Tag Archives: Howard County

An Evening at Secolari

Posted on June 4, 2015 by AnnieRie

One of the few places I frequent in Columbia Mall these days. Family owned. Right there on “Main Street”.

I like this somewhat new addition to the Mall. Secolari was one of the first stores that opened there.

Mary and Bart de Rosa, who live in Clarksville, opened this second store near the end of the year 2013 into early 2014. My husband discovered it in January, bringing home some of the wonderful Pappardelle’s pasta that they sell.

I loved it and blogged about it.

I will always be buying pasta from them. There is no real description that I can make that shows you just how silky and flavorful this pasta is. Last night, at our blogger event, I had to stock up.

I am trying a new one this time. A pasta luce, or “pasta light”. No durum. Less carbs and more protein. They also carry a gluten free assortment.

This visit though, I found a new item to try.

Actually two of them. I love the flavored vinegars and wanted to try the peach in some vinaigrettes. But, it’s that olive oil.

BUTTER. FLAVORED. OLIVE. OIL.

You heard it. This oil is absolutely awesome. Go there and just smell it. I can guarantee you will go home with it. They served it over popcorn. With their black truffle sea salt. Adult popcorn. Perfect for date night.

It is supposedly great for baking. I am currently searching for some recipes to try with it.

Thanks to the hocoblogger community for coming out to support Bart and Mary in this successful store. Bart tells me they are opening two more stores in Maryland. One in Towson. The other? I just had a senior moment and forgot where. I’ll have to check about that one.

I love this place for buying gift packs.

If you need a housewarming gift, or a thank you, or just want to treat yourself, buying a set of oil and vinegar, or some honey, or sea salts, or pastas, or jams and jellies, this is the place to do it.

And no, they don’t pay me to say this. They do have blogger parties, with food to show off their products. I wouldn’t keep going back if they didn’t have a great product. Besides, they are the sweetest people who just love what they do.

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Posted in Community, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses and tagged community, cooking, Food, foodie, Howard County, local businesses, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Beer In The Barn

Posted on May 27, 2015 by AnnieRie

Last year’s new addition to Wine in the Garden. Jailbreak Brewery is doing the beer this year.

The happening annual event out at Mt. Pleasant Howard County Conservancy. A private nonprofit that holds one major fund raiser to raise money for all the educational events for local residents. My favorite place to hang out in Howard County.

Tomorrow? You will probably find me hanging out in front of these fine caterers.

Hunt Valley is bringing “Blood Orange Vodka Chili Meatballs”. They should go great with Jailbreak Brewery’s beers.

Highland Inn is doing “Shrimp and Grits”.

The Spice Rack is making “Carrot Coconut Chilled Soup” and “Bourbon Shrimp Skewers”.

Elkridge Furnace Inn – Cous Cous Salad with house cured lamb and house made harissa sauce.

As for the fund raising, that silent auction always has great items. I’m not going to reveal my favorite suppliers. Let’s just say I go home with a number of great treasures. Well used and the company support is appreciated by me, and by all the other staff, board members and volunteers who give to this amazing place.

Twenty five years old this year. A treasure in Howard County. Come raise a wine glass or beer mug with hundreds of other people who enjoy what HCC does.

Besides, the gardens are lovely this time of year. You can pay at the door.

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Posted in Community, Food, Howard County, Restaurants and tagged community, foodie, Howard County, howard county conservancy, volunteering. Bookmark the permalink.

Last Child in the Meadow

Posted on May 21, 2015 by AnnieRie

I think not. To take a page from the famous Richard Louv book, Last Child in the Woods, helping children connect with nature brings immense satisfaction.

Like this week. Bioblitz Belmont. Four days with seventh graders from Ellicott Mills and Thomas Viaduct middle schools. You know, those middle schoolers who aren’t impressed with things adults do or like. WRONG!!!

What a fun time we had.

Today wasn’t as nice out as yesterday, but we still had a great, albeit wet time, wading through meadows in deep grass looking for insects, plants, animal tracks, trees and grasses. We use iNaturalist to catalogue what we found. Yes, it rained today but who cared.

We also had visits with our local nature center residents like our owl.

And, Maize, our corn snake. I didn’t get a pic of Maize, but the students loved being able to see and touch him.

It doesn’t get much better than this.

Uploading and editing their citizen scientist observations. Any resident nature experts are welcome to set up an account, log into the Belmont Bioblitz project and help them identify what they observed.

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Posted in Adventures, Community, Howard County, Nature, Volunteering and tagged community, Howard County, howard county conservancy, nature, volunteering. Bookmark the permalink.

Weekend Event Overload

Posted on May 15, 2015 by AnnieRie

The third weekend in May. Here in Maryland you can drown in events this weekend.

Some of my personal favorites this weekend. I’m not doing any of the traditional ones like the Preakness or Wine in the Woods or the Hot Air Balloon Festival, but I certainly don’t lack for places to go.

For me, a highlight I am doing. Sunday. In Ellicott City.

Rocks, Rivers and Railroads

Led by my good friend Ned Tillman, author of Saving the Places We Love.

Tomorrow I am torn between heading over to Belmont to see what the surveyors found under the ground on the site, at the regularly scheduled third Saturday at Belmont free event, 10 am. Howard County Conservancy web site has details. While you are on the web site, you can take advantage of the last weekend for discounted tickets to Wine in the Garden/Beer in the Barn, the annual fundraiser for the Conservancy. We’ll be there too, but that event is a few weeks away.

The other thing I want to do tomorrow? Check out the newly improved Glenwood Community Farmers Market. I missed opening day last weekend while I was working a Conservancy event, but I really want to get the herbs and flowers for my garden from Greenway Farms.

I also intend to head over to Mt. Ida for the Howard County Historical Society’s “Deja Vu and Nearly New” Sale. This is held Saturday and Sunday.

A new event, out by me. Over at the Living Farm Heritage Museum, across from the Fairgrounds. They have a Car Show Sunday.

The Howard County Tourism site has a good calendar, and so does TotallyHoCo. You can always find something to do using these two resources. Have a great weekend.

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Posted in Adventures, Community, Day Trips, Farmer's Markets, Food, Gardening, Howard County, Local Businesses and tagged community, farmer's markets, Food, hoco loco, Howard County, howard county conservancy. Bookmark the permalink.

Jennys Is Open

Posted on May 2, 2015 by AnnieRie

One of my favorite milestones in springtime. The opening of Jenny’s Market off Rte. 32 just north of us. Today the market opened. I borrowed a picture from their Facebook page. It shows every reason why I love them. They are a family business. One that cares about us, and that we care about.

For me, this picture below from last May is the main reason they are a favorite place to shop.

I can’t grow these items. No local farmers do, either. For me, having access to bananas, avocados, mangos, and citrus, without having to drive 20 miles round trip is a huge plus.

Today I picked up a couple of avocados and bananas. Some new red potatoes. It was just fun to go visit on opening day.

They also have hanging baskets and seedlings. And, watermelon from Florida. I might be tempted to stop in for a watermelon this week. I have feta. I have mint. I can get limes at Jennys. Time to make one of these.

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Posted in Food, Howard County, Local Businesses and tagged community, cooking, farmer's markets, Food, foodie, Howard County, Locavore, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Commitment

Posted on April 30, 2015 by AnnieRie

For those of us who volunteer. Not just for a few hours. For the long haul. Those of us who dedicate dozens of hours, if not hundreds, in some cases.

Yesterday I saw three different groups at work. One, doing gardening. One, readying a food bank site. And one, helping influence our next generations, at an Extreme Weather conference for 9th graders.

I got to the Conservancy at 8AM. There were about a dozen of us supporting the 3rd annual weather conference. For 9th graders from four local high schools. I greeted a bus from Long Reach and then watched the Office of Emergency Management bring in their Command Center.

