Getting together with Carol Cuhel and the Schaubs and Taylors

 For I don't know how many years now when we get back to Iowa, we would get the group (Schaubs, Taylors and us) together and visit Ken and Carol Cuhel. Ken passed away after a long illness in 2019    and so now we go to visit Carol. All of us have known each other for years as we all attended church together at First Congregational UCC in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Ken used to sing in the choir with us. When he started getting sick, they stopped coming to church as it really is quite a drive.

Carol has always made a feast for us every year but this year we talked her into going to the Kava House Cafe in Swisher, Iowa instead. We are all getting to the point that preparing these huge meals is hard on us. 

          Here the guys are at the Kava House (Lee, Jerry and Larry)

Here are the gals: Carol S, Carol C., Barb and me

Lee and I both had this as we just love it. Granny Gobbler:  Shaved, smoked turkey, Havarti cheese, Granny Smith apple slices & apple butter on whole wheat bread

Chicken-Pineapple Salad on a Croissant   Chicken breast, pineapple, almonds & bits of pepper & green onion in our own creamy sauce, served up on a