12 of the Most Memorable Local and Regional Desserts Across the US

I'm a firm believer in trying the local specialties whenever we travel. And of course that includes dessert! Below are 12 of the most memorable local and regional desserts we've tried during our travels across the US. Most of these are not available anywhere else (except by mail order) and some of these are so good that it's well-worth a visit just to try them! 

Maple Creemee - Vermont; Kringle - Wisconsin; Smith Island Cake - Maryland  

Huckleberry Cheesecake - Montana; Gooey Butter Cake - Missouri; Derby Pie - Kentucky

Hoosier Pie - Indiana; Bourbon Balls - Kentucky; Chicago-Style Popcorn - Illinois

Biscochitos - New Mexico; Buffalo Berry Candy - North Dakota; Water Ice - Pennsylvania

I would happily eat any of those right now, but the two that I think about the most are Derby Pie and the maple creemee. They're soooo good! Are there any other local or regional desserts from where you live or that you've discovered during your travels? Let me know in the comments!

Massachusetts 2023

This is the second of the two Massachusetts layouts from our 2023 New England adventure. If you haven't already, read the linked post to see why I'm breaking my own rule about only one layout per state per trip. This page has photos from our time in Plymouth, Carver, Cape Cod, Springfield, Holyoke, Amherst, and Turner Falls. Boston is great, but don't miss the rest of Massachusetts. There's so much to see!

Massachusetts 2023 (affiliate link)

I really struggled with this page. It was really hard to narrow down the photos and I'm not pleased about what I had to leave out. I didn't leave myself much room for a title, so I resorted to printing one. I never do that. I had a bunch of Massachusetts stickers, but most of them clashed with the colors or were a weird size or shape, so I used the few that you see. Not every layout can be a masterpiece. 

Does Your Birth Month Bird Match Your Personality?

My sister sent me an article entitled, "Does Your Birth Month Bird Match Your Personality?" with the comment that it would make a good blog post. I had no idea there was a birth month bird (just like there's a birth month gemstone and flower), so I'm guessing some of you didn't either. As for making a good blog post, I hope it will, but I'm mostly just excited to play with the stock photos of birds on PicMonkey. 

Rather than focus on the symbolism humans have assigned each bird (i.e. owls are wise, doves are peaceful, and ravens are tricksters), I'm going to share the biological facts about each bird. See if you share any traits in common with your birth month bird!

Birth Month Birds

Owls are known for their outstanding hearing, their excellent night vision, their silent movement, and their incredibly flexible necks. They tend to be solitary except when raising young. 

Parrots are social birds who form strong bonds with one another. They are very intelligent and are excellent mimics. They are good at solving puzzles and using tools. Parrots prefer warm, humid climates. 

Robins are active during the day and tend to live in small groups. They are known for their beautiful singing voice. Robins are fiercely territorial and will aggressively defend their space. 

Canaries are most well-known for their complex and beautiful songs. They tend to be solitary and are naturally timid. Their favorite foods include seeds and grains. 

Nightingales are migratory birds that prefer warm climates and low elevations. They produce beautiful songs, both during the day and the night, that feature whistles and trills. Nightingales will raise their volume to be heard over background noises or other birds. 

Doves are known for being monogamous and mating for life. They tend to group with others for safety and can maneuver easily to avoid danger.  Doves can adapt to almost any environment. They are notoriously poor at construction, focusing on speed rather than design. 

Eagles are known for being strong and powerful. They are persistent when going after what they want. They are agile and adaptable and move with stealth. Eagles mate for life and aggressively protect their young. 

Kingfishers are solitary and territorial. They communicate mostly with shrieks, screams, and chirps. Their preferred food is fish, so they tend to live near bodies of water. They bathe frequently. 

Hawks are known for their speed, agility, and intelligence. They have excellent eyesight. Hawks are adaptable and thrive in many different habitats. 

Swans are powerful and graceful. They live in temperate freshwater and coastal environments and are strong swimmers. Swans are herbivores. They mate for life and are extremely protective of their young, aggressively defending their territory. 

Roosters are best known for being early risers. They are very assertive and territorial toward rivals, but protective of their flock. They are vigilant guardians and strong leaders. 

Ravens are exceptionally smart and are known for their use of tools and their problem-solving skills. They are talented acrobats and outstanding mimics. Ravens are high adaptable and eat a flexible diet. They typically live alone or in pairs. 

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Does your birth month bird match your personality? Or is there another bird that's a better fit? Let me know in the comments!

Art and Craft Techniques from A to Z... That I've Tried and That I Want to Try

Yesterday I posted a list of art and craft techniques from A to Z. While I've tried a lot of different art techniques over the years, I certainly haven't tried them all. I thought it would be fun to go down the list and see how many I've actually done. 

Any surprises? I went with my gut when deciding which things should be green and which should be orange. In retrospect, I think pottery should be green. Not that I'm any good at it, but I've done it many times, including a class at the community college about 25 years ago. Of the "want to try" airbrushing is probably top on my list. Anyone local have an airbrush and the patience to teach a newbie? Spinning would probably be the most useful craft amongst the ones I want to try. Brayden is shedding his lighter-than-air undercoat by the fistful and it would make luxurious yarn. 

Interested in having your own list of art and craft techniques you've tried and want to try? Here's a black copy that you can print and highlight for yourself. 

 Let me know in the comments what you most want to try. Or, tell me what you'd most like to see me try and I'll see what I can do!

Art and Craft Techniques from A to Z

A few years ago, I created a list of art and craft materials from A to Z. I used each material to make the letter it represented. It was a really fun project. I thought it was time to put together a list of art and craft techniques from A to Z.  

I'm sure there are dozens (hundreds?) that I am missing, particularly from the letters that already have a bunch. In fact, I've thought of quite a few while typing up this blog post. Oh well. I'm more interested in coming up with replacements J, Y, and Z. I'm not especially happy with jewelry making, yarn wrapping, or zigzagging being on the list. Jewelry making is a craft, not a technique. Yarn wrapping is a technique, but the technique is wrapping, not yarn. Yarn is the material. Zigzagging is a sewing technique, but I didn't include a lot of other specifics within the category of sewing. If you can think of something that should replace any of these, let me know in the comments. 

Pop Culture Jeopardy!

I've been a fan of Jeopardy! for over 4 decades. Back in January, I finally had the chance to watch a filming of Jeopardy! and it was totally awesome. I have no ambitions of being a contestant, but I do love shouting out the answers from home. 

Jeopardy! has had a number of spin-offs over the years, including: 

• Jep!: A simpler version of the game for kids age 10-12 (1998–2000)
• Rock & Roll Jeopardy!: A version with a focus on music-related clues (1998–2001)
• Sports Jeopardy!: An entirely sports-themed version (2014–2016)

I never watched a single episode of any of them, but I have started watching the latest spin-off, Pop Culture Jeopardy!. 

Just like the regular version, whether or not you find Pop Culture Jeopardy! easy or difficult is all about the categories. I always have my fingers crossed for really easy categories, like 80's Pop Songs, 80's TV Sitcoms, or 80's Commercials. During the most recent episode I watched, I was excited for a Disney category, only to find out it was all about recent pre-teen shows on the Disney Channel. I didn't know a single one. I enjoy watching the show with Trevor, because we both are surprised when the other one doesn't know a "really easy" answer. I couldn't name the maker of Minecraft (Mojang Studios) and he didn't know what show Karen's maid Rosario was from (Will and Grace). TV exposing the generation gap!

I love the title sequence on Pop Culture Jeopardy! Check it out and see how many different pop culture references you recognize.  

I've spotted Blockbuster, Dunkin', Nickelodeon, Jaws, Friends, Coke, Wordle, Amazon, and Barbie. What else did you spot? Let me know in the comments!

Self-Portrait, Inspired by Tim Burton

I really enjoy creating projects inspired by other artists, particularly those whose style is nothing like my own. It's fascinating to see that, no matter how much I try to stay true to the artist's aesthetic, my own style is evident. That's definitely the case with today's self-portrait, which is inspired by Tim Burton. This is a great project to do with kids any time of the year, but it's especially fun during the Nightmare Before Christmas season. Affiliate links below. 

Self-Portrait, Inspired by Tim Burton

Materials: 

• toned drawing paper or cardstock
• pencil
• black Flair pen
• white colored pencil

Steps: 

Start by deciding if you will be drawing just yourself or if others (like a pet) will be with you. Lightly sketch an oval head for each character on the toned paper. Add very large circles in the middle of the oval for eyes. Then fill in the rest of the features. The mouth, nose, and human ears should be undersized. The bunny ears should be large. Draw the rest of the torso for each character. It should be very skinny - much skinnier than I made mine! 

When you are happy with your pencil lines, trace them with the Flair pen. Add hair. Then fill in the details: pupils in the centers of the eyes, short lines for eyelashes, small eyebrows, and bunny whiskers. 

Color in the eyes and the bunny's tummy with the white colored pencil. You may need to redraw the pupils after coloring. 

Use the pencil to add shading: around the outside of the eyes, on the side of the nose, along the insides of the face, under the chin, on the shoulders, under the arms, and in the bunny's ears. Add depth to the hair by filling it in with more pencil lines and shading. 

I stopped here, but feel free to add gothic-style clothing, a whimsical border, or an interesting background. You could also make a cool paper frame. Let your creativity go wild!

Craft Stick Pencil, Crayon, and Colored Pencil Back-to-School Craft

In celebration of back-to-school season, today's craft has students make a craft stick pencil, colored pencil, or crayon and use it to write advice on how to be successful during the new school year. It's a fun way to encourage kids to start the year off on the right foot. Back in my teaching days, I had my students write letters of advice at the end of the year for the students who would be sitting in their desks the following year. It was always a delight to see what they wrote. Affiliate links below. 

 

Craft Stick Pencil, Crayon, and Colored Pencil

Materials: 

• 10" craft sticks
• scissors
• sandpaper
• Folk Art acrylic paint
• Folk Art Metallic Silver
• pencil
• Sharpie

Steps: 

Use the scissors to trim the one end of each craft stick to make a rounded point. There two things to note: 

1. Cutting craft sticks generates sharp wood pieces that can potentially go flying. Teachers should prep the sticks ahead of time rather than having students do this step in class. 
2. It is easiest to cut if you put the craft stick all the way in toward the fulcrum of the scissors.

You can cut the other end of the craft stick straight across if you wish. I did that for my colored pencil and crayon but left the pencil with a rounded end. Totally up to you. When you are done cutting, sand the craft sticks so there are no rough edges. 

Paint the craft sticks. I started by painting the wood part of the pencil and colored pencil, but in retrospect that seems like an unnecessary step since the craft stick is already wood. So I'd skip that. I used green for the body and tip of my colored pencil. For my crayon, I used orange for the ends, then mixed in a little bit of coral to lighten the paint to make the wrapper. For my pencil, I painted the eraser pink, the body yellow, and the tip dark grey, then added the silver paint. 

When the paint was dry, I used a pencil to subtly define the edges between colors. Then I drew parallel lines on the silver paint to mimic the texture of the ferrule. Finally, I used the Sharpie to add the tips for being successful in school. 

Maybe it's just me, but I think it would be fun (if impractical) to tape a real pencil to the back and use this for writing.  

I really enjoyed making this craft, even though my back-to-school days are behind me. I wish all of the students reading this a successful and enjoyable school year. Ask questions! Study for tests! And do your homework!

Stamps Forever - Have You Voted Yet?

