Category Archives: Community

Opening Day in My World

Posted on May 31, 2013 by AnnieRie

Two years running. Opening day at Larriland.

Lots of cars. Lots of people. My husband and I got there at 1030, after the initial rush when they open at 9 AM. Same prices as last year.

We picked 24 pounds. Yep, 24 pounds. This is what they looked like when we got home.

We did whole berries. Pureed some. Sliced berries. Left some in the fridge for desserts. Put some away to give the neighbors. Oh, and made strawberry daiquiris to celebrate the season.

Picking took us about an hour. Processing took me about two hours, and in my spare time I made my rhubarb BBQ sauce also. It was a fruit processing day here.

That lovely puree. Will become smoothies and strawberry yogurt Popsicles. I need to hit Breezy Willow tomorrow for more yogurt to make the pops. The ones in the freezer, pictured above, will get put away for later this summer. They make a mean sangria when dropped in dry rose wine.

Love the fact that Larriland is open again. Looking forward to blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches and who knows what else. The freezer needs filling.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Community, Farms, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, West HoCo and tagged cooking, farms, Food, foodie, hoco loco, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, real food, West HoCo, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Hawaiian Shave Ice on Montgomery Road

Posted on May 25, 2013 by AnnieRie

Yes, the sign says shave ice. It looks like shave ice. Tastes like shave ice.

Egg custard. My favorite flavor for snowballs and shave ice. HowChow wrote about the lack of shave ice in this area. I commented about the stand on Liberty Road, but that’s pretty far away.

Today, after a quick trip to Staples to get printer cartridges, we headed east to see if Baugher’s farm stand is open, or when they will open. So I can add them to my foursquare farmstand list.

But, missing the turn at New Cut Road, we went up to the intersection of Waterloo Road and Montgomery Road to turn around. There, by the TBonz truck was a trailer selling shave ice.

I am not sure if they are always there, but it is definitely not snow cone or snow ball ice, which is much larger. This is fluffy. I have to say the Liberty Road stand I talked about before has really wonderful homemade flavors, but this is good.

We will have to go try our other standard. Spearmint.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Community, Food, Howard County and tagged community, Food, foodie, Howard County. Bookmark the permalink.

Two Tickets to Paradise …

Posted on May 16, 2013 by AnnieRie

… at Wine in the Garden. So, what do Eddie Money and Howard County Conservancy have in common. Those two tickets.

Wine in the Garden is the annual fundraiser held in the Honors Garden at the Conservancy.

Always the Thursday before Memorial Day Weekend. Details for tickets are here.

This year Southwest donated two unrestricted tickets to anywhere they fly in the US, worth up to $800. The Conservancy is holding a raffle of these tickets instead of putting them in the silent auction. $10 a raffle ticket. You can buy the raffle tickets in advance or at the event on the 23rd of May. Drawing the night of the event.

We love attending Wine in the Garden. I don’t volunteer to pour wine, although I do it at enough events there. This is our fun event. We buy our tickets in advance to take advantage of the discount, and spend the evening strolling around, listening to the music, tasting wine, and checking out all the small plate goodies from the caterers.

This year, too, some of the silent auction items look really intriguing. We have won a couple of items in the past. My favorite is still the reclining fold up chair that was donated by REI. Particularly love this necklace that the Conservancy highlighted on their facebook page recently.

This year fourteen caterers are signed up. Three different suppliers of wines. Cindy’s Spirits from Elkridge is providing a selection of wines, and two Maryland wineries will be pouring their wines. Far Eastern Shore and Linganore Winecellars.

Nice to have this mix of wines. Many of the caterers bring spicy items that pair well with some of Far Eastern Shore, and Linganore has a selection of dry and sweet. You can match a wine with a food and really enjoy the variety. Like we did when we were looking for a slightly sweeter wine that would go well with shrimp.

This event is also very popular. Hundreds of people mingle and visit. Lots of old friends of ours show up here. We run into people we haven’t seen in ages.

Joining us there?

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Community, Howard County, Local Businesses, Volunteering, Wine and tagged community, Howard County, howard county conservancy, spring flowers, volunteering, weather, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Wegmans, wordbones and howchow

Posted on May 13, 2013 by AnnieRie

Say what? This title conveys my route to finding howchow and wordbones aka Dennis Lane. I am a foodie, and yes, a locavore, but still a foodie. Hunt Valley Wegmans was an amazing source of foods years ago, when we ran up and down I-83 to PA to visit my MIL.

Rumors that HoCo was getting a Wegmans sent me on a google search which led me to howchow. This post sent me to discover Tales of Two Cities, and all that lovely inside information Dennis managed to find.

