Beautiful, Healthy

Transcription

Beautiful, Healthy

Salt
Flavor for Everyday Life|February/March 2016|$3
A supplement of The Lima News
Sara’s
sweetens
up Lima
Delicious treats
your pooch
will gobble up
Plenty of
paczkis
at Pat’s
Catering To Your Every Need
Located right off I-75, this romantic reception space offers the
perfect atmosphere for newlyweds to dance and dine with their
guests. The Howard Johnson Lima features a magnificent grand
ballroom with seating for up to 300 guests.
Our expert team can customize your menu to
include everything from simple salads,
hors d’oeuvres to fine dining.
Howard Johnson Lima, 1920 Roschman Avenue, Lima, OH
[email protected] · 419-222-0004 · www.HojoLima.com
40837229
· Honeymoon Suites
· Weddings
· Rehearsal Dinners
· Holiday Parties
Beautiful, Healthy
• Health/Wellness Visits
• Restorative
• Same Day Crowns
• Implants
• Whitening
• Dentures
• Sedation
• Extractions
• Root Canal Therapy
• Bridges
Whole Health Dentistry
Ben Warnock, DDS J Ellis, DDS Erin Ellis, DMD
Deborah Champion, DDS
419-228-2233
www.wholehealthdentistry.com
40837230
2 | Salt | February/March 2016
Smiles
From Our Family to Yours!
Salt
Hide & Shake
Find the shaker in this issue and be entered to
win a $10 grocery card.
Visit our website, thesaltmagazine.com, and
click on the Shaker Contest link at the top to be
entered. All entries must be received by Feb. 25,
2016. Only electronic entries will be accepted.
In the December/January issue, the shaker was hidden
on Page 15 in the top left photo.
Congratulations to our most recent winner, Jean Oden
of Lima.
You could be our next winner!
Flavor for Everyday Life
www.thesaltmagazine.com
February/March 2016
Publisher
Editor
Food Editor
Layout Design Content
Sales
Pamela Stricker
Lora Abernathy
Andrea Chaffin Jayla Wallingford Adrienne McGee Sterrett
Natalie Buzzard
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Contact Salt:
[email protected]
3515 Elida Road, Lima OH 45807
419-223-1010
Salt is published six times a year by Civitas Media LLC and is available through
The Lima News. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue, in
whole or in part, is prohibited. Salt is free to The Lima News subscribers and is also
available for purchase at the office of The Lima News.
On the
Cover
Sara’s Sweets
opened its
storefront Dec.
15 in Lima.
This photo was
taken by
Graham
Goebel.
Please buy locally and recycle.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest @TheSaltMagazine.
Jed Metzger
Front Porch
Profile
By Lora
Abernathy
What movie deserves a sequel?
“Rain Man” because it was a great
movie with a great message, and I
feel that there is a bigger story that
could be told.
What makes you pound
your fist on the table?
When a collaborative project
comes together that impacts the
quality of life for our community
or individuals.
Which are worse:
spiders or snakes?
I feel that snakes are worse due to the
fact that they are slimy and can sneak up
on you from time to time.
What piece of advice would
you give to your younger self?
Two thoughts: Do what you say you’re
going to do, and treat others how you
want to be treated.
What is your ringtone?
My ringtone currently is the Xylophone,
but I change the ringtone from time to
time.
What do you love most
about your community?
I love the Lima/Allen County community
because people are friendly, giving of
their time, the location is close to bigger
cities, and people work together to get
things accomplished.
Salt | February/March 2016 | 3
Front Porch Profile
offers a personal
glimpse into the lives
of notable people in
our communities
President/CEO
Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce
Salt
CONTENTS
features
3
8
10
11
12
14
18
21
22
28
30
8
Front Porch
Profile
Pat’s promises
plenty of paczkis
Husband’s books
spark memories
Recipe
Index
Adopting a
new friend
10
Pysanky: An ancient
art form for modern times
Readers share their
favorite pet stories
Local
dog parks
Sara’s Sweets fills
gourmet cupcake niche
Out
& About
The perfect
partnership
14
columns
6
7
26
Publisher’s note
By Pamela Stricker
Salt notes
By Lora Abernathy
I like my dog better than you
By Andrea Chaffin
26
Salt Contributors
ADRIENNE MCGEE
STERRETT
Adrienne is the lifestyle/
special sections editor
for The Lima News. She
believes everyone has a life
story worth sharing. Reach
her at 567-242-0510 or
[email protected].
LIZ YOUNG
Liz is a freelance writer
for The Lima News. She is a
special education teacher
for the Allen County Board
of Developmental Disabilities. In her free time, she
enjoys reading, movies and
spending time with family.
AMY EDDINGS
Amy writes for The Lima
News. She’s a former New
Yorker and public radio
host. When she’s not writing,
she’s canning, cooking,
quilting and gardening.
Reach her at 567-242-0379,
[email protected] or on Twitter @lima_eddings.
MICHELLE STEIN
Michelle is a freelance
writer for The Lima News.
You can also find her work
online as a news blogger
for a parenting website,
babycenter.com. When
she’s not training for marathons, writing for various publications
or running around her two (soon to be
three!) young children, she’s probably
drinking coffee … or sleeping.
DANAE KING
Danae is a reporter for
The Lima News. Reach her
at 567-242-0511 or on Twitter @DanaeKing.
Just this past Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law
passed these down to my daughter.
These originally belonged to my husband’s
great-grandmother. She apparently had a
huge salt and pepper shaker collection. My
mother-in-law shared how she loved to look
at her collection as a little girl and loved these
“outhouses” in particular. She added that she
had to use the outhouse at her grandma’s to use
the restroom.
Pamela Bauer
Clinton County Health Commissioner
In each issue of Salt, we try to feature photos
of creative salt and pepper shakers from our
readers’ collections. Please submit photos and
descriptions to [email protected] by
Feb. 25, 2016 for consideration for printing in a
future issue.
Great Valentine Gift Ideas!
ASK ation!
Demonstr
For A
Hope Chest and
Jewelry Boxes!
Outdoor
Furniture
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of the Finest Handcrafted Indoor
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Upscale Sophistication
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3625 Elida Rd. 419.225.8299
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GREG HOERSTEN
Greg is a sort-of retired
page designer and reporter
for The Lima News who,
occasionally, works as a
freelance reporter. His
stories normally appear
on the Reminisce page on
Wednesday in the News.
Salt Shakers
d
r
o
w
e
n
o
y
M
Photo by Craig J. Orosz
Around the end of the year, I begin contemplating a new word for the
next year. It’s been my practice now for the last seven or eight years. I was
inspired by the idea when I heard someone sharing about their “word” on
the radio. I decided to check out the referenced website and have been
doing it ever since.
This process has replaced the traditional list of New Year’s resolutions
that tend to be broken by February and forgotten till the following January. This has been such a successful experiment for me.
Here’s how it works, from the website, myoneword.org:
Step 1: Determine the kind of person you want to become
The first step is to simply take some time and decide what kind of
person you want to be at the end of this year. This goes beyond simply
being healthier and wealthier, but it must drive deep into your soul.
What about the condition of your heart? What about the person that God
Himself has created you to be?
Step 2: Identify the characteristics of that person
Get a picture of that person and then simply identify their major characteristics. Is that person gentle? Is that person generous? What are the
qualities of the person you want to become?
Step 3: Pick a word
Once you have a list of the characteristics, simply pick a word. There
might be 15 things that you want to change, but you must resist the
temptation to promise you will do them all. Instead, simply commit to
ONE WORD.
This will provide you with a lens to see the changes you need to
make, as well as a way to determine whether or not change is actually
happening.
Understand that this process is hard, but staying focused on your
word will help you to struggle in the right direction so that you can actually see God working in
your life.
The changes have been significant over the years I have done this. I can look back and see that
I am not the person I was when I started. The study of the word, exploring examples, facing the
challenges that come and tempt me to give up on staying the course are all part of the journey.
And the challenges do come! You have probably heard it said not to pray for patience because
patience is produced by going through trials.
I think every time a person begins to choose a better life, challenge can be expected.
I chose the word “gentle” a few years ago (much to my husband’s delight), and my desire to
become a more gentle person was challenged almost daily. Change didn’t happen until I quit giving in, determined to change, prayed for change, studied and “ate” the word, till it became part of
who I am.
So, this year, I am choosing the word “joy.” I am a pretty joyful person usually, but I want to know
a deeper sense of joy in my life. I don’t want the circumstances around me to dictate my joy or lack
thereof. I am not talking about being happy … happy depends on circumstance or what others do
to you. I want that calm assurance and settled-down peace even when all hell is breaking loose
around me.
It’s even better to do this exercise with a friend. I have shared the experience with some of my
close friends, and we meet and discuss our journey with our one word. We encourage and pray
each other through to the end of the year.
I would love to hear from you if you choose your word for 2016. Let’s make changes together.
