Why? Our New Home!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those impacted by the tragic school shooting in Chardon. The Geauga County United Way has established a Chardon Healing Fund. Please consider donating, if you can.***

I’ve mentioned on the blog a bit about CLEguy and I buying a new home. Let me start out by saying we’re not crazy…even though being double-digit days away from our wedding and moving into a new home at the same time feels a little crazy.

For the past couple weeks, our lives have been largely consumed with packing boxes, moving boxes, unpacking boxes. I’ve allowed myself very little time to come up for air, which is not good, but it’s all in the name of making our new home into a wonderful place for us to live: sort of an ends-justify-the-means mentality.

So, before I get into how amazing our new home is, I’m officially apologizing to everyone I’ve driven to distraction with trying to get things done, to everyone I’ve been MIA for, and to anyone who has had the unfortunate luck of talking to me on a really tired day. Having you all on my side is worth way more than unpacked boxes.

That said, buying this house has been such an exciting and monumental thing. CLEguy and I have been living in a house that he bought almost eight years ago. While I really liked the house, having a house now that both of us chose and that both of us own is a really special way to start our almost-married lives.

Last Friday, we got the keys and had a little celebration with a bottle of bubbly and some take-out sushi from Lure Bistro.

 

We’re only a mile from downtown Willoughby and all the great restaurants and bars around that area. I can’t wait for summertime walks up to Willoughby Brewing Company!

On Sunday, a cadre of fabulous friends and our wonderful parents helped us move boxes to the new house. Yes, this was the day after Jump Back Ball. Yes, I told you we’re a little crazy.

Yesterday, Armbruster Moving brought our furniture over. Seriously, if you’re over 30 and/or own more than a futon, hire movers. CLEguy’s aunt and uncle had sent us a housewarming present of (more) bubbly and a pair of toasting flutes. At 10pm, when we could barely keep our eyes open, we toasted over reheated pizza to our health, prosperity, and happiness.

I’ll share with you a picture of the one room in the house that is basically unpacked…and I happen to think it’s the most amazing room in the house anyway.

This is our fabulous kitchen. If it’s possible to choose a house based on just one room, this room made me want this house. I can’t wait to cook in here with CLEguy, have our friends and family over, and really make a life here!

Why? Jump Back Ball!

Saturday night, I got to cross something off my “30 for 30 List” that I’ve wanted to do for years: I attended Playhouse Square’s Jump Back Ball! The dresses, the costumes, the music, the food, the theaters, the friends…it was a wonderful whirlwind of an evening.

We started at the VIP reception, catered by AMP 150. Everything for the evening centered around the “Through the Looking Glass” theme. I even got a picture with the Mad Hatter and White Rabbit themselves!

The food was set in mini stations around both levels of the stunning Palace Theater lobby. I never cease to be amazed at how beautiful our Playhouse Square theaters are and how lucky we are to have them in our cultural landscape.

We nibbled on beef carpaccio, seared tuna and edamame, AMP 150′s famous mushroom soup, pork belly, salad with goat cheese, and cheesecake lollipops and chai tea latte shots for dessert.

We also got to enjoy music from 2-1 Chicks.

From there we headed into the State Theater for a dinner buffet catered by Sammy’s. From mini sandwiches to vegetable pasta, the food was delicious!

We were kept entertained not only by the people going by, but also by stilt walkers and yo-yo artists, a photo booth, and a fortune teller.

You could also play some of the Queen of Hearts’ games…

…and stop to enjoy a spot of tea.

And speaking of the people going by, we got to see a lot of familiar friendly faces at Jump Back Ball, including Nadine from Blog – The New Black, Alana from The Dawg’s Dish, Michelle from All Lacquered Up, Allison from Confessions of a CLE Habitant, and Sara from Finding the Time.

Special recognition goes out to my dear friend Amanda from Clue Into Cleveland and Meredith, the Jump Back Ball co-chairs.