I used howchow to find restaurants and checked out a few posts about Wegmans by Dennis. A year or so later, I started blogging. I approached howchow to get linked into his web site, and he graciously helped me with links and references. I owe quite a bit to him in getting me local readers last year.

I then met Dennis at my first hocoblogs party, and we talked about many mutual friends. A week later, after my spinal fusion, I was housebound, so I read his entire blog. WOW, what I learned about living here would fill a book!

Tales of Two Cities gave me more info about HoCo than any newspapers did. For me, though, having Dennis add me to his sidebar, and help me grow my locavore/retiree/west county blog was just one of those unselfish things HoCo bloggers like he and howchow did.

This little blogging community is simply awesome. We really care about where we live and what we do. Missing Dennis’ blog will be difficult for many. Missing his close friendship is something I won’t experience as he was a new friend, but I read in their blogs about the closeness of his friendships with my fellow bloggers and I see their pain.

From my little corner of the blogosphere, I think HoCo has many talented writers who will stand up and blog more to share things all of us love about living here.

The local bloggers are wearing red this week to celebrate Dennis’ life. I have nowhere special to go but here is my “red”.

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Commentary, Community, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, People and tagged commentary, community, Food, foodie, hoco loco, hocoblogging, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, wegman's. Bookmark the permalink.

A Hole in Our Hearts

Posted on May 10, 2013 by AnnieRie

I can’t even imagine how it feels to have this happen. To lose someone you love like this.

One of our best bloggers, someone we knew and liked, for years, is so tragically taken from us.

My favorite picture of Dennis.

Another Columbia pioneer. Whose blog was the second one I read in Howard County. Howchow was the first, and howchow’s blog sent me to Dennis aka wordbones.

We shared quite a bit. A hair stylist. Wayne at Cavallero. An old neighbor, who worked with him on Columbia Festival, Nichole Hickey. We talked at the hocoblogs parties about our small worlds, where we knew many of the same people.

When I was recovering from surgery, I read his entire blog. From 2006 until 2012. I learned so much about this county. Dennis really loved it here. He came here in 1968. Me in 1975. We talked the last time I saw him, about the Columbia Game. The monopoly like game from 30 years ago.

Dennis loved everything about his two cities. We will miss him greatly.

Rest in peace, friend and inspiration.

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Community, Howard County, People and tagged community, Howard County. Bookmark the permalink.

A Mother’s Day Garden Party

Posted on May 9, 2013 by AnnieRie

At the Conservancy.

May 11th Saturday morning at 10am. A Mothers’ Day Special-

Enjoy a beautiful Springtime morning out with your mother or a friend! Sip tea and sample home baked scones at the historic Brown sisters’ farmhouse.

Stroll to the Conservancy’s 8 gardens and talk with the garden clubs, Master Gardeners, and staff who design and maintain these gardens year round.

$5 per person, $10/family. In case of inclement weather, check website. This is something new the volunteers have been working. A Mother’s Day event. Last year we had children make cards and bouquets for their moms and grandmoms. This year, eight of the gardens will be open with many of them having the local garden clubs there to talk about what they do, at the Conservancy and in their clubs.

Additionally, the Master Gardeners will be at the historic garden plots. The community garden managers will be there to talk about their gardens, and the volunteers who will be busy grooming the Honors Gardens for Wine in the Garden will be hard at work, taking care of the three acre native plant site.

Crossing our fingers that the weather is lovely. At least the gardens are flourishing from these spring showers.

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Community, Gardening, Howard County, Volunteering and tagged community, family, gardening, Howard County, howard county conservancy, spring flowers, volunteering. Bookmark the permalink.

Opening Day Tomorrow!

Posted on May 7, 2013 by AnnieRie

Yes, the Howard County Farmers Markets open tomorrow at Miller Library at 2 pm. The first of five straight days of producer only markets. Three are at libraries. One at the hospital and one at a village center.

I have been going to our county markets since they first opened. Back when our local market was on Cedar Lane at the church. Of course, back then I also hit Clarks Farm produce stand on the way home, too.

There is nothing like freshly picked fruit and veggies, or fresh meat and dairy. It looks like we are getting a creamery back into the market to replace South Mountain leaving us. That means fresh milk.

I will be blogging about each market. I really intend to hit all five of them if I can, in their first two weeks of being open, just to see what they are offering this year.

Even though the weather is rainy and grey, spring is definitely here when the markets open.

Buy local. Support our MD, VA and PA farms in our surrounding area.

This year it looks like they are expanding to include producers of other items. I am intrigued to check out the Thai vendor.

And, of course, to get my Stone House Bakery fix.

See you there?

