Tag Archives: food

Fun at Fly Creek

Posted on May 16, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Any place that offers free samples is an OK place in my book. At the top of the list is the Fly Creek Cider Mill.

You can walk around the sales floor and sample dips, sauces, salsas and more. You can also try the hard cider and apple wine, if you’re over 21, which I am. If you’re hungrier than samples will satisfy, there is a snack bar. On a recent trip with a family group, some people in the group were that hungry.

“But if you buy something inside, you can get 10 percent off at the snack bar,” I told them. “You can have some free samples to hold you over.” I was out-voted. That was OK. The snack bar offers some pretty tasty stuff, and I saved room for samples.

The fellow at the wine tasting bar was very knowledgeable. I learned that true ice wine is made when the fruit has frozen before being picked. Some unscrupulous winemakers freeze the fruit after picking and fall it ice wine, but the Apple Wine we sampled was the real thing. Very sweet, definitely a dessert wine, in case you wanted to know.

After some sampling, we went upstairs to admire gifts and decorations. I’m not exactly ready to think about Christmas yet, but they sure do have some pretty stuff.

One of my favorite things to do at the cider mill is to feed the ducks, geese and chickens. Several vending machines dispense a handful of corn for a quarter. I also gathered some corn from the ground, where people had dropped it. Waste not, want not. I especially like to go up on the deck and toss corn into the pond for the ducks to dive for.

I usually go to the Fly Creek Cider Mill several times a year. For more information you can visit their website at www.flycreekcidermill.com. You can also Like them on Facebook. I did.

Leave a comment

Posted in area attractions, cider mill, Fly Creek, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

A Classy Dinner

Posted on April 15, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Steven and I used to eat dinner out more frequently, often so that I would have a topic for a blog post. Unfortunately, we have fallen out of the habit. I think the last time we went was over a month ago, for Steven’s birthday. When our friend, Tracy, visited last weekend, I thought it might be time to go out again.

We decided to go to the Herkimer Elks Lodge, where they serve dinner on Friday nights. As I told Tracy, I think it used to be a Friday Fish Fry, but now it is — no offense to all you real fish fries — classier. The food is by Dominick Scalise of Dominick’s Deli and there is a pretty good menu to pick from.

We found a good parking space right on Mary Street. I didn’t notice if the parking lot was completely full, but it may well have been. These dinners are popular. On the way in Steven purchased tickets for a raffle they were holding.

We were taken right to a table and given menus to peruse. I went into the bar to get a glass of wine. That is another good thing about eating at the Elks, good drink prices. The bartender even let me sample a little of the Riesling, to make sure it was dry enough for me (it was).

Tracy ordered salmon, which looked delicious. I chose baked haddock, which was quite tasty. Under no Catholic obligation to avoid meat, Steven had pork chops, his favorite. The service was great and the food was yummy.

We greatly enjoyed our evening out, and even took home leftovers (so I got to try the pork chops — excellent). The Elks Lodge is located at 124 Mary St., Herkimer, NY. Phone number is 315-866-1439.

Leave a comment

Posted in dining, Elks, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Big Smiles and Full Stomachs

Posted on March 4, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

One thing Steven and I had been especially looking forward to on our weekend off together was going out to breakfast. We used to have breakfast out together all the time, but when our work schedules changed, it became a thing of the past. We set out Saturday morning with big smiles and empty stomachs.

We went to Liz’s Diner on Main Street in Mohawk, the previous home of the Mohawk Diner. Donna and Liz greeted us as we walked in the door. We remarked on how happy we were to be there.

Donna brought us coffee. We admired the chicken-themed decor as we perused the menu on the wall. They offered some tempting specials, but I just wanted scrambled eggs and toast. Steven got eggs over medium with bacon and toast. However, it was toast from Heidelberg bread. Yum! I got Italian while Steven had peasant.

As we ate, we were amused by the interactions of Liz, Donna and the regulars sitting at the counter. Two men with long beards were especially amusing. After they left, Donna told us she called them ZZ Top. I thought that was very appropriate. I like ZZ Top.