I’ve seen Amanda work her butt off the past couple months on this event and it paid off in a big way! Not only did everyone in the room have fun, but I can tell she had a total blast!

After dinner, Radio Active took the stage of the State Theater and completely rocked out.

For a girl who worked on plays in high school and always wanted to be on the stage, I can now say I’ve danced on a pretty big stage!

After Radio Active finished their set with a rousing Journey medley that has me still without a voice (is there any way to sing Journey without belting it at the top of your lungs?!), we headed to the State Theater lobby for more music from Tricky Dick and the Cover-Ups and, of course, dessert. I gave up sweets for Lent, but CLEguy informed me the cake was delish.

All in all, it was an amazingly fun evening…OK, I’ll say it was magical! This may have been my first Jump Back Ball, but it definitely won’t be my last!

***Disclosure: I was asked by Playhouse Square to be an official Jump Back Ball blogger and I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity. In exchange for blogging about Jump Back Ball and events leading up to it, I received 2 VIP tickets. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? CPT Presents poor little Lulu

A few months ago, while on the Gordon Square Food Tour, I got a peek at Cleveland Public Theatre. Since then, I’ve been wanting to check out a performance. CPT puts on unique, artist-driven shows and adds an interesting element to Cleveland’s booming theater scene.

Founded in 1981, Cleveland Public Theatre’s vision is that theater can transform an urban neighborhood. CPT has long been part of the Detroit-Shoreway/Gordon Square area and is one of the strongholds in that area’s renaissance.

One of the adventurous works that CPT has in store this season is poor little Lulu. The heroine, Lulu, lives of life of being passed from man to man until she ends up in the arms of Jack the Ripper. What happens is a bit of a cautionary fable, a bit of a cabaret, and a whole lot of fun.

poor little Lulu is written and directed by Matthew Earnest, who has worked with Cleveland Public Theatre in 2010 with his play “Wanderlust.” CPT Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgun said, “We wanted to bring Earnest back, because of his vibrant vision and his caring approach to devising new work. He is bold, fun, and sexy, and brings a great energy to the stage for audiences to enjoy.”

Sounds like a can’t-miss show! poor little Lulu opens Friday, March 9 and runs on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays through Saturday, March 24 at the James Levin Theatre (the original CPT home). Tickets range from $10-$25, so this is quite an affordable way to see some fantastic theater. Also, Friday shows are “Free Beer Fridays!” Click here to purchase tickets. Hope to see you there!

***Disclosure: I was asked by Cleveland Public Theatre to help promote one of its shows. In exchange, I will receive two tickets to the show. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Ohio Blogging Wine Tasting!

One of the things I love most about CLE is how, even in areas you think you know well, there’s usually some hidden gem of a place just waiting to become your new favorite spot. That was certainly true for me at last night’s Ohio Blogging Association meet-up at Wine and Design in Tremont.

Tucked next to St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral is this cozy little shop filled with wine, fabulous decor (I had to physically stop myself from buying one of the paintings and just about everything else in there), and Greg, one of the nicest people you’ll meet.

Greg and Dan (who we didn’t get to meet, but I hear is just as sweet as Greg) kindly allowed Wine and Design to be overrun by bloggers for our monthly Ohio Blogging Association meet-up. Tammy of Miss WineOH was our guide for a 6-wine tasting, complimented by some tasty munchies.

Soprasetta on crostini, hummus from The South Side, and Campbell's Dichotomy popcorn

Sharp cheddar and brie with spicy pepper jam

The six wines we tasted ranged from a 2010 Monmousseau Champagne to a 2010 Domaine Aime Cabernet Franc to a 2010 Stella Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The Montepulciano was my favorite and, at $12.99, it didn’t take much time to decide to take home a bottle.

As always, Miss WineOH’s tasting was relaxed, fun, and yet still educational. She has 2 cupcake pairing events in March, so check out her website for details!

Over wine and snacks the conversation ranged from the appreciation of “bubbles” that seems to come in your 30′s to Jump Back Ball (and JBB dresses) to the Cleveland City Living awards to the Madonna concert to paczki.

