Josie in Paradise – Page 9

December 7, 2016December 7, 2016

Seasonal Shower Elements peppermint twist and lemongrass bring the spa home

I feel as though I am at a luxurious spa every time I return home from Hot Yoga, step over the porcelain bathtub and turn the water on. The items taking up space next to the tiles are indulgent and work wonders for the senses. Here’s what I’m using now that the weather has turned and the calendar reads December.

I picked up a jar of salt scrub the last trip I made to the Keys to work. I jumped behind the counter and in front of the camera at the Midway Cafe. When I left there, I left with this jar so I would never be without the exfoliating benefits of Florida sea salt. This coffee shop located at Mile Marker 80 is also a gift shop. The item can be purchased almost anywhere down on those islands, or visit their site.

I picked up 4 ounces of a custom blend of Gabriel Correctives face shampoo my last visit to Westshore Skin & Health Center in Westlake, Ohio. The owner laced the formula with lemongrass and lavender essential oils. The items this establishment sells, located across from Crocker Park, are priced well within reason. Call 440-250-1535 to learn more, order, or make an appointment.

Cashmere Peppermint Soap — Peppermint Tingle Soap

My favorite Made in Ohio soap brand, Cashmere, came out with a peppermint version for the holidays. This Lebanon, Ohio based company is run by two sisters from Cincinnati who have a passion for suds. The soap comes wrapped in paper containing wildflower seeds to plant. I picked up a bar at a rural drug store. Order here for $5.99.

Julia Jabour turned me on to this line back in 2010 when she opened Infinity Hair at 126 Simonton Street in Key West. One of the first sulfate free hair product lines to hit the market, this conditioner does serious stress relief to tired tresses without heat and is infused with sunflower seed oil and hydrolyzed silk. The added parfum and color make this product a gift I give myself all year.

download — Josie started her career as a news anchor in Ohio. Her first client for JK PR was to run a Key West newspaper.

December 3, 2016December 3, 2016

The Luxe of Limoncello add zest to your holidays

Semplice, delizioso and the perfetto after-dinner digestivo!!!

Everyone colto and sofisticato knows they have found themselves at the dinner party of all holiday dinner parties when a bottle of homemade Limoncello is brought out once the dishes are cleared. Limoncello won’t burn the stomach and isn’t sickly sweet.

This delicacy is the second most popular drink on the Almalfi Coast second only to Campari. According to Walks of Italy no one knows specifically where Limoncello originated just that this distinct drink was clearly sent from the heavens. So, it makes sense to think its origins are in a convent or monastery.

Drinking digestives after a meal can be traced back to the ancient Romans. Hippocrates, a Greek physician of the age of Pericles, indulged after meals as a way to assist his digestion. (Again that information from Walks of Italy).

On the Lake Erie Islands, resort owner, developer, and former City of Euclid Council President Ed Gudenas realized he had an entire case of lemons left over from a sensational summer season. A few moments of researching made us realize these leftover lemons were going to realize a holiday spectacular of spirits typically forgotten.

The reason it is so important to make this now: time is of the essence. The peels need time to steep to release the oils. The more time, the more potent your potion.

Here is what you need. We used the recipe from Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis from her Everyday Italian show Summers in Capri episode and adapted the infusion time.

Removing the rinds and pith from the lemons is time indulgent. Some suggest using a vegetable peeler. After two batches I determined the easiest way to approach this task is to cut the lemon in half, remove the seeds and squeeze all of the juice out into a container to later use for lemon water.

Then, pull the majority of the pith out with your fingers. Lay the rind flat on top of a cutting board. With a small vegetable knife begin whittling away the remaining pith.

Aim for extracting as many of the little white bubbles as possible. Set aside in a dish.

Once ready with all ten lemons add them to the container and soak in a favorite vodka spirit.

Once vodka is poured over the peels, cover with plastic wrap and push back into the corner where sunlight won’t reach the container.

Infuse for at least four days. The majority of the infusion happens in these days and even this short timeframe will fructify a flavorful refreshment. More days make for a more bold blend. Take up to a month for the infusion.

When ready, create the simple syrup.

