Holmes County recently and had a great time.

I noticed this cheese ball sample, and when I sampled it, I really enjoyed it. My niece, Kristina, came up to me and told me she had the recipe and to just get the chips here at the bulk store. Well, they also have cream cheese on sale for 99 cents, so I stocked up on that, and knew I had the rest of the ingredients at home.

It was so special to have my niece hand a recipe down to me. I got home and made the cheese ball. It is to die for.

— Diana Johnson, Lima Ingredients: 1 8 ounce-package cream cheese 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 stick soft butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1 cup mini chocolate chips Directions: Mix cream cheese, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar well with mixer. Add chocolate chips. Spoon into bowl, cover then chill.

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MEET THE COOKS

16 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

Staff reports Ready for the whirlwind holiday season, the season where you’re expected to do your day job and turn out chef-quality holiday meals?

It’s a little overwhelming to think about, huh?

Before you resort to twisting open a jar of olives and calling it an appetizer, we’re here for you with the Salt Marketplace and Cook Show.

“Salt Marketplace and Cook Show replaces the Taste of Home cooking school that The Lima News has hosted in years past,” said Pamela Stricker, publisher of niche product division for Civitas Media.

She and Brenda Burgy, director of public relations at Apollo Career Center, are emcees of the event.

“The timing really coincides with going into the holidays. We’re all doing a lot of food preparation — baking and entertaining. You’ll come away with lots of ideas,” Stricker said.

IF YOU GO What: Salt Marketplace and Cook Show When: Doors at 4 p.m., cook show at 6 p.m. Nov. 10 Where: Apollo Career Center, 3325 Shawnee Road, Lima Tickets: $40 for VIP seating, $15 general admission. Visit The Lima News or call 419-223-1010.

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Featured chefs include Carrie HamiltonPrince, instructor of high school culinary arts at Apollo Career Center and adult culinary arts degree at Rhodes State; Brian Keegan, demonstrating chef at Chief Supermarkets and wine steward at Old City Prime American Steakhouse; Carol Braden-Clarke, president of the United Way of Greater Lima; Lauren Harvey, chef at The Met; Andrea Chaffin, food editor of Salt magazine; and Lora Abernathy, editor of Salt magazine and director of editorial digital strategies for Civitas Media. For details, see Meet the Chefs.

Each presenter will demonstrate a recipe, and the audience will have chances to taste-test the dishes. Door prizes like bags of groceries and a gas grill will also be given away.

Come early to shop the vendor booths.

“Come ready to get holiday shopping done,” Stricker said.

“Even if you don’t love to cook, you’re going to be entertained,” she said. “Apollo has just gone through a $53 million renovation, and you’ll want to come and view what an awesome career center it is.”

VIP tickets include seating near the stage, premium tote bags, a Salt apron, a gift card and other goodies. General admission tickets will also receive goodie bags.

Major sponsors include Otterbein, Allan Nott Honda, Chief, Lima Memorial Health System, Tracy’s Appliances and Apollo Career Center.

Lauren Harvey graduated from Elida High School in 2013 as well as attending Apollo Career Center for two years in culinary arts under the direction of Carrie Hamilton-Prince.

She graduated from Sullivan University with an associate’s degree in culinary arts in Louisville, Kentucky. While in Louisville, she worked as head cook at Molly Malone’s. She moved back to Lima in December 2014 and worked at Holiday Inn, heading up the kitchen. She became the chef at The Met in February 2016.

She started her love for cooking at a young age from watching cooking shows and cooking for her family. Lauren will marry her fiancé Sept. 16, 2017.

Q&A with Lauren

1) What’s your go-to ingredient to take a dish from drab to fab?

Garlic.

2) What kitchen gadget could you not do without?

I would have normally said a chef’s knife, but more recently it has been a timer. When you have so much going on, I tend to be forgetful, especially when I am baking.

3) What’s the one dish your family constantly asks you to make?

So, I got lots of different responses to this question. Some said anything and everything. My fiancé said spicy brown sugar chicken tenders and my mom said stuffed shells.

4) What food did you hate as a kid, but now can’t get enough of?

Cottage cheese and beets.

5) Describe the craziest mess you’ve made in the kitchen.

Everyone can also tell when I have been in the kitchen. My coworkers call me “Tornado.”

6) At what age did you start cooking and what dish did you first attempt?

I was probably 9 or 10 when I started cooking. My dish was probably macaroni and cheese.

7) Which co-host would you choose to do a cooking segment with if you were a guest on “The Chew?”

Michael Symon because he is very well known, and I could definitely learn a lot from him.

CARRIE HAMILTON-PRINCE

Carrie Hamilton-Prince is a graduate of Avon Lake High School. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in home economics education, food service management concentration, from The Ohio State University, and a master’s degree in curriculum and supervision from Wright State University.

She has worked in many restaurants, but a highlight was to be a part of the opening crew and kitchen manager of Jimmy Buffet’s first Margaritaville restaurant in 1987 in Key West, Florida.

She has been teaching in the culinary profession since 1994 and at Apollo Career Center since 2000. She is also managing and teaching at Rhodes State, leading the associates of applied science in culinary arts degree program. She taught at OSU-Lima in the hospitality management division and Lorain County Community College, associates of applied science in culinary arts degree.

She is a certified secondary food service educator from the National Restaurant Association and a ServSafe certified instructor and proctor.

She has a WLIO cooking segment, “Cooking with Carrie,” at 6:25 a.m. Tuesdays.

Q&A with Carrie

Brian Keegan has been cooking, in one form or another, for more than 50 years.

Primarily self-taught, he has been influenced by authors Julia Child, Paul Prudhomme, Marcella Hazan and many others, and by his collaborations with local chefs, Alisa McPheron and Christopher Glass.

While serving as director of Veterans Memorial Civic Center in Lima, he developed his Movie/Dinner events which paired foreign films with matching cuisines, a project that lasted more than 20 years.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University and a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University in dramatic arts. He currently works as a demonstrating chef for Chief Supermarkets and as wine steward for Old City Prime American Steakhouse in downtown Lima.

Q&A with Brian:

1) What’s your go-to ingredient to take a dish from drab to fab?

For a multitude of uses: fresh lemon juice.

2) What kitchen gadget could you not do without?

I would say my chef’s knife, but since that may not qualify as a gadget, my immersion blender.

3) What’s the one dish your family constantly asks you to make?

My signature dish: chicken alla alba.

4) What food did you hate as a kid, but now can’t get enough of?

Raw oysters.

5) Describe the craziest mess you’ve made in the kitchen.

My first attempt to make pizza dough. It was a long time ago and there was sticky dough everywhere.

6) At what age did you start cooking and what dish did you first attempt?

My first memory is making spaghetti. I was 16.

7) Which co-host would you choose to do a cooking segment with if you were a guest on “The Chew?”

Carla Hall.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 17

1) What’s your go-to ingredient to take a dish from drab to fab?

Pesto. I use it in pastas, soups and eggs. Love it.

2) What kitchen gadget could you not do without?

A chef’s knife. Not sure it’s a gadget, but I certainly could not function without it.

3) What’s the one dish your family constantly asks you to make?

Spaghetti and meatballs.

4) What food did you hate as a kid, but now can’t get enough of?

Beans. Mainly Lima beans. My mom made them in a huge pot and served them over buttered bread. I now make them and add sour cream and dill. Delicious!

5) Describe the craziest mess you’ve made in the kitchen.

This is a difficult question. I hate to say this, but there have been many. I was blending split pea soup and didn’t realize at the time I shouldn’t have filled the blender with the hot soup. The top popped off and I had split pea soup everywhere.

6) At what age did you start cooking and what dish did you first attempt?

I grew up in the kitchen with my mother and grandmother. I made egg salad for my brother’s lunches at age 6. It was full of shells!

7) Which co-host would you choose to do a cooking segment with if you were a guest on “The Chew?”

Carla Hall or Michael Symon. I have had the honor of meeting and working with them both and they are both knowledgeable and fun in the kitchen.

BRIAN KEEGAN

CAROL BRADEN-CLARKE

Carol Braden-Clarke is a 28-year United Way professional and became president of the United Way of Greater Lima in August 2015.

She started her United Way career on the campaign staff at the United Way in Columbus. She served as the campaign director in Evansville, Indiana, for nine years before becoming president in 1999.

Prior to working for United Way, she was a television news photographer in Roanoke, Virginia, and Champaign, Illinois. She is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University. She is married to Aubrey Clarke and they have two grown children, Christine and Ian. Carol finds cooking therapeutic and enjoys creating new dishes. She has a few signature dishes like lasagna, barbecue and jambalaya. She rarely uses a recipe.

Q&A with Carol

1) What’s your go-to ingredient to take a dish from drab to fab?

