Caroline and Julian Clauss-Ehlers’ New Cookbook

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January 4, 2023

ClaussEhlers Family Photo — The Clauss-Ehlers family (from left) includes Olliver, Julian, Caroline, Izzy and Sabrina, along with their dog Luna.

A meal – or even a simple dish – can trigger all kinds of memories. A special holiday, a new relationship, an important discussion, love and loss, traditions.

The pandemic forced families together, with some sharing meals together for the first time ever. And it seems to have been good: An American Heart Association survey in September 2022 said 91 percent of parents surveyed had lower stress levels when they regularly connected over a meal. The majority of those surveyed said sharing a meal reminds them of the importance of connecting with other people and of slowing down and taking a break.

But continuing those newly formed good habits are difficult, especially as life returns to “normal.”

“You should write a book.”

The chaotic schedules of psychologist Caroline (CC) Clauss-Ehlers and her husband Julian, a chef, meant that they often missed or delayed dinners with their three children, ranging in age from preschooler to teenagers. The pandemic brought them together for every meal. According to CC, it “left us with a greater awareness of the value and benefits of family mealtime.” They began planning, preparing and sharing every meal together as a family, all focused on healthy and creative eating.

“Someone suggested that we should write a book, I think because they liked Julian’s food,” CC laughed. “We said, ‘No, we can’t do that!’ But we did begin putting together some ideas. And then COVID hit, and we suddenly had the time.”

The result is Eating Together Being Together, Recipes, Activities and Advice from a Chef Dad and Psychologist Mom, released in September 2022. The book includes 80 recipes and is a manual on how to grow closer as a family through mealtime bonding and cooking together. “It’s about taking food beyond the kitchen and table,” CC said, with each of its 12 chapters providing information about foods and relationships. Each chapter also includes tips and fast facts about food, life, and processes, and activities are based on the age of your “helpers” – young, preteen and teen, or grown-up.

The recipes, created by Chef Julian, range from simple to sophisticated, but are explained in easy-to-follow directions. “We decided to make these recipes accessible to people so they can try different things,” CC said.

Building family, community relationships

“Food is a tool to foster communications and relationships,” CC said. “It’s never too late to start.” The book demonstrates how these relationships can grow and deepen, many times over food. Their youngest son Olliver was 4 years old when he started helping with food preparation and has a very positive experience with it. In fact, CC said that he graduated from his speech therapy during this time. “Cooking for him is a really important part of his life, especially cooking with his sisters.”

Recently his oldest sister Izzy was making a large batch of chocolate banana bread to deliver to her grandfather while she was away at college this fall. As Olliver helped out, he learned that Izzy was going away, and they discussed how he would get along without her. He suggested that she save a bit of the banana bread for him to have while she was gone.

Likewise, the “Soup” chapter describes how it can soothe the soul or create a lasting bond. “It’s a way to show and share love,” CC said. “Food helps friends and family to know they are loved and not forgotten,” whether it’s for family or for weathering the isolation of a pandemic.

Pick up Eating Together Being Together, Recipes, Activities and Advice from a Chef Dad and Psychologist Mom in most online and bricks-and-mortar bookstores.

Kicks by Sammy and Himalayan Momos Winter Giveaway!

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Digital Media

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January 3, 2023

Local Nonprofit TenaCITY Supports Toledo Youth

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Autumn Vasquez

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January 3, 2023

TenaCITY Toledo is a local nonprofit founded in 2021 that serves Toledo youth and families by providing recreation recommendations and resources.

The organization thrives on their mission to build productive relationships and make a positive impact on the youth of Toledo because they believe that healthy teens and a healthy family make for a healthy community.

The Organization

According to the TenaCITY website, the organization partners with current and retired teachers, social workers, military personnel, police officers, artists, and local success stories, as well as local agencies and businesses, to help youth have exciting stories and experiences to draw on into adulthood.

“There are a lot of families who need resources but do not know where to find them, and there is a really big need to partner with families to make sure that there are safe, healthy, avenues for kids to be thriving in the Toledo area,” said TenaCITY founder Kayla Kowalski.

TenaCITY focuses on the ages of 11-15 years and aims to show these local youth that they are supported by their community.

