Wendi's Weekend Trips & Whatnot

Travel. Food. Fun.

Hartzler’s Family Dairy: Wholesome, Good Ice Cream

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I don't know how many times I have driven north on State Route 3 out of Wooster, but rarely is there a time (during business hours) that Hartzler's Ice Cream Shoppe has an empty parking lot. I am usually on my way somewhere, so I haven't been able to stop by to try them at the shop. (I do visit them during the Wayne County Fair.) That is until Friday, June 24, 2016, which was due to the fact that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law came for a visit. My husband Bobby's brother,  Carmine, … [Read more...]

Owney: A Rose by Any Other Name, Still Smells Sweet (at Secrest Arboretum)

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My mom, Wendi, recently celebrated her birthday week. My dad, Bobby, thought that even though she had gotten to do some really fun things (which you can read about a couple here and here) he really wanted to end the week with just the two of them. Well, you know how cute I can be, especially when I look at them with my "puppy dog" eyes. Add that to the fact that they had spent very little time at home during the week, which meant very little time with me, I convinced Dad that whatever "they" … [Read more...]

Five Guys Gets Five Stars

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I can't remember the first time I went to a Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  I do remember that I thought it was great. The burgers were big, they make fresh cut fries and they give you plenty of them. So you can imagine my delight when I heard that a Five Guys was being built at the north end of Wooster. Waiting for it to be opened was a true test of my patience. It was on Monday, May 30, that they officially opened. Bobby and I had been dog sitting in Lodi, but were heading home in the … [Read more...]

Basking in Wooster’s New Dunkin Donuts/Baskin-Robbins

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I know what you're thinking, because I have thought it, too, but no, this is not becoming exclusively an ice cream blog. However, on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, the eagerly anticipated opening of the combined Dunkin Donuts/Baskin-Robbins finally occurred. I was super excited about Dunkin Donuts and on my way to work stopped for a donut.  I didn't realize that I would be stopping by in the evening for ice cream. But hey, when my husband, Bobby, suggested we go, he didn't really have to twist my … [Read more...]

Cheesemaking is Easier Than You Think; Thanks to Ricki’s and Lehman’s

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My father, Bob Sr., was a chef, and mother, Carmen, is an Italian who can cook better than my dad. I grew up loving to cook and later working for my dad. I have cooked in restaurants featuring continental cuisine, steaks, Italian food, Mexican food, gourmet food and fast food. Being Italian, I love to cook. Living in a heavily concentrated dairy area like Wayne and Holmes counties in Ohio (home to Smith's, a dairy operation, Smucker's, and award-winning cheesemakers like Guiggisberg Cheese), I … [Read more...]