Milwaukee, WI

In 2001, the Santiago Calatrava Quadracci Pavilion of the Milwaukee Art Museum drew attention to our fair city as a place where art really can and does happen. The city is also home to the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and even UW-Milwaukee offers graduate programs in fine arts. But aside from the colleges and tech schools, what does Milwaukee offer as far as art classes for the average person?

Lots, if you look hard enough.

The Milwaukee Art Museum itself features a number of classes and lectures both on technique as well as art appreciation. Prices are not at all out of line for the calibur of class offered, and the offerings are unusual and interesting - definitely worth a periodic visit to the Museum’s website.

Artist and Display, the north side’s finest art supply store, features an ecclectic offering of classes, from staples like watercolor and colored pencil to the more unusual such as art clay silver crafting and versals. The prices vary wildly and may reach beyond the budget of students and retirees, but the unique subjects make them the only game in town for many of the featured classes. Artist and Display also offers a number of children’s art classes.

Greenfield News and Hobby on Layton offers a very practical selection of art classes on a regular basis, including airbrushing, watercolors, and calligraphy. The prices are more than reasonable, and there are even a number of free art classes such as model kit building, designed with kids in mind.

Michael’s Craft stores, which are located all over Milwaukee, typically feature some basic art and cake decorating classes at low costs. The classes vary by location, and schedules are available at the individual stores.

Occasionally, even the Classes section of the local Craigslist features some art-related gems. While that option is hit-or-miss, it is worth the occasional browse.

There are art classes in Milwaukee for every taste and every budget if you look hard enough.

************
Mental & Emotional Health

Last Sunday I finally had the opportunity to go see the Bodyworlds exhibit at the Milwaukee County Museum. I had been regretting my decision to pass it up a few years back when it was at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago - the lines were exceedingly long there. The exhibition running in Milwaukee is Bodyworlds 1. It is my understanding that there are now three Bodyworlds exhibitions touring worldwide, with a fourth to be added starting in Europe in the future.

Bodyworlds is an exhibition of the work of Gunther von Hagens, a German anatomist that invented the technique of plastination, which is used to preserve tissue. Rather than displaying the human body as one would see it at a funeral, the plastination process apparently allows the display of different organs, muscles, etc. The effect is a bunch of “skinned humans” sliced open to allow the viewing of their internal workings. The bodies are posed and dissected in different ways to display different tissue types.

To the question I posed at the start of the blog: was the display science, or was it art?

I went to the exhibition thinking that I was seeing science. There was a great wealth of information about the inner workings of the human body displayed along with the plastinated bodies. But alongside the scientific explanations were philosophical quotes about the nature of mankind, of life and of death. As I moved further through the exhibition I began to see less of the science aspect of the contorted bodies and more of the art. The two dancers, one perched elegantly for all eternity…the man locked forever in an unending chess game. That’s art…isn’t it?

Interestingly, the observations I heard the most from people around me were not commentaries on the gruesome nature of the displays, as I had expected. Rather, many people seemed fascinated by the displays exhibiting illness - the turned spine or the smoker’s lungs. That in itself was an interesting commentary on human nature.

In any event, the exhibit was an interesting one and although it was uncomfortably crowded I did enjoy what I saw. Rather than leaving me with questions about the frailty of life and the nature of the soul it left me with questions about the boundary between science and art and whether there necessarily must be such a boundary. I’ve been thinking that over for the past few days, and that alone was worth the price of admission.

On Monday a man was found dead in his car in Waukesha. Police suspect that he may have been there since Friday, when he was evicted from his apartment.

Patrick L. Greinke, 60, had been evicted from his apartment on the 400 block of N. Washington Ave. and although the cause of death has not been determined, exposure to the harsh elements this weekend seems a likely culprit.

Although homeless shelters were filled this weekend due to the weather, tragedies like this one do not need to happen. While the Salvation Army had no room over the weekend, there are other shelters which can take in the overflow, including the Hebron House which typically only shelters families and women. The Hebron House says it will accommodate men who are turned away from the Salvation Army shelter due to bed availability. Although the Salvation Army and many other shelters have been at capacity all winter this year, the shelters in Milwaukee work together in finding a shelter for those in need. In the event that all of the shelters are filled, hotel vouchers are available to ensure that no one needs to endure exposure to the elements.

