Who doesn’t love a baseball game? The roar of the crowd, the crack of the bat, the fun in the stands. It is the ultimate in family togetherness, in my opinion.  We are a baseball family and in my lifetime I cannot tell you how many Indianapolis Indians Games I have attended at both the old and new stadiums.  I will tell you that I have seen very few minor league parks that are nicer.  None actually.  It is an affordable night out, plenty of fun activities to keep the kids engaged and a nice lawn seating area where you can bring in small packs of picnic meals, drinks, etc.

The team has given me 4 tickets to use for a future 2013 season home game and I am giving them to one of YOU! There are SO many promotions they run throughout the week and especially on Sunday home games like free kids meals, theme nights and so much more.  Head to their website for the complete schedule and details on upcoming events. On a side note, my friend Katy at Indianapolis with Kids runs a separate weekly promotion giving away tickets as well.

Winning the 4 pack of tickets is simple.  This is a giveaway that is for my loyal subscribers-all 6000+ of you.  If you are in the area or plan to be this summer then please enter.  If not you can share this with your friends and family who may enjoy this giveaway.  Either way I appreciate you following along on all of my adventures and this is one of the many ways I intend on thanking you

Here’s how you enter:

If you are a subscriber then you got this post via email.  Click REPLY to email me back with the word ENTER.  Click SEND.

If you are not a subscriber YET then please use the handy link below to enter your email address and be included on updates on all of my future posts.  Here is a bit of info about that: I DO NOT use your email addresses for anything and you will NOT get something from me every day.  Even if I posted several times that week the posts are stacked. Plainly speaking I will not fill your inbox with junk. Ever.

You can, as always, leave me a comment below. I love to hear from you and love to read what you have to say! But it will NOT count as an entry.  Please respond to your subscriber email OR subscribe to be entered.

Giveaway runs NOW- Sunday June 23 at 9 am est. Winner will be randomly drawn and notified via email.

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A Beautiful Night at Victory Field

Originally Published in the Greenwood Daily Journal Saturday August 11, 2012
All it took was one email from the school reminding me that registration for the 2012-2013 school year was coming up to get anxious about our summer break drawing to a close.
We still had so many things we wanted to do,places to go and sites to see! Luckily, we had a weeklong trip to Lake Monroe in Bloomington to take our minds off of the impending return to reality.

Usually when we stay at the lake we fill our time with swimming, lazily floating along the shoreline and hunting for rocks and fossils. This year was no exception.
A week with no plans and unplugged from almost all technology was just what we needed to recharge and relax.  I did plan a few excursions, however. It seems most of the spring and summer free time we had was spent exploring central and northern Indiana but had yet to venture very far south.

First rain in months! Worthy of a celebration!

Salt Creek Brewery…
I didn’t want to make the boys walk around yet another farmers market, art fair or music festival in the heat. So I did a little investigating and found something that spoke to all of our interests.
First on our tour of Lawrence County was Salt Creek Brewery in northern Bedford. This newly opened craft brewery is housed in a refurbished auto garage. From the decor to the names of their brew and menu items, they have done a great job of keeping the theme. We munched on fried dill pickles and tried their signature root beer and cream soda. For the adults, they have a full compliment of brews from a milder cream style ale to a more hop lively IPA.

Bluespring Caverns…
The next day we headed out early because my kids were so excited to get to our destination, Bluespring Caverns, also in Bedford. Just a short drive south on 37 from Johnson County and you’re there. In all of my years living in Bloomington I had never been to Bluespring Caverns, neither had my husband. We were almost as excited as my kids were!

Pouring out the bag into the ‘pan’

Sifting through the dirt.

Seeing what he found!

I had packed a picnic lunch to enjoy after we were done mining for gems and exploring the underground cavern. There is a picnic area when you first arrive on the grounds. You can probably guess what I brought- pasta salad!

First, we bought 2 bags of sand and were taught how to mine for gems, prospector style. There was a wooden chute of water and using a small screened Frame we were able to sift through to find some really beautiful rocks and minerals. I really enjoyed it myself and the kids were over the moon about the treasure they had just uncovered.
Natural Wonder…
With their treasure stowed in the car we were led, by our fun tour guide Isaac, to our waiting boat, 82 feet below ground. Down below these rolling hills it is a comfortable 54 degrees year round. Perfect on a day when it is 95 like it was that day.

Entrance to what was at one time a pond, then a giant sinkhole.

Right inside the entrance

On the tour, hard to get a good shot. The water was crystal clear!

