19 minute read
THE OCEAN STATE
good water. Before you buy a plant, take inventory and consider what you’re willing to do to help that plant flourish.
“If you have a child and you don’t feed it right or don’t feed it at all, the kid isn’t going to grow,” she says. “Many parents, pet and plant owners, assume if they are comfortable, their animals and plants are comfortable. This often is not the case.”
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First of all, Musgrave says, you can’t grow plants in the dark, even if a plant looks great in a certain corner of the living room. It may be the place for a plant but not the plant for the place. So open those mini blinds and let there be light! A window with southern exposure is generally best.
“If you are going to spend money on plants, buy some lights if your light is inadequate. You can play God when it comes to providing a dependable light source,” she says. “You can control the amount and intensity of light and your plants will be happy.”
Musgrave says to worry more about providing good water than too much water. Plants can’t filter out the chemicals in our tap water like humans can. That crusty white mixture on the top of the soil is chemical buildup and an indicator of your water quality.
Musgrave suggests using a reverse osmosis system as she does, or using purchased purified water, well water or rain water. Mix any of those with tap water and you’ll see a big difference rather quickly, Musgrave says.
“If you see yellow leaves, or the tips start getting yellow and eventually browning at the margins, that’s likely because of poor water quality,’’ she says. “Just because you can drink it, doesn’t mean your plants like it. You shouldn’t put a goldfish into our water.”
Yellow leaves should be removed; they’re a drag on plants and can attract bugs. And, for goodness sake, don’t add fertilizer to a struggling plant. It’s not medicine. Musgrave says that’s like giving someone who feels nauseous a big steak dinner.
If you want to add fertilizer, do it slowly. A weak mixture of water and her favorite, Dyna Gro, will do the trick.
“Don’t give your plants a big shot of fertilizer. Add a little bit of nutrient and not a whole handful of vitamins in one day.”
Another no-no. Don’t bring a plant home and put it into a huge pot just because you have one you think is pretty. Plants like tight quarters with the right kind of soil. Fans and cool mist humidifiers help, too. Keep plants away from window drafts and heating and air conditioner vents.
Musgrave has always loved plants but became hooked on orchids when her son became interested, and she says he’s the real expert.
“It’s one of the most diverse plant groups you can find,” she said. “The orchid family is second only to the aster family in terms of species numbers at approximately 27,000. One of every seven blooming plants is an orchid. There are wild orchids that grow on every continent except Antarctica. No matter your taste, there is an orchid for you.”
The websites of the American Orchid Society and St. Augustine (Florida) Orchid Society provide excellent information. Don’t be fooled by the three ice-cube watering method or what’s on the tag, she warns. That can be a marketing gimmick.
Orchids have the same requirements as most plants. However, if you want them to bloom they need a lower temperature at night, just as they have in nature.
Plants are good for us, Musgrave says, providing oxygen and greenery we naturally like. Give them a little effort and in return you’ll be rewarded.
“The orchid is a living thing,” she says. “It deserves respect.”
BEGINNER’S FRIENDS
Both Dendrobium “Microchip,” left, and Cattleya “Earl” like the bright filtered light of a south window and well-drained potting mix. “Earl” can grow more than a foot tall.
VIBRANT JEWEL
Intergeneric oncidiums are great hybrids for the indoor hobbyist and can bloom multiple times per year.
A texture lover’s dream
Baked oatmeal dish is pretty enough for special occasions; healthy enough for every day
TEXT, STYLING + PHOTOGRAPHY
KILEY CRUSE
This baked oatmeal dish wins the grand prize in the category of “perfect breakfast recipes” in my book.
There are three reasons I love this recipe so much: It’s simple to make. It’s healthy, chock-full of fruit and void of refined sugar. And, it’s unbelievably adaptable.
As written, the recipe calls for fresh berries. Frozen berries bake the same — provided they’re not thawed. If you don’t care for blackberries, substitute strawberries or blueberries, or any other in-season fruit. Try apples with a dash of cinnamon or apples and cranberries for a little tang in the fall. Peaches and almonds pair wonderfully, too.
If you like crunch, substitute your favorite nuts for the chocolate chips.
For an added punch of protein, top with a dollop of peanut butter or Greek yogurt.
The combinations are endless, giving you reason to reinvent this recipe over and over again.