Should you see someone sleeping in a car or out in the elements, call a shelter or the police immediately. A car will not provide sufficient shelter from the extreme temperatures that we have experienced this winter. The harsh weather is nothing to trifle with, and there’s no reason that anyone should have to try to endure the elements.

**********
Think warm thoughts.

Although Chinese restaurants are common throughout the city, Milwaukee isn’t exactly known for its Chinese cuisine. Chinese food in Milwaukee tends to suffer from predictability in selection and flavor, but Yen Ching on Milwaukee’s Northwest side stands out among the crowd. With lavish decor, quick service, an excellent menu and very reasonable prices, Yen Ching has a great formula for success in its market.

Be sure to start off your meal with one of Yen Ching’s eight different soups. Along with the typical egg drop and sweet and sour selections, Yen Ching features a few more unusual soups, including the incredible sizzling rice soup and a vegetarian spinach bean curd soup.

The menu is organized by main ingredient, so vegetarians will have an easy time finding their selections. Chicken, pork, beef and seafood are also featured, with ample selections available for each.

The tangy Sweet and Sour Chicken ($8.75) includes chicken breast with pineapple, green pepper, onion and mushrooms. As is true with all Yen Ching’s vegetables, the peppers were crisp and flavorful and complimented the dish well.

Above: Sweet and Sour Chicken

The Sizzling Rice Chicken entree ($9.25) is my personal favorite. The sizzling rice crust is combined with the chicken and vegetables at the table, making the sizzle sound that gives this dish its name. The chicken is flavorful but it is the rice crust that makes this dish a standout. Served with crispy vegetables, this dish is consistently an excellent choice.

Above: Sizzling Rice Chicken

The menu is huge, as are the portions, so don’t be afraid to go with friends and mix and match your entrees.

Yen Ching also features a smaller lunch menu, including smaller portions and smaller prices. Most lunch selections are available for less than $6.00.

If Chinese food is on your mind, don’t miss Yen Ching - you won’t be disappointed.

********
Big on Broccoli

Foreclosures are in the news on a near-weekly business in Milwaukee. Lenders are foreclosing on mortgages at a record rate, due in no small part to the adjustable rate mortgages that were ubiquitous a few years ago. So many foreclosures means a glut of properties available at foreclosure sales, something which can be very tempting for investors or others just hoping to make a buck in the real estate market. Today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured a primer on foreclosures aimed at helping purchasers at sheriff’s sales make informed decisions when purchasing foreclosed properties.

The problem? The Journal Sentinel got nearly everything wrong.

A bank foreclosure can occur when mortgage payments are unpaid for six months in an owner-occupied home, or unpaid for three months for a rental property.

Not true. The bank can foreclose for a number of reasons, including missed payments or a failure to pay real estate taxes. There is no requirement that a lender wait for six missed payments before commencing a foreclosure action. However, after the entry of judgment in a foreclosure action, the owner has six months to refinance, sell the property, or work out a deal with their lender before the property can be sold at sheriff’s sale. That period is shortened to three months on non-owner occupied properties, such as rental properties.

At the sale, buyers must have 10% of the sale price - cashier’s check or cash - and proof that they can get a mortgage before their bids are accepted.

That’s just not true. There simply is no requirement that a buyer show proof they can get a mortgage.

Within a week or two of the sale, a judge must approve the sale before it becomes final. At any point before the judge approves the sale, the owner can stop the sale by paying the missed mortgage payments and costs.

Again, not true. The owner can redeem the property before the court approves the sale by paying the total amount of the mortgage - including costs of the foreclosure action. There is no requirement that a lender simply accept the missed mortgaged payments and costs, and many lenders won’t accept missed payments after a default.

Making money by purchasing foreclosed properties is a tempting prospect. In light of that, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s article full of misinformation is downright irresponsible. The errors are so glaring, so fundamental, that I expect corrections to be published shortly.

Foreclosure, mortgage

**********

Readers: I’ve started writing for a new blog: Inked Talk. Come visit me there!

**********

If you enjoy my posts, help me buy a cup of coffee by clicking on this link!
Blog your photos & videos using Smilebox

Smilebox is a great service that helps you create extraordinary slideshows in minutes. With hundreds of slide show themes for every occasion, you’ll find something you’ll like.

Foreclosure, mortgage

On a whim on Saturday night my companion and I stopped at Super Video on Greenfield Avenue in Milwaukee. Super Video sells “adult novelties,” lingerie, smoking accessories (you know, pot smoking supplies…but that’s a rant for another day) and of course, adult videos. It is a relatively nice store - well lit, well-attended, and not at all creepy. I’ve been there before, although sadly my only purchase was some kickass incense (Fizzy Pop - if you ever see Fizzy Pop incense, try it! Great stuff! But I digress…).

I’ve never really perused the videos in an adult stores before. Until tonight.

Oh my God, what a wealth of comedy gold I had missed out on! I mean, I’ve heard some of the classic funny video names before (Saving Ryan’s Privates, for example) and I was vaguely aware that there were some oddball fetishes out there, but I always thought those were the exception and not the rule.

If I hadn’t seen this stuff with my own eyes, I woudln’t believe it.

My favorite title by far was called Shanghai Poon. Go ahead and say it. Shanghai Poon. Hilarious. I may change my name from to Shanghai Poon. I laughed all the way through the store over that one. Shanghai Poon.

Catering to a series of fetishes that apparently needs attention, we spotted a series of sex videos involving overweight pizza delivery women. I know that the delivery guy (or girl) fantasy is pretty common, and I have read that some people find morbid obesity erotic. To each his own. I guess maybe some people might have sex fantasies that involve pizza. But much to my surprise, apparently a combination of all of these is enough of a popular fetish to warrant not one, not two, but three DVDs in a series. Just think about that the next time you are at Pizza Hut…some of the restaurant-goers are there for the pizza, but others are reading the menu like a centerfold. “Mushrooms, green olives, and extra….pepperoni….OH GOD YES PEPPERONI!!!”

Ahem. Where was I?

One of our more surreal observations was a video called “Myspace.cum.” Judging from the description on the back, it was all about high school girls having sex with their friends’ fathers. That was just too weird. Thinking back to high school, my friends’ fathers were just…old. And embarrassing. Yuck. I guess this is why I’m not in the porn business.

Some of the funniest reads were actually on the backs of the videos. I have to wonder who has the job of writing the copy on the back of adult DVDs. Whoever it is, either they are truly skilled artisans or complete idiots. Whatever the case, occasionally it works out and makes for good reading. My favorite simply said “These Texas bitches are a bunch of fucking whores!” Well said, dear wordsmith. Well said.

I’ve decided that I’m going to start visiting more porn stores, for all the wrong reasons. This is far better than any comedy club.

Shanghai Poon signing off.

********
Since we are talking about movies, I have to take a moment to promote another blogger’s work. Cinema Hype is always an enjoyable read. Check it out!

adult, porno, xxx

adult, porno, xxx

I realize this isn’t a “Miss Manners” blog, but nevertheless I present the following scenario for your consideration, my readers:

You and your fiance at are at family restaurant for a nice dinner after work. You are both well dressed, not because the restaurant commands such attire, but because that is how you like to appear. You place your coat, hat and scarf on the booth seat and take your place at the table next to your fiance. You are enjoying good conversation, and you joke with the waitress as she takes your order.

The waitress comes back with a glass of red wine which she spills all over your wool coat, your Stetson fedora, and your scarf. Fortunately, your clothes are dark so there are no stains apparent, but your clothes need a good cleaning because the smell of wine is unmistakable and pungent. You can’t even wear them out of the restaurant because it is cold and they are quite wet. Unfortunately, we’re not talking about a NASCAR T-shirt that can just be tossed in the washing machine along. The coat definitely needs to go to the dry-cleaner, and the hat…well, who cleans hats these days?

What should the waitress do? An apology is expected, of course. But should she go beyond that?

I think the appropriate reaction would have been to not charge for the dinners that evening, or offer a certificate for a meal free of charge at a later date. Alternately, offering to pay the dry cleaning bill would have been acceptable. A simple apology presented along with a full bill for the meal seemed lacking.

This isn’t a hypothetical, as this happened at a nice little family restaurant last night. I was very, very surprised that the waitress didn’t offer to do more than the, well, nothing that she did. The spill was entirely her fault, there was no question about that.