Kristian brought paczki!

Getting their wine on were bloggers from:

A Kase Of…

Adventures of a Trapped 300-pound Man and Ohio Festivals

Big Shot Dot the I

Blog – The New Black and Cleveland City Living (read her recap here)

@chariturbanista

Daily Downward Dog

Eat*Drink*Cleveland (read her recap here)

Finding the Time

Health Insurance Issues with Dave and Again? Really?

@LMeggas

Miss WineOH (read her recap here)

NIDHIZZLE

OmStone Aromas

Passion for the Possible

Poise in Parma (read her recap here)

Rust Belt Runner

SMITTEN…in Cleveland

@sos_jr

the days go on… (read her recap here)

Thrifty Volunteer

Wearing Mascara

I always have such a great time at these events, catching up with old friends and making new ones! Cheers to the Ohio Blogging Association, Alicia from Poise in Parma, Tammy from Miss WineOH, and Wine and Design for a fantastic event!

The next Ohio Blogging Association meet-up will be volunteering at the Cleveland Foodbank on Monday, March 12. Check out the Facebook event page for more details.

Why? Weekends!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Lee over at In My Tummy…On My Mind has created possibly the best and definitely the fuzziest blog post ever. It’s called Golden Retrievers of the Blog World and it features my CLEpups, as well as Grady from Poise in Parma. Check it out!***

Hope you had a wonderful weekend, CLE! Friday night, a group of us headed out for dinner at Deagan’s Kitchen & Bar, followed by the Secondhand Mutts Smooches for Pooches bowl-a-thon.

CLEguy and I were joined by Alicia from Poise in Parma and her hubby Hans, Amanda from Clue Into Cleveland and her hubby Scott, and Julie from Wearing Mascara and her boyfriend Todd.

Whenever I combine one of my favorite places to hang out with some of my favorite people, I know it’s going to be a great night. I cannot say enough about the quality of both the food and the service at Deagan’s. This is one of my go-to places and it should be on your list, too!

I somehow managed to narrow down Deagan’s awesome beer list to two I wanted to drink: Founders Breakfast Stout and Unibroue La Fin du Monde. CLEguy started and stuck with the New Holland Dragon’s Milk. For dinner, CLEguy and I split the Angels on Horseback to start: bacon-wrapped scallops served with an insanely tasty pea puree.

For our entrees, CLEguy chose the can’t-miss lobster mac ‘n cheese. I went with a small plate special of Killibuck Valley mushroom ravioli and a side of brussels  sprouts with pork lardons.

The lobster mac ‘n cheese was fantastic – creamy and stuffed with huge chunks of lobster. The ravioli smelled fantastic – very earthy – and the taste did not disappoint either.

For dessert, Deagan was kind enough to surprise us with a complimentary sampler of some of their delicious desserts.

We got to try the creme brulee, the cinnamon bun bread pudding, the key lime torte, and the peanut butter pie. The bread pudding and key lime torte are tied for my favorites. We all devoured every decadent bite! Many thanks to Deagan for the sweet treats!

After a fantastic meal, we headed to Madison-Square Lanes for the Smooches for Pooches bowl-a-thon. To learn more about Secondhand Mutts and the great work they do fostering and finding homes for pups, you can check out this post.

We had a fabulous time bowling badly, playing with some of the adoptable pups, and listening to cheesy 80′s pop music.

Look at Alicia's and my faces - classic

All in all, it was a great evening of good friends, good food, and a good cause!

Most of Saturday and Sunday were spent in a haze of packing boxes, as we’ll be moving into our new house next weekend! By Sunday night, I was ready for a break and was so glad I had some good girl time on the calendar.

We went to Luchita’s, which never disappoints with tasty margaritas and Mexican fare.

This past weekend, Luchita’s celebrated its 30th year in business in Cleveland. Next time you need a little fiesta in your life, head on over to Luchita’s!

How was your weekend, CLE? What new answers to Why CLE? did you discover?