Bring to a gentle low boil while stirring the water and sugar together continuously to dissolve. Once sugar granules can not be seen turn off the heat and move to a cooling place. Let cool completely and once the sugary swig is back to room temperature incorporate into the infused vodka. Let stand overnight.

The next day, grab your bottles and begin to fill with gioia.

I placed a mesh sifter over a glass pitcher and poured the vodka and simple syrup into this container. The spout on the glass pitcher made transfer of the Limoncello into the bottles an ease. Seal and refrigerate.

I purchased multiple sizes from local craft and outlet stores. The tags and ninety-nine cent ribbon is available at Hobby Lobby. I picked out the eye-popping Red Quatrefoil Grosgrain and Red Striped Satin Ribbons available in the scrapbook section to make memorable tags.

Recipients will be exultant they are not being presented with another paper plate of cookies. These bottles are ideal to gift to your ring of professional associates such as your realtor, banker, investment manager, bartenders, and public relations managers. Plus, aunts, uncles and cousins will enjoy the effort.

Having a bottle in your own home adds a nice touch of cheer you already have to offer guests. Serve in chilled cordial or shot glasses. Buone Feste my friends!

November 21, 2016November 21, 2016

Apple Dip Ups the Ante Hey Shuga! sweetness of sugarcane

Apples are oh so in. The calendar reads they are the seasonal fruit and to chop’em, slice’em, bake’em, cover in caramel and nut topping, or bask in the glory of the detoxifying elements and eat them plain or simply coat the slices in cinnamon.

Whatever you do, don’t serve them up with plain Jane peanut butter, the apples long time evident protein partner.

Here’s an equally as healthy of a dip to decorate the slices with for anyone who can’t go about their affairs without the crutch of chocolate and who wants the pleasure of all of that peanut butter protein.

Take a tablespoon of coconut oil and melt in a pan on the stovetop. Take a large spoon and add your favorite all natural creamy peanut butter. I didn’t measure because measuring peanut butter is as fun as … (insert a task you dread here). Stir, stir, stir and grab a regular sized spoon and add the unsweetened cocoa powder. I splashed in about a teaspoon of vanilla and I added a splash of this unrefined, vegan friendly, gluten free sweetener I snagged at the grocery store.

Hey Shuga! A Balanced Sweetener for a Balanced Life made from the sweetness of the sugarcane, the warmth of the Caribbean, and the passion of hard working people.

The sugarcane blasts the bitterness of Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa without having to add chocolate chips. I melted all of the ingredients together and then stirred in Bob’s Red Mill Old-Fashioned gluten-free, Kosher certified, vegan rolled oats (about 2/3 Cups) until the compactness of this chocolate concoction was consummated. If you opt out of oats unsweetened coconut flakes will create a neat consistency.

I served up one generous spoonful of the deceptive snack with the slices of half of an organic Fuji apple. You can adjust the amount depending on the horde of hungry individuals around.

November 16, 2016November 21, 2016

Save and Savor the Squash Seeds cubes to cut the cravings

Detox before the dinner.

Thanksgiving is upon us. Which has many wondering and thinking about how to enjoy the season and all of the flavors that accompany the yearly family feast around the table without guilt, added weight, or overindulgence.

Simply cut out the calories before the day. Do this NOW while we’re still over one week away.

I realize the thought of being hungry or missing out on the mid-day munch fest of candy and carbs sends pains through most people’s bodies.

I detox. A lot. At least three times a year for six weeks straight. Coffee, chocolate, meats, and cheese are all cut out. Tossed to the curb.

Here’s the snack that transitions my body and cravings from starvation and survival mode to, “Hey world! I’m feeling spectacular!”

Take a large bowl and mix together the nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, rolled oats and lemon zest. The only work here is taking the seeds out of the Butternut Squash. But, I figured since most of us eat Spaghetti Squash anyway … might as well make use of those seeds. One Squash produces six tablespoons of seeds.

I scraped the seeds out of both halves of the squash and tossed them in a colander mesh and continued to separate the seeds from the vegetable continuously until they were all laid out and drying on a dish cloth.

