Digging for a Story at Oak Park, California

It is always exciting to visit a small community where one of my recipes now call home.
Thank you for purchasing my family favorite:

Zippy Meatballs Recipe Postcard by gramabarb

When I was researching Oak Park Community I found a little gem in it's complex history.
It was only one sentence long but for anyone interested in "Show Biz" history it was a fun find.
The Wikipedia source: "Oak Park was formed from ranchland owned by Marian Jordan, star of the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly." It seems it was purchased in the 1960's.
The most interesting history is covered in the video called, Oak Park in the Movies.
The creators of this video did a really good job of putting it together so that you knew where in the current Oak Park the movie was filmed by using split screen.
I strongly suggest you watch this video of 70 years of filming in Oak Park, CA
http://youtu.be/ajK0c6Na2j4

Thank you for visiting Oak Park, CA

Stagecoach Days at Banning, CA

Banning has a rich stagecoach history and it is fitting that there is a festival called Stage Coach Days in Banning, California.
It is named after Phineas Banning who was a stagecoach line owner.

Mark Twain referred to the stagecoach as a cradle on wheels in his book Roughing It.

Visit Banning Stagecoach Days

Someone from Banning purchased these recipes:

Mincemeat Squares Recipe Postcard by gramabarb
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Lemon Recipe Postcard by gramabarb
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Fresh Apple Cake Recipe Post Cards by gramabarb
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Thank you very much for visiting my Recipe Gift Store

Welcome to Chicago (shikaakwa), IL

Two dozen Apple Cake Recipes recently travelled to Chicago, IL. Thank you!

Fresh Apple Cake Recipe Post Cards by gramabarb

What interests me the most about going to Chicago is the fact that it is situated along the shores of Lake Michigan and two rivers called the Chicago River and the Calumet River. I am going to head there first to see the most popular parks.
Lincoln Park is a 1,208 acre (488.86 ha) park along the lakefront of Chicago.
Plan to spend the entire day at Lincoln Park as there is so much to see and do.
The Lincoln Park Zoo is free and open 365 days a year.
http://youtu.be/zx4ptBNWlgI

Are you ready to go to the beach in Chicago?
32 Chicago Beaches in 1 Day
http://youtu.be/zhJ2mZN5x1k

Thank You Chicago for a great time!

Tour Hannover, Germany Slowly

Two of my Lemon Recipe Postcards travelled to Hannover, Germany which inspired me to spend some time taking an armchair travel tour of the city.
All the cities in Germany are magnificent works of historic art and Hannover is no exception. But I have discovered each city has its own unique attractions and I was determined to learn what sets Hannover apart from others.
I was fascinated by the blend of ancient art and modern art that would have me snapping photographs at every turn if I was there in person. We can start with a short video tour of Hannover and you will see what I mean as we follow the "red line" past 36 interesting places through the city:
http://youtu.be/8IjIc1jq-H4

Aerial view of the Northern half of the Great Garden

Urban Gardens and Parks are at the top of my list whenever I visit a city. I was anxious to learn about Hannover's Gardens.
Everything you read about Hannover talks about the Herrenhausen Gardens that are made up of The Great Garden, The Berggarten, The Georgengarten and The Welfengarten. I would plan on spending all day at this park.
http://youtu.be/2rq12r7CsMA

Here is the recipe that we followed to Hannover, Germany:

Lemon Recipe Postcard by gramabarb

Thank for for visiting.

Let's Talk about 1000 Pairs of Socks and Feet

This is all about feet and who are suffering from painful feet especially in the winter time. This what frostbite looks like and it preventable by wearing warm socks - it is as easy as that.

After hearing about all the foot problems the homeless suffer with, I knew I had to give socks to an organization that will personally give the socks to those who need them most.

I am now known as the Sock Granny and this is my second year that I am collecting socks. This year I have a Sock Team who have volunteered to set up drop-off locations and deliver the socks to me.
The Vancouver BC, Canada locations are listed in this new blog The Sock Granny

As you read the blog you will read my story and how I met, Molly, my mentor plus you will see that everyone is very passionate about collecting socks for the homeless and the mentally ill. The Sock-Friends have been working hard to start this 1000 Pairs of Socks Campaign. If you live in Vancouver, BC you can donate at the locations listed in the blog. More will be added as they become available. http://sock-granny.blogspot.ca/

Sock Friend Amanda is managing the Sock Granny Facebook page you are invited to like and follow us. Please donate socks at the Starbucks where she works at 1855 Burrard St - for Amanda. Thank you to the management and staff at Starbucks.

We thank you for caring!

First socks donated for the 2014/2015 winter season!

Italian Recipe went to New York, NY

Eight of my Italian Recipe cards traveled to New York City. I have no way of knowing if they went to Little Italy, NYC but I hope they did. My sisterinlaw gave me this recipe from Venice, Italy.