We liked our breakfast, too. It was a great start to our weekend. Liz’s is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., serving breakfast and lunch. I noticed the lunch menu on the wall. Some of the selections looked pretty tasty. I may have to go back, even if I can’t bring Steven.

Leave a comment

Posted in breakfast, diner, humor, local business, personal and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Soup du Cold Jour

Posted on January 31, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last night I improvised a soup I thought might be worth a blog post.

I used a smaller pot than I usually make soup in, because I have a tendency to make huge pots of soup that don’t all get eaten. I chopped up a half a yellow onion I had in the fridge and put it in olive oil. I added a green pepper and put the lid on tightly. This is my trick when I cook things in olive oil. The moisture from the vegetables stay in the pot and they end up getting steamed or even boiled if there are enough vegetables.

I crushed some garlic and set the timer for 15 minutes, so it could breathe, or whatever it does. Then I added it to the pot.

When the pepper and onions were soft I added chicken broth, lentils and a can of Great Northern beans. I had originally thought to use black beans, but my back was bothering me and I just couldn’t keep bending over to search the cabinet. It is a most inconvenient cabinet.

When I had been planning the soup in my head, I had thought a can of diced tomatoes would be good, but I did not have any of those. Must remember to add that to the grocery list. I put in basil, oregano, lemon pepper, cumin and parsley flakes. Then I just let it simmer.

I added more chicken broth as some cooked away. It ended up being a not very brothy soup, but it tasted pretty good.

Steven put the leftovers in the freezer, so now we have that to look forward to on a future cold day. Maybe with some kind of hearty bread. I guess winter does have its compensations.

Leave a comment

Posted in cooking, humor, personal and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Love that Sausage Gravy

Posted on January 8, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Mohawk Diner recently moved to new digs (I thought I wrote a blog post about it, but now I can’t find it. Oops). I noticed that their old digs, on Main Street in Mohawk, NY, is now Liz’s Mohawk Diner. Saturday morning I checked it out.

We know Liz from other diners.

“Is Steve on his way?” she asked me as I sat down.

“No, he has to work,” I said sadly. I’m going to suggest he go there on a day off soon, even if it has to be without me.

The place looks spiffy and bright. I admired the chicken-themed decor and perused the specials board. I decided to get eggs over medium and home fries with sausage gravy. The special included coffee and toast made with Heidelberg bread. Yum!

I really enjoyed the home fries with sausage gravy. The gravy was made with lots of sausage, and the potatoes were cooked to perfection.

The place has the kind of hometown diner atmosphere I love. The patrons and Liz were cracking jokes back and forth.

“Pay the waitress,” Liz told one.

“You know she’s a pain,” he answered.

Liz did know. “That’s why I hired her.”

She wasn’t a pain; she was a good waitress. And Liz is an excellent cook. It was a fine breakfast. Liz’s is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast and lunch.

2 Comments

Posted in diner, humor, local business, personal and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Where’s the Beef Broth?

Posted on December 16, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a cooking post for Wrist to Forehead Sunday (you may notice, I do not make this a question, because I intend to write it regardless). I think it will make a good post, because I invented another new recipe.

I had some leftover beef I thought would be good in a soup. I remembered buying beef broth, and I always have diced tomatoes on hand. This would work.

I started out by chopping an onion and putting it on to cook in olive oil. I put a lid on the pot, so the steam would keep it from burning to the bottom. I crushed up some garlic and set the timer for 15 minutes (so the garlic could breathe, or whatever it does). After 15 minutes, I put the garlic in with the onion and let them cook together for a while.

The onions got soft fairly quickly. A few even turned brown. I like carmelized onions, so I let them cook till I got hungry enough that I wanted to get on with it.

That was when I could find neither the diced tomatoes nor the beef broth in my pantry. Oh yes, I remembered, I had heated up the beef broth one day when I was feeling sick to my stomach. Soothing and nutritious. I did have some cream of mushroom soup, always a good ingredient (gourmet purists are gasping in horror, but they have obviously come to the wrong blog and must respond as they see fit).