Garlic and dill.

2) What kitchen gadget could you not do without?

I’m not a gadget person. A good sharp knife and a sturdy spoon for mixing.

3) What’s the one dish your family constantly asks you to make?

Lasagna.

4) What food did you hate as a kid, but now can’t get enough of?

Asparagus.

5) Describe the craziest mess you’ve made in the kitchen.

I’m not a baker and I bake really only once a year at Christmas. One year, I decided to create an assembly line with different cookie doughs to speed up the process. I got distracted and forgot where I left off in adding ingredients and added a double amount of cream of tartar in the snickerdoodle dough. The cookies had a sour taste but my family continued to eat them. Each time they would eat one, they would throw two away.

6) At what age did you start cooking and what dish did you first attempt?

Age 10. I don’t really remember but I would guess fried chicken or spaghetti.

7) Which co-host would you choose to do a cooking segment with if you were a guest on “The Chew?”

Carla Hall.

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18 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

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Boston Brass Holiday: December 2nd 7:30 p.m.

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 19

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ANDREA CHAFFIN

LORA ABERNATHY

Lora Abernathy has been the editor of Salt magazine for nearly four years. She also serves as the director of editorial strategies for Civitas Media, the parent company of The Lima News and Salt.

She has a political science degree from Marshall University and a passion for learning new things — especially trying new recipes.

When she’s not sidelined by injuries, she can be found training for her next triathlon. Her favorite pasttime — besides eating something delicious or sleeping — is driving around in her truck with the windows down listening to either ’90s grunge, Bing Crosby or Dwight Yoakam’s greatest hits.

20 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

Q&A with Lora

1) What’s your go-to ingredient to take a dish from drab to fab?

Lemon. Lemon juice, lemon zest, absolutely lemon every time. I like to grate a little fresh lemon zest in my store-bought pancake batter. It brightens up the pancakes.

2) What kitchen gadget could you not do without?

My Microplane grater. I use it to grate lemon zest, ginger, garlic and nutmeg.

3) What’s the one dish your family constantly asks you to make?

Spaghetti — and it’s my least favorite dish to make because it’s not even a recipe. It’s just spaghetti, ground beef and store-bought sauce. I like to create “art.” My husband loves it, though, so I do it — begrudgingly.

4) What food did you hate as a kid, but now can’t get enough of?

Tomatoes. I like to grow my grandma’s heirloom tomatoes and just eat them off the vine.

5) Describe the craziest mess you’ve made in the kitchen.

Even though I didn’t start cooking until later in life, I tried to make my grandma’s famous “mashed potato icing” when I was in high school, just so I could pull it out of the fridge and eat it anytime I wanted. It’s super sweet but looks like mashed potatoes. I completely messed it up, but it still tasted pretty good. So, instead of trying to get it right, I made more of the messedup version and even added food coloring.

6) Which co-host would you choose to do a cooking segment with if you were a guest on “The Chew?”

I have loved Clinton Kelly since he was on “What Not to Wear.” He’s witty and hilarious.

7) At what age did you start cooking and what dish did you first attempt?

I was 30. I know, right? Once I started, though, I made up for lost time and constantly tried new recipes. I also got addicted to the Food Network.

The first thing I made was a mac and cheese dog casserole, courtesy of Rachael Ray.

Andrea Chaffin discovered at an early age that the best place in every home is the kitchen.

Her cooking style is best described as home cooking with modern experimentation, but she prides herself with carrying on the family traditions of canning and gardening.

She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University.

She has served as the food editor for Salt magazine for three years and is currently the editor of The Madison Press in London, Ohio, where she lives with family and dogs, who are the first tastetesters of every dish — no complaints yet from those two.

Q&A with Andrea

1) What’s your go-to ingredient to take a dish from drab to fab?

Just about any savory dish that calls for garlic, in my opinion. If it it already calls for garlic, I usually double the amount.

2) What kitchen gadget could you not do without?

My 6-inch, flat-grind chef’s knife. If I’m going to help cook at someone’s house, I always bring my own knife. Diva!

3) What’s the one dish your family constantly asks you to make?

Friends and family can’t seem to get enough homemade guacamole. No one realizes how easy it is.

4) What food did you hate as a kid, but now can’t get enough of?

Where to start? Mustard, sauerkraut, balsamic vinegar, cabbage and onion. I like everything now.

5) Describe the craziest mess you’ve made in the kitchen.

The first time I canned grape jelly it was a disaster. Concord grapes stain, of course, and I couldn’t figure out how to strain them. I even tried a pillowcase, per my grandmother’s suggestion. My hands, clothes and counter tops were purple for a week. Do yourself a favor and invest in a metal canning sieve.

6) Which co-host would you choose to do a cooking segment with if you were a guest on “The Chew?”

Carla Hall. She obviously has more fun than anyone.

7) At what age did you start cooking and what dish did you first attempt?

I was always looking over Grandma’s shoulder in the kitchen as a young child, but started making my own grilled cheese sandwiches and scrambled eggs when I was about 8. I was 13 when I made my first real, real dinner: roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and a chocolate meringue pie from scratch.

Favorite recipes from the cooks From Lauren Harvey STUFFED SHELLS Ingredients: 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 ounces diced pancetta 1 pound ground sausage 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 5 cups marinara sauce 2 15-ounce containers whole milk ricotta cheese 1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan 4 large egg yolks 3 tablespoons chopped parsley 3 tablespoons chopped basil 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

These recipes are not the recipes that will be demonstrated at the show.

Those will be printed in the next issue of Salt.

Directions: Lightly oil a 12-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish and set aside. Lightly oil a baking sheet and set aside.

Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling, salted water until slightly tender but still quite firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. You will continue cooking the shells in the oven after they have been stuffed. Using a slotted spoon, drain pasta shells and place on oiled baking sheet, spreading them out so that they don’t stick together and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes.

Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.

In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, parmesan, 1 cup of mozzarella, egg yolks, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce into the prepared baking dish. Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 2 tablespoons per shell. Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella.

Bake for 45 minutes until top is golden brown.

oil over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to swirl, add the shallot and cook just until it becomes transparent. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook for a few minutes and add the red wine.

Cook until the liquid in the skillet has all but cooked off, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of kitchen film and pound until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Set up a dredge line placing the flour, milk and bread crumbs in separate containers. Coat the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess, then the milk, allowing any excess to drip off, and then coat completely with the crumbs.

Place 1/4 cup of olive oil in a clean skillet and heat. When the oil is hot, add

the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown. Turn them over and repeat. Place the chicken pieces on a cookie sheet or other bake-proof dish. Distribute the mushrooms equally over the chicken.

Place the pepper strips evenly over the mushrooms and place a slice of the cheese on top. Place in the oven and cook until the cheese bubbles and melts.

Note: *Make your own (the best idea) by brushing two whole red bell peppers lightly with olive oil and place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 450 F for 40-45 minutes, turning occasionally. Place the roasted peppers in a container with a lid and let sit until they cool. They will then be easy to seed and peel. Alternatively, find good quality jarred roasted red peppers.

From Brian Keegan CHICKEN ALLA ALBA

From Carol Braden-Clarke GORGONZOLA CHEESE DIP Ingredients: 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese 2 green onions, chopped 1 container crumbled gorgonzola cheese 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dill Directions: Soften cream cheese. Add other ingredients to the cream cheese and mix. Chill and serve with pita chips or crackers.

TOTAL LIFE CHANGES Barbara J Walton • 567-825-1176 mytlcbiz@woh.rr.com

www.totallifechanges.com/barbarawalton

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 21

Wine pairing: pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc/fume blanc Servings: 4 Ingredients: 4 5-6-ounce chicken breasts, boned and skinned 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1 shallot, minced 1/2 cup dry red wine Olive oil Flour Milk Seasoned bread crumbs 2 whole roasted red bell peppers, cut into strips (see note) 4 slices good quality provolone Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive

From Carrie Hamilton-Prince SWEET POTATO SOUP Ingredients: 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 small onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced Pinch of kosher salt, to taste 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon paprika 1 bay leaf 2 15-ounce cans kidney beans (or navy beans), drained and rinsed 4 cups baby spinach, loosely packed 1 14-ounce can diced tomato 4 cups vegetable broth 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin

olive oil Directions: Add all ingredients except spinach and olive oil to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours, or until the vegetables are tender. Add spinach, stir and continue cooking until just wilted, approximately 5 minutes.

From Lora Abernathy SERIOUSLY THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon fine salt 1/2 teaspoon, approximately, freshly grated nutmeg 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions: Position rack near the bottom of the oven

and preheat to 375 F if using stoneware.

(I set mine to 350 and just bake a minute or two longer. If not using stoneware, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. If you have only 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.)

