Salt Flavor for Everyday Life|December 2016|$3 A supplement of The Lima News
9
secrets to make the perfect wreath
President’s house built to entertain In the kitchen with Vivace’s Khaled Alkhatib
Salt Flavor for Everyday Life thesaltmagazine.com Northwest Ohio December 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. Please buy locally and recycle. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram @TheSaltMagazine.
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 Dec. 28, 2016. Only online entries will be accepted. In the November issue, the shaker was hidden in the photo on page 24. Congratulations to our most recent winner, Joyce Nichols, of Elida. You could be our next winner!
On the Cover The wreath on the cover was made by Sue Shrider, the designer/owner of Petal Shed in Delphos. Photo taken by Adrienne McGee Sterrett.
Theresa Schnipke
2 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
Front Porch
Profile
Front Porch Profile offers a personal glimpse into the lives of notable people in our communities
By Lora Abernathy
Superintendent Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities What does a lazy Saturday look like for you? I don’t do lazy very well, but a long bike ride with my husband in the summer is always enjoyable on a Saturday morning. If you could travel back in time, which era would you choose? I have always wanted to visit the Holy Land, so Biblical times. To walk where Jesus walked would be surreal. The other answer: the late ’90s. Our children were such special little people and I miss those times dearly. Which family member are you most like? All those closest to me would say my mom. I think sometimes women fight being compared to their moms; however, as we age, we learn that it is not so bad. My mom has one of the biggest servant hearts of anyone I know. I can only hope to serve others as she does at her age. And yes, to those that tease me: I even resemble her quite a bit. Chocolate chip or oatmeal raisins cookies? Definitely chocolate chip. My grandma
always had a clear plastic bowl full of chocolate chip cookies on her counter. It was such a special treat as a kid. I have my own special recipe now and really enjoying baking them. What is your favorite line from the movies? I am not a big movie quote person, but my husband gave me 15 to use — 10 from “Shawshank Redemption.” My whole family quotes movies quite a bit, and I usually just roll my eyes at their humor. What do you love most about your community? There are so many things to love about this area; however, this past month, I was reminded again and again how wonderfully our community comes together to help others. From volunteers giving up a Saturday to replace a roof for a man they do not know, to the loving support around a family during a tragedy, or a staff member at our agency who goes the extra mile to lovingly support a family with special needs. It is the people that make our community the best. Kind and loving people will always be at the heart of a great community.
PLUS in December...
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Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 3
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Salt CONTENTS
features
6 12 25 30
Making the perfect wreath Salt Marketplace and Cook Show a success Readers share their favorite cookie recipes In the kitchen with Vivace Cuisine’s Khaled Alkhatib
columns
4 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
5 20
Publisher’s Note By Pamela Stricker
Designed to entertain By Amy Eddings
Recipe Index
Candy Cane Cookies ......................................................................26 Chicken and Bowtie Pasta ...............................................................16 Chocolate Malted Cookies .............................................................26 Cinnamon Wreaths ..........................................................................27 Cora’s Red Velvet Cake ...................................................................24 Grandma Frantz’s Sugar Cookies ..................................................29 Hausfreunde .....................................................................................28 Holiday Salad....................................................................................12 Jambalaya ..........................................................................................12 Mushroom and Gruyère Tart ..........................................................13 Pumpkin and Apple Cider Fizz ......................................................14 Pumpkin Muffins...............................................................................14 Skinny Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies ......................................27 Special K Bars ...................................................................................26 Vivace Hummus ...............................................................................32 White Velvet Cutouts........................................................................28
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 of the niche product division for Civitas Media. She and her husband, Jerry, reside in Lima. 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, and is mom to a yellow Lab named Boris. Reach her at 937-382-2574 or on Twitter @AbernathyLora. ANDREA CHAFFIN Andrea is the food editor of Salt magazine and the editor of The (London) Madison Press. She can be reached at 740-852-1616, ext. 1619, or on Twitter @AndeeWrites.
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). 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 567-2420510 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.