You don’t have to do this. You can easily buy pumpkin and or sunflower seeds. I didn’t have any in the house and happened to be making Spaghetti Squash for dinner.

Zest the lemon. Approximately three-quarters of the peel of one lemon goes into this. If you don’t feel like zesting, squeeze and save the lemon juice and remove the insides and the pith then cut the peel up into tiny, tiny pieces.

I save all lemon juice to add later to water. Melt the two tablespoons of coconut oil and mix separately in a bowl with the honey. Grease a glass pan with coconut oil. Mix the oil and honey into the bowl with the nuts and seeds before transferring to baking dish greased with coconut oil.

Bake at 350 degrees, cool and refrigerate overnight. The following day remove from the fridge and cut into one by one inch cubes. Or, if you choose to use a rectangle glass baking dish you can cut these into bar form. Just look at the texture. The taste is thrilling.

I scooped them out of the dish with a spoon and arranged on a snack tray.

When I first started noshing on these bite sized snacks that pack a powerful punch of nutrition and flavor I purchased a tiny container of about fifteen pieces in the produce section at Cleveland’s downtown Heinen’s for $5.99. Wash down with an entire liter of San Pellegrino, Perrier, or lemon water for true benefits of feeling full and fresh. Play around with the nuts and added ingredients. If raisins are your rage stir them in. Crushin’ on cranberries? Add them in! The ingredient that gives this dish the zing is the lemon zest. Orange would add the same oompf to give these nutritious nut bites a citrus kick.

I thought about drizzling melted caramel into the pan to kick this up a notch, but I already went all-out with that sugary snack here and this is all about the once dreaded detox.

November 4, 2016

An Appearance for Ohio’s Aqueous Adventures muddy ground and soused sidewalks overcome with opulence

Pictures by Edmund Gudenas and Matt Anderson

“Don’t stand over there,” photographer Ed Gudenas advised in his Nikeys at the onset of the shoot. “There’s water everywhere!”

Waves from Lake Erie were splashing up onto the deck of the Miller Boatline Ferry headed for the mainland soaking every car and truck aboard as well the stainless steel deck we were standing on.

Newport Dry Goods on Catawba Island is where shoppers seeking style can find Joules, a premium wellie boot made for those who ride.

“They are designed in the UK kind of with the equestrian in mind. They’re really built to last. They’re super tough. They’re waterproof. I have a pair myself that are seven-years old, and they’re still waterproof. I wear them all of the time,” offered Anne-Marie Burlingame about this designer fall and winter footwear brand.

The terrain on the islands and mainland aren’t always dry this time of year. Canvas shoes aren’t conducive to the conditions. Spasmodic weather can create a cramp in style. Coastal Ohio’s on-again-off-again weather, paired with ferry rides to our remote Lake Erie Islands, leaves us ladies hurting for all-weather gear. Gear that protects our feet and the glamour in us.

These Premium Joules Wellies’ claim to fame is that they’re right as rain and can outwit the weather. In 2015 I sensibly skimped on the cost and picked up a name brand pair at an outlet which only lasted two months before tearing.

Burlingame knows the game and offered her insight, “a lot of people make the mistake of getting the cheaper boot which doesn’t have the support for their feet then their back starts to hurt, or like your boots they fall apart and they tear and then you have wet, soggy feet which nobody wants.”

So, I flung my money into the Evedon Premium Wellie fashion from the United Kingdom, ($165.95) and considered this an investment into the tire-inspired outsole for effective water dispersal and grip. The bow on the back and enamel plaque on the front adds just the right extravagance for Ohio’s bespattered spots.

Josie in a former tv anchorwoman, expanded a newspaper into Key West, opened the nation’s southernmost newsroom, and completed her digital media training with CBS Cleveland.

October 31, 2016November 2, 2016

Contrivance of the Caramel Apple fancy with the fall fruit

I always saw the caramel apples for sale at the local grocer and from non-profit organizations covered in candied confections. The sugar and various nuts which had been applied perfectly to the apple. I wondered how did the creators apply the coating?

What did they use? Was this modus operandi as all-consuming as cutting out holiday sugar cookies?