Put the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted. I prefer using a glass bowl.

(Alternately melt in a small saucepan.) Cool slightly. With a whisk, combine the sugars, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.

22 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

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From Andrea Chaffin REUBEN CASSEROLE Ingredients: 1 pound corned beef, torn into bite-size pieces 1 pound sauerkraut, rinsed and drained 2 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 1 1/2 cups thousand island dressing 1 cup sour cream 1 stick butter, melted Half an onion, diced 10 slices rye bread, torn into bite size pieces Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together sour cream and dressing. Set aside.

Lightly grease a 13-by-9 inch casserole dish. Place half the bread pieces on the bottom, top with sauerkraut and corned beef. Spread dressing over beef. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with remaining bread. Drizzle butter over bread.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, removing foil halfway through, until dish is bubbly and top bread layer is toasted.

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Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and freshly grated nutmeg in another bowl.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon, taking care not to over-mix. Stir in the chocolate chips.

With a melonballer, scoop the dough, leveling it at the top, and space the dough about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden, but still soft in the center, 10-14 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a wire rack to cool.

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 23

24 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

Fremont man makes a whiskey ‘to die for’

By Amy Eddings

“You crack this bottle 100 years from now, it will still be drinkable, it will still knock people on their fannies, and people will just say, ‘Man, this guy must’ve known what he was doing.’”

— Ernie Scarano, maker of Old Homicide Rye Whiskey

Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 25

“Whiskey For Sale,” read the sign at the side of the road.

I did a double-take. Produce stands are in abundance along state Route 6, a rural four-lane highway that links Fremont to Bowling Green. But whiskey?

I nudged my husband, who was driving.

“Turn around,” I said.

Whiskey, sold out of a big yellow barn on Route 6? This was worth a stop.

Ernest Scarano Distillery rewarded our curiosity with superior whiskey, a whistle-clean shop decorated with vintage farm implements, license plates and signs — Scarano also sells antiques — and time well-spent discussing the nuances of distilling whiskey with Scarano himself.

Scarano, 63, comes across as stern and serious, but he’s got a playful streak. The label of his signature rye whiskey gives it away. “Old Homicide,” it reads. “It’s to die for.”

It’s an homage to The Three Stooges.

“In 1941, the Stooges made a short called ‘Out West,’” Scarano said. “And Mo was mixing up a drink for Blackie, the villian, and he pulls a bottle from the bar and it said, ‘Old Homicide: bottled Monday.’”

Scarano is one of 57 licensed distillers in Ohio. He’s what you’d call a micro-distiller, making only 100 gallons a year. He became interested in making whiskey after drinking some made by “an old gent” in Missouri.

“He gave me a sample and I just thought it was the best thing I ever had,” he said. “I wondered if I could make a good-enough bottle of whiskey, and that’s why I started.”

Photos by Amanda Wilson

26 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

Not everyone who tastes a great whiskey would think, “Hey, I’ve got to make this myself!” But Scarano appears to be a man who relishes such intellectual challenges.

He has a master’s degree in theology. A recent visit found him sitting behind the wooden counter, reading glasses at the edge of his nose, reading G.K. Chesterton’s biography of St. Thomas Aquinas.

He was patient and thorough as he explained — or attempted to — the convoluted logic behind federal and state taxes on distilled spirits. He talked with relish about the science of distillation, and how just four degees Fahrenheit can make the difference between drawing off methanol, “which will kill ya,” and ethanol, which “will give you a good time.”

He also likes adventure. He moved to Elmore from Michigan after he got off Interstate 80 at the Elmore exit by mistake on Memorial Day weekend in 2003.

“They had 200 little kids on tricycles coming down Main Street, waving flags,” he said. “There were four or five old dudes sitting in the middle of the Portage River in lawn chairs, fly fishing. I just fell in love with the place.”

He bought an old building on Main Street and opened an antiques store, Mantiques.

“It’s filled with guy stuff,” Scarano said.

He divides his time between the store in Elmore and the still in Fremont.

“I’m either selling antiques, or I’m making whiskey,” he said.

Here’s how he does it. In a large, white plastic bin, he blends together water, rye, barley and yeast. He lets it ferment for 14 days, during which time the grains’ starches turn into sugars that the yeast eat and convert into alcohol. Scarano strains the mash, puts the wash in his copper still, named the “Pittsburgh Stiller,” after his hometown, and heats the liquid to 174 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s when the desirable alcohol, ethanol, “flashes,” turning from a liquid into a gas. It rises up through the still to its narrow top, which captures the vapor as it cools and condenses. Once again a liquid, the alcohol slides down a tube into a carboy, then into a barrel, where it sits quietly for four to six years.

