Tag: Josie Koler

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Spring Snowstorm provides Landscape for Fitness Lovers exercise outside with snow shovel and a hike

There isn’t any strategy that thaws out residents in the nation’s Great Lakes Region more than a hot yoga session. Follow-up with a hot shower and sauna session and no one cares where the mercury lands on the thermometer.

That is, if you can make your way to the studio once the snow strikes. This time the flakes came in 1″ size adding up to 8″ in depth overnight and into the morning hours which stuck with wetness perfect for snowmen and stranding unsuspecting drivers, especially those who are partial to tropical islands.

Just making the way out of the garage and out of the driveway isn’t going to happen without first spending some vigorous time with a snow blower or snow shovel and incorporating some sweat.

This means replacing the Vinyasa Flow, mat and towel with a Toro dual auger snow blower, Carlisle 11″ ice shovel and all the gear to keep you comfortable so you can skip the studio sans the stress in the event of a well-predicted spring storm.

Snow shoveling burns three hundred to four hundred calories per hour depending on how much you weigh and how much muscle mass your figure already flaunts. Which means moving the white stuff manually so you can move on with your day is one sure fire way to fire up the metabolism. The outdoor movement reserved for northern climates incorporates all of the muscles in the back, arms, shoulder and legs. Most driveways take longer than sixty minutes. The more you move, the more you can indulge in marshmallows atop hot cocoa once you’re through and doesn’t everyone on the Coastal Ohio Trail just love to warm up to a cup of The Kroger Company’s Private Selection Cocoa when it’s cold.

Shoving the shovel aside for a snow blower still blows out about two hundred and fifty calories for a person weighing in at a buck fifty.

Now for the creme de la creme of a cold blast on the Coastal Ohio Trail in the spring: hiking. Oh what fun the event is when frolicking in all that’s frocked! Lace up your Columbia Bugaboot and head wherever the wonderment takes you on two well-insulated feet with an abominable snow pup in tow. Hikers will melt mega calories traipsing the back country in heavy footwear. The exercise takes more leg and heart work than walking. Talk about toning. This “wintry” activity incorporates the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, obliques, abs, and the front and back of the thighs, plus glutes. Tack on another four hundred and fifty calories for the hour spent out wondering what exactly Old Man Winter is doing in the springtime on the Coastal Ohio Trail.

He’s supplying us with breathtaking views.

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All of this compares to about 585 calories burned in a sweaty session of Vinyasa Flow at your favorite studio.

Stay posted for more on Outfit for a Winter Adventure … in the Spring !

JosieInParadise (1)

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Stella’s parlays a faster pace menu, mood and live music all add to the panache in Perrysburg

“Last weekend we did a medley at the end. Lady Gaga was sung like Frank Sinatra would. We’re just keeping the bar area chill,” Stella’s manager Ed Lopez shares the low down on the dining room and bar that overlooks Perrysburg’s Louisiana Avenue.

Chill, cozy, and sure to end in culinary contentment is the 2016 Stella’s, a northwest Ohio restaurant showcasing its own rendition of an exotic Italian steakhouse. At Stella’s pasta is made fresh daily, Prosecco is poured freely and the wine list has over fifty bottles to choose from.

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Sean Minor “Four Bears” Pinot Noir from California Central Coast

“We’re not looking to educate diners on the wine. We want to broaden their perspectives on what wine pairs with which dish. We’re putting Napa Cabs with pastas and bringing in Italian wines and pairing them with French food,” front of the house manager Kurt Schlagheck says triumphantly.

The fact that business casual is now accepted fashion and Schlagheck is visibly sporting socks patterned with pineapples, points to the new movement on the Maumee River where the crew and owner decided to redefine fine casual dining.

“The pace is now fun. This is is the pace we are looking to project into downtown Perrysburg and consistency from here on out after we’ve made these changes will bring every aspect together,” emphasizes Schlagheck. “We do have every base of an Italian steakhouse menu and also french delicacies like mousses.”

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Pear tart with melted brown butter and a scoop of vanilla bean gelato

Menu items start at just seven dollars and go all the way up to forty-five dollars for the Bone-In Ohio Cab Ribeye with Crimini Mushrooms.

Reds by the glass start at just seven dollars for the Gouguenheim Malbec and move up to ten ten for the Fiorentini Chianti from Tuscany. The dessert and wine lists are forever evolving and the main menu changes with the seasons. Stella’s though almost has exclusivity in the area by going sous vide.

