5 Tips Toward Dining Out for Less In these days of high energy prices and higher grocery costs, you may wonder if there are any ways to make the cost of dining out a bit more affordable.  That too, seems to be getting more prohibitive -- by the minute -- in terms of price.  Well, there is some good news for you... if you are perhaps willing to work just a bit to accomplish a less expensive meal when you head out to a restaurant. (10/07)
	Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory I remember when the lab was first being built, back in the late '60's.  Since the 6,800-acre parcel of land spanning parts of the two counties was under the control of the Federal Government and John Q. Public was generally not allowed on-site, the perception was that a lot of top-secret and dangerous stuff was probably taking place there.  Little knowledge of the real purpose of the lab seemed to be available, and a lot of folks were just plain suspicious...(9/07)
	Garfield Farm Museum For anyone living in the Midwest, late summer is always a great time of the year.  Sure, the sun has begun its annual migration to the south and the days are getting progressively shorter and the number of swimming pool days is decreasing rapidly, but the vegetables that we have planted and fertilized and watered and tended for the last three months are finally ripening...(8/07)
	Rutherford Hill Winemakers Dinner at Harvest The evening began with hand-crafted hors d'oeuvres from the kitchen of Chef Joseph Yurisich, a true master in the art of pairing wines with his sumptuous creations.  Tonight, Mini Phyllo Roulades, Smoked Duck and Caramelized Onion Tostones and Asian Style Grilled Scallop Napoleons...
	The Fabyan Forest Preserve and Villa Museum Along with much of the other rich history that resides within and just beyond the borders of Geneva, Illinois, is the story of Colonel George Fabyan.  Interestingly, there is a great deal written about him, but my guess is that much of it – other than the name of the heavily-traveled thoroughfare that runs along the southern flank of Geneva – is not well known.
	Chiropractic: Helping Us to Heal Ourselves Part I:  My first meeting/appointment with Dr. Dave left me with with an incredibly good impression - he was one of the first doctors who actually took time (not the usual 40-minute wait followed by a 5-minute appointment) to explain to me his diagnosis after reviewing my described history of the pain and looking closely at some X-Rays he took of my neck and shoulder area... Part II: Originating in China more than 2000 years ago, acupuncture is quite possibly one of the oldest and most commonly used medical procedures in the world.  Both acupuncture and acupressure describe procedures that involve the stimulation of certain anatomical points on the body using a variety of techniques...
	Farmer's Markets: Fresh Fruit & Veggies for the Fox Valley I will shamelessly admit that I was unaware until this past weekend, when I discovered three of the local markets available on a weekly basis that are all open to the public from June through October. Each is available on a different day, so it is easy to attend one or more...(08/06)
	Chalk Hill Winemaker Dinner at Harvest It was time for the appetizer: Cherry Wood Smoked Duck and Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms, Garnished with a Black Bean Wild Rice Griddle Cake.  Now tell me if just reading that doesn't make your taste buds stand up and ask for some!  Perfectly paired with a 2002 Pinot Gris Select, the dish was as marvelous to eat as it was to see... plated beautifully.  And the Pinot Gris?...(02/06)
	New Year's Eve at Pheasant Run Resort & Spa I have always celebrated New Year’s Eve, sometimes in “style” and sometimes not, but I have almost always enjoyed the celebration and the passing of one year into the next.  And one of the things that I have always tried to do is to make every New Year’s Eve different but very special in terms of the way in which I celebrated it.
	Sonoma Cutrer Wine Dinner The reception was held in the lounge area of Harvest and casual conversation there was interrupted only by occasional wait staff offering some marvelous mouth-watering, hand-crafted hors d’oeuvres and a refill on our first wine taste for the evening: a 2003 Russian River Chardonnay...
	Keeping the Tree Green Lights begin to line the rooftops, city work crews begin to hang decorations on the street lights and lamp posts, and most of the time the local sidewalks and shops are filled with smiling faces - oftentimes despite the biting cold of the approaching winter solstice.  And my favorite thing to do is to light a fire in the fireplace and anticipate the taste of that first eggnog as the smoke and embers curl their way up the chimney.