Icicle Rhythm

Here we are almost through another month and most of winter! It would seem we are picking up the Rhythm of the "Up North" winter lifestyle.

We measure time by the length of our icicles

Victor gets up before me, by 2 hours most days. He has his coffee, watches the weather and news, works out the day's menus and whatever esle guys do in the morning. When he can't stand it any more, he wakes me up. I laze awake in bed for another 10 minutes, mostly talking to the dog, Goose. We have more coffee and start our day. It is now a perhaps a little after 9.

If it has snowed the night before, Victor will need to plow. This usually takes about an hour to do a good job on the whole property. If it hasn't snowed, Victor usually has a cabin related project, fix or improvement to work on or heads up to the front garages to work on whatever our current workshop project we are in the middle of.

I get on the computer and check to see what our stock prices would be if we owned any. I like to check the price of stuff we talked about buying but never did: gold, google, facebook and whatever else strikes my fancy. Then I check facebook to see what posts of great importance have passed my way since the prior evening. Then it is on to email, the blog and a number of other daily check websites like the Cedaroma analytics, TripAdvisor and Flipkey. If nothing pressing needs to be done with whatever  I have discovered in the opening series of clicks, I might run down and pick up the mail from the post office and work on that.

Before you know it, it's lunch time! That's when things get really crazy around here! Our whole day seems to be focused around the meals. Victor is trying out so many new things, each day is an adventure. Some of my favorite recipes are posted here and I have more to enter.

After lunch Victor goes back to his projects and I pick up something hoping to get it done from updating the website to categorizing the 2000+ photos we have, perhaps today is the day I will figure our medical insurance out, follow up on the credits due us by AT&T or maybe learn a new skill in  responsive webdesign. Did I hear there was a new tax tip to reveiw for innkeepers?

Come around 4 and we start wrapping up for the day and head out to the Bear's Den to see other people. Unless we take this daily trip for a beer and orange juice, we might forget there are other people on the planet with us!

Variations are Tuesdays and Fridays. These are the days the paper is published so we always go to the post office together and on Fridays we always stop in the thrift store to see what is new. Sometimes we have a list of things we would like to find, sometimes we just find neat stuff.

On very specials days (once a week certainly!) we head to Rhinelander and Menards for whatever pressing construction/project items we need. This week the list includes a threshold, 3 double plug plates, an electric box and stain.

And my favorite of all, usually on a Saturday afternoon, we go to the Casino. I play my $10 slowly and we are in and out in about half an hour.

It is a very simple life, almost like hibernating! The summer we anticipate great changes to include a lot more outdoor activity and people. I am looking forward to having more people in our life!

Sidebar: There are not enough vowels in that word "Rhythm"

Eggplant Parmagiana

So many ways to spell this one! I went with Victor's spelling which is the traditional Italian version.

Preheat oven to 425


Almost looks like Chicken!

4 Slices of eggplant, 1/2 inch thick, peeled or not
Pat both sides in flower
Dip & flip in soy, almond or rice milk
Cover with bread crumbs

Spray with nonstick veggie spray
Set eggplant on tray
Spray tops

Bake 6 minutes
Flip
Bake 6 more minutes

Sauce serving plates
Layer eggplant
Sauce, Layer, Sauce

Top with Vegan Cheese (optional)
Bake 5 more minutes

Victor's easy marinara recipe is here: www.cedaroma.blogspot.com/2013/02/victors-easy-marinara.html. We had ours with a side of green beans.

Note to a Friend

Dear Friend

I can't believe that Wisconsin is still on the list for vacation destinations this year. I am inspired by that news. Thank you. Sort of makes my day. You have so many questions, let me approach them one at a time....

Lake: Cedaroma Lodge, with 7 of the 8 rental cabins is located right on Little St. Germain Lake. We have 300 feet of wonderful sandy bottom beach with level access to the water. No big hill here! We have 4 straight boat docks and one big pier that is u-shaped with bench seating. Very nice for sunset watching and watching the kids swim.

Amenities at Cedaroma: Row boats, kayaks, canoe, pedal & paddle boat. Bicycles, 1/2 court basketball, badmitton, horseshoes, foosball, darts, more... We also have a 21 ft. pontoon boat and a 20 ft. deck boat for rent along with 8hp motors for the row boats. We bought all new motors this year so the boating experience should be really reliable.

 

The famed Vilas County bicycle trails have an access point just across the street from us and we have bikes to use! We have a campfire ring where folks can meet up for song singing and marsh mellow toasting in the evenings. If you ask very nicely, I think we could even get Victor to let you drive his tractor! LOL, You could mow the grass or level the drive.

1/2-1 mile: horseback riding, go karts, a 32 flavor ice-cream parlor, paintball, archery

2 Miles: the Town of St. Germain with a thrift shop, grocery store, several coffee shops, a handful of restaurants. Every Monday in the town park is what we have been told is the worlds largest ongoing flea market. It really is HUGE!

10 Miles: Eagle River

17 Miles: Minocqua
Both of these are little Meccas for shopping and such.

Events your dates: http://www.vilaswi.com/events/ (scroll down to July) Lots of great festivals and such. This website can give you a good overview of all the highlights in the little towns in the area. Water ski shows, nature walks & talks, Logger show and such are regular weekly events and happen throughout the area.

Rates: www.Cedaroma.com/reserve.html will give you the rates by date for each of the cabins. 1, 2, 3 & 4 are right ON the lake, like 30 feet from shore. #5 & 7 are set back somewhat, though both have great views. #6 is too small for three adults, unless you like it cozy with one on the pull out couch. Number 8, while likely available, it almost a 1/4 mile from the lake with no lake views. Eight is the lowest price because of it's distance to the lake and feels like a house, not a cabin. If you are looking for that classic family vacation, get any of the other cabinesque units.

Restaurants: There are far more dining options Up North than it seems there should be. Some of them are even great. The cabins all have kitchens too. This summer we will be doing a welcome BBQ during high season on Monday evenings and as a personal friend we might even cook a dinner at your place! LOL, our summer digs are very small. In the winter we stay in what I think is the best cabin, #7 and will then move to a small studio space for the summer.

Berries: Yes, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are all picked wild here. A July trip should catch at least one of these in a ripe stage! My Mom knows where all the good pickings are I will get the map from her and tell her to leave some berries for us.

Look towards the first three weeks of July. We are sold out starting on July 21st and going through August 10th. If you are considering June, that is also fairly well reserved with the exception of the first week.

 

We are thrilled that you are heading our way. Looking forward to catching up.

Lynn & Victor
Cedaroma Lodge

650-400-6923
www.Facebook.com/cedaroma
www.Cedaroma.com

 

 

lynnie -

The "kid" wants to do a family trip this summer (our graduation gift to her) and we're thinking about wisconsin. rumor has it that there are some nice cabins up north. what's around your area? she wants nature (after years in NY) but we are old and feeble. i'm thinking about slow hikes on flat terrain. maybe renting bikes? renting some sort of boat that is back friendly, etc.

it would be cool if we had some surprises up our sleeves too - like a venue nearby with a show or concert? or some random bizarre museum type thing.

is eagle river the closest town?  are the skeeters still a problem or does repellent manage it? is the lodge on a lake? swimming?

anyway, any info would be helpful. also prices. does the lodge do chow? ling chow? HA HA HA. i'm assuming there are some places with signs that say EAT.

ps she picked this over ENGLAND! i can't believe that. 

we're thinking mid july. i remember picking blueberries up there. is that the right time of year for picking?

sorry this note is scraggily. i'm kinda typing faster than i'm thinking (which doesn't say much)

 

Victor's Easy Marinara

A nearly daily staple!

1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup minced carrots
1 28oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 cube veggie bullion base
1/2 tsp ground pepper

Sautee the garlic & olive oil to light brown

Add carrots and continue the sautee for 2-3 more minutes

Add the remainder of the ingredients

Bring to a boil, then simmer 30-40 minutes

Taste, add salt if needed.

Vic's Pita Dipping Sauce

This recipe is by request of a Cafe Charlotte regular, from when we were in Groveland. Not hard to  make at all!

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp fresh chopped garlic

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1 and 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Put all ingredients into food processor except oil. On low speed slowly add oil until all is emulsified.

Salt & pepper to taste

Angel Hair Pasta with Green Beans

Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a 4 quart pot with 1/4 tsp of salt

Add:
1 cup cut fresh green beans

Boil for 3 minutes

Add:
8 oz of Angel Hair pasta (half of a 1lb box)

Cook for 5 minutes, al dente, strain into collander, set aside
--------------------------------------

In the same, now emply pot:

Add:
1 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped red onion
2 pinches red pepper flakes

Sautee on high heat until the garlic starts to brown

Add the cooked pasta & beans mixture

Add a couple twists of fresh ground pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup of water

Simmer for 2 minutes

toss & serve

This is a low sodium dish.

Birthday visit to Miami

At the end of our first subzero run of days Victor asked me what I wanted to do for my upcoming birthday. GET WARM! I said. We spoke to his sister living in Miami and turns out my birthday weekend would be a perfect time to come for a visit. We book flights out on 1/31, returning 2/5 via Chicago.

Yippeee! A warm holiday! I found all the summery clothes I wanted to take with and even packed a pair of sandals. We drove down to my folks in Racine on Wednesday and spent the night. Mom made a 5-course vegan birthday dinner for us, appetizer, soup, salad, entree and dessert. That was really cool. Jim said she was reading cookbooks all week. Turned out delicious and we were really thankful for the effort. Vegan wasn't too big a leap for them, they already are two of the three healthiest eaters I know.

So we get up the next morning and drive down to Chicago, easily finding our economy parking lot F and the corresponding bus to the train that will get us to terminal 3 and proceed to check in without incident, though I was fairly certain I would be busted for too big a suit case. We bought new suit cases in November and this was our first flight. We stopped at a Romano's Macaroni Grill and I ordered the Eggplant Quadratini with roasted eggplant, basil, tomato, ricotta salata and red chile (hold the ricotta of course!). This dish was vegan with square pasta that was both hollowed and curved almost like the mac & cheese pasta elbow macaroni, but square instead of round. It was an intriguing and well prepared dish, and big enough for the two of us to share. Victor also ordered a small  Caesar salad, so that was perfect.

We then walked over to our flight, waited til our group was called and board. I did have butterflies as I watched one of the security people stop a lady and make her try to fit her bag into the box frame that says "bag must fit this size" or something similar. Her bag did not fit and she was busy repacking everything and trying to shove that poor bag into the frame. I knew I was going to be next. But apparently it takes so long to bust just one person, this flight I got a fee pass on the too big bag. I was tempted to try putting it into the frame, but was afraid if it didn't fit someone would see me trying and flag me to pay for the bag. (The cost of which for one flight would be more than the cost of the new bag!) So I still don't know for sure, but the bag fits just fine on the plane.

We land in Miami at 6:30 and I have two messages that Cedaroma units 5 & 3 have frozen septic and what did I want to do. Hmmmm, what do I want to do about that? Hmmmm, how long ago did they call? Hmmmm, has it been resolved yet? Hmmmmm..... DANG!

So, let's review the weather again. Monday and Tuesday the temps reach 40 degrees and the snow is all but gone again. Wednesday it drops to zero. Wednesday night it drops down to 20 below zero and with no snow coverage, which acts as an insulator. Everything in sight and some things not in sight froze! 

So, I place the call. Yes, the guests have been relocated to the management company, Black Bear Lodge. A viable solution was found and all are seemingly happy. Continued report has all the units down, and what sounds like sewage backup in the cabins.We decide to try to enjoy the evening and see what we can do the next morning when we can speak to someone who was actually on site. 

Next morning we get a clearer picture. We learned that our own cabin, #7 does not appear to be suffering any freeze. The days new arriving guests have already been relocated from 6 to 8 and we have until Sunday when we will have overlap to resolve the problem. Time to call American Airlines and figure out the best way to get home. My helpful operator offers a $150 per ticket change fee and a $550 fare differential cost, per ticket to fly out on Friday. Saturday he said would be the same. This is substantially more than the loss of the business in moving one of the cabins to Black Bear again. So, I hang up and talk it over with Victor while I also do a search for a new one way ticket to Chicago. Wouldn't you know it, $300 on the SAME American Airlines, quite a different story than that offered by my "helpful" operator. BTW, American Airlines if you read everything published on the web with your name in it, I consider your trained approach in this matter total BS. I expressed an emergency need and asked for help finding the most cost effective way home. Your guy came up with over $1500 for the two of us for a one way flight. I got $600. Your help was not helpful, and really, in the long run is going to cost you a whole lot more than that in bad vibes as I share my dismay with your approach to customer service with my friends and family in the retelling of this saga. 

We make our decisions quickly, pay for the tickets and enjoy the rest of the day and then a night out in South Beach. The next morning we are up and on the road before 5:30, and in the air a little after 7am. We land Chicago 9:30, Racine for lunch with Marge & Jim and back home to Cedaroma moments before 5 pm. Nine seconds outside from car to house and I am frozen from head to toe as if I had never left! 

We check cabins and learn that two of the units had frozen in the line to the holding tanks, but there was no overflow into any of the cabins. Ed over saw the fix with a technician with a steamer hose from Rhinelander and all is flowing nicely! We figured out what caused the problems, different for both cabins, but the subzero temps froze them both at the same time. We believe it is better to have returned early to Cedaroma and have no back-up problems than to have stayed in Florida for the rest of our planned trip and perpahs come back to a to a different outcome.

I love the new life we are transitioning to here in Wisconsin at Cedaroma Lodge, really, I do. It's just those dang subzero days that I could do without!

This is the view from Favi's apartment on Miami Beach,
40 stories up with a huge wrap around balcony.

For the curious, yes, I did stick with my plant based diet throughout the trip. Saturday night I did manage to drink two beers, but did not really enjoy them. Will likely stay non drinking for now, it really helps with my resolve to not smoke, which has been successful since 12/28/2012! Yippeee, to be a successful ex-smoker, I think I can give up a few beers.