In the meantime, here’s another word I don’t want you to forget … please pass the “Salt!”
Pamela Stricker
Publisher
[email protected]
Salt Scoop
Send us your
favorite recipe.
We may feature it
in the next issue.
Every submitted recipe will
be entered in a drawing for a
$25 grocery card.
In terms of
Great Dane-ness
I looked across the park and noticed an older couple walking a giant
dog. I gasped in awe at its size, its
beauty — and its good behavior. It
was a Great Dane. I wanted one.
Enter Bela. Our bright-eyed,
happy Great Dane has been with us
nearly 12 years. Not too bad for a
dog whose kind only live six to nine
years.
But if the Great Dane breed hadn’t
been right for us, we would have
picked a different dog.
That was not the case.
Known as the “gentle giants” of
the dog world, Danes are great
around kids, intelligent, friendly,
and require less grooming and
exercise than other breeds.
Perfect.
“Friendly” might have been an
understatement. Our beautiful girl
loves people and has never met a
stranger. Any time she hears the
word “wow” from people while
their car window is down and
we’re out walking, she asBela and I pose for a picture after she graduated from puppy
sumes they’re talking about
school July 2, 2004. She was 4 months old.
her. She’s not wrong. The
ears go back as she hopes
they slow down, stop and come pet her.
The “less exercise” requirement for the Dane could easily be changed to “a quick walk
up and down the driveway.” I knew she wouldn’t be wired like a border collie, but these
dogs are serious couch potatoes. Bela loves going for walks, but can’t wait to come back
in and curl up between the pillows on our bed or the arms of a chair that’s really too small
for her.
She’s always been easy to train and eager to learn. She’s not a complainer, either. In
almost 12 years, I’ve only heard her yelp twice. She’s been a very healthy dog, and has
never been on medication except for the occasional infection. She’s wildly content to lay
on the couch, look out the window, and wait for her next ear rub.
Arthritis is taking a toll on her bones faster than we wish. Medicine seems to help, but
we know “the day” will come soon.
“When Danes go, they go fast,” another Dane parent recently told us. “When she’s
ready to go, we can come to the house,” the vet told me in December during her annual
visit. Their words now echo too frequently in my head.
Bela’s still got pep in what’s left of her step, though, and meets us with cheer and exuberance at the door most days when we come home. If she’s not at the door, she’s in her
chair, ears back, ready to be greeted and adored from the comfort of her throne.
My life has been richer since we brought her home. Other than my husband, that
sweet, beautiful dog is my favorite human.
LORA ABERNATHY
Lora is the editor of Salt magazine. Originally from
West Virginia and a proud Marshall University alumna,
she lives in Hillsboro, Ohio, with her husband, Gary,
is mom to a Great Dane and yellow Lab, and trains
and competes in triathlons. Reach her at labernathy@
civitasmedia.com or on Twitter @AbernathyLora.
Visit our website,
thesaltmagazine.com,
and click on the Recipe
Submission link at the top to
be entered. Include a photo
of your dish, as well. All
entries must be received by
Feb. 25, 2016.
SaltNotes
Pat’s promises
plenty of paczkis
By Greg Hoersten
In the days leading up to Lent,
Pat’s Donuts and Kreme undergoes a change of pastry as the
doughnuts and filled sticks that
normally fill the shelves are
crowded out by paczkis.
“On Fat Tuesday, we’ll have
nothing but paczkis. We might
have a few doughnuts off to
the side,” said Ed Ezzelle, who
owns Pat’s along with his wife,
Michelle. “It’s a supply-and-demand thing. I just can’t produce
all the paczkis plus all the other
doughnuts in a 16-hour day, because that’s about how long it’s
taking us to make all the paczkis we need to fill our orders
and supply our customers.”
Long a favorite way to get
“one big last sugar rush in
before Lent starts” in cities with
large Polish-American populations, paczkis are like jelly
doughnuts “on steroids” — a
little bigger, a little thicker, with
more milk, more butter, more
flavorings, according to Ezzelle,
who promised the paczki will
be on the shelves by Feb. 1. Fat
Tuesday falls on Feb. 9.
“It’s a big thing now in Lima,”
he said.
It wasn’t always so.
“The first year we tried it
(about a decade ago), we
couldn’t give a paczki away,”
said Ezzelle, a Delphos native
who picked up a fondness
for paczkis while working in
Toledo. “We probably made 30
or 40 dozen for all our stores,
but we couldn’t give them away.
By year two, it started picking
up a little bit. By year three, we
couldn’t keep up. So, by year
four, we knew what we were in
for and now it’s our biggest day
of the year. It’s something I have
to start planning for weeks in
advance.”
Ezzelle estimated Pat’s
employees — the firm’s three
locations employ 44 people
— produce around 400 dozen
doughnuts on a weekday with
that number swelling to 750
to 800 dozen doughnuts on a
Saturday.
“We’re doing close to 1,200
dozen (paczkis) for Fat Tuesday.
We do all of our flavors. I came
up with that idea. Most traditional paczkis are a prune flavor.
Photos by Craig J. Orosz
Kierra Crisp frosts a tray of
vanilla cake doughnuts by hand.
Where to get yours...
Pat’s Donuts & Kreme has three outlets in the Lima
area.
All the pastry is produced at the shop at 2102 Elida
Road, which is open 24 hours a day. In addition to pastry, sandwiches and pizza also are available.
“We make our own pizza dough and sometimes,
especially on a Friday night, it feels like we’re a pizzeria
making doughnuts,” owner Ed Ezzelle said. “The ‘Kreme’
actually stands for ice cream and we have ice cream in
our stores as well.”
The shop at 662 Elida Ave. in Delphos offers the same
menu items as the Elida Road location. It is open from 5
a.m. to 9 p.m., while the outlet at 1835 Harding Highway is
open from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Harding Highway location
has only pastry and coffee.
Pat’s doughnuts also are available at Padrone’s Pizza shops
in Wapakoneta and at South Dixie Highway and Breese Road,
Kewpee restaurants, Circle K gas stations and “a lot of other
little shops throughout the region,” according to Ezzelle.
Ed Ezzelle,
owner of Pat’s Donuts &
Kreme, holds a tray of fresh-baked
Danish and jelly filled doughnuts.
At left, Jessie
Derossett fills
a tray of cream
danish. Below,
Kevin Jones pulls
a tray of cake
doughnuts from a
fryer at Pat’s.
We don’t do prunes,” he said.
“If you’ve ever had prune juice,
you kind of know what you’re getting into.”
Pat’s does do paczkis in butter
cream, chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, lemon, blueberry and apple as
well as Bavarian cream custard.
“This year, we might do cherry
custard, being that February is
cherry month,” Ezzelle said.
Ezzelle, who graduated from
Delphos St. John’s in 1998 and
later the University of Toledo,
“grew up in the restaurant business.” His grandparents owned
Nu-Maude’s restaurant in Delphos.
When he married Michelle, who
handles the administrative side of
Pat’s, the couple decided to get
into the restaurant business.
“Somehow, the good Lord led
us down here to Lima and we
purchased Pat’s,” he said.
The couple took over the business in 2005.
The Ezzelles bought Pat’s from
Henry and Pat Iven, who opened
the stores in 1983 after Henry Iven
found himself out of work when
the Arthur Treacher’s Fish and
Chips restaurant chain closed. The
Ivens owned two Arthur Treacher
outlets in Lima. Henry named Pat’s
after his wife.
“I would never change the
name,” Ezzelle said. “When I
bought the business, I bought the
name. Henry has been a great
mentor and friend for me. I’m
driving the bus Henry built.”
He’s driving the bus well. Again
this year, readers of The Lima
News voted Pat’s doughnuts the
best in the region.
Ezzelle credited Pat’s popularity
to the hard work of the firm’s employees and the fact the doughnuts are made from scratch.
“Here, we have employees with
a total of 125 years’ experience
making doughnuts and they’ve
just perfected it,” he said. “We
take great pride and care in the
doughnut, and I think that sets us
apart from the average doughnut
that you might get somewhere
else.”
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For more information,
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Husband’sabrokokms emories
sp
By Danae King
Will Cook, 90, hopes that one day his
love for his wife will take them away together.
“I would relish being in the last scene
of that movie,” said Will, referring to the
movie, “The Notebook.”
“The Notebook,” released in 2004, and
based on a book by Nicholas Sparks, follows the lives of characters Noah and Allie.
They shared young love — like Wapakoneta
resident Will and his wife, Pauline, who met
in high school, and spent their life together.
The movie shows Noah and Allie, nearing
the end of their lives, as he reads a story of
the beginning of their relationship to her.
It reminds Allie, who has the symptoms of
Alzheimer’s, who he is and, at the end, they
die in her bed together.
Will and Pauline’s story is not unlike the
film. The two met in high school. He pulled
her hair, and she leaned her head back so
he could do it.
From then on, they were together. She
was his first real girlfriend, and he her first
real boyfriend.