Buttons in the snow By Pamela Stricker
Publisher pstricker@civitasmedia.com
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 5
A few years ago, while in a neighboring town, I was ready to head for home when I spotted a little child standing on the curbside looking very alone and crying; a little boy about 5 or 6 years old. There was a light snow coming down on the already snow-covered ground. I stopped and tromped through the slush and bent down to him. “What’s the matter, little guy?” Through his sniffles and tears running down his rosy cheeks, he was able to choke out, “I can’t find my grandma’s house.” I convinced him to come with me and I would help him. “What’s your name?” I asked. “Buttons,” he answered softly. “Well, Buttons, don’t you worry. We are going to find Grandma’s house,” I assured him, and with the help of local police, Buttons made it safely to Grandma’s. I have thought about that incident so many times. I am mindful that there are other “Buttons” out there that have just lost their way. They are looking for Grandma’s house, a place where they know they are loved, where they belong, where they are safe. I want to help them find their way home. I pray my eyes and ears and heart are sensitive and open to realize when they cross my path. Ironically, in a season that celebrates love, joy and peace, we can end up anxious and stressed. Seems like no matter how carefully I try to plan the holidays, no matter how many lists I make, I often end up with a schedule that leaves little space for spontaneity. There’s a certain book I pull out each year at Christmas. You probably have read it, too. It’s the holiday classic, “A Cup of Christmas Tea.” From the book cover, it says, “A young man’s reluctant visit to share a cup of tea with his old great aunt reminds us all that the simple act of sharing is at the very
heart of the Christmas spirit.” When I have a list as long as my arm I am trying to plow through, the last thing I feel like I can make time to do is stop everything and sit down with someone I care about and visit over a cup of tea for an hour. Think of how many things I could have marked off my “to do” list in that hour! Think of all the things that won’t get done! That’s how out of whack my perspective can be. Really? Do I want to measure the worth of a relationship based on how much I can or can’t get done? Is that ornament I am making for a gift or spending more time in the store trying to find the just-right something for someone worth as much as spending time with that person? From the book I referred to earlier, the young man received a note from his great aunt. It read: “Of course, I’ll understand completely if you can’t, But if you find you have some time, how wonderful if we Could have a little chat and share a cup of Christmas tea.” Make time for the meaningful. Let’s be open to the folks around us that just need our time. I wish you all wonderful moments over the next few weeks, full of very special memories. In the meantime, please pass the Salt!
6 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
MAKING THE PERFECT WREATH Floral designers offer DIY wreath-making tips
By Adrienne McGee Sterrett Raise your hand if you’ve ever walked through a craft show and thought, “Ooh, I love that,” which segued into “I can do that!” I see your hands. Keep your hands raised if you’ve made a trip to the craft supply store, wandered around aisles, become overwhelmed, bought way too much or way too little, started the project at home and declared, “I can’t do this!” I see your hands and hear your groans. Hugs to all of ya. So let’s start over. Here to help are Jessica Rudasill, designer/owner of Robert Brown’s Flower Shoppe in Lima, and Sue Shrider, designer/owner of Petal Shed in Delphos. These designers have long-time experience in the flower decor business, and they shared a few of their (crazy helpful) tips recently as they were preparing for the Christmas season.
1
CHOOSE A WREATH
There are blank wire wreath forms available, there are pre-made wreaths with silk greenery already on them, and there are pre-made grapevine wreaths. Skip the empty wire forms until you’ve mastered the basics. Instead, go with a grapevine wreath or a wreath with a style of greenery you like. “We get ours in very basic and then we bring them to life,” Shrider said. “You can just add ribbon to one that’s already done, really, and just spruce it up a little bit,” Rudasill said.
Photos by Adrienne McGee Sterrett
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 7
8 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
2
BUY YOUR ITEMS
You will need a wreath, glue gun, floral wire and tape for wrapping the wire before you work with it, and ribbon, silk florals and perhaps a doodad or two like an ornament or a small sign. Shrider suggests odd numbers of doodads, perhaps three to five stems of each variety, and three yards of ribbon for a bow would be plenty. (If this is something you will be doing a lot of, consider an electric glue skillet. It looks like a miniature electric skillet and allows for easy onehanded dipping of stems.) “I think if you find a theme (and color scheme), you can just put it together,” Shrider said. Keep in mind, there is no “wrong” way to design a wreath. “Which is kind of scary,” Rudasill said, laughing. “Simple is better, especially if you are a beginner.” But Rudasill suggests working with one medium, like silk flowers. And resist the urge to cover the wreath completely. Shrider aims at “timeless” designs. “When you invest 70 to 80 dollars in a wreath, you like to try to use it for more than one year,” Shrider said, laughing.
3
CONSIDER WHERE THE WREATH IS GOING Front door? Bright colors and glittery sparkle are good. “If you’re putting it on your front door, it shows up well,” Rudasill said. Do you have a storm door for protection? Will the wreath be whipped by winter wind? Be sure to use unbreakable, sturdy items if the wreath will be outdoors, Shrider said.
4
THINK ABOUT TRENDS
Natural, burlap, sparkle, monograms, signs hung in the middle and non-traditional Christmas colors are in. “But if it’s Christmas, you can’t get too much glitter. It’s the best time of the year to do all of the gaudy/glitzy,” Rudasill said. “We are glitterfied until February,” Shrider said, as a piece of glitter sparkled from her cheekbone. Like a little plaque but it doesn’t have a hanger? Hot glue some twine to it and make a hanger, Rudasill said. Then you can simply wire it in at the top of the wreath and let it dangle into the space.
8
5
FIGURE OUT THE RIBBON PLACEMENT
DON’T BE SHY WITH ADHESIVES
Do you like symmetry or asymmetry? Where will your ribbon go, and where will your other stems or items go? “Rotate it how you want it,” Rudasill said. “And no rhyme or reason. I am not a symmetrical person. Odd is good,” Shrider said.
Glue things fast, and wire them, too. “Sometimes I do both,” Rudasill said. Be sure to test the placement before gluing, Shrider said.