Why? Home Cooking!

If you read the blog, it’s no secret that I love to eat and I love to write about cool new places in CLE to get good food. But, I also really love to cook and so I thought I’d share a recent home-cooking adventure. My grandma used to say that you shouldn’t make anything for company that you haven’t made before. This is probably good for your company, but not always practical. So, when I decided to make dinner for CLEmom’s birthday, I went with two new-to-me recipes.

For dinner, I decided to serve red-wine braised short ribs. I found the recipe for the short ribs on The Little Kitchen and you can read and print it here. I was drawn to this recipe because of the red wine glaze, but also the use of lots of vegetables and spices, as well as the long cooking time to get the short ribs tender and flavorful.

You make the short ribs in the slow cooker, but there is a fair bit of prep work before you start. I’m used to slow cooker recipes that basically require you to throw everything in the pot and turn it on. First, I needed to de-bone the short ribs and both brown the meat and cook up the bones. I got my short ribs from my previously-mentioned go-to butcher, Pinzone’s Market Fresh Meats.

The dogs were pretty intrigued by this much meat smell at 6am (with the long cook time, you need to get this in the slow cooker early). Also, if you’ve never butchered short ribs at 6am, you’re really missing out.

From there, it was time to cook the vegetables, then make the sauce with red wine, balsamic vinegar, and thyme. I used Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon for the sauce. Since you’ll have about half a bottle left after making the sauce, pick a wine that you like and enjoy it with your short ribs dinner!

It’s OK to leave your vegetables roughly chopped for this recipe. While they stay in the slow cooker the whole time, you remove them before serving the meat. Next, you get to the typical slow cooker recipe part: throw everything in the pot, turn it on, and go away for 10 hours.

I will say, the house smelled great even before I turned the slow cooker on and the flavors only built over the cooking time. I served the short ribs with mashed potatoes and asparagus. I like to leave the skins on the potatoes for two reasons: (1) It tastes good and (2) I hate peeling potatoes. I seasoned the asparagus with garlic and basil olive oil, wrapped it in foil, and baked it in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

The end result was a very tasty meal! The vegetable and wine flavors permeated the meat, which was fall-apart tender after all the time in the slow cooker. This is a great winter meal and is something that will make your guests feel like they’re getting something really special.

For dessert, I made blueberry cobbler, with blueberries from the West Side Market. You can read and print the cobbler recipe here. The best thing about the cobbler is that it doesn’t call for a lot of sugar, but rather uses the natural sweetness of the berries. It was a delicious finish to the meal and a nice alternative to the traditional birthday cake.

It can be just as fun and exciting (and tasty) to enjoy a good meal at home as it is to enjoy a good meal in one of CLE’s great restaurants. Making a celebratory dinner for my mom, who taught me how to cook and how to enjoy spending time in the kitchen, was particularly special. I hope you try out these recipes and enjoy them as much as we did. And then, the next night, enjoy a fabulous meal out. It’s all about balance, after all…

Have a great weekend, CLE!

Why? Cirque du Soleil Dralion!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Happy, happy birthday to CLEmom! Hope it’s your best ever! Love you!***

One of the best things about CLE is all the opportunities for live theatrical entertainment. From April 4-8, the Cirque du Soleil Dralion show will be performed at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center.

Image Source - cirquedusoleil.com

Dralion gets its name from the dragon, representing Eastern cultures, and the lion, representing Western cultures. The show is a blend of the two cultures and focuses on harmony between humans and nature.

Image Source - cirquedusoleil.com

There are several acts to the show, including aerial pas de deux, skipping ropes, Medusa, and juggling, just to name a few.

Image Source - cirquedusoleil.com

I’ve seen the Cirque du Soleil O show in Las Vegas and was amazed by the theatrics, drama, and talent – not to mention flexibility – of Cirque du Soleil. Dralion brings that magic and wonder right here to Cleveland!

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. Tickets range from $38 to $98. There is a family discount available for 2 adult and 2 child tickets.

