Springtime in the Midwest is like this each year, we have wild swings in temperature and weather.
Since the start of April, we have had a more than 80-degree day bookended by snow and freezing temperatures.
So, as we collectively wrap our heads around this wacky weather, “Life.Style.Live!” host George Mallet went out with his iPhone to get the thoughts of the Indy community.
As the ides of March rapidly approaches, we took to the streets to pose a question: did you make a new year’s resolution and did you stick to it? We hit the jackpot when we dropped by the Artisan’s Marketplace to ask that question of a large, diverse, lunchtime crowd.
“My resolution was to become financially sound,” said a confident Karen Washington. “With that came making out a budget, looking at trying to project how I was going to spend my money for 2022.” For the record, Karen is sticking with that resolution and happily solvent.
Amanda Strain often makes a new year’s resolution but wasn’t feeling it this year. “I just felt like last year was really super hard,” she said with a sigh. “This year I didn’t really want to raise the bar any further, just wanted to get through it, and then maybe we’ll regroup for next year.”
For her part, Tanya Dearmond doesn’t take much stock in resolutions. She prefers a general state of thinking positively. “You should want the best for yourself all year round,” she said as she stood beside her barber’s chair. “If you want to change something, you should do that no matter what the day is.”
Karen Suitor knows herself too well to commit to a new year’s resolution. “Because the new year’s resolution I usually make is to have dry January, give up wine for January,” she said with a smile. “And, that usually lasts a half-day.”
In our entirely unscientific survey, we found more people eschewing than embracing new year’s resolutions, but their reasoning was universally well thought out.
George’s Enchilada Casserole is a simple dish that assuredly falls under the definition of comfort food.
Ingredients:
- 1lb Beef
- Diced Garlic
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Canned Enchilada Sauce
- Corn Tortillas
- Shredded Cheese
- Taco Seasoning
- Sour Cream
- Whiskey (optional)
- Tortilla Chips
Directions:
Brown about 1lb of ground beef after sautéing diced garlic in an iron skillet coated with extra virgin olive oil.
Then add canned enchilada sauce to the meat and some taco seasoning (maybe some whiskey too).
Pour the mixture of enchilada sauce, meat and seasoning into a Pyrex casserole dish as one thick layer.
Put a layer of corn tortillas on the meat and enchilada sauce mixture.
Coat that layer of tortillas with a second layer of meat and enchilada sauce.
Add one more layer of corn tortillas.
Put a pound of shredded cheese on top of the whole dish.
Put the dish in the oven (preheated to 425 degrees) for thirty minutes.
Remove the casserole from the oven and cool for a few minutes.
Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of sour cream atop.
Enjoy with a side of tortilla chips.
Let’s be clear about one thing, I’m not an accomplished equestrian. I have been in a few farm horse shows and once grabbed Secretariat’s grandson off the backside of a Midatlantic racetrack, but getting to ride a well-bred Irish Sport Horse who has competed in eventing on the National stage is a thrill. Eventing is essentially an equestrian triathlon in which horse and rider compete in dressage, cross-country jumping, and stadium jumping in a grueling test of stamina, athleticism, and bravery.
The official name of the horse I got to ride is Sportsfield Earl Gray. When he was younger, he was gunmetal gray, the hues of his gorgeous coat calling attention to his well-muscled build. He is a teenager now, thicker and covered in a nearly white coat but he remains smart, athletic, and responsive to the cues of a cowboy correspondent. How, you may ask, does a green-broke cowboy get the privilege of stepping into the irons on such a fine steed? It isn’t complicated. I married his owner, Kathi.
So, on a recent, bone-chilling cold Saturday morning, my wife, a committed and experienced eventer let me take a lesson on her fine horse.
“Let’s walk with purpose,” Lee Ann Zobbe said firmly after I had climbed aboard the big horse. Zobbe is the owner of Come Again Farm in Sheridan, a training facility for eventing riders. She picked up right away that I was allowing Sportsfield Earl Gray (also known as Tinker) to do as little or as much as he wanted.
It wasn’t long before Zobbe had Tinker and me in an extended trot, forcing the horse to pay attention to my cues. She had us trotting in sweeping circles in the center of the large, indoor arena.
“I’m going to slow you down and then ask for the canter,” she said, hoping that slowing us down a bit would allow us to pick up the correct lead when we moved into the canter. I gave Tinker a squeeze and he launched into a smooth canter. Tinker’s smooth stride is amazingly comfortable, almost like being seated in a rocking chair.
Inside of two weeks, Kathi and Tinker will drive to Aiken, South Carolina for a two-week training adventure. They will be soaring over large, solid jumps on cross-country courses. It will be a while before this cowboy gets to climb on the Irish Sport Horse again. In the meantime, I can take comfort in the knowledge that the big, athletic competitor will be taking good care of his owner as they pursue what the uninitiated may view as a harrowing sport made up of equal parts speed and danger.
The Ford Indianapolis Boat, Sport, and Travel show kicked off this morning at the Indiana Fairgrounds, and “Life. Style. Live!” wasted no time tracking down the star of the big show!
Twiggy the waterskiing squirrel offered viewers a demonstration of her watersport prowess. Twiggy, incidentally, has learned some new tricks. The fearless rodent not only waterskis, she now leaps from her skis to the boat as though she wants to take the helm herself. When this reporter held Twiggy, he was warned the squirrel might want to duck inside his sweater. Twiggy’s surrogate mama, Lou Ann Best, says when traveling Twiggy is quite “snuggly” and often tucks herself into Lou Ann’s suitcase to sleep sequestered between sweaters.
Twiggy wasn’t the only animal to be featured during Friday morning’s kickoff.
