the friday feed: roasted red pepper dip

Look at these beauties! They were freshly picked and were begging to be made into something quick and easy. What to do, what to do...hmmmm. How about a simple five ingredient dip? Done!

This is tirokafteri, Greek roasted red pepper dip. It's an uncomplicated recipe combining roasted red peppers, a hot banana pepper, feta cheese, olive oil, and roasted garlic, all mixed in a food processor  to created a small but flavor-packed snack. Ohmygosh, is it good! Eat it with crackers or veggies or use as a sandwich spread.

Tirokafteri

3 red peppers

1 small hot banana pepper

1 - 3 cloves of garlic

200 g. feta (about 7 ounces)

1/2 lemon juiced

1/4 c. olive oil

4-6 pitas

For roasting the peppers, either broil them in the oven or grill them until the skins are charred and bubbly and place in a bowl. Cover with a lid and let steam until they are cool to the touch. The skins should peel off easily. If the peppers haven’t are too hot and haven’t steamed enough, the skin will be difficult to peel.

Add roasted red peppers, feta, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Cut the pitas into triangles and add them to a baking sheet along with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Pop in the oven on broil for 3-5 minutes. The pitas will brown quickly so watch carefully.

Tirokafteri...

Say that quickly five times!

It’s roasted red pepper dip.

harmonies

On August 2, Art in the City brought people to Downtown Dayton. 300 local artists shared their talents with more than 30 hands-on activities and demonstrations, and more than 100 live performances. It was a way to celebrate the local artists, creatives, and art lovers who help keep Dayton's arts community thriving. One of the exhibits that remained downtown was Harmonies, a set of interactive music boxes, placed at various locations around town. These instruments have now moved on to their next destination.

Last week I took my daughter's birthday card to the downtown Dayton post office and then had a nice stroll around town to see the Harmonies music boxes located at Courthouse Square, Levitt Pavilion, the Dayton Convention Center, and the Seed of Life sculpture in the Oregon District. I cranked the music boxes to hear the music, causing people who were around to look up from their phones to see what was going on. I walked a little over a mile going from instrument and took quite a few photos, too. 

 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

On recent trips to the grocery store, I've seen more people deliberately taking up two parking spots. It's rude, a breach of common decency. But whatever. The other day I took some donations to the Humane Society Thrift Store and a van was parked across two spots. My thoughts immediately jumped to another rude parking job. When I got out of the car, this sign hit me right at eye level. Instead of shaking my head at inconsiderate behavior, I had to shake my head at myself for jumping to conclusions. I've not seen a sign like this before. If a handicap spot isn't available, this is a good alternative.

My friend and I went to Sugarcreek MetroPark to take a hike in this beautiful end of summer weather. On one of the trails is the Osage Orange Tunnel. Back in the 1800s farmers planted these trees to act as a fence for their livestock and now these large arching branches have created a living tunnel for today's hikers to enjoy. 

Look closely and you'll see a big spider web. I saw this early morning at the farm stand, pointed it out to my co-worker, and she just about flipped out. She wanted to knock it down, I asked her not to. By the time I left, the web was gone. Sigh. I wonder how long it took for this spider to weave this. Webs are natural engineering marvels and its shimmering appearance in this sunlight showcased its beautiful precision.

A little fun with tomato faces 🍅

The big high school football game between rivals Kettering and Centerville is coming up on September 12. In the past there was bad blood between the schools so to turn this rivalry into something positive, the schools started a competition to raise money for charities of their choice. The school that raises the most money gets bragging rights for the year but both schools get the satisfaction of helping their communities. One of the fundraisers for Kettering's high school is to sign up for your neighbors to get their yard "flocked" by a bunch of blue flamingoes. One of our neighbors got flocked!

 

one last look

Labor Day 2025.

One last look at the Fountains of Light at sunset. The end of the day, the end of their season, and the views did not disappoint.

A lone paddle boarder enjoying a sunset cruise.

Got a little artsy with this one

Beautiful colors and reflections

The last splash of 2025

monday's mulling: september 1

Wow. It's September 1. Just three more weeks of summer then hello to autumn. Garden centers already have pumpkins, Halloween decorations are filling displays and that darn pumpkin spice latte is being marketed heavily.

All summer long the Fountains of Light have been going off hourly at the confluence of the Great Miami and Mad Rivers. Today (Labor Day) is their last day to grace Dayton's skyline. I'm going to miss my trips downtown to hear the initial "whoosh" as the fountains begin their initial spray and then watch the 10 minute display. 

Today is also my son and daughter-in-law's seventh wedding anniversary. They met at Ohio University, spent a couple years living in different cities because of their jobs, moved to Cleveland and found new jobs, got married, and have blessed Todd and me with two grandchildren. It has been such a joy to watch them grow as a couple, in their careers, and now as parents.

ohio, the buckeye state

David from the Adventures of Travel Penguin has visited all 50 states in the US and this year his Saturday blog posts are about his experiences each state. Yesterday's post was about my state, Ohio. A lot of jokes float around about Ohio and David's Ohio review was very complimentary and yes, the winters are cold and gray and cold.

This article, even though it pokes a little fun at Ohio, explains our work hard, play hard mentality. Ohio was a blue collar, industrial state that got hit with hard times and is coming back with the technology industry noticing the state.

