September 2017 – Observations From the 2nd Floor

A Quick Trip West

Sometimes my trips are so quick I feel like I haven’t even been anywhere. This weekend was one of those times.

Last Friday I left early to get to the airport … for the long flight to San Francisco. BTW San Francisco is a greater distance away than any other large U.S. city in the lower 48. Yes, even further than Los Angeles.

So after getting my car from a more complicated than usual car rental place, I headed north, through the city, pass Fisherman’s Wharf, pass the painted ladies (the ones you always see on TV) but I had no opportunity to stop for pictures – I had a long way to go and didn’t have time to look for a parking place.

But on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge, I did stop at the viewing place. The place was jammed with tourists and wind whipped across the bay. I then did the long trek north to Santa Rosa – bumper to bumper the entire 50 some miles.

Saturday was the conference … good leaders, good response, good encouragement.

And then Sunday I left at 6:00 a.m. to start the long ride home. Traffic was good until the Golden Gate when all lanes (both ways) of traffic were stopped so that 100 or so old cars could go by.

Otherwise I went a different way through the city, pass many more painted ladies, but not quite the decorative ones that are by the bay and featured on Full House.

I made it home 13 hours later, came in the house and collapsed.

Overlooking the bay. Alcatraz in the middle of the picture – the city in the background.

What was waiting for me at the place I stayed on Saturday night.

Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek, Colorado is located at the base of Pike’s Peak. Back more than a 100 years ago the area was the focus of all those prospectors who went West to get rich. Now it is more a casino and tourist town than mining. (In other words, people are still attempting to get rich in Cripple Creek.)

Although the miners are long gone, their donkeys are still there. Well, not exactly their donkeys, but the descendants, of the descendants, of the descendants …

When we got there, Roger and Sally said we might not see them, sometimes they’re off in a pasture somewhere, but we went up a hill and alas … the donkeys of Cripple Creek.

New Food – Pumpkin-tomato Soup

I was a little concerned this week – I didn’t have a new food. I’ve done one each week all year, but this week got away from me.

However, I have been rescued!

The tearoom – you truly need reservations.

Today I met some ladies at Emerson Creek Pottery and Tearoom for lunch. This is a farm that you get to by driving down a long, gravelly road – surrounded by subdivisions. But when you get to the actual place, you feel as if you’re in the country in spite of the rooftops in the distance.

The wedding venue which was bustling with activity today as they were setting up for a wedding.

The complex consists of the tearoom, a huge venue for weddings and other events and a shop. On this beautiful September Saturday, they were preparing for a wedding and the barn was beautifully decorated in shabby chic.

We were seated on the “porch,” except it wasn’t really a porch – the porch was outside – we were enclosed in a small room off the porch – but not the main dining room where I sat last time I was there.

And on the menu was pumpkin-tomato soup. Normally I wouldn’t have ordered the soup, but it was something I had never had before. Several of the other ladies ordered it too.

The soup was thick – like a puree rather than soupy soup. The color certainly looked pumpkin-like, but the taste was definitely tomato. They served big bowls … and I think just one of us finished it. The taste was ok, but I think I’d give it a 4 out of a 10. However, my turkey sandwich with cranberry-creamcheese dressing was delicious. I don’t think the soup was bad – I think you just needed a taste for it, which I guess I didn’t have. (But I did get a new food out of it.)

Later we went over to the shop which was full of signs and candles and cookbooks and capes and … pumpkins.

The afternoon was so gorgeously pleasant, we ended with a walk to the pond.

New Food – Juustoleipä

Halfway between my house and “up north,” is a little town called Westfield. I think most of the town’s excitement is out by the highway, because I think this is halfway for anyone going from here to there. The small group of buildings includes several businesses including a sit-down restaurant, a McDonalds, a Subway, a Burger King and the necessary gas station.

I usually stop there and head for the Amish store, a place filled with homemade noodles, candy, spices, jams and jellies. My purchase is usually a jar of honey for the fam.

But this last time I noticed something different – a package of something called bread cheese.

Instead of being a smooth yellow or creamy white, this cheese looked burnt. Curious, I asked the non-Amish clerk. She explained that unlike regular cheese, this cheese didn’t melt. She also explained that she would fry it and put it on bread and it was a favorite.

So I bought some.

Doing research, I discovered that the official name is: juustoleipä and it’s made from the milk of cows who have recently calved. Sometimes goat or reindeer milk is used too.

After the cheese is curdled it is baked or fried or grilled to give it char marks.

The bread part of the name is because it looks like toast.

So I brought it home and fried some (which you’re supposed to do). As promised, the cheese did not melt, but did become soft. I ate a couple pieces and then ate some more between crackers.

The cheese was mild with a smooth texture. I liked it a lot! I could understand why the non-Amish clerk at the Amish store liked it on bread.

I would give it an 8 out of 10. I think if someone did have a complaint about it, it would be that it doesn’t have a strong flavor.

If you see some at the Amish store, I’d recommend you try it.