I was bowled over by the beauty of the underground cavern. We saw native blind cavefish, blind crayfish and the hollowed out caverns that we’re developed eons ago and still thriving today.
The on board lighting provided just enough illumination so we could see and the calm, quiet waters were relaxing.  The tour lasted about an hour and thanks to our tour guide I learned the history of an area I lived near but never knew about.
Bluespring caverns is open most of the year and offers overnight adventures as well. From a small family like mine to a large group there is something to entertain anyone. They have more information in their visitors center or online.

Old cider press

What we ate…
Working up quite a hunger we had a picnic near what is called “Indiana’s Largest Sinkhole” of fresh apples from nearby Appleacres Orchard and some of my pasta salad. This salad is a creamy take on the classic Greek salad. I used something new to be to create the creamy zip Philadelphia Cooking Cream. Spreadable, meltable and oh so zesty, this cream comes in at least 9 flavors. I used a Savory Lemon Herb here. Another favorite is blending a bit of the tomato basil in a pot of spaghetti sauce.
Find the recipe for my Creamy Greek Pasta Salad using Philly Cooking Cream HERE

Headed home….

Last little bit of sunshine..

His dad was right there….

At the Marina…

Previously printed in my Greenwood Daily Journal Column, June 2011

One of the great things about a salad is you can pretty much throw what you love and have on hand into a bowl, dress it and it’s lunch!  This is something that I make…a lot.  It is a great lunch in the summer but also when I go back to work.  It is fresh and filling.

So last weekend I needed to make a few things for us to eat while sitting for hours at my son’s swim meet.  We try to avoid the concessions at all costs  so I come prepared!

Use what you have for this.  I don’t always use the same herbs if it is in the winter and they are more expensive or they didn’t look good at the market.  So like all of my meals…feel free to improvise!

Enjoy!

Great accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish

I was at a loss as to what to do to celebrate Father’s Day with my family.  We asked my husband what he wanted to do and he said ‘Surprise me’. Now I don’t know about you, but those words strike fear in even the best of weekend planners.

I wanted to go somewhere we had never been yet stay within Indiana.  We enjoy being a tourist in our own state, and you may have read about our fun trips to Turkey Run, Lake Monroe, Indiana Dunes, Ft Wayne and so much more. We had not ventured very far south of where my husband grew up or Holiday World (our favorite theme park around) so I plotted a course for Harrison County-specifically Corydon.

I am not sure if many of you know that but Corydon was not only the original capitol of Indiana but also the site of the only Civil War Battle. My kids and I are BIG history buffs so i am pretty excited to see the Constitutional Elm,  Tour First State Capitol & Governor Hendricks Mansion, Drive through Battle of Corydon Memorial Park,Tour the Leora Brown School, Drive by Flags over Corydon, and all of the historically signicant areas of Harrison County.

But the fun doesn’t stop there! Of course we are going to visit Harrison County’s newest brewery: Point Blank Brewing Company. We are also going to enjoy a tour of Turtle Run Winery, get ice cream from Emery’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor, Stop at Butt Drugs old-fashioned drug store and soda fountain for an egg cream, listen to great music at The Corydon Jamboree, and have dinner at Alberto’s.

You simply cannot visit southern Indiana without going on a cavern tour.  We are pretty excited to get to be one of the first to visit Indiana Caverns, The Binkley Cave System is Indiana’s largest and the 11th longest in the United States. We will take a boat ride on the underground river and hike and explore the underground wonders of Indiana Caverns!

After we are heading to Squire Boone Caverns to visit the rock shop, grist mill and explore their cavern system.  Then we are going to ZIPLINE! and by we I mean my husband and kids. I am flat out too scare to try it. But maybe for this weekend I will. It’s for you guys~ I will report back on my experience!

So are you tired yet? I am excited to add historic Harrison County to our list of great ideas for the perfect Hoosier Day Trip. Please visit all highlighted names above for more information on how to plan your own excursion.  Visit ThisisIndiana.org for more information, links and directions.

Join @ADAMideast @OhioDairyFarmers  and ME- @Basilmomma on June 19th at 8 pm est for a #BarnParty on Twitter!

Everyone is welcome

ADAMideast on Facebook

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Join in on the many promotions and giveaways that the ADA is hosting right now ! Win $50 in groceries, a smoothie maker, pizza stone and other fun prizes (only open to Ohio and West Virginia), as well as a Pinterest contest (open to ALL US residents!) to win $200 in groceries.

Facebook Promotion

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WIN a copy of this cookbook! Leave me a comment below with the giveaway code that I revealed in the first segment of the show for an entry to win!
Only comments with the giveaway code will count, sorry guys. One winner will be drawn randomly on Tuesday June 18th at 9 pm est and notified via email. Listen HERE to get the giveaway code!
I love a great cookbook. Even better- I love a cookbook that my kids flip through and show an interest in!

Greg Ford has recently written a cookbook called NO Girls Allowed: Cookbook for MEN! and he is going to share a little bit about his new book on #KitchenSinkRadio on 6/13 at 11 pm est!

Connect with Greg Ford on his Facebook page HERE

Visit his website HERE

Order his cookbook HERE

A little bit about Greg Ford:

Some years ago, Greg Ford made a recipe book for his son when he got married.
It was a good time to collect some of the favorite recipes for men from family and friends and pass them on to him. The book was well received by family members and strangers who bumped into it. And so Greg’s writing of recipes began. While some of the recipes survived from that first cookbook, many of the recipes in No Girls Allowed are new, collected from the wide array of terrific cooking he has enjoyed during his life.
Going way back, Greg was born, grew up, got married, and raised a family in the Bay Area of California. Since then, they spent six years apiece in Austin, Texas              ( barbecue!), and Delray Beach, Florida.  He is a graduate of Stanford University and Stanford Graduate School of Business. Greg’s day job was in finance and product management.  Greg and his wife now live in Eagle Mountain, Utah. They have five married children and twenty-three grandchildren, all of whom are always hungry and know better than anyone what’s in the refrigerator.

Next in my ‘All About Dad’  lineup is Michael Lombardi the stay at home dad/superhero/funny guy creator of I’m not Infectious.com

He gets that parenting is hard and writes all about it on his site. I wanted to hear more about the perspective of SAHD’s so I asked him to come on the show and share

This is before the drizzle of Balsamic

I will be sharing my recipes that I cooked up with Sherman this week on Fox59 Morning News as well as a few easy meals that can be made in minutes and don’t skimp on flavor!

My family and I enjoy the occasional potato chip now and then. I mean, who doesn’t? But my health conscience husband and athlete son give me the stink eye if I bring home something that wrecks their workout that day.  I can certainly understand~ do YOU really want to eat something that has an ingredient label full of words you cannot pronounce?

Not me.

A few years ago I stumbled upon Kettle Brand Chips.  Kettle Brand uses only real, all-natural ingredients and is the first potato chip to be verified by the NonGMO Project.   Kettle brand Chips are the real kettle chips because they are real chips made with real ingredients by real people.

So if I am going to splurge and satisfy my craving for a crunchy and savory treat, I feel better about having something with words I can understand and pronounce.

Makes perfect sense doesn’t it?

Now that we are home for summer break my kids answer this question the same every day:

Me: What do you want for lunch?

Boys: Chicken fingers

Every stinkin’ day. What can I say? It’s my fault for teaching them to dunk everything in a sauce or dressing to get them to try new things. They really like my Bleu Cheese Dressing and they love my crunchy homemade chicken fingers!

Chicken Fingers Crusted with Kettle Brand Buffalo and Bleu Chips

1.5 lb chicken tenderloins or comparable chicken breasts cut into strips

2 eggs

2 TB milk

pinch of salt/pepper

1/4 tsp of cayenne or ground red pepper

4 large handfulls of Buffalo and Bleu Kettle Brand Chips, crushed into crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.

Using 2 shallow dishes, fill one with 2 eggs and milk, salt, pepper and red pepper that has been whisked together.

Fill the other with the crushed chips.

Dredge the chicken in the egg wash, roll around in the chips to coat and place in a single layer on the cookie sheet.

When complete bake for 22 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Serve with a dip like Bleu Cheese and a side of celery or on top of a bed of greens with a nice cube of Maytag Bleu cheese.

What makes you feel better about the food you feed your family?

What concerns you the most about what you put on the dinner table?

Let me know below!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kettle Brand. The opinions and text are all mine.

Oh my word! Today must be opposite day.

We dropped my youngest off at 4H camp this morning. He was a bit stressed out about leaving because he knew a storm was coming and he would be away from home.

What can I say? He has the NOAA app on his Ipad mini. He knows more about the weather than I do!

When we left the fairgrounds my oldest asked if we could go shopping.  He needed a belt and a pair of shorts. I was gobsmacked that HE asked to go to a mall!

So of course we went. When we got there he told me to leave my phone in the car. He wanted to hang out with me and the phone would be a distraction.