6
MAKE A GOOD BOW
“Basic bow making is probably one of the biggest factors in the showmanship of a wreath,” Shrider said. “If you can make a really nice bow, it definitely makes the wreath.” (For a step-by-step video of Shrider making a bow, visit youtube.com/limanewsvideos.) Cut the “tails” of the bow at an angle to draw the eye up toward the focal point, Shrider said. She always buys wire-edged ribbon, so she can arrange it easily, and she wires the tails onto the wreath, too, so the ribbon isn’t flying in the wind. “Wired ribbon is a wonderful thing,” Shrider said. If the ribbon you purchase has words on it, be mindful of placing the words in a way that they can be read.
Rudasill likes chenille stems (pipecleaners) twisted into a loop, and Shrider uses floral wire. Either way, be sure it’s attached well. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It is on the back, after all. Is it all just too much for you? Stop in to either of these shops, and the women have plenty of wreaths you can shop from — in addition to supplies for custom wreaths.
Sue Shrider
DON’T CUT THE STEMS TOO SHORT
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 9
7
9
ATTACH A LOOP HANGER
“You can always wire something in or just glue it in,” Rudasill said. The stems are helpful, as they are what is poked into the greenery of the wreath and woven in. “Fluff” everything as you add it, Shrider said, and try to blend added items with the greenery.
PETAL SHED 23089 state Route 697, Delphos 419-204-0506 smshrider@gmail.com
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Salt Marketplace and Cook Show a success arketPlac ok Sh
The Salt Marketplace & Cook Show was held Nov. 10 at Apollo Career Center. The show, which featured six presenters, focused on holiday recipes suited to entertaining guests this busy time of year. Dishes that were presented at the event included a holiday salad, pumpkin and apple cider fizz, chicken and bowtie pasta with pumpkin sage cream sauce, jambalaya, a mushroom Gruyere tart and pumpkin muffins. If you didn’t get a chance to attend, the recipes that were presented at the show appear in this edition of Salt. In addition to learning new recipes, showgoers could visit the marketplace and browse the booths of the 19 vendors. Door prizes were handed out throughout the night, including a Weber Performer Grill provided by DeHaven Home and Garden Showplace.
Recipes from the show
12 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
HOLIDAY SALAD — Lauren Harvey Salad Ingredients: 1/3 cup roasted butternut squash Oil Salt Pepper 6 cups baby kale 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced 1/3 cup pomegranate arils 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup bleu cheese
1/2 cup candied pecans Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Salt Pepper
Directions: To roast the butternut squash, peel and cube butternut squash; toss with oil and salt and pepper and bake until tender. To make the vinaigrette, add all ingredients in a jar then shake to combine. To assemble the salad, place kale in a large bowl and pour dressing on top. Then, top with remaining ingredients.
JAMBALAYA — Carol Braden-Clarke Ingredients: 1 package smoked sausage 1 bag medium to large shrimp Olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 red or yellow pepper, chopped 2-3 stalks celery, chopped 1 cup white rice
1 can red beans 1 can diced tomatoes 1 bottle tomato juice 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 2-3 dashes hot sauce 1/2 teaspoon dill weed 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Directions: Slice smoked sausage. Thaw shrimp, drain and rinse thoroughly. Remove tails. In a skillet, add enough olive oil to saute onions, peppers, celery and sausage. In a large pot, cook rice according to directions. Add remaining ingredients. Add sausage and vegetables. Cook on medium to low heat for 1 hour. Just before serving, add shrimp. Cook for about 10 minutes.
MUSHROOM AND GRUYÈRE TART — Brian Keegan Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Salt 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups milk, plus 3-4 tablespoons (more or less) 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 cup Gruyère, shredded (Can’t find Gruyère or don’t want to pay the price? Use a nice Swiss cheese instead.) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 pound mixed fresh mushrooms (cremini, white, whatever)
Brian Keegan pours sautéed mushrooms into a tart crust.
Bake the tart shell 20 minutes. Remove the foil and the weights. Return the tart shell to the oven and bake 10 minutes longer or until the crust is golden. Meanwhile, whisk together the beaten eggs, parsley, pepper, 1 1/2 cups of milk and 3/4 teaspoon of salt until blended. Stir in half of the shredded cheese. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet (nonstick, preferably) over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden and tender and the moisture has cooked away. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the bottom of the tart shell. Top with the mushrooms and pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the egg mixture is set and the tart is nicely browned. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with a bit of chopped parsley.
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 13
Photos by Kelli Cardinal
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 F. In a good size bowl, whisk together the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk into the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with a fork after each addition until the pastry is just moist enough to hold together. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry to a 13-inch round. Ease the pastry into an 11-by-1 round tart pan. Trim the pastry, leaving a half-inch overhang. Fold the overhang in and press against side of tart pan to form a rim around the edge of pan. Line the tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights, uncooked rice or dried beans.
Salt Editor Lora Abernathy, right, combines ingredients for pumpkin muffins with Salt Food Editor Andrea Chaffin.