DARK CHOCOLATE BERRY BAKED OATMEAL
SERVES 6 INSTRUCTIONS
1 medium ripe banana 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup maple syrup ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk (see note) 2 cups quick oats ½ cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 pint raspberries, divided 1 pint blackberries, divided ¹⁄³ cup mini dark chocolate chips, divided (see note) Pinch of salt Peanut butter, optional
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and spray an 8-by-8-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. 2. Place banana in a large bowl and mash with a fork. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, maple syrup and almond milk and mix until combined. 3. Add oats, flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt and mix. Add most of the berries, reserving about ½ cup, and ¼ cup mini chocolate chips and mix again. 4. Transfer batter into casserole dish using a spatula to spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining berries and chocolate chips over the top. 5. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes. 6. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with a spoonful of warmed peanut butter, optional.
NOTE: Any unsweetened plant-based milk or regular milk can be substituted. We were unable to find mini dark chocolate chips so we substituted mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Adapted from fitfoodiefinds.com
Small but mighty
Rhode Island wows with iconic foods, stone walls and mansions
STORY KEVIN WARNEKE
Let me tell you about an Awful Awful.
It’s similar to a milkshake — only better — because the combination of ice milk and sugar blended with syrup gives it a sweeter, more powerful taste. Awful Awful stands for Awful Big Awful Good and it’s a Rhode Island tradition.
While prepping for a 2020 trip to Rhode Island with my extended family, I stumbled across a list of 10 iconic foods to try while visiting the Ocean State. The Awful Awful, found at Newport Creamery restaurants, was ninth on the list, right before fried clams (which we tried and which require no explanation).
While the trip turned into a quest to check off the 10 must-eats, we enjoyed Providence, Newport and Block Island. Three things stood out: the Cliff Walk in Newport, the Mohegan Bluffs on Block Island and Newport National Golf Club in Middleton.
First things first: I managed seven of the 10 iconic foods designated by onlyinyourstate.com. We knocked off clam cakes at Rebecca’s Lunch & Dinner on Block Island and clam chowder and clam cakes (a second time) at Iggy’s Doughboys & Chowder House in Narragansett. We tried Del’s Lemonade, which can be found everywhere. Coffee milk, the state’s official beverage, was provided by the Maroneys at their Airbnb in Pascoag.
We also had hot wieners as appetizers at George’s Pizza and Pub in Pascoag. I learned that some Rhode Islanders spell wiener with an “ei” and serve theirs “all the way” with meat sauce, mustard and onions.
That left only three: Johnnycakes (cornmeal pancakes), stuffies (stuffed clams flavored with, for example, onion, celery and green pepper) and donut cake for my return visit.
But enough about food. Our intent was to explore the state, walk its beaches and marvel at its mansions. We also golfed.
We set a slow pace along Newport’s 3.5-
ADOBE STOCK
mile Cliff Walk. On our left were crashing waves and rocky beaches and on our right were mansions from the Gilded Age.
The walk is broken into five segments, with the fourth a bit rocky. The mansions were impressive, but the stone walls and the tunnels that connected the path were more intriguing.
We drove Newport’s Ten Mile Drive, which provides a glimpse of the community’s summer residents, parks and public access shoreline. The onshore sea breeze at Brenton Point State Park is popular with kite flyers.
The next day, we ferried to Block Island, which features two lighthouses. We
CLIFF WALK
ADOBE STOCK
JWESSEL PHOTOGRAPHY
KEVIN WARNEKE
FOODIE’S DELIGHT
The Ocean State’s most iconic foods were too tempting to resist for Omahan Kevin Warneke and his traveling companions. Hot wieners, clam chowder, clam cakes, and Del’s Lemonade lived up to the hype.
BLOCK ISLAND NEWPORT NATIONAL
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explored via moped and eventually ended up at Mohegan Bluffs, where we took the 140-step stairway to the beach below.
Our trip included time for two rounds of golf. No. 11 at Crystal Lake Golf Club in Burrillville is the most striking hole I’ve played, dropping 90 feet from tee to green. You feel as if you are on top of the world until you try to target the green below with your tee shot.
PGA.com ranks Newport National as the eighth-best links-style golf course in the United States. It’s first on my list. Here’s why: The bunker on No. 17 seems to stretch forever, as do the wetlands that must be carried from the tee on Nos. 1, 9 and 18. The rectangular green on the par 5 No. 8 was the first I’ve seen, as was the stone wall that cuts across No. 14’s fairway.
