California Dreaming

Good Friday Morning! Dan Wells writing, I hope this note finds you well and in good spirits. I'm writing today about a fantastic Easter trip with my family to "The City by the Bay."

San Francisco is considered the most European city on the West Coast, and "boy oh boy" does this city have a lot to offer! Besides a wonderful Easter visit with our family in the area, I thought I'd share some of the fun from my vacation.

It is never a trip to San Francisco unless we go into the city, ride a trolley car down to Fisherman's Wharf and wander around for a while.

If you don't know, San Francisco is a beautiful city that's deep in culture and charm. Besides being a perfect romantic getaway, there's also enough in San Francisco to satisfy your whole family!

Here are my suggestions if you're on your way to Bay Area anytime soon!

1. Take the ferry into Sausalito (about 15 minutes from the city) and have lunch on the water and walk around the shops. You will be staring at San Francisco from the other side of the bay and the ferry ride over gives you awesome panoramic views.

(Google - Sausalito, it looks like you are in Europe, with all of these unbelievable homes built into the cliffs.)

2. Pack-a-lunch and go to Alamo Square and have lunch and play in the park in front of the 7 "painted ladies"

3. Fisherman's Wharf - is a huge tourist spot, but there are tons for you and your kids to see and do! Plus they will see the sea lions :)

4. Go to the top of Coit Tower (there is an elevator) and take in the views of the Bay area

5. Make sure you get on a cable car! Take it from Union Square (Powell and Market St) down to the very last stop (Fisherman's Wharf area) and make sure to get the famous Irish coffee at Buena Vista cafe.

6. My favorite, the Marina District and Palace of Fine Arts. It is gorgeous and it speaks for its self.

Finally, this is an amazing city, whatever you do you will have a great time, and if you don't get a chance to go I hope you enjoyed a peak into my vacation.

Have a great weekend
Dan

Going Down In History

Usually when I greet people on the air in the morning I’ll start with the word “happy”. It’s a little difficult to start off the blog this morning with “Happy Thursday” after the historic tornado outbreak yesterday in the deep south. As of now, it’s being reported that there were 154 tornadoes yesterday with 100 confirmed deaths, 61 from Alabama alone, that number will rise. Officials are still in clean up mode as towns were leveled by massive wedge tornadoes that are usually more common in the wide open plains, not through metropolitan areas. When I saw the radar image coming out of Tuscaloosa, my heart dropped. It’s a sinking feeling to know there is a violent tornado on the ground and people are in danger. In fact, the Tuscaloosa tornado image had a clear cut hook echo image, and was SO clear, that at the end of hook you could see what’s call a “debris ball”. A highlighted area of pinks and magentas on radar that show actual debris that’s swirling around in the tornado itself. In the coverage I saw yesterday, a chief meteorologist out of Birmingham AL was covering the same cell from Tuscaloosa that was at the time threatening downtown Birmingham. They were getting reports of debris in the air in Birmingham that had traveled in the tornado from Tuscaloosa. It’ll take months for all the clean up need for all the towns and cities that were devastated by the outbreak yesterday, I pray for them for the quick recovery. It’s a sobering moment as a meteorologist, and reminds you how powerful Mother Nature really is.

Stop The Rain

Marzullo Here...First as I logged on to write my blog I was distracted by Rob's earlier post about ice cream you must read about his new find! Now back to my topic...we would all welcome a hot sunny day to enjoy some ice cream after our very wet pattern this month. We have now reached the point of having the wettest April on record, with 11.97" of water and we will be very close to having the wettest month ever recorded in Cincinnati, 13.68" fell in January of 1937 and we will come to close to breaking that record by the end of the day today. Not only are we water logged but our SEVERE RISK of storms remain for this afternoon after 2pm. Stay with Storm Tracker Weather on air and online at www.fox19.com/weather and also send us your pictures at pix@fox19.com.

The Flooding Ohio River

Cincinnati is the first river town I have called home.

Hi everyone Rob here.

April is on track to become the wettest April in Cincinnati's history. April is already is 3rd wettest month and we have a four days left. Much of the rain we have seen in two weeks ended up in the Ohio River which is swollen. The good news it has crested and is on its way down.

It crested at over 55 feet. Flood stage is 52 feet. Morning meteorologist Katy Morgan says the Ohio will probably remain above flood stage for the rest of the week. The powerful Ohio River can be destructive when it runs over its banks. Flooding streets, basements, and neighborhoods along the river. I always like to get an up close view when the Ohio floods. It is just an amazing sight. Yesterday I walked down to the Sawyer Point which was soaked, and I wasn't alone. There were more than a few people who had the same idea.