I really like postage stamps. There's something so neat about the fact that you can't send mail without affixing a tiny work of art to the upper right corner. While I love seeing all the new releases, I miss some of the many fabulous designs that are no longer available (at least not at face value.) So I was really excited to see that the United States Postal Service is hosting a contest to bring back one of their most popular stamps. This post contains affiliate links. 

There are 25 options to choose from. Some of my all-time favorites are on the ballot, including Peanuts, Send a Hello, Frozen Treats (the first-ever scratch and sniff postage stamps), Disney Villains, Mail a Smile, The Art of Disney: Magic, and Charles M. Schulz. 

 

It's so hard to pick just one, but fortunately you don't have to! You can vote manually for as many of the images as you want, as often as you want. I put in votes for all of my favorites. If I HAD to pick just one, it would probably be Charles M. Schulz, with Frozen Treats a close second. I love how many different designs each set has, but Frozen Treats aren't as versatile for year-round use. 

Voting in the Stamps Forever contest lasts until September 30. Head over now to the cast your vote(s)!

A Logo for the St. Mark's Quilters

The quilting group at my church just celebrated our first anniversary. To celebrate the milestone, I designed a logo for us. It uses the St. Mark's colors. 

The St. Mark's Quilters have come a long way in a year. Our group has grown to include community members and friends who are not part of the congregation but feel strongly about the mission of providing quilts to people in need. 

 

Not only have we grown in numbers, but we now have a large dedicated space! It has made all the difference. Our weekly meetings used to be 30% setup, 40% quilting, and 30% cleanup. Now we are able to spend 100% of our time quilting. It's such a blessing. We have two large tables for arranging quilt squares and then doing the actual quilting. We are talking about adding a third. We have sewing and ironing stations. 

We also have lots of storage. These rolling shelves hold donated fabric that needs to be ironed and cut, squares that are ready to be pieced together, and quilts that are ready to be bound. All of the quilts you see at the top left are completed and ready for Ingathering. 

I love our little group and look forward to quilting each week. Keep up the excellent work, St. Mark's Quilters! We are making a difference. 

Design a Square Dance Outfit Coloring Page

There are a whopping 24 states that have named square dance as their official state dance (or folk dance). These include: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. The point of state symbols is supposed to be to highlight what sets one state apart from the other 49, so I'm not crazy about the fact that 24 states share a state symbol. But it's not a coincidence: starting in the 1960's, square dancers across the country petitioned to make their hobby the official national dance. Despite many attempts, it never passed (the story is fascinating) and square dancers turned their attention to state legislatures. Obviously, that was far more successful. 

Because of the popularity of square dancing throughout American history and its status as a state symbol for so many, I wanted to design a craft inspired by it. I settled on the most iconic aspect: the outfits. Students can use my coloring page to design clothing for a square dance couple standing in promenade. I opted not to add faces or hair, as if the clothes were on mannequins. Feel free to add in whatever features you'd like.  

Square Dance Outfit Coloring Page

The first thing I did before making my coloring page was to research square dance outfits. Square Up Fashions gave me a good idea of what's popular amongst square dancers. Check out some of the dresses and skirts they currently have for sale: 

I used the basic shape of the outfits to draw a very simplified couple.

I scanned and copied my drawing. I put two couples on one page (so I could try different designs) and printed it out. 

I colored in both images with my Ohuhu Honolulus, then added details with a black fineliner. The first design (purple and black) is at the top of the post. Here's one in shades of blue. 

I tried to make the two couples look as different from each other as possible, while still staying true to what square dancers might actually wear. It was a lot of fun. As is square dancing! The last time I did square dancing was at Trevor's 4th grade Gold Rush camp in 2016. I'm overdue to do some square dancing again!

State Seal Glass Magnets

Today's project is a state-themed twist on a classic Mod Podge craft: glass magnets. Instead of using photos, magazine images, or ephemera for the design, use your state seal. Affiliate links below.  