Am I wrong for thinking that? What was the appropriate response here?

*********

The Rusty Skillet on 27th Street admittedly doesn’t look like much. The name suggests a Charcoal Grill copycat, but the interior decor is more reminiscent of a typical 1980s family-style restaurant. Restaurants aren’t really about the decor, though. The real questions are: how is the selection, the service, and most importantly, the food?

Although it was our first trip to the Rusty Skillet, we were greeted at the door as though we were regulars. The wait staff was extremely cordial and friendly, and the waiter was full of excellent suggestions. The menu was varied, ranging from delicious sounding full-course dinners to sandwiches to desserts. And then there was the all-you-can-eat steak dinner.

Map to the Rusty Skillet:

I have never in my life heard of all-you-can-eat steak. I was immediately suspicious. The steak was probably cheap and flavorless, or the “all-you-can-eat” really meant you could have two servings before being shown the door. But not so. The steak was incredible, and not only was the steak all-you-can-eat, but so was the potato and vegetables. The potato pancakes were top-notch. Did I mention that the all-you-can-eat steak was just $12.99? Apparently that is their special on Sundays through Tuesdays. Homer Simpson would have been impressed.

For my own meal I selected the roasted chicken, and it was easily the most tender and flavorful chicken I’ve ever had.

I wished I had saved room for dessert, but I had already pushed the envelope with my meal. I plan to go back (soon!) to try one of the “Rusty Dough” desserts.

Throughout my meal I couldn’t help but think we had found one of Milwaukee’s best-kept dining secrets. For a place serving all-you-can-eat delicious steak and excellent food, the restaurant was not at all crowded.

If you go:

4763 S 27th St
Milwaukee, WI 53221
(414) 281-5090
Prices: $5-$15

*****

Time for my daily shout-out! Take a look at one of my “sister” blogs: Memphis, TN. Be sure to tell them that Milwaukee sent ya!

With the crazy weather and the snowy forecast for this week, sometimes it is hard to remember what’s so great about living in Wisconsin. Want a reminder?

Places to Go and Things to Do
We have the Wisconsin Dells - a wonderful blend of beauty and campy. Go kart tracks, weird attractions, cheesy shopping, antique stores, the Wisconsin Ducks (and not the quacking kind!), amazing campgrounds, mini golf, and now the largest concentration of indoor waterparks in the world.

Madison - yes, there are plenty of reasons to hate the State Capitol, but if you can put politics aside Madison is simply an amazing city. From State Street’s offbeat shopping and great parties to the college bars to the bike trails and neat little shops everywhere, Madison is truly unique. And you never get too old for Ella’s Deli.
Our Lakes - we have over 15,000 of them. Big Cedar Lake is incredibly scenic. Pike Lake is another beauty, with a wonderful trail that goes around the entire lake. Lake Geneva is another gem - there’s a reason that rich people from Illinois own vacation homes in Lake Geneva…they only wish their state was this beautiful! And we have a state park system that other states envy.
Everybody likes to go Up North. The beautiful summers, the fall colors, the renewal of spring, and okay I guess winter too - the northern parts of Wisconsin have some of the most beautiful sights. On your way, if you are lucky enough to cross the Butte des Morts (which, oddly, is NOT French for “Butt of Death” but that shouldn’t stop you from telling people it is) bridge at just the right time of sunset, you will see the most beautifiul sight on earth with the sunset reflecting on the water creating this orange glow - it is too unreal to describe!
The House on the Rock inspired Neil Gaiman in American Gods, and anything that inspires the greatest writer in modern times is certainly worth a look, don’t you think? The House is more than just odd architecture - it is a crazy collection of all sorts of…things. You have to see it to believe it. And while you are there, check out Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s estate in Spring Green, Wisconsin.
Summerfest is an obvious choice…one of the biggest music festivals in the world, you know that summer is in full swing in Milwaukee when Summerfest starts. You don’t even have to like the bands that are playing to have a good time. While Summerfest is the biggest, Milwaukee has a TON of festivals every year, from the Lakefront’s ethnic festivals to neighborhood festivals. Good fun and a great way to meet new people.
Milwaukee Art Museum - This is a world-class museum, right here, right on the lake. The building alone is worth coming to Milwaukee just to see.
My personal favorite day of the year is July 3 - the day the huge Lakefront Fireworks display is on the lakefront in Milwaukee. For the best time, get to the lakefrotn early, bring a cooler full of drinks, lots of lawn chairs, kites, rollerblades and a frisbee and enjoy a full day of summer fun.