There isn’t any way of knowing without setting out to make the seasonal staple.

The primary course of action is to pick out the apples. Did you know there are over 1,800 varieties according to Orange Pippin? Including this last one on the list, Zuccalmaglio’s Reinette Apple which is described as flavored with tones of wild strawberry, quince, pineapple, ripe pear and a pine floral touch.

I am a simple island woman and went with organic Red Delicious and a couple of Galas which are the most commonly grown and eaten due to their sweet deliciousness from the produce section at the grocery store.

I grabbed the Concord Foods Original Caramel Apple Wrap, a cranberry burst trail mix and a package of sixty-two percent cacao dark baking chips. Plus, a package of walnut chunks.

I also picked up a package of finely chopped, unsalted peanuts. Invest in colorful ingredients which will delight you and your crowd.

At home I removed the cashews from the trail mix leaving just the dried cranberries and almonds and added the walnuts and dark cacao bits. I chopped all of this up finely on a cutting board.Wash and dry the apples. Take a sheet of the caramel and fold over the apple while the oven preheats to two-hundred degrees. Place the white apple sheets on a baking sheet and then stick a wooden stick in the center of each apple and place on top of the paper-covered sheet. Bake for five minutes.

I removed the apples individually from the oven to work with so I could keep the caramel soft. Then, with some pressure, stuck the homemade trail mix onto the apple. This took some time and the mix does keep falling off during the process. I alternated from the cranberry-cacao mix to plain peanuts and left a few plain caramel.

I placed the candy-coated apples back in the oven for ten minutes. The textured mixtures created an edible arrangement so eye-popping that for Fall 2017 someone might just find me out in an Ohio apple orchard.

Here’s a list of where to go east of the Lake Erie Islands, and these are the orchards located west. These Ohio orchards are all located just off of the Coastal Ohio Trail.

October 30, 2016October 31, 2016

Threads of Fall 2016 Chief Wahoo and anything and everything The Tribe

Pictures by Steven Drescher

At the inception of this website I never thought in the wildest of baseball pitches that a fashion piece would be written about Cleveland Indians gear.

This year Chief Wahoo and the jersey isn’t a Halloween costume. The controversial Indian, feathered and ready for an on-the-field battle, is a wardrobe staple.

Easily worn running errands, out-and-about in high heels, to work and anywhere to play.

(The Indian only controversial due to the sensationalism of local media).

Those who grew up with the emblem feel nothing but joy and pride upon seeing the grin bearing logotype. Even during the lackluster years played out dismally in the 80s at Municipal Stadium.

This hour, with The Tribe ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series three games to one, the sporty-style is more slick than an Andrew Miller slider.

The more the Wahoo, the more WOW!

Forgotten gear given as holiday gifts in years past which hung in the closet with the tags still attached for two decades or more, is being resurrected and worn into the white-collar office with honor.

In Ohio’s sports town, surrounding suburbs, outlying rural areas and islands, Chief Wahoo and all who are draped in his costume-like likeness sporting the 2016 roster of Kipnis, Crisp, Kluber and Lindor are on a mission: for this team to bring home another championship to The Land.

Fashion Note: wearing heels to Progressive Stadium is a fashion faux pas. In fact, that move would be as embarrassing as Ross fumbling a fastball. What to wear on those peds to Progressive … the story from the streets of Cleveland right here.

October 30, 2016October 30, 2016

The Underground: Stadium Kicks Converse Classic Chuck Taylor All Stars

“I’m an attorney (in) commercial real estate. I specialize in affordable housing community development law. That’s why I’m here in Cleveland. I’m here for a conference and snuck out for a few minutes and here I am buying Chucks,” Toni Jackson shared her vice in the Tower City Center.

“I have a crazy collection of Converse. I grew up like everybody else wearing Chuck Taylors and when they came back in style a number of years ago I guess I started going crazy,” Jackson, like an attorney, spoke the truth.

Even though this legal powerhouse hails from Houston, Texas, she caught the championship fever pulsating through The Land and also bought tickets to every sporting event she could afford.

