Episode II Fitness: Beach Cruiser unfurl from a fury of activity

Easy breezy summer days are exceptionally serene when approached atop a beach cruiser bicycle. There isn’t any headache over trying to find a place to park and unless earbuds are in and there isn’t a stereo to shake up the placid peace. Again and again bicycling proves to be a Shangri-la mode of transport. To shoot Episode I we ventured onto South Bass Island with a bomber aboard the ferry and headed to the town hall for Hatha Yoga with Kathi Spayde.  An effortless cruiser fits every island escape.

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David Stover, the service manager at Fremont Cycle and Fitness readied the ride. “What you did was the basic which was a sixty-five dollar tune. That goes over truing the wheels, checking the shifting, putting the brakes in proper order and a light clean-up on the bike. That’s good for what you’re doing.”

Stover shared this in Josie in Paradise, Episode II about pedaling for a better fettle.

Josie in Paradise can be viewed every Sunday at 9:30 p on AT&T U-Verse from Key West to the Florida Keys, across the nation via ROKU on the Ohio X5 Channel, and here.

Father’s Day Hot Tub Brats meat to make men rave

There isn’t be a more appropriate holiday to make a mark with meat other than Father’s Day. I already tested this dish twice. I serve up these succulent Hot Tub Beer Brats at a party and then, text my dad’s girlfriend in all caps that I have the BIGGEST SURPRISE.
The surprise: I purchased a meat product and then prepared the delicacy for the grill.
These can be steamed in the oven, too.

Check out my video captured at Marblehead Estates & Yacht Club or follow the simple instructions. If I can wow my own father with this marvel which requires only a few basic ingredients and a bottle or two of favorite brew, anyone can be the star of this supper or lunchtime show.

Steam for twenty minutes and then brown for ten on the grill. Using the oven doubles the steam time. The broiler can be used to crisp the outer shell. Serve with sauerkraut, potato salad, pickles (or dill relish) and spicy brown mustard.

Happy Father’s Day everyone. Dish adapted from Deep South Dish using Commodore Perry India Pale Ale.

Bowl of BOLD Broccoli Soup va va voom vegetable classic

Sometimes I quit working and the clock typically reads well past eight o’clock. Last night the hands were more past ten… I believe this is due to the evening anchor schedule where the whole crew always ate late.  At our desks nonetheless. Ordering a pizza isn’t an option these days. I did uncover a regular sized Ziploc bag full of broccoli. Clearly labeled 8/12/16 Broccoli for Broccoli Soup -Cooked-.

I did an internet search, improvised and the results, taste and consistency are delectable and decadent. Here is what I used.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if you are making your own croutons. Simply take bread crumbs and season with olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and sea salt. I used a small portion from one of Kroger’s ten for ten dollars Italian loaves.

I chopped up the onion and green pepper and sauteed in a sauce pan with two tablespoons of butter. Once the onion and pepper were softened I dropped in the broccoli and poured about one-quarter to one-third of a box of Kroger’s Simple Truth Organic Free Range Low Sodium Chicken Broth on top. I simmered for about ten minutes.

I then poured the soup ingredients into the Nutri Ninja 900 Watt Pro Blender twenty-four ounce container and added one to two cups of Simple Truth Coconut Milk and four tablespoons of cheese aged in a cave! This is starting to get savory. Murray’s freshly shredded Parmigiano Regianno Cheese from the Kroger Deli is a barrage of sweet, salt, spice and nuttiness … with a caramel finish! The brand combines modern technology on Long Island New York with Old World knowledge. We know there isn’t any thing so true in that I am all about the Old World.

Blend for about twenty seconds and place the bread crumbs into the oven. Begin melting three tablespoons of butter in the sauce pan the soup ingredients were sauteed in. Drop in all of the flour and start slowly pouring the mixture of milk, cheese and vegetables into the saucepan while stirring with a spoon. The soup will begin to form and the ingredients bind together. Begin to whisk in fresh cracked black pepper, the truffle oil and sea salt.

I picked up a container of Falksalt Natural Crystal Flakes recently from the gourmet food section. This staple is from Sweden’s premium salt manufacturer dating back to the 1830s. Falksalt’s crisp, shimmering sea salt flakes are extracted from Mediterranean Sea water … Pure, clean seawater is simmered in open pans for extended periods of time until the water evaporates and pyramid-shaped salt crystals are formed. 

To cut through the coconut-y taste I began drizzling in Extra Virgin Truffle Oil by Grand’Aroma. I had picked up a bottle at Downtown Heinen’s Cleveland Grocery Store during a quest to recreate Ziggie & Mad Dog’s Truffle Mac & Cheese. That was a favorite dining and gathering spot when I lived on the Island of Islamorada. Deemed a superlative enhancement when drizzled over risotto and potatoes this imported ingredient truly is the ultimate liquid enhancement to having hauntingly rich flavor. I kept whisking and adding drizzles and sprinkles of these three ingredients and then tossed in a little more Parmigiano until the flavors were full.

Simply serve in a bowl and top with a sprinkle of cheese and homemade croutons. Being exact or measuring really isn’t necessary. This makes either two large bowls for dinner, or three to four to serve as an appetizer. Using real milk versus coconut will most likely change up the amount of salt flakes, truffle oil and butter you would then use.

I choose Bellitti Prosecco as an apertif, a sparkling white wine from northeast Italy showcasing soft and fruity peach and pear notes, with breezy apple peel and lemon zest. Pairs well with … cream sauce … The gold label screams glam as if one is right back in the studio lights. Perhaps finish with a sip of Limoncello which is always a nice touch after a rich meal.

