LorainCounty.com Blog

On Saturday April 14 and Sunday April 15, Lorain County residents and welcomed visitors will be competing in the Tough Mudder competition at the Amherst Quarry. On a course of over 12 miles and 27 obstacles, all competitors will have their hands full! For a larger look at the course map, please click on the image below.

LorainCounty.com wishes all the competitors the best of luck and a safe event for everyone!

Sometimes starting a diet and exercise plan can be overwhelming. It may be helpful to start just making a few small changes to ease yourself into it. This helps you stick with it and makes it more of a lifestyle change. One example of this would be to park far away from the door so you have to walk farther. You could also take the stairs instead of the elevator. Even take a 10 minute walk the first week and then increase it bit by bit. One place I like to take a walk is at the Amherst Beaver Creek Reservation. They have nice walking trails, and I like being able to enjoy the scenery around me instead of just walking on a treadmill. It makes the walk much more enjoyable.

Anything you do to be more active and healthy will help in the long run. Making small changes at first help you to not be overwhelmed by the whole process and get on the road to success!

I’m sure I’m not the only one who is counting down the days until the warm weather of summer. One of my favorite things to do on those really hot days is swim. If you enjoy swimming also, this offer may interest you. Brandt Pools & Spas in Amherst is offering layaway on all of its above ground pools. The details are listed here. Start preparing for summer now by putting a pool on layaway and making payments throughout the rest of winter and spring. You will be all ready to make a splash by the time summer starts!

I love fruit smoothies. Sometimes they are a great breakfast to start the day or a great snack on a summer day. When looking on Allrecipes.com, I found a delicious, simple recipe for a fruit smoothie.

Here are the ingredients and directions:

• 1 quart strawberries, hulled
• 1 banana, broken into chunks
• 2 peaches
• 1 cup orange-peach-mango juice
• 2 cups ice

Directions:
In a blender, combine strawberries, banana and peaches. Blend until fruit is pureed. Blend in the juice. Add ice and blend to desired consistency. Pour into glasses and serve.

This makes 4 servings, so if you are just making it for yourself, you may want to cut down the amounts. At only 118 calories and 0.6 grams of fat, it’s a great smoothie recipe to try!

Tip: In the summer, you can go to a local farm market like Aufdenkampe Family Farm in Vermilion to get fresh strawberries for your smoothie!

There are many advantages to having a friend or family member get fit along with you. First, it’s nice to have someone to talk to and share challenges with during this experience. That person understands what you are going through, and you can motivate each other. Second, that person will hold you accountable for your choices. If you have someone to help monitor what you are doing, it helps you to stay on track. Third, it is just nice to have companionship during exercise. Exercise seems like less of a task if you aren’t bored and alone while doing it. One fun activity to do with friends is Zumba classes. Try Zumba Zone with Penny in Lorain. You and a friend can have a fun workout, and you don’t have to be intimidated walking into a class alone! Ask someone to be your fitness buddy and give it a try!

My husband and I went out to dinner with my parents last weekend to
Moosehead Grill in Amherst. Moosehead has a large menu, with their specialty being BBQ. I decided to order BBQ Grilled Chicken, and I was not disappointed!

The atmosphere of Moosehead is a lodge type of setting. The décor is very rustic and cozy. We got seated quickly and our drink orders were taken right away. It didn’t take too long for our food to come out and everyone was pleased with his or her meal. The portion sizes were very generous, and I ended up taking leftovers home.

I would definitely go to Moosehead again, and I would recommend it to others. It’s a great place for a nice dining experience!

I love macaroni & cheese. It is a dish that can please all ages. It is not, however, thought of as a healthy meal. I found this recipe for a healthier version on Eatingwell.com and gave it a try. It came out really well!

You could find everything you need at any local grocery store. Some of the ingredients are probably things you already have in your pantry. I already had a few of the items but still needed many of them, so went to Fligner’s Market in Lorain to get the remaining ingredients. They have a great selection, so I knew I would find everything I needed.

Here are the ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 16-ounce or 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni, or penne

Here are the directions:

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture.
3. Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

You can always tweak the recipe if needed. It is a good base for a healthier version of macaroni & cheese but can always be altered to be more to your liking. I’d suggest giving it a try!

I’ve always heard the phrase “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Growing up, I always ate breakfast. It was just part of my day. As an adult, I have continued that. Breakfast is an important meal because it helps your body get going in the morning after having no food all night. It also helps you eat more steadily throughout the day instead of binging on food all at once. For example, I have a friend who hardly ever eats breakfast. He then justifies eating more food later because he didn’t eat breakfast. All research I have seen has said that you should eat numerous smaller meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism going instead of eating one or two large meals. This all starts with breakfast. Plus, by beginning your day with breakfast and possibly a small mid-morning snack, you won’t be starving by lunch!

There are many great local places to go for breakfast if you don’t feel like preparing something or just want a nice breakfast out with family or friends. One place I enjoy going for breakfast is Oberlin Inn. They have a good breakfast menu, and they also have a Sunday brunch!

If you have people in your family that don’t like vegetables, here is a recipe I found on Eatingwell.com to spice up cauliflower. I tried it out last night, and it was really good!

Ingredients:
• 8 cups 1-inch-thick slices cauliflower florets, (about 1 large head)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower with vinegar and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Sure, eating plain cauliflower is the best choice, but this is a good way to get some nutrition from a vegetable and make it taste better for those who do not normally like it! One key to making sure your dish tastes the best it can is to make sure you get good, fresh vegetables.  Local farm markets are great places to get fresh vegetables and fruits.  I got my cauliflower for this recipe at Vermilion Farm Market in Vermilion.  They always have great produce and the fresh cauliflower helped make this recipe a success!

As I was getting in my car the other day, I could not help but notice the birds were chirping.  With this crazy but wonderfully mild winter we have been experiencing I have noticed birds everywhere.  They must be as confused as we are about the mild weather and spring like temperatures we have had this winter.  I checked in with local expert Laura Mould, of Don Mould’s Plantation and here are their recommendations to help take care of our feathered friends.

Winter tips for bird watchers from Don Mould’s Plantation:

• A good high-quality mix is almost always better this time of year for general feeding. Pick something with about 50% Black-Oily Sunflower, 40% White Millet, 5% Safflower, and 5% Shelled Peanuts.
• In cold weather provide seed late in the day and early in the morning to help birds stay warm at night and get a burst of energy at dawn. Birds need food to stay warm.
• Sprinkle extra White Millet on the ground in a snow free area or on ground trays for Juncos, Towhees, and Sparrow species.
• This time of year feed a heavy Black-Oil Sunflower seed mix for a higher fat content to help keep the birds warm.
• This month think about adding seed blocks to your feeding routine. Use blocks with Sunflower and Nuts for a steady supply of food. Seed blocks last longer than some seeds so you do not have to go out as often.
• Do not forget about feeding Dried Meal Worms and Dried Fruit, the birds will love you for it. Feed these mixed in with your seed or by themselves. Use a platform feeder for this.
• Keep feeding the Nyjer seed. The Goldfinches are here all winter and they will be looking for this seed. You my even see a Pine Siskin at your feeder.
• January can be very cold and that means the birds need your seed even more than ever. It can be mixes or blocks or just a single kind of seed, no matter what it is make sure it has a high fat content to help keep them warm.
• Do not forget to join the bird seed club at Don Mould’s Plantation! It is a good way to get FREE stuff.
• Please do not forget the Water!