A Visit to Wilmar’s

Posted by: Kelly Hekler

Kelly’s mom watching her candy bar being made

Have you ever been eating a plain chocolate bar and thought to yourself “This would be soooo good if I could put (blank) in it?”  Well, now you can!  Wilmar Chocolates is mixing up almost any creation you can dream!

The process is simple: pick out what type of chocolate you would like (milk, semi-sweet, or a blend), choose up to 4 mix in’s, and watch your bar made before your eyes!  I was amazed at the variety of mix in’s to choose from.  Wilmar’s offered everything people would want in a chocolate bar including nuts, dried fruit, gummy worms, pop rocks, cayenne pepper, and even potato chips!  During the 15 minute drying time, you can stroll thru Wilmar’s store, sample delicious chocolates, and pick out a few snacks for later including cashew turtles and chocolate covered cherries.

I recently took my mom to Wilmar’s for this one of a kind experience.  She concocted a chocolate bar with marshmallows, dried cherries, pretzels, caramel chips, and sea salt all mixed together in gooey milk chocolate.  My bar included malt powder, malted milk balls, potato chips, sprinkles, and sea salt in blended chocolate.  Both combinations were amazing!  Not feeling creative?  Don’t worry.  Wilmar’s offered a variety of premade, local favorite bars included cherry pie (dried cherries, sea salt, cinnamon, almonds, and graham crackers), a kid-favorite bar (gummy worms, pop rocks, sprinkles, M&M’s) and a variety of others.

You and your family are sure to love this experience unique to Appleton!  For more information, visit www.wilmarchocolates.com where you can also order your bar online.

Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion

posted by: Pam Seidl

Pam Seidl
Director of Marketing & Community Relations
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau

Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion is currently on exhibit at The History Museum at the Castle… and it is spectacular. On display are 40 operational, actual-size working machine replicas of da Vinci’s amazing machines, all built by modern day scientists and artisans according to da Vinci’s famous codices. The exhibit includes a revolving crane, a full-size armored tank large enough for several visitors to explore from the inside, a working robot, and four flying machines.

My favorite was the tank. It looks like a giant hut and needs six people to fully operate it, but the fact that da Vinci had the vision to design it four decades before we began using this type of machinery is amazing. 

The exhibit is very kid-friendly… you can operate almost every piece … and truly illustrates the genius of da Vinci.   And you thought he just did that little painting at the Sistine Chapel!

CherryBerry

By: Kelly Ann Hekler, Convention Sales Manager

Why do I feel like I am always blogging about food?  I’d like to think that it’s because there are so many choices in the Fox Cities and not just that I like to eat!!

The build-your-own frozen yogurt market has recently hit the Fox Cities!  CherryBerry has opened in Darboy and serves up some of the most delicious soft serve frozen yogurt!  Enjoy your custom created dessert in the fun and vibrant environment.  The walls are painted cherry red with bright lime green tiles as an accent.  It’s hard to not enjoy yourself there! 

The concept is simple:

1) Grab a bowl. 

2) Choose your flavor(s) of frozen yogurt from the variety of about 15 choices including birthday cake, triple berry, cheesecake and cookies-n-cream. 

3) Load your frozen yogurt with as many toppings as you would like from the dozens of options including fresh raspberries, Kit Kat candy bar bits, crushed graham cracker, chocolate rocks and gummy bears.

 4) Pour on your favorite sauce. 

5) Garnish with sprinkles and a cherry on top.

6) Pay by the ounce.

I personally think I made the best creation, although my boyfriend thinks he did!  With all of the flavors of frozen yogurt and the variety of toppings, the combinations are endless! 

For more information, visit http://www.cherryberryyogurtbar.com/.  So much for making boring old chocolate sundae’s at home… head on out to CherryBerry where you can create exactly what you want!

Hop on Over to Frogg’s!

By: Kelly Ann Heckler, Convention Sales Manager

Looking for a cool way to beat the summer heat?  Hop on over to Frogg’s Ice Cream in Sherwood.  Located on the outskirts of the Fox Cities, Sherwood is a quick 15 minute drive from downtown Appleton.  Frogg’s is right on the main drag in Sherwood.  They offer a variety of ice cream menu items including shakes, sundaes, blizzards, and cookie sandwiches.  All of their menu items have creative, amphibian themed names like Frogg on a Log, the Turtle and Cricket Carmel Cashew. 

My boyfriend and I stop by Frogg’s for a refreshing treat about once a month.  I prefer a small twist in a cone covered in sprinkles.  Don’t let the word small fool you!  For $1.85, you get a cone that Dairy Queen would consider a large and charge twice the price for!  My boyfriend prefers vanilla in a cup sprinkled with their own “crunch” topping.  All sundaes come topped with their signature green and white gummy frog, true to their theme!

Check out Frogg’s website at http://froggsic.com/index.html for directions and hours.  Hop in the car with the family and check out what the outskirts of the Fox Cities have to offer!  While enjoying your ice cream treat, take a drive down to High Cliff State Park, less than a mile away or enjoy the beautiful views of Lake Winnebago surrounded by amazing homes.  Once you’ve tried Frogg’s Ice Cream, you are sure to be hopping back there as often as you can!