Cookies For Kids!

Buy a cookie. Make a wish come true.

Sheila here, and 2,000 Kroger stores across the U.S. are taking part in Cookies For Kids. The partnership with the Make A Wish Foundation launches this Friday.

When you go to Kroger, simply look for this display or buy another item in the bakery, and the Cincinnati based grocery store chain promises to give a percentage of the sales to Make A Wish through the month of May. Kroger is hoping to raise $300,000, which would make hundreds of wishes come true for kids with life-threatning illnesses. 20 percent of the dollars raised will stay right here in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Here's one more way to help Make A Wish and get some exercise. Sign up for the Walk for Wishes on June 18th in Cincinnati. It's a 5K non-competitive walk through beautiful Sawyer Point. The family-friendly event will feature games, food and entertainment for all ages. To find out more, log onto http://makeawishohio.org and click on Cincinnati.

Jeni's Ice Cream

Honey butter cake ice cream. How delicious does that sound?

Hi everyone. Rob here.

This past Saturday I decided to spend a quiet night at home, after a busy week at work.

Maybe dial up a movie or catch up on some DVR homework.

I called and ordered a Naked Pizza in Hyde Park. More on that place at a later date, but it does feature pizza that's only 41 calories per slice. Drove over to Whole Foods with every intention of getting something healthy. That is until I walked by the frozen food section. There it was like a beacon drawing me closer. I have heard a lot of Jeni's ice cream, but thought it was only available in Columbus. I have seen a story about the ice cream and its creator Jeni Britton Bauer. She comes up with some crazy, but beguiling flavor combinations. The one everyone talks about is salty caramel. Jeni describes this flavor as notes of burnt sugar which give way to mouth-watering saltiness. A perfect sweet salty balance. There's also brown butter almond brittle, goat cheese with cognac fig sauce. There's even one called queen city cayenne. I settled on HONEY BUTTER CAKE. It was fantastic. I have been raving about it all week. I had half the pint after dinner. The other half for breakfast. I loved it so much, I have banned myself from Whole Foods for a while. I can't eat entire pints of ice cream too often. I'm not strong enough to walk by Jeni's ice cream without buying them. Nor am I strong enough to not eat an entire pint in one sitting. I think tri-staters should be loyal to Graters, but if you're going to cheat Jeni's ice cream is worth it. Find out more http://www.jenisicecreams.com/

Katy The StormTracker

Chasing those storms! Katy Here...Good morning, and happy Thursday!! (A DRY Thursday, I might add..) Yesterday was a long day for the Storm Tracker Weather team with storms moving through overnight and Wednesday morning. Steve, Frank and Pat were all hard at work in the weather center bringing everyone up to date with the latest information, while I was out in the Storm Tracker chasing the leading edge of the storms. Some may say that I’m nuts to drive into a storm, but it’s something I’ve been doing for a while now! It all started in college. I was part of the Mizzou Storm Chasing team for a few years. We would forecast severe weather, set up at base camp (our building on campus) and send out chasers to find the severe storms that could possibly produce tornadoes. Not only was it a great learning experience, like a field trip from class, but our main goal was to alert the National Weather Service of any severe weather, so they could get the information out to the public. It was a great experience, and I’m proud to say I’m STILL driving my Corolla that I use to chase in. It has a few small hail dents in it, but still runs like a top! Storm chasers are an important link to reporting severe weather, they serve as our eyes and ears when we can’t be out chasing ourselves. Of course, we don’t want anyone going out and chasing storms… you need to have a trained eye, so you know what you’re looking at. The National Weather Service in Wilmington is great to offer storm spotter training classes throughout the spring. If you are interested in becoming a spotter, check out their website for the next class: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/iln/training.php

Furthermore, if you are interested in storms (and liked the movie Twister) I invite you to check out the movie Tornado Alley, which is now playing at the Omnimax theater. Find movie times here… It’s a great feature!
http://www.cincymuseum.org/explore_our_sites/omnimax/current_features/default.asp

Cheers For Chicago

There is so much to love about Chicago.

Sheila here. We took a family spring break trip to Chicago last weekend. With temperatures in the 40's, that wind off of Lake Michigan, and quite a bit of rain, it sure wasn't the beach, but we had a fantastic time.

