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New definition for "First Night" includes the word "puppy"

By Monty Siekerman
When you Google the words "First Night," you'll find several meanings, including one about New Year's Eve. That meaning is about a safe, affordable, fun time in many cities.

But I have another definition for "First Night," that of one with a new puppy.

The night you first bring a puppy home is anything but sane. Nope, not affordable, either. Breeders charge hundreds of dollars nowadays for a furry, four-legged critter.

Here's Mustard Seed Cafe's special weekend events

Join Mustard Seed Cafe, North Main Street, Bluffton, Friday, Dec. 18, from 9-11 p.m., for an “After Hours” holiday evening of half shells and hops.

Chesapeake oysters with craft beer pairings and craft flights are on the menu. Also featured are blue point oysters for the weekend.

"After Hours" takes place Saturday, Dec. 19, from 9-11 p.m. It features songs about wassail, wise men, and all the holy trees of the season.

Wendy Chappell-Dick will be joined by some of her friends: Wanda Stopher, Teri Sato on bowed psaltry, Steve Harnish on recorder, Sara Chappell-Dick on flute and Jan Wiebe on flute and vocal harmony. Wendy will also play cello and dulcimer.

Iconic Bakery: No Christmas cookie plate is complete without these

For Icon viewers getting ready to bake for the holidays, you can't have a cookie plate without meringue kisses.

There's probably more recipes for this cookie than any other in Ohio. Here's one we picked from the Ada Sesquicentennial Cookbook, from 2002. This recipe is provided by Ruth Brown.

Ruth Brown's Meringue Kisses

4 egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Vanilla
Nuts

Observations, insights and sightings: Technology

By Monty Siekerman
Sometimes, this modern age (I'm talking technology here) gets the carriage before the horse.

First off, I want to thank the three ladies at Rite Aid in Ada for patiently helping me for 45 minutes try to print pictures of my recently deceased dog, Caesar.

We tried. We failed.

Remember not too many moons ago when you could buy roll of 400 ASA film, shoot 24 or so pictures, return to the store, drop off the film and, if you are lucky, get your prints back within 24 hours?

Not anymore.

Iconoclast Bakery: The Legendary Icon Refrigerator-Cupboard Pie

Introducing the legendary Icon Refrigerator-Cupboard Pie.

Here’s the approach: Open the refrigerator door (and the kitchen cupboard) and see what you’d like to get rid of.

But, instead tossing things out, you bake it. In a pie.

Wanting to bake a pie, but not knowing which one to tackle, I tried the above approach and it worked.

My wife gave me some Probst Family Farm Maple Syrup for my birthday last week. So, in the back of my mind, maple syrup would play a significant role in the bake.

Iconic Bakery: Baked Crumbed Potatoes

Baked Crumbed Potatoes
By Coletta Mullenhour from the “Bluffton Community Cookbook II”

6 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
½ c. Margarine, melted
1 c. fine dried bread crumbs
Salt and pepper

Wash and dry the potatoes. Dip in margarine, then crumbs, coating well. Repeat. Put on a shallow baking dish.

Add salt and pepper. Add any remaining margarine and crumbs on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn over and bake 20-30 minutes more until golden brown.

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