Eating and Drinking
Leinenkugels is the best beer ever, and its brewed in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. The Honey Weiss is excellent and always popular, but their seasonal beers like the Apple Spice are just awesome.
Bars. We got ‘em. As the saying goes, all you need to incorporate a town in Wisconsin is two bars and a church. Some of them are dives, but a lot of them have character. Take At Random in Bay View - step into the ’50s decor and settle in for an ice cream drink or something else suitably offbeat. And the name? It describes their business hours. And every visitor who comes to Milwaukee should be required to go to the Safe House, a wonderful spy-themed bar/restaurant. Always great food, and always a great time. If ethnic food is your thing, we’ve got that too. From authentic Mexican to amazing Italian, extreme Thai and the best Serbian food you’ll ever have, Milwaukee has it all. If fast food is your thing, Kopps’ Frozen Custard can’t be beat, and Culvers serves the best fast food burgers in existence.

Our Seasons
Yes, we have more than just “winter and construction.” We have four seasons here, each unique in its own way. Fall is filled with beautiful colors - the red and orange maples are my favorites. Winter is cold and crisp but if you aren’t from a state that has snow I bet you don’t realize how many different kinds of snowfalls there are, and many are downright lovely. Spring is filled with awesome thunderstorms and the beauty of flowers starting to bloom and the trees and lawns returning to green. It is hard to describe the feeling of spring after a long winter…it feels a lot like being a kid again. Summer, my favorite, can be hot and humid and unpredictable.

Some of the other reasons to be here are harder to describe, but you can feel them when you are here. People are, on the whole, friendly and genuine. Many will go above and beyond to help their neighbors. The cost of living is more than reasonable. You can live here and have hope of a future instead of just scraping by because rent takes 65% of your take-home pay.

I feel like I’ve hardly touched on the reasons it is good to be here, but this blog is getting long! Sure, we talk kinda funny (eh?) and people here really do love their football team - sometimes to the point of insanity, but on the whole it is a good place to be.

And if you need further proof of why it is nice to be in Wisconsin, go spend a week in Illinois…

*****
Okay, after the Illinois dig, I have to give some love to the Chicago Blog. Read it here!

I have fond memories of the Seven Mile Fair, Racine County’s indoor/outdoor flea market. In the 1980s Seven Mile Fair was a treasure trove of typical flea market fare: overpriced antiques, handicrafts, Avon, knock-offs of popular toys, and good ol’ fashioned junk. One of my favorite childhood memories involved saving my pennies so that I could buy a copy of Mario Brothers for the Atari 2600 from the Atari game seller at Seven Mile Fair. Back in those days, a brand new video game cost less than $20.00.

In an effort to relive a small piece of my youth, I visited Seven Mile Fair over the weekend.

Oh, how things have changed. I’ve never been to Tijuana, but Seven Mile Fair is exactly what I imagine a Tijuana marketplace would look like.

Spanish is by far the dominant spoken language at Seven Mile Fair now. Dozens of booths featured Spanish music and movies, Quinceañera dresses, Mexican food, Western Wear, and similarly themed goods. Booths sported blinged-out jeans and hoodies, and women’s clothing that I can only describe as “hoochie-riffic” and gold-painted jewelry at ridiculously high prices.

The only thing there that was reminiscent of my childhood days at Seven Mile Fair were those awful booths selling cramped cages of stressed out puppies and birds - those were the memories of that place I wish I could have forgotten.

The best that Seven Mile Fair had to offer was long gone. I counted one booth that could appropriately be considered flea market fare - an older woman was selling some old glassware and hand-knitted barbie dresses.

Granted, the Seven Mile Fair experience during the summertime is certainly different. During the warm weather months some vendors set up outside and sell their goods under the hot sun. However, if the outside of Seven Mile Fair has changed as much as the inside did, I suspect that if I go there this summer I won’t find lemonade stands and antiques outside either. I wouldn’t be surprised if I could buy myself a burro though…

*******
Author’s Note, appropos of nothing at all: I saw National Treasure, Book of Secrets last week and enjoyed it immensely.