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Community, Farmer's Markets, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore and tagged community, farmer's markets, Food, hoco loco, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore. Bookmark the permalink.

Brighton Dam Azaleas May 5 2013 Report

Posted on May 6, 2013 by AnnieRie

They are getting there. The early bloomers are lovely. Lots of buds though. Mother’s Day should be perfect. And, how about this little gem?

I assume WSSC planted the flowers. I can’t imagine them allowing an individual to do it, but who knows? Plenty of color even on a gloomy Sunday morning.

A romantic spot for a walk.

Weekdays and early morning, this was at 9 am, you can have the place to yourselves. As you can see, many varieties are still in budding stage, not yet blooming. Still, there are spectacular blazes of color on some of the smaller paths.

Unusual colors too.

I could go here almost every day and be happy just to wander the trails.

Easy to access on the Howard/Montgomery county lines. This is a treat for all of us who live here.

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Community, Day Trips, Gardening, Nature, Weather, West HoCo and tagged azaleas, community, day trips, gardening, hoco loco, nature, photography, spring flowers, weather, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

It’s Twenty Minute Clean Up Day

Posted on April 18, 2013 by AnnieRie

Now that the sun has come out there is no excuse to miss the opportunity to pick up a little trash. Today is Twenty Minute Clean Up Day in Howard County.

I collected close to fifteen pounds of trash in the roadway along our property line on both sides of the street. Mostly cans, plastic bottles, at least 50-60 cigarette butts, but also quite a bit of cardboard, coffee cups, aluminum foil, and lots of blown recycling material. Plus, waterlogged newspapers (you know, those “free” annoying ones). And, the remains of our neighbor’s mailbox.

Mailboxes here have a half life of about a year. We are on our third in eight years. Our neighbor, at least five or six. His is first in the line and gets whacked the most, with debris strewn all over the hillside.

No one takes care of the roads in Adopt a Road out here, as it is dangerous to work with no shoulders, and in two or three days after any clean up it is back to being a mess.

This year again I used my handy pick up tool, that my husband bought me last year after my surgery. Works really well to grab even small pieces of trash.

After I finished on the property line, I did a perimeter sweep of our mulched beds and picked up whatever blew into them from the road. We get lots of debris on recycling days.

If you get a chance this afternoon, grab a bag and pick up some trash. Email Green Central Station and let them know what you did. Last year over 2300 people participated. If you can’t do anything today, how about coming out for Earth Day at one of the sites and help clean up or plant trees.

I will be at the Conservancy Saturday. There are other events at County Parks too.

hocoblogs@@@

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Checking Out Greenfest

Posted on April 13, 2013 by AnnieRie

Another of those spring rituals. Going to the Greenfrest at Howard Community College. Looking for plants, and picking up a few items of interest from the displays. As usual, there was a large enthusiastic crowd there this morning, and lots of greenery for sale.

The fest takes over the quad, the parking area, and two floors inside the Burrell Galleria. Lots for families to do, outside and inside. The Howard Astronomical League was outside with scopes, there were family activities outside, and food for sale.

I only had an hour there today as we had a conflict with a dinner engagement and I needed to get food ready to take to it. Still time to pick up another reusable bag (like I need more shopping bags!). A few brochures, and then out to the Master Gardeners area.

They were doing a brisk business in native plants, but I was looking for heirloom veggies. I will have to wait until Earth Day at the Conservancy to get those. Great to find out from them that our master gardeners have so many places for us to find really good starter plants.

I then headed off to see TLV where I wanted some greens and some short ribs. A request from my husband for me to do short ribs over the collard greens from this week’s CSA. TLV did not disappoint. I came home with short ribs.

They were doing a very good business, already sold out of all the basil plants they brought. Many more herbs available. I will be heading out to the farm in two weeks to get mine. Just in time to plant.

Many of their customers were commenting on how good it was to see them, and how we all can’t wait for the Howard County Farmers Markets to start in just 3 1/2 weeks. Keep checking their website and facebook pages to see the lists of vendors when they get posted.

Notice all those lovely containers of greens. Quite a few of those were sold as I was there talking to them. This is a great way to have fresh microgreens on the table. I use window boxes outside my kitchen, but these tubs would do great on a porch, or a deck, keeping leafy goodness out of the reach of bunnies and deer.

On my way out, I saw that a number of bikes were being loaded onto the trailers for the bike collection.

It was a beautiful breezy spring day, and it looked like another successful event in this, its sixth year. Driving home through Columbia and across Folly Quarter, I couldn’t miss all the flowering trees and shrubs. At home, the cherry tree is in full bloom. I need to pop out tomorrow and see how the azaleas are coming at Brighton Dam. It should be a sunny but cool day, perfect for a ride.