Monthly Archives: April 2013

Make a Memory…Visit Brookfield Zoo in Chicago with Your Family

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By Jodee Weiland

Spring in Chicago is a usually great time for outdoor activities. Brookfield Zoo in Chicago is a wonderful way to spend a beautiful spring day with your family.

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If the weather is sunny and the temperature mild, you can leisurely stroll through the zoo and enjoy looking at the animals. You get to be with family and if you are lucky, you will spend time talking and making new memories, as well as enjoy seeing animals from all over the world.

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There are many indoor, as well as outdoor venues, in which to see the various animals. I prefer the outdoor venues, but some people prefer the other. Still others enjoy viewing the animals both ways. At Brookfield Zoo, one of the favorite venues is the dolphin show. Children love watching the dolphins jumping high into the air and splashing everyone in the front row seats with water. There are always several interactive venues throughout the zoo that are child friendly, such as the petting zoo and more.

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As you walk through the various sections of the zoo, there are places to stop and just sit for a while or to stop for something to eat or drink. Or ride the open-air Motor Safari tram that you can get on and off at any one of four stops all day as you move through the various exhibits. There are shops throughout the grounds for those looking for a special souvenir with which to remember their day at the zoo. There’s even a large carousel ride that is absolutely fabulous. Photo opportunities are frequently spotted by those who visit. As a matter of fact, you can easily create memories of your day any number of ways.

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An all-time favorite way to make a memory is by creating a plastic molded animal at the zoo. Throughout the zoo, there are machines making plastic figures of different animals, from dolphins to gorillas, which do this for visitors. It is an inexpensive souvenir and kids love it. Some adults who visit have their own fond memories of doing this as a child. No matter how a family makes their own memories of their visit to the zoo, whether through photos or souvenirs or just having fun, it is not unusual to see groups of families visiting the zoo throughout the year. Oftentimes when the weather is warm, you will see some of them stopping to take a break by throwing a ball or Frisbee around on the large lawns near the food centers. Others stop to use the playground equipment set up for families. You will even see families pulling large coolers on wheels behind them in this same area, planning to have a picnic on the grounds.

A day at the zoo, whether in Chicago or any other city, is definitely a fun way to make and share family memories. And it is always fun to learn something new about the various animals as well. One tip about visiting the zoo and other museums is to always check out the cost of yearly membership if it is in the city you live. Sometimes it is cheaper to be a member than pay all the various fees, other than food, for the day you visit. We do this and have found it to be a great idea. Not only do you save some money, especially if you decide to visit more than once, but also because you help preserve a museum or zoo that you have past memories of as a child and are now sharing with your children or grandchildren or both again. Enjoy!

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Poppy’s Spicy Lemon Cabbage

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By Jodee Weiland

My father was a lovable character, who was one awesome cook! He could take a head of cabbage and make it into a gourmet side dish easier than anyone I’ve ever known.

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All the grandchildren in our family called my father Poppy. One thing that Poppy loved to do was cook. The recipes he created were absolutely delicious! There was only one problem. He never measured anything or wrote down directions for his recipes. Dad was a great cook, but he was terrible at giving us recipes we could follow and repeat for ourselves. So when he started getting on in years, I decided to start measuring as he cooked and then writing down the recipes that were most important to all of us. I will never regret this decision and to this day, I still hand down some of his all time favorites to my family members. Inevitably, we will share stories and memories that went along with each of the recipes.

Dad and I both loved cooking. So eventually, he began comparing our recipes for different dishes and even setting up a little competition on whose version of a particular recipe was better. We would both continually try to make a recipe better and see who could find the best way to make it better first. He loved this. I would walk into his kitchen, and he would say, “Sit down Jo. I want you to taste something!” Mind you, this was always done with the same mischievous sparkle in his smiling eyes, especially, if he thought he had outdone me. Many times he did!

This recipe is his Spicy Lemon Cabbage, which is amazingly easy to make if you buy the prepared shredded cabbage. I like to shred my own, so it is a little more involved when I do it, but believe me, either way it is worth it!

Spicy Lemon Cabbage

1/2 large cabbage head (either pre-shredded or shred yourself)
1 medium to large onion
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice from 1 to 2 small lemons (use more or less according to your taste)
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper (or to taste)
1/3 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (or to taste)

 

The amount of lemon juice and peppers can be adjusted according to your personal preference. The amounts I have listed are what I use and prefer.

First, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Once they are cooked, add the shredded cabbage, gradually blending the onions and garlic into the cabbage as it begins to cook over a medium heat. After mixing this together, add the juice of the lemons, the black pepper, and the crushed red pepper, blending each in to the cabbage. Cover and cook until the cabbage is done, but not soggy and overdone. The whole process does not take all that long.

This dish is very tasty and goes well with a wide variety of main courses. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family has throughout the years. I still remember my father’s smile and excitement when he first made it for me! I miss him and think of him every time I make it, as do my children. Poppy’s cooking was always a treat for all of us. Enjoy!

 

Pinterest Helps Make Memories Creatively

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By Jodee Weiland

Social media networking, such as Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and all the rest, has become a way of communicating common among the younger and a mysterious foreign language to many of the older generation.

Not so long ago, I had no desire whatsoever to use any of the social media networking opportunities available online. First of all, I think people in general spend too much time on computers already. Secondly, I worry about the fine art of interpersonal communication being lost and replaced by things like texting. I still worry about this, especially when I see young people texting people sitting across the room from them. Actually, when other people are around, this is simply rude. But all of that aside, I have discovered through firsthand experience that some of the available networking online these days is actually informative, fun, and for all practical purposes, social. This became most evident to me when I became involved in Pinterest.


Pinterest allows people from all over to exchange their favorite recipes, home decor ideas, travel hopes and memories, and so much more. In fact, because you create your own bulletin board topics and pin onto these boards items for each topic that you have found on your own or through sharing with others, you gradually create your own collection of web information. Topics can be anything that interests you. If you want clothing ideas, you can set up a board on your style ideas. If you love to cook, but hate looking up ideas for recipes every day, you will love Pinterest. You can pin ideas for anything that you find to your own boards or even ideas that others have posted and you think you might like to try by repinning them to your own board. When you find someone whose posts you really like, you can choose to follow their posts and likewise, they can follow yours. Eventually, you will have ideas to use for just about anything you can imagine that would be of use to you. You will even find sites through other pinners that you find useful, but never came across before when researching a topic.

 

As for memories, Pinterest has given me a whole new group of creative ideas to use when trying to make my memories last. There are ideas on scrapbooking for those who like it, ideas for framing family photos in creative wall arrangements, and so much more. It’s fun, it’s free, and I almost feel as if I am sharing ideas with friends. Just submit a request to Pinterest to be a member and hopefully, you will receive an invitation to join just a day or two later. Or if you know someone already on Pinterest who is a friend, ask them to invite you to join. You won’t regret it, and you have nothing to lose.

Hope I will see you there sharing your ideas with the rest of us!  Enjoy!