 This is a Josie in Paradise original! Sperro ti piaccia!

 

 

Adoring these Cold Weather Comforts featherbeds and Josie Style for the Home

The mercury will barely be in the double-digit range today across Coastal Ohio and the Lake Erie Islands. There is a wind advisory and the sun is shining! Cold weather and ice doesn’t have to equate to all out inquietude. Find glee in the gear. Here’s what I can’t live without for these next couple of weeks starting with my first generation iPad.

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The iPad was given to me as a Holiday 2010 gift. I use as a Kindle for reading. I just downloaded three new books last night including Settle for More by Fox anchorwoman Megyn Kelly. $9.99 gives readers a month of unlimited downloads.

featherbedSnuggle up and read or rest on a feather top mattress topper. This one is from LL Bean. The added warmth and fluffy feather fill keep feelings of being frigid at bay. Cover with more down for added icing of comfort.

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Next to the bed I have a Josie Style for the Home white faux fireplace. Here the hearth not only emits ambiance, the furniture acts as a bookcase, and this time of year is appropriate for knitted stockings (twenty-year vintage Macy’s). (Stocking holders are vintage Kroger Co.) Originally designed for space in Chester Avenue Lofts in downtown Cleveland to fill in blank space, this home element, The Chester Fireplace equals upscale Ohio.

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Coastal Ohio 2016 Spring Buying Guide every essential for life and love, lush finds along Lake Erie

Time to ditch the Bugaboots for a sea-worthy pair of Sperry Shoes. Or at the very least pack them away in a dark closet with your parka. The snow has melted, the rivers have swelled and everyone will be making a break for Lake Erie vacation land within the next two weeks. The Lakefront and Lake Erie Islands will be poppin’ until school starts and Labor Day wraps up.

The ferry systems have already started taking passengers around the glacial waters. $495 buys an individual all-season passport to take the Jet Express to Kelley’s Island or Put-In-Bay allowing travelers access from either of the launches in Sandusky and Port Clinton. Miller Boat Line one-way fares are just seven dollars. To catch this ferry, drive to Catawba Island to the end of Route 53 North and hop on the cargo cruiser with the essentials. The Miller Boat Line also makes trips to summertime’s party central, Put-In-Bay (South Bass Island) and the eight hundred and five-acre Middle Bass Island where the historic Lonz Winery awaits. I’ll have more on Pelee island, the largest island in Lake Erie and southernmost habited point of Canada a little later in the season.

Access Kelley’s Island via the Kelley’s Island Ferry stationed in Marblehead. This island is so laid back, old Umbro shorts from the 90s are perfectly acceptable attire to don while driving a golf cart to take in the glacial grooves or play some putt-putt.

These hidden gems of The Great Lakes region are that laid back.

So, as to not stick out like a lighthouse here are the items to snag from in Spring 2016 that define Coastal Ohio living.

Josie is an award-winning journalist and former TV anchorwoman. She grew up on Coastal Ohio and knows many of the nooks and crannies which make the region so spectacular.
Josie is an award-winning journalist and former TV anchorwoman. She grew up on Coastal Ohio and knows many of the nooks and crannies which make the region so spectacular. Her passions: fitness and design.

 

Lasagne at Midnight dessert before dinner makes for one unforgettable feast

One little can from the cupboard can inspire a five hour feast.

The Original Sauce Arturo Gourmet Sauce with mushrooms greets everyone within eyesight with as much exuberance as a Maitre D’ from a fine Italian eatery. Peel the label back to reveal the “Arturo Lasagne” ingredient list. Then, improvise for an impeccable meal.

The recipe on the inside calls for an entire list of ingredients many of us just don’t have the palates for; namely, they are sausage, cottage cheese and ground up hamburger. Just use the recipe for a cue and create a dish you can own. To get this Italian partito going light a fire out in your backyard, aerate two bottles of red wine and create an anti pasto platter.

You can find an array of inviting dishes at Pier 1, like this carved fish serving platter, to make your old-world appetizers ultra-appealing. While guests make their way in, assemble the lasagne as you chat them up and they fill their glasses with vino.

Buy the ready to bake Kroger lasagne noodles, and a trio of cheeses as pictured below. We removed the sausage and ground up hamburger. This move makes assembly of this Italian classic as easy to pull off as opening the Sauce Arturo can. Use a lasagne pan or as in this case, a 9″ x5″ x 3″ loaf pan like this one we used for deep dish decadence.

Crack the ends of the noodles off with your hands to make the noodles fit in a shorter and deeper loaf pan, as we did. Three noodles make up each layer. Pour The Original Sauce Arturo Gourmet Sauce with Mushrooms on top, add frozen spinach and then top with your three-cheese mixture forked together with an egg. Eyeball the mixture and add more Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan to fit your taste. Keep going until the concoction reaches the brim.

Then, grab a Swiss Army knife, a bag of marshmallows, vino and go enjoy the company and your fire. We like the Victorinox Swiss Army Camper Knife. This stainless steel contraption retails for about thirty dollars and besides a corkscrew, has a 3.6″ knife perfect for carving a marshmallow stick. After 28 years, as old as the friendships are around the fire, the blade still worked to whittle down the wood with precision.

While you and your guests feast on the bubbled confectioners sugar, flavored with firewood, remember you’ll need about 75 minutes to bake dinner. Preheat the oven before the clock strikes ten pm. At eleven-fifteen, remove the foil, sprinkle more Mozzarella on top and bake for another five minutes.

Pop open a bottle of San Pellegrino, grab a plate and godere!

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