I've been to Chicago several times in the last few years because my best friend lives there, but Ric hadn't been for several years, Katie has only been once, and our little guy, Eric was experiencing Chicago for the first time. It can be a challenge to find activities that a 17-year-old and a three-year-old will enjoy, but the Windy City truly has something for everyone. We went there for a campus visit to Loyola University, but we packed in a lot of activities in three days.

Our trip started on Thursday afternoon with my favorite part, shopping on the Magnificent Mile! I could spend days wandering in and out of the stores there, but we took it easy on the guys and just spent a few hours. My big steal of the day: I found Ric a pair of Cole Haan shoes for less than half the usual price at Filene's Basement. I love that place. And Katie found some T-shirts for 10 bucks at the Nordstrom Rack (which is a huge store!)

On Friday morning, the Field Museum was on the agenda. What an amazing place! We all loved seeing SUE, the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered. SUE is 67-million years old! She's right there to greet you when you walk into the Field's Main Hall. The Evolving Planet was our favorite exhibit. That's where you can find the dinosaurs and much more. Here's a TRAVEL TIP: Don't pay for the extras at the Field unless you are just dying to see the special exhibition or see the 4-D movie. We bought the Basic Ticket, and we didn't even come close to seeing everything. Also, Friday morning is a perfect time to go. There were some school groups there, but it wasn't crowded at all, and we didn't wait in line for anything.

Saturday morning, we hit the Shedd Aquarium. Now, I loved it once we got inside, but we were very frustrated when we got there. The Shedd's website says if you buy advance tickets, you won't have to wait in line to get in. Totally not true. Unlike a lot of Ticketmaster purchases, you can't print your Shedd Tickets from your computer. You have to wait in the Will Call line, and we waited for an hour. Literally hundreds of people who didn't buy tickets in advance were waiting in the other line. I have no idea how long their wait was, but I'm betting it was a couple of hours. When I told the customer service rep. at Will Call how long we had been waiting, he gave us free passes to the Aquatic Show and the Jellies exhibit. (Thanks Louis!) The good news is the aquarium is truly wonderful. The way it's laid out, and the number of different animals and displays is totally worth the price. We loved the dolphins and Beluga whales, and I could've stood and watched the animals in the Caribbean Reef tank, in the center of the aquarium, for hours. TRAVEL TIPS: Buy tickets to the Shedd Aquarium in advance. The Aquatic Show is totally worth the extra four-dollar ticket price. The Jellies show is not worth the extra fee if you've ever been to the Newport Aquarium. Our standing jellyfish exhibit is not to be rivaled. Finally, get there early, and if you can, go on a weekday instead of the weekend to avoid the large crowds.

Finally, a word on Chicago food. Let's just say I am still recovering from 3 straight days of food hangover! There are so many wonderful things to eat! We had dinners at Bistro 110 (on Pearson right off of Michigan Avenue) and the Grand Luxe café (overlooking Michigan Avenue). Ric's Chicken Pot Pie at the Bistro was phenomenal. If you can ever go and have lunch outside there when it's warm, you will really enjoy it. (I did that on a previous trip.) The order-ahead desserts at the Grand Luxe are sooooo worth it. We had the Molten Lava Chocolate Cake and the Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies. Totally sinful and sensational. We also got some Garrett's Popcorn (on Ontario just off of Michigan Avenue), Lou Malnati's Chicago Style Pizza, and Chicago Dogs. I don't think we missed one delicious thing!

One last TRAVEL TIP: Take the bus and the train to get around when your destination is too far to walk. The "L" and the CTA buses are affordable, clean, and easy to navigate. I think Eric's favorite part of our whole trip was riding the bus (his first time). The folks who work in the train stations are very friendly and helpful too. We parked our car on Thursday and didn't drive it again until Sunday when we went home. You can avoid paying for parking altogether by taking the MegaBus, which I've heard is great.

If you've never been to Chicago, I hope you get the chance sometime. There are so many things to do, and I've only touched on a few of them. The five-hour drive is really easy, and there are always deals online on hotels. Plus, the people there are some of the friendliest I've ever met. We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn in the Gold Coast area (just off of Lake Shore Drive). The Guest Services employees and the women who took care of breakfast every morning recognized our family every time we were downstairs, and they were so helpful and nice. It was like staying with friends. I'll always be a Cincinnati girl, but Chicago is also my kind of town.

The Best Hot Dog!