14 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
PUMPKIN MUFFINS — Lora Abernathy Ingredients: Cooking spray 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole grain pastry flour (or whole wheat flour) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated works best) 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed 3 tablespoons unsulphered molasses 1/4 cup canola oil 2 large eggs 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (add a few drops of white vinegar to regular low-fat milk as a substitute) 1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds (optional) Directions: Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, molasses, oil and 1 egg until combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk
in the pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds. Gently drop the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean. Let muffins cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on a rack. (Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger, Food Network.)
PUMPKIN AND APPLE CIDER FIZZ — Andrea Chaffin Ingredients: Ice 1 1/2 ounces pumpkin puree (canned or homemade*) 1 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka 2 ounces apple cider 1 1/2 ounces ginger beer
Directions: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add pumpkin puree, vanilla vodka and apple cider. Shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into a glass filled with ice and top off with ginger beer. *To make pumpkin puree: Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut a pie pumpkin in half and
scoop out seeds and strands. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes. The texture of the pumpkin flesh should be soft when pierced with a fork. Let cool a bit. Scoop flesh into a food processor and puree until smooth. (Recipe from kitchenkonfidence.com, Brandon Matzek.)
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Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 15
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CHICKEN AND BOWTIE PASTA IN A PUMPKIN SAGE CREAM SAUCE — Carrie Hamilton-Prince
16 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup onion, diced 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) 1 cup chicken broth 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated 2 tablespoons fresh sage, sliced into strips 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cubed and cooked 16 ounces cooked bow tie pasta (or penne) Toasted pecans for garnish (optional) Directions: In a medium saucepan or large saute
pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic, cook 2-3 additional minutes. Add the cream, pumpkin, chicken broth, salt, white pepper and pumpkin spice until just boiling. Stir in parmesan, sage, parsley, chicken and pasta. Heat 5-7 more minutes until hot. To serve, place pasta in a large serving bowl or individual dishes. Garnish with toasted pecans, if desired.
Apollo culinary student Katie Duran hands out samples of chicken and bowtie pasta. The dish was prepared by Apollo culinary instructor Carrie Hamilton-Prince.
40916694b
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 17
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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 Dec. 28, 2016. Every submitted recipe will be entered in a drawing for a $25 grocery card. Congratulations to Kayla Monfort for her recipe submitted for this edition of Salt.
Salt Shakers These salt and pepper shakers were painted in 1988 by a very special friend of mine as a gift. I have cherished them for years. — Joyce Nichols, Elida
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 Dec. 28, 2016 for consideration for printing in a future issue.
Save the Date 2017
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Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 19
lima
20 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
Photos by Trevor Jones | Ohio Northern University
Designed
to entertain By Amy Eddings
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 21
Holiday entertaining reveals the limits of a home. My dining room, for example, is large enough for a table that seats eight comfortably. Any more guests, and my husband and I have to drag our spare dining table from the basement and set it up in the living room, pushing back armchairs, side tables and floor lamps to make way. Dan DiBiasio and his wife, Chris BurnsDiBiasio, do not have this problem. As president and first lady of Ohio Northern University in Ada, the couple lives in The Dicke House, the president’s home, built in 1999 on the western edge of campus. It’s a gracious, red brick Georgian house that was designed for entertaining. “It has a sensitivity to how you receive guests,” Burns-DiBiasio said. “This house has a big ‘wow’ factor.” That includes a spacious entry hall that leads, visually and spacially, to a chandelier and a grand, circular stairway made entirely of oak. At the stairway’s base, at Christmas, the couple places a towering, fresh-cut evergreen tree. To the left of the entry hall is a large receiving room with multi-paned windows, including a bay window that looks out on clipped boxwood and rose bushes that were still putting out blooms in late October. There’s a fireplace, too, one of three in the home. During the holidays, Burns-DiBiasio works with Carol Slane Florist to play up the fireplaces and other architectural features of the house, like the two pillars near the front door and the spiral staircase. “We’ve gotten to the point now where we’re reusing a lot of decorations,” she said, like silk flowers, candles, ornaments and figurines. “My Christmas entertaining starts early. It’s better for me to have things that will last and accent with fresh things, flower arrangements, and turn it over.” Across the entry hall from the receiving room is the dining room. Seventeen were expected for dinner on the day I visited. The table can accommodate 20.
