And more food! To see my previous list entry, go to last week.
30 of 40: Make paneer cheese.
This was literally so fun and easy. You just warm the milk to the right temperature, add lime juice, strain out the whey, add salt, and press the cheese flat. My favorite part of the recipe is the weight used to press the cheese. After emptying the milk out of a gallon jug, you fill that same jug with water and you have your weight.
Definitely a win! There are many other cheese recipes in this easy-to-follow One-Hour Cheese book.
31 of 40: Visit the zoo.
Anina was super tired when we went, but she still enjoyed watching the animals. I am blessed to have always lived within half an hour of a nice smaller town zoo!
32 of 40: Take Anina to the babysitter 24 hours.
Stephanie and the girls offered to babysit for 24 hours. Here are a couple of photos of her at their house. The one below is from last fall. I guess we need to take a new picture with everyone on it! Anina loves her eight “sisters” but I was still a little worried about leaving her for 24 hours. However, she did great and Marnell and I managed to check a few more things off the list of 40.
33 of 40: Go to a new restaurant.
My sister Kristie sent me $40 to spend on a new restaurant. With Anina at the babysitter for 24 hours, Marnell and I decided to try out the Artisan downtown. I’m sure we won’t be patronizing them often, since it’s a pretty expensive place. The $40 might have covered one of us. But I will say, the copper ceiling impressed and the flavors may linger in our memories forever. And having everything on the plate explained struck my fancy too.
On top of that, the manager came out with a deep apology for the delay in our entrees. Later when we got the bill, we found that we were only charged for drinks and dessert. Amazing service!
34 of 40: Shop at the Elkhart Farmer’s Market.
With Anina waking up at the babysitter, I woke up and took a walk downtown, across Main Street, and over the bridge to the farmer’s market spread like patchwork in the green beside the river.
It’s quite sad that this was the first time I visited the farmer’s market since it has been at this location! But I’ve been back since with Anina and am determined to keep buying fresh produce here as much as possible.
On that note, today, Saturday July 30, is Kids Day at the farmer’s market 9am to noon. I hear there will be a balloon twister, giant bubble demos, and a fire truck. Meet Anina and I there!
35 of 40: Patronize a donut truck!
This wasn’t on my original list, but how could I help adding it? After I came home from the Elkhart Farmer’s Market, Marnell and I packed up and went to Middlebury. We purchased donuts at Janie’s Donuts to support a fundraiser hosted by our friends from church, Jeff and Lousia Miller (and Audrey). Let’s just say, these donuts by Louisa’s sister’s donut truck are another caliber in the world of donuts. Huge and homemade!
36 of 40: Take a picnic lunch to Krider Gardens in Middlebury.
This turned out to be much more fascinating than I expected. I did not know that Krider Nursery in Middlebury contributed a garden to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1934. Some of the sculptures and artwork have been saved and are presently in Krider Gardens.
Krider Nurseries published a mail order catalog as early as 1906, selling strawberry plants for $2/thousand. Horse and wagon deliver took the packages to the post office in Goshen to be mailed out.
The fair garden cost the company $10,000 at the time, which is about $228,000 today. In return, however, more than 250,000 guests visited the garden and signed its guest book, becoming the new mailing list. Krider gardens became the largest mail order nursery business in the United States, even providing roses for the wedding of President Nixon’s daughter Tricia. The business closed in 1990.
Today it is a lovely place for a picnic, right on the Pumpkinvine Bike Trail. Marnell ate lunch there, including still-warm donuts from the donut truck!
Stay tuned for adventures 37-40!
Kidnapped in Haiti expected in August.
Book 4, Tricked on the Tracks, coming this fall!
4 thoughts on “New Adventures, #30-36”
Enjoying your content on this list of 40 new things. Honestly there are new things to try that I would have never considered doing. And those donuts,,,,,,,, mmmmm, maybe its worth the gas to drive to middlebury, they sound so good.
Your fun adventures are enjoyable to read about. I especially liked the Quilt Gardens. I am not a quilter but certainly appreciate the the time, effort and artistic ability that goes into each one. But the gardens are such a great idea.
Luke and I are copying your idea for our 25th wedding anniversary which we celebrated last week. We are going to do 25 things together we never did before together. The first was taking pictures in our wedding clothes, something only made possible by weight loss! The second we didn’t get written down in time before we forgot what it was (showing our age here😅). Then a child reminded us later that we sat on the old recliner in front of Jesse’s new fish tank and watched the fish. That was # 2. Then covid hit, so we are just recovering and hoping to continue adding new things this next year until we hit 25. Thanks for the great idea!
I am so glad you tried the donuts! The recipe is from Mrs Yoder’s kitchen in Virginia. My husband and brother outfitted their trailer and taught them how as that was our business while in Virginia. Those donuts are easily the best donuts I have ever tried and I am spoiled for life. Those donuts won first place 3 years in a row in Virginia!