Do you love Hot Dogs?

Dan Wells here, and if you answered "yes", I have to tell you NOTHING compares to the perfect Chicago Dog. I actually had my first one on Monday, and now I'm mildly obsessed! If you don't know, a Chicago Style Hot Dog is more than just a Hot Dog; it's a taste sensation with the perfect blend of toppings. (that is my assessment)

So, what exactly is a Chicago Dog?

A Chicago Style Hot Dog is a steamed all beef Hot Dog topped with yellow mustard, bright green relish, onions, tomato wedges, pickle spear or slice, sport peppers and a dash of celery salt served in the all-important steamed poppy seed bun. It's delicious!

The toppings are just as important as the order they are applied to the Hot Dog. (See below)

If you're going to make one....Hot Dog experts say to add toppings in the following order:

Yellow Mustard
Bright "Neon" Green Relish
Fresh Chopped Onions
Two Tomato Wedges
A Pickle Spear or Slice
Two Sport Peppers
A Dash of Celery Salt
Remember: When adding toppings, dress the dog and not the bun!

I asked the great folks at "Hot Doggin It!" in Symmes Township, why the placement of the toppings so important?

They say if your Chicago Dog has been made properly, you will get a taste of each ingredient in every bite. (and they're right...you really do get each taste)

Here's another crazy fact: A Chicago Style Hot Dog is never boiled, but rather slowly simmered using steam heat until the hot dog reaches approximately 170-180 degrees. Although steam is the preferred method to heat the Hot Dog, grilling, heating in water or using the microwave are also acceptable. Since Hot Dogs are pre-cooked all you need to do is heat the dog.

Ok, if you're like me...you're asking....Where's the Ketchup?

As mentioned earlier, I was told, the toppings are just as important as the Hot Dog itself. If you look at the required toppings for a Chicago Dog, you will notice that Ketchup is not listed among them. Ketchup is an ingredient frowned upon by Hot Dog afficionados. Although ketchup remains one of the most popular condiments on Hot Dogs, "properly made" Hot Dogs, like the Chicago Style, usually lack the condiment.

Whatever way you like your Hot Dog! I can tell you this style is fantastic, so if you're out on Montgomery Road, give "Hot Doggin It" a try. You won't be sorry!

www.hotdogginit.com

Frank At The Movies ...

When you go to the movies you want to be whisked away for a few hours and when you leave you want to feel entertained and maybe a little smarter. Hi everyone Frank Marzullo here, this past weekend I watched the new Robert Redford film The Conspirator, about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. This film staring Robin Wright Penn focuses on Mary Surratt who is accused of and put to trial for being part of the plan to assassinate the president, vice president, and Secretary of state. The film is very dialogue driven and I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend you see your next movie at the fairly new Kenwood Theater. This is by far the best movie experience in my opinion, in town. The theater locally owned by the same group who owns the Esquire and The Mariemont theater, has the best seats in town. You sit in them and automatically you recline back in the small and intimate theater. The best part is that besides the basic movie snacks, you can enjoy a glass of wine and sushi. Yes, SUSHI and WINE at the movies. So do yourself a favor and check it out, along with the movie The Conspirator.

MeatWater...What?

Good Friday morning, Dan Wells writing.

I hope this note finds you well and in good spirits! OK, I'm serious, about this blog below.

Hopefully you aren't eating right now because this is cringe-worthy. Meat-flavored water. No joke!

Here's the website, if you can't believe it: http://dinnerinabottle.com/

In a nutshell the website says, "MeatWater provides the essence of nutrition and the memory of dining without the hassle of eating." What...?

Here's more, "Active lifestyle enthusiasts drink MeatWater...MeatWater flavors are designed to be used anytime when a busy schedule does not permit a break for solid food ingestivities. Select, discerning people drink MeatWater whenever they want to, wherever they are. MeatWater is part of a healthy diet. It is also a meal enhancement, or a fine dining replacement."

Here are some of the flavors, BBQ Wing, Oyster, Chicken Salad and even Haggis...Could you imagine drinking some of these flavors?

If you ask me, I'll get my protein from a juicy steak. Or even better, baked chicken!

So anyway, it's just an interesting tidbit to take to the water cooler today and impress your friends with a new-found conversation starter.

Feel free to post a comment and keep the discussion going. And as always, when I'm not posting here, you can find me on Facebook and Twitter with some of the days top stories!

Have a great weekend and see you Monday on TV!

