Random Facts for a Friday!

In no specific order of importance....
-Non-dairy coffee creamer, an oxymoron, is flammable. So are Pop-Tarts if toasted too long! The latter I know from personal experience.
-Nachos is the food most commonly craved by pregnant women. I was not part of this group. I remember craving spaghettios and chocolate milk--not at the same time.
-You are more likely to get attacked by a cow than a shark. Here's a hint, stay out of the pasture.
-Banging your head against the wall uses 150 calories per hour. I'm at work, so I can relate to this one right now.
-Right handed people live on average nine years longer than left handed people. I'm ambidextrous, so I guess I'm out of luck.
-A Boeing 747's wingspan is longer than the Wright Brothers first flight.
-In the ewww category: Dentists recommend that a toothbrush be kept at least six feet from the toilet to avoid the airborne particles from a flush. Close the lid!
-On average 100 people choke on ball point pens every year. I'm at a loss on this one.
-In Lehigh, Nebraska, it's illegal to sell donut holes.
None of these facts have been substantiated by me, so take them with a grain of salt. I thought they were funny!

Holiday Extravaganza benefitting American Cancer Society

Designs by Reese is going on the road again! In addition to the Artisan
Marketplaces in Newport and York Pennsylvania, I will be exhibiting my
jewelry at the Holiday Extravaganza
at the Dillsburg Elementary School on November 14th. This is a great
event which benefits The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.
Dillsburg Elementary has a team called
Bears in Motion which will be earning money for this important charity.
All participating vendors will donate a portion of their proceeds to the
charity. Some of the great gift items you
will find include handcrafted jewelry in sterling and fine silver and
semi-precious stones, Pampered Chef cookware items, Homemade soaps, Sea
Glass Jewelry, Discovery Toys and
Tupperware.
Another great feature of this event is that Santa Claus will be there! For
a $5.00 donation, children can visit with Santa Claus, get their pictures
taken with him and make a craft. There will be
plenty of adult supervision so parents can shop the Holiday Extravaganza
while their kids are with Santa!
So stop by Dillsburg Elementary, located on Old York Road in Dillsburg, on
November 14th from 11:30-4:00 and get a jump on your holiday shopping while
supporting Relay for Life!

The College Tour

For every parent of a 17-18 year old, I feel for you. I know the excitement and challenges that a child's senior year can bring. Among the fun things like prom, senior portraits and new found freedoms the pressures of graduation requirements and college applications (especially the dreaded essay) loom.
We are in the thick of it with my eldest daughter. Luckily her grades and SAT scores are good. Still there is the challenge of deciding which college is the best fit. This is especially difficult when you really don't know what you want to be when you grow up. Let's face it, who does?
We've visited three schools so far; Penn State, my alma mater, Pitt and Shippensburg. She's applied to all three. Now the waiting game begins. There is still one more school we would like to visit, but I think Penn State or Pitt will be where she ends up.
This picture is from our weekend tour of Pitt. It is the Cathedral of Learning, built specifically so that you could find the campus from miles away!

Artisan Marketplace

I'm thrilled to be involved in two artisan marketplaces sponsored by HACC's Department of Entreprenureal Studies and Fulton Bank. The first will be held in Newport Pennsylvania at the Perry County Council for the Arts Gallery located at 1 South 2nd Street in Newport. This event runs from November 7th through December 23rd. There you will find great gift items including jewelry, framed art, ceramics, wood carving and accessories, to name a few.
The second will be held in conjunction with the York Art Association from November 29th through December 22nd. Located at 220 South Marshal Street in York, this event will feature similar items for sale.
Both events are juried, which means that artists had to go through a selection process to participate. What that means for the consumer is a collection of high quality items for purchase.
If you have the opportunity to visit either of these great events, please look for Designs by Reese, Unique Handcrafted Jewelry!

How to Save Time and Still Cook!

I love to cook. My family loves to eat. Unfortunately they don’t always want to eat what I cook! Put simply, I have picky eaters and they pick different things. To make matters worse, this time of year is particularly difficult with work schedules, school activities and my jewelry business. In these busy times, I thought I’d offer a few tips to help get dinner on the table quickly.

 Plan your meal for a week. I can’t stress this enough. That way you will have all the ingredients you need on hand. I involve my family in this process so I’m sure to please everyone. Once you have your menu, you can head to the store with your ingredient list. Don’t forget to pick up side dishes!
 Pick ingredients that can be stretched into two meals. For example, serve roast chicken on Monday. Reserve the excess chicken for soup Wednesday. You can easily do this in the crock pot. I recommend McCormick Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Seasoning. This packet contains all the spices you need with a great recipe. All you need to add is the chicken, some chopped vegetables, noodles and water!
 If you are going to make a casserole or baked item like lasagna or meatloaf, make two and freeze one for later. It’s not that much more work and it’s great to have something ready to go in the freezer. You can even freeze in individual portions. They defrost more quickly and give you more flexibility.
 Make “almost homemade” recipes during the week. I know nothing tastes as good as homemade pasta sauce, but the jarred varieties are pretty good and very economical. If you are making pizza, consider buying a premade crust or a frozen pizza that you can add ingredients to. Use precut vegetables and meats for stir fry recipes. These are all tips that can help you to get a meal on the table in 30 minutes. Save the more time consuming recipes for the weekends.
 Keep your pantry stocked with some quick meal solutions. I always have pasta and sauce on hand. Add garlic bread and a salad and you have a meal. Frozen ravioli is another time saver.
 Share cooking responsibilities. If you have older children, have them do some of the prep work. Younger kids can set the table.

I’m sure everyone has their own tips in the kitchen. Feel free to share yours in a comment!

Craft Show October 17th

In a seldom exercised act of wisdom, I decided not to participate in the outdoor craft show at the Dillsburg Farmers Fair this Saturday. I have nothing against the event, it's wonderful. Unfortunately you can never count on the weather this time of year. True to form, this weekend is supposed to be cold, windy and rainy. There is even a chance of snow.
Instead, I will be selling my jewelry at an indoor event! On October 17th from 9:00 to 3:00 Designs by Reese will be in New Cumberland at the Community United Methodist Church on 16th and Bridge Streets. This is an annual event featuring handmade crafts and gifts. There will also be soups, sandwiches and bake goods for sale. Stop by and get an early start on your holiday shopping!

94th Dillsburg Farmers Fair

October brings the promise of beautiful colors, cooling temperatures and various street festivals to South Central Pennsylvania. One event you don't want to miss is the Farmers Fair in Dillsburg. A small town of under 9000 people, Dillsburg is a growing area with its roots firmly bound in farming. The town and 40,000 visitors celebrate this fact every year with the fair.
The fair runs for five days, from October 13th through the 17th, and features games, a craft fair, exhibits and two parades; a children's parade on Friday night and The Fantastic Parade on Saturday night. The Fantastic Parade marks the end of the fair and features local high school bands, floats and, of course, antique tractors.
Throughout the fair, there is food galore. There is everything from normal fair food like funnel cakes and bloomin' onions to some unique choices like pickle soup and pickle ice cream. Both are delicious!
If you are looking for a fun event for the whole family, the Dillsburg Farmers Fair is just the ticket. Don't worry, you don't need a ticket, it's free.
Dillsburg is located on Routes 15 and 74 in South Central Pa. Visit the fair website for more information.