While we were setting up, a half dozen volunteers arrived for the regularly scheduled Wednesday morning drop in gardening session. They were working on the herb gardens outside the historic farm buildings on the site.

We, at the time, all 12 of us volunteers, were getting ready to host the various stations that the students would visit. I got to moderate the Tree Maintenance station, manned by Bartlett Tree Service.

They were giving a demonstration on how they take care of trees, those damaged by the weather, and those that are healthy, to protect them from high winds and other weather events.

Marty Adams and Victor Nakashima captured the interest of the students, with their stories, their information, and that climbing ability of Victor.

They were impressed with the bucket truck, as well.

Lots of fun questions. From fear of heights, to animal attacks, to foul weather gear, to what is an arborist, the students were engaged and interested.

After six hours there, I headed over to the Food Bank garden site. Where three volunteers were still planting spring plants in the newly tilled plots. They had been there since 10 am, when my husband came out to till the plots. The other volunteers, part of a core group that donates dozens of hours to food bank plot maintenance and harvest, were still hard at work.

Today as I popped out to Sharps for a few things, I found that a food bank volunteer had been there picking out warm weather seedlings. Next week they will be planted. Our first harvest will be the end of May.

One day. Two dozen volunteers. I am so impressed with the commitment of my fellow Howard Countians, who donate their time tirelessly, doing what they love to do.

I’m working on recruiting Marty to be a subject matter expert at our May BioBlitz at Belmont. He would be such an asset with his knowledge of plants, trees and insects.

Have you made a commitment? Do you give some time or effort in areas that interest you?

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Posted in Howard County, Nature, Volunteering, Weather and tagged community, Howard County, howard county conservancy, nature, volunteering, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

Weather and Wool

Posted on April 28, 2015 by AnnieRie

Tomorrow I am volunteering for the third extreme weather event held for Howard County High School Students. It should prove to be another fantastic event and I hope to get many pictures of the participants learning from all the amazing companies that give their time to expand the knowledge of our students.

As usual, the Howard County Conservancy field trip managers have put together an exciting array of activities, demonstrations and speakers to present for this day long event.

A few days later, I intend to immerse myself into the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this Saturday and Sunday out at the Howard County Fairgrounds. I have never been around to take in the festival. One of the largest and best sheep and wool festivals in the USA and Canada.

Many farms in the area participate in this event. Like Breezy Willow , Catoctin Creek and Shepherds Manor Creamery.

Medomak Retreat Center has a booth. I so want to spend a week there at one of their “summer camps” for adults.

Landreth Seeds will be there. I hope to find something rare from them.

And, Greenbridge Pottery. Another local favorite when it comes to looking for unique gifts.

That’s all I recognize in this year’s catalogue but I probably missed a few more local farms and vendors. This festival is huge so if you want to go, be prepared for very large crowds.

I do intend to check out the lamb cooking demonstration, and maybe make the Sunday Brunch. See you there?

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Posted in Community, Farms, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Volunteering, Weather and tagged community, farmer's markets, farms, Food, Howard County, howard county conservancy, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

Friday Night in Old EC

Posted on April 19, 2015 by AnnieRie

Main Street Ellicott City. Not a destination as often as we lived in Columbia. But we really need to remedy that.

Friday we headed there to drop off a rug to be cleaned. And decided to stay for dinner. Our first visit to Pure Wine.

It will not be our last. What a fun place to have dinner. Particularly if you can snag an outdoor table overlooking the main street below.

And whatever is above the old Earle theater.

We also could see the new site for a second Mutiny Pirate Bar.

This could be interesting in the future. Wine Bar and Pirate Bar. Right across the street from one another.

Everyone who knows us is aware that we love the family owned businesses. Not the chains. We are happy to report that we loved Pure Wine.

We started with rockfish tacos. One for each of us.

Paired with a Falanghina del Taburno.

Followed by this.