Cheers Dan

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah-Day

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Day! Spring is here in Cincinnati, and I’m loving it! Katy Morgan Here...The weather is warming, birds are chirping, and life is good. It’s great to see the trees in full-bloom, one of my favorites of the spring season is the Bradford peartree. Of course, they are not one of the better smelling trees, but definitely pretty. It’s good to see color again in the city, but this time of year can also be a bit of a rollercoaster when it comes to weather. Severe weather season is in full gear, and it’s not unheard of to see temperatures swing a good 40 degrees in a 24 hour period. Luckily, we’re nearing the end of the cold weather season, as our average last frost in Cincinnati was yesterday, the 13th of April. Of course, we’ll see a few more cold nights ahead, but they’ll become few and far between over the next few weeks. In fact, the latest date we’ve seen a temperature of 32° here in Cincinnati is May 25th. But based on data over the past 10 years, there is a 90% chance that we’ll see our last 32° night by April 27th. Whatever the 2011 last frost may be, it’s great to know that summertime is just around the corner!

Cleopatra - Up Close & Personal

"I thought Mark Anthony was Jennifer Lopez's husband!"

Sheila here.
That's a quote from my friend Jill's nine-year-old daughter, when she visited the Cleopatra exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

I, too, learned some things I didn't know when my husband Ric and and I checked out the new exhibit about one of the world's most powerful women. Our city is one of only five in North America to get it, and it's definitely worth a couple of hours of your time.

Cleopatra ruled Egypt more than 2,000 years ago. That I knew. But I didn't know how much drama was involved in the life of the woman who's been the subject of books, movies, and countless works of art.

Franck Goddio, director of the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology, discovered Cleopatra's royal palace and two ancient cities off the coast of Egypt. Many of the artifacts on display here in Cincinnati were under water for thousands of years. The exhibit has an underwater feel. The visitor can watch the recovery of those priceless artifacts on flat screen TV's nestled among the busts, jewels, pottery, and more.

Some of the centerpieces are so large, it's a wonder the archaeologists could move them. Other precious pieces are so small (a golden hoop, tiny coins), it's a wonder they could find them. The artifacts include 16-foot-tall statues of a Ptolemaic king and queen, dated between 332 and 30 B.C., which once stood outside of a Temple at Heracleion, where Cleopatra was crowned queen. You can also get a close look at coins, jewelry and a bronze helmet that's 2,500 years old. Even a sheet of papyrus, adorned with Cleopatra's own handwriting, survived earthquakes and tsunamis for entire eras under water.

An audio guide is included with the price of admission, and as you wander through the exhibit you hear the voice of Cleopatra herself. The unseen actress who portrays the queen leads the tour, offering insights into her life: "I charmed Caesar with my intimate knowledge of politics and philosophy. Caesar was mesmerized by the wealth of Egypt, and soon he was mesmerized by me."

I've never watched the entire blockbuster movie starring Elizabeth Taylor, but I knew the basics of the story, that Cleopatra first fell for Caesar, then enticed his right hand man, Mark Antony. Things I didn't know: Cleopatra's family was Greek. She married her own brother, and much later, her young son (who was fathered by Caesar). I learned why she is looked upon so unfavorably by history. The Romans launched a smear campaign after Cleopatra's death, and ordered that every image of her be destroyed. I also didn't know she had four children, and some of them didn't survive custody in Roman hands after her death. It's a powerful, romantic, tragic story.

At the end of our journey through the eight-room exhibit, we learned Frank Goddio is now leading the search for the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony at an ancient temple site about 30 miles west of Alexandria. He believes he's on the verge of finding the elusive queen.

It's a fascinating journey you don't want to miss!
http://www.cincymuseum.org/

Downtown Walking Club

The weather stinks this morning, but we are getting beautiful days more often now that spring is here.

Hey everyone. Rob here.

Going on a walk is one way to take advantage of the nice days. Go Vibrant Cincinnati has made it easier for the 65,000 people who work downtown. It's created a walking group. Go Vibrant is the brainchild of Mark Jeffreys who works at a major downtown employer P&G. Jeffreys has a passion for health and fitness, and wants transforms Cincinnati into a top 10 healthy city by 2020.

Go Vibrant kicked of its walking club last week which gathers at noon every on Fountain Square every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You can take part in the 1, 2, and 3 mile routes. Now easy to take part, and harder to say I'm too busy. Also, exercise is easier when you have some company. You can also use the clubs to meet new but like minded people.