We’ve had more snow this December than most years, and as though the shoveling, the slippery walks, and the lousy plowing weren’t enough, the Journal Sentinel has reported that 13,281 have been issued in the City thus far for snow-related parking violations.

Further, over 130 vehicles were towed over the weekend.

Each of these tickets and tows generates some revenue for the City. Perhaps some of that money can be spent on better plowing. While the initial hubbub over the City’s lousy plowing has died down, I can say personally that my street in Bay View only received a cursory brush by a plow, and a significant amount of snow and ice still remain.

*****
Like what you see on About-MilwaukeeWi.com? Check out About-ChicagoIl.com for our neighbors to the South!

I love using Craigslist to find good bargains on furniture and household items. I’ve purchased quite a few nice things from Craigslist including a beautiful Captain’s bed and a gorgeous old Victor Victrola, but items like that are truly hen’s teeth. The vast majority of the ads on Craigslist are downright ridiculous, and although I must give points for creativity on some of them, it is incredible what people will say to make their trash sound like treasure.

Over time I have learned to interpret “Craigslist-ese,” and I think that I have figured out how to weed out the garbage by interpreting what people say in their ads and boiling it down to what they really mean. To that end, I’m making a little “Craigslist to English” dictionary. Feel free to use it as you browse Craigslist!

Vintage - Ah, vintage. Everyone likes something that’s “vintage.” “Vintage” means quality because they didn’t make garbage back in the good ol’ days, right? Perhaps, but that just doesn’t hold true on Craigslist. In the world of Craigslist, “vintage” means “comes in a tacky color that existed primarily in 1962 and could only possibly find a place in some Bay View hipster’s home.”

Unique - Everyone loves unique! We all like to be different and show off our “unique” style, don’t we? Not so fast…on Craigslist “unique” almost always means “a hideous atrocity that should be dismantled immediately so as not to offend the senses of our good citizens.” Avoid “unique” like the plague unless your a turquoise painted end table with red trim is your idea of decor.

Awesome (Or, as it is sometimes spelled, awsome) - Wow, dude, this couch is, like, totally awesome! On Craigslist, “awesome” is only used when referring to a piece of furniture that originally came from Ikea and then spent 4-6 years being laid upon, kicked around, and more likely than not, vomited on, in some frat boy’s dorm room. Think about *that* before you pick up that “awesome sofa” from Craigslist.

Rare. Guys, nothing that was purchased at Pier One can be considered “rare.” It was mass-produced, probably within the last three years in some third-world country, and readily available at a popular retail establishment. That isn’t rare, not by any stretch of the imagination.

No Craigslist ad would be complete, however, without a mysterious photo - a photo taken with the world’s worst camera from an indescribable angle with near- zero lighting.

Want a great example? This ad just about has it all:
Fabulous Vintage 1950s Barkcloth Curtains EAMES.

I swear to you that I located this AFTER I wrote that bit about the use of the word “Vintage.” Apparently these are curtains…I can’t actually tell from the photo. They are, according to the seller, “awesome,” although I may be inclined to disagree. As a bonus, please note the use of the word “vintage” and the address of the seller. The only thing this ad is missing is the high price tag that some Craigslist sellers like to attach to their treasures. You could go home with these Awesome Vintage Fabulous Rare curtains for just $15.00.

Here’s to you, Craigslist sellers. You bring me hours of entertainment. Beautiful, inadvertent entertainment.

Craigslist, eBay, Bargains

****
Hey, Nintendo Wii Shoppers - Did you know about the rain check program? Check out this Wii blog for details!

Today Pavel Bernek’s little wrecked sailboat, the Falcon, was removed from Lake Michigan in pieces.

It is really hard to say why the wrecked sailboat along the shore of Lake Michigan has gotten so much attention, but I couldn’t resist driving along Lincoln Memorial Parkway to see it for myself. The sailboat’s visibility certainly had much to do with its popularity - even the most distracted driver can’t help but notice the forlorn little ship bobbing in the cold water. But the ship’s sad story was the real draw - Bernek’s dream of sailing the world was dashed upon Lake Michigan’s rocky shore by the novice sailor. Bernek has since returned to his native Europe, essentially abandoning it and leaving the salvage efforts to others.