Italian Dessert Recipe Postcard by gramabarb
More Recipe Postcards

My sisterinlaw is Roberta Rich and the author of the international bestseller "Midwife of Venice". What caused this book to become so popular is because Roberta did endless research into the lives of 16th century women in Venice. With a clear picture of life then she set about to develop the character of Hannah who suddenly came to life and the world immediately fell in love with Hannah.

The Midwife of Venice



Thank you for visiting.

Family Friendly Fayetteville, Arkansas

A quick tour of the city and featuring two of the big festivals

Fayetteville, Arkansas collage photo source wikipedia

Cute Rookie Red and a catchy tune is your tour guide of Fayetteville, AR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML80v2iyA9o
Bikes Blues and BBQ Festival is a rally with a purpose. The founders of the festival wanted to keep the standards high so that everyone felt welcome including families with children. Plus they wanted it to have a greater purpose by giving back to the community by donating to local charities.
History of Bikes Blues and BBQ
The Rally for 2014 is on Sept. 24 to 27
Bike parade 2013 Fayetteville, AR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSVTm6cwSiY

Another Festival I want to mention is the Fayetteville Roots Festival
Fayetteville Roots Festival is a four-day urban music festival taking place August 28 - 31, 2014.

We followed the following recipes to Fayetteville, AR. Thank you for the journey.

Fresh Apple Cake Recipe Post Cards by gramabarb
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Louise's Zucchini Chocolate Cake Postcard by gramabarb
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Carrot Cookies Recipe
Carrot Applesauce Cake Recipe
Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

Thank you for visiting.

Your Food Questions Answered "Vanilla"

Every now and then someone asks me a question about food so to fill that need I will post the question and answer sources on this blog:

Todays subject is about Vanilla

The vanilla plant belongs to the Orchid family. The photograph from Wikipedia is of a Vanilla Orchid flower. There are about 110 species of Orchids and the Vanilla Orchid is one of them. Many people like to grow this orchid as a house plant.

Pat, Jean and Marionne would like to know "How does the Vanilla plant grow and where does it grow?"
They are a vine-like plant that climbs trees or posts provided by the farmer as you will see in the videos. One of the most tedious jobs when you are growing commercial Vanilla Orchids to harvest the vanilla pods is hand pollinating each flower. Blooming occurs only when the flowers are fully grown. Each flower opens up in the morning and closes late in the afternoon on the same day, never to re-open. If pollination has not occurred meanwhile, it will be shed and the vanilla pod will not grow.
I searched Youtube to find videos that will clearly explain the growing process that goes into our favourite flavour for ice cream and many other products worldwide.

This is a short video that is good for an introduction to the world of Vanilla Orchids.
Brief history of the vanilla plant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cp1YMDGgSs

After looking at many videos I decided this one is the best for picture quality and commentary.
Best video of a farm tour in Hawaii
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXK8PD4-6_Y

Close-up of the Vanilla Orchid flower
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSiOhE7jJrw

The green on the map shows the distribution of the Vanilla Orchid plant.

Your Food Questions Answered "Pineapples"

Every now and then someone asks me a question about food so to fill that need I will post the question and answer sources here:

Todays subject is about Pineapples

Some people wonder if they grow on trees. No,they don't grow on trees.
Pineapples belong to the bromeliad family and each pineapple grows as a single plant.

Today Marionne asked "How does pineapple grow and how is it harvested?"

Answer:
Youtube has the best answer to both those questions because you can hear the explaination and watch the video demonstrate what is being said.


How Pineapples grow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpJHgXaPzFA

How they are harvested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFYEeFpvik8

photo source is from free pixabay.com

Wichita, Kansas known as an All-American City

Google+ The closest I've been to Wichita, KS is via a 1955 movie called "Wichita", starring Joel McCrea as Wyatt Earp. During the short time Wyatt Earp was in town, Wichita had become a rough "cow town" when the Longhorn cattle drive from Texas arrived with all the tough cowboys looking for a good time.

Wichita the Movie


Now Wichita is the biggest city in Kansas and is the major center of the aircraft industry in the USA.

Discover Botanica Park. It is divided into about 30 themes
A quick look at Botanica Park in the following video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDguNl1o26k

And of course, no trip to Wichita, KS is complete without visiting Cowtown in the age of Longhorn cattle and gunfights in the streets re-enacted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kic1NjpMik8

Thank you to the person who bought two of my recipes that we could follow to Wichita, KS

Enjoy the recipes

Cinnamon Toast Postcard by gramabarb
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Angel Food Cake Postcard by gramabarb
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All Bike Trails Lead to Münsingen, Germany

One of the biggest events at Münsingen, Germany are Mountain Bike Marathons

You will enjoy the beautiful German country side as you follow the 659 bikers on their trail in the following video.
Impressions of the mountain bike marathon Münsingen // 13.04.2014 including Centurion mountain sprint Challenge45 km // 850 humph // 659 participants
http://youtu.be/DqBYwZ3S6MM

A sample of one of the bike trails

Route 569,090 - powered by www.bikemap.net

I am grateful to the person in Münsingen, Germany who bought my recipe GramaBarb's Carrot Pineapple Cake Postcard

GramaBarb's Carrot Pineapple Cake Postcard by gramabarb
Browse Carrotcake Postcards

Thank you for visiting.

