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We all scream for ice cream!
Posted by Lynn Peters on 7/27/10 |
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 Vande Walle’s Candies near the Fox River Mall is ready to help you tolerate the heat and humidity. They’re currently offering ice cream cones for 95 cents. I’m not kidding – real ice cream for less than a dollar! |
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Midwest Stars coming to WIR
Posted by Matt Ten Haken on 7/21/10 |
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 The paved half-mile D-shaped oval at Wisconsin International Raceway in the Kaukauna regularly hosts exciting Fox River Racing Club action each Thursday night. But on Tuesday, August 3, the track will host a special event, the Dixieland 150, with the touring stars of the American Speed Association (ASA) Midwest Tour. NASCAR drivers Johnny Sauter and Scott Wimmer will be making special appearances in the race. Racing fans in the Fox Cities know that some of today’s top NASCAR drivers have made stops at WIR and at the Dixieland 150 over the years. Notable names include: Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Mark Martin to name a few. Kenseth’s 17-year old son Ross is actually a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year honors on the ASA Midwest Tour and will look to take home the Dixieland title along with a host of up and coming drivers. Fans will also get to see an ASA Midwest Truck Tour race prior to the main event. General Admission tickets for all ages will be $15. Qualifying starts at 4 p.m. and races start at 7 p.m. For more info on the race go to: www.asamidwesttour.com or www.frrcracing.com. This will be an event that race fans will not want to miss! |
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Tools In Motion
Posted by Lynn Peters on 7/14/10 |
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The Bergstrom-Mahler Museum recently opened a fun and rather quirky new exhibit called Tools in Motion. I ran over there at noon today for the weekly "hard hat tour" with Jan Smith, the museum's executive director. I would have enjoyed the exhibit under any circumstances, but getting some insights from Jan made it even more interesting.
The show includes sculptures, paintings and prints originally owned by hardware industry pioneer John Hechinger. Many of the pieces are made from those everyday things you'd buy at a hardware store, things like drawer pulls, hammers and shovels. Lots are humorous and some are quite beautiful.
Hard hat tours are free and available at 12 noon every Wednesday. Learn more at www.paperweightmuseum.com . |
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A Little Night Music
Posted by Kim Tisler on 7/9/10 |
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 One of my favorite things about summer is having the chance to spend a beautiful, warm evening attending an outdoor concert. The sights, sounds, smells… you just can’t beat it! Fortunately for those living in or visiting the Fox Cities, there are a wealth of opportunities to grab a blanket and cooler, and head out for an evening of relaxation and rejuvenation, listening to a vast array of area musicians playing everything from jazz and country, to good ‘ole rock and roll. The Village of Kimberly hosts Sunday at the Amphitheater every Sunday evening. You’ll find the Appleton City Band playing at Pierce Park every Tuesday. On Wednesday, check out concerts in the Village of Little Chute, and the City of Neenah. The Downtown Heid Music Summer Concert Series plays Thursday evenings in Appleton’s Houdini Plaza. If you happen to find yourself in downtown Neenah on a Thursday during the lunch hour, check out the Out to Lunch Concert Series in Shattuck Park. And new this year in Appleton is Riverbeat Music Along the Fox, which is hosted at area locations along the Fox River in Appleton on Saturday afternoons. All of the concerts are free of charge, and wonderful for all ages. Many of the concert venues are located near area restaurants, giving you the opportunity to splurge on a variety of local fare before settling in to enjoy the music. (If you’re in downtown Appleton, you’ve got to stop in and see Josef at Gyros Kabob. They are back in the original location in Soldier Square, and the gyros are simply fantastic!) Check out our website for exact times and locations, and plan to take in a summer concert with friends, family or your special someone. The memories will get you through our cold Wisconsin winters! |
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Cheese Please!
Posted by Tami Hoff on 7/8/10 |
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 Our son attends college in sunny California. California may have “Happy Cows”, but our son is not happy because they apparently do not have cheese curds! To keep him alive and well, I routinely send him a delicious care package from Simon’s Specialty Cheese in Little Chute.
To place my son’s order, I love to visit the store in person. I then get to indulge in their free samples, pick up a fresh pizza to bake at home and get a hand dipped ice cream cone! The staff at Simon’s is very helpful in placing orders for shipment directly from their store. They have many beautiful gift box/baskets to choose from or you can create your own package of assorted items. I always add several bags of squeaky cheese curds to my orders!
Ordering from their website is very easy too. Simply go to simonscheese.com and choose from many varieties of Wisconsin cheeses, homemade fudge, gourmet gifts, and more. And, don’t forget the cheese curds!
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When Irish Eyes are Smiling
Posted by Tami Hoff on 7/8/10 |
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Whenever I need a special gift for 100% Irish mother, I head straight to Mystic Ireland in Appleton. The store recently changed locations from College Avenue to 201 S. Walnut Street in Appleton, but the merchandise and owners are the same.