The salvage team that has been struggling with the ship’s removal since the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard have declined to act finally removed the ship today, in pieces.

*****************

Need some holiday toy shopping ideas? Head over to the Household Tips blog for some inspiration!

With the copious amount of snow falling from the sky here in Milwaukee, it is easy to get the winter blues. Weather.com says that it is supposed to continue snowing and sleeting until 2a.m. Winter weather like we have today is a great time to think happy thoughts…happy thoughts of toasty drinks that are perfect for cold weather.

Hot Buttered Rum

* 1 small slice soft butter
* 1 tsp brown sugar
* optional spices: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg
* vanilla extract
* 2 oz dark rum
* boiling water

PREPARATION:

1. Place the butter, sugar and spices at the bottom of an Irish coffee glass or mug.
2. Mix well or muddle.
3. Pour in the rum and boiling water.
4. Stir.

Hot Toddy

* 1 oz brandy or blended whiskey
* 1 Tbsp honey
* 1/4 lemon
* 1 cup hot water
* 1 tea bag

PREPARATION:

1. Coat the bottom of a mug or an Irish coffee glass with honey.
2. Add brandy and the juice of the lemon quarter.
3. On the side, heat water in a tea kettle and add the tea bag to make hot tea.

Hot Honey Lemonade

* 2 lemons
* 3 whole cloves
* 2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
* 1 cup boiling water
* 1 cinnamon stick

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon into a large mug.
2. Slice remaining lemon thinly. Poke cloves into lemon slices and drop slices into mug.
3. Add honey and fill cup with hot water.
4. Stir with cinnamon stick until honey has dissolved. Taste for sweetness and add more honey as needed.

Mulled Apple Cider

* 1 gallon unfiltered apple cider
* 10 whole cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
* 2 strips orange peel, about 2 inches long
* 6 dried allspice berries
* 4 heads star anise
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
* Orange twists, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large pot, combine apple cider with all other ingredients except orange twists. Stir well.
2. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes before serving.
3. Serve cider in a heatproof mug, garnished with an orange twist.

Note: If you prefer, you may remove the steeping ingredients before serving by straining the cider through a fine mesh strainer.

Rusty Nail

* 1 1/2 oz Scotch
* 3/4 oz Drambuie
* lemon twist for garnish

PREPARATION:

1. Pour the ingredients into an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes.
2. Stir well.
3. Garnish with the lemon twist.

Nothing goes with hot drinks as nicely as some freshly baked cookies. Elementary Chef’s Blog is currently featuring twelve Christmas cookie recipes.

For many, the holidays are a time of reflection and a time to appreciate the good in our lives. It is also a time to think about the less fortunate, and many people do as toy drives abound. People have needs the entire year through, and Milwaukee has countless opportunities for people to give back to their community.

This city is very fortunate to have the Volunteer Center of Milwaukee. The Volunteer Center makes it easy for volunteers to find a volunteer opportunity that suits their schedule and skills.

Volunteers can find opportunities in one of two ways. With a telephone call to the Volunteer Center at 414-273-7887, volunteers can set up an appointment with someone who will assist them in locating a suitable volunteer opportunity. The more web-savvy will prefer the second option of using the search function on the Volunteer Center’s website. The volunteer can enter information about himself including age, time availability, and physical limitations. The search feature allows volunteers, if they choose, to search only for opportunities that help a particular class of people, such as children, immigrants, or older adults. Finally, the search function also allows a search that helps match an opportunity to the volunteer’s own skills. Volunteers can also seek out a particular organization, such as the Hunger Task Force of the Humane Society, and search for opportunities within that organization. The website is updated with enough regularity to ensure that willing volunteers can find something timely.

Anyone who wants to put in some time as a volunteer is sure to find a suitable opportunity through the Volunteer Center.

For those who want to help others this holiday season but are short on time, take a look at Ten Thousand Villages living gifts programs. This global program supplies plants and livestock to farmers in developing nations. The gifts have a price range that will fit every budget, and they are surprisingly specific. For example, a $33.00 gift buys, vaccinates and provides shelter for one goat, while also training farmers on how to raise healthy and productive animals.

Volunteer, Shelter, Hunger