One of my favorite fast food restaurants is Diced Fresh in Algonquin. It is convenient for us to stop at Diced Fresh on Randall Road for lunch in between errands. Chili, soups, baked potatoes and salads are featured items. If you have not stopped in to try their meals, I recommend you do.
The Diced Fresh menu offers a wide variety of choices and is vegetarian friendly. Perfect for winter, traditional and vegetarian chili dishes are offered. During a recent visit, six daily soup selections were available including two vegetarians soups and three premium soups.
Pair your soup with a baked potato topped with your favorite fixings or as a meal itself.
The salads are my favorite. Diners choose one of the salads on the menu and the staff assembles your salad right in front of you. Since everything is made to order, you can ask them to skip an ingredient if you wish.
When I visit, I choose a made to order salad. This starts with a base of iceberg, romaine, spring mix or spinach topped with the ingredients I select. With over fifty add ins, your salad is an individual as you are.
Topping include a variety of cheeses, pine nuts, dried cranberries, red and green bell peppers, hearts of palm, sun dried tomatoes. Of course, the usual cucumber, tomato, carrots, etc. are there.
Salad dressing choices are overwhelming. Whether you like spicy, tangy, low fat, creamy or chunky, they got you covered. You can even request a taste before making your choice. The salad comes with a choice of bread and I prefer the rosemary herb roll.
If you cannot decide, pair up two smaller portions like soup and salad or chili and baked potato.
Have Diced Fresh cater your next event and leave the cooking to them.
Diced Fresh
132 South Randall Road
Algonquin, IL 60102-9774
(847) 458-7687
Follow Diced Fresh on Facebook
This weekend we attended the in Rosemont, Illinois. We talked to vendors from Senegal, Haiti, Mexico, Australia, Turkey and Panama about travel offering in their countries.
We especially liked learning about countries we are less familiar with. In January 2010, Port-au-Prince, Haiti was destroyed by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Over a year later, the city is still battered and residents are living in tent cities. The media focus on destruction overlooks the undamaged areas of the country.
We talked with Gregory Jesus Luc fromSpring Break in Haiti about their tours. Guided vacations available include the traditional “sun & fun” beach vacations, cultural excursions or humanitarian working vacations. Trips are customized based in the type of vacation desired.
The Grand Canyon South Rim weather can be cold and snowy during Autumn and Spring. Driving in from Phoenix, we arrived just as a snow storm ended. A fresh coat of white blanketed the slopes of the canyons as we entered the National Park Service gates of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
We stayed in the park at Yavapai Lodge operated by Xanterra. After lodging in other National Parks, we had low expectations for the hotel and rooms. We were delighted to find the rooms at Yavapai clean, bright and spacious. Our second surprise was the hotel cafeteria offered a variety of food at a reasonable cost.
There were many Japanese visitors at the park and signs were in English and Japanese. During our visit the lodge hosted sessions for a new batch of Japanese employees.
South Rim Grand Canyon Arizona. Photo credit @noelfwilliams
Our car remained parked at the hotel, and we utilized the free bus service within the park or went by foot. Our first morning at the park, we woke early and walked to the rim to watch the sunrise up over the canyon. The only noise was the fresh snow crunching under our feet as we watched the colors emerge from the rock walls. The scene changed continuously as the sun rose highlighted rocks and shadowed recesses.
Over the next few days, we viewed the Grand Canyon from a variety of scenic overlooks. The 6 billion years old canyon formed by the Colorado River is 277 miles long and 18 miles across at the widest section. In the distance, the pastel colors of the Painted Desert can been seen.
Click on the image below to view this episode of “Where Are You Today?” from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Enjoy the music by Kyle E. Williams inspired by Ferde Grofe’s Grand Canyon Suite.
Woodstock is celebrating Groundhog Day with events all weekend. While you are in McHenry County, check out this restaurant on the square.