Adventures in Cheeseland: An Appleton adventure

Adventures in Cheeseland: An Appleton adventure.

Just Say (Simon’s) Cheese

When putting together a gift basket for an out of state bid, I wanted to fill it full of Wisconsin items.  I had heard that Simon’s Cheese had a great selection of Wisconsin-made products… I wasn’t disappointed!. They had everything!I picked up Door County Kettle Chips (Milwaukee), Bald Eagle Food’s Black Bear Salsa (Plymouth), Fireworks Popcorn (Port Washington), Vande Walle’s Caramel Corn (Appleton), Point Premium Black Cherry Cream Soda (Stevens Point), Simon’s Cheese BBQ Sauce (Green Lake), Door County Hazelnut Crème Coffee (Sturgeon Bay), Cow Pies (Baraboo), and countless other items, all made right here in Wisconsin.  They also offered Wisconsin wines, honey, sausage, cooking mixes, and even dog treats!  They also had cheese in any kind of shape you could ask for- football, badger, cow, giraffe, apple!  Not only was I surprised at the number of items that Wisconsin produces but, I was also surprised that they could all be found under one roof, at Simon’s cheese.Simon’s Cheese also sells their own fresh cheese curds that make your teeth squeak, shredded cheeses, and milk in a glass bottle.  They are always offering free samples of cheese curds, cheese spreads, meats, and homemade fudge and candies.  Simon’s Along with their food and beverage products, they also have a great selection of specialty gift items like Wisconsin clothing, jewelry, birdbaths, dishes, and other unique items.

There is something for everyone at Simon’s Cheese.  Stop in, try a sample, and support numerous Wisconsin businesses.  They are located just off for Hwy. 41 on County Road N in Little Chute.

Kitchen Dreams

Ricky Bernstein remembers the kitchen of his youth as a chaotic, funny place …. kind of like mine, but his is much better to look at.  This morning my friends at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum invited me to hear Bernstein talk about his exhibit that runs April 14-September 2, 2012 at the museum.

It was an awesome opportunity to hear how the artist works, what inspires him and how “Kitchen Dreams” came to be.  The exhibit takes you into a comical world of 1950′s pop culture.  Using glass, aluminum and childhood

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memories, Bernstein pieces together everyday life through a caricature of social roles and cultural icons.  The life-sized collages are bold, bright and bound to bring you a good belly laugh.

My favorite was “Dog Dreams” .. because I have that dog… and all of the ladies with curlers in their hair.  Brought back some memories from my childhood (sorry mom).

The entire family will love this exhibit…they even have colorging books for the kids.

Great Gift Idea from the Fox Cities PAC

Whether your loved one is a fan of musicals or dramas, comedy, dance or the Fox Valley Symphony, a Fox Cities PAC gift certificate will provide a a lasting memory and an inspiration in the new year. Plus, a gift certificate allows your giftee to pick the show that’s just right for their tastes and their schedule.

Order online by December 16, and you’ll get a present too – a free iTunes Broadway show tune sampler!

Order your Fox Cities P.A.C. gift certificate by 4:00 p.m. on December 16 to ensure your loved one receives their Fox Cities P.A.C. gift certificate by Christmas Day.  www.foxcitiespac.com.

The History Museum at the Castle

If you are looking for a fun and educational activity for both kids and adults, stop in at the History Museum At the Castle. The museum is located on the east edge of downtown Appleton across the street from Lawrence University.

My family spent an afternoon at the museum last week and there really is something for everyone. My brother, an engineer, didn’t want to leave the Tools of Change exhibit until he figured out how all of those old tools and machines worked. And my wife and four-month old daughter got a kick out of watching my niece and seven-year old nephew perform all of Houdini’s stunts in the AKA Houdini exhibit.

The History Museum’s new exhibit “Progressive Appleton: Through the Lens of W.D. Schlafer” opens today.  Here’s a link to more about that exhibit: http://www.myhistorymuseum.org/progressiveappleton.html.

I highly recommend a visit to the History Museum At the Castle if you are looking for something to do while in Appleton. For information, go to: www.myhistorymuseum.org.

Fox Cities PAC 2011/12 Line Up

I had the opportunity to see a sneak preview of the Fox Cities PAC’s 2011/12 line up … and I was blown away.  We were treated to music by the cast of the “Million Dollar Quartet” the hit musical inspired by the true story of a recording session that brought together Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.  The music was, obviously, phenomenal, but the actors were just as great. Each bringing to life their character…right down to the way the actor playing Johnny Cash held is guitar.

I learned the story behind “Billy Elliot”, with Elton John’s amazing score.  Imagine trying to cast the lead role: a young boy with ballet skills good enough to make it to the Royal Ballet who also has tap and modern dance AND gymnastics abilities.

I saw some of the high-flying scenes of “Mary Poppins” and the power of Les Miserables.  I also didn’t realize that the classic “West Side Story” was first produced on Broadway in the late ’50′s and aside from some travelling show has basically been vaulted until now.

The Broadway series will be joined by such favorites as Garrison Keillor and Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops with Rockapella.

It’s going to be an amazing season…and it’s going to be all right here in the Fox Cities.  Season tickets are on sale now.   <a target=”_blank”href=”http://www.foxcitiespac.com“> Here’s a link to more information on all the shows.