Read the full May 2013 issue of Johnson County Lifestyle.
Editor’s Letter: Made in Kansas City!
We had so much fun putting this month’s issue together for you.
For months we’ve been planning and sampling and surveying, all in the name of sharing a small bit of our research. As a twenty-five year resident of the greater Kansas City area, (I’m including the KU years here) it’s always been bar-b-que that comes to mind when I think about gifting a taste of Kansas City.
No longer!
I’ve had a ball getting to know a bit about the companies behind so many amazing, locally-made creations. And we’re not just talking about food. While Lauren Claflin researched and wrote about the Kansas City Food Artisans, Judy Spaar was checking out daytrip venues that allow us to watch products being made. Our staff even got in on the action and we created a new department you’ll see on occasion called Staff Picks. It really was a lot of fun and it introduced me to some fabulous products I look forward to using regularly. And to the vendors who didn’t get a nod this year, please know it was all about space limitations. We plan to make this an annual event so let us know about products we should consider spotlighting next time.
The month of May is a busy one around town. But I hope you’ll take the time to enjoy this issue, share it with a friend or take it to the office and try out a new product or two from our pages. And when gift-giving season comes around in a few months, keep these local vendors in mind for some of your holiday shopping. I know I plan to ship some of their tasty goodies around the country and share a different taste of Kansas City with family and friends this year.
Have a spectacular spring and I’ll see you around town!
Lisa Harrison, Managing Editor | Lisa@LifestylePubs.com
All the World’s a Stage Gala Auction
Notre Dame de Sion’s Gala Auction 2013 took center stage at Starlight Theater for the event that raised more than $363,000 for the school. A large cast and crew staged the fun night for 430 guests.
Ault Design-Construction Honored with REMY Awards
Ault Design-Construction recently celebrated being honored with two awards at the NARI Remodel of the Year (REMY) awards night.
New Scholarship Honors Superintendent
With a vision to bridge the gap for lower income students, the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation has established a scholarship fund in honor of Superintendent Gene Johnson, Ed.D., and his 27 years of service to Shawnee Mission School District. Johnson retires June 30.
Gifts to the Johnson Fund will provide all-day kindergarten scholarships for families who can’t afford tuition and bridge the gap for children living at, or near, poverty level with school-related expenses from kindergarten through grade 12.
“Our students come to us from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds with varied life experiences,” says Johnson. “It is very important to me for every student to have the resources needed to compete on a level playing field.”
Save The Date For Stems Garden Party
Enjoy a fun-filled stroll through the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Stems: A Garden Soiree event coming up June 22 from 7-11 p.m. On a lovely June evening you can enjoy sipping wine; tasting delicious food from 20 top restaurants and caterers; appreciate art, music, fireworks, beautiful surroundings; meet friends at the party of the summer; and support the Gardens’ vision of recreational, cultural and artistic enrichment education for present and future generations. Visit StemsSoiree.org.
See Rare Leopard at Zoo
A beautiful 10-year old female Amur leopard is on exhibit for the first time in the Zoo’s African Congo area. There are only 38 out of 230 accredited AZA facilities in the United States that exhibit these rare and elusive cats.
Amur leopards are from Asia and are one of the rarest felines in the world with only an estimated 45 individuals in the wild. The Kansas City Zoo is honored to become a part of its conservation efforts.
Her new digs in Africa host new logs for climbing and scratching, a new sand area for digging and a hollowed log for resting. She is adapted to cooler climates with her thick fur that grows longer during the winter months. The leopard’s rosettes are more widely spaced than those on other leopards. She is a carnivore and her tongue is specially adapted with tiny hooks called “denticles” that are used to scrape meat off the bones of their prey.
New Food Truck Hits Local Streets
Chef Baldee’s Pizza is the very first food truck to be licensed in Leawood and the only one to be granted membership in the Leawood Chamber of Commerce.
Chef Baldee’s mobile pizza kitchen offers an authentic New York- style thin crust pizza and features a spicy/sweet sauce. Everything is done from scratch right in the mobile pizza kitchen, from making the dough and sauce to baking the pizza.
The dough is made with extra virgin olive oil which, when rolled through the dough sheeter, creates an authentic New York-Style thin crust. The sauce is patterned after a 50-year old family recipe the chef’s mother found in the Kansas City Star in 1963. It’s made with Marsala red wine, fresh garlic, oregano and 10 other ingredients.
After launching a year ago, the mobile pizza kitchen has been on- scene at events such as the Keim Street Fair, Town Center Plaza’s Shop, Rock and Roll and the Lenexa Spinach Festival.
To book a visit, call 913.605.0988 or email ChefBaldee@gmail.com.
WWI Museum Exclusive Battlefield Tours
Building on the success of its inaugural battlefield tour in 2012, the National World War I Museum is offering two new tours.
“From Liege to the Vosges” will take place from September 23–October 2, 2013. Participants will tour through miles of landscape stretching from the Belgian Coast to the Swiss Border known as the Western Front. This tour is intended to study the topography and campaigns between 1914-18, the evolution of tactics and terrain with a focus on the achievements and experiences of the American Expeditionary Forces. Travelers will the visit the spectacular battlefields of the Vosges Mountains, the fortress city of Liege and much more.
The second tour will take place in August 2014 visiting the battlefields of Gallipoli. This walking tour incorporates the initial landings of April 25, 1915, through to the eventual evacuation in January 1916. One of the most comprehensive tours available, participants will reach seldom-visited spots via mule tracks, dried up gullies and quiet beaches of the peninsula.
Both tours are limited in the number of participants. Visit TheWorldWar.org/travel.
Curious George Exhibit
The insatiable curiosity of Curious George–the little monkey who has captured the imagination and hearts of millions of children and grownups for 65 years–comes to life May 25 to September 8 at Crown Center. The complimentary exhibit, Curious George: Let’s Get Curious!, will introduce young children to Curious George’s world and lead visitors on a fun, meaningful interactive math, science and engineering-based adventure. The exhibit will be open in the Crown Center Shops Showplace, located on Level 1 of the Crown Center Shops at 2450 Grand Boulevard.
Visitors can operate wheels to help George climb a building, sort and weigh fruits and vegetables at the produce stand, use science skills to putt a hole of mini golf, have their picture taken with the rocket from George’s space adventure, build a whirligig in the country, and much more.
The exhibit will be open to the public during Crown Center’s regular shopping hours. For more information call 816.274.8444, or visit CrownCenter.com.
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