By Golly, Ollie!

  • Family Fun: Slate Run Living Historical Farm

    Family Fun: Slate Run Living Historical Farm

    I used to live in Ohio (the Columbus metropolitan area), but that was twenty years ago, and it was much quieter back then. Now, the population seems to have exploded, and driving down to visit family usually means I’m white-knuckling it through congested traffic once I hit Delaware. But, not everything is so urban there. Columbus has a great metro park system, and one of the coolest metro parks is the Slate Run Living Historical Farm (1375 OH-674, Canal Winchester, OH 43110).

    At the Slate Run Living Historical Farm, visitors are invited to step back in time and experience the 1880s Ohio farm life. Farm staff and volunteers wear authentic costumes and perform daily farm chores just as they would nearly 140 years ago (ie. without electricity and vehicles!) The farm even goes as far as to find names for the farm animals from the 1880s livestock annals.

    Most weekends, the farm hosts exhibits where visitors can learn how to make sorghum molasses, how to dry and can food, how to prepare the farm for the changing seasons, or how to care for farm animals. The activities are seasonal, but the program guide on the park website can help you plan your visit.

    Best of all? The Slate Run Historical Living Farm is free!

    The day we went was particularly quiet because the farm was preparing for the big apple cider and apple butter demonstration that was to take place the following day. So, while it was a bummer that we didn’t get to observe or take part in any farm life demonstrations, we had the luxury of being able to roam the farmstead without fighting any crowds.

    Highlights of our trip included petting Mayflower, the four-month-old calf, pumping well water to feed horses, grinding cornmeal, playing games from the 1880s, and of course taking in the amazing farmstead scenery.

    If you’re ever near Columbus, Ohio, and you’re looking for an inexpensive way to spend the afternoon with family, make sure you check out Slate Run Living Historical Farm!

    Have you ever been to a living history museum or farm? Tell me about it in the comments!

     

  • S’mores Chai from DAVIDsTEA

    S’mores Chai from DAVIDsTEA

    1 comment on S’mores Chai from DAVIDsTEA

    I admit I’ve never gone camping. I’m afraid of the dark. Of being gobbled up by hungry bears. And most of all…the bathroom situation or lack thereof. So, the opportunity to indulge in this ooey-gooey, chocolate treat has been rare and reserved for the odd occasion that I’m socializing with someone with a fire pit in the back yard. Thankfully, there is no shortage of treats inspired by this campfire dessert though. Usually, I consume them in the form of granola bars, but I recently tried it in the form of tea, too!

    ORIGIN: NOT LISTED
    ELEVATION: NOT LISTED
    HARVEST: NOT LISTED
    PURCHASE FROM DAVIDSTEA

    DAVIDsTEA succeeded in blending a tea that tasted like toasted, sweet and creamy marshmallows smooshed between cinnamon graham crackers, but the chocolate flavor seems non-existent to me. There is also a strange, earthy bitterness to this tea which, if I had to guess, is coming from the pu’erh? Although, really that’s all it is– a guess– because I’ve never had a straight pu’erh before. And, unfortunately, it’s this earthy bitter flavor that often turns me off to this tea.

    I’ve experimented with brewing this tea, and so far my favorite method is to steep the blend directly in hot milk. It makes the finished product more creamy, and it seems to tame the bitterness as well. If you’ve tried S’Mores Chai before, what did you think of it?

    What are some of your favorite S’mores inspired treats?

    If you like S’mores Chai, try these other tasTEA recommendations:

  • Video Diary: An October Park Day

    1 comment on Video Diary: An October Park Day
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  • The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

    The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

    2 comments on The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

    Years ago, I read Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, and what I remember most about it is how mediocre I thought the story was, and after reading through summaries of her other novels, largely formulaic:

    • Girl experiences some kind of hardship and withdraws from the world
    • Girl falls in with a new crowd
    • Girl meets a handsome teenage boy and starts to feel human again
    • Girl and boy have a misunderstanding and experience a falling out
    • Girl and boy makeup at the end and live happily ever after

    So, considering my previous experience with this author, it’s strange that by the end of my first library visit in months, one of the books I borrowed was The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. And even more surprising? I devoured the book in just a few sittings.

    I appreciated reading about Macy’s journey. She is grieving the loss of her father and with the help of her boyfriend, Jason, she has established a very strict routine. One that includes working at the library information desk, studying for the SAT, and ironing and starching her clothes to perfection. It helps keep her mind from dwelling on her father’s death, and it shows people that she’s carrying on with life and everything is fine, just fine. But, her routine is threatened when her boyfriend goes away to Brain Camp. And worse, he wants to take a break so he can focus on his future.

