Columbus Oktoberfest

Time for our favorite fall festival... Oktoberfest!  So much for us to see, hear, taste and enjoy.  With free admission, we eagerly picked up my brother by car (parking $8) and headed out to the fairgrounds.

Brass Band of Columbus

First up on the entertainment schedule was to hear the Brass Band of Columbus in Prost Hall.  Wow! They were much larger ensemble than I expected and played a variety of wonderful songs from "Roll Out the Barrel" to "Across the Field"  to "God Bless America."   Their concert was enjoyed by young and old... the German and the not so German.

Yummm... cream puffs!

I just had to venture over to the Heidelberg Bier Hall to see the Cream Puff Eating contest.  Again, wow!  This is the stuff you don't wake up thinking you will get to witness, but you do.

We did not wander around Kinderplatz this year (though it is usually a must go stop for me, I love seeing the kids run all over and all the neat kids events they have) but instead stopped at the Columbus Historical Society area and found this lovely display case full of Columbus memorabilia:

Old matchbooks from restaurants all over town... including Dalts.  Do you remember that place?  How about the totem-like cups from the Kahiki?  Old plaques from Schmidts and a coffee mug from White Castle.

My husband sitting with my brother; can you guess
which one could be a professional photo-bomber? 

Something New: Address Stamp

There is so much excitement in regards to our new return address stamp, I really don't know where I should begin.
For a wedding gift from our wonderful friend, Christin, we receiving a lovely return address stamp.  We even used it in our wedding ceremony programs:

This is in the TOP 5 of favorite KJ wedding pics. 

So honestly when we moved this year, I was in panic mode for getting a new stamp-er.  I wanted it to be just as pretty as the one Christin got us (seen above).  But since you can remove the address part, I thought you could just buy the replacement address part.  Not so.  You have to buy the whole $45 +shipping thing!

See... the address is separate
from the center.  All parts are removable
and therefore replaceable? Nope.

As a bargain girl, I waited for what seemed like forever for the stampers to go on sale.  25% off, yes please. So I made the order over the phone because the address can only have 55 characters around the circle and with "Grandview Heights" in there I knew it would be over that limit. The girl on the phone was nice and said it was all fine.  Seven days later the stamp arrived (yay!) but with no "OH" on the address (boo!).  I called again and they were so nice.  They said it was a quick fix and not my fault so another seven days later our new one arrived, free of charge.  I guess we got two for the price of one!

Good news for you... from now until September 18th, they are on sale for 40% off! Wow!  Just click the PSA link and pick out your favorite.  You don't have to phone in your order, like I did, online orders are just as easy.

PSA Essentials - Harrington Stamp - Expressionery

Ready to send letters! Notice the new MLB All-Stars postage.

From the Kitchen: Apple Pie Bars

I am not a baker.  I like to cook but not measure... so therefore I am not a baker.

Yes, I like cheddar with my apple pie!

But inspired by my recent Julie & Julia viewing and the amazing fall weather we had this weekend, I wanted to bake an apple pie.  So, I looked up some recipes for apple pie, caramel apple pie, apple strudel pie and then found this:  Apple Pie Bars.

I thought, "This is perfect because it is so much more portable than a slice of pie... and given that the two of us probably won't eat a whole pie in one weekend these pieces can be packed in lunches much more easily. Plus I have all the ingredients (except cornflakes) so I won't have to put on socks, shoes, and a sweatshirt to go to the store... I can start now.  Hooray!"

Ready for the PASTRY

1 egg, separated, reserve the egg white

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold butter, cut into chunks

Heat oven to 350°F. Beat egg yolk in small bowl. Add 1/2 cup milk; mix well. Set aside.

Combine flour and salt in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg yolk mixture with fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half.

... but 30 minutes of mixing butter and flour
then adding the egg yolk mixture,
I finally had a dough ball.

"Cut in butter" sounds so simple...

Roll out half the dough on a floured surface into a 15x10-inch rectangle or blob; place onto ungreased 15x10x1 jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with cornflakes or better yet, walnuts and oatmeal; top with sliced apples.

Did I mention I don't have a rolling pin?
I used a drinking glass. 

Walnuts and oatmeal add a crunchy base.

Ready for the FILLING

1 cup crushed corn flakes  walnuts and oatmeal

8 to 10 medium (8 cups) tart cooking apples, peeled, sliced

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 reserved egg white

2 tablespoons sugar

Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and nutmeg in small bowl. Sprinkle over apples. Roll remaining half of dough into 15 1/2x10 1/2-inch rectangle; place over apples.
Beat reserved egg white with fork until foamy; brush over top crust. Combine remaining cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl; sprinkle over crust. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until lightly browned.

Ready for the GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Combine powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk for desired glazing consistency.  Drizzle over warm bars. 

Yum!!!

The Land O Lakes website says 5 grams of fat and 140 calories per bar.  Awesome... how big is a bar???

Lake Things

Grandma Hallas's cheerful daisies!

We spend the majority of our summer weekends (it would be all of them if Keith had his way) at the Hallas cottage in Saybrook, Ohio.  This is a little area between Ashtabula and Geneva-On-The-Lake.  It is a beautiful, quiet place with lake views and great people!  

Every time we go, we are rejuvenated and refreshed.  We reconnect with family.  We laugh with friends.  We meet new people.  We read good books.  We learn about family memories and traditions.  We eat lots of food.  We cruise on our boat.  We love "the Lake."  

Playing at the beach with Fisher (and Buddy).

A clear night falls over the Firehouse Winery.

Our Great Lake at the Geneva State Park.