Then, it gets poured into a bottle, then into a glass, neat or over ice, from whence it slides over your tongue and tingles down your throat.

Scarano pays attention to every ingredient. He uses a type of barley that is very effective at turning starches into fermentable sugars. He “pays a fortune” for a specialized yeast strain from Sweden. His barrels are made of charred white oak, a federal requirement for whiskey, but Scarano’s come from white oak grown in the cold of Saskatchewan, Canada.

The barrels run him $300 each. He orders 25 of them each season.

Scarano showed me the back label on a bottle of “Old Homicide.” It read, “No expense of time or money has been spared in creating this.”

“That’s the whole idea,” he said. “Once you get your procedure down and you spend all this money on a still, it just seems silly to buy cheap barrels and crappy yeast.”

He pried off the bottle’s corked top. It was time for a tasting. Alcohol and I are not on friendly terms, so Scarano poured my husband a finger of 6-year-old “Old Homicide.”

“Wow!” he sighed, after taking a sip. “That is the best whiskey I’ve ever tasted!”

It’s been nearly 10 years from that moment that Scarano sipped a Missouri gent’s homemade whiskey, and he has come full circle.

“You crack this bottle 100 years from now, it will still be drinkable, it will still knock people on their fannies,” Scarano said. “And people will say, ‘Man, this guy must’ve known what he was doing.’ ”

Ernest Scarano Distillery 4487 Hayes Ave. (state Route 6), Fremont 419-205-8734 esdistillery.com 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, or by appointment Scarano said his 2016 season is selling quickly. Come by “sooner rather than later,” he said, if you’re interested in buying a bottle of “Old Homicide” for holiday gift giving.

Mantiques “Almost Everything a Man Could Want” 341 Rice St., Elmore 419-205-8734 elmoremantiques.com 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, or by appointment

Something for Everyone on Your List!

Please join us at our Findlay Showroom

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 27

Holiday Open House

Out & About ALLEN COUNTY Nov. 10 Salt Marketplace and Cook Show, doors open at 4 p.m., cook show at 6 p.m., Apollo Career Center, 3325 Shawnee Road, Lima. Visit The Lima News or call 419-223-1010.

Nov. 11 The Price is Right Live, 7:30 p.m., Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-224-1552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.

Nov. 12 Designer Purse Bingo, 7:30 p.m., Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-224-1552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.

Nov. 18 Three Dog Night, 7:30 p.m., Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-224-1552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.

28 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

HANCOCK COUNTY Nov. 10 World of Downtown Restaurant Tour, downtown Findlay. Call 419-4231432 or visit liveunitedhancockcounty.org.

Nov. 11-12 Mazza Weekend Conference, Mazza Museum, 201 College St., Findlay. Learn from children’s book authors and illustrators. Call 419434-4560 or visit mazzamuseum. org.

Nov. 25 City of Findlay Tree Lighting, 6-8 p.m., Dorney Plaza, downtown Findlay. Call 419-424-7176 or visit findlayohio.com.

Dec. 1-4, 8-11 and 15-18 “A Christmas Story, The Musical,” Fort Findlay Playhouse, 300 W. Sandusky St., Findlay. Call 419-4237168 or visit fortfindlayplayhouse. org.

Nov. 27-29, Dec. 3-6 “The Happy Elf,” Encore Theatre, 991 North Shore Drive, Lima. Call 419-223-8866, email encore@ mw.twcbc.com or visit www.amiltellers.org.

Dec. 2 Boston Brass Holiday, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Marathon Performing Arts Center, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay. Call 419-423-2787 or visit marathon centerarts.org.

AUGLAIZE COUNTY

HARDIN COUNTY Nov. 13-18 Ada Festival of Trees, Community Health Professionals, 1200 S. Main St., Ada. Visit hardincountyoh.org.

Nov. 9 UMW Annual Farmer’s Meal and Country Store, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Wayne Street United Methodist Church, 130 N. Wayne St., St. Marys.

Visit stmarysohio.org.

Nov. 22 Lions Christmas Parade and Window Wonderland, 6:30-8:30 p.m., downtown Kenton.