Mystic Ireland is owned and operated by an Irish family who came to the United States eleven years ago. They pride themselves on offering products that truly represent the Irish culture – past and present. The owners keep in contact with their relatives in Ireland and also travel to Ireland twice per year to stay up to date with the latest trends.
My mother is very hard to shop for, but Mystic Ireland has so many great things to choose from: jewelry, clothing of all kind, wall hangings, blankets, frames, ornaments, perfumes, Galway and Waterford Crystal and much more! I settled on a beautiful Irish throw for my mother. She loved the Irish blessing and the beautiful scene on her new throw. Mom’s Irish eyes were definitely smiling and so were mine.
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The spice of life
Posted by Chris Church on 7/7/10 |
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 I’m not an adventurous cook. In fact, for a few years, I didn’t have any black pepper in my house because we didn’t use it. My mom was horrified!
She’d find it hilarious that now one of my favorite shops is Penzey’s Spices on Casaloma Drive just west of Fox River Mall. It’s a bazaar of new sights and smells.
With more than 200 spices and seasonings, there’s a lot to choose from. Who would have known there are two different kinds of poppy seeds (white and blue)? Or pink peppercorns? Or six different chili powders?
Besides bringing home new spices for my own kitchen, I’ve become a Penzey’s gift-giver. One family member wants me to bring her poppy-seeds when I visit while another relative asks for Fox Point Seasoning. At a recent family reunion out of state, I gave everyone Vietnamese Cinnamon and Spanish Paprika, both of which got rave reviews. Easy to carry in your suitcase, and because Penzey’s is a Wisconsin-based business, it’s really fun to give to friends and family.
And don’t forget to sign up for their free catalog when you're at their store. They have great background stories on their wares along with some terrific recipes.
Oh, and about the pepper? Yes, we have it in abundance at our house now. Mom would be proud!!
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To market, to market!
Posted by Chris Church on 7/7/10 |
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It’s a pot pourri of wonderful food, great smells, beautiful sights and a sparkling array of one-of-a-kind specialty items. It’s downtown Appleton’s Saturday morning Farm Market, and there’s something for everyone.
My husband and I never miss the first market of the year which is usually the 3rd Saturday in June. I made a bee-line to the booth featuring egg rolls. You don’t need directions to find it. Just look for the longest line of people on College Avenue. Even though there were 20 people ahead of me that morning, I wasn’t discouraged. It’s been a long winter, and I wasn’t going to wait another day for this treat. They’re fabulous!
Then we just strolled the Avenue, looking at all the produce and deciding what we needed. I try to bring enough shopping bags so we can carry what we buy, but everything looks so good, it’s hard to pass anything up.
This past weekend, I was on a quest for strawberries. They’re just at their peak, and they’re delicious. Couldn’t resist the blueberries or raspberries, either. Then I wandered from booth to booth looking over the vegetables and herbs. Two shopping bags later, I came home laden with lots of fruit, tomatoes, mint, cilantro, green beans and potatoes.
It’s fun to see the crafts and gift items at the market as well. I’ve gotten some really terrific items for friends and family, and have even had custom things made. Last year, I showed a vendor a picture of a dress that one of my granddaughter’s wanted for her doll. She made the doll dress along with matching dress for my granddaughter. Wow! They'll be remembered for a lifetime.
And maybe the best part of the whole experience is just seeing everybody meandering through the market, seeing friends, making new friends and enjoying the day. Don’t miss it. It’s one of those leisurely community events that starts the weekend out on just the right note.
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Savore
Posted by Pam Seidl on 7/7/10 |
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 I had a fabulous lunch at Savore the other day. Asparagus with goat cheese and fresh herbs and a roasted garlic crust. It came with a side of Savorè Harvest Salad with Pumpkin and Cranberry Nut Breads with Orange Infused Mascarpone. Yes, it tasted as good as it sounds!
The rest of the menu looked just as tasty. On my next visit I'm Definitely trying the "soup flight" ... all four of the weekly featured soups.
Savore is more that a restaurant. It also offers cooking classes and specialty deli items including: extra virgin olive oils, aged vinegars, organic seasonings and salts, more than 100 rare teas. Complementing these selections are artisan breads and 40 flavors of all-natural, hand-made pastas.
Savore is located at 2400 Kensington Ave. on Appleton's East side. Their website is: savoreartisans.com
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Fireworks
Posted by Pam Seidl on 6/29/10 |
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For those not wanting to miss a single "boom" or the chance to practice their "oohs" and "aahs" this 4th of July, here's a list of fireworks displays around the Fox Cities. A careful planner will be able to take in fireworks on three nights. Enjoy!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Appleton Fireworks - Big Boom
Appleton Memorial Park
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Communityfest
Riverside Park, Neenah
Jefferson Park, Menasha
Sunday, July 5, 2010
Kimberly Fireworks
Sunset Park, Kimberly |
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