The Vitamix factory outlet store will be open 7 days a week from November 19 until mid-January. There, you can take advantage of purchasing a like-new Vitamix (at much friendlier prices!) and mingling with guest chefs performing weekend demonstrations. For those Clevelanders who want to check it out, the address is: 4720 Great Northern Blvd, North Olmsted — The store is located in the HH Gregg Plaza, around the corner from HH Gregg.

At a Vitamix blogger event, I was able to get a sneak peak at all the Holiday activity. Chef Rocco, of the famed Fahrenheit, was there to whip up some incredible Miso Sauce and Ahi Tuna. I could have eaten the sauce with a spoon, no Ahi required.

Chef Rocco will soon be starring in a new show on the Food Network, so I was able to pick his brain about that, too. It sounds like a great show — and features several Cleveland chefs!! I’m telling you, foodies, Cleveland is the place to be.

But Chef Rocco wasn’t the only big wig in the Vitamix house. Bev Shaffer was also there to provide demonstrations and DELICIOUS Holiday recipes.

How does Berry Kiss sorbet and homemade chocolate espresso fondue sound? Amazing, I know. And they were.

Lucky for you, I have in my little hands (that actually aren’t so little) the TOP SECRET recipes. I will share them next week. Sorry to tease, but hunger really does make the best sauce — other than Chef Rocco, of course.

Thank you, Vitamix, for an incredible event!

I’m awkwardly holding up my bag in an attempt to hide the enormous chocolate fondue glob I dropped on my shirt. Classy. You seriously can’t take me anywhere.

So when Playhouse Square contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in attending this year’s Jump Back Ball as a blogger partner, I nearly squealed with delight.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Jump Back Ball is merely the hottest party of the year in Cleveland! Boasting sell-out crowds for the past six years, PlayhouseSquare Partners strive to create an atmosphere that takes the idea of a benefit to the next level. Guests come early and leave late – there is no other event like it.

Jump Back Ball 2012 will be on February 25, 2012 at PlayhouseSquare with the theme: “Through the Looking Glass”, which is based on Alice in Wonderland.

Why am I telling you about a February event now? Easy. Because on November 3rd at Market Garden Brewery (1947 West 25th Street in Cleveland), you’ll have your first opportunity to purchase tickets at the Ticket Kickoff Happy Hour.  From 6-8pm, enjoy complimentary appetizers, drink specials, prizes and the best deal on Jump Back Ball tickets. 

Tickets will be $130 at the Kickoff. The next morning, the ticket price goes up to $150 when they go on sale online. $20 is a lot of lattes

It’s also PlayhouseSquare’s largest fundraiser with the partially tax-deductible ticket supporting the theatre’s non-profit mission, so you can feel good and party at the same time!

***Disclosure: I was asked by Playhouse Square to be an official Jump Back Ball blogger. In exchange for blogging about Jump Back Ball and events leading up to it, I will receive 2 tickets to Jump Back Ball. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

I know I shared some photos yesterday, but I haven’t yet shared my experience from the Flashes of Hope benefit.

Aside from getting to meet and chat with players and folks from the Cleveland Browns and Cavs, my highlight of the evening was playing with the kiddos. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Kaleb, who enthusiastically shared his plans for Halloween (dressing up as some WWE wrestler) and got a big kick out of my makeup. Each one of the kids was thrilled to be up on stage as they danced and posed in the spotlight with confidence and infectious glee. Some of them are still fighting cancer, others are recovering and the lucky ones are celebrating the fight they’ve won. Looking out among their smiling faces, I couldn’t tell the difference. But one thing I know for sure is that they don’t take a single day for granted and celebrating life with them will go down as one of my favorite memories this year — it certainly helped put things in perspective.

So once again, let’s all take a few moments to recognize everything we’re thankful for this week. We deserve it.

This week, I’m thankful for:

Hope

Maxi dresses

New clothes

Candlelight

A child’s laughter

Vanilla Biscotti coffee

Lunch dates

Extra time with my little man

Fuzzy blankets

Hugs from the Mister

Bathtime

What are you thankful for this week?

I’m participating in a fashion show tonight in order to raise money for an incredible organization that I felt compelled to share with you all – Flashes of Hope.

Flashes of Hope is a nonprofit organization that changes the way children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses see themselves through the gift of photography and raises money for pediatric cancer research.

The portraits, taken by award-winning photographers, help children feel better about their changing appearance by celebrating it. For families of terminally ill children, it’s especially important to have a portrait that preserves forever the beauty, grace and dignity of their child.

Founded by a 9-year old cancer patient, our new program Kick It raises money for research through kickball games. 100% of the proceeds fund pediatric, adolescent and young adult cancer research. For more information, please visit www.kick-it.org.

The goal is to photograph every child until every child is cured.

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A $25 donation funds a photoshoot for one child and if interested, you can donate on the organization’s web page.

I’m so excited to share photos from the event and learn what else this inspiring organization is up to – stay tuned!

Thank you, Mama, for giving up your Saturday so that I could have a date with my husband. Our marriage thanks you.

Inspired by the rustic simplicity of Italian cuisine, Chef Paul Minnillo offers rustic Italian food to his new culinary venture in Cleveland, Ohio. From Flour’s larder, he creates his own house-cured meats, hand-crafted artisanal cheeses, pastas, neopolitan wood-fired pizzas and rustic Italian specialities. Flour seeks the freshest locally raised and homegrown products harvested at their seasonal peak.

Sounds lovely, no?

Wait till you see the food.

But first — check out the interior! I felt sexier simply walking in.

And trust me, I need all the help I can get.

After perusing the menu, I decided to start with the asparagus, while the Mister settled on the meatball skewer.

Seasoned with Parmesan and garlic chips, these asparagus spears were some of the best I’ve eaten.

And the Mister was quite pleased with his selection — so fun to eat!

Knowing I’d have to sample a dessert (and likely much of the Mister’s dish), I chose the lighter route with the ohio honey crisp apple salad, featuring
spiced almonds+smoked blue cheese (I subbed for mozzerella)+crisp prosciutto+aged balsamic.

It did not disappoint. The salty prosciutto was perfectly balanced with the sweet apple + almonds and the mozzarella rounded out the dish with a creamy finish. I am going to try and re-create this at home – delicious!

Luckily, the Mister’s pizza was portioned appropriately — meaning, more than enough for me to snag a few pieces.

flour isn’t kidding when they say their pizza is the real deal. Baked to perfection and wood fired, the crust was thin, but still doughy and soft — just the way I like it!

For dessert, we went with the waitress’ recommendation — apple crisp.

My only regret is that we didn’t order two — and that I saved the last bite for the Mister — now if that isn’t love, I’m not sure I know what is…

Thank you, flour, for making me look sexier for my husband and providing us with deliciousness. We’ll be back.

Clevelanders – Have you been to flour? Non-Clevelanders – what dish looks tastiest to you?

Bean was more than thrilled to join us on this year’s apple picking adventure.

Now — first year apple-picking is serious business.

You have to scout the “pickings”

When possible, take advantage of bird’s eye views

Mark it

Reach

Success!

Stop to marvel at your hard work

 Do you go apple picking?!

I’ll be back later with more festive weekend photos!

Last week, however, the Mister and I had our first brush with “right place/right time” greatness. We were quite enjoying ourselves in the nosebleeds at the Foo Fighters concert, when we were asked if we’d like to “move our seats.” Knowing they certainly couldn’t get any worse, we figured what the heck.

view from “before”

view “after”

Happy campers

Have you ever been in the right place at the right time? Share your stories!

Yep, the film crew for the upcoming movie, The Avengers, has taken over two of our main streets downtown for filming and production. Medical Mutual was cool enough to post photos on their Facebook page, which I thought you might enjoy seeing.

Why go to NYC when you can bring the NYPD to Cleve?

Captain America gets ready for his closeup.

Am I the only one who is depressed that this is just a set?

I’m meeting the Mister for lunch today and am looking forward to checking out some of the filming and production going on just a few blocks from my building. The current buzz is that Cleveland’s Public Square will soon transform into Germany!

Happy Friday!

Consider this my proclamation to you all that it is one of my favorite restaurants ever. Home of many birthday dinners and celebratory occasions, the Blue Canyon has a cozy and inviting atmosphere, much like an upscale, rustic retreat – and its food is even better. I’ve never met a dish I didn’t love.

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The Mister and I have shared so many incredible dinners, laughs and conversations at Blue Canyon - in fact, we first talked about getting married “one day” over lunch on the restaurant’s beautiful patio!

So you can imagine my excitement when I learned the owner and chef, Brandt Evans was opening a new restaurant in downtown Cleveland.

From the website:

“Pure Life.” Not just words, but a philosophy. Chef Brandt Evans is proud to offer his latest vision – Pura Vida Restaurant, located in downtown Cleveland, on Public Square. Pura Vida offers a unique and inspired atmosphere serving dishes that Chef Evans says “live for today.” Chef Evans uses the finest and freshest local ingredients from a myriad of trusted sources – many of which are exclusive to Pura Vida.

The Mister and I met my dad, my brother and his girlfriend for dinner before an Indians game earlier this summer.

I could immediately tell that Pura Vida was going to be a bit different from Blue Canyon.

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So modern and sleek! The lighting changed colors with the music, creating new ambiances with each fade in/out.

After enjoying a delicious summer salad featuring fresh berries, goat cheese and sunflower seed brittle, I realized I forgot to snap a photo.

Luckily, I still had my main course to capture.

One of the most innovative dishes I’ve had to date, what you see here is a “jar.”

Duh.

Let me elaborate. Pura Vida offers several jar selections, which are served with grilled bread. Each jar is layered with different ingredients, creating the perfect combination of flavors and forming a unique “spread” to enjoy with the grilled bread. I chose the bbq tofu & vegan chorizo jar, which was also layered with grilled scallion pesto and roasted tomatoes.

It is a new goal of mine to sample every single jar that pura vida has to offer. This was so fun to eat and incredibly delicious.

So while pura vida looked sleeker and more trendy than Blue Canyon, they certainly have one major thing in common — mind-blowing food.

Now if only I could make up my mind on where to celebrate my next big occasion…

Take a look at Pura Vida’s extensive menu, what would you have ordered? What jar should I try next? IAnd how can I con the Mister to take me there for breakfast one morning this week?

We were lucky enough to score tickets to the social suite through one of my friends at work. The Mister and I kept laughing that Bean is now going to demand first class treatment. It worked out perfectly because we had our own bathrooms, an air conditioned sitting-area, a DESSRT CART – the works! It really was an ideal first-game situation, as we wouldn’t have otherwise ever been able to take him (no thanks, rowdy fans!).

Bean made his presence official with a first-game certificate!

Unfortunately the game was forced into a rain delay and we left around the 7th inning to make it to dinner at The B-Spot (one of Michael Symon’s gems).

Daddy celebrated”his day” with a brew.

he was trying to be fancy. I will refrain from comment

Beanie took in the sights.

Including Daddy’s Bacon milkshake

Yes, you read that correctly — a Bacon Milkshake.

But more on that later

How did you spend Father’s Day?