State Seal Glass Magnets

Materials: 

• unfinished wood circles
• Folk Art acrylic paint - black
• flat-backed glass gems*
• state seal stickers
• Mod Podge
• self-adhesive magnets

Steps: 

Paint the wood circles black, then set them aside to dry. Center the sticker on the wood circle. Add a coat of Mod Podge to the back of a glass gem, then position it onto the sticker. Let the Mod Podge dry completely. Adhere a magnet to the back. 

When you use the magnet, pull it by the wooden part and not by the glass gem. 

*Learn from my mistake: Use slightly more expensive glass gems that are specifically made for crafting. I used the cheap ones I had on hand. Not only were they very irregular, but many of them were not crystal-clear. I tried to pick out the best ones for the project, but it's easier to use the better-quality gems to begin with. 

It's really interesting to me what each state has on their seal. Other than those states who have put their seal on their flag (ugh), I wasn't really aware of the details on most state seals. I don't think I have it in me to color all 50 state seals like I did with the state quarters, but I might pick a few of the more interesting ones and color those. 

Trivia: United States Airport Firsts

We have a trip coming up where we'll be meeting our travel companions across the country at a large airport that we don't know well. While looking at maps on the airport's website, I stumbled across a fascinating list of all of the "firsts" that happened there. It inspired me to put together this list of US Airport Firsts. 

United States Airport Firsts

1909

The oldest continually operating airport, not just in the US but worldwide, is College Park. It has operated continuously since 1909, when it was started as a military demonstration site for the Wright Brothers. 

1927

Cleveland offered the first scheduled interstate passenger services in the US in 1927. 

1928

When Newark opened in 1928, it was the first commercial airport in the US and the first to have a paved runway. 

1929

The first international airport in the US was Douglas Municipal Airport, located on the Mexican border of Arizona. Starting in 1929, passengers would board in Arizona, then the plane would taxi through a gate to the airport in Agua Prieta, on the Mexican side of the border. After clearing customs, the plane would take off and head to its destination in Mexico. 

1930

In 1930, Newark became the first airport with an air traffic control tower and an airport weather station in the US. 

When Cleveland installed an airfield lighting system in 1930, it became the first airport in the world to have a lighted airfield. 

1935  

Newark opened the first passenger terminal in the US in 1935. It was dedicated by Amelia Earhart. 

1939

When the American Airlines Admirals Club opened at LaGuardia in 1939, it became the first official airport lounge. 

1946

Indianapolis started operating the first control tower equipped with radar in 1946.

1952

Newark installed runway lights in 1952, becoming the first airport allowing nighttime operations. 

1958

In 1958, O'Hare introduced the first passenger boarding bridges. These air bridges provided shelter between the terminal and the plane and significantly sped up aircraft turnaround times. The air bridges were better known by the brand name "Jet Way." 

1965

In 1965, Cleveland was the first airport to establish an emergency medical technician (EMT) program.

1970

In 1970, New Orleans became the first airport to use walk-through metal detectors to screen passengers. (There were there were 40 plane hijackings in the US and a total of 89 worldwide.... just in 1969.)

1973

Concorde 002 flew to Dallas-Fort Worth in 1973, markng the first US visit of the Concorde.  

2001  

Shortly after 9/11, therapy dog Orion began offering comfort to anxious passengers in San Jose. This was the first airport to introduce therapy animals in the terminals. 

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I left it off the list since "First Desegregated Airport" only makes sense if you ignore the many US airports that were never segregated in the first place, but the story of the desegregation of Washington National Airport in 1948 is well-worth a read. There are many other fascinating stories of aviation on the National Air and Space Museum website. 

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Interested in other fun facts about US airports? Check this out!

My Life in Tree Rings: A Dendrochronology Craft

I loved counting tree rings as a kid. It's really interesting to be able to determine the age of the tree, but absolutely fascinating that the rings reveal times of drought, fire, or other stresses, as well as good times with rapid growth. Dendrochronology is so cool! I love visiting state parks and museums with events from human history marked on a cross-section of a tree. That's the inspiration for today's project. 

This craft is best for kids who are at least 11 or 12 and is even better for teenagers. For my sample, I went back to age 18. Making this craft as a 53-year old would have taken a lot more time and much larger paper! Affiliate links below. 

 

My Life in Tree Rings

Materials:

• hot press watercolor paper
• paper trimmer
• colored pencils
• watercolors
• black fineliner
• glue stick

Steps: 

Use a paper trimmer to cut the paper so that it is 9" x 9". Cut some of the scraps into 1/4" strips; these will be what you use to label your rings. 

With a pencil, lightly draw a small circle in the center of the paper. Then draw rings around that circle, stopping when you reach your age. It is perfectly ok if the rings are uneven; that's how they are in a real tree! Draw bark around the outermost ring. It should be thicker than the rings and have an uneven, craggy texture. 

Trace each of the rings with a brown colored pencil. Use a darker brown to trace the bark. 

Paint your tree rings. The innermost ring should be the darkest and the outermost rings the lightest. Be sure not to add so much pigment that the lines are obscured. You can add as much (or as little) pigment as you want to the bark and the background. 

While the paint is drying, make a list of the most important events in your life. These can include the birth of younger siblings, starting school, major vacations, adopting a pet, changing schools, joining a club or team, or whatever else you deem important. Write each item on a strip of paper, then cut the ends to make an arrow. Glue each strip so that it points to the proper tree ring. 

Here's a closer look at my sample. I've included my birth (1972), my sister's birth (1975), the start of kindergarten (1977), joining 4-H (1983), my first international travel (1986), MOAS (1989), and high school graduation (1990). 

I wonder if I would have chosen the same items at age 18. I'm guessing not. There's probably something else that would have felt more important. From my perspective at 53, it's a lot easier to see which events from my childhood had the biggest impact on the rest of my life. One item that's missing from my project (because I don't know when it happened) is my first visit to UC Davis. It was probably around 1984 or 1985, but whenever it was, I instantly fell in love and knew that's where I wanted to go to college. That day had a huge impact on me, because not only am I a UCD alum, but I'm also a UCD wife and a UCD mom!

All About Me Magazine Name Art

Back-to-school is the perfect time for name art. Today's project lets kids introduce who they are through words and images cut from a magazine. The project incorporates reading skills (a great opportunity to practice scanning) with fine motor skills, a combination you don't find together often. 

All About Me Name Art

Materials: 

• magazines
• scissors
• construction paper or cardstock
• glue sticks

Steps: 

Select a magazine for your project. It should have plenty of large, colorful images, as well as lots of text. Good choices include magazines about travel, cooking, or nature. Special interest magazines can work too. I used the Visit California guide. 

Start by tearing out large images from the magazine that appeal to you. You'll need as many as there are letters in your name. Set them aside for now. 

Write your name in block letters on scratch paper and cut them out. You do not need to cut out the counters if you don't want to. I opted to leave them for the D and the Y in my name in order to give me more space for my words. 

Arrange the cut-out letters on the images you've chosen, moving each letter around to decide where it looks best. Then cut out the letters. You can see below that I wanted to incorporate the sunset and the crops in my letter Y. I positioned it midway between the two, avoiding the white text on the page. 

When all your letters are cut out, glue them to the construction paper background. As I was doing that, I decided my I needed to be dotted with a heart, even though it's a capital letter. Artistic license. 

Now, go through the magazine and scan for words that appeal to you. They can be any part of speech: adjectives that describe you, nouns that are things you like, and verbs that tell your favorite things to do. Arrange the words onto the letters however you'd like. I grouped them together in a way that was meaningful for me, paying attention to the colors to maintain balance. In the D and the Y, I concentrated words in the areas where I didn't cut out the counters in order to reinforce that shape. 

I love how my project turned out. It would be so much fun to see a whole classroom's worth of names and a great way to get to know each other through art.