Out Of This World

Good Morning Frank Marzullo Here... Named after the roman god "Saturn, the planet Saturn is the 6th planet from the sun and the second largest in our solar system behind Jupiter. This weekend I had the chance to look at Saturn up close and personal. No, I did not hop on a shuttle and go for a visit, all I had to do was look into the telescope at our Cincinnati Observatory. Housing the oldest professional working telescope in the country, the observatory is located in Mt. Lookout and on Saturday they hosted a Saturn viewing party. It was awesome, to walk through the two buildings on the property and look at the nine rings of Saturn and some of it's moons. In fact the planet itself has 62 moons, and we were able to see some of them on a clear and mild Saturday night. Do yourself a favor and check in with Dean Regas and the great people at our Observatory it is a real treasure you do not want to miss.

Finally Some Bang For Your Buck!

Finally Some Bang For Your Buck!

Good Friday Morning! I hope this note finds you well and in good spirits.

Dan Wells writing, as we all know, money isn't going very far these days. With the price of almost everything on the rise, everyone is always looking for a good deal. (have you looked at gas lately)

If you love the outdoors, animals, and a whole lot of fun, the Cincinnati Zoo is a great place to start. In addition to it being an awesome entertainment spot for any little ones in your life, it has something to offer for everyone.

As Regis and Kelly discussed on their talk show this week, our zoo made national news with the birth of a new baby giraffe, which will make it's debut appearance this weekend. My daughters tell me she is "cute".

For the photographers out there, the flowers are in full bloom and just waiting for their beauty to be captured. The fun doesn't end when you are finished checking out what the animal and plant life have to offer.

There are concerts, storybook fun with various cartoon characters, and of course, the holiday festivities, including HallZOOween and the PNC Festival of Lights.

The zoo is offering hard to pass up deals on their memberships at the moment, so if you're looking for something exciting, different, and cost-efficient, this would definitely be one to check out!

Standard membership benefits:

•FREE year-round admission to the Zoo

•FREE admission to PNC Festival of Lights

•FREE or discounted admission to over 100 other zoos

•Discounts at all retail and food service locations

•Three 1/2-price guest passes

•Subscription to our Program & Events Guide

•Invitations to special events and previews

With all of that said....To contact the membership office, call (513) 559-7713 or e-mail the Zoo at membership@cincinnatizoo.org.

http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/

Trust me, I know you'll agree the Cincinnati Zoo is the leaders of the pack, when it comes to "Some Bang For Your Buck"

Have a great weekend Dan

Family Fun At Home Depot

"Look what I made, Mommy!"

Sheila here, and one of my son Eric's favorite places in the world is Home Depot. We discovered this one day last summer while picking up something or other at one of the stores in Northern Kentucky. Eric went straight for the riding lawn mowers outside in front of the store, and he would have climbed up and down on them all day if we had let him.

Here's another reason to take your kids to a Home Depot store. The first Saturday of every month, they hold a Kids Workshop from 9 a.m. until Noon. Kids get to build things with real hammers and nails, and they have a blast. Last Saturday, the featured project was this planter. Eric had a great time building it, and I learned a lesson: don't put your fingers too close to a three-year-old when he's hammering!

He's also constructed a mini cornhole game, a sailboat, and a race car. When the kids are finished, they get a pin to put on their work aprons (also provided by Home Depot), a certificate, and a cookie. And it's all free, so it's a great deal. We bought a couple of yellow pansies to put in Eric's planter, and he is having fun watching his flowers grow.

On April 23rd, local Home Depot stores will have a special Kids Workshop with an Easter themed planter your little builders can create. Have fun and happy hammering!

Mary Queen of Heaven Fish Fry

Lent means no meat on Fridays.

Hey everyone. Rob here.

