Sauder Village’s Apple Butter Making Week

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September 1, 2015

Savor the taste of fall during Sauder Village’s Apple Butter Making Week. The whole family can taste homemade apple pies and dumplings, try a hand at cider pressing, enjoy apple-themed activities, and watch the process of apple butter being made, traditionally a family-centered event, bringing a community together to preserve part of the apple crop and share the delicious treat.

10am-3:30pm Wednesday, September 23-Friday, September 25, 10am-5pm Saturday, September 26.
Free with admission.
Sauder Village, 22611 State Rte. 2, Archbold.
1-800-590-9755. saudervillage.org

UT Helps TPS Go Green

By

Christine A. Holliday

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September 1, 2015

Toledo Public Schools are going green, and the Univeristy of Toledo is providing the groundwork. The University received a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency that provided them with a new, campus-wide recycling system, then decided to spread the word about sustainability by donating their old recycling bins to surrounding TPS schools. UT crews have collected over 82,000 pounds of recyclable materials including handling the processing and sale of collections from both TPS and UT. Some of the revenue is given back to Toledo Public Schools to keep the program going. This year schools made a competition in sustainability, with Start High School, Bowsher High School, and Larchmont Elementary School leading the effort with almost 17,000 combined pounds of material.

Native Sons and Daughters

By

Christine A. Holliday

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September 1, 2015

Native Sons and Daughters, a family adventure group, invites you to learn about the program and have some outdoor fun at the Rally at the Metropark. Organizer Steve McLaughlin has set up this free event, open to the public, where you can play field games, enjoy a cookout, and get information about the organization. The Native Sons and Daughters group offers campouts, bowling, horseback riding, canoeing, Mud Hens games, archery, and a pinewood derby race, among many other activities for kindergarteners to high schoolers. Come to the rally for more information and for a taste of the fun you’ll have through the program. Look for the event near the Native American teepee at Wildwood between the Whitetail Shelter House and the playground.

Sunday, September 13. Wildwood Preserve Metropark, 5100 W. Central Ave.
Contact Steve McLaughlin, 419-699-0007 facebook.com/toledo.nsd

PRIZM Hosts First Youth Art Exhibition

By

TiAnna Anderson

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September 1, 2015

PRIZM, a non-profit literary and visual arts group, hosted their first ever youth art exhibition. The “Color My World” exhibit opened at Way Public Library in Perrysburg on August 17 and continues until October 13. Youth from toddlers to middle schoolers had the opportunity to showcase their talents using tools of their choice to create works of art following the library’s summer reading theme, “Every Hero Has a Story,” PRIZM’s creative challenge theme, “Seasons of Change,” or a theme of their own. PRIZM members thought this exhibition would be a wonderful way to mentor young artists and help them make great memories over the summer. Annette Jensen, PRIZM President, says, “Enjoying the innocence of children’s art is always inspiring.” This is why the members decided to do an event for younger artists. In the past, the group hosted a Careers in Creativity conference for high school students. At the beginning of the year, PRIZM will be showcasing art from local preschoolers. Annette believes that when talent is encouraged at a young age, it always develops into something amazing.

For more information on upcoming PRIZM events for artists young and old,
please visit www.myprizm.net.

M Osteria brings big city feel to Toledo

By

Karen L. Zickes

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September 1, 2015

M Osteria Bar & Lounge
609 Monroe St. Toledo
419-214-4222
Mon-Thur: 11:30am-11pm
Fri: 11:30am-2am
Sat: 4pm-2am

The Short Course
Kid friendly: Better suited for older children or adults
To avoid wait: Anytime
Noise level: Moderate
Bathroom amenities: No changing station
High chairs: Yes
Got milk? No
Kids’ menu? No, however they can make plain buttered noodles, and pizzas and burgers are on the menu
Allergies: Make server aware of allergies. Gluten free and vegan options are available. Food can also be prepared on an induction burner off the line to ensure no cross contamination.

Summertime in the city!

As mentioned in my previous columns, the kids and I set out to discover what downtown Toledo has to offer. We enjoyed our adventure of experiencing new places. The more we venture downtown, the more we realize how much the city has to offer and we need to continue making the most of it! This column concludes my trilogy of summertime in the city. We finished our journey in style.

Comfortable sophistication

Occasionally, people equate sophistication with something being stuffy, pretentious, or uptight. However, in my opinion, owner and local entrepreneur Pasquale (Pat) Giammarco hit it spot on with the balance of comfort and sophistication at his newest venture, M Osteria Bar & Lounge that opened in late February. Giammarco is the founder of Marco’s Pizza which has grown to boast locations in 36 states and three countries! Lucky for us, Giammarco has decided to experiment with a different concept in OUR city.

Osteria (pronounced oste’ ria), is Italian for “a place serving simple foods and wine.” I wouldn’t call the delectable edibles “simple,” but I’d call them delicious. (I will get to the food in a bit.) The location is a stone’s throw from Fifth Third Field on Monroe Street, in the midst of the hustle and bustle. The old brick building has been completely renovated and the interior has a hip bistro feel about it with a lot of character. Honestly, it felt like a place you’d find in a much larger city.

The woodwork and stunning staircase blend well with the open ceiling and exposed brick walls. The wrap around bar and open kitchen in the back add to its personality. We chose a high table near the front window and enjoyed watching the activity on the street. Not exactly something you can do at a restaurant in the ‘burbs.

Leave the toddlers at home

Almost everywhere you go; you see families out with their little ones eating chicken fingers alongside their filet and shrimp cocktail indulging parents. That’s great. I’m a parent too. But sometimes, it’s refreshing to walk into a place and know you won’t hear anyone throwing a tantrum or better yet, throwing food. I love kids, don’t get me wrong. But M Osteria flaunts a very adult vibe.

According to head chef Justin Thomas, kids are certainly welcome, and they do have high chairs, but there is no kids’ menu; as M Osteria is geared toward adults. “We’ll do buttered noodles or spaghetti and meatballs,” said Thomas, and there are options like pizza or chicken breast on the menu as well.

We dined on a weeknight and people slowly streamed in after work, meeting up for a drink at the bar or dinner with a friend. The sophisticated yet comfortable lounge upstairs is open on the weekends with a DJ starting around 10pm. I see a GNO on the horizon.

Traditional Italian fare

“We do everything from scratch here,” said Thomas. They make their own pastas and the menu changes according to the seasons, depending on what they can source from local farms. Bread or salad did not come with our meals, so we enjoyed the garlic butter knots with red sauce to get us started.

I devoured the Asparagus Angelotti pasta with Maitake mushrooms. The fresh flavors were bursting out of the pasta pockets! My daughter decided to try the Chicken Milanese. The fried chicken cutlet was on Ciabatta bread with mozzarella, spinach, pickled red onion and gremolata aioli for $10. I couldn’t resist eating some of her leftovers the next day. My boys were a little daring and shared the Bianco pizza. The garlic cream sauce, chicken and spinach served on their thin crust was a delicious hit; even for the youngest who was a bit tentative.

Bottom Line:
The from scratch Italian and American cuisine mixed with the hip bistro flare of places found in much bigger cities makes M Osteria a great destination. They will certainly welcome and accommodate your children, but I suggest you make this a fun night out with someone special or a group of friends, and end the evening taking in the skyline views from the upstairs lounge.

Educational Child Care

By

Nikki Khuong

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August 28, 2015

The Toledo Parent Education Guide was published this month and that means parents will likely start thinking about their child's education. There are numerous educational options available for kids of all ages. It's not easy for parents to weigh the options and make decisions but it is important and all factors should be evaluated.

One issue that many families face is finding quality, educational child care. Parents often struggle to find part-time or full time child care for younger kids or before/after school care for older kids. Most options offer a general yet safe supervision of children but not all child care options include an educational aspect. Children greatly benefit from tutoring and additional enrichment opportunities. Some examples of further enrichment include homework help, learning a new language, art, music, or anything else that's important to your family! Families that find a child care option that includes these will enjoy the inclusive convenience. Families that find a child care option that includes homework help, tutoring, or additional enrichment activities will enjoy the inclusive convenience of not having to pay extra and not having to schedule time to drive children around as much after school.

One option is to welcome an Au Pair into your home for a convenient live-in child care option. 45% of available Au Pairs (source: Go Au Pair) have prior tutoring or teaching experience. This is something many families will find comforting. School age kids love having an Au Pair because it's like having an older sibling that wants to spend time with them! Best of all this older sibling type role model is fun but also responsible and reliable!

The Toledo Parent Education Guide is a great resource for learning about the options available to your family. Review all of the options and weigh out the benefits of each before making your decision.

Nikki Khuong is an author, mother, early childhood education expert, and Local Area Representative for Go Au Pair in the Toledo area. Go Au Pair has been providing quality childcare for over 27 years and is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a sponsored agency to provide families affordable child care solutions through various Au Pair Programs.