Again, Schlagheck, “We vacuum seal our chicken, pork, duck, and our hanger steaks with butter, thyme and spices and cook them in a circulator bath for three hours. We take a lot of pride from what we’re pushing out of that kitchen.”

Besides having a major cosmetic overhaul that, as Schlagheck describes, has turned the kitchen into an area as organized and clean as a hospital, the man manning the sous vide and changing up the menu is Chef Michael Bulkowski. Bulkowski is determined to use as much local fare as possible and keep the tastings fresh for regulars.

Because of this system, there isn’t a signature dish, per say, to highlight. The bar area begs for couples and friends to order tapas style and share everything from the lamb chops to the fennel cured salmon with creme fraiche and fingerling potatoes.

Photo Courtesy: Lindsay Marie Photography
Photo Courtesy: Lindsay Marie Photography

“The lamb chops were Tony’s idea. Tony (Bilancini) is the owner. He said people around here love lamb chops and he’s right. We sell a lot of them. We prepare them Ras el hanout, which is a Mediterranean seven spice blend. We season them with that and finish with some preserve lemon and parsley and yogurt,” Chef elaborates.

The salmon is sustainably raised in one of the North Sea’s channels between Norway and Iceland. The fast moving and ultra-cold currents make this raw option energetically appetizing. Chef Bulkowski’s long time industry friend, Rachel makes the crackers plated with the dish.

She isn’t the only featured “artist” at Stella’s. Hand-blown glass ornaments drip from the three story foyer. Toledo artist Gwen Smith adds heat to blanks and sculpts the sensations which show off the very essence of the Glass City. Pop into Stella’s and pop some Prosecco within five days of your birthday and one of the Stella’s team members will gift you one to take home and cherish.

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Foyer cascade

Stella’s is located at 104 Louisiana Avenue in Perrysburg. Coming up on Monday, March 14 at 6:30 pm Chef Michael Bulkowski is rolling out a five course wine dinner featuring recipes from First Presbyterian Church in Tiffin Ohio from 1923. This is undoubtedly the perfect opportunity to drop in, taste the new menu concepts, and experience the new energy. Suits and ties are out, funky, patterned socks are in, and Stella’s is anything but “stuffy.”

JosieInParadise (1)

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Home Inventory Drops in the Middle Keys ReMax Keys to the Key realtor Bill Wilkinson has the numbers

Middle Keys realtor Bill Wilkinson and his wife Karen have just sold a two-and-a-half million dollar oceanfront property. He discusses the unique market, what opportunities are available to the local workforce, and how exactly buyers end up with their eyes on this island paradise located just before the Seven Mile Bridge, and before the final stretch of US 1 takes travelers to Key West.

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Bucci Busys one local Barista breakfast staple made at Leigh Ann's Coffee House

Ordering a Starbucks in the Florida Keys is simply sinful. That company is headquartered on another ocean located two time zones away. On the sub-tropical islands south of Miami Cuban and Caribbean cuisine; and, as in this case coffee, reign. At Leigh Ann’s Coffee House on Key Colony Beach the baristas are busy taking orders of cafe con leches and making shots of bucci. We go back behind the counter and start grinding the beans.

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Relax with an 88 Relaxer behind the bar at Marker 88 Restaurant Gulfside

There’s a drink being made and served up to patrons from as far away as Canada at this local Florida Keys establishment in Islamorada. The drink is called the 88 Relaxer and is made with infused-spiced rum, plenty of fruit juices and a host of other
islandy-ingredients. Whether you’re on the property for breakfast, lunch or the world-renown sunset, this cocktail puts the Caribbean in anyone’s Caribbean vacation.

 

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Blue Marlin Jewelry Sculpture Unveil Get Lucky Friday, February 13th 2015

The Islamorada Fine Arts and Cultural District has a new neighbor, Blue Marlin Jewelry. Owner, Armando Gonzalez moved to Mile Marker 81.5 Oceanside with only a courtyard separating him and Art by Pasta.
This Art and Cultural District is now home to some of the county’s, and nation’s, most revered artists and businesses. On this particular Friday in February the crowd witnessed the Pasta art sculpture unveiling for the Florida Keys’ only authorized Rolex dealer.

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Cooking with Chef Carl at home in the Florida Keys

Chorizo oil, crab and couscous can take the most basic chicken breast and turn the poultry cut from bland to delectable.