Everyone wants to go to Berlin

Berlin is on just about everyone's list of cities they want to visit. Is it on your list?

One of the many events I remember about Berlin is seeing the news broadcast when the Berlin Wall dividing it into East and West was built back in 1961. Then I remember watching when the gates in the Berlin Wall were opened in 1989 and the Wall fell.
Below is a photograph from Wikipedia of a crane removing part of the wall.

Let's take a step away from the history books and enjoy Berlin now in the 21st Century. First of all we will appreciate the beautiful forests and lakes throughout the Berlin region.

Berlin is the capital of Germany
A short tour of Berlin today in this video
http://youtu.be/y1UarPueBBM

Top 10 Berlin (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE)



Thank you for following this recipe to Berlin, Germany!

Sausage & Leek Soup Recipe Postcard by gramabarb
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Sacramento is a City of Nuggets

Visiting Sacramento you will learn it is full of priceless history and how it truly lives up to the motto "Indomitable City".
RISING ABOVE: Building the indomitable city
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiAWhipXDrk

Another nugget that impressed me about Sacramento are the community gardens throughout the city.
For example, Fremont Community Garden is completely organic and they even have an orchard. The benefits of working together as a community in the garden is commented about in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSmwInPWEtM

My favorite nugget in Sacramento is the World Peace Rose Garden

This garden is part of an International World Peace Rose Garden organization.
You can visit the rose gardens all promoting international peace.

There is one more nugget I hope everyone appreciates and takes advantage of and that is Sacramento Free Museum Day every February. I love this event because it lets everyone enjoy a little culture regardless of income.

Just because the gold rush is over doesn't mean you won't find nuggets of higher value in Sacramento, California.

Thank you for following my recipe for Sausage and Leek Soup to Sacramento!

Sausage & Leek Soup Recipe Postcard by gramabarb
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Sacramento's Gold Rush Saloons: El Dorado in a Shot Glass

How Green is Green Vancouver, BC, Canada?

Four recipes take us to Vancouver, BC

Ivy's Shortbread Recipe Postcard by gramabarb

Feta Salad Recipe Postcard by gramabarb
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Chicken Casserole Recipe Postcard by gramabarb
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Cinnamon Toast Postcard by gramabarb
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When I learned that 4 of my recipes travelled to Vancouver, I wondered what will I feature about Vancouver?
When I examined the list of things to see and do in Vancouver everything had one thing in common. Vancouver is GREEN!

Vancouver has about 200 city parks and by visiting each one you will see they highlight different aspects of Green Vancouver from Community Vegetable Gardens to Tree Walks where you can learn the identity of the wide variety of trees in Vancouver. Nearly every park has an abundance of physical fitness activity for every age.

This in my photograph taken in 2011.

The Mayor of Vancouver has had an action plan to be the Greenest City in the World. So the Vancouver Sun asked the question "How green is Vancouver now?" on Feb. 21, 2014

A sample of the Vancouver Parks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLMWB6PDhQY

Great Walks of Vancouver: Metro Vancouver Plus Squamish to Whistler
Parks and Nature Places Around Vancouver

Clifton Park, NY - Read the Book!

To appreciate the personality of Clifton Park, NY, you will want to read the book:

Clifton Park (Images of America)
It contains more than a century of images from 1875 to 1950 about life in and around Clifton Park, NY.
I feel so honored that my Zippy Meatballs Recipe travelled to this historic town.

Clifton Park is a suburban town in Saratoga County, New York, United States.

Thank you for visiting Clifton Park, NY



Update June, 2014 one of my favorite recipes went to Clifton Park, NY. We have these Crab Cakes for dinner often as they are easy to make and always tasty.

Crab Cakes Recipe Postcard by gramabarb
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We are going to Wales!

I have always wanted to go to Wales because one branch of my ancestor family tree was born there! One of my ancestors is Edward Dodd born June 23, 1774 in Caerwent, Wales.
When I learned that someone from Prestatyn, Wales bought my Family Lemon Loaf Recipe I was excited.
Where is Prestatyn,Denbighshire, Wales,UK?
It is located on the Irish Sea coast with a long accessible beach thereby making it a popular resort town.

Visit Prestatyn's homepage
http://www.visitprestatyn.com/
Wales has an impressive Coastal Walk that follows the entire coastline of Wales (870 miles) and the northern end of this long walk goes past Prestatyn. The Wales Coast Path homepage.
Follow a couple of hikers as they follow the beach at Prestatyn on this short video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FerIIgHy-y4


A view of Prestatyn looking toward the Irish Sea:

Lonely Planet Wales (Country Guide)




Thank you for buying my recipe!

Family Lemon Loaf Postcard by gramabarb

map and photo cc wikipedia