Also, you can take advantage of a special Valentine’s discount until February 16: when you enter the code VALENTINE at check-out, you will receive a complimentary upgrade to the next highest level of seating.

For date night, family night, or just a fun night out, Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion promises to provide adventure and excitement!

***Disclosure: I was asked by the Wolstein Center to help promote Cirque du Soleil Dralion. In exchange, I receive 2 tickets to the show. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Weekends!

It finally feels like winter in CLE! On Friday, I headed to the West Side Market with absolutely no idea what I wanted to purchase. Personally, I think this is the best way to shop at the Market. There are so many interesting things (like goat shoulder which I am totally buying next time) and letting your imagination direct your purchase is half the fun.

I started my buying at Kate’s Fish.

The fresh oysters just called to me and after a quick tutorial on how to open them, I was off in search of more dinner items.

Next up: Ohio City Pasta. So many yummy choices! I chose a dozen of the asparagus and marscapone ravioli. Then it was onto Pinzone’s Market Fresh Meats. Whether at the Market or at their store in Parma, Pinzone’s has some of the best meat choices. I scored a just-cut, not-even-in-the-case-yet strip steak.

For dessert, I decided to be a bit sappy. After all, it is almost Valentine’s day.

From Theresa’s Bakery, I got a heart-shaped chocolate mousse cake.

After all that shopping, I needed lunch, so I snagged a bratwurst sandwich. So simple…just a brat on a hard roll with a squirt of stadium mustard. And yet so delicious! I sat up on the balcony and took in the Market.

The Market is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. This is one of CLE’s most amazing spots: so many different cultures coming together, so much good food, and so much history. Shopping there made for a pretty great afternoon!

And shopping at the Market also made for a pretty great evening. Once CLEguy figured out how to open the oysters, we enjoyed them with a mignonette made with The Greenhouse Tavern’s craft beer vinegar. We also opened a bottle of The Greenhouse Tavern’s pinot noir, so I guess we have two of CLE’s best foodie spots to thank for providing us great fare for dinner (CLEguy won both the wine and vinegar at the Iron Chef watch party).

It made for a fantastic meal and a really nice way to relax at the end of the week. As much as I love going out, an evening at home is always nice and way more budget-friendly: the entire meal cost $30!

The next morning, I got up bright and early for a community yoga class at Nishkama Yoga.

I got to practice with Alicia from Poise in Parma and one of her college friends. Our awesome teacher was @BTUniverse, who is one of the sweetest, happiest yogis out there! All I’m going to say about the class is that if you haven’t sung Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” while in pigeon pose, you’re missing out…

Saturday evening, CLEguy and I met up with our CLEfriends R&R for dinner at Yours Truly. I love Yours Truly: a great comfort food menu, a fun atmosphere, and delicious milkshakes!

Both couples decided to share the “Cupid’s Special,” which included an order of notso fries, 2 burgers or chicken sandwiches, and 2 milkshakes. For those of you not familiar, notso fries are waffle fries topped with cheese and bacon and served with a side of sour cream. Delicious!

The Cupid’s Special is only $20 per couple and is being offered through February 19. It’s a great deal!

The rest of our weekend was spent doing wedding-y things, but I’ll tell you all more about that with the next wedding update post. Oh, but we did get to see this sign in front of our new house, which is pretty darn exciting:

How was your weekend, CLE? What new answers to Why CLE? did you discover?

Why? Animal Attractions!

What do you get when you mix some of Cleveland’s great restaurants with an open bar, a steel drum, and some wild animals (and one of my favorite bloggers)? The Cleveland Zoological Society’s Animal Attractions!