12 Reasons Why People in Ohio are Built Different Than the Rest of the Country

Written by Leo Heit

Ohio is the land of surprise weather, relentless sports heartbreak, and cities with very strong opinions about chili. It’s where folks can parallel park in a snowstorm, name-drop three astronauts before breakfast, and still pretend not to care that their state is the punchline of every internet joke. But deep down? Ohioans know the truth: they’re not just surviving the Buckeye State—they’re built different because of it.

(My three astronaut name-drops: Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon. John Glenn, first man to orbit the earth, Judith Resnik, who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster)

1. They Treat Weather Forecasts Like a Choose-Your-Own Adventure Book

Sunny and 75? Blizzards tomorrow? Tornado watch at midnight? Just grab a hoodie—you’ll be fine. (Not as drastic as it sounds but our weather is fickle, especially during the change of seasons. Tornado watches at midnight and in the wee hours of the morning are scary.)

2. They’ll Casually Mention They Invented Flight, Then Dare You to Argue

Don’t bring up North Carolina. Ohio has receipts—and the Wright brothers’ bicycles to prove it. (YES, we're the Birthplace of Aviation. One of our license plates says so.)

3. They Know That Skyline Chili Isn’t Just Food—It’s a Personality Test

Pasta + chili + cheese = “What in the Midwest madness?” But to an Ohioan? It’s home. (Skyline Chili originated in Cincinnati. I don't care for it but I do mail cans of it to my Chicago daughters)

4. They’ll Keep Watching the Browns, Bengals, or Reds No Matter How Bad It Hurts

Loyalty is stronger than logic. Every season starts with cautious optimism and ends with character development. (All the men in my family are die-hard Cleveland Browns fans and they have developed very strong characters)

5. They Can Name Every Interchange on I-71 Like It’s a Family Tree

Cincinnati to Cleveland? It’s not a road trip—it’s a rite of passage. (That passage is 250 miles long/402.33 km)

6. They Say “Ope” While Squeezing Past You, and That’s Basically a Hug

It’s “excuse me,” “sorry,” and “I acknowledge your space” all rolled into one beautiful syllable. (Kind of like "oops!")

7. They’ll Shovel a Foot of Snow, Show Up on Time, and Still Say “It’s Not That Bad Out”

It builds resilience. And leg strength. And lower back problems. (I love my chiropractor, especially in the winter)

8. They’ve Turned Football Into a Second Religion

Saturdays are for Buckeyes. Sundays are for heartbreak. Tailgates are for therapy. (Saturday was the opening game for THE Ohio State Buckeyes and OSU defeated #1 ranked Texas 14-7. Parties for this game started Thursday in Columbus and since it's a holiday weekend they'll continue into Monday. We do love our Buckeyes. Next Sunday is the opening game for the Cleveland Browns and it's the Battle of Ohio, the Browns vs. the Cincinnati Bengals. Always high hopes for a great season that get dashed about five games in. My son and his friends throw a great tailgate party!)

9. They Can’t Escape Orange Barrels—And Honestly, They’ve Stopped Trying

Ohio has two seasons: winter and construction. And both last way too long. (I swear, I-75 through Dayton should just put up permanent orange barrels)

10. They Know That “The Lake” Means Lake Erie, and They’ll Defend It With Their Life

Yes, it’s a little brown. Yes, there are fish with opinions. But it’s our lake. (Volume wise, Lake Erie is the smallest of the five Great Lakes. Do you remember the mnemonic device HOMES to recall the names of the Great Lakes? H - Huron; O - Ontario; M - Michigan; E - Erie; S - Superior)

11. They Will Absolutely Give You Directions Using Cornfields and Long-Gone Landmarks

“Turn left where the Kmart used to be, then head straight past the third soybean field. Can’t miss it.” (This is true.)

12. They’ve Got Thick Skin, Big Hearts, and Zero Tolerance for People Who Can’t Handle Snow, Slander, or Skyline (Big hearts - yes. Depends on who you talk to about snow, slander, or Skyline)

If you can’t laugh at Ohio… you probably don’t deserve Ohio.

Ohioans are humble, hearty, and built like a steel mill with a heart of gold. They’ve endured lake-effect snow, generational sports trauma, and at least one relative who calls it “pop.” So yeah, make all the jokes you want—but just remember: people from Ohio don’t flinch, don’t fold, and don’t forget. Because in the Buckeye State, they’re not just living—they’re built Ohio strong. (Spoken like a loyal Buckeye. What's a buckeye, you ask? It's a tree, native to North America, specifically Ohio. It's our state tree. A buckeye is also a nut, so that could explain a lot, too 🙂)

13. I'm surprised that this article didn't mention Ohio is the birthplace of Rock 'n Roll. We have a historical marker to prove it.

 

happy birthday, lauren

Happy Birthday to my daughter, Lauren! From the shy, sweet little girl who stuck to me like glue, she has grown into a force in her business world. A few years ago, her sister lived in New York and she lived in Cincinnati. My daughters were both in a place in their lives where they wanted a change so they put their heads together and moved to Chicago. Fast forward a few years to 2024, Lauren became a mom. Shortly after the birth of her son, she learned that he was born with a hole in his heart and two months later her little guy had open heart surgery. What a way to start new motherhood but she handled it like a fierce warrior. It's has been a joy to watch her grow. My little girl with a big, big heart who fills the world with so much happiness.