They’ve been married for 69 years and
have five children. They have been living
apart for seven years, ever since Pauline,
also 90, began to show the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and moved into a nursing home.
Will started writing to remind her of their
life, their travels and memories together.
“I wasn’t aware of ‘The Notebook’ at the
time I started this,” Will said. “I learned
about it later. … I did see the movie ‘The
Notebook’ and was feeling like he felt.
“When he read to her, she understood,”
Will said.
When Will reads to Pauline, he can tell
that she remembers and knows him, too.
She has brief moments of clarity even
though she can’t find her words.
“She recognized Dad, she recognized
me,” said Will’s son, Donald, who first encouraged his father to start writing books.
“You can see it in her eyes and her face,
how she is trying to emote and communicate that she knows.”
For Will’s granddaughter, Alexandra
Cook, the books have meant having her
grandmother back for a treasured moment.
Photo courtesy of Wil
l Cook
“She just gets this look in
her eyes. She knows who we
are whenever he reads them
… she has a look of hope.”
— Alexandra Cook
Wilson
Photo by Amanda
Alexandra, 22, was young when her
grandmother moved into the nursing home, but she remembers her
grandfather reading to Pauline, and the
emotion on her grandmother’s face.
“She just gets this look in her eyes,”
said Alexandra. “She knows who we are
whenever he reads them … she has a
look of hope.”
Alexandra loves these times with her
grandmother, who can’t talk much due to
her disease. The moments help Alexandra know “she’s still there and she still
loves us,” she said. “It’s very comforting.
… Having that time with her and having
her give me that look.”
Writing books for Pauline also taught
Will more about her life, her childhood
and who she was as a person.
For one of the books, titled “Pearls of
Pauline,” Will reached out to their family
and friends and asked them to write down
thoughts and memories of his wife once
a week for 20 weeks leading up to her
birthday.
What came back touched him.
He liked that “they honor the memories
enough to send it to her,” he said. “We
didn’t know how much her life touched
others.”
In another book Will wrote his wife, titled
“I hope I have a husband like you, you
bring Pauline roses,” he wrote about their
life together in 100 pages — as much as he
could bind.
It chronicles in photos and words their
visits to the redwood forests in California,
Niagara Falls, Devils Tower and other landmarks and destinations.
The books he writes — some for himself
and his family, in addition to those for
Pauline — aren’t meant for widespread
publication. They’re just for the Cooks.
“It was fun to do it and the fact that I had
the mental capacity to be able to recall …
My mental capacity has held steady,” he
said.
Though it seems as though he has a
romantic soul, Will doesn’t speak in flowery
language or get poetic about his relationship with his wife.
They met in high school and, looking
back, he says they got together because
“I think we both thought, ‘I’m lucky to get
anybody.’ ”
Banana Chocolate Chip Bread.....................25
Homemade Beef and Oat Dog Treats..........26
Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats.........26
Recipe Index
He couldn’t say why they’d stuck together
for most of their lives, just that “we stuck
together just because we did.”
“I can’t say how or what,” he said.
Will and Pauline had 62 years together
before she started losing her memory.
“We just stuck it out,” Will said. “She
probably had unfulfilled dreams of what
marriage should be, as I have had … but
we didn’t go to war about it.”
He mused about how today, people just
give up on relationships.
Still, he’d recommend other couples in
a similar situation write books for their
significant other.
“Why not?” he said. “Of course. You need
something to tie yourselves together.”
Next for Will is “crawling into bed with
her. I have no plans beyond that.”
Adopting a new friend
Many avenues exist for
adopting a new pet in the area.
Be sure to check petfinder.com,
as most area organizations use
it to publicize the animals they
are helping. Also, Facebook is
a great tool for seeing animals
various groups have available.
ALLEN COUNTY
Allen County Dog Warden
Address: 1165 Seriff Road,
Lima
Phone: 419-223-8528
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.to noon Saturdays
Once dogs that are brought in
are determined to be strays and
not separated from their owners,
and their temperaments allow
for adoption, they will be placed
as available. If the dog was
owned (came in wearing tags
or microchipped) and is adoptable, it will not be put down. The
dog adoption process includes
a short application and verification of applicant’s vet and landlord. Cost is about $100, which
covers vaccines and license.
Ohio SPCA and
Humane Society
Address: 3606 Elida Road,
Lima
Phone: 419-991-1775
Adoptions: 3-7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon-4:30
p.m. Saturdays, or by appointment
Dogs and cats are spayed
or neutered, up to date on
vaccinations and receive daily
socialization. Dogs are available
for about $150, and cats are
about $50.
Deb’s Dogs
Location: Lima
Phone: 419-204-6157
This dog rescue group
provides foster care for shelter
dogs that need extra attention.
The agency works with inmates
at Oakwood Correctional
Facility for socialization of the
animals, house training and
learning commands. Individuals who want to adopt should
agree to keeping the pet mainly
indoors, have a vet lined up, and
returning the dog to the agency
if the animal does not mesh well
with the home.
A Lotta Love Pet Rescue
Location: Lima
Phone: 419-229-5612
Email: Sandy2wayne3@yahoo.
com
This pet rescue group fosters
animals while they are waiting
to be adopted. The group also
helps seniors buy pet food.
Open Hearts Bully Rescue
Address: 5560 Bellefontaine
Road, Lima
Phone: 419-222-3047
This group focuses on finding
homes for the “bully” breeds. At
this time, it is not taking in dogs,
but an application may be filled
out for adoption of dogs that
may come available.
TLU Rescue
Address: 42 Vance St., Bluffton
Phone: 567-226-1067
This shelter flooded last summer, and it is nearing completion of renovations. Please call
for details.
Angels for Animals
Rescue League
Address: 211 S. Greenlawn
Ave., Elida
Phone: 419-339-9408
This agency formerly was a
dog and cat rescue, but now is
focusing its efforts on being a
low-cost spay and neuter clinic
in the community.
Compiled by Adrienne McGee Sterrett
AUGLAIZE COUNTY
Auglaize County Humane
Society
Address: 616 N. Dixie Highway,
Wapakoneta
Phone: 419-738-7808
Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays
and Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesdays, noon-4 p.m. Wednesdays, closed Sundays
Dogs and cats are able to
be adopted at this agency, and
boarding is also available. The
cost to adopt a dog is about
$150, and cats are about $40.
The costs include spaying or
neutering.
SART (Sue’s Animal
Rescue Team)
Location: St. Marys
Phone: 419-733-3650
This group offers cats for
adoption. To visit or learn more,
please call and leave a message.
HARDIN COUNTY
Hardin County Dog Shelter
Address: 49 Jones Road,
Kenton
Phone: 419-674-2209
Hardin County Humane
Society of Ohio
Address: 13510 state Route 68
S., Kenton
Phone: 419-434-0733
Email: hchumanesociety@aol.
com
This agency does not have
a shelter, as it does fostering
and low-cost spay and neuter. It
also operates a pet food pantry
for people having trouble affording food for their pets. For
details on fostering or adopting
animals, call or text Tabbi at
419-434-0733.
MERCER COUNTY
Mercer County
Dog Control Services
Address: 7009 state Route 49,
Celina
Phone: 419-942-1550
To view dogs or for dog control, please call.
Animal Protection
League of Mercer County
Location: Celina
Phone: 419-586-2887
Email: [email protected]
This agency cares for the
dogs at the county pound, especially the sick and injured, and
works to find homes for them.
Applications include personality
matching and vet references.
days, 9-10 a.m. Saturdays, or by
appointment
Dogs are available to anyone
at least 18 years old.
Putnam Pet Pals
Email: putnampetpals.net
This organization is a rescue
and advocacy group that
provides foster care for shelter
dogs until they can find a home.
An application must be turned
in, including verification of applicant’s vet, before applicant
meets any dogs. Dogs will be
matched with applicant’s personality to ensure a good fit.
VAN WERT COUNTY
Van Wert County
Humane Society
Address: 309 Bonnewitz Ave.,
Van Wert
Phone: 419-238-5088
Email: vanwertshelter@vwchs.
com
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays (call first), with extra
staffed hours 3-6 p.m. Mondays
and Tuesdays, 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m. Thursdays, 11
a.m. to noon Fridays and 11 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Saturdays
REGION
Open Arms Pound Rescue
Phone: 419-852-0628
Email: openarmsrescue@
yahoo.com
This agency helps find
homes for dogs in Ohio pounds.
Volunteers work to pull dogs
from pounds, arrange for vetting, and coordinate transport to
homes. References and a home
visit are required.
Feb 8th - 13th
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PUTNAM COUNTY
Putnam County Dog Shelter
Address: 1490 E. Second St.,
Ottawa
Phone: 419-523-8617
Adoptions: Noon-1 p.m. Thurs-
Mon-Wed 9am- 6pm ◆ Thurs 9 am- 1pm
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Pysanky:
An ancient art form
for modern times
By Amy Eddings
Dyeing and decorating eggs for Easter can be
as simple as dipping a hard-boiled egg in a solution of hot water, vinegar and food dye, or it can
be as complicated as the wax resist dyeing process used to make the extravagantly decorated
eggs known as pysanky, or Ukrainian Easter eggs.
Only one method is rumored to save the world
from evil.
“There’s an old Ukrainian legend that there’s
a dragon of evil loose in the world, and it is tied
down only by the chains which are made by the
Ukrainian women who are making the Easter
eggs,” said former pysanky maker Anna Selfridge. “Each egg is a link in the chain that holds
the dragon down.”
Selfridge paused.
“So it’s plenty loose right now.”
To be blunt, the world needs more pysanky. The
craft is ripe for a resurgence, given the renewed
popularity in other homespun, time-intensive
projects such as knitting, crocheting and canning.
Advocates of the art form say that, once the basic concepts and technique of the dyeing process
are grasped, pysanky is easy. It’s also inexpensive.
The tools and materials — beeswax, eggs, dye,
kistka (the special pen or stylus used to write in
beeswax on the egg) — are readily available. So
are kits and books with step-by-step instructions.
Selfridge, curator for archives and manuscripts
at the Allen County Museum in Lima, taught
herself to make pysanky in the 1970s, but arthritis
stopped her about 15 years ago.
Courtesy photo
Ann Reddy, left, and Luba Perchyshyn.
Anna Selfridge holds a sgraffito style egg which is an art
technique in which a surface layer of paint is scratched
away to reveal a contrasting color underneath.
“I just thought they were pretty,” she said. “I also
knit and cross-stitch, so I had the patience for it. I
don’t know that I do anymore, considering that it
hurts.”
Selfridge isn’t Ukrainian, so pysanky isn’t a part
of her family heritage. It’s not a family tradition for
Ann Reddy, either, who said she’s of Irish descent.
The artist and Tiffin Columbian High School librarian
learned pysanky in 1985 from an art teacher who
was Ukrainian.
“I just fell in love with it,” she said, pulling out from
a closet in her art studio in Findlay a box covered in
wax drippings and stained with dye. It was filled with
her pysanky supplies, including decorated eggs in
various stages of the dye process.
“It’s very much a flow activity, very much a slowing down” she said, setting up her tools for a demonstration. “Each step, you can’t take it any (faster)
than it takes.”
You’ll need eggs, emptied of their innards. There
are special tools that help you puncture a small
hole in the pointy end of the egg and blow air into
it to force out the yolk and egg white. You’ll need
beeswax, dyes, large jars to hold the dye mixtures
in, spoons to dip the eggs into the dye, a kistka, a
candle to melt the beeswax off of the egg at the end
of the dyeing process, varnish or shellac for sealing
and protecting the finished product, an egg rack for
drying the eggs, and clean cloths or paper towels
to blot up spills and wipe away melted wax from the
egg during the final step.
“Each egg is a link
in the chain that
holds the dragon
down. So it’s plenty
loose right now.”
— Anna Selfridge
Anna Selfridge with an assortment of Ukrainian eggs she
decorated. Most of the eggs are chicken, duck and goose.
Photos by Craig J. Orosz
“This is a paper towel-intensive process,” quipped Reddy.
She picked up an empty, white egg shell
in one hand and a soft lead pencil in the
other. Starting at the top of the egg, she
drew a faint line around the length of the
egg. She drew another line around the
egg’s middle. Dividing the egg into sections provides a symmetrical framework
upon which to build a pattern.
Like quilts, there are many standardized designs that have developed over the
centuries, such as the triangular pattern
known as “Forty Days of Lent,” or the
eight-pointed star, cross and branches pattern called “Paska.”
There are dozens of animal, plant and
geometric motifs, each steeped in meaning. Stars represent success. Fruits and
vegetables such as peas, cherries and
apples encourage a good harvest and
abundance. Ladders signify the ascent to
heaven; hens and roosters, fertility. Books
like “Ukrainian Easter Eggs and How We
Make Them” and “Eggs Beautiful: How
to Make Ukrainian Easter Eggs,” both by
Anne Kmit, Loretta Luciow, Johanna Luciow
and Luba Perchyshyn, provide examples
and instructions.
Perchyshyn is Reddy’s hero, her mentor
from afar. Perchyshyn’s store, Ukrainian Gift
Shop in Minneapolis, is Reddy’s longtime
source of pysanky supplies and inspiration.
“This past November, I was at a conference in Minneapolis, and I thought, I just
gotta go,” Reddy said. She visited the shop,
which has become more of a warehouse
than a store.
“The son was there … and he said, ‘You
know, we don’t have the kind of business
that we used to have. It’s all just basically
online,’ ” said Reddy.
She spotted a table covered with gorgeous Ukrainian Easter eggs.
“I asked him, did you make all these
eggs, and he said, no, my mother did,
she’s over there, there’s Luba.” Reddy
giggled with delight, retelling the moment
when she met THE Luba Perchyshyn. “I got
my picture taken with Luba! She’s 92 years
old!”
Her story told, she picked up her kistka.
With smooth, long strokes, she covered
the pencil lines with beeswax. The wax,
stained black by the carbon from the flame
used to heat the kistka, was easily visible
on the white egg.
Photo by Amy Eddings
Ann Reddy holds a finished egg, covered in black
beeswax, near a heat source to melt away the
wax and reveal the dyed pattern underneath.
“Everything I’m drawing right now on the
white egg will remain white once the wax is
removed,” Reddy explained.
She unscrewed the lid of a glass jar of yellow
dye and placed the egg inside. Once the egg
has reached the hue she wants, she’ll remove
the egg, let it dry, and then draw more patterns
with the beeswax pen. Whatever she draws on
the yellow egg will remain yellow in the final
design. The process of drawing, dunking and
drying continues, with darker and darker dyes:
green, orange, red and finally black.
Reddy took a nearly finished egg out of her
box. It was all black with waxy gray markings
on it. Hidden under that gray wax were the
brilliant colors of the preceding dye baths,
colors that would be revealed once she held
the egg’s surface near the flame of a candle
and let the wax melt away.
“I prefer to put them in a low-temperature
oven, with a pan underneath to catch the wax,”
Reddy said. “If you hold the egg too close to
the flame, you can crack it.”
Cracking the fragile shell is one of the hazards of the craft.
“If you have small children or animals, I
wouldn’t recommend it,” warned Selfridge.
But if you can keep the kids at bay for a
few hours, if you can lock the cat or dog in
the basement, if you can set aside the desire
for rapid results and let this ancient art form
work its magic, there is much to recommend
pysanky. Time, slowed down. Tradition, kept
alive despite modern impulses favoring speed,
disposability and uniformity. Keepsake-worthy
eggs. And more links in the chains that keep
our inner and outer fire-breathing dragons at
bay.
RESOURCES
Ann Reddy teaches
how to make pysanky.
Contact her for class
availability and location at
[email protected].
Ukrainian Gift Shop:
This Minneapolis store,
where Reddy has purchased her supplies for
decades, bills itself as “the
world’s largest source
of pysanky and pysanky
supplies.” Most of its business is conducted online
at ukrainiangiftshop.com,
but the store also offers a
mail-order catalog. The
website offers a guide for
a “featured design.” It is
located at 1008 N. Fifth St.,
Minneapolis, MN 55411.
Its hours are 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. CST Monday through
Thursday. Call 612-7882545 or toll-free, for orders
only, at 866-PYSANKA.
Ukrainian MuseumArchives: This Cleveland
institution offers pysanka
classes and has an exhibit
of pysanky from different
regions of Ukraine. Upcoming classes are limited to
five to 10 people. Contact
the staff at [email protected] for information. It is located at 1202
Kenilworth Ave., Cleveland.
Its hours are 10 a.m. to 3
p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Call 216-781-4329.
Surma, The Ukrainian Shop: This store is
located in New York City,
but you can buy goose
egg ($75), chicken egg
($30) and wooden egg
($7.50) pysanky online at
surmastore.com/pysanka.
html. The store also offers a
Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating Kit and supplies
for creating pysanky. It is
located at 11 E. Seventh
St., New York, NY 10003. Its
hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday through Friday,
11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday,
and it is closed Sunday.
Call 212-477-0729.
Tales of humor, grief and hope
Salt readers share their favorite pet stories
Christopher
and Grace
Rusty
Angel and Henry
Grace
Graceful Angel, Grace
for short, was a beautiful
red doberman show dog.
She had a gentle, loving
soul and was the pride of
our son, Christopher. She
was his “Little Girl.” Yes,
she was an ornery pup,
but soon that puppy stage
gave way to a sweet and
loving companion.
Christopher and Grace
were inseparable with
a morning ritual and
always a kiss goodbye
before leaving for work
and kisses and hugs upon
returning.
