Are you a transplant? I am, I was raised in Ohio, but I have been living my adult life in Massachusetts. Sometimes when I yearn for some Ohio fun, I consider throwing an Ohio Appreciation Party. Next time you are feeling homesick, try to think of favorite dishes you left behind, and make them for your friends! Reconnecting with home recipes and foods will make you feel better and will delight your guests. You can be as in depth as you want to be, you can go all out, decorating with items that remind you of home, or just have a small group of friends over for a meal.
If I were going to throw an Ohio Party, my main focus would be on the food items that I left behind that I just cannot seem to find in MA. My menu would include Handel’s Ice Cream, Quaker Steak and Lube marinated chicken wings, and Clothespin Cookies or the larger version known as Lady Locks.
If I were going to throw an Ohio Party, my main focus would be on the food items that I left behind that I just cannot seem to find in MA. My menu would include Handel’s Ice Cream, Quaker Steak and Lube marinated chicken wings, and Clothespin Cookies or the larger version known as Lady Locks.
The internet is supremely helpful in locating regional specialties for purchase, but I would probably have to dig out my grandmother’s recipe for clothespin cookies. Clothespin cookies are so named because you wrap flakey dough around a clothespin (the old fashioned kind), then fill the tube shaped cookie with a frosting like filling. I don’t know that I could find a bakery willing to ship them to MA, but if I did they would probably be pulverized by the time I saw them. I would have to think about what signature drink to serve. When I think of Ohio, no beverage comes immediately to mind, but no party is complete without an exciting cocktail.
Now, you may be thinking, “its all fine to have a dinner for friends, but Gini, this does not sound like a party”. To that I say, Pooh! Any gathering is a party with the right mindset! This is an opportunity to transport your friends to your hometown, or maybe just to an exciting region. It just depends on your perspective! Using my Ohio party as an example, I would want my MA friends to get an idea of what Ohio is all about, so maybe I would decorate using pictures of myself growing up and doing all the strange things that were the norm in that region, pictures of Donkey Basketball Games or the Canfield Fair. If I did not want personal memories on display, maybe I would print out interesting newspaper articles, and use an overall farm type of feeling, with corn stalks, carnations (the Ohio state flower), and buckeyes of course, both real and the candy variety (Buckeye Martini as the cocktail?).
Throwing a party for a region is easy! Especially if you grew up in the region, and know it very well, but don’t get discouraged if you have not lived anywhere else! I went to college in upstate New York, and learned enough to be inspired to throw a Finger Lakes Party, but more on that later. If you are visiting a city, it can easily provide inspiration for a party. When in a new city, visit local restaurants that are frequented by locals, visit the farmer’s market, grocery stores, and small ma & pop type shops. All of these will give you a feel for what types of foods are popular and specific to that region, then just have fun!
Now, you may be thinking, “its all fine to have a dinner for friends, but Gini, this does not sound like a party”. To that I say, Pooh! Any gathering is a party with the right mindset! This is an opportunity to transport your friends to your hometown, or maybe just to an exciting region. It just depends on your perspective! Using my Ohio party as an example, I would want my MA friends to get an idea of what Ohio is all about, so maybe I would decorate using pictures of myself growing up and doing all the strange things that were the norm in that region, pictures of Donkey Basketball Games or the Canfield Fair. If I did not want personal memories on display, maybe I would print out interesting newspaper articles, and use an overall farm type of feeling, with corn stalks, carnations (the Ohio state flower), and buckeyes of course, both real and the candy variety (Buckeye Martini as the cocktail?).
Throwing a party for a region is easy! Especially if you grew up in the region, and know it very well, but don’t get discouraged if you have not lived anywhere else! I went to college in upstate New York, and learned enough to be inspired to throw a Finger Lakes Party, but more on that later. If you are visiting a city, it can easily provide inspiration for a party. When in a new city, visit local restaurants that are frequented by locals, visit the farmer’s market, grocery stores, and small ma & pop type shops. All of these will give you a feel for what types of foods are popular and specific to that region, then just have fun!