The stone wall on 14 and the many other walls will be what I remember most about Rhode Island. They’re everywhere — enclosing cemeteries, framing yards and shouldering roadways.
Robert Thorson, a landscape geologist, calls them the “signature landform” in the region.
“There are probably historic stone walls in each of the United States,” he said. “In most states, the task is to explain why walls exist. In New England, they’re so ubiquitous that the task is to explain why they’re absent. There’s a reason for this. Only in New England did a livestock-tillage rural economy take place on ubiquitously stony soils.”
Now I understand.
ADOBE STOCK KEVIN WARNEKE
BEST OF THE BEST Mom’s quest to see all 50 states became son’s quest too
STORY KEVIN WARNEKE
Isaved the smallest for last.
Rhode Island compensates for what it lacks in geography with an overdose of flair. The first of the 13 Colonies was a fitting finale to my quest to visit all 50 states.
I started counting states when my mother was closing in on visiting her 50th. She was down to three — Idaho, Washington and Oregon — when my father died in 2014. She fretted that she wouldn’t finish her journey — so I offered to take her.
We visited the three states in three days — targeting one attraction in each: Powell’s City of Books, which occupies a city block in Portland, Oregon; and Mount St. Helens in Washington. For Idaho, we picked Shoshone Falls, known as “Niagara of the West.” While we stood along a deck watching the falls, we found ourselves in the middle of a quinceañera, a celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday. It was the highlight of our trip.
I counted my travels and realized Idaho was my 43rd state (my mother assured me I have been to West Virginia, but I have no memory of it) and devised a plan to collect the remaining seven.
No. 45: Arkansas, which my wife and I admitted exceeded our expectations and smashed our stereotypes. We based an extended weekend in Eureka Springs and spent part of each day walking nearby trails. We discovered a stone dam at Lake Leatherwood City Park during an early morning walk — and returned for a second visit. We found the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art spectacular and the spin on Bill Clinton’s presidency at his library and museum in Little Rock amusing.
No. 47: Alaska, which, hands down, is the most impressive state. We saw a pod of whales breach and heard glaciers calve. We watched a brown bear run while we flew in a bush pilot’s care, and arose at 3 a.m. to see the sun rise. You may think this odd, but the best part of Alaska was the smell of the great outdoors.
Mississippi and Rhode Island were my final two states. Before I could play favorites, work took me to Jackson, Mississippi, where a colleague and I toured the state capitol. Not a bad runner-up.
Genteel & hip
When it comes to historic hotels, The Cottonwood stands tall
STORY CHRIS CHRISTEN PHOTOGRAPHY KURT A. KEELER AND CHRIS CHRISTEN
Acity’s love is here to stay with the revival of The Blackstone as The Cottonwood, Omaha’s most historic and storied hotel.
“There is a spirit, a soul to this building that is special to the community,” James Schelnick says.
When the $75 million restoration was launched more than three years ago, a treasure trove of family stories of honeymoon stays, black-tie parties, latenight cocktails and more started flooding in.
The anecdotes, from a time when the hotel was Omaha’s social epicenter, are priceless, The Cottonwood’s director of sales and marketing says.
And now a new generation is intrigued — even enchanted — with the property’s history and the prospect of being part of its continuing story as The Cottonwood, he says.
Omaha’s grand dame of hospitality is both genteel and hip, paying homage to the past while carving its own niche under the flag of Kimpton Hotels.
Metro-area residents have been beating a path to the registration desk since the hotel’s opening in November.
“Some weekends, we’re flipping the entire hotel,” Schelnick says. The Cottonwood has 205 guest rooms and suites — more than 160 original to the hotel. Nightly rates range from $139 to $399. The former Blackstone Hotel at 36th and Farnam Streets sits on the edge of Omaha’s historic Gold Coast neighborhood. Its restoration embraces its glorious past.
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“Locals have been pushing the experience. It’s been a nice surprise,” Schelnick says. “Word of mouth means a lot in Omaha.”
My husband Kurt and I arrived early enough on a Saturday afternoon to beat the line, but it was 40 people deep by 5 p.m. Several fur babies were checking in, too.
This Kimpton property is so pet-friendly, Executive Chef Ryan Arensdorf already has obliged a request to prepare a $50 fillet for a very pampered pooch. (He gets it; he has two spoiled dogs himself, Sous and Chef.)
Built in 1915 as a residential hotel, The Blackstone was designated an Omaha Landmark in 1983 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. In 1920, the building was purchased by Charles Schimmel. He made it the place to stay between Chicago and San Francisco while traveling the Lincoln Highway.