Christopher plays the
saxophone and Grace
would “sing” along with
him for hours while he
practiced. Actually, her
“singing” was more of a
howl, much to the distress
of Chris’s wife, who would
often sneak off to the car
with a book.
Eventually, due to age,
Grace developed wobbler’s disease for which
there is no cure. A decision had to be made to
ease her suffering and lay
her to rest.
On the day Grace was
to go to the vet for her
final visit, she ate steak,
took a walk through the
neighborhood in a wagon
pulled by her loving
owner. She laid in her soft
bed, surrounded by her
favorite toys while Christopher played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
on his sax. Grace couldn’t
“sing” the entire song, but
did the best she could.
We grieve, as she was
a member of this family. We miss her terribly,
but Christopher and his
family gave her the most
wonderful life, full of
companionship, laughter
and fun, but most of all
unconditional love.
— Jacqueline S.
Cotner of Lima
Rusty
My dog, Rusty, was the
best dog I’ve had in my
76 years.
We got him as a pup
and his companionship
helped me through one
particular rough time.
One time, when I was
putting wagons away, I
slipped on the ice and
fell on my back. As I laid
there assessing the situation, moaning, he came
and laid beside me and
whimpered, commiserating with me. Another time,
while we were walking
the fields, he “saved” me
from an agitated buck
deer — or at least he
thought so.
I was told by neighbors Rusty was worth his
weight in gold for his ability to hunt groundhogs.
Sadly, Rusty died several years ago at 13. I miss
him tremendously and
will never replace him, for
no other dog could.
— Sent by Mary Oen
of behalf of William J.
Oen of St. Marys
Henry
Meet Henry. He is 215
pounds of pure love.
Henry is a rescue Great
Dane that was just hours
away from being put to
sleep. He came to me,
and I was just going to be
his foster mom, but I am
proudly a foster failure.
He truly is the definition
of love.
He was just 14 months
old when he came to me
in 2011, and he was skin
over bones, a whopping
130 pounds and, for his
frame, that was horrible.
He has definitely come a
long way.
Henry has such a loving
personality, that I decided
that he would follow in the
big paw prints of his Aunt
Shelby and become a
therapy dog with Therapy
Dogs International. Henry
became certified in early
2015 and has become a
sensation wherever he
goes.
He goes to the local
library and children read
to him. He sometimes
dresses up for them. He
goes to the USO where he
visits with military members and their families,
and he has also been to
a school and a nursing
home. He enjoys his work!
I am so happy to share
him with the world because he had 14 months
of a rough life, but now,
he brings smiles and
spreads love everywhere
he goes, so he knows how
wonderful life can be.
He’s a blessing to me
and all the folks he meets.
— Angel Ketcham
of Bartow, Fla.,
originally from Lima
Rucker and Belle
We lost our yellow Lab
last year to cancer. After
five months, my husband
came home one day and
asked me to go over the
local Paws Animal Shelter
with him, as he thought
we had gone long enough
without a dog.
We fell for a black collie
mix, about 6 years old,
very smart, house trained
and spayed. Then I spotted Rucker.
Rucker is about 17
months old now, but was
only about 7 months
when we met him. He is
a St. Bernard mix, now
weighing in at about 120
pounds and still growing.
A very smart dog and so
loving, but a real handful
for older people in our
“golden years.”
He is also a housedog.
Our grown son has spent
much time with him,
teaching him commands
and manners. When he occasionally forgets his manners, and we have to repair
the fence or fill in a hole in
the yard, we just say, “It’s all
for the love of Rucker.”
Belle, the Collie, is a
wonderful companion for
him and helps keep him
in line. They are such a
delight to us, and help to
keep us at least feeling
young.
Please visit your local
shelter and adopt other
wonderful dogs just waiting for permanent homes.
— Glenna Coleman
of Urbana
Rider
Since February, my
husband, Doug, and I
have had the privilege of
puppy-raising a golden
Retriever for Pilot Dogs
Inc. of Columbus.
This organization has
been training guide
dogs for the blind since
1950. We discovered the
program through the St.
Marys Lions Club, of which
we are now members. We
signed on to be puppy
raisers early fall 2014 and
finally received our little
8-week-old bundle of ﬂuff
on Presidents Day.
He was just adorable, with a face that was
wrinkled like an old man.
We were so excited. We
share our home with a
senior rescue border collie along with three cats, all
of which weren’t nearly as
thrilled when we brought
Rider home.
Our job is to socialize
our puppy, introducing him
to all kinds of situations
and environments, along
with basic obedience
training.
But here’s the big thing
of it: We have to give him
back!
When Rider is approximately 1 year old, he will
return to Pilot Dogs for his
formal guide dog training.
After five months of hard
work, he will be matched
with a blind or visually
impaired person.
Everyone always asks
us the same question:
How are we ever going to
be able to give him up?
Puppy raising is a happy/
sad experience. We know
we are doing a good thing,
but we also know what’s
coming. Is it even possible
to prepare ourselves for
the fact that we may never
see him again? I’m sure
there will be a few tears.
Well, maybe the cats won’t
be so sad.
Doug and I feel this is a
way of contributing to the
greater good that is a win/
win situation. We get to
raise a cute little pup and
help him become a loving
companion that could
change someone’s life, allowing them freedom and
independence that they
may never have known
until Rider came into their
lives. Even if it means a
piece of our hearts will be
carried away with him.
— Julie Metz
of St. Marys
Rucker
Belle
Sassi
Rider
Sassi
Sassi is queen of all
she sees from her throne,
which is really the nut box I
keep filled for the squirrels.
It is nailed to a tree in
our back yard and she will
not allow trespassers.
When I found her and
brought her home, she was
in terrible shape. She was
skin and bones and she
was in need of a bath and
a good meal. We took care
of both and let her alone.
It took her no time at all
to get used to her family, and she was out in the
yard with us and soon let
us know she was not going
anywhere.
Our dog is her best
friend and they have a
great time together. The
only thing she does not
understand is the toads
that live in my flower beds.
They jump at her and
she comes flying into the
house.
I firmly believe every
senior citizen should have
a pet. They make life worth
living, make you get up in
the morning, feed them,
and start your day.
— Mary Callow
of Van Wert
Oh, boy. Where should
I start? How about with
our Great Danes? Axel,
Herschel, Turk, Bubba,
Sadie, Ceniza, Sofie and
Libby. Sadie, Sofie and
Libby were all beautiful
Harlequins.
We had two very loving
shar-peis, Tia-Ling and
Hoover.
Two months after my
wife, Peggy, passed away,
Libby developed neurological depression and had
to be euthanized. She was
Peggy’s baby girl, and they
shared countless times together before and during
Peggy’s long illness.
Between those wonderful dog-loving years,
I should not forget our
mixed breeds: Fritz, Si Si,
Chumie, Emma Lee and
Buddy, who now is my
close companion.
I need to mention our
cats that mingled with
our dogs over the years.
Bicep, Ollie, Tilly, Buttercup,
Sammy, and now currently
living with me, Rootie
Kazootie and sisters Lucy
and Lu Lu.
As evident, with over 50
years together, Peggy and
I extended many happy
and heart-breaking years
to bring an ever loving
home to our pets.
— Jack Bevilockway
of Lima
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Local dog parks
Wapak Dog Park
Across from the fairground on
West Auglaize Street
There are two fenced-in areas
for dogs to play.
West Bank Dog Park
West Bank Road, Celina
Inside a park area on Grand
Lake St. Marys
This dog park is at the south
end of the road, in a park area
along the lake. There are two
fenced-in areas for dogs of different sizes. Dog waste bags and
benches for owners are available. Dog owners must stay with
their dog during the visit. Hours
are dawn to dusk.
East Bank Dog Park
East Bank Road, St. Marys
Inside a park area on Grand
Lake State Marys
This dog park is just north of
the first shelter house on that
road along the lake. There are
two fenced-in areas for dogs of
different sizes. There are dog
waste bags, drinking water for
pets and benches for owners.
Hardin County
Veterans Memorial Park
15906 state Route 309, Kenton
This park, which offers various
amenities, also has an enclosed
dog run area. Dogs should be
wearing their tags, dog waste
must be disposed of, and aggressive dogs are not allowed.
Allen County Dog Park
1165 Seriff Road, Lima
Behind the Allen County Dog
Warden
419-223-8528
This dog park has one large
fenced-in area with some agility
equipment and park benches.
An application is necessary
for a free membership, which
allows staff to be sure dogs are
licensed and friendly and gives
members the code to the lock
on the door. Hours are dawn to
dusk.
Compiled by Adrienne McGee Sterrett
Sweet tooth
Sara’s Sweets fills
gourmet cupcake
niche in Lima
By Michelle Stein
Three short years ago, Sara
Anderson was working as a
math teacher at Lima Senior
High School. But her daily life
couldn’t be more different now.
Today, 27-year-old Anderson is the face behind Lima’s
thriving gourmet cupcake
business, Sara’s Sweets, which
just upgraded to its very own
storefront Dec. 15.
