Jim Thorpe and Centralia Critique: Part III.

So, we headed to Centralia. The website and even the flickr stream have pictures from just last year that show abandoned homes. I was very excited to see them and photograph them.

If we weren't looking (hard) for it, we would've driven right past it. It is completely disappointing. Where homes once stood are fields. The roads that were blocked due to cracked asphalt are now repaired and car-ready.

People tend to use the area for exercise purposes: bike riding, walking, running.

I mean, sure, it's good for the few remaining residents, but it sucks because we really wanted to see ruins. Completely and totally disappointing.

I did, however, get one picture.

Jim Thorpe and Centralia Critique: Part II.

After the crappy dinner/dessert, we walked the main strip and the train station in the dark.
We then went back to our room and watched "Mad Men" and commented on how we were both hungry.

Even though the inn has a continental breakfast (I went down to get some coffee) we didn't partake. We needed to compensate for last night's atrocity. We looked through Jim Thorpe restaurants (thank the gods for free wi-fi!!!) and decided on The Albright Mansion for breakfast. It was very quaint and charming. And the food was delicious!!! WHEW! Joe got crepes with apples, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon. I decided to get something I wouldn't ordinarily get. I got an omelet with spinach, mushrooms & american cheese. Very tasty! The home fries were crispy, flavorful perfection. The whole wheat toast was a great little bite after a forkful of omelet. The coffee was fresh, delicious, and non-stop.

We walked through the town, this time in daylight. We only went in 1 shop to get Abby a little something. We were greeted by an older man who was probably hiding his white hood in the backroom. *sigh* I would've loved to go into the other shops, but Joe's back was hurting and I know he doesn't like those kind of places. SO, if anyone of my friends/family would like to go to Jim Thorpe, let's plan it!

At this point, we got into the car and took a long (not really, maybe an hour, but it seemed a lot longer because there was nothing to look at!) ride to Centralia...

...to be continued...

Jim Thorpe and Centralia Critique: Part I.

We arrived at Jim Thorpe pretty quickly. In only about an hour. We stayed at the Jim Thorpe Inn and got upgraded to a suite for the same price. SUITE! (SWEET!) duh. The only bummer about this place was that the balcony was closed for repairs and I really wanted to go up there for photo-taking purposes.

We got settled in the suite and walked to Cafe Origins. There was one other party there. And only two people working in the restaurant (the chef/owner and the waitress.) We selected this restaurant based on its vegetarian options.


I got the Syrian Spinach Pie. Joe got a bean & cheese quesadilla. Mine, which had about 5 pieces of spinach and 2 strips of onion, was OK. Joe's was mediocre; nothing on the plate to even attempt to make it look appealing.


For dessert we decided on a "slice" of banana pie. Nothing was really appealing and we just chose this totally laughable item and so not worthy of a photograph. The "pie" was 1 smashed graham cracker, topped with 1 sliced banana and about 2 tablespoons of fig jam. Those items were then completely drowned in reddi-whip. Nothing about this resembled a pie. And seriously, $7 for something my almost-four-year-old daughter could concoct was ridiculous. EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING. On the plus side, the atmosphere was nice.

Apple Overload.

We went to Linvilla Orchards on Friday. We all had a lot of fun. We saw animals, rode a train, picked out pumpkins and went apple picking.
I spent about $25 on apples. There were hardly any apples left, but we found two or three trees that had a decent amount of fruit. The only apples available to pick were red delicious. I think they are my least favorite apples, but what can ya do? (FYI... honeycrisp apples are my new favorite. They are tart and sweet and crisp and wonderful.)
When we came home, I adapted a recipe and made a sort of apple cobbler. Eh. Not impressive and therefore, not picture worthy.
This morning I made German Apple Pancakes. It was Cooking Light's August 2008 cover recipe.
This was easy, but not quick. It was good, but not a "go out and get the ingredients" recipe. Although really, it's one of those recipes that has basic pantry ingredients anyhow. That's always a bonus.
OK, wait, I'm lying. I didn't have egg substitute, so I substituted the substitute by using *gasp* three real eggs mixed with water.
It was good, but not great. It tasted too egg-y for me. Maybe that's due to the amount of eggs. Maybe it's just that way. I don't know. Either way, it wasn't really a good use of the excess of apples I have since it only used about one and a half apples. I think I'm going to make applesauce today.

Lavender.

Several months ago, I saw a recipe for Honey-Lavender Ricotta Ice Cream in Cooking Light. I have been on a half-assed quest to make it.
I couldn't find lavender in the regular supermarket or in Whole Foods. I realized that I'd have to get it at Reading Terminal Market or The Spice Corner in the Italian Market. I happened to be in the Italian Market on Friday, and therefore purchased 3 oz. of dried lavender.
I couldn't remember how much the ice cream recipe called for, so I figured I'd be on the safe side. Turns out the recipe calls for 1 tsp. ONE TEASPOON. I have 3 ounces!
So, I thought I'd be making the ice cream this weekend, but then I saw the recipe recommends fresh ricotta. I like the idea of making fresh cheese; however, I need to get some cheesecloth and a candy thermometer. The half-assed quest continues. Sure, cheesecloth is easy enough to find, but I gotta go out specifically to get a candy thermometer. This ice cream better be damn delicious once I get all the stuff I need to make it!
And now, to the main point of this post. Since I have so much extra lavender, I've been searching for lavender recipes. I found the perfect recipe. (Perfect = Having all ingredients on hand).
Lavender Shortbread.

It's pretty delicious and I am pleasantly surprised that both my husband and daughter seem to like it. The recipe called for the cooled cookies to be sprinkled with powdered sugar, but I didn't feel like getting into that mess with my, um, little preschool-aged helper.

Confession: A Love Affair.

I am in love with Eastern State Penitentiary. I swear, I think it is one of my most favorite places on earth. There is so much to see. So much to photograph. For me, the challenge is to see things differently. We've seen the typical photos: cell block shots, the long, decrepit hallways, the barber chair with a ray of sunshine offering a detailed view. I won't lie, I've taken many of the same shots. And most of my photos are the typical, including the one I've posted here; however, that doesn't stop my desire to explore, discover and document this amazing place.
Do yourself a favor, visit the place. It's wonderful. But do me a favor, don't go for the Halloween crap-ola tour with hokey actors and strobe lights. That has nothing to do with the history of the place.
Also, after your trip, stop by Mugshots because they have tasty vegetarian/vegan fare (and non-vegetarian food as well.)

Impact!

I headed to a nearby thrift shop after work. It was ridiculously busy. Turns out the whole store was on sale. 25% off everything.
~
I picked up two patterns, and a large oblong tablecloth (to use the fabric) for the grand total of $3.18.