Winston, an 8-year-old Labrador retriever, offered a demonstration of the competitive sport he participates in, dock diving. Dave Christian of Alpha K9 University lobbed a rubberized toy from the dock repeatedly and Winston snatched the toy out of the air as he dove into the drink. The pup quickly returned his toy to Dave so that it could be thrown again.
The Ford Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show runs daily from February 18th to 20th, then resumes on February 23rd and runs through the 27th.
Mitch Renfro of Renfro Productions, organizer of the show, says he is expecting a great turnout over the next week. He says a combination of the pandemic and winter have given outdoor enthusiasts cabin fever and they are ready to get outside and get after it!
For more information visit, indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com.
THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY INDIANAPOLIS BOAT, SPORT, AND TRAVEL SHOW.
On a recent winter afternoon, this “Life. Style. Live.” co-host found out what a real cardio workout is all about. I visited InCycle Indy and promptly found myself on an indoor cycle pumping the pedals with increasing levels of resistance and speed.
This is probably a good time to point out that indoor cycling isn’t just a good workout, it is fun! Fun is what allows us to adhere to a workout regimen. When I was pedaling at InCycle, I was joined by instructor Cathy Miller and two intrepid riders named Carmen and Courtney respectively.
“Let’s get going,” Cathy said enthusiastically after she had raised to seat on my cycle to accommodate my long legs. “We’re going to start off at a leisurely pace.”
Soon, Cathy was encouraging us each to turn up the tension on our cycles and encouraging us to meet ever-faster RPMs.
Again, I will submit that the only workout that truly works, is a workout you can continue to do.
At InCycle Indy you are joined by fellow weekend warriors and the class is fun. The teacher is asking you to go faster and increase the resistance on your bike. When you are able to meet those expectations, that adds to the enjoyment!
You can give InCycle Indy a try right now. New clients can join for one month for merely $49.
For more information visit:
THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY CARMEL CITY CENTER.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Monday morning found a slew of Georgia football fans cheering on Georgia Street and talking enthusiastically about their Dawgs.
For Indianapolis residents, it may be difficult to discern Georgia Red from Alabama Crimson, but the folks from SEC Football country know the difference. Shades of red aside, the Georgia and Alabama faithful agree on one thing. It is a bit too cold this week in Circle City.
“I think it’s cold,” said Georgia fan Jennifer Hay succinctly as she stood in a parking deck after consuming a few beers. “I was wearing shorts yesterday (in Atlanta) but we are bundled up with coats and scarves now.”
“It’s a bit cold,” said Tuscaloosa resident and Alabama fan Peggy Evans. “But, it could be worse. There could be snow.”
Fans have been filling Indianapolis bars and restaurants and spending money. Retailers and restauranteurs expect a windfall because of the SEC fans who’ve arrived here.
Many of the visitors George Mallet of Life.Style.Live! spoke with spoke highly of Circle City’s hospitality.
Many of those fans are also in Indianapolis for the first time. Had Cincinnati or Michigan fans been here with their team, hoteliers we spoke with wondered aloud if they would have been spending money at the same pace.
Holiday break means lots of time for winter fun!
Indy Style’s George Mallet has a son named Colton who is already quite the adventurer with hobbies including hockey and horseback riding.
He’s now trying on rock climbing, and George joined him for a day at Hoosier Heights.
It’s not too late to enjoy the nation’s longest-running holiday zoo lights event. The Indianapolis Zoo’s Christmas at the Zoo continues until December 30th. The event began in 1967, making this year’s edition its 53rd year.
“We have grown every year since then,” said Carla Knapp, public relations specialist with the Indianapolis Zoo as she stood by the seal enclosure on a sun-splashed Tuesday morning.
A lot of Christmas lights have been added this year throughout the zoo grounds. As always, Santa will be joined by real reindeer. Knapp points out that many of the zoo’s inhabitants are more active in the winter than they are on the hot, summer days ahead.
Visitors won’t be forced to remain in the cold. Many of the exhibits are indoors in climate-controlled perfection.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
White’s Ace Hardware in Carmel has been decked out for the holidays for weeks. Though we have reached mid-December, the store shelves remain stocked with the latest L-E-D holiday lights. The aisles packed with Christmas lights raise the question, what will happen to the miles of shorted-out and flickering Christmas lights all of the packaged perfection on store shelves are set to replace? Turns out worn-out and fault Christmas lights can be dumped in countless recycle bins around Carmel including bins at White’s Ace Hardware and Carmel High School.
“We have been placing boxes around the whole school, decorating them, and promoting the event to all the students,” Said Carmel High School’s Maanya Rajesh, a member of the Carmel, Clay School Green Team. “We’re asking them to bring in any used lights to recycle. It’s a great way to reduce carbon emissions from landfills!”
Maanya’s Green Team has teamed up with White’s Ace Hardware, Carmel Utilities, and Technology Recyclers for the Holiday Light Recycling Program.
“Over the last nine years, we have collected more than six tons of holiday lights,” said Kelli Prader of the Carmel Utilities Department. So, that helps lower our carbon footprint and it’s also good for the environment.”
Indy-based Technology Recyclers handles that important recycling work year-round, mining the junk for valuable elements including copper and other materials.
“We call ourselves the official sponsors of tomorrow,” said Technology Recyclers partner Dale Needleman. “We’re trying to save the earth and everyone in it from recycling waste, so when you recycle your bulbs, they come to us. We take care of it. The copper is stripped out of the wire and that’s reused. None of it goes inside the landfill.”
If you miss the January 20th deadline in Carmel, you can drop holiday lights, batteries, outdated computers, and all sorts of tech trash at Technology Recyclers year-round.
To find out how you can recycle your holiday lights, click here.