    Then comes along a new job opportunity and a group of new and ragtag co-workers, who turn her life even more topsy-turvy. They draw her out of her shell, they introduce her to the chaos and imperfections of catering and high school parties, and most importantly, they allow her the opportunity to be vulnerable without judgment— a stark contrast to her boyfriend.

    But, while enjoyable, The Truth About Forever doesn’t deviate far from the plot structure outlined above. The Truth About Forever doesn’t introduce anything new to Contemporary YA. It doesn’t even attempt to put a clever twist on any of the genre tropes. But, I don’t think that’s why people reach for novels by Sarah Dessen. Dessen has been around for a while. A long while. Like, she was writing YA back when I was… YA. She’s a constant in this genre, so many people reach for her novels for the comfort of likable characters, the familiar summertime settings in North Carolina, specifically the fictional town of Colby, and a plot that is…well, predictable— one where despite all the hardships, all the characters end up okay at the end. At least, that’s why I reached for The Truth About Forever; and that’s why I’m inclined to continue picking up other books by Dessen in the future.

    The Tea

    The Truth About Forever takes place during the summertime in the south, and only one thing comes to mind— sweet, iced tea! Stereotypically Lipton, sweet iced tea, but I’m choosing Ceylon Sonata Cold Brew from Adagio Teas instead. Adagio’s Ceylon Sonata is a black tea that comes from the Kenilworth Estate in Sri Lanka. It is a medium-bodied, black tea with bright citrus notes.

    It’s balanced and refreshing, and it’s one of those teas that makes me break my no-caffeine-after-3PM bans because it’s so, so good. This is exactly the kind of iced tea I think the characters in Dessen’s fictional town of Colby, North Carolina would sip on during summer vacations.

  • Moscow Mule from DavidsTea

    Moscow Mule from DavidsTea

    1 comment on Moscow Mule from DavidsTea

    Last summer I was pregnant. Like, super pregnant. Which meant I didn’t get to kick my feet up on the back porch while reading and sipping a beer— a most enjoyable and relaxing summer pastime. Nor did I get to indulge in a cold and refreshing Moscow Mule, my favorite cocktail by far. I did get DavidsTeas’s Ultimate Cocktail Kit though. It was a collection of teas inspired by cocktails, and it came with Sparkling Sangria, Peach Mai Tai, Spicy Piña Margarita, Apéro Spritz, and Lemon Smash (note: it appears the kit doesn’t include Spicy Piña Margarita anymore).

    I still haven’t sipped my way through the collection, but what I’ve tasted so far left me unimpressed. Peach Mai Tai was good, but it didn’t taste any different than the other peach teas I’ve had. Lemon Smash was unpalatable to me, so I tossed it. And, okay I admit, I’m really afraid to try Spicy Piña Margarita, but the blend contains tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro, so can you blame me?

    Despite my previous experience with cocktail inspired teas though, when I saw DavidsTea added Moscow Mule to their collection this year, I knew I had to try it. Moscow Mule tea from DavidsTea is a blend of Ginger, Candied ginger, Apple, Sweet blackberry leaves, Lemon balm, Lemon peel, Peppermint, Cucumber, and Natural flavouring.

    The dominant scent of the blend is ginger and lemon peel, and the peppermint adds a menthol affect that leaves your nose feeling cool after you inhale. The flavor of this blend is quite similar to the scent too. The first flavor that hits you is the spicy, aromatic ginger. This is followed up with lemon that leans toward bitter, then refreshing cucumber. I think the peppermint is supposed to be a refreshing minty aftertaste, but it’s kind of muddled against the ginger and lemon and takes on what I can only describe is the taste of alcohol. Oddly, it works for me.

    As for whether this stays true to the cocktail or not, that’s another story. Every Moscow Mule I’ve had is a mix of ginger beer, vodka, and lime juice, so I’m unsure where the lemon, peppermint, and cucumber comes from. I still think fans of the Moscow Mule can appreciate this one.

    I recommend drinking this tea iced or cold brewed, and it doesn’t need any sugar because it’s already plenty sweet. I might even suggest topping it off with some ginger beer for extra fizzy fun.

    Have you ever had cocktail inspired teas before?

About the Blogger

My name is Jackie, and I am a millennial / mother / Michigander / blogger / wannabe runner / accountant / local library enthusiast / gamer, kinda. This is a personal blog, which means I’m not entirely certain what you’ll find here, but it will definitely not show up on the first page of Google search results.