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Vital resources

TenaCITY works with local families, schools, and leaders to provide resources to better the community, including working with local teachers so they can refer parents who may need a hand in finding home necessities such as rental assistance and help with utility bills. These options are often overlooked because parents may be unfamiliar with them, or don’t quite understand the application/eligibility process.

“We want to have intentional impact, maintain integrity, and develop relationships. That is what we are doing one family at a time,” said Kowalski.

The organization has recently partnered with the City of Toledo and other Toledo nonprofits such as the Toledo Zoo, community churches, and even local artists, to provide safe recreational opportunities for teens such as summer camps, after-school activities, and giveaways. Some of the opportunities provided by TenaCITY have costs associated with them but it varies depending on the service.

“We don’t want cost to be a reason why someone is not getting safe recreation, as opposed to either not participating in community events at all or getting themselves into trouble doing something else. We try to find a lot of sponsors to make sure that this does not happen,” said Kowalski.

Kowalski would also like for parents to know that they are always welcome to observe and participate in the recreational programs “because a healthy family unit is only going to make our Toledo teens better.”

How to get involved

With TenaCITY Toledo being a relatively new organization, they are always looking for new ideas from local youth and are eager to make a difference in the community.

“We care very deeply about making sure our kids feel safe and loved. We want to create a space that gives them a sense of belonging, and if it isn’t with TenaCITY, we want to point them in a direction where they can find it,” said Kowalski.

The nonprofit is always accepting volunteers and they encourage local leaders to get involved as well because gaining new partnerships is how the organization can create new opportunities for teens.

“All of our members and volunteers want to see kids thrive. They want to see Toledo’s future leaders do well,” said Kowalski.

The organization also accepts feedback in order to find out where they can make a greater community impact.

For volunteering opportunities and outreach:
Email [email protected]
Follow the Tenacity Facebook Page
Search the Tenacity website
For community leaders & questions directed to founder Kayla Kowalski:
Email: [email protected] OR
Call: 419-356-5201

Perrysburg Resident becomes CEO of National Nonprofit GENYOUth

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Erin Holden

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January 3, 2023

In the United States, one in eight children lives with food insecurity, and 45 percent of children qualify for free and reduced lunches at school due to household income. Fortunately, there is a non-profit organization, GENYOUth, which is working hard to help create healthier school communities across the country. And helping to lead that charge is Perrysburg resident Ann Marie Krautheim, who was recently appointed CEO of the organization.

GENYOUth’s history

GENYOUth was founded in 2010 by America’s dairy farmers and the National Football League to develop public and private partnerships in order to provide grants, allowing for more accessible healthy lunches in America’s schools. Additionally, the organization focuses on getting students active before, after, and during school.

Since the organization was founded, GENYOUth has seen many successes including their flagship program Fuel Up to Play 60 which is a nutrition and physical activity program taking place in over 73,000 schools. Additionally, GENYOUth’s NFL FLAG-In-Schools has become the fastest growing youth sport in the United States, and in the public school system, GENYOUth provides grants for grab-and-go breakfast equipment to allow students the benefit of breakfast at school.

Ann Marie Krautheim named CEO

Recently, GENYOUth has seen a change in its CEO position when Ann Marie Krautheim was appointed. Krautheim is a Perrysburg resident, graduate of The Ohio State University, mother of two, and registered dietician serving the area. She explained “My background as an RD [registered dietician] has also informed my belief that every child deserves not just food security, but nutrition security – the ability to access and enjoy foods that are nutritionally beneficial.”

While she is new to the role of CEO for GENYOUth, she has been working with the organization for over ten years as the President and Chief Wellness Officer, and she has been able to watch the organization grow from a start-up to a leading nonprofit. Her involvement in improving youth health and wellness has been her passion prior to GENYOUth’s inception.

She previously served as Senior Vice President for Nutrition Affairs at the National Dairy Council where she worked to educate and partner with leaders in various fields to improve the health and wellness for children. Additionally she worked as the Director of Nutrition Education and Communication for American Dairy Association MidEast where she helped promote the positive works of America’s dairy farmers.

And along with her responsibilities as CEO of GENYOUth, she still finds time to give back to the community and currently serves on the YMCA Storer Camps Advisory Board.

The Future of GENYOUth

Krautheim stated, “We have made amazing strides over the past decade, but we are only just getting started. Millions of children are waking up hungry each day. The crisis in physical activity continues to worsen – especially among girls.”

GENYOUth’s newest program, Root4Her, is focused on providing support and funds to empower girls to be physically active.

As for Krautheim, her plan as CEO is to “be a leader in championing innovative strategies, partnerships, and programs to help schools strengthen our kids’ health and well-being” and to continue welcoming other purpose-minded organizations to join GENYOUth’s cause to
help the wellness of the children in America.
If you’re interested in learning more about
GENYOUth, or making a donation, please visit GENYOUthNow.org.

Spring Elementary Alum Vincent Flowers donates books to the school

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Mary Rose Kulczak

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January 2, 2023

Speaking with former Toledo native and author Vincent Flowers, is inspiring — encouraging you to give back to the community, to travel and maybe even to write a children’s book. The reason? Vincent Flowers gives anyone who hears his story permission to dream.

“I grew up ‘Out Stickney’ on Paxton in North Toledo. Me, my mom, and my sister,” Flowers explains. As a student of Spring Elementary, he recalls the teachers who shaped his early years. “When I think about Spring School, I think about three teachers. In second grade, Miss Mixon. In fifth grade, Ms. Redmond. And in sixth grade, Mr. Ford.”

An encounter with Ms. Redmond shaped his future. “In fifth grade, I started missing school. Ms. Redmond sent a friend to my house to bring me a note from her. The note said ‘If you don’t get your butt back in school, I’m going to flunk you.’

Flowers went back to school, and Ms. Redmond encouraged him to strive for something more. “She took me aside and said ‘You’re very intelligent, you can do a lot of things, but you need to focus.’”

Inspired to Achieve

Redmond recommended Flowers for the Ohio State Young Scholars program, and he was accepted. The program required students to maintain a 3.5 GPA in middle school and a 3.0 GPA in high school. Flowers did just that, graduating from Central Catholic High School with a 3.65 GPA. Based on that success, he received a full academic scholarship to The Ohio State University.

Zion and Zoe Flowers are the inspiration for their father, Vincent Flowers’ books.

At OSU, Flowers earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. He went on to work for Johnson and Johnson for over twenty years. His work has taken him to over 25 countries, and he has traveled to an additional dozen countries on his own. Not bad for a kid whose annual family vacation was a summer day trip to Cedar Point.

Inspired to Write A Children’s Book

Flowers married, moved to Florida and started a family. While reading a book to his son, Zion, one day, Zion pointed to a character in the book and said “Daddy, that’s me!” Flowers saw how Zion identified with a character that looked like him, and decided to look for similar books. “I was looking around for more books that looked like him, and I was struggling,” Flowers said.

That experience made Flowers decide to write a book that would better represent his family and other families, too. The book, “Zoe and Zion Love To Build,” with characters based on his own children, was published by Mahogany Press Publishing on Father’s Day 2022.

Flowers’ second book, “Zoe and Zion Love to Bounce,” which will be published on Father’s Day of 2023. “Both stories show how Zoe and Zion have each other’s back and how they play together. My plan is to follow them as they age, highlighting different aspects of their relationship and how they love each other.”

Inspired to Give Back

Flowers showcases his personality in the ways he gives back to his community. When the movie “Black Panther” was first released, he worked with teachers and administrators at Spring Elementary to send an entire class of kids to see the movie in the theater, paying for tickets, popcorn and soda.

Recently, he returned to Spring Elementary to read his book to all of the first and second graders. When he finished reading, one student asked ‘Hey Mr. Flowers, the question I have is ‘Can I have that book?’” Flowers was happy to report that every student would get a book that day. “It was like Oprah. Everybody gets a book!” Flowers said with a laugh. Flowers hopes to inspire more people giving back to the community and making a difference in the lives of children.

“You don’t really hear about the positive stuff from people who grew up Out Stickney. We’ve got positive people who have come out of Toledo. People who grew up in Toledo are doing big things. How do we get more people to give back? How do we get more people to see that our children need to see them doing positive things so that they can choose to do positive things, too?”

Flowers believes that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. “I’m an IT guy. I published a children’s book that rose to number one in three categories on Amazon. What I’m trying to do is set an example for my kids, and other kids, to say ‘Hey look, if you want to do something and you just lock in on it, you can make it happen.”