For those familiar with the original hotel, a peek at the Orleans Room is a must. The mosaic tile, pillars, dark wood ceiling beams and velvet-upholstered window benches still exist.
Billing the iconic restaurant-lounge as “Omaha’s most comfortable living room” isn’t a stretch. Cozy conversation areas, a handsome bar and gin cocktails complement the smooth jazz track playing in the background. It’s the perfect setting for a mid-day meet up with clients or drinks with friends after work — no room key required.
An a la carte brunch is served every Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The sophisticated-yet-approachable menu includes small plates of lobster deviled eggs, crispy chicken lollipops and marinated olives, large plates of steak, mussels and chicken, and, of course, the famed Blackstone Reuben.
“I had to take that sandwich very seriously because of the history,” Chef Arensdorf says. “I never thought I could like sauerkraut as much as I do.”
Tea service with scones and petit fours is offered Saturdays and Sundays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Reservations are required. (To be totally cool, you’ll want to pronounce the name of the room correctly. It’s Orr-lee-ahns).
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SNAPPY COMEBACK
In some instances where restoration wasn’t possible, old photos were used to re-create historic touches. The mosaic tile in the lobby, above, is original. In another unique touch, upholstered headboards in the guest rooms depict a scene on menus from The Blackstone era. At top right, Brioche aux Amandes, a sure bet on the a la carte bunch menu in the Orleans Room.
OMAHA’S LIVING ROOM
In 1950, the former Blackstone Hotel was described as “one of the country’s best glamour houses.” As The Cottonwood, the hotel retains a number of original features, including the mosaic tile and wood beams of the Orleans Room.
AN INSTANT HIT
The signature paint color for The Cottonwood is “Jack Pine” 660 by Benjamin Moore. The Garden Lounge is defined by it. At right, The Cottonwood Room bar with its golden tree.
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The 1920s-inspired Garden Lounge just off the lobby is destined to become The Cottonwood’s most identifiable setting.
“A thousand percent,” Schelnick says. “If you’re looking at the highest percentage of Instagram photos from a single place in Omaha, this could be it.”
The Cottonwood Room on the lower level won’t be far behind for a must-have selfie. It’s the city’s prettiest cocktail lounge, bar none, with a golden cottonwood tree in the center of the circular bar. In the background, a multi-panel wall screen projects a tranquil river scene.
The hotel’s fine-dining restaurant on the same level is The Committee Chophouse.
“We’re in another world right now,” Kurt said as we sat down for dinner. “I’m just blown away.”
I agreed, although my “where-arewe” moment came in a dim corner of The Cottonwood Room, sipping an Old Fashioned and a martini before dinner.
The Committee wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable and our meal was exquisitely prepared and presented. Steak stars on the French-based New Orleans menu.
BIRTH OF REUBEN
The Committee Chophouse takes its name from the private group who gathered for late-night poker games at The Blackstone between 1920 and 19335. As the story goes, members took turns cooking for the group, and the Reuben sandwich was born. The hotel’s owner, Charles Schimmel, put it on the lunch menu and fame spread.
ARTFUL SPACES
Original art curated by Omaha muralist Watie White enlivens spaces throughout The Cottonwood, including guest rooms. The gallery wall at left is in the foyer of The Cottonwood Room.
NOTHING BUT PRIME
“OK doesn’t get you great,” says Executive Chef Ryan Arensdorf. “I’m my harshest critic.” Featured: Baseball Cut Steak Diane.
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“Omaha is on the cusp of being more adventurous” when it comes to food, Arensdorf says.
He’s using 100% prime cuts and locally sourced ingredients in his quest to make “simple things great” and earn a spot among the top steakhouses in the nation.
This butcher’s daughter loves a perfectly charred fillet, but the sides were unforgettable. That may have a lot to do with the beer cheese sauce base used in the gratin potatoes and creamed spinach we sampled. For dessert, it had to be Baked Alaska.
We hadn’t dressed up for dinner in more than a year, and it felt great to put some effort into our attire. Swanky clothes aren’t required, but it’s appropriate when a tab runs $200 or more for dinner for two.
A Saturday evening reservation could be tough to get, unless you’re booking several weeks in advance, Arensdorf says.
“For locals, this is a perfect little getaway,” he says. “We brought a little Chicago or New York to Omaha.”