Truffle fries. OK, we could eat these all night. Perfect with the wine.

Finally, we decided to have some pinot noir with a charcuterie board. I love the fact that these small plates don’t stuff you and you can pick and those and match food to wine. They offer 2.5 ounce, and 5 ounce glasses. Some half bottles. And, of course, full bottles. Great wine list but a little sparse on local wines. Their only flaw in my world.

As for that board.

The current selection has six meats. Six cheeses. You can pick a board of three or five. We picked wild boar salami, smoked prosciutto, and smoked duck breast, plus two cheeses. A crotonese and a chandoka.

We are planning our next visit when we pick up our rug from its cleaning. You know we like a place when we plan a return visit.

I do love old town Ellicott City.

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Posted in Community, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Wine and tagged Food, foodie, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Spring Things

Posted on April 17, 2015 by AnnieRie

Just the beginning of an activity packed week, in and around our home. All things spring.

Starting with Greenfest. Tomorrow at the Howard Community College. Living with wildlife. I’m not sure how our CSA fits in with the theme, but we will be there.

Then, on my plate, a trip to Sharp’s Farm on Tuesday to get my vegetable seedlings to put in the garden. This year I am also looking for some annuals for the yard. To fill in where we lost some plants.

As for flowers, this post by UKDesperateHousewifeUSA caught my eye the other day. In it, Claire talks of the lack of flowers in her Columbia neighborhood. I thought, hmmm, she needs to look elsewhere in the county. There are loads of flower gardens out here.

She misses cut flowers. I should bring her some. This is today’s haul from my yard.

The early blooming tulips. The yellow daffodils. The white ones are almost finished. I don’t pick the hyacinths, though. They stay in the yard. After the month of tulips, we will have day lilies and star lilies. Then, gladioli. Black eyed Susans. Sunflowers. Mums. All summer and fall, my flower beds produce.

Today, I was happy to see the cherry is blooming.

Not at peak yet, but soon.

Getting back to the week ahead. Wednesday is Earth Day. It is Twenty Minute Clean Up Day in the county. I will be cleaning up the road side and our property lines.

Next Saturday the Conservancy celebrates their Earth Day. With a bird walk. Service projects. And a plant sale by the Master Gardeners.

Well, that only leaves me with a couple of days to get work done around here. I did take the time today to test a new recipe to use up the last of the peaches in the freezer.

You can call it peachy pecan bread. Or pecany peach bread. Simple to make. I will be taking some for those of us working our table tomorrow at Greenfest. Made with CSA peaches that I blanched and froze last summer. A sign of things to come. Peach season is right after strawberry season. Can’t wait.

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Posted in Community, Food, Gardening, Local Businesses, Weather and tagged community, Food, Howard County, howard county conservancy, local businesses, real food, spring flowers, volunteering. Bookmark the permalink.

Love for the Gateway

Posted on April 2, 2015 by AnnieRie

I have to admit. There was a time 40 years ago when I moved here that I would have thought an office park wasn’t fitting of praise. Back then it was GE’s Appliance Park East. My first room mate worked there in 1975 when I moved to Columbia right out of college. Now it’s Columbia Gateway.

Today, the Maryland State Highway Administration in its abbreviations calls it Col Gateway Drive, and Col is not a recognized abbreviation of Columbia, but Colonel. It has become a destination for some of us looking for decent small business restaurants.

Like Aida Bistro. Rudy’s Mediterranean Grill. Flavors of India.

With last night’s celebration of all things Gateway, it reminded me that you can find really great ethnic foods in these small businesses. We don’t need to eat at chain restaurants around here. Yes, maybe in the middle of nowhere on an interstate you are forced to endure Applebees or TGIF, but here, there are great small businesses at every turn.

Not just at the Gateway. All over Howard County. Check them out. These three restaurants are worth it. And, you can thank Colonel Gateway for reminding us about it. Check out @colgateway to see how awesome this location is. As are its inhabitants.