One of our local vegetarian restaurants, Expressly Leslie, moved from Algonquin, McHenry County. Still in McHenry County, you can find her new location on the square in Woodstock, Illinois. Leslie offers Meatless Monday menus everyday of the week.
We talked with owner Leslie A. Cook about the menu at her restaurant.
Where Are You Today?: Describe your restaurant menu.
Leslie A. Cook: We serve up an array of delicious, all vegetarian (and vegan friendly), mostly Middle Eastern Style foods. Everything is made fresh on-site, including falafel and hummus. Our 14 salads can be combined in a variety of ways for pocket sandwiches and salad plates. Daily soups include red lentil and veggie chili, and a third soup rotates among potato and cabbage, cream of potato and leek, cream of mushroom, beet borscht, home style tomato soup, gazpacho (in summer) and many others. Egg dishes include shakshouka, eggs poached in Moroccan salsa and Israeli breakfast with Middle Eastern style hard-boiled eggs. Jaci’s Cookies are a regular, and we have recently added hand-made chocolate truffles for those with a sweet tooth.
WAYT: Tell us about your signature dish.
LAC: Falafel Pockets and Moroccan Eggplant Pockets are our top-selling sandwiches. Falafel are made from fava beans (or chickpeas) ground with herbs and spices and lots of cilantro, rolled into balls and deep fried. The falafel balls are dropped into a whole wheat pita pocket on a bed of hummus and are topped with Jerusalem salad and tahina (sesame based lemon-garlic flavor dressing). Hot sauce (and hotter sauce) are available for the daring. Moroccan Eggplant Pockets include our own Moroccan Eggplant salad, a zesty blend of fried eggplant, onions, cilantro, pickles, garlic and tomato based dressing. The salad is dropped into a whole wheat pocket on a bed of hummus and topped with creamy cucumber salad.
Expressly Leslie Vegetarian Specialties
110 S. Johnson St. , Woodstock , IL 60098 (On the Square in Woodstock )
815.338.2833
www.expresslyleslie.com
Follow Expressly Leslie Vegetarian Specialties Group on Facebook.
Radio control car fans are racing for action at the new RC car track in McHenry County. HobbyTown customers are excited about the store’s move from Crystal Lake to Lake in the Hills, Illinois.
“Where Are You Today?” visits HobbyTown USA LITH. Photo credit @noelfwilliams
The new location for this toy and hobby store features an indoor track. Racers told me this is a big improvement over the previous location. The track was outdoors and only used when the weather was dry. The warmer indoor track makes winter racing more pleasant.
“This car goes approximately 25 to 30 miles an hour depending on the battery, gearing and motor,” said Matt, one of the racers. When I asked how much a RC car cost, Matt continued, “I have about $1,000 invested in this car. Though you could put another couple hundred on it if you wanted to.”
For information on the store, practice and racing hours for the track, visit HobbyTown online or on Facebook.
Click on the image below to view this episode of “Where Are You Today?” and see the cars and racers in action.
R/C Car Bible: How to Build, Tune and Drive Electric and Nitro-Powered
It is National Delurking Week and time for all of you who like to lurk in the shadows to come out in the open.
Do you like to read our blog but never write a reply? Are you someone who comments via phone calls, emails or private messages?
National Delurking Week is your opportunity to make a contribution.
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People often ask me how we find off the beaten path places the “Where Are You Today?” crew visits. Many of our travel ideas come from reading books, magazines, newspapers and blogs.
The books we use the most are the “Revealed” series of books by Andrew Doughty and Harriet Friedman. The candid reviews tell it like it is. If you are planning a trip to the Hawaiian islands, I highly recommend these books for your trip.
These books were our constant companions on our first trips and enhanced our experience. The activities and hotel information we not sugar coated. The margins of our books are filled with notes and additional facts we add each trip back. The publisher posts updates on a website so the content stays up to date.
