Time Flies (And a Little C-Bus Love)

Fall Leaves at Darby Creek Metropark

Wow. The last few times I posted, I was in denial about Summer ending. Two months later and we’re quickly approaching Christmas. So where have I been? The short answer is working long hours, starting to train for a triathlon, planning a major vacation (This winter, we’re going a culinary tour of Oaxaca, Mexico!) and enjoying lots of good food and good times with family and friends. I’ve been so busy living life that I haven’t had time to blog about it. And now there are so many things I’d like to write about that I’m not sure where to pick back up. So I’m starting with a recap of the last few months.

A Fall day at Darby Creek

September:

• After all of the bridal shower festivities, my sister Ashley married her fiance Justin in a beautiful outdoor ceremony.


The happy Bride & Groom

• Jared and I did a lot of hiking at the Metroparks, biking on the Olentangy River Trail and brunching. All that exercise works up an appetite, right? To me, food and exercise go hand in hand. Aside from the obvious benefits, regular exercise lets me enjoy good food without gaining weight or sacrificing my overall health.


Our trusty old Schwinns at Scioto Audobon Metropark

• I went on a 9 day business trip to West Virginia. It was tiring, but I am grateful that I got to go. I was there to help train and organize another office. But I also learned a lot that I could bring back to my own office here in Columbus.


Sunset over the mountains of WV

• Of course, I also tried several new recipes. My favorite was a Vegetarian Lasagne that took 3 hours and 2 sauces (Tomato & Béchamel) to create. It tasted incredible but got a little overcooked on the top; so it didn’t look very pretty in pictures. I plan to make it again, very soon, and post the recipe.


Lasagna sauces simmering on my stovetop

October

• Jared and I attended Taste of Grandview Heights. This was our first “Taste of”. From what I understand, it is much more casual than most of these events. While we enjoyed trying new foods, one of our favorite things about this event was how the staff of restaurants we frequent recognized and chatted with us. Specifically, I’m thinking of Mazah Mediterranean Eatery, home of the best Falafel and some of the prettiest food around. We were also happy to see Old Bag of Nails Grandview, which we refer to as our Cheers bar and which we love for its laid-back atmosphere and friendly bartenders. Local businesses: make your customers feel special & we’ll stay loyal.


Somehow, the only pic I have of downtown Grandview is an old cameraphone pic from last winter

• I made these Apple Cider Doughnuts. I’m not posting the recipe because, for once, I followed it exactly. These doughnuts were perfect – soft and airy on the inside, sweet and crispy on the outside. They are a lot of work, but well worth it.


The best doughnuts ever

• Before venturing out to Highball Halloween (which I highly recommend if you haven’t been), I hosted a Halloween party complete with Halloween-themed food and drinks. Among other things, I made a Graveyard 7-Layer Dip and a Zombie Bride Cake (with from-scratch Devil’s Food, of course). Jared invented a Candy Apple Cocktail, my sister made a Bugs & Dirt Cake, and several of my guests brought goodies including Sangria and Halloween-sprinkled Chocolate-Covered Pretzels. While Christmas is my favorite food holiday, Halloween is a close second. Halloween food is fun. There aren’t really any expectations; so you can get really creative and kitschy. And while Christmas is a family holiday, Halloween is a great time for friends to get together, eat ridiculous amounts of sweets and enjoy one anothers’ company.


Zombie Bride Cake



Fun Halloween Food

November

• November brought Dine Originals Columbus Week. This is another event that I hadn’t attended in the past. My friends and I opted for a meal at Skillet. The food was creative and excellent, as always. My only complaint is that I don’t think Pumpkin Polenta was worth the $30 price. Another friend and I agreed that the $20 prix fixe is probably more fitting for such a casual restaurant. That being said, I’ll definitely be returning to Skillet very soon.


Skillet's Dining Room

• In other Columbus food news, Jared and I finally had a chance to try the lunch special at Venky’s Spice House. For $5.99 (I believe), you get an appetizer, two curries, daal, naan, rice and dessert. Venky’s is one of our favorite Indian restaurants. Their food is more flavorful than several other area Indian restaurants, and their prices are great. We were excited about this lunch special because we could try things we’d never had before. And the portions were so generous that we had enough for dinner that night.


When my curry grows up, it wants to be like the curry at Venky's

• Since Jared and I like to try new, local restaurants, I am a loyal follower of Fudha. If you haven’t heard of it, Fudha offers half-price gift certificates for local restaurants. They donate $1 of the cost of each Fudha to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. This is a great way to try new places, or save some money at trusty favorites. The first time we went to Skillet, it was actually with a $20 gift certificate that had cost $10 through Fudha. When Venky’s offered one, I snapped it right up.


When I used my Fudha at Skillet, I meant to review my tasty meal. Obviously, I never got around to it.

• Of course, when November rolls around, so does The Food Holiday – Thanksgiving. We get together with our loved ones and give thanks for all of life’s blessings, then eat copious amounts of food. Due to my work schedule, I wasn’t able to go home to celebrate with my family. This was the first time Jared and I celebrated Thanksgiving alone together. It was a bittersweet day for me since I really missed everyone. But I did enjoy the chance to make my own, slightly nontraditional Thanksgiving meal, which I will be posting sometime this week.


Making Thanksgiving Dinner

Every day, I’m reminded of how thankful I am that Jared and I moved from a small town in Michigan to Columbus. We are both Ohio natives, from the Cleveland area. But being away from your home state for several years has a way of making you appreciate it. I don’t know that we’ll be here forever because I hate winter with a passion. But for now, we’re really enjoying our life in a new city and learning about all that it has to offer.

Downtown Columbus, seen from the Olentangy Trail