I found some diced tomatoes, but by then the idea of cream of mushroom soup was appealing to me. I put it in the pot, with a can of milk, and stirred well. I added some spices (cumin, parsley flakes, and McCormick Savory All-Purpose, if you wanted to know).

I threw in some frozen green beans and cut up the leftover beef. When it was all heated through we ate. Steven had his with Spano’s Hard Crust Italian Bread, which is made right here in the Mohawk Valley, in Utica, NY. Yum! (I used some of it for an egg sammich yesterday.)

We enjoyed dinner. Steven pointed out that we have a beef roast in the freezer. He suggested cooking it one day soon, so we can use the leftovers to make this recipe again. If I remember it. Oh wait, I can just look here. Silly me.

Leave a comment

Posted in cooking, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

A Hastily Thrown Together Post

Posted on November 13, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I worked on three different posts today and I’m not going to use any of them. Instead I offer a cooking post on tonight’s hastily thrown together supper.

I arrived home close to five o’clock with my husband, Steven, due to arrive at 5:30. I felt pressed, I felt stressed, but I was on the job. After petting my dog (priorities, you know) then washing my hands (food safety, of course), I peeled and chopped an onion. I chopped it fairly small, because onions sometimes take a long time to cook, but not too small, because I didn’t have a lot of time to spend chopping. I put it in a pot with a lid, added some olive oil and put it over medium heat, so I would have something to turn down from when it started to sizzle.

I peeled and crushed some garlic and set the timer for fifteen minutes, so it could reach its full anti-oxidant qualities. Then I realized I could actually sit down for a few. After all, the onions did not need to be stirred constantly.

The onions were practically done, some of them even browning when the timer went off. I put the garlic in the pot and stirred it up. Leave it like that for a while? Check the time. Steve would be home soon. Check the onions. Getting soft.

I added a can of chicken broth and a can of water. Then I put in some frozen spinach. For seasoning I added lemon pepper (actually the bottle says Lemon and Pepper Salt Free), McCormick All-Purpose Salt-Free for Savory (or something like that)(I know I could go downstairs and check the bottle, but it’s been a long day), and parsley flakes. I briefly lamented that I could no longer get fresh parsley from the garden, but after all, people who package dried seasonings need to make a living, too.

When the broth boiled, I added cheese tortellini. It took a little longer to cook than package directions said, because it took a while for the broth to get back to boiling, but that was no big deal. Steven had arrived home just before I added the tortellini, and he had left again to go put air in my soft tire. Did I mention he is a very good husband?

Side note: Yes, I KNOW I can pump up my own soft tires. Steven offered to do it before we ate, so it would be done. Yes, I owe him a favor. Stop shaking your feminist fingers at me (you know who you are).

Leave a comment

Posted in cooking, humor, personal and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

On To The Produce

Posted on September 11, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought, being as I am Mohawk Valley Girl, it would behoove me to mention that I stopped by the Herkimer, NY, Farmer’s Market on Monday.

The stop was part of some wild gyrations that enhanced (or made hideous) my Monday. I was going to write about that, but thinking about it made me tired all over again. I think a short shout-out to the Farmer’s Market and I’m out of here.

The Herkimer Farmer’s Market has had various homes over the years, but I think I like their current one best. It is in the parking lot of the large building owned by HARC at 420 E. German St. This provides lots of space and lots of parking. I had no problem pulling in and finding a space.

Full disclosure: Steven and I actually stopped by the Farmer’s Market last Monday, Labor Day. I did not feel we got the full effect, however, since some vendors were not there due to the holiday. We had purchased a Halloween dish towel with one of those crochet things you can attach to a drawer handle. I love those dish towels with the crochet thing. We also got some grape tomatoes. Yum.

This past Monday I was in the market for tomatoes again, one big one this time. The produce stand was at the opposite end from where I started. So first I sampled some Three Village Cheeses. I believe I’ve given Three Village Cheese a shout out before. An excellent product. I purchased some Havarti, mentally revising my dinner plans to include cheese.

I also impulse bought two breakfast granola cookies. I foolishly neglected to get a business card or make note of that vendor’s name. Perhaps I shall return to the market next Monday and repair that omission.

