Hi guys! Last week I was invited to attend Inggrie’s cooking class at TehKu Tea in Dublin.  I was very excited to be able to attend!  It would give me a chance to support Inggrie and her business, TehKu, but also attend my first cooking class!

Have you ever been to a cooking class before?

Since this was my first, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  I didn’t know if we would be cooking or just watching.  I didn’t know if we would be eating or sampling or what.  I went in with an open mind and a belly ready for whatever came our way.

The set up was a table in the shape of a U around where Inggrie would be doing all the cooking, prepping, and talking.  First order of business…

Hey gang! Last Friday evening, Scott and I headed out all gussied up to the Columbus Collective Launch Party and Benefit for Pelotonia.  “What are those things?”, you ask.  Well I’ll tell you.

Columbus Collective is social media the way it should be used, for the promotion and support of local businesses and corporations. To quote the website:

Welcome to the Columbus Collective! Our group brings together small organizations in Central Ohio to share events and ideas with social media users in one collaborative space.. Our meetup.com page is the place to find all the exciting upcoming events from Columbus Collective organizations. Together members attend the events and use twitter, facebook, and blogging to share their experiences. Members also post photos and videos online from the events. Essentially, the Columbus Collective uses social media to promote local Columbus organizations who have unique and interesting content.

This is one of the many…

Hi gang!  Last month Scott and I were asked if we would like to attend a blogger getaway at The Inn and Spa at Cedar falls in August.  The Inn is located in the Hocking Hills area of Ohio which is south of Columbus.  Hocking Hills is an incredible area of woods and countryside.  There are loads of parks, hiking trails, and water activities.  Lots of cabins to rent for an amazing retreat.  The fact that Hocking Hills is only an hour south of Columbus makes it a perfect destination for vacationing.

Because Scott and I are country folk at heart and love being in the woods, Hocking Hills is an ideal area for us.  Close enough to home that we aren’t traveling for hours/days yet once there, it’s very private and relaxing.  Since we love Hocking Hills, we jumped at the chance…

Scott and I got invited to an event over at the TehKu Tea Company in Dublin.  We were invited by Ryan who I’ve been chatting and following on Twitter for some time.  I accepted because meeting new people and trying out food and beverages, I consider to be good times!  I have only been to TehKu once before and enjoyed it a lot so I was pretty excited to be headed back to see what else was in store.

Inggrie is the owner and operator and she collaborated with Ryan to put the party together.  Inggrie is totally passionate about tea and will use it in everything and that includes cooking!  She’s currently working on a cookbook to publish with all kinds of recipes that incorporate tea into the ingredient list. Which is a totally fabulous and completely unique idea!

On show…

Hi guys!  Yesterday was a first for me in so many ways I don’t even know if I’ll be able to convey it all!  It was my first race since the half in May. To quickly recap, I got injured during the half and was off running completely for a while.  I’ve only been back to running since mid-late June.  I had to start at 2 miles slowly.  And then start working my way back up.  That’s where I’m currently at, working my way back up and adding miles.  It’s very frustrating process for me right now and it’s leaving me with no motivation for increasing miles and working hard to get back to 13.  I decided I needed some motivation.  One thing I thought would help would be signing up for a race!  I found the Dublin Irish Festival Four Miler and knew that would be perfect.  I could do four miles and it…

“OMG! What did you do?  What did you do?!!! Tell me, tell me, tell me!”

“I ran a four mile race this evening.”

“OH MOM! I can smell all four miles right here!  All four!  Four miles is awesome! Mmmmm smells!”

“Lemme see, lemme see, lemme see, lemme see.  Lemme seeeeee!!!”

“Oh yeah dawg, my mom just ran a 4 mile race and kicked some Irish booty!  What’d you do today?”

“PUNK!”

Recap up tomorrow guys! I’m off to go stuff my face with some pizza.  Whooo!

Hi guys!  I thought I was tired yesterday, that’s nothing compared to today!  I am wiped out. Let me show you some snacks!

First there was an apple.  I was still feeling a bit empty from my dinner.  It wasn’t quite as filling as I hoped it would be because there wasn’t much noodles left.  My mistake, I should have looked it over closer!

Last night while Scott recapped his evening, we munched on some chips.  I only had a few but I needed something crunchy delicious and these fit the bill.  Of course they were Kettle Brand!

The movie I watched was 10 Things I Hate About You.  Lord I love that movie.  There are not many “chick flicks” I like (I don’t watch many either) and 10 Things is one of the rare few that I adore.  Love it!  I finished the movie just as Scott and Lorelle got back home.

Today!  Scott and I got up at…

You can find Recap Part I over here.   Recap Part II takes us out of the main building we first entered and through two sections of glorious food.  The first section was a tent and around the perimeter of the tent the tables were set up leaving the middle area free for walking around.  Also in the middle was a large round table where you could set down your glasses while eating.  You have to watch them closely though or they will get taken away from you!

Scott and I had to revise our plan a little bit.  We took so long in the main area that people were already starting to clean up.  I thought we had till 9pm before cleanup started but apparently not.  Yikes!  The first things we tried were from Katzinger’s Deli.

They brought two samples and one that was highly interesting.

The first one was a caramelized onion tart.  It…

Hi gang!  Last night Scott and I attended our first ever Dine Originals Taste of the Independents event.  Dine Originals is an organization that puts an emphasis on eating at locally-owned restaurants instead of chains, like Applebee’s for example.  Scott and I try to eat at local restaurants as much as possible.  But as with anything it can be trial and error because until you go, you won’t be sure if you like it or if the restaurant suits your tastes.  With an event like Taste of the Independents, local restaurants who are members of Dine Originals, come and set up tables with samples of their cuisine.  As an attendee you are required to purchase a ticket and the proceeds from the event go towards a charity.  Last night’s charity was The Buckeye Ranch. With samples of wine along with food from 40+ restaurants, there was plenty to see, drink, and eat!

When we arrived, it was a…

Hi guys!  Last night I was in bed by 9pm and asleep by 10pm.  I followed my plan!  I woke up at the ungodly hour of 5:40 this morning which really is just damn early for a Saturday.  I started moving and shaking around the house to help wake myself up.  I poured a cup of coffee and sipped it for a few minutes then I got started making breakfast.  I had a big bowl of oatbran and almost finished the entire thing!  I got a little gaggy at the end and there were a few bites that I couldn’t manage.  I drank water as I ate breakfast. I also filled out the back of my bib and was surprised they actually had my food allergy listed!

That’s right, I’m allergic to strawberries.  I’ve never seen this listed before and always have to add it in.  And now you also know my med allergies. I trust you won’t use them against…