Nov. 10-13 Festival of Trees, The Gardens at Wapakoneta, 505 Walnut St., Wapakoneta. Call 419-739-7430 or visit wapakoneta.com.

Nov. 11-13 Holiday Open House, Celina.

Nov. 13 Lock One Community Arts presents the Juggernaut Jug Band, James F. Dicke Auditorium, 901 E. Monroe St., New Bremen. Call 567-3562048, email bevpoppe@nktelco.net or visit lockone.org.

Dec. 2-4 Children’s Hometown Holiday, around Wapakoneta. Email jonelain@yahoo.com.

Compiled by Lora Abernathy

Dec. 4 Lock One Community Arts presents the River City Brass, James F. Dicke Auditorium, 901 E. Monroe St., New Bremen. Call 567-356-2048, email bevpoppe@nktelco.net or visit lockone.org.

Nov. 19 Love of Motown and More, 8 p.m., Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-224-1552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.

Dec. 3 The 27th annual Christmas at Apollo, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Apollo Career Center, 3325 Shawnee Road, Lima.

Nov. 7 - Dec. 4

MERCER COUNTY

419-925-9999, email contact@ theoverdrive.com or visit theoverdrive.com.

Nov. 19 Comedian David Crowe, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., The Overdrive, 3769 state Route 127, Celina. Call 419-9259999, email contact@theoverdrive. com or visit theoverdrive.com.

Nov. 26 Reindog and Elf Parade, 11 a.m., downtown courthouse square, Celina. Visit celinamercer.com.

Dec. 3 The 22nd annual Evening With a Race Fan with special guests Rico Abreu and Jack Hewitt, 5 p.m., Romers Catering, 321 S. Eastern Ave., St. Henry. Proceeds benefit the Celina Mercer County Chamber and Heart and Community Health Professionals Hospice. Call 419586-2219 or search for Chamber Race Night on Facebook.

PUTNAM COUNTY

Nov. 12 “Dancing with the BIG Stars,” 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., The Overdrive, 3769 state Route 127, Celina. Money raised benefits Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Auglaize, Mercer and Van Wert counties. Call 419-925-9999, email contact@theoverdrive.com or visit theoverdrive.com.

Nov. 26 Glandorf Christmas in the Park, begins at 5:30 p.m. with the arrival of Santa.

Nov. 18 Mandy Barnett sings Patsy Cline, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., The Overdrive, 3769 state Route 127, Celina. Call

Nov. 27 Columbus Grove Christmas in the Park. Refreshments, rides and visit with Santa.

Nov. 27 Ottawa Welcomes Santa, parade and celebration with Santa’s arrival and visit with children in Municipal Park.

Dec. 3-Jan. 5 The 25th Christmas Tree Festival Silver Memories, Putnam County District Library, 136 Putnam Parkway, Ottawa. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. More than 35 decorated trees will be on display.

An open house will be held 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Ottawa Library location, including music, refreshments and a visit from Santa.

Dec. 4 Christmas in Kalida, Kalida Municipal Park. Live music, live nativity, various activities and visits with Santa.

VAN WERT COUNTY Nov. 21 “Elf the Broadway Musical,” 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419-2386722 or visit npacvw.org.

Nov. 23 Lighting of the Christmas Garden, Van Wert Children’s Garden, Smiley Park, 1409 Leeson Ave., Van Wert.

Visit visitvanwert.org.

Dec. 1-4, 8-11 “Miracle on 34th Street,” Van Wert Civic Theater, 118 S. Race St., Van Wert. Call 419-238-9689 or visit vwct.org.

Dec. 4 Sandi Patti performs, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit npacvw.org.

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

Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 29

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30 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016

And one more thought...

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”

— Leonardo da Vinci A white crane takes flight after feeding in a flooded cornfield near the Ottawa River and Spencerville Road.

Photo by Craig J. Orosz

Ivy Hutch Christmas Open House

Ashley Etzkorn, Owner

JOIN US! Christmas Open House November 9th - 12th

W-F 9am - 7pm Sat. 9am - 1pm

666 Elida Rd. Delphos, OH 45833 419-692-2222

40925302

Take 30% off red-line items

Salt | Northwest Ohio | November 2016 | 31

Residential & Commercial Holiday Decorating Custom Silk Centerpieces Outdoor Decor Wreaths & Wall Hangings Christmas Tree Accessories Swan Creek Co. Candles & Drizzle Melts Unique Gift Items and more!

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