Mars? No. Haleakala National Park Maui, Hawaii. Photo credit: Noel F. Williams
Oahu
Oahu was the first Hawaiian island we visited. We purchased for the in depth activity and sightseeing information. Detailed reviews and aerial photos of hotels combined with zoned maps gave us the tools we needed to choose lodging to meet our comfort levels.
We rented a car and planned day trips based on the recommended routes. This book was our user guide as we navigated around the island. When we visited Pearl Harbor, we were glad we followed the suggestions to arrive early to reserve our tickets to visit the Arizona Memorial.
The book includes tips like: “This Chinese restaurant does not serve tea unless you ask for it.”
The section on Hawaiian words and Pidgin or Hawaiian slang proved very helpful.
Maui
Maui was the next island we visited and we were glad to have the
Big Island of Hawaii
On our trip the the Big Island of Hawaii, we made sure to bring
This January, we took a page from Japan and the Buddhist Zen philosophy as we start the New Year and plan to reach our goals. Our plan began in Honolulu, Hawaii with a Daruma doll.
Japanese Daruma Dolls
We went to Shirokiya to watch bakers from Japan make Usaguya dorayaki, small pancake-like cakes filled with sweet red bean paste. As the chefs cooked the pastries, they were packaged in pairs and sold. We shared an order of these gooey, filled confections. The pancake was light and fluffy while the warm filling was thick and creamy. Our Twitter friend, Yoshiko, tells us this is a very popular treat in Japan.
Still hungry for more, we roamed the second floor of this Japanese department store where vendors sell traditional Japanese food. Each vendor section, about ten feet wide, is filled with their specialties. We wandered up and down the aisles selecting a variety of dishes and snacks that appealed to us. When we had purchased an assortment of foods from different vendor, we sat at the open area with other shoppers. We sampled tempura, sushi, salads, noodles, rice and mochi.
Daruma Dolls
While at Shirokiya, we purchased this Daruma doll. In Japan, Daruma dolls are given to others to bring good luck. In January, Daruma festivals are held all over Japan and you can purchase Daruma dolls in many sizes. Red is the most common color for these dolls through they also available painted in white, gold, purple, blue, green, pink, orange and white.
These dolls are named for the sixth century Buddhist priest Dharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. It is said that Dharma achieved enlightenment after sitting motionless in a cave for nine years. During this long meditation, he lost use of his arms and legs.
Daruma dolls are often weighted in the base to keep them upright. When knocked over, they tumble before returning upright. This represents Dharma’s resilience and persistence in pursuing goals.
Usually, the dolls are purchased with the eyes unpainted. When a goal or intention is set, one eye of the doll is painted. When the goal is complete, the second eye is painted and the dolls are saved as a keepsake or burned as offerings during ceremonies at temples.
The “Where are You Today?” crew set our goals for this year and painted in the left eye on our Daruma doll. We wish you and your family a healthy and Happy New Year where you accomplish all your goals.
Click on the picture below to watch as we set our goals and color our Daruma doll’s eye.
Getting More
Having It All: Achieving Your Life's Goals and Dreams
Looking for a fun way to rock in the New Year 2011? Ready to start 2011 off with a good friends and good food? The McHenry County place to be is Liquid Blues off the square in downtown Woodstock, Illinois celebrating with Lake Shore Vibe. Check out their sounds on MySpace! Follow Lake Shore Vibe on Facebook.
Lake Shore Vibe
The band:
Josh Kremer – Guitar/Vocals
Mike Mongoven- Guitar
Jim Hegarty – Bass
Carson Williams – Percussion/Vocals
Dan Suwinski- Keyboards/Vocals
Voted Woodstock’s best keep secret, Liquid Blues is a flashback to the 1960s. Lava lamps, beads, candles, incense and the friendliest staff and patrons in the world. Travel back to the time when music and magic mattered.
Liquid Blues
126 N Benton Street
Woodstock IL
815-337-7254