I was only too happy to comply.  It’s not often that my son wants to hang out with me, let alone talk to me.  He has been in a funk for about a year it seems and only now is the fog lifting on his 14 year old boy angst.

When we got home he was talking about something that I used to make but had forgotten.  Greek Taquitos.  These could not BE easier to make and you can use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken or cook up a few chicken breasts on the spot.  This isn’t much of a recipe and really-it is more of a formulation or procedure.  Nevertheless they are good!

I really like pizza and I probably make some version of it once every week.  Whether for lunch or dinner there are so many ways to enjoy one of America’s most popular foods. It’s also a great way to use up bits and pieces of leftover veggies, meats and cheeses.

I tend to use the same base recipe and add whatever my family is in the mood for or what I have on hand.  If it were up to me my pizza would always revolve around a few key things: a thin crust, light on sauce, fresh veggies and a lot of cheese!

In celebration of National Dairy Month I wanted to share with you my base cheese pizza recipe.  I’m not reinventing the wheel here, this is pretty basic. Use this as a blank canvas to add your own flair or make one like I did today: topped with thinly sliced prosciutto and sliced fresh mushrooms!

Since I prepared pizza, I thought that this info sheet on how cheese fits into a healthy diet and also some fun cheese-y facts might be interesting for you (we know the best part of any pizza is obviously the cheese, right?!). Also, this handout includes some details on how dairy foods can be incorporated into delicious recipes to be sure you’re getting that 3-Every-Day.

Here are a few facts about dairy farming in Indiana…

• Dairy brings a great economic benefit to Indiana, and dairy products are Indiana’s fourth most valuable agriculture commodity.
• Indiana’s 174,000 dairy cows produce 3.8 billion pounds of milk a year.
• The Hoosier state is home to more than 1,200 dairy farms that each have an average of 129 cows.
• Indiana ranks second in the nation in low-fat and regular ice cream production.
• Dairy farming and processing contributes $810 million to the Hoosier economy every year and creates 8,220 Indiana jobs.

And, a few DAIRY facts you may not know…

•   Milk contains nine essential nutrients, making it one of the most nutrient-dense beverages you can enjoy! Milk is the single greatest source of three of the four nutrients the Dietary Guidelines identified as lacking in the American diet – calcium, vitamin D and potassium.
• Experts recommend three servings of low fat or fat-free dairy foods every day, yet most of us need to add one daily serving of nutrient-rich dairy to help meet recommendations.
•  Studies show nutrient-rich dairy foods, when consumed as part of a healthy diet, may help to reduce the risk of diseases such as osteoporosis, hypertension, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

One milk group serving is equal to:

• An 8-ounce glass of milk;
• A 6- or 8-ounce container of yogurt; and
• 1½ ounces of natural cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese.

 This fun graphic depicts the journey of how milk gets from dairy farm to your glass (and so does this video!). For some facts and info on milk, take a peek at this fact sheet. Not sure if you and your family are getting your 3-Every-Day? Hang this handy tracking sheet on the fridge and note which dairy foods you’re eating each day to be sure you’re getting enough! Still have a few questions? They may be answered in the FAQ section on the Drink-Milk.com website.

*information from American Dairy Council*

All set up and ready to shoot! Do you spy the Gooseberry Patch display behind me? Spencer Farm is the biggest GP retailer I have ever been to!

I had a great time today on the Fox59 WXIN Morning News with Sherman Burdette LIVE from Spencer Berry Farm in Noblesville, Indiana.  I learned more than I ever knew about strawberries and I thought I knew a lot.  They currently grow at least 4 varieties of berry that are ripe for the picking. Literally.  It is peak picking now and the window may last only another 10 days (depending on the weather).

Simple, easy and delicious

I shared 2 quick, easy and flavorful recipes that showcased natures bounty- the strawberry.  The first was a sweet recipe take on the stuffed strawberry.  This recipe has been floating around the internet for years and could not be more simple. Get the taste of a strawberry cheesecake in one tasty, portion controlled bite.  Top with some crushed graham cracker and these pop and go treats are perfect for entertaining.  If you really want to spice it up dip the bottoms in chocolate. See this great post from Zestuous to see what I mean

This is before the drizzle of Balsamic

Next I made a savory crostini that combines the smooth sweetness of cream cheese with Chobani Greek yogurt, a touch of powdered sugar and…BACON! Top it with thinly sliced strawberries, freshly sliced basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction and sit back and watch the reaction of your guests. This appetizer is a slam dunk. It’s also gone. Between all of us we ate it all!

Watch our segment together here: