Iowa Distilling Co.

If you saw the photo on Facebook of me sampling some whisky and rum on Friday, you know, my average day at work...You might have been wondering just what I was up to.  Well, even if you weren't, I'm about to tell you all about it anyway!

I was just taking a tour and meeting the awesome guys at Iowa Distilling Company.  Of course sampling the goods was necessary as well.

The guys have a great story about starting out distilling in one of their garages (with proper license of course) before eventually ending up in their current location, a 100-year old building in Cumming, Iowa, They opened here about a year and a half ago.  It's conveniently located right across the street from The Cumming Tap.

The guys have come up with some stellar concoctions including all local grains.  They have Caribbean molasses shipped in from Barbados for their rum, but they use local ingredients wherever possible.

We got to sample the Iowa Shine, which is a 100% local corn whisky that is smooth and exciting for those who don't do wheat gluten.  We also tested the Steel Drum rum, which was lovely and their very popular Prairie Fire whiskey (my personal favorite) which is cinnamon-y and spicy and fantastic in warm apple cider.  You can find their products at most local stores who carry liquor as well as a lot of bars and restaurants around Iowa.

They do tastings and tours on Saturday afternoons and Tuesday evenings, which is totally convenient since Tacopocalypse serves up tacos on Tuesday nights just across the way at the Cumming tap (who also carried their product).  They also do tasting by appointment since they guys have flexible day jobs that allows lots of days spent at the Distillery working remotely.  Tastings are free and Todd, Tom and Phil and truly nice guys who are excited to show you around, so you the process and share their knowledge and local product.

I'm also excited to announce that they are teaming up with Dischcrawl Des Moines to bring you "Cocktail Wars" on December 10th.  5 local bartenders will come up with a cocktail using an Iowa Distilling Co. rum or whiskey and participants get to vote on their favorite to crown the winner.  Read more about Cocktail Wars and get tickets here.

Take a a short ride to Cumming and check out this awesome operation.  Support local!

Starbeque

Have you been to a Starbeque??

Out-of-this-world stargazing + summertime barbeques = SCI Starbeques! 

The Science Center of Iowa hosts this monthly event and here is their description:

Bring your blankets and get ready for a new summertime tradition. Gaze at celestial objects through telescopes.

This event is hosted at:

Ewing Park, 5300 Indianola Road, Des Moines some months and others on the front lawn of the Science Center.

This event is in partnership with City of Des Moines Park and Recreation the Des Moines Astronomical Society (DMAS).

Starbeques are free to attend and when at the Science Center they offer food and snacks for purchase.  Keep an eye on the calendar to see which location the event will be each month...here is the calendar.  September 2013's event will be held at Ewing Park on the 28th at 7:30pm.

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Boone & Scenic-Valley Railroad

Today's guest post comes to you from our friend Margaret who loves to do fun activities with her son around Iowa.  Here is a great review about her recent experience at the Boone & Scenic-Valley RR!  Thanks Margaret!

One special event at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad is the Day Out with Thomas. For five days in September, the incomparable Thomas the Tank Engine comes to Boone. This event has everything any Thomas fan could imagine: a 25-minute train ride in coaches pulled by a full-sized Thomas, art activities, storytelling, temporary tattoos, several train tables for playing, inflatables, photo opportunities, and more. Sir Topham Hatt makes appearances before each boarding time, too.

Tickets get you in to all the activity tents and are sold with a specific train boarding time. They come with instructions to arrive an hour early. Beforehand, I thought this was excessive, but it turned out to be good advice. Given that we had tickets for only the second boarding of the day (the second of nine!), I was surprised by how busy it already was when we arrived. Parking is at a premium because the event tents take over the entire parking lot. We found parking in the grassy area adjacent to the museum, but ticket-holders for later in the day would have to walk and might take some time for the toddler set. Boone also has a very active railroad so we had to wait for 2 trains as we made our way through town to the depot. The crew positions Thomas in a way that provides great photo opportunities. We were there in time to see him arrive and got pictures before our ride.

The train ride is 25 minutes, so the trip does not reach the high trestle bridge as in other excursions, but for a first train ride, that was a selling point. In case your child doesn't like it, you're not too far from the depot! There was a lot of waiting involved with nearly everything at the event, but the train ride required extra patience. It took a long time to board all the passengers and prepare for the trip, so we were on the train longer waiting to leave the depot than the train actually moved. Had I known, I probably would have taken one of our Thomas books to read while we waited on board. I saw parents doling out snacks and drinks to fidgety toddlers, and it is definitely something to keep in mind if you choose a boarding time around lunch or snack time. 

There are several food vendors at the event selling snacks, drinks, and food for lunch. We chose to pack a picnic and found there are several picnic tables and a gazebo near the parking area to enjoy our lunch while enjoying views of the train yard.

After eating lunch, we visited the on-site museum which is half-price for Day Out with Thomas ticket-holders. The 9,000 square-foot museum has a Thomas play table (with fewer children vying for engines!), antique track maintenance vehicles, memorabilia, model trains, informational displays, a theater, plus a library and gift shop. Admittedly, I was a bit reluctant to head in to the museum initially, but I am very glad we did. I learned a lot, it was a welcome respite from the activity just outside, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our day.


In all, this was a special treat for our Thomas fan that won't be soon forgotten. Peep! Peep!

Boone is about a 50 minute ride from Des Moines and while it might be too late to get in on the Thomas event this year, they also host Pumpkin Express train rides in October and Santa Express train rides in December.  These rides are along the same lines as the Thomas event.  Here is the full Special Events Calendar.  They also offer weekly un-themed train rides and lunch and dinner train rides too.  Visit their website for more info.

Des Moines World Food and Music Festival

Great food, awesome music, cooking demonstrations from some of the best Chefs in Des Moines.  It doesn't get much better than this.  Except that you can get a "taste" portion at any of the 45+ food vendors for only a $1! And all entries are priced at $5 or less! 

This annual event is definitely one of the best festivals of the year.  The 2013 festival runs September 20th to 22nd on Locust street in the East Village of Downtown Des Moines.

For more information including a complete list of vendors, hours, parking info, music schedules and cooking demonstration schedules, visit their website here.

As lots of the food vendors don't have brick and mortar restaurants and only participate in this festival each year, it might be the only time you get to try some of their delicacies.

You can get some wonderful Italian, BBQ, Mexican or Thai food, but you can also venture out and try something like Ethiopian, Korean, Czechoslovakian, Mesopotamian or Filipino cuisine!  There is something for everyone.

Some of my favorites this year were:

1. Hawaiian Chicken from Alohana 

2. Chicken Stew from Czech up Time 

3.Pasta from Street of Europe 

4. Larp from Blu 

5. Tabsi Tayuk from Afiyet Olsun 
(Mesopotamian) 

6. Chicken Kabob from Yanni's 

7. Chickencubes from The Ethiopian assoc. 


8. Fried banana roll from Cafe Fuzion 

9. Fried fish and potato on a stick with juice 
and chocolate covered strawberry from Sims 

10. Beef taco from Taco Loco

And every item I had was only $1!  Can't wait til next year!

Illumifest

Illumifest held on September 28th, 2013 at 4200 Mills Civic Parkway (West Des Moines City School Campus) is A Fall Festival of Light. It offers a variety of activities and events for people of all ages!  The excitement begins Saturday afternoon with the inagural edition of the Illumifest Car Show.  The carnival rides and games will open Saturday morning and run throughout the day, and well as a wide variety of food stands.  Saturday evening will feature many of the Illumifest events that have made this festival the fastest growing community event in West Des Monies. 

*all information taken directly from Illumifest website.

Schedule of Events 4200 Mills Civic Parkway Saturday - September 28, 2013
Illumifest Car Show Registration	11:00-2:00pm
Carnival/Food Vendors Open	1:00pm
Illumifest Car Show	2:00-4:00pm
FREE Paddle Boat Rides	3:00-8:00pm
Chinese Association Displays and Exhibits	4:00pm
FREE Lantern Making (Limited to first 1,000 people)	5:00pm
FREE Hot Air Balloon Rides (Rides are limited  & allow only two people per ride, riders must meet height restriction to ride)	5:30pm
FREE Facepainting by Library Teen Board in the    WDM Library Cafe.	6:00pm
FREE Outdoor Movie - Disney's  "Brave"	7:30pm
Fireworks Extravaganza over the Campus Pond	9:00pm
Festival Concludes	9:15pm

The hands-on lantern making activity starts at 5:00 pm.  Get creative and decorate a paper lantern to light the night!  Each lantern comes with its own LED light to illuminate your creation!  Supplies are limited to the first 1,000 people, and when they are gone...they are gone.

FREE Disney/Pixar movie "Brave" will be shown on a HUGE outdoor screen Saturday evening!  Bring your blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy this fun movie on the lawn of the WDM Library at 7:30 pm.

FREE hot-air balloon rides will be available Saturday evening starting at 5:30 pm.  Three balloons this year for shorter waiting lines!  Weather can play a huge role in the number of rides available.  Rides are limited to only 2 people per ride, and riders must meet a height restriction in order to ride.   

The Italian Heritage Festival

We always have a great time at the Italian Heritage Festival in Des Moines.  2013 was a great year for the event.  In it's fourth year, this was the biggest one yet.  The festival was July 26th and 27th in Downtown's Western Gateway Park. Lots of great food vendors, free inflatables, crafts, face painting and balloon animals for the kids, live music and lots of fun contests like pasta-eating and bocce ball tournaments.  The festival is free from opening until 5pm when there is a $5 cover charge to get in.  Children 12 and under are always free to get in.

Of course we sampled everything from pizzelles to meatballs to Italian Nachos (which I highly recommend) to gelato and fresh squeezed lemonade.

The highlight (food-wise) was the Italian Nachos that were topped with beef and sausage, tomato sauce and mozzarella.  There was a topping bar of peppers as well.  So good!  My sons favorite was the Italian cookies.

While kids spent most of the time bouncing on the inflatables (I also really appreciated that they had boxes full of socks available for kids since in the middle of July a lot of kids wear sandals and sock are required for the bounce houses.) and doing crafts, they seemed to really enjoy the entertainment that we caught that day too which included a bagpipe player and dancers.

If you missed this year's event, mark your calendar for next year!  A great, free (during the day) family outing or a great inexpensive date-night!  Alway wonderful to be able to learn a little about Italian heritage, have some great food and have some fun.

Ragbrai fun! Even if you aren't a biker!

Today's guest post is by my fabulous friend Christie who loves to get out and do fun things with her two adorable boys!  Today's adventure helped to prove that you can have fun during RAGBRAI even without the wheels!

What’s this RAGBRAI thing people keep talking about?  It’s just a bunch of crazy people riding bicycles across the state of IA in 100 degree heat, right?  Wrong!  It’s a week long, state wide (literally) celebration!

My oldest son loves riding his bike so I thought he’d get a kick out of seeing some of the bicyclists as they neared Des Moines.  Little did I know that the bikes are just the excuse for many communities to come together to have some fun! 

Dallas Center was the closest stop in the time we had available to go.  I did some research and found all kinds of fun things going on as the bikers rode through.

We arrived around 10:30 and walked the main stretch to see what we could find.  We found lots and lots and lots of bikes along with a lot of yummy smelling food stands.  If I hadn’t had two small kids in tow, I would have started eating my way through Dallas Center.

Biking not your thing?  What about BINGO where the winning number is selected by a chicken or cow dropping their load on a giant BINGO card?  I was hoping to see the action but it was going to be a while before they let the cow loose to do her business so we moved on.

The kids had seen the bounce houses when we arrived so it was time to let them play a bit.   Next to the inflatables was a small gazebo where a band was playing. 

The whole RAGBRAI atmosphere was so upbeat and fun.  We talked to several riders and everyone was so friendly despite having been on a bike for two and half days.  I overheard several riders talking about how welcoming everyone had been to them as well. 

If you get a chance, check out RAGBRAI at any of the upcoming stops this week (they’re in Des Moines!)  The atmosphere can’t be beat.  For more information, you can check out the RAGBRAI website: http://ragbrai.com/ 

Work at a vineyard for a day!

I was so excited to see this e-mail in my inbox!  2 years ago, some friends and I signed up at Two Saints Winery for their annual grape harvest and we had a BLAST!  We did it again in August of this year.  Two Saints does not charge for their day of picking and provides you with all of the supplies needed.  Their next picking date is September 7th, 2013. at 8:00am.  Call Christine at 641-369-2102 to sign up.  You get lunch, a bottle of wine and a t-shirt for helping.

Summerset Winery also taking reservations for their harvest.  They charge for their harvest though. These spots fill up fast so if you want to get in on it, here are all of the details..

Summerset Winery is Now Taking Reservations their 16th Annual FALL HARVEST!
August 24, 31, September 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2013

You may now reserve your spot for our 2013 Fall Harvest!   As a harvester, you will experience the ambiance of the vineyard as you cut the grapes off the vine, feel them crush beneath your feet during the celebratory stomp and indulge your palate in the flavors of our delicious award winning wines throughout the day.  Harvesters receive breakfast, lunch, commemorative t-shirt, wine and the grape stomp celebration.

Reservations are required and the cost is $25/pp. Payment is due at time of reservation and is non-refundable. The grapes need picked even when it rains so come ready, rain or shine.

Schedule:

• 7:30 A.M. arrive at the winery for breakfast and brief tutorial on how to pick the grapes.
• After breakfast head into the vineyard and begin picking an acre of selected grapes.
• Once the grapes have been harvested, bottles of last year’s vintages will be opened andpoured and the vineyard party begins!
• Chow time! You'll be hungry after a long morning of grape picking and cavorting in the vineyard.
• After lunch climb into the barrel and stomp grapes, purchase a bottle of wine for some afternoon libations, place your footprint on the back of your commemorative t-shirt.
• Festivities should conclude around 1:00 - 2:00 P.M.
   

Harvesters should:

• Wear old clothes (grapes may stain)
• Dress in layers (it may be chilly in the morning and warm up in the afternoon)
• Bring pruning shears
• Bring bug spray
• Bring sun screen
• Bring gardening gloves
• Remember, the grapes need to be picked rain or shine!  Bring a rain poncho, if necessary.
   

CALL THE WINERY AT 515-961-3545 TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!

Notes: We did this 2 years ago and we were able to bring a child along to help as you can see in the photo.  It is tough work to pick all morning, so please check with the winery for questions about age restrictions and make sure that your child would be able to handle working for 5 hours, etc.