On to the produce. I wavered for a moment: $1 for one big tomato or $4 for five? But I couldn’t bear to buy more tomato than needed and let them go bad before I ate them. I went for the one.

I was pleased with my purchases and pleased to have a Mohawk Valley attraction to mention in my blog. The Herkimer Farmer’s Market is on Mondays from 1 to 7 p.m.

Leave a comment

Posted in farmer's market, humor, Mohawk Valley, personal and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

At Least I Have Clean Socks

Posted on August 28, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was going to put “Underwear” instead of “Socks,” but felt certain some wise ass would say, “TMI!” my most loathed and abhorred thing to hear (except, possibly for “We have to talk”) (and now I’ve given myself the heebie-jeebies, just thinking of those two things).

My computer is telling me “heebie-jeebies” is misspelled, but the dictionary says it is correct (I was going to put that in the above paragraph in parentheses, but feared having too many parenthetical comments) (oops).

Where was I? Ah yes, another post on Why I Can’t Write a Post. In today’s case it is another Blogger’s Sick Day, though, because I have a dreadful headache. I will take time to share two things that made the end of my day a little bit brighter.

As you may have guessed by the headline, we did laundry. And we didn’t plan ahead enough to have something in the crock pot waiting for us when we got home. And we didn’t have our act together enough to order something for pick up on the way home. And I was hungry enough to get irritated (oh, all right, I’ll admit it doesn’t take much) (there I go with the parentheses again).

Enter my wonderful husband, Steven. I was going to grudgingly accept the idea of sandwiches when he suggested taking some good rye bread we happen to have and some deli ham and cheese and making grilled sandwiches. How good did that sound! Yummy! How does such a little thing as some time on a frying pan transform pedestrian, blah, at-least-its-food into a tasty treat suitable for blog mention? I don’t know, and it’s not the day for half-baked philosophy, so let’s just enjoy. I did.

I went to check my Facebook notifications before making my blog post and discovered… I won a Croghan Bologna contest! I LOVE Croghan Bologna! I’ve been scheming how to talk Steven into a road trip to or through Croghan, NY to get me some. I know it will make a great blog post.

So my headache is still with me, but my day is brighter. And perhaps by tomorrow my blog will be more interesting. As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

3 Comments

Posted in blogging, humor, personal and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Fun at the Mill

Posted on August 27, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I would write a little bit more about Sunday’s visit to the Fly Creek Cider Mill.

It is always an enjoyable drive from Herkimer to Fly Creek, over mountains with great scenic views. I looked at farmland, lakes and more. Luckily, Steven was driving.

We went into the main building while we waited for my sister and two nieces to arrive. I thought it couldn’t hurt to get a head start on some sampling. That is one thing I love about Fly Creek Cider Mill, lots of free samples. They have dips, sauces, spreads and more. My favorite this past Sunday was a spinach and artichoke dip, which they had heated up. We bought a jar of that.

We also tried a few of the wines. Hard cider was also available for sample, but I didn’t want to be greedy. The Mill is part of the Cooperstown Beverage Trail, which a lady gave us a booklet about. Could be a future blog post (or posts).

After the others had arrived, we had some more samples and wandered upstairs to look at the many gifts and decorations available. I almost feel it is too early to think about Christmas decorations, but, oh, I love all the Santas! Of course, it is never the wrong time for Halloween, as far as I’m concerned, so I thoroughly enjoyed looking at those things.

When we had browsed and tasted our fill, we made our purchases and went outside to see the animals. There are chickens, ducks and geese, walking around a fenced in area or swimming in what I think is Fly Creek. We fed them some corn, available in gumball-type dispensing machines for twenty-five cents. Note to self: bring more quarters next time.

Steven and I try to get to the Mill at least once every year. I hope to go again in a couple of months, when the drive down will be enhanced by the changing leaves.

Fly Creek Cider Mill is located at 288 Goose St., Fly Creek, NY 13337, phone number 607-547-9692. Their website is www.flycreekcidermill.com. You can also Like them on Facebook.

Leave a comment

Posted in area attractions, cider mill, Fly Creek, local business, Mohawk Valley, personal, shopping and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →