Kansas Travel - Circle S Ranch & Country Inn

It has been more than a decade since my husband and I celebrated our anniversary in this room at Circle S Ranch & Country Inn, outside of Lawrence, Kan. After we drove down a long country road to reach the inn, the exterior that resembled an old Kansas barn was nothing like the casual luxury we found inside.The Blue and White Room still has the same claw foot tub and soothing blue walls that I remember from that special weekend.

The two story 'living room' hasn't changed much either. Double fireplaces still warm visitors during cold weather as they sink into deep leather couches and oversized chairs, chat and relax. The massive hot tub built in the modern silo looks very similar too.

Visitors can still fish on the property, hike throughout the farm's undisturbed acreage, watch the sunset from a rocker on the front porch, or read away the hours beside a roaring fire. They still enjoy enormous, country-style buffet breakfasts after each night's stay and can purchase a multi-course dinner in the casual dining room with Western decor.

But Jack and Mary, the owners of this family farm and highly successful inn don't rest on their laurels. In recent years, they've added a bar, an entry courtyard and patio, and a conference and media center. There's also a party barn where weddings and private parties of up to 200 people frequently take place.

Since none of the 12 rooms at Circle S are the same, visitors can choose a different environment each time they make a reservation, such as this one, called the Cowboy Room. There's also the Celestial Room, with moons and stars in the headboard and a private fireplace, or the Claret Room. Often called the honeymoon suite, it has a double-sided fireplace, a two-person whirlpool tub and a loveseat.

For a luxury getaway amidst calming natural beauty, Circle S delivers - time after time.

Fried Potato Salad with Mustard Glaze - Thanks Richard!

I recently raved about the Fried Potato Salad with mustard glaze that I enjoyed during my meal at Cafe on the Route, in Baxter Springs, Kan. After I also talked about this lovely stuff during Jasper Mirabile's most recent Saturday show on 710 KCMO Radio, Kansas City, I decided I absolutely had to make a stab at creating this dish myself.

My potato chunks weren't as well 'blackened' as Chef Richard Sanell's were, and his glaze was creamier/less grainy, but Mark and I were quite pleased with the results - given that it had been more than a month since I sampled his delicious spuds. So, with thanks for Richard's inspiration, I give you my version of Fried Potato Salad with Mustard Glaze.

Fried Potato Salad with Mustard Glaze

Makes 4-5 large servings

1/2 medium onion, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

             plus 3 tablespoons olive oil

6 small Yukon gold potatos, cut in bite size chunks with skin on

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/8 cup dijon mustard

          (VOE - Country Style is more grainy than traditional, which I'd use next time)

 3 teaspoons honey

Heat skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and saute until soft and translucent. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and then add potatoes. Fry, covered, but stirring frequently, about 25-30 minutes until skin is dark brown.

Remove potato/onion mixture from heat and pour into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper and coat potato chunks evenly. Stir together mustard and honey and then add to bowl, coating evenly. Serve at room temperature.

Holiday Trains at Union Station - Kansas City

Each year, since 2004, up to 25 members of the Union Station Model Railroad Volunteer Society have created a wondrous world full of model trains and miniature villages in the lobby at Kansas City, Missouri’s Union Station. By the Friday after Thanksgiving this 3,000-hour project opens to the public.

Measuring 60 feet by 64 feet, with thousands of miles of track, the display changes every year. During this holiday season there are 50 trains operating simultaneously, including the largest and most famous G-scale (1/22nd actual size). Train buffs will also recognize:

                -L-scale/Lego trains (1/38th actual size)

                -O-scale trains (1/48th actual size)

                -S-scale trains (1/64th actual)

                -HO-scale (1/87th actual)

                and N-scale (1/148th actual)

Visitors may see a delicate Ferris wheel turning beside a curvy roller coaster, Santa and his team resting atop a snow-capped roof, or antique cars traveling through an Art Deco streetscape.

 

Snow sparkles between the tracks, holiday lights decorate tiny rooflines, and a brightly lit theater marquee announces the current show. In fact, well over 100 individual lights accentuate buildings, signs and signals throughout the display.

 

Children of all ages will appreciate the breathtaking and painstaking detail of this holiday masterpiece, through January 3, 2010. And there’s no charge for a trip to this lovely fantasyland, although donations are gratefully accepted. (Please note: these photos are taken from the 2008-2009 holiday display)

Kansas Travel - Neewollah 90th Anniversary

Who would have guessed, 90 years ago, that Independence, Kansas, a town of less than 10,000 residents, would eventually host the state's largest annual festival? Held every October to coincide with Halloween, the Neewollah celebration in Independence has become a 10-day extravaganza of food, games, and hours of dynamite nightly entertainment. In fact, this year's signature Saturday evening concert event was by Smash Mouth, with tickets starting at only $25!

People from all over the state - and the world - attend this event. And locals, including public school students, often eat lunch as they walk along the main drag or sit at one of the many picnic tables placed on the sidewalk. Dozens of food vendors offer everything from luscious Strawberry Newberg to freshly squeezed limeade or chicken on a stick.

During each evening of Neewollah, and on the weekends, downtown Independence assumes the atmosphere of an old-fashioned carnival, with no cars allowed and dozens of visitors strolling from ride to game to performance stage, where they sit in the folding chairs they've brought along for the event.

If you're looking for a new way to enjoy Kansas' fall season, Neewollah is well worth making a special trip to Southeastern Kansas, and a perfect way to celebrate Halloween. But watch out - you're likely to return again and again. 

Date Pudding - A Holiday Family Tradition

My husband, Mark, says that the first time he suggested making Date Pudding as a Thanksgiving dessert, I turned up my nose at the thought and proclaimed that I didn't like dates. But there was no way he'd celebrate the holiday without this beloved family dessert on the table, so we pulled out my mother-in-law's recipe and the food processor.

Mark's family started making this unusual pudding long before food processors became a staple in every food lover's kitchen, which meant crumbling the crackers, chopping the dates, and breaking up the nuts by hand. But the food processor creates a smooth batter within only a few minutes.

And the results? Fabulous. Date pudding has become one of my favorites and I even eat an occasional fresh date on its own, because of this recipe.

Light and airy when it first leaves the oven, date pudding has a natural tendency to fall - sometimes several inches in the center - within half an hour. So don't worry when you start to see the upper 'crust' begin to break; that means its been baked just right.

One other requirement when we eat date pudding? There must be a big dollop of lightly sweetened real whipped cream on top. It's all about tradition.

Date Pudding
Makes 6-8 servings

1 big cup seedless dates, cut in small pieces
1/2 cup pecan pieces (VOE - we use walnuts because we always have some on hand)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
8 heaping tablespoons saltine cracker crumbs, about 16 crackers
4 level teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan with butter. Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet and with plenty of 'head room' above the oven rack; the pudding may expand two or three times its original size while in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes and do not bake too hard. Cool slightly before serving. 

Breakfast With Fredericksburg Culinary Arts

When we attended a complementary class sponsored by Fredericksburg Culinary Arts, little did we know that we would simultaneously receive a 'taste' of breakfast from Cottages At Limestone On Main Bed & Breakfast - named among the "Great Stays of Texas." Co-owners of both venues, Carol Seminara and her husband, Joe Houde, enthusiastically presented a demonstration meal that featured Texas Hill Country's best seasonal ingredients and their love of great food.

Carol got things underway as she made peach and pecan scones, which she topped with decorative pearl sugar because it holds its shape when exposed to heat. These gorgeous scones were light and airy, with a nice balance of fruit and nut flavors.

Carol's Cottage Granola arrived next - a healthy and tasty combination of rolled oats, almonds, walnuts, coconut, sesame seeds, wheat germ, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla, dried cranberries and golden raisins paired with fresh blackberries and a dollop of creamy vanilla yogurt.

Joe worked his magic with delicate crepes, which enfolded fresh asparagus and cubed ham. A savory, surprisingly light Swiss cheese sauce smothered the completed crepes.

But for sheer inventiveness, this orange juice truly captivated me; it's one 'recipe' that I raved about several times after I returned home. Carol used a star-shaped mold and pomegranate juice to created delightful ice cubes, which decorate and chill the juice as they add flavor. 

Throughout the class, Carol and Joe provided quick tips for anybody's kitchen including:

        -Cold dough in a hot oven is key to baking

        -Every time you open the oven door you reduce the temperature by 25 degrees

        -Coffee filters polish mirrors and chrome

By the time the juice arrived, our tasting menu had filled us so full that we saw no need for lunch. Then Carol and Joe put everything together on a signature silver tray, just as they might for their B & B guests, and I wished I had time to spend the night at Cottages At Limestone on Main.

Kansas Travel - Exploring Route 66

Only 12.8 miles of historic Route 66 passes through Kansas' southeast corner - the smallest number of miles in any state along this legendary road. But there's a wealth of cool places to visit near this little stretch of pavement.

Fans of Guy Fieri's Food Network program, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, may remember one great dining spot that's located along the main drag of Baxter Springs - Cafe on the Route. Although I (unfortunately) didn't see the episode, that national exposure is part of what led me to the cafe. And I was blown away by this place.

After a huge breakfast at a Pittsburg, KS B & B, I wasn't ready for a big meal when I reached Baxter Springs but there was no way that I'd pass up this place. So I ordered a chicken wrap sandwich and a side of their famous fried potato salad with mustard glaze. 

The wrap tasted great but I was determined to duplicate the fried potato salad from my first bite. Skin-on potato chunks, with a bit of crunch and lots of soft, were bathed in this amazing glaze that owners, Richard and Amy Sanell, should seriously consider bottling. You get plenty of food for your money too - before the sandwich/side arrived, I also received a huge salad topped with homemade croutons and a small, light-as-air corn muffin.

Dinner entrees ranged from Chateaubriand to Apple Smoked Salmon, Pesto Pork, Honey Mustard Chicken and Nutcrusted Catfish. The Sanells also run a tasteful B & B upstairs, The Little Brick Inn.

In tiny nearby Riverton, grab a freshly made sandwich from the antique deli counter at Eisler Brothers Old Riverton Store, chow down in the sun-filled, porch-like dining area, and then browse through an amazing array of Route 66 memorabilia and souvenirs in the back room. Opened in 1925, the store draws visitors from throughout the U.S. and the world. This favorite stop for Route 66 fans gained additional exposure as inspiration for the Disney Pixar movie, Cars. After 75 years of operation, the store still offers groceries, produce, and flowers with a large side of memorabilia. 

Don't miss this spot when you cross southeastern Kansas. Better yet, make a special trip there and return home with a new appreciation of the Route and its legendary status in America's culture of the open road. And take home a Route 66 shot glass or T-shirt while you're at it.