Marathon High’s culinary instructor, Carl Stanton and I get crankin’ in the kitchen to show you how to make Chicken Roulade with couscous, chorizo oil, guava, habanero and a rum butter sauce.

These flavors are oh-so Caribbean and oh-so delicious for dinner.

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No Love from Above for Lake Erie Ice Fishing set your flame on fire with a St. Croix as conditions change for Walleye season

“He always needs a fishing pole,” states Mario Campos owner of Maumee Tackle Fishing Outfitters.

Let’s face the facts. Valentine’s Day is about the ladies and the man is undoubtedly expected to wine her, dine her, and give her lavish gifts to show her the love. Or at the very least, present her with a token of affection from the local gift shop.

Women don’t need to go all out for him. A simple presentation of a book, or perhaps something done in love in the name of service will suffice.

According to WKYC Chief Meteorologist Betsy Kling’s latest forecast in 2015 at this time ninety- six percent of Lake Erie was frozen. This year, to mark Valentine’s Day 2016 just one percent of the lake in the Upper Western Basin near Canada has turned to tundra.

That means the ice fishing gear is coming off the shelves and going back into the store rooms as retailers prepare for an early Walleye season.

Campos claims Cupid himself would opt for the Saint Croix Eyecon to intrigue your beau.
Campos claims Cupid himself would opt for the Saint Croix Eyecon to intrigue your beau.

“I’m going to have two shifts beginning in a couple of weeks. One from 6 am to 4 pm and the other from 10 am to 8 pm to cover the crowds,” Campos details his coverage plans and points to a sign on the door reading, “Full Time Temporary HELP WANTED.”

Campos’ store is located just two blocks away from the Maumee River and right now, instead of bracing for record-breaking lows, he’s bracing for two months of fourteen hour days to cater to the crowds that will flood his store for every lure and line they need to score with the Walleye.

So, if you do want to gift your guy a sweet something, Campos is confident any man will swoon over the Saint Croix Eyecon series rod. The item is apparently what every Coastal Ohio fisherman is searching for to conquer the Maumee River March mayhem. According to the Toledo Metro Parks, as in every year, a half of a million Walleye will conduct their reproductive ritual in Lake Erie’s largest flowing river.

The natural event and this piece of gear is so intense, the company’s website says the rod is retailed for the man ready to “Grab life by the hands. Seize the day. Go for it, Amigo.”

There Comes A Time In Every Man’s Life When He has To Say, “Frankly My Dear Boss, I Don’t Give A Damn.”

Maumee Tackle Fishing Outfitters employee Ryan Smith is quick to point out, “This is one of the most popular fishing rods around here. Saint Croix makes a couple of designs the Avids, Premieres, Triumphs. There are twenty different styles of fishing poles made from Saint Croix.”

To sweeten the deal this February 14 for your man, who has his own intricate love affair with fishing, Smith recommends the Eyecon 6′ to 6’5″ pole. The retail price is a mere $123.95 and the guys at Maumee Tackle Fishing Outfitters have about three dozen on hand sure to be treasured more than your two dozen red roses which won’t see March.

“These are made technique specific for Walleye. Ninety-percent of fishermen use a Carolina Rig which is a mixer of sinkers, leader lines and lures,” Smith sweetens the sale.

For bigger trout fishermen will should be outfit with a longer pole. For heavy trolling in the lake the pole you purchase will have to be longer.

But, in the end, it’s the Saint Croix Eyecon to set your flame on fire this Saint Valentine holiday.

“The rod is sensitive with a good backbone,” Campos showers on the affection he attaches to the piece. “Guys love the way this is designed specifically for walleye. The fish is the mainstay of the Maumee River.”

Check out the Ohio Department of Natural Resources page for the next Maumee and Sandusky Rivers Report.

Maumee Tackle Fishing Outfitters is located at 104 West Wayne Street. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Much Love!

JosieInParadise (1)

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Buyers are bringing their Boats American Caribbean's Stephanie Clark on the Islamorada Market

Contractors in the Upper Keys are experiencing a flurry of activity. Buyers are entering the Upper Keys real estate market, often with cash in their hands, to buy and remodel entire homes and the accompanying property. As soon as the dust from Pierre’s New Year’s Eve fireworks spectacular settled down over the ocean, buying activity turned on like a light switch.

Here’s more with fifteen-year veteran realtor Stephanie Clark.