#itsaburghthing

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s…Birdly!

/ Jodi / 62 Comments

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s… Birdly!

Hubby and I made a little visit this past weekend to the National Aviary located in our beautiful city of Pittsburgh.

It’s pretty awesome having America’s only independent indoor nonprofit zoo dedicated exclusively to birds in our own “backyard” with a diverse collection of more than 500 birds representing more than 150 species from around the world, many of them threatened or endangered in the wild.

And guess what?  We’ve never visited it before this past weekend!

Bird lovers that we have become…..  meet some of our new friends.

I wish I could remember their names and species, but maybe some of you are better at identifying.  I simply found them fascinating and beautiful.

The eagle took my breath away.

But wait….. what is this rare bird?

It’s Hubby as a virtual reality eagle flying over New York City on BIRDLY!

Have you ever dreamed of flying like a bird?  BIRDLY has made that possible, and we were able to experience it on our recent visit.

The exhilarating flight simulation experience allows you to fly like a bird while lying on the simulator chest down, flapping your arms using hinged wings, and controlling  your direction and speed while a fan simulates headwinds. Motors and actuators tilt and dip your body in response. The sensory-motor coupling essentially tricks the brain, so between the motion, wind, sound and visuals, you are effectively flying!

For me it was exciting and terrifying at the same time.  Biggest ninny poo poo of all time, I am deathly afraid of heights.  But I wasn’t going to let that stop me.  It is clearly safe, and oh what a feeling of freedom it was!

So yep – got to experience flying like a bird this past weekend!  I’d say that’s a check off the ole’ bucket list for sure!  Hubby was so busy telling me how to flap my wings, he didn’t think to take a picture.  Does that surprise anyone that knows him!?!?

He really was trying to help me as I was…. [ahem]… let’s say the “most vocal” of all the flyers that afternoon…

If you get a chance, do visit the National Aviary and take a flight on Birdly where you can “Fly Like an Eagle.”

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Pittsburgh’s Picklesburgh 2017 is a Big Dill

/ Jodi / 46 Comments
Pittsburgh's Picklesburgh is a Big Dill! #Picklesburgh2017

Pittsburgh's Picklesburgh is a Big Dill!

Though I reside in a little town called Mars, our "big city" is Pittsburgh.  Just 30 minutes from Mars (hard to believe eh?!), Pittsburgh is really where all the "action" is.

This past weekend (July 28-29, 2017), one of Pittsburgh's 446 bridges (the Roberto Clemente or 6th Street Bridge) was closed down to automobile traffic and opened up for a dill-lightfully dill-licious celebration of all things pickle!  Picklesburgh 2017.

So what to do at "life in between?"  Why visit Picklesburgh of course!

Why Pickles?

Pittsburgh has a particularly popular pickle-loving history beginning almost 150 years ago when the H. J. Heinz Factory was built.  I remember going on a Heinz factory tour as a grade school field trip and receiving one of the now iconic pickle pins.  (My granddaughter now has one in her Grandma Memory Jar from our visit to Picklesburgh this past weekend.)

Picklesburgh celebrates EVERYthing pickled!  You could find pickle-flavored sodas, pickle beer and moonshine, and pickle-flavored cocktails.

Dill-acacies included pierogies with pickles, pickled funnel cakes, pickle-flavored custard, and deep-fried, bacon-wrapped pickles on a stick.  There were pickles and dip and grilled cheese sandwiches with pickles.  There was pickle fudge and pickle peanut butter cookies.

There were pickle balloons – small and large – including a giant flying Heinz pickle balloon, custom built by a team that also crafts balloons for Disney and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

There were pickling food demonstrations

And pickle samples from local farm-to-table shop small vendors like Epic Pickles

and the Pittsburgh Pickle Company,

where I bought one of each flavor!

And if you don't have one yet, who could live without a dill pickle talk-to-text Linabag?

It sure was a dill-leriously dill-lectable way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Thanks Picklesburgh!  Next year, I may just try that Pickle-flavored Italian Ice……

Maybe….

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

The Wedding Cookie Table: A Pittsburgh Tradition

/ Jodi / 87 Comments

The Wedding Cookie Table - It's a Burgh Thing

The Wedding Cookie Table – It’s a Burgh Thing

The Wedding Cookie Table:  A Pittsburgh Tradition.

As some of my faithful friends here at The Creative Life in Between know, I’ve been baking a few cookies for the past month for my son and new daughter-in-law’s wedding.

The wedding was this weekend, so I thought I would share a couple of quick shots we captured of the finished Wedding Cookie Table since many of you asked to see as you saw the various recipes being shared.

I have to thank my other sweet daughter-in-law for helping bake several kinds of cookies (snickerdoodles, peanut butter blossoms, s’mores cookies, and chocolate dipped oreos!) as well as my friend, Tracy, for her generosity in baking the lady locks.  A special thank you to Liz’s mom and her cousin Kathy for baking an amazing variety of sweet breads with flavored butters that added just that special touch to our brunch wedding menu.  My favorite was the earl grey tea lavender bread!  Absolutely amazing!

If you would like to see the recipes for the variety of cookies I made, here is a list with links to the recipes:

  1. Jodi’s Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
  2. Hershey Kiss Brownie Bites
  3. Pecan Tassies
  4. Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
  5. Pecan Sandies
  6. Carrot Cake Thumbprints
  7. Raspberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
  8. Apricot Kolaches
  9. Buckeye Balls
  10. Lemon Crinkle Cookies
  11. Red Velvet White Chocolate Cookies
  12. Oreo Cookies & Cream Cookies

A Pittsburgh Wedding Cookie Table

A Pittsburgh Wedding Cookie Table

It seems that the Wedding Cookie Table is a bit of a regional tradition to our area.  In Pittsburgh, it’s a “burgh thing” to do.  No wedding is complete without a massive buffet of favorite cookies for the guests to enjoy before, during, and after the reception.  Our wedding “favor” for the guests was an empty box to fill with their favorites from our cookie table.

We could not be happier to welcome our sweet new daughter-in-law to our family.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

/ Jodi / 42 Comments

Lemon Crinkle Cookies.

Amidst all the chocolate and peanut butter and pecans and raspberry and apricot, we needed a fresh, bright, citrusy, spring cookie for the wedding cookie table.

This light, delicate Lemon Crinkle Cookie is just the ticket!

A tangy zip of lemon juice and zest in a small little puff rolled in powdered sugar and “crinkled” will make a lovely  contrast in flavor and color.

It’s wedding week, and we are so excited!

Hope you will give this lovely cookie a try.

And while we are talking about cookies…. my friend Sherrie told me a joke this week that I thought would be fun to share given all the cookie recipes I’ve been sharing lately….

Why did the cookie go to the hospital?

……………………………………………………………………………….Because it was feeling crummy! 😝😝😝🍪

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest (2 large lemons)
  • 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (from same 2 lemons)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon extract
  • A couple drops of yellow food coloring
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 1/4 ups flour
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (to roll cookies in before baking)

Directions:

In the mixing bowl of electric stand mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth.  Beat in sugar, lemon zest and juice, vanilla and lemon extract, food coloring and salt.  Mix until well combined, light and fluffy.  Add egg and egg yolk and beat for 1-2 minutes on medium until creamy and light.

Gradually add in baking powder and flour on low speed until just incorporated.  Dough will be quite sticky.  Cover bowl and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Roll dough into 1 inch round balls and then roll in powdered sugar.  Place balls about 2 inches apart on baking stone or cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes until cookies puff and crinkle.  Do not overbake.  Cookies should not brown.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Cookies are wonderful when frozen or refrigerated for a “cool” taste. 

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

The Colors of Spring

/ Jodi / 57 Comments

The Colors of Spring.

Tulips in Apricot…

and Crimson…

and bright, sunny Yellow.

Daffodils and Hyacinths in soft pastels of Coral and White.

A strikingly perfect Purple Delphinium.

Azaleas in bursts of Orange.

And the delicate Pink of this flower I do not know the name of that I call the snake flower.

Just a few of the beautiful colors of Spring soaked in at a brief stroll through the last days of the Spring Flower Show at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA this past weekend.

Such a sight for sore winter eyes.

Happy Spring!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Buckeye Balls

/ Jodi / 47 Comments

Buckeye Balls.

Calling all chocolate and peanut butter lovers!  Another must-have “staple” at any Pittsburgh wedding cookie table is the Buckeye Ball!

These delectable little creamy peanut butter delights coated in dark chocolate are called Buckeye Balls because they look like Buckeye nuts and originated in Ohio – the Buckeye state.

Simple, but absolutely delish, this is cookie #9 on my wedding cookie table list.   The freezer is filling up fast, and the wedding date is closing in on us!  Cookie baking continues.

Here’s the recipe.  Hope you will give them a try.

Buckeye Balls

  • Servings: approx. 6 doz.
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 lb. dark chocolate, melted

Directions:

Mix peanut butter and butter in a bowl with wooden spoon until creamy.  Blend in vanilla.  Add powdered sugar, and stir until incorporated and a stiff mixture forms.

Roll teaspoon-sized pieces into balls, and place on wax paper lined cookie sheet or cutting board.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Melt chocolate in narrow deep container in microwave for 1 minute and then at 30 second intervals until smooth.  Using a wooden skewer, dip balls into chocolate all but for a bit at top.  Place on waxed paper lined cookie sheet.  Allow to cool completely and chocolate to harden.  Smooth over hole created by skewer with a small spatula or your clean finger.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Wedding Cookie List Baking so far:

  1. Jodi’s Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
  2. Hershey Kiss Brownie Bites
  3. Pecan Tassies
  4. Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
  5. Pecan Sandies
  6. Carrot Cake Thumbprints
  7. Raspberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
  8. Apricot Kolaches
  9. Buckeye Balls

 

 

 

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

/ Jodi / 54 Comments

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.

Is anything more divine than tart, sweet raspberry and velvety, dark chocolate?

Then combine it with a flaky, buttery shortbread cookie?!

Heaven in a bite – right?!

These little gems are the most recent cookie baking project for the wedding cookie table.

I think you might want to make some of these too!

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 cup raspberry jam
  • 16 oz. dark chocolate, melted

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until creamy with electric mixer.  Gradually add flour and combine until dough forms.

Refrigerate dough at least 2 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll dough into 3/4″ balls.  Place on baking stone about an inch apart.  Press small indentation in center of dough with your finger.  Place a 1/4 tsp. raspberry jam in indentation.

Bake for approximately 12 minutes until lightly browned on edges.  Let cool 5-10 minutes on baking stone, the remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, melt chocolate and spoon into plastic bag.  Snip corner and drizzle on top of cookies.  

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Pecan Tassies: Wedding Cookies

/ Jodi / 44 Comments

Pecan Tassies:  Wedding Cookies

If I were standing at a wedding cookie table and was told I could only choose ONE cookie from all the varieties on the table…

every single time…. I would choose a Pecan Tassie.

That’s just me.  Now I know my friend Mary would pick the Hershey Kiss Brownie Bite.  Nick would pick the Chocolate Chip.  My friend Wayne would go for the Carrot Cake Thumbprint.  Jake would likely take the Peanut Butter Cup Cookie.  Hubby – he always goes for the Apricot Kolache….  Always – anything apricot.

So this week, as I continue to bake cookies for the wedding cookie table, I made my faves, and I happily continue to bake.

If you could only pick one cookie from the cookie table, which would yours be?

Pecan Tassie Cookies

Ingredients:

  • Cookie Crust
    • 1 cup butter, softened
    • 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
    • 2 cups flour
  • Pecan Filling
    • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
    • 2 tsp. vanilla
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

Prepare cookie crust by blending cream cheese and butter.  Stir in flour and work with your hands to form a ball of dough.   Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Divide dough into 48 balls and place into mini muffin pans.  Press balls in with Mini Tart Shaper (the most genius baking invention ever!) to form shell for filling.

Combine brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and chopped nuts.  Scoop into mini tarts filling 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Bake 12-18 minutes – depending on your oven – until lightly browned.

Cool and gently remove from pans.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi