Shallenberger State Nature Preserve

Shallenberger State Nature Preserve

I am sitting with a glass of homemade concord grape wine and thinking about the wonderful weekend I had in Ohio.  The temperature was up.  The snow is melting.  My spirits are up.  I took the opportunity to visit Shallenberger State Nature Preserve.  My mission:  Search for Ohio's missing green.

Shallenberger SNP is located in Lancaster, OH, Fairfield County, on Becks Knob Road near the intersection with State Route 22.  It features Allen's Knob, a large Blackhand Sandstone formation rising approximately 240 feet above the surrounding area.  The area was formed by a large inland ocean and sculpted by weathering and glaciation.

For the Moderately Active Ohioan looking for a hiking opportunity, this is a nice place to visit.  The hike was moderately challenging.  My mother with two hip replacements was able to hike it without any issues.  The area was muddy from the recent snow thaw, but it does not appear to be a condition that will last long.  A few more dry days and it will be perfect.

It is a bit early, but I have been told that the spring wildflowers are excellent.  The view from the overlook is wonderful.  Not as spectacular as the view from Christmas Rocks SNP, but Shallenberger SNP is a better hike to start with and well worth the time.  Because of the mud, we decided to only hike the Allen's Knob portion of the trail.  There is another section, Ruble Knob.  I am going to put the Ruble Knob section onto my spring hike list.

Once again, there are no restroom facilities.  You have been warned.

The birds are returning to the area.  Bring your binoculars.  There is plenty of habitat to keep them happy.

I didn't get a picture, but I believe I saw an Eastern Bluebird darting in an out of the knot holes on this tree.

There are beautiful rock formations everywhere you walk.

The hike up the knob has been made a little easier.  Dad seemed happy with the steps.

Blackhand Sandstone

The Mountain Laurel will be beautiful.

The ground under our feet.

Chestnut Oak and Mountain Laurel cover the top of the knob.

Blackhand Sandstone

Blackhand Sandstone was quarried from the area.

A little fun with Dad.

We found the quarry area.  Dad wanted to see it before we left.  

The Blackhand Sandstone quarried from Allen's Knob was used to create some of the most beautiful and unique buildings in the area.  This included the one of a kind Stonewall Cemetery 1838-1839.  The stone was cut so perfectly that no mortar was used in the construction.  

More beauty everywhere I look.

Enjoy your hike at Shallenberger State Nature Preserve.  Green is on its way.

Practical Project - 30 Day Freezer Meals

Practical Project - 30 Day Freezer Meals

As my husband's health issues make him less able to help around the house, my personal life has become disorganized.  After work, the choices are should I cook, clean, pay bills, run errands, etc.  It has become harder to find time to relax, exercise, read, find me time.  I had to do something or my health was going to be affected.  In an effort to make my life less frenetic, I went searching for solutions to some everyday problems.

One of the problems that I was having was meals.  By the time I would get home from work I was too tired to think about cooking.  If I sat down, it was all over.  Nothing was going to get done.  I was starting to live on junk food and take out.  It doesn't help that I am a stress eater and really, really want that chocolate covered crunchy thing with salt.  It was unhealthy and expensive.

In my search for meal solutions, I turned to Pinterest.  You know Pinterest.  It is that place where you collect all the interesting web things you find and then never do anything with.  It is a web junk drawer.  I opened the junk drawer.

In the middle of my Pinterest "food drawer" filled with recipes for chocolate covered crunchy things with salt I found an item for 30 Days of Freezer Meal.  I didn't like the meals that they suggested, but I liked the idea.  I thought about it for a while and decided that I would take my meals and make my own 30 Days of Freezer Meals.

I took an inventory of what was in my freezer and pantry.  It was a great time to clean the freezer, refrigerator, and cupboards, of all old items.  I picked recipes that would use up these items.  This ended up being a bonus stress relieving exercise.

I didn't know how much time it would take to cook 30 meals, but I set aside 2 days.  I made...

Chicken Stock
Chicken Soup
Chicken Pot Pie
White Bean Chili
Beef Stock    
Beef Stew
Pot Roast
Red Bean Chili
Marzetti  
Soup Beans
Spaghetti Sauce
Sirloin Burgers
Stuffed Green Peppers
Ham Steaks
Homemade Noodles - Thanks for the help, Mom!
Zucchini Bread
Homemade Pizza Bread
Homemade Yeast Rolls

It took me the whole two days to finish the project but with better planning, and knowing now what I didn't know then, I could have done this in one day.

This ended up being more than 30 days worth of meals.  Left overs and lunches ended up being a nice bonus.  I am so glad I used my own meals instead of someone else's suggestion.

Tips:
1.  Borrow crock pots - I used one and could have saved time if I had two or even three crock pots cooking meats over night.
2.  Put cardboard on the freezer racks if you are using plastic bags.  Those bags form fit around the racks and the only way to get them off is a hammer.  It is a good way to relieve stress, so you decide.
3.  Do not stack plastic bags on top of each other until they are frozen.  The only way to get them apart is the hammer trick.  See tip#2
4.  I may switch to plastic stacking bowls (BPA free).  One time expense, but if I don't lose the lids, it will save me money in the long run.  See tip#1 and #2
5.  Food process all the veggies at one time, not by meal.  It will save time.
6.  You may need less spice.  The freezing seemed to make the food taste spicier than expected.
7.  Make sure you use good quality plastic bags.  You don't want one to split open in the freezer.  Trust me on this.

Museum of Biological Diversity at Ohio State University Open House

Museum of Biological Diversity at Ohio State University Open House

In my search for inexpensive, educational, and fun activities to do with my grandson, I stumbled upon the Museum of Biological Diversity at Ohio State University Open House.  It promised a day of education and biological wonders.  It was also FREE (Donations Appreciated).  Free is one of my favorite words.  

According to their Facebook page, The Museum of Biological Diversity has over 9 million specimens and they are dedicated to preservation, documentation, and scientific study of biodiversity.  Intrigued, I packed up the husband and the grandson and off we went.  

Two days earlier, I didn't even know that this place existed.  What a find!  If you have a child, then this event is a must to put onto your calendar for next year.  I do not know if this facility is open throughout the year.  It seemed to have an academic side to it that may not be conducive to daily tours.  Perhaps, someone from the facility can answer that for me.

Nature

Insects and Microscopes

Aquatic and Marine

DNA Lab

Birds

Plants and Plant Specimen Mounting - This lady and her friend (sorry, I don't have her picture) were so sweet.  They discussed plant specimen mounting and gave me helpful tips.  I have a new project to do with my grandson.  Thank you!

Kid Activities

There were many more areas of interest, including an amazing section on flying insects.  After every section, the children received a button.  It became an educational treasure hunt for my grandson.  That was a nice touch.  All of the guides, helpers, students, scientists were so nice.  While their open house seemed to be geared toward inspiring and educating children, it offered much more.  This moderately active Ohioan enjoyed it just as much as my grandson.

What a great event!