So how exactly did this
young, multi-talented teacher
transform a sweet hobby into a
booming business? Anderson
said her passion for baking
started off alongside her mother
when she was just a child.
“My mom and I always
baked, especially at the
holidays,” she said. “She would
bake a lot, and we would make
up cookie tins for the neighbors
and family. And then in high
school, I got a job working at a
bakery in my hometown, and so
I worked there for about three
years through high school and
college.”
While in college, she continued with her cupcake obsession as she slowly perfected
her growing list of recipes, and
her cross country and track
teammates were always more
than willing to help taste test the
creations. Anderson even made
cupcakes for a few large events
on campus.
Still, she didn’t have plans of
opening her own bakery anytime soon and continued pursuing a degree in education. Her
cupcakes, meanwhile, remained
in high demand. The summer
after college graduation is when
Anderson first catered them for
a friend’s wedding. Shortly after
that, she baked more than 500
cupcakes for her own wedding.
Following their nuptials, the
Illinois native moved to be with
her husband, Ben, in Lima,
where she soon landed her first
teaching job at Lima Senior.
There, she would frequently
bring in tasty treats for her fellow staff members and students
to enjoy.
Word of mouth of Anderson’s
fantastic baking skills traveled fast. Before long, she was
in contact with the owners of
The Met, who had heard from
a mutual friend that she loved
to bake and her goods were
really good. In 2012, when she
started baking for The Met,
Anderson also opened up a
Facebook page to sell her treats
from home — just to test out the
waters.
“It just took off from there,”
Anderson said.
One year later, she decided
to take that leap of faith and turn
her passion into a business.
Anderson quit her career as an
educator and jumped into baking full time.
“You go from the steady
paycheck, benefits, everything,
to the unknown of running your
own business,” she said. “It’s a
lot of risk, but I’m glad I did it.”
Between selling treats from
home and opening up a cupcake counter at Pears Avenue
(and then at The Met after Pears
Avenue closed), the demand for
local gourmet sweets in Lima
was definitely there.
Photos by Graham Goebel
SARA’S SWEETS
Address:
435 S. Eastown Road, Lima,Ohio
Phone:
419-371-4745
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
sarassweetslima.com
Hours:
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through
Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays
“It was always kind of
like, ‘Oh, someday way
in the future I’ll have a
bakery when I’m old
and retired.’ I never
thought at the age of
27 I would be doing it.”
— Sara Anderson
As of Dec. 15, Sara’s Sweets
parted ways with The Met and
has started its newest adventure as a standalone cupcake
and bake shop. Located at 435
S. Eastown Road in Lima, right
next to the Vein Care Center, Sara’s Sweets is open for
business from 10 a.m. to 6 pm.
Tuesdays to Fridays and from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
“We have about eight types
of cupcakes available daily,
plus a lot of cookies, brownies
and bar-type things,” she said.
“And special order cakes —
the same stuff I do now, just
on a larger scale and more
availability.”
Sara’s Sweets also offers coffee and has recently
expanded its menu to include
cinnamon rolls and scones.
Among her impressive cupcake options are: French silk
pie, cookies & cream, key lime
pie, PB&J, pineapple upside
down cake, cappuccino chip,
Boston cream pie and more
— adding up to more than 40
gourmet flavors in total.
By far, the buckeye cupcake is the top seller at Sara’s
Sweets. The website describes it as “chocolate cake
filled with a buckeye center,
topped with fluffy peanut butter buttercream and a buckeye.”
And Anderson’s favorite
flavor? Brownie batter, which
is “chocolate cake filled with a
brownie truffle center, topped
with brownie batter buttercream, hot fudge and brownie
bits.”
Anderson said customers often joke with her about
always being surrounded by
delicious treats. They wonder
how she can stop herself from
eating cupcakes all day long.
“When you’re around it all
of the time, you don’t really
want it,” she laughed. “I’ll have
maybe a cupcake every other
week or so.”
Anderson admits she never
pictured herself as an entrepreneur so early in life.
“It was always kind of like,
‘Oh, someday way in the
future I’ll have a bakery when
I’m old and retired.’ I never
thought at the age of 27 I
would be doing it,” she said.
Still, she wouldn’t have it any
other way.
“I can’t even imagine still
being in the classroom,”
Anderson said. “This is where
I’m supposed to be.”
Sara’s recipe
BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking
powder, baking soda, salt and pudding mix.
Whisk to combine and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon
flour and chocolate chips; set aside.
With mixer, combine butter, shortening
and sugar.
Beat on high until light and fluffy,
about 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly
combined. Add milk and vanilla, then banana to mixture; combine well.
With mixer on low, add flour mixture just
until combined.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread into loaf pan; tap to remove air
pockets.
Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted
into center comes out clean. Let loaf cool in
pan for 5 minutes; then turn out onto wire
rack to cool completely.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large, extra-ripe bananas, mashed
..
is.
The truth
I like my dog better than you
HOMEMADE PEANUT
BUTTER DOG TREATS
The easiest homemade dog treats ever.
Simply mix, roll and cut.
Easy peasy, and so much
healthier than storebought. Use a boneshaped cookie cutter.
Pumpkin, a great source
of fiber, keeps dogs
“regular” and peanut butter just tastes darn good.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
Reciprocate your best friend’s
love with homemade treats
By Andrea Chaffin
I never wanted a dog.
They stink. They drool. They jump.
They bark.
I grew up with cats, which require
little care. Basically, as long as their
bowls are full and their litter boxes
are scooped, they don’t need anything.
But dogs? They’re big and need
to be taken outside. Surely, they
couldn’t love me like my cat could. I
had no interest in such a beast.
Until I met my dog. She changed
me.
Now, I’m the quintessential dog
lady. When meeting people, I tend
to greet their dogs first. Dog people
know other dog people. It’s easy
for us to spot each other because
everyone else in the room is giving
us the stink eye while we’re cooing
and kissing our fur babies.
People tend to say I spoil Harley,
my 7-year-old pit bull mix.
I won’t lie — she always gets the
last few bites of whatever I’m eating,
thanking me with a few warm licks. I
rub her belly and scratch under her
ears in response. And, of course, I
tell her I love her. A lot.
She has her own camping chair.
My car, couch and wardrobe are
constantly covered in a blanket of
her white, wiry hair. I recall once
when then-Wilmington Mayor Randy
Riley picked out a few short strands
of Harley’s fur out of my black blazer
during a meeting.
“I just take a little bit of Harley
wherever I go,” I explained at the
time.
Others have refused to ride in
my car or sit on my couch, knowing
they risk a dog-hair covered behind.
My answer to those problems is a
collection of lint rollers: two in the
house, one in the car and one at the
office.
“Have you considered keeping
her off the furniture?” some have
gingerly asked.
No. How are we supposed to
cuddle? And go on adventures together? And be best friends. Simply,
it’s not an option.
That got me to thinking: Is there
any person I prefer over my dog? I
think not because dogs are better
than people.
Here are 10 reasons why:
1. They’re mobile vacuums. Lose
half the cheese dip off your tortilla
chip? No problem. Fido will have
that cleaned up in a jiffy.
Directions:
Line a baking sheet
with parchment paper or
a silicone baking mat; set
aside.
In the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted with
the paddle attachment,
beat pumpkin puree,
peanut butter and eggs
on medium-high until
well combined, about 1-2
minutes. Gradually add
2 1/2 cups flour at low
speed, beating just until
incorporated. Add an additional 1/4 cup flour at a
time, just until the dough
is no longer sticky.
Working on a lightly
floured surface, knead the
dough 3-4 times until it
comes together. Using a
rolling pin, roll the dough
to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out
desired shapes and place
onto the prepared baking
sheet.
Place into oven and
bake until the edges are
golden brown, about 2025 minutes, depending on
the size and thickness of
the treats.
Let cool completely.
HOMEMADE BEEF
AND OAT DOG
TREATS
Although these savory
cookies smell a little odd
to a human nose, dogs
will gobble them up. Oats
are another great source
of fiber for dogs. You’re
guaranteed to have these
ingredients sitting in the
pantry.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted, low-fat
beef broth or chicken
broth
Directions:
Add oats, salt, beef
broth and egg to a large
mixing bowl. Combine
well.
Pour onto wax or
parchment paper and
knead dough for about
3 minutes. Let stand
for about 3 minutes to
begin to become firmer.
Between two sheets of
parchment paper, press
to 1/2-inch thickness.
Cut with cutter and
place onto a parchment
paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and
allow to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container for use or store in a
ziptop bag in the freezer
for later thawing and use.
ANDREA
CHAFFIN
Andrea is the
food editor of
Salt magazine
and the editor
of The Madison Press. She can be
reached at 740-852-1616,
ext. 1619 or via Twitter @
AndeeWrites.
2. They don’t get mad when
you put your cold feet on them in
bed. They’re great heaters and
fantastic cuddlers.
3. They’re always happy to
see you, no matter if it’s been
three days, three hours or three
minutes.
4. They eat the spiders. Thanks,
I didn’t want to get near that
thing!
5. They don’t expect you to be
primped for the day. I’ve never
been judged by my dog for
wearing elastic pants two sizes
too big, a T-shirt, dirty hair and
last night’s makeup.
6. They’re loyal and protective.
Once your dog has committed to
you, a bond is made forever.
7. They don’t scroll through
Facebook while you’re talking to
them.
8. They’ll do you a favor and
make that gross cookie from Aunt
Beverly disappear. We all know
you couldn’t choke it down. Gotta
love that trick.
9. They’re not greedy or materialistic. The only thing my dog
wants is me!
10. They always cheer you up
when you’re in a bad mood and
help you through tough times.
What better way to reciprocate
love to your best companion than
by fixing some homemade dog
treats? They are cheaper and
easier to make than you might
think. Using a few simple, healthy
ingredients, these homemade
dog treats will become your pet’s
favorite.
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40836284
3790 Harding Hwy., Lima
419-225-9712
40839076
Welcome Home to a great night's sleep
ut & Abou
Out & About
ALLEN COUNTY
Feb. 14
Travis Tritt performs, 8 p.m., Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention
Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call
419-224-1552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.
Feb. 18
Allen County Ag Outlook Event,
7:30-11:30 a.m. Call 419-222-6045
or visit limachamber.com.
Feb. 18
“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” 7
p.m., Veterans Memorial Civic and
Convention Center, 7 Town Square,
Lima. Call 419-224-1552 or visit
limaciviccenter.com.
Feb. 20
Maple Fest Volunteer Training, 9
a.m. breakfast, 9:30 a.m. training,
McElroy Environmental Center,
2355 Ada Road, Lima. Call 419-2211232 or visit jampd.com.
Feb. 25
Connections, 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.,
Shawnee Country Club, 1700 Shawnee Road, Lima. Call 419-222-6045
or visit limachamber.com.
Feb. 26
Kewpee High School Art Invitational
Reception, 6:30 p.m., ArtSpace/
Lima, 65-67 Town Square. Call 419222-1721 or visit artspacelima.com.
Feb. 27
“Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” 8
limaciviccenter.com.
March 3
Schmooza Palooza, 3-6 p.m., Howard Johnson, Lima. Visit limachamber.com.
March 5-6
Maple Syrup Festival, noon-5 p.m.,
McLean Teddy Bear Park, 2004 N.
Dixie Hwy., Lima. Guests can take
a guided tour along a half-mile
wooded trail to take a historic look
at maple sugaring. Visit jampd.com.
March 5-6
Tri-State Gun Show, 8:30 a.m. to 4
p.m. Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, Allen County Fairgrounds,
2750 Harding Hwy., Lima. Call 419647-0067 or visit tristategunshow.
org.
March 11-13, 18-20
“Ravencroft,” 8 p.m. Fridays and
Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, Encore
Theatre, 991 North Shore Drive,
Lima. Call 419-223-8866, email
[email protected] or visit
amiltellers.org.
March 13
Family concert, “Star Wars,” 3 p.m.,
Veterans Memorial Civic and
limasymphony.com.
March 19
The 56th Annual Young Artist Competition, Yolder Recital Hall, Bluffton
University, Bluffton. Call Kim Shannahan at 419-222-5701 or email kim@
limasymphony.com.
March 19
“It’s Barbershop Harmony Time,”
presented by the Lima Bean Chorus, 2 and 7:30 p.m., Lima Senior
High Auditorium, 1 Spartan Way,
[email protected] or visit limaallencvb.com.
March 25-26
Tim’s Motorsports Expo, noon10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday, Allen County Fairgrounds,
2750 Harding Hwy., Lima. Call 419222-4894 or visit timssims.com or
lima-allencvb.com.
April 1
Hippifest, 8 p.m., Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7
Town Square, Lima. Call 419-2241552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.
April 2-3
Tri-State Gun Show, 8:30 a.m. to 4
p.m. Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, Allen County Fairgrounds,
2750 Harding Hwy., Lima. Call 419647-0067 or visit tristategunshow.
org.
April 7
Chamber Shack, 5-10 p.m., Howard
Johnson, 1920 Roschman Ave., Lima.
Call 419-222-6045 or visit limachamber.com.
April 8-10
“Law & Order: Fairy Tale Unit,”
Encore Theatre, 991 North Shore
Drive, Lima. Call 419-223-8866,
email [email protected] or
visit www.amiltellers.org.
April 9
Lima Family YMCA Spring Momto-Mom Sale, 345 S. Elizabeth St.,
[email protected] or visit
limaymca.net.
April 10
LACNIP’s International Expo, 2-6
p.m., Lima Senior High Commons,
1 Spartan Way, Lima. Call 419-9996242 or visit lima-allencvb.com.
April 16
“Requiem and Reflections,” 7:30
Compiled by Lora Abernathy
limasymphony.com.
AUGLAIZE COUNTY
March 1
Wapakoneta Bob Evans Event,
5:30-7:15 p.m. Join the Armstrong
Air & Space Museum educator at
the Wapakoneta Bob Evans where
children can create a paper copter
and learn about lift and gravity. Call
419-738-8811 or visit armstrongmuseum.org.
March 5
Wapakoneta Area Chamber of
Commerce Bowling Bash, 8-11:55
p.m., Astro Lanes, 1113 Apollo
Drive, Wapakoneta. Visit wapakoneta.com.
March 16
The 50th anniversary for the Gemini
VIII mission, 6:30-8 p.m., Armstrong
Air & Space Museum, 500 Apollo
Drive, Wapakoneta. Call 419-7388811 or visit armstrongmuseum.org.
March 19
Public Program: Flight and Aviation,
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Armstrong Air &
Space Museum, 500 Apollo Drive,
Wapakoneta. Join the museum
educator in the front hall to discuss
Forces of Flight and create a
clothespin airplane. Guided tours
will also be taking place from 10
a.m. to 1 p.m. with museum admission. Call 419-738-8811 or visit
armstrongmuseum.org.
March 26
Easter egg hunt, 10 a.m., Armstrong
Air & Space Museum, 500 Apollo
Drive, Wapakoneta. Rain or shine.
Call 419-738-8811 or visit armstrongmuseum.org.
April 9
Yuri’s Night, 8 p.m., Armstrong Air
& Space Museum, 500 Apollo Drive,
Wapakoneta. Celebrate the first
man in space. Guests will enjoy
two complimentary drinks and an
evening of music, Russian culture
and food. Call 419-738-8811 or visit
armstrongmuseum.org.
HANCOCK COUNTY
Feb. 17-21
The musical, “Smile.” Call 419-4232787 or visit marathoncenterarts.
org.
Feb. 18-21, 25-27
“Much Ado About Nothing.” Call
419-422-3412, email boxoffice@
artspartnership.com or visit
artspartnership.com or fortfindlayplayhouse.org.
Feb. 19
The Toledo Symphony “Celebrates
the Oscars!” 7:30 p.m, Marathon
Center for the Performing Arts,
200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay. Call
419-423-2787 or visit marathoncenterarts.org.
Feb. 27
Red Cross Oscar Night, 7-11:30
p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, 1050
Interstate Drive, Findlay. Call 419422-5252.
Feb. 28
Bread Baking in the Old Wood Stove,
1-4 p.m. Those in attendance will be
treated to the warm smell of bread
baking in the old cook stove as they
help the McKinnis family and neighbors prepare dough. Learn about
the different kinds of breads they
eat and how they bake without commercial yeast. Call 419-425-7275,
email [email protected]
or visit hancockparks.com.
March 4-6
“Winnie the Pooh KIDS,” 7 p.m., First
Presbyterian Church, 2300 S. Main
St., Findlay. Call 419-422-3412, email
[email protected] or
visit artspartnership.com.
March 5
Journey Unauthorized, 7:30 p.m.,
Marathon Center for the Performing
Arts, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay.
Call 419-423-2787 or visit marathoncenterarts.org.
March 5
Greater Findlay Home Show, 10 a.m
to 9 p.m. Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.
Sunday, Findlay Village Mall, 1800
Tiffin Ave., Findlay. Visit findlayhomeshow.com.
March 7
Freedom Train, 10 a.m. and 12:30
p.m., Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, 200 W. Main Cross St.,
Findlay. Call 419-423-2787 or visit
marathoncenterarts.org.
March 12
Maple Sugarin’, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
Litzenberg Memorial Woods. Call
419-425-7275 or email lbogard@
hancockparks.com.
March 13
“The Monster Who Ate My Peas,”
3 p.m., Winebrenner Theological
Seminary’s TLB Auditorium. Call
419-422-3412 or visit artspartnership.com or winebrenner.edu.
March 16
“Gruff! The Musical,” 10 a.m. and
12:30 p.m., Marathon Center for the
Performing Arts, 200 W. Main Cross
St., Findlay. Call 419-423-2787 or
visit marathoncenterarts.org.