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THE DICKE HOUSE Ohio Northern University 920 W. Lima Ave., Ada “The table consumes the whole space,” she said. “It doesn’t break down.” No need here to haul up an extra table from the basement, I thought. Off of the dining room, behind a double set of doors, is the kitchen, a “wow factor” that most guests won’t ever see. Two ovens. Two dishwashers. A Viking gas range with four burners, a griddle/grill and an exhaust hood. Plenty of counterspace. A huge, black granitetopped island with a handwashing sink. “I love to cook,” Burns-DiBiasio said. “I love this kitchen.” The caterers for that night’s event, she said, will use every square inch of space. “This will be covered with stuff,” the first lady said. “I will clear all the counters for them, stuff everything under…” She motioned toward the cabinets. “That’s my job.” Stowing away kitchen knickknacks for university events is one of the many ways they have to balance their private, family life with DiBiasio’s very public job. It’s a delicate dance they’ve been practicing since since 1995, when he became president of Wilmington College in Wilmington. The couple lived in the president’s house at Wilmington College, too, and raised their two sons there. “The challenge with children was maintaining a private life,” Burns-DiBiasio said. “When we were entertaining, depending on their age, I’d either have to have a babysitter who would take care of them and make sure they were doing their homework, or, if they were
older, like, teenagers, making sure the music that they’re playing upstairs in their rooms didn’t interfere with our event.” She said she appreciated the layout of the presidents’ homes at both Wilmington and Northern for providing a comfortable and seamless separation between public and private spaces. “Many presidents’ homes on other college campuses are older homes that have been adapted and the family is relegated to the upstairs. Maybe they’ll come down to use the kitchen,” she said. “Why I like this house, and the house in Wilmington, is because both of them have been designed for the purpose that they serve.” She said she often reminds herself that her home plays a special role in the community. “I kind of forget that,” she chuckled. “I think of myself as a regular person. But people love to come to the president’s house. They love to receive an invitation. They see you on campus and they want to see your home. There’s something special about coming up to the front door, walking into the home and be greeted by the president and their spouse.” And there’s something special about having a home that will allow you to do that without having to push an armchair into a corner.
— Chris Burns-DiBiasio
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 23
“I think of myself as a regular person. But people love to come to the president’s house. They love to receive an invitation. They see you on campus and they want to see your home. There’s something special about coming up to the front door, walking into the home and be greeted by the president and their spouse.”
HOLIDAY MENU Here’s an example of what First Lady Chris Burns-DiBiasio might serve guests during the holidays at The Dicke House. Roasted red pepper soup; spinach and strawberry salad, with warm balsamic and bacon dressing; filet mignon with jumbo prawns; garlic parmesan potato soufflé; broccolini; dinner rolls (she likes Williams-Sonoma’s rolls) and Cora’s red velvet cake.
24 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
CORA’S RED VELVET CAKE Start to finish: 1 hour and 15 minutes hours (active time, 20 minutes) Servings: 12
10 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Cake Ingredients: Pan spray Flour for dusting 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour, sifted 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon cocoa 1 cup buttermilk 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (very important to use vegetable oil) 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) liquid red food coloring 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Cake Directions: Preheat over to 325 F. Prepare two 9-inch cake rounds with pan spray and dust with flour. Sift the flour twice, once before you measure and then again after you measure. Separately, sift together the baking soda, sugar and cocoa. Mix with the flour in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, food coloring and vinegar in a medium bowl. Make a deep well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in all the wet ingredients (this is very important). Using an electric mixer, mix on medium speed until all ingredients are well-blended, approximately 3 minutes. The batter will be very thin. Divide the batter evenly into the two
Frosting Ingredients: 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
cake rounds. Once the batter is in the pans, gently drop the pans on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 30-45 minutes (cake should be very moist so be careful not to overbake). Cool cake in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Loosen around edges with a small knife. Remove cake from the pans and cool completely on rack to room temperature. Frosting Directions: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, blend the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth, approximately 3 minutes. Add the pecans to the mixture and gently mix until fully blended. Place cake layers on a cake plate, spreading frosting between each layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and side of cake. Serve.
SHARING f Your f favorite COOKIE
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 25
Recipes
Special K — Bars Diana Johnson, of Lima My sister, Karen, always makes these for me at Christmas. She is a very special sister. I love her very dearly. Ingredients: 1 cup light Karo syrup 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter 6 cups Special K cereal One 6-ounce package chocolate chips
One 6-ounce package butterscotch chips Directions: Place Karo, sugar and butter in saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, stir, then add cereal. Press into 9-by-13-inch pan. Melt chocolate and butterscotch and spread on top. Refrigerate. When firm, cut in squares.
Candy Cane Cookies — Mary Drzycimski-Finn,
Assistant to the dean for student success in the Getty College of Arts and Sciences at Ohio Northern University
Chocolate Malted Cookies
— Diana Johnson, of Lima
26 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
I love Happy Daz’ chocolate malted milkshakes, so I bought the powder and found this recipe and make it for my family. So, now I can have the best of both worlds: milkshakes and cookies. Ingredients: 1 cup butter-flavored shortening 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup malted milk powder 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 egg 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup milk chocolate chips Directions: Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening, brown sugar, malted milk powder, chocolate syrup and vanilla for 2 minutes. Add egg. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, then add the creamed mixture. Stir in chips. Roll into balls and place 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
No Polish specialties here. My mom, who did the baking and cooking in our family, is an Irish-Catholic who hated cooking. That said, she did enjoy baking — at least some of the time — and she still enjoys baking and decorating Christmas cookies with her grandchildren. For the holidays, she makes lots of traditional recipes, many passed down from her mother — sugar cookies, spritz, macaroons, pecan fingers, peanut butter blossoms, etc. My personal favorite has always been her candy cane cookies, strands of red and white dough twisted together and topped with crushed peppermint candies. These cookies require a delicate touch when twining the two doughs together. Ingredients: 1 cup shortening (half butter or oleo) 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoons almond or peppermint extract 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/2 cups flour (if using Gold Medal self-rising flour, omit salt) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy 1/2 cup white sugar Directions: Mix shortening, confectioners’ sugar, egg and flavorings thoroughly. Mix flour and salt, stir into shortening mix. Divide dough in half. Blend food coloring into half. Using 1 teaspoon dough, roll 4-inch strips from each color. Place strips side by side. Press lightly together and twist. For best results, complete cookies one at a time. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Curve top down to form cane. Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake about 9 minutes, until lightly browned. While still warm, remove from baking sheet with spatula and sprinkle with mix of candy and sugar.
