Retired in Ann Arbor mentioned in The Ann magazine

Yes, those birthdays just keep rolling by, and this article talks about how we are enjoying those days between celebrations.

Aging in Ann Arbor:  a warm harbor for a graying population

Ann Arbor City Club

The Ann Arbor City Club sponsors some of Ann Arbor's best activities in the spring.  This Club has a long and distinguished history in Ann Arbor, since its creation in 1951 as the Ann Arbor Women's City Club.

Prior to becoming the Club, this location was home to several prominent Ann Arbor citizens.  The original home was built in 1881, and was surrounded by blueberries and fruit trees.  Then Mr. Spooner bought and sub-divided the land, building some of the other beautiful houses in the neighborhood.  Read more of the history of the club here.

Here are some activities that you might want on your calendar:

April 2-- Lunch and learn with U of M Professor Perry Samson, on "What We Don't Know About Tornados"
April 8-- Lunch and learn with U of M lecturer Bruce Conforth, on "American Blues:  History, Style and Context"
May 7-- Lunch and learn with Research Affiliate, U of M Center on the Demography of Aging and the Population Studies Center, Amy Pienta, on "What Happens to Research Data at the End of a Project?"

Another great event is the Flea Market, on Saturday (9AM-4PM) and Sunday (noon-4PM), March 29-30.  This is one of the not-to-be-missed events of the spring!  If you love auctions or estate sales, this is your event. 

The last of the winter recipes--

Hopefully this is the last blast of winter-- now that we've officially broken the record for the most snow, I think it's time to get on with it!

In preparation for spring,  I like to take one more pass at the recipes that I seem to make only in winter-- in hopes that in a couple of days I'll be grilling salmon and breaking out the sauvignon blanc, without a backward glance.

So what are my favorite winter dishes?
First, I have to share a great new dish that I got from  Real Simple magazine:  Brussels sprouts roasted with kimchi.  First, here is my disclaimer:  I hate kimchi.  I don't mind some Korean food, and you may find me in line at Kosmo ordering a Bi Bim Bop on occasion, but I always skip the kimchi.

When I saw this recipe, I was not sure how I would feel about it, but by that time I had probably eaten a bushel of sprouts myself, and needed some variety.  This calls for 1/4 cup kimchi per pound of sprouts, so I thought it was worth a risk.  I bought a jar of Oh Gee Kimchi from The Brinery, tossed it in the raw sprouts, and put them in the oven.  When they were done, Heaven!

 

Next, I made a batch of lebkuchen cookies.  They were always our nod to our German heritage at Christmas time, but (like the Germans), we decided they were too good to only have at Christmas.  I bought extra fruit and peel mix (seasonally carried at Hillers) so I could make them through the spring.  My family is divided on them-- either you love the taste, or not so much.  Guess which camp I lead? 

Hearty soups like this chicken rice

Chicken and biscuits

And when you think everyone BUT YOU has been to the tropics (or at least Florida), and shared a picture on Facebook, make yourself a nice drink with Wolfmoon mixers:  Pineapple Jalapeño, Bombay Sapphire, and some nice juicy chunks of fresh pineapple.  You'll feel fine in no time.

Wolfmoom Mixers can be found at the Produce Station