Lisa Shamhart Maughmer: August 2011

Monday, August 29, 2011

Country Living Magazine Fair Right Around the Corner!

Country Living Magazine Fair

at the Historic Ohio Village adjacent to the Ohio Historical Society

Just off I-71 at Exit 111

north of downtown Columbus, Ohio

September 16-17-18

Tickets can be purchased online until one week before the fair and at the fair box office all the days of the fair.
One day in advance $13 - at door $16
Weekend Pass in advance $15 - at door $20

~~~~~~~~Exclusive Early Bird Shopping~~~~~~~

Enjoy 90 minutes of priority shopping on Friday

8:30am to 10am

Click HERE to order

Limited to 2500 tickets

Early Bird $40 only available in advance until September 15th

Ohio Village at the Ohio Historical Center
I-71 at Exit 111 (17th Avenue)
For your GPS: 1982 Velma Avenue, Columbus, OHIO
Across from the Ohio State Fairgrounds & Ohio expo Center

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

A Culinary Bummer

"Ain't nothin' in the world that I like bettuh', then bacon and lettuce and home grown to-matuhs."

But, sigh, my thumbs are not as green as I would like them to be and my memory is even worse! You see I had every intention of having my very own homegrown tomatoes this summer. I bought my plants, just 2 because no one else in the house likes them, and had big plans for them. Then I promptly forgot about them.

A couple weeks later I was working in the garage and stopped to stare at these 2 brown, prickly, dried up things in a plastic garden center tray. My first thought was "what they heck are those things?" I warned you! My memory is worse than my gardening skills!

Then I remembered...and oh let me tell you, it was a sad, sad moment. The door just closed on my open-faced, warm from the sun tomato sandwiches. My basil pesto pasta sprinkled with chopped red gems from my back yard is now just a fleeting culinary creation. Smoky, salty, crunchy, juicy BLT's made from "Mortgage Lifters" just went bankrupt.

Then...I almost started sobbing when I thought of Ninny Threadgoode..."Oh, what I wouldn't give for a plate of fried green tomatoes like we used to have at the cafe. Ooh!" (read about my affliction for fried green tomatoes here)

I'm telling ya', I had to get a beach towel for the tears. A tissue was just not man enough for the job.

Then, a knight in shining armor rode into the garage on a gleaming white horse and plunked a couple pounds of heirloom tomatoes down next to my crispy "plants" on my work table. I couldn't believe my eyes! I lifted the visor of the knight's helmet to kiss him for this good and noble deed which was surely death defying and highly dangerous.

The chorus of angelic singing in my ears was interrupted by "easy there Tomato Drama Queen, ever heard of a Farmer's Market?" Then husband went back into the house. He just doesn't understand...but, sigh, loves me anyway.

I went back to happy little culinary thoughts.

Hope your tomatoes did better than mine!