Small Planet to Reopen

6 05 2008

It’s always good to hear news of new restaurants opening in Mid-Michigan, but really good news on the LSJ’s website today.  According to an update story, Small Planet is going to re-open in Chandler Crossing.

Former owner Vaughn Schneider will act as the general manager while his daughter Natalie Schneider takes over ownership.

They already have a liquor license and they’re working to renovate the space. Inside, there’s a concrete bar, and a spot for a large-rounded stage.

The old Small Planet attracted the likes of Kid Rock, The Verve Pipe and Weezer. Natalie Schneider hopes to attract the same type of acts.

If they can get Kid Rock, I will definately be there.   According to the article, they plan to offer a full menu and catering in addition to be a live music venue and bar.


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Categories : East Lansing, Food News, Michigan

Smoking Ban may SIGNIFICANTLY Lower Youth Smoking

5 05 2008

I’ve already made it clear where I stand on a public smoking ban.  This new data from Boston University published in this months edition of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Minds really makes a strong argument to outright banning smoking in public places.

Results  Youths living in towns with a strong restaurant smoking regulation at baseline had significantly lower odds of progressing to established smoking (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.85) compared with those living in towns with weak regulations. The observed association between strong restaurant smoking regulations and impeded progression to established smoking was entirely due to an effect on the transition from experimentation to established smoking (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.86).

Conclusion  Local smoke-free restaurant laws may significantly lower youth smoking initiation by impeding the progression from cigarette experimentation to established smoking.

You can read the entire study HERE.  More importantly, contact your local legislators and encourage them to ammend HB 4136 to ban smoking in all workplaces including bars and restaurants.  Contact Senators that sit on the Government Operations and Reform Committee (Senators Bishop, Patterson, Cassis, Kuipers, Schauer , Clarke, and Olshove, which hasn’t met since Nov. 2007) where the bill is sitting now and encourage them to call the bill and pass it on to the full Senate.


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan, Politics

Food Prices Still Rising

5 05 2008

ugh….this article was in the Lansing State Journal today.

Americans might be getting another helping of food inflation, and it seems likely to come from higher prices for chicken and pork.

Overall food inflation could double this year, lifted by the rising costs of fuel, corn and soybeans, some analysts predict.

Food inflation hit 4 percent last year, up from 2.4 percent in 2006. While beef prices were already high, chicken and pork prices didn’t reflect record costs for feed and fuel. That’s poised to change as chicken and pig producers who have been losing money slaughter more animals to decrease the supply and raise the prices they can charge.

UGH!  Again, this is pretty much do to the Ethanol myth.  Guess what?!  ETHANOL IS NOT A VIABLE ENERGY SOURCE!  All these E-85 vehicles have been a huge waste of money.  A 2006 University of Minnesota Study concluded that even if we used every available piece of farm land to produce ethanol for fuel it would only meet 12% of energy demand.  12%!!!  Does that sound like a good investment to you? 

My dad owns farmland in Illinois.  He made a lot more money last year off his crops than in year’s past so it’s hard for me to be critical of a cash cow for my family, but this is ridiculous.  Everyday we’re seeing higher food prices because politicians and the media are telling America that ethanol is the solution to ween us of Middle Eastern oil.  I don’t have a good solution to higher gas prices, but I know ethanol is NOT what we need.  Gas prices are high enough, we don’t need food prices getting higher because of an idea that is nothing more than a fad.


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Categories : Food News

Michigan Recipes

2 05 2008

Accidently came across this site today on the Department of Agriculture homepage.  There’s a whole bunch of recipes for Michigan grown ingredients.  I found a handful that I can’t wait to try.

MDA Recipes


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Categories : Agriculture, Food News, Michigan

Great Lansing Food Bank gets help from “Big Give”

2 05 2008

Good story on ABC 3 last night about how the community came together to help the Greater Lansing Food Bank even more after Oprah’s Big Give donated $10,000 for milk.

One by one local sponnsors brought in their donations for the cause hoping to inspire others to do the same.

“That was the idea- pay it forward” said Sharon Krinock of the Greater Lansing Food Bank.  “You get one person on board, word gets out and other people want to join in. That’s exactly what happened- it was wonderful.”

The 22-thousand dollars raised will go to proivde families with much needed staples.

“This will go to milk money for our families and the numbers of families does grow in the summer time” said Krinock.

“For three weeks, our eight area stores had receptacles that people could come in and make donations of canned goods and items that were collected for the area pantry food bank” said Marthan Levandowski of L & L Food Centers.

That’s a lot of milk!


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Categories : Food News, Lansing

ABC 3 and Oprah’s Big Give

30 04 2008

Today was the final day to donate to ABC 3’s Big Give.  The project was a spin off of Oprah’s Big Give who donated $10,000 to the Greater Lansing Food Bank for milk vouchers.  Tonight on ABC 3 News at 6, they ran a story on some grade school kids at Donley Elementary School in East Lansing who raised money for the cause.

Oprah’s give inspired school kids to collect money to help others and today that money was collected. 

“We need each other and I think it’s important to teach children to give back and to pay it forward and just to take care of people in their own community.  Teach them young that what we have we need to share” said an unidentified woman at Donley Elementary.

Tomorrow, there will be a press conference at Bethleham Lutheran Church where representatives from Oprah’s Big Give will officially hand over a $10,000 check.  More on that story tomorrow……


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan

Coney Island Hot Dogs

30 04 2008

I love regional food.  I love that each city has it’s own trademark.  There are some things I miss now that I live in Michigan.  I get cravings Giordanno’s stuffed pizza every now and then.  There are places that claim to be “Chicago Style” pizzerias, but none of them are.  A deep dish pizza is not Chicago Style.  It’s the stuffed deep dish that makes it Chicago style.

While living in Central Illinois, I was introduced to the Horseshoe sandwich.  Man, do I really miss these.  A typical horseshoe took two pieces of toasted Texas toast laid out on a plate.  On top of that would be two hamburger patties.  On top of that, would be french fries and the whole thing was smothered in a cheddar cheese sauce.  There are variations on the concept.  Really, you can use any meat.  Most menus offer ham, turkey, pork, or chicken in place of the hamburger.  They also usually offer smaller sandwiches called Pony Shoes.  Recently, Charlie Parker’s was featured on the Food Network show Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives where they showed off a Breakfast shoe.  They replaced the traditional ingredients with sausage patties, hash browns and gravy.

I really miss yelling at people when they put ketchup on a Chicago Style Hotdog…..big no-no.  I haven’t been able to find a real Italian Beef sandwich around here either.  You never realize just how regional food can be until you move.

So with all that said, I keep seeing “Coney Island” restaurants around here.  Of course, that piqued my interest and I had to figure out what was going on.  Another blogger really caught my attetnion with this post.

It’s been quite some time since I’d had the competing Detroit-style coney with its chili sauce. This sauce is wetter than that of the Flint-style sauce and seems to be quite a bit milder. However, no one else in the house had ever had the Detroit-style coney, a situation I felt needed to be rectified. So when I realized GFS Marketplace stores are now offering a package of the Detroit-style sauce, I decided my family needed to see what it was like.

Wait!  There are different styles of Coney Dogs?  This is something that’s unique to Detroit?  I’m not a real big hot dog guy, but just the fact that this is something unique to this area is enough to make me suck it up for one dog just so I can say I did.  Road trip to Detroit!

So what else does Mid-Michigan have to offer as far as unique food goes?  Anything else I shoud be looking forward to?


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Categories : Food News, Local Flavor, Michigan

Heinz Top This 2 TV Challenge

29 04 2008

Matt Cozza and Erika Warren from Chicago took the top prize in Heinz’s Top This 2 TV challenge.  The challenge was to make a commercial for Heinz Ketchup.  According to the Jackson Citizen Patriot, Cozza drew on experience at a Benton Harbor restaurant to make the commercial.

In the ad, a couple is seated at a table without a ketchup bottle. They look around the restaurant anxiously as other customers pour ketchup on their food and hoard their bottles. Finally a waiter brings a bottle, and the text, “Now we can eat,” appears on the screen.

For the effort, Cozza and his girlfriend Erika Warren (who is a Jackson native) recieved a $57,000 grand prize and their commercial will be played on Food Network, Fine Living Television, and on closed-circuit TV’s at Six Flags.


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Categories : Food News, Jackson, Michigan

4 AM Bars Update

29 04 2008

A few weeks ago, I wrote about legislation currently stalled in the House of Representatives that would give cities/towns/villages, etc the ability to create a 4 AM liquor license.  HB4573 stalled in the House last October.

I wanted to know what was going on, so I e-mailed Rep. Steve Tobocman to see what his plans were.  This afternoon, I recieved the following response from his office.

While Representative Tobocman continues to work on this bill, he has been unable to secure the 56 votes that is necessary to pass it out of the House.  Representative Tobocman is committed to this legislation and our office will keep you updated on any changes or advancements. 

My suggestion is to call your representative and tell them to get on board.  This is a good revenue source and we all know Michigan needs it.


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Categories : Food News, Politics

Press Release – Lansing Art Council

29 04 2008

The following is a press release from the Lansing Art Council on their Taste of Art and Life event.

LANSING, Mich – On Thursday, May 15, from 5 to 8 p.m., the Arts Council of Greater Lansing will host its second annual “A Taste of Art & Life” spring fundraiser at the home of John and Jin Hui Noud on Willoughby Road in Mason, Michigan

Event highlights include a self-guided tour of the Noud’s home and art collection; a silent auction featuring original artwork by area artists, event and performance tickets, restaurant packages and fine foods; a wine tasting featuring a selection of fine wines provided by Classic Wines; a tasting of signature appetizers and desserts from area restaurants including Dusty’s Cellar, Gumbo and Jazz, Mitchell’s Fish Market, Red Cedar Grill and Troppo. 

For those interested in learning how artwork goes from concept to creation, six area artists will be on hand to demonstrate their craft to attendees.  Participating artists include: Jessica Klumpp-Held, mixed-media painting; Jorge Lazaro Mesa Mulet, woodcarving; Thomas Nelson, landscape painting; Cara O’Brien, ceramic tile making; Douglas Thayer, forged metal blacksmithing; and Chester Winowiecki, ceramic musical instruments.  In addition to the live demonstrations, all artists will have artwork available for purchase.

Live musical entertainment provided by classical jazz guitarist Greg Howe, will round out the event.  Valet service will also be available.

Tickets start at $75 ($60 of which is tax deductible) and are available now through the Arts Council of Greater Lansing by phone at 517-372-4636, ext. 10 or at the Center for the Arts, 425 S. Grand Avenue, Lansing, Michigan.

The 2nd annual A Taste of Art & Life is a fundraiser to support the Arts Council of Greater Lansing’s mission to lead, advocate for, and advance arts and culture in the capital region.  This year the Arts Council is pleased to recognize the generosity of several supporters including Blohm Creative Partners, Capitol National Bank, The Dart Bank, John and Jin Hui Noud, Jim and Jan Parish, Public Affairs Associates and Wharton Center for Performing Arts.


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Categories : Food News, Press Releases

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