Skinny Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies — Kayla Monfort R.D., L.D.,
Chronic disease prevention specialist, Activate Allen County
Here is a recipe that we recommend. It’s a low-fat twist on a classic cookie flavor: chocolate chip.
2 tablespoons applesauce 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Ingredients: 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 egg white
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 cookie sheets with silicone liners. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt and stir to blend. In another bowl, whisk the sugars, butter, egg white, applesauce and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet
Cinnamon Wreaths These are cookies I always enjoyed baking around the holidays with my two boys, Soda Pop and River. They also enjoyed helping me decorate them, but to them, the best part was to eat them.
Frosting Ingredients: 3 ounces white baking chocolate 1/2 teaspoon shortening Wreath Directions: In a bowl, beat butter with electric mixer 30 seconds. Beat in 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, ginger and salt until combined. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until easy to handle. Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine the 2 tablespoons granulated
(Recipes from skinnytaste.com.)
— Diana Johnson, of Lima sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon. On lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch scalloped cookie cutter. Cut out centers with 1-inch scalloped cutter. Place cutouts on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar mixture. Press candy pieces into dough. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. Decorate with frosting. Frosting Directions: In a small saucepan, melt white baking chocolate and shortening over low heat. Stir in a few drops of green food coloring.
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 27
Wreath Ingredients: 3/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Red and/or green miniature candy-coated semi-sweet chocolate pieces
ingredients in 2 additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time until it smooths out. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by level spoonfuls about 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before removing from the sheets and cooling on wire racks.
Hausfreunde White Velvet Cutouts — Elizabeth Brown, — Jan Potter, of Bluffton President, Lima Symphony Orchestra
This is my holiday go-to recipe. It’s an old German cookie recipe which translates to “friend of the house.” It’s been a long-standing favorite of ours as much because they are delicious as because they are really beautiful and make great gifts. My grandmother used to make a version of this that was a bar cookie, and it was always a holiday treat. A number of years ago, I found this recipe that replaced the chopped almonds with almond paste and added apricot. The first time Mom and I made them together, I knew we had revived a family tradition.
28 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 large egg, beaten 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract About 1/2 cup apricot jam 7 ounces almond paste 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 24 walnut halves, toasted Directions: In a food processor, pulse the flour with the granulated sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining. Add the egg and vanilla and pulse until the dough just comes together. Scrape out onto a work surface and pat into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 large-rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/4-inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out cookies as close together as possible; transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps, re-roll and stamp out more cookies. You should have a total of 48. Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, until golden; rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Transfer to a rack to cool. In a small saucepan, warm the jam over moderate heat, stirring, until runny, about 3 minutes. Brush a thin layer of jam on 24 of the cookies and top with the remaining cookies. In a medium bowl, combine the almond paste with the confectioners’ sugar and knead until blended. Roll out the almond paste 1/8 inch thick between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out 24 rounds. Brush the top of each cookie sandwich with another thin layer of jam and top with the rounds of almond paste. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate at high power in 30-second bursts until just melted. Stir until smooth. Dip the top of each sandwich cookie in the chocolate, just enough to coat the almond paste; transfer to the baking sheet. Top each cookie with a walnut half.
This recipe was given to me by a secretary in the high school where I worked. She baked them for St. Valentine’s Day. Besides Christmas, I have baked them for St. Patrick’s Day. They are very rich and decadent. I used to buy decorated cutout cookies for the holidays, but since I found this recipe, I’ll never purchase them again. Some of my family like them iced and decorated. My sister likes them plain. Either way, they are delicious. Ingredients: 1 pound butter 8 ounces cream cheese 2 cups white sugar 2 egg yolks 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 1/2 cups flour Directions: Cream butter and cream cheese with a mixer. Add sugar, egg yolks and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Gradually add flour to dough. Chill overnight. (It is important to chill the dough for several hours. Otherwise, it is too sticky to roll out.) Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll dough out no thinner than a quarter inch onto a floured board and cut into desired shapes. Bake 10 to 12 minutes on greased cookie sheet. (I used non-stick cookie sheets and did not grease the pans. If you use a dark-colored pan, check to see if you need to lower the temperature 25 degrees. I do with my Nordic cookie sheets. I have also lined my cookie sheets with parchment paper.) Do not over-bake. Frost with your favorite frosting and decorate. Usually I use buttercream frosting, but royal frosting would work as well.
Grandma Frantz’s Sugar Cookies
— Dr. Karen Kier,
Professor of clinical pharmacy at Ohio Northern University This is a thin, crispy sugar cookie. My mother is allergic to almonds, so I substitute almond flavoring with more vanilla, but you could use other flavorings as well. My grandmother used to make these Christmas cookies and they were wonderful. I loved to decorate these cookies with her each year, and now I enjoy decorating these with my daughter when she comes home from college. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted 1 cup butter, softened 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring 2 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar Directions: Mix sugar and butter. Add in eggs, vanilla and almond flavoring, mixing thoroughly. Sift flour. Stir dry ingredients together and blend in with wet ingredient mixture. Refrigerate dough for 2-3 hours. Preheat oven to 375 F. Divide dough in half and roll out one half on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Roll out to about 3/16-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and decorate. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until delicately golden.
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 29
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30 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
In the kitchen with
Vivace Cuisine’s Khaled Alkhatib “From the time I started, that was a big thing. It had to look five-star when it went out. The eye eats before the mouth.” — Khaled Alkhatib, chef and owner, Vivace Cuisine Photos by Amanda Wilson
Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 31
VIVACE CUISINE 59 Town Square, Lima 419-222-8482 facebook.com/chefkhaledalkhatib Open 4:30-9:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Closed Sundays. Reservations recommended.
Restaurant a top 100 in Ohio
32 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
By Amy Eddings
Vivace Cuisine. The restaurant in downtown Lima has an Italian name, meaning “lively.” Khaled Alkhatib. The name of Vivace’s chef is Middle Eastern. He’s Syrian by birth, but Palestinian by heritage. So, where does that leave the hungry person who comes to Vivace Cuisine for dinner? It leaves the diner with a happy array of mouth-beckoning dishes to choose from, dishes with pedigrees that draw from Jerusalem, Rome and middle America. Customers can expect a very American amalgamation of cultures and influences. On the menu are classic Mediterranean dishes such as marinated chicken or beef kabobs, baba ghanoush and creamy hummus, but also a caprese salad of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. There’s shrimp cocktail, an American steakhouse staple, but also crostini topped with seared beef tenderloin, a gyro platter with warm pita and tzatziki sauce, and fettuccine seasoned with Mediterranean herbs and topped with fresh roma tomatoes, asparagus, sweet peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. “That was, like, the first dish I did,” he said of the pasta. “I was 14 years old.” He learned most of his cooking skills from his grandfather, who was a chef in Paris. “He cooked Mediterranean, but my brother and I, we twisted it a little bit,” he said. “We came up with our own recipes and that’s how it started.” It also leaves the diner very satisfied. Vivace Cuisine was named one of the top 100 restaurants in Ohio last summer by The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, as determined by reviews on Yelp. “The best lamb gyro my tongue has ever wrapped itself around,” declared Nina S. from New York City. “Yes, you read correct.” “The baba ganoush [sic] in particular has a rich, smoky flavor that has tons of depth,” wrote Matthew W. of Zanesville, Ohio. “I could devour this stuff all day long.” The photos posted on Yelp show beautifully plated dishes, with vegetables artfully arrayed, fresh basil leaves balanced on stacked filets of tilapia, and olive oil and balsamic vinegar spooned into a perfect arc around a little mound of olives and a tiny ball of fresh mozzarella. “From the time I started, that was a big thing,” he said. “It had to look five-star when it went out. The eye eats before the mouth.”
Chef KK, as his staff calls him, exudes confidence and cool. The 33 year old has a beard, trimmed neat and close; his short hair was brushed forward. He wore a white T-shirt with a silkscreened image of two grizzled musicians on it, stonewashed gray jeans, a silver chain, several leather bracelets and white sneakers with no socks. He spoke softly, his English thick with a Middle Eastern inflection. “I’m the son of a Palestinian mother and father,” he wrote later in an email. His parents’ families left Israel because of the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, immigrating to Syria and, later, Algeria in search of new beginnings. In 1983, his mom and dad and their growing family returned to Syria. He was born there that same year, and lived in Syria until 2005, when he followed his peripatetic family to the States, to Lima. He was in his early 20s. “I moved to America to start my dream and I wanted to start early,” he wrote. “With the help of my family and the city of Lima and a few friends, I was able to do so. I’m now an American citizen and the process was not difficult. I only had to learn about the history of the country that I fell in love with.” Why Lima? “The reason we chose Lima is because my brother, Ahmad Alkhatib, was a neurologist at St. Rita’s [Medical Center],” he said. His brother and the rest of Alkhatib’s immediate family later moved to Arkansas. There, in Bentonville, brother Sal has a res-
taurant that’s also named Vivace. This time, Alkhatib did not follow them. “I decided to stay in Lima to continue my dream as a chef,” he wrote. In the kitchen at home, Chef KK said he doesn’t pay as much attention to presentation, “unless if I have friends over, then I do.” He tends toward vegetarian items. “And I love spicy food,” he said. “Everything I make to myself has to be spicy.” Spicy. Lively. Vivace.