VAN WERT COUNTY
Feb. 27
An Evening with B.J. Thomas, 7:30
p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts
Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700
state Route 118 S. Call 419-2386722 or visit npacvw.org.
March 20
“Flashdance — The Musical,” 3
p.m., Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, 200 W. Main Cross St.,
Findlay. Call 419-423-2787 or visit
marathoncenterarts.org.
March 3
The Wellington International
Ukulele Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center
of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state
Route 118 S. Call 419-238-6722
or visit npacvw.org.
April 8
The Annie Moses Band, 7:30 p.m.,
Marathon Center for the Performing
Arts, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay.
Call 419-423-2787 or visit marathoncenterarts.org.
April 9
Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD,
Atypical Learners and the Arts, 9
a.m. to 3 p.m., Owens Community
College, 3200 Bright Road, Findlay.
Educators, administrators and
parents are invited to learn how the
arts can be used in the classroom
to engage all students, especially
those with aspergers, autism, ADHD
and other related conditions. Call
419-422-3412 or visit artspartnership.com.
HARDIN COUNTY
Feb. 17
Ada Area Chamber of Commerce
Membership Dinner, 6 p.m.,Wishing
Well in McIntosh Center at Ohio
Northern University, Ada. Call 419788-9459 or visit adachamber.org.
Feb. 21
Ohio Northern University Symphony Orchestra performs, 5-7 p.m.,
Freed Center, Biggs Theatre, Ada.
Call 419-772-1900 or visit ticketing.
onu.edu.
March 18-19
Relay for Life at Ohio Northern
University, 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m.
Saturday, King Horn Fieldhouse,
Ada. Email onurelayforlife@gmail.
com.
March 21
“It’s Spring in My Heart,” 7:30 p.m.,
March 6
Luke Zamperini, 3 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center
of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state
Route 118 S. Luke Zamperini is
the son of Louis Zamperini, one of
World War II’s most well-known
prisoners of war and hero of the
1936 Olympics in Berlin. Louis
Zamperini is the subject of Laura
Hillenbrand’s book, “Unbroken:
A World War II Story of Survival,
Resilience, and Redemption.” Call
419-238-6722 or visit npacvw.org.
Journey Unauthorized is set to perform March 5 at the Marathon Center for
the Performing Arts in Findlay.
Ohio Northern University Freed
Center, Biggs Theatre, Ada. Call 419772-1900 or visit ticketing.onu.edu.
April 5
PaintINN, Inn at ONU, 401 W. College Ave., Ada. Participants work
under the guidance of a trained professional while they create a beautiful canvas while enjoying delicious
food and drink. All supplies, food,
a beverage and fun are included.
Cost is $38. Call 419-772-2500,
visit innatonu.com.
MERCER COUNTY
Feb. 20
“Bob & Tom Show” comedian
Heywood Banks, 9 p.m., Overdrive,
3769 state Route 127, Celina. Call
419-925-9999, email contact@
theoverdrive.com or visit theoverdrive.com.
Feb. 27
Motown on the Lake, 6 p.m.,
Romer’s Catering and Entertainment, 1101 Westbank Road, Celina.
Presented by the Lake Improvement
Association, all proceeds will go
toward the improvement of Grand
Lake St. Marys. Visit seemore.org.
March 10-13, 17-20
“Beauty and the Beast,” Van Wert
Civic Theater, 118 S. Race St.,
Van Wert. Call 419-238-9689 or
visit vwct.org.
March 4
Branson on the Road performs, 2
p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Overdrive, 3769
state Route 127, Celina. Call 419925-9999, email [email protected] or visit theoverdrive.com.
March 20
Natalie Grant performs, 7:30
p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts
March 12
Main Event, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., a
guys-only event, Mercer County
Fairgrounds, 1001 W. Market St.,
Celina. Call 419-586-3239 or visit
mercercountyohiofair.com.
March 31
The 15th Annual Southern Gospel Expo, 7 p.m., Trinity Friends
Church, 605 N. Franklin St., Van
Wert. Visit trinityvw.com.
March 19
Easter egg hunt, 11 a.m., downtown
courthouse square, Celina. Visit
celinamercer.com.
March 19
Comedy Night, 7 p.m., Mercer
County Fairgrounds, 1001 W. Market
St., Celina. Call 419-586-3239 or
visit seemore.org or mercercountyohiofair.com.
April 7-9
Village of St. Henry community
garage sale.
April 9
Mom 2 Mom Sale, Mercer County
Fairgrounds, 1001 W. Market St.,
Celina. Call 419-586-3239 or visit
mercercountyohiofair.com.
April 3
Libera, 3 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route
118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit
npacvw.org.
April 15
Riders in the Sky Salute to Roy
Rogers, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger
Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route
118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit
npacvw.org.
April 16
Van Wert Blooms with P. Allen
Smith & Friends, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Niswonger Performing Arts
March 1-2
PaintINN, Inn at ONU, 401 W. College Ave., Ada. Participants work
under the guidance of a trained professional while they create a beautiful canvas while enjoying delicious
food and drink. All supplies, food,
a beverage and fun are included.
Cost is $38. Call 419-772-2500,
visit innatonu.com.
Out & About
March 16
Moscow Festival Ballet presents,
“Cinderella,” 7:30 p.m., Marathon
Center for the Performing Arts,
200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay. Call
419-423-2787 or visit marathoncenterarts.org.
Laurie Eversole, of Lima,
is about to throw a toy
for her Labrador mix,
Coco, at Yappy Hour.
Photo by Danae King
The perfect partnership
Dogs paired with developmentally disabled
By Liz Young
A local day services program for adults
with developmental disabilities has taken to
heart the adage that dogs are indeed our
best friends — pairing its participants with
four-legged partners to create a unique
niche.
Friends of Leroy Brown is part of the nonprofit organization Innovative Opportunities,
and uses a group of nine privately owned
and trained dogs to teach responsibility,
job skills and social skills to its participants,
according to Janet Seward, CEO of the
nonprofit.
“It’s really a cool concept. I wouldn’t start
a day program like the others. I wanted
something different,” she said. “I wanted
(participants) to get that feeling to actually
give to somebody else, a sense of pride, of
self-esteem.”
And the name? It’s not inspired by the
1973 Jim Croce song about the bad, bad
Leroy Brown. This Leroy Brown is a dog, and
certainly not bad.
Several years ago, Leroy tangled with a
raccoon and lost. With severe injuries, area
veterinarian Dr. Nathan Metz saved him
and, although Leroy’s injuries left him with
disabilities, he beat the odds. Still living
with Metz, Seward said Leroy was partly the
inspiration for the program.
Dogs, she thought, could give people
with disabilities a way to connect with the
FRIENDS OF
LEROY BROWN
Address: 1662 W.
Breese Road, Suite B Annex,
Lima, OH 45806
Phone: 567-940-1337
Website: leroybrown.org
community.
Additional inspiration came from John
Martin, director of the Ohio Department of
Developmental Disabilities. Seward said
Martin once told a story about how people
would “look through” his son, who has disabilities. So, he got him a dog, and suddenly
people would stop and talk to him about the
dog.
“Putting Leroy’s story together with the
John Martin story — what if we gave people
with disabilities the opportunity to give to
the community and make a connection?”
she asked. “Dogs are unconditional love …
they don’t care if you have a disability.”
Participants receive training on dog
handling and learn to feed, groom and
clean up after their canine counterparts.
They also accompany the dogs on visits
to nursing homes, according to Andrew
Rowe, program coordinator. A certified dog
trainer, Rowe said all dogs in the program
are certified by the American Kennel Club’s
Canine Good Citizen program.
Fay Murphy, of Lima, said she has considered Friends of Leroy Brown for her daughter, Kylie, who will graduate this spring
from Marimor School, through the Allen
County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Fay said she likes the idea of Kylie learning more responsibility and taking care of
animals. Kylie has a cat, but the Leroy Brown
program could expand her skills and give
her something different from other day
services options.
Working with animals can promote an
all-around sense of well-being for people
with disabilities, according to Erin Koenig,
behavior support specialist with ACBDD.
Building relationships with animals creates
positive companionship and enhanced selfesteem, she said.
And it’s good for the dogs, too. Rowe
said the interaction and attention they get is
highly beneficial for their health and happiness. It’s a win-win.
In addition to the program, the nonprofit
recently opened Leroy’s Place, a doggie
daycare site. As participants gain handling
skills, they can volunteer at the daycare
where Seward said they learn job skills that
could eventually lead to employment.
“We’re trying to make it full circle. We’re
bringing people over (to the daycare), exposing them to the work site, training them,”
she said.
And one
more thought...
“Learn the rules
like a pro, so you
can break them
like an artist.”
— Pablo Picasso
Photo by
Craig J. Orosz
40838042

Beautiful, Healthy

Transcription

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