For the last few years, I have hard of this amazing fish fry in Erlanger. In fact, I asked about it at work and everyone knew the location to which fish fry I was referring. Mary Queen of Heaven!! Fox19 anchor/reporter Dan Wells has been there and said, "It's fantastic!" I had the opportunity to check it out last Friday. There were a ton of people there. That's always a good sign. The line was long, but it moved very quickly. Also, there's a man selling bottled beer for $2 which also helps to pass time. As you approach the cash register, there are pictures of the different meals to help you make your dinner selection. There are a lot of different meals. You can get the butterfly shrimp, fish and chips, holy haddock, a fish sandwich. If your kids hate fish, they can get grilled cheese or even pizza. They have sides too, like mac & cheese, green beans and diced red potatoes. If you're being healthy, there's baked cod. I decided to go all out and get the fish and chips. Nothing makes me happier than deep fried beer battered fish. It was tasty. I can see why this was voted the best fish fry in our area. It is also well organized. They even take credit cards. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. You will also see a tall gentleman walking around, looking like Don Vito Corleone. That would be "The Codfather," also known as John Geisen who knows something about running a top notch eatery. He's the President and CEO of Izzy's. There are 3 Friday's left on the Lent calender. Check out Mary Queen of Heaven Fish Fry from 4 to 8pm. It has my complete endorsement. They also have carry out. Find out more by calling (859) 371-2622. Click here for more at http://www.mqhparish.com/

Reds Un-Cut LIVE

If you are not a fan and you do not have Reds fever then you have to get yourself checked out! Hi everybody Frank Marzullo here... What a opening weekend, yes we have a long season ahead, but to start out at 3 - 0 is a pretty good feeling. Last night our Cincinnati Reds celebrated with you at Reds Un-Cut a LIVE stage show at the Aronoff Center downtown. Over 2,100 Reds fans packed the Aronoff Center. It all kicked off with a pre show on the Red carpet. Tricia Macke and I, along with FOX Sports Ohio's Jeff Piecoro spent a hour getting to know our Reds just a little better and on more of a personal note. I learned after talking with Drew Stubbs that he enjoys doing the newspaper crossword puzzels and I also learned after talking with Dusty Baker that he enjoy a nice glass of scotch when he wants to relax just a bit. Once the red carpet interviews were over the party went to the stage, Johnny Gomes brought the fun and humor during a version of Reds Name That Tune. From out-takes and bloopers of our Reds to player interviews the entire night embraced our cities love for our team and the dedication that the ownership has to putting a first class product on the field and off the field. So get ready friends it is going to be a season to remember.

Food Dyes Trigger Hyperactivity?

Good Friday Morning - Dan Wells writing! I hope this note finds you well and in good spirits!

This morning, I'm writing about a new study out there which says there's substantial evidence showing food dyes trigger hyperactivity in kids. As a parent it's certainly a concerning idea, and one that had me looking for information and articles...below is some of what I found!

The Food and Drug Administration is meeting to examine whether artificial food dyes cause hyperactivity in children. Artificial food dyes are made from petroleum and approved for use by the FDA to enhance the color of processed foods. They've been around for decades and are found in everything from pudding to potato chips to soft drinks. But recent studies linking food coloring to hyperactivity in kids is causing some experts to call on the FDA ban foods containing them - or at least require a warning label.

"Food dyes are added simply for their color to make foods fun. They serve no health purpose whatsoever," says Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

CSPI wants the FDA to ban eight artificial food dyes. He's particularly concerned with Red #40, Yellow #5 and Yellow #6, which make up 90 percent of the food dyes on the market. And their use has gone up fivefold in the last 50 years.

"That's a good indication of how much junk food we're consuming," Jacobson says. He says there's substantial evidence showing food dyes trigger hyperactivity in kids. Some of the studies are difficult or imperfect. But there is this body of literature that does suggest that food colorings are not as benign as people have been led to believe.

The FDA released its analysis of 35 years of scientific studies. It finds no conclusive proof that food dyes cause hyperactivity in most kids, although it suggests that some kids with ADHD may be particularly sensitive to them.

European Action On Food Dyes A 2007 British study known as the Southampton study has become something of a flashpoint in the current debate. In it, 3- and 8-year-olds were given two kinds of drinks that contained a mix of dyes. Afterwards, parents reported a significant increase in hyperactivity. But teachers and independent observers didn't, critics say. Also, since the dyes were mixed together, it's hard to tell which might be causing a problem.

"It gives you pause, but it's certainly not convincing evidence that there's a problem," says Julie Miller Jones, professor emeritus of nutrition at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn.

Pediatricians say if parents are concerned, there's no harm in cutting out food dyes if they can manage it. Manufacturers overseas, instead of adding a warning label, have turned to natural dyes made from beets and tumeric. Some U.S.-based manufacturers are considering switching to natural dyes, but as the food industry points out, natural dyes are more expensive and less stable.

Information Source: NPR

I hope this shed a bit of light on the situation, trust me I'll be following what happens next and I'll keep you posted!

Have a great and safe weekend!
Dan