The bounty of Ohio foods at Hills Market

I love March. Spring, my birthday, the weather is improving. And Christmas in March.

OK, this isn't the kind of Christmas that brings a fat guy with a bunch of stuff - March brings the first of the year's Ohio Market Festival at Hills Market. Anyone who's ever experienced competitive sampling at Costco ain't seen nothing like this. And the awesome part is that Hills is now doing it three times a year to give more Ohio producers a chance to show off their yumminess!

We waited a little late in the day to head to Worthington - it was around 1:00 and the event ended at 2:00. See - that's better for our waistlines - there's no WAY to hit every sample station when there's a beer tasting involved. The nice thing was that the crowds had thinned out and I got a chance to say hi to Bethia Woolf. She's the founder of Columbus Food Adventures (rolling my pennies) and one of the best food bloggers in the area. I'm more of a stay-at-home-and-cook kind of gal, but I love reading her reviews and she's convincing enough to make me want to go to Happy Hour again.

On to the Ohio foods at Hills Market. Oh - wait. Let's start with Ohio brews - Rockmill Brewery. I love beer - more importantly, I love craft ales. From a farm near Lancaster come four beautiful Belgian-style ales. Organic grains, hops and malts combined with a natural spring deliver something special. We tasted all four of Rockmill's offerings - poured and described by brewer Matthew - and had a hard time picking a favorite to carry home. The man won and I have a bottle of Saisson awaiting the perfect moment.

Saisson Organic Farmhouse Ale: Ohio-made from Rockmill Brewery

I was excited to see Blue Jacket Dairy, but we were too late for the Gretna Grilling cheese samples. However, these cheese curds? Just the right blend of seasoning. I've used some of the Dill to make a simple pasta side dish and munched on a few of the Firelands - with chipotle! They are perfect alone, it just makes me think I need to cook with them. Any suggestions?

From Blue Jacket Dairy, near Bellefontaine

 

 We tasted this dip with a simple tortilla chip and were more than impressed with Urbana's Taste Weavers. The smokiness of the chipotle is more overstated than the heat. Again, I'm running recipe ideas through my mind. Harry says "It's a dip - it's for dipping things in."

I thought about a drizzle on some Chipotle-inspired (the restaurant) burritos.

 

 I like to hit up Cajohn's at the North Market and loved the chance to try several of their barbecue sauces. We decided this was the perfect sauce for our BBQ Burgers with sauteed onions and horseradish cheddar cheese. We were right.

Not too sweet and no overpowering fake-smoke taste.

 

 I might have to give up my food-geek card after my faux pas with this guy. Massillon's Gold'N Krisp potato chips are one of the few kettle-style chips I've ever tasted that I enjoy. They're not too thick and a little less salty than most potato chips. My goof came when I asked "Peanut oil?" He was very nice when he said it was a blend of lard and shortening. I will NOT feel guilty about loving the taste of these chips.

Gold'N Krisp doesn't have their own web presence but - did you know there was a chip of the month club?

YUMMY! Potato Chips!

 

I know I'll never be able to participate in the 100-mile diet but it's nice to know that there are several resources in Columbus to find local and Ohio foods.

Planning a summer wedding in Columbus?

Get busy! There are so many summer wedding locations in and near Columbus but summer 'tis the season. Have you tried all the popular venues and found out that they are booked?

If you are still looking for the perfect spot and are willing to travel a little outside of I-270 (or even to Clintonville!) you might still be able to have your wedding outside ON the day of your choosing.

Summer Wedding Venues near Columbus

Warm up at a locally owned coffee shop in Columbus!

Yes, if you're a local and you love coffee you already know about these great coffee houses! But, think of it as doing a service for the new arrivals.

Mmmmm....coffee!

Coffee Houses in Columbus

The Short North - live, laugh, play...

Even though I'm a country girl, I have a certain affection for many of Columbus' neighborhoods. I don't know many people who have spent any time exploring the Short North and what it has to offer and then decide they don't want to go back.

Here's a quick snapshot of one of Columbus' best neighborhoods.

Short North - Neighborhood Profile

The Drexel Theater and Indie Flicks!

Independent movie theaters should be cherished. Even with all of the mega-chain theaters in Columbus, we still have a few gems and the Drexel in Bexley is one of them.

Yes - they do show some mainstream films but the focus for me is the array of indie-flicks. Oh - every month the Drexel has a viewing of "The Room" - second Saturday - don't miss it!

Drexel Theater is Columbus, Ohio's Home for Indie Films

Pumpkins, Laurelville Cider and Corn Mazes OH MY!

My first thought to anyone who asks where to buy pumpkins is to go to the farmers market. You know - that place close to you where all the farmers gather once or twice a week and let you select your choice from their hard work? There are still several farmers markets going strong in Columbus, I'm sure very close to you.

But, some families want pumpkin picking to be an "event" - they want the whole experience of being away from the city streets and want their kids to actually visit a farm. Fact is, there aren't many "farms" with a Columbus zip code and pumpkin farms are a different breed. It takes more than a backyard to grow enough pumpkins to supply the masses.

I've visited each of these pumpkin farms at other times of the year, usually a stop for whatever produce happens to be in season. Pumpkin season is different - my kids are grown, so we don't do the decorating thing. These pumpkin farms - Renick's, Lynd's and Smith's - are within an easy, reasonable drive from anywhere in Franklin County. Each has a little something "extra" to make them attractive. I'll admit - my reason for including Smith's is a combination of primarily selling Ohio-made produce and products (YAY!) and OD on BBQ. So, Smith's is more for those who don't really feel the need to tromp through a field but are just as happy buying a pre-picked pumpkin. That will leave more time for barbecue!

Pumpkin Farms Near Columbus, Ohio

Photo courtesy dbgeorge at sxc.hu

Important Info NOT in the Ohio State New Student Handbook...

You've settled in...the first few weeks of classes are behind you...you've overspent your food allowance for the quarter...and you really want to get out of the dorm.

Relax! Columbus has so much to offer to Ohio State students and a lot of it is very close to campus. You can find some of the best pizza in the city and locally owned coffee shops that really ARE better than Starbucks. That student ID? It does more than get you access to a student ticket for the Ohio State football games.

Although my kids didn't actually go to Ohio State (yet!), they've both spent quite a bit of their adult lives living and embracing the Ohio State campus life. I've put together a few helpful tips every new Ohio State student should be aware of...

New Ohio State University Students: What You Should Know

The Buckeyes and Good Beer...

The vacation season is over!

Personally, I think we've got it pretty good in Columbus. We've got a great NCAA football program (no matter how hard Mark May tries to argue against it!) and Columbus has a lot of options for beer geeks.

You know the ones - we like real beer. We like something that isn't mass produced by the billions of bottles. We want our beer to stand up and kick our ass! We want flavor, we want richness and we want it all the time.

I'm a beer geek and a Buckeye fan and I know I'm not alone. Two local places have the perfect setting for people like me - great beer and lots of TVs to catch all the action on Buckeye football Saturdays: Barley's Smokehouse & Brewpub and The Winking Lizard on Bethel Road. My Lizard preference swings on the patio, because the Crosswoods location is definitely closer to home. Although there's not a lot of street traffic in the Crosswoods area, you can't see the traffic at all at the Bethel Road location.

Here - my humble opinion as to the Best Craft Beer Bars for Buckeyes Fans!

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