Jeni’s Ice Cream

I have a pretty intense love for Jeni’s ice cream. If you’ve never been, go ahead and just stop reading this post and drive straight there. I give you permission. It’s that good.

This season she rolled out a new flavor that was like a symphony in my mouth: rhubarb & lime cardamom. I tried it as a float with the rhubarb Dry Soda. So there was this wonderful texture extravaganza with bubbly soda, velvety ice-cream, and fluffy homemade whipped cream. The wild berry ice-cream with the lavender Dry Soda is also life-changing as a float.

I know I’m the target demographic, but I just can’t help but be a huge brand fan. They try to use local whenever possible; they favor flavor instead of sugar; they’re very experimental with mixing in uncommon herbs; their ice-cream shops are beautiful and inviting; and their blog, saltycaramel, is wonderfully written with great pictures. It’s no wonder they’ve branched out to include so many stores. They got it right.

All of the descriptions are fantastic, but here’s one I particularly like:

“Rockmill Golden Ale & Apricots, Rhubarb & Lime Cardamom Yogurt, Strawberry Buttermilk--when I taste these intensely flavorful new ice creams, they remind me of growing up in the summer in the Midwest, of flying down gravel roads in a fearless, handsome boy’s car, the cassette deck blaring as cornfields whizzed by and all cares flew out the windows into the hot and heavy humid air.

All right now dig in. Summer is to be shared.”

Go ahead and read all the descriptions. It's worth the cravings you'll have afterwards. Here's what you should look for at stores (you can find some flavors at The Winds Cafe and Dorothy Lane Market):

Butter Cafe

Not only does this place have delightful food, but their cheery yellow walls and bright white furniture is bound to make your lunchtime a happy time. Don’t let the name fool you, there’s plenty of healthy options.

Here are some of my favorite things to get there:

• Mushroom burger: portabella, eggplant, mozzarella, pesto sandwich, on a kaiser roll.


• Veggie sandwich: peppers, eggplant, tomato, onion on your choice of bread.


• Their soups. For example I had some yummy bean soup (with beans I didn’t even know existed) that was heavily spiced with some very complimentary herbs.

I’m planning on trying the vegan burger next. If it follows the current trend, it’s bound to be tasty. Their sandwiches are served with diced potatoes (with skin on––my favorite) that are sprinkled with sea salt and rosemary. Delish!

Butter Cafe is on Brown Street right by the University of Dayton campus. Give it a whirl.

When Openers Are Awesome

I love going to good shows. Even better, I love going to shows where the openers are fantastic, and I haven't heard their music before, and it's this wonderful, pleasant surprise.

Thought I'd share the wealth of some of my favorite bands that have been openers at other shows:

Headlights
Blind Pilot
Deep Sea Diver
All Get Out
Celebration
Princeton
Maps and Atlases

Sunday in Springfield

Until the weather improves, here's something to do on a Sunday afternoon. I would suggest getting a reservation for both.

Start off by getting brunch at Seasons Bistro and Grille. The restaurant is located in downtown Springfield on Limestone Street. With exposed brick and ductwork they make excellent use of their space, and make even better use of recipes that are both healthy and delicious. I highly recommend the frittata and my husband loved the french toast.

Then, head over to the Wescott House, a stunning Frank Lloyd Wright House built in 1908. Part of the tour is outside, so dress accordingly. Make sure you watch the video at the beginning of the tour––seeing the efforts the renovators made for historical accuracy was remarkable.

Trust me on this one. Plan this day trip soon.

Crafty Christmas

Here's how Christmas looks at the Norman household.

This is my favorite part. It's the tree my mam-maw and pap-paw used for years––since the 1930s, I'd guess. It even has all the original ornaments.

The other tree has some ornaments I've found at garage sales, auctions, antique stores, and my beloved Anthropologie.

Can't forget the stockings. I made these a few years back. I stitched on some buttons from the sewing kit I inherited from my mam-maw and embroidered our names at the top. Our furry children, Persephone and Demeter, also have the privilege of homemade stockings.

It's just not Christmas until you see a cat in a Santa hat. As you can see, Persephone loves hers.

Demeter is as thrilled with this hat as Ralphie was with his pink bunny suit.

Thankfulness for the Health of It

Cliché or not, taking time out to express our gratitude is good for our health.

Need proof? I pulled this finding from the Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness:

"In an experimental comparison, those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003)."

So here are a few on my list:

• I am thankful that my family all lives close and stays close.


• I am thankful for a job that allows me to be creative and eat lots of good food.


• I am thankful for a husband that never loses his patience with me.


• I am thankful for friends that are insightful, quirky, and compassionate.


• I am thankful that my windowsills are wide enough for my plants to enjoy the sunshine.


• I am thankful for my mother's cooking on Thanksgiving Day.

Now, please share your own. (Remember: It's good for you!)

Beer Label Table

No, I'm not a bro. Nope, never been in a fraternity. But my collection of beer labels needed a home, and we had a hand-me-down table that we had spilled paint on during renovations. So, it became the logical resting place.

Here's the final product of several dozen happily-consumed brewskies.