Children’s book author Vincent Flowers with his wife, Zelia, and children Zoe and Zion.

Getting to Know Vincent Flowers

Family: Wife: Zelia
Daughter: Zoe (age 6)
Son: Zion (age 4)

Life in three words: Laughter, family, travel.

Favorite Toledo Restaurant: Gino’s Pizza.

Favorite Toledo Metropark: Wildwood (His uncle was a park ranger there).

Favorite author: Langston Hughes.

Favorite way to spend time off: Traveling! Flowers hopes to take a trip to Sao Paolo, Brazil soon, and has plans to visit Zurich, Switzerland with his wife and children. Also on their list? Dubai and Morocco.

Local Children’s Author Awarded Good Housekeeping 2022 Best Board Book for Kids

By

Mary Rose Kulczak

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January 2, 2023

Local award-winning children’s author and illustrator Merrill Rainey refers to himself as a paper engineer.

“I’ve always enjoyed building things and figuring out the paper engineering of how things go together,” he says. “It’s always intrigued me.”

Growing up in Elyria, Rainey was the youngest in a family of seven siblings.

“There was never a dull moment growing up. We did a lot of imaginary play, a lot of building things, which leads to what I do today,” says Rainey. “When I talk to kids now, I tell them when we were bored as kids, we spent that time building with LEGOS and drawing. I used to do a lot of crafting with my mom. I remember a lot of hot glue gun burns. It doesn’t hurt as bad as it used to, but maybe it’s from all of the callouses I’ve built up over the years,” he adds with a laugh.

His early experiences with art helped shape his decision to study visual communications and design at Kent State University, where he learned the finer details of graphic design and illustration. Later, it was his experience as a father that helped guide him down the path to becoming a children’s author.

“One day, I was at my son’s school. He was in the second grade. We were doing a simple holiday pop-up card and they couldn’t fold a sheet of paper in half, and a good number of them were struggling with cutting. I was thinking, ‘What the heck?’ By eight years old, these are primary hand skills that you should have. I started to see a need, to see if I could make a difference in some form or fashion.”

He began working with US Kids magazines to develop a feature called “Color, Cut, Play” with characters and buildable scenes that kids could interact with after simple assembly.

“Obviously, there was a need from a mechanical standpoint,” Rainey explains, but “there was a need from a creativity standpoint. Where else could we go from here? I self-published the Superhero edition of ‘Color, Cut, Create,’ which did really well. That book was geared towards giving kids the learning opportunity to show them that what I am doing with these paper toys is not all that difficult. They can learn from that, and they can basically go out and build their own paper toys and projects.”

His newest Color Cut Create books are published by Odd Dot, a subsidiary of Macmillan Children’s Publishing.

“Oink, I’m a Pig” was published in September 2022

Award-winning board books

In addition to his paper engineering books, Rainey has also published board books for young children. One of his books, “ROAR! I’m a Dinosaur!” was recently awarded one of the Good Housekeeping Best Kids’ Board Books for 2022. This interactive book allows children and adults to hold the book up to their faces and pretend to be a dinosaur.

“They are books that get you seeing things differently. It is a book, but when you hold it up as a mask, you’re seeing it from a different point of view,” Rainey says.

Future events and projects

Rainey continues to work with children’s magazines as a contract illustrator and designer, all while maintaining a busy schedule filled with book festivals, school visits, and workshops. Currently, he is working on a “Color, Cut, Create” concept book for younger children. He was also chosen by Holiday House books to illustrate a re-release of the classic book “Giants Are Very Brave People” by Florence Parry Heide. His hope is that his books and projects will have an impact that will be remembered for years to come.

“That’s the goal. To have a purposeful piece going out into the world and hope that it connects or helps.”

An example of an activity in “Color, Cut, Create

Q and A with Merrill Rainey

Family: Wife, Brooke, and son, Chase (age 12) and daughter, Zoey (age 8).

Favorite Restaurant: Dino’s Diner in Maumee for breakfast.

Best Donuts: Mama C’s Donuts

Favorite children’s author or illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg.

Hidden Gem in Toledo: The Children’s Library in the Main Toledo Library downtown.

Favorite way to spend a day off: Antiquing with the family or spending time outdoors hiking and camping.

Website: littlerainey.com