In the stands and in the bleachers, a dress shoe just won’t do. At Underground by Journeys in Tower City is where the men at Footlocker send shoppers to try on the footwear fashion that never fades.

“They love Chuck Taylors. They’re very in-style. We have a lot of selections to choose from. Yeah! They buy them a lot. We got a lot of Converses,” Journeys sales associate Diamond Moore wearing a pair of high-tops herself supplied.

Even though named for a basketball legend, Chuck Taylors Converse take members of its tribe from work to the playground. Every Cleveland Indians fan knows navigating the way through the gates to seats on the upper deck through peanut shells and steep steps requires shoes as indomitable as the roster.

According to Converse:

Created in 1917 as a non-skid basketball shoe, the All Star was originally promoted for its superior court performance by basketball mastermind Chuck Taylor. But over the decades, something incredible happened: The sneaker, with its timeless silhouette and unmistakable ankle patch, was organically adopted by rebels, artists, musicians, dreamers, thinkers and originals.

“Chuck Taylors. They’re the quintessential, stylish sports shoe,” observed photographer Steven Drescher.

In line with Cleveland’s scene this shoe, with its vulcanized rubber sole, has an “unmistakable cultural authenticity”.

The All Star sneaker also has an unmatched style and the $49.99 price tag leaves plenty left over for peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Tower City Center is located at 230 West Huron Street in downtown Cleveland. Underground at Journeys is on Level One.

For more on the jersey go here.

Fall Fashion

artc40241 — Majestic Authentic On-Field Jersey MLBShop.com

vmyx24811 — Rawlings 1954 four-fingered vintage glove endorsed by Stan Musai

qfbl17131 — Chuck Taylors found underground.

October 26, 2016October 26, 2016

Homemade Pumpkin Spiced Latte made with Cafe Bustelo in the Florida Keys

My last stop at the market sent me looking for all of the ingredients to make my favorite fall foods; sharp white cheddar grilled cheese on sour dough, chili, caramel apples covered in nuts, and ingredients for homemade pumpkin spiced latte.

On site with TV 88 in the Florida Keys I presented a Cuban version of this caffeine delicacy made with Cafe Bustelo.

Watch on YouTube: Josie Koler makes a Homemade Pumpkin Spiced Latte

I have tried this using Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk and added two teaspoons of sugar, versus just one (when using sweetened condensed milk.) I’ve also pumped up the pumpkin spice to 1/4 of a teaspoon.

Happy Fall, or Feliz Caida!

October 23, 2016October 23, 2016

Summer 2016 proved to be all about the hat Lake Erie Islands a Sportstown's Playground

Summer, summer, summertime produced a style on the Lake Erie Islands which couldn’t be cloned on any other coast.

Instead of showing up fashionably (for a far-a-way destination surrounded in freshwater) island tourists risked appearing initially tacky. They tore off of the ferries and private watercraft in their Cavs jerseys, t-shirts, tanks pullovers and most often — the 2016 NBA Champs hat.

Ballin’! Representin’ a city of champions!

“I did a shot with everyone I saw wearing this hat at Put-in-Bay,” one Middle Bass Island bartender exclaimed at the end of summer 2016.

The hat, the gear was everywhere on any given day or night and on any given island! An island worker from Uzbekistan, Farruxjon Sattorberdiyev, was given a championship chapeau to celebrate his end-of-the-season success. He took the Cleveland Pride and rallied the 13-hour, 6,500 mile trip to his home country wearing the wonder, that was once dubbed the “Mistake on the Lake”.

Make zero mistake about this, on Ohio’s North Coast, the fashion is: forget the Tommy Bahama, Red Rum, Vineyard Vines, or J. Crew and bring on the Cleveland Sports Teams.

Suddenly, allegiance isn’t designated just for the Cavs.

With The Tribe winning the pennant and entering the World Series this week as they take on the Cubs, Chief Wahoo is once again stylish reigniting a fashion code for Fall 2016.

Josie Koler is an award-winning journalist. She grew up in the western suburbs of Cleveland and had to be bribed by her mother to put on clothes which did not depict the Cleveland Browns or her beloved Cleveland Indians.

Tag: Josie in Paradise