VIVACE HUMMUS Start to finish: 15 minutes Serving: 10 Ingredients: 6 cups chickpeas, cooked and drained (2 cups dried chickpeas, or four 15-ounce cans chickpeas) 5 cups water, room temperature 1 cup tahini sauce (tahini, or ground sesame seeds, can be found in most grocery stores in the “World Foods” section) 1 level tablespoon salt 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 tablespoons plain yogurt Directions: Blend all the ingredients together in a standing mixer until creamy. Serve with hot, fresh pita bread or with a crudité plate of carrots, cucumber, cauliflower and sweet red bell peppers.
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Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016 | 33
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Out & About
Compiled by Lora Abernathy
ALLEN COUNTY
HANCOCK COUNTY
Dec. 5-6 “The Happy Elf,” Encore Theatre, 991 N. Shore Drive, Lima. Call 419-223-8866, email encore@ mw.twcbc.com or visit www.amiltellers.org.
Dec. 8 Sandi Patti performs, 7:30 p.m., Marathon Performing Arts Center, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay. Call 419-423-2787 or visit marathoncenterarts.org.
Dec. 5-31 Fort Festival of Trees, Fort Recovery Public Library, 113 N. Wayne St., Fort Recovery. Call 419-375-2869.
Dec. 10 Lima Symphony Orchestra’s holiday concert, Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-224-1552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.
Dec. 8-11 and 15-18 “A Christmas Story, The Musical,” Fort Findlay Playhouse, 300 W. Sandusky St., Findlay. Call 419423-7168 or visit fortfindlayplayhouse.org.
Dec. 9 Bearcreek Memories: Branson on the Road — Christmas Style, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., The Overdrive, 3769 state Route 127, Celina. Call 419-925-9999, email contact@theoverdrive.com or visit theoverdrive.com.
Dec. 14 “Great Russian Nutcracker,” 7 p.m., Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-224-1552 or visit limaciviccenter.com. Dec. 31 Lima Symphony Orchestra’s New Year’s Eve performance, Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-224-1552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.
36 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | December 2016
Dec. 5 - Dec. 31
AUGLAIZE COUNTY Dec. 8 Cosmic Christmas, 4-6 p.m., Armstrong Air & Space Museum, 500 Apollo Drive, Wapakoneta. Call 419-738-8811 or visit armstrongmuseum. org. Dec. 10 Pictures with Santa, 10-11:30 a.m., Cisco Realty, 333 W. Spring St., St. Marys. Call 419-394-6404 or visit ciscorealty.com. Dec. 12 Annual Miracle Meal, Wapakoneta Fairgrounds. Call Rollie Kent at 419-738-3674. Dec. 17 Aviation History Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Armstrong Air & Space Museum, 500 Apollo Drive, Wapakoneta. Call 419-738-8811 or visit armstrongmuseum.org.
Dec. 9 Hancock Leadership Alumni Association Holiday Reception, 5:30-8 p.m., the Links, 2435 S. Main St., Findlay. Visit hancockleadership.org. Dec. 9-10 The 23rd annual Victorian Christmas Dinner, 6:30-9 p.m., Hancock Historical Museum, 422 W. Sandusky St., Findlay. Call 419-423-4433 or visit hancockhistoricalmuseum.org. Dec. 16-17 “A 1940’s Nutcracker,” 8-10 p.m., Marathon Performing Arts Center, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay. Call 419-423-2787 or visit marathoncenterarts.org.
HARDIN COUNTY Dec. 6 Christmas PaintINN, 6 p.m., The Inn at Ohio Northern University, 401 W. College Ave., Ada. Paint the scenes and colors of the holiday season. Enjoy food and drink while working with a trained professional. Call 419-772-2500 or visit innatonu.com. Dec. 9-11, 16-17 “Greetings” Christmas dinner theatre, The Inn at Ohio Northern University, 401 W. College Ave., Ada. Call 419-772-2500 or visit innatonu.com. Dec. 10 Vancrest of Ada holiday craft fair, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 600 W. North Ave., Ada. Call 419-558-1379. Dec. 16 Christmas Carol Sing-a-Long, 5:30 p.m., The Inn at Ohio Northern University, 401 W. College Ave., Ada. Call 419-772-2500 or visit innatonu.com.
MERCER COUNTY
Dec. 16 Bearcreek Memories: Brenda Lee, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., The Overdrive, 3769 state Route 127, Celina. Call 419-925-9999, email contact@ theoverdrive.com or visit theoverdrive.com. Dec. 31 Nye Bash with Mustang Sally, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., The Overdrive, 3769 state Route 127, Celina. Call 419-925-9999, email contact@theoverdrive.com or visit theoverdrive.com.
PUTNAM COUNTY Dec. 5-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.
VAN WERT Dec. 10 Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit npacvw.org. Dec. 17 John Tesh Big Band Concert, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit npacvw.org.
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Photo taken by Amanda Wilson at Ivy Hutch Flowers and Gifts in 2015.