With Team PIP at Animal Attractions

This annual fundraiser is held inside the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Rainforest exhibit. Yesterday, I sparked quite the Twitter trip down memory lane when I asked who remembered the Rainforest song. Amazingly, it’s been 20 years since the Rainforest opened and a lot of us still remember singing the song on field trips. Thanks to the @clemetzoo Twitter feed, we actually have the video, for those whose memories are a bit fuzzy…

I totally belted that out last night. Too bad the steel drum man wouldn’t play accompaniment for it…

Anyway, back to the event. There was a plethora of delicious dishes to sample. Fahrenheit was represented by Chef Rocco Whalen, looking great just off of his “Fat Chef” appearance.

The quail with sweet potatoes was so tasty! Another favorite table was Paladar Latin Kitchen, which served up both savory and sweet with chorizo-stuffed corn fritters and chile-chocolate brownie bites with raspberry syrup.

To name just a few more, AMP 150 served up celery root soup shooters, Whole Foods went with tofu and tropical quinoa salad (CLEguy’s favorite), Great Lakes Brewing had their always-tasty pretzel chicken, and Cleveland Cupcake Company had amazing mini cupcakes (I may have had 3, for research purposes).

Aside from the yummy food, there was plenty of opportunity to interact with the critters in the Rainforest. The entire exhibit was open for strolling.

Beyond that, there were presentations from zoo employees (I now know how lobsters mate…VERY carefully) and opportunities to go behind the scenes of either the reptile or amphibian exhibits. There were also volunteers throughout with animals you could get up close and personal with, including snakes, chinchillas, and armadillos.

All in all, it was a fun event in a unique setting. I have such great memories of the Zoo from my childhood and it’s wonderful to be able to make new memories there as an adult. Cheers to the Cleveland Zoological Society!

The Cleveland Zoological Society’s next big event is Twilight at the Zoo on August 3. Tickets go on sale May 1 and members can save $5 on eTickets if purchased in the month of May. You won’t want to miss it!

***Disclosure: I was asked by the Cleveland Zoological Society to help promote Animal Attractions. In exchange, I received 2 tickets to the event. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Jump Back Ball Shop Nights!

Cleveland’s premier fundraising party – Playhouse Square Partners’ Jump Back Ball – is just around the corner! In fact, I received a very cool invitation and tickets in the mail yesterday, which have me anxiously anticipating February 25.

Putting on such a highly-anticipated party takes a lot of work. That’s where Jump Back Ball Shop Nights come in. From now until February 25, Playhouse Square Partners and other volunteers come together in the evenings to help make all the fabulous decorations for Jump Back Ball.

On Monday, I took my distinct lack of artistic ability to Shop Night. In a throwback to first grade art class, I got to paint with cotton balls to decorate some toadstools.

From toadstools to teapots to the Red Queen’s castle, the decorations for this year’s Through the Looking Glass theme are going to be pretty amazing. There was a lot of papier mache-ing, hot glue gunning, and talk of a smoke machine too!

What was even better than seeing all the decorations come together, though, was meeting the people who work on them. Most of the folks at Shop Night have been working on Jump Back Ball for years. They have stories of crazy costumes, glitter nightmares, and even a JBB proposal! There are also young Clevelanders who wanted a way to get involved and joined Partners as that outlet.

The JBB co-chairs were also at Shop Night, hard at work painting and coloring.

Jump Back Ball is sold out for this year. If you have tickets and want a sneak peek at the decorations (or want to be able to point out your painted toadstool that night) or if you were dying to go and still want to be part of some of the fun, then check out Shop Nights!

The remaining Shop Night dates:

Wednesday, February 8 (tonight!)

Monday, February 13

Thursday, February 16

Monday, February 20

Wednesday, February 22

Thursday, February 23

Friday, February 24

Except for the 24th, Shop Nights begin at 6pm and dinner is provided. My shop night also included yummy cookies in Alice-in-Wonderland themed shapes, but I’m not sure everyone will be that lucky. For more information on Shop Nights, click here.

***Disclosure: I was asked by Playhouse Square to be an official Jump Back Ball blogger. In exchange for blogging about Jump Back Ball and events leading up to it, I will receive 2 VIP tickets to Jump Back Ball. As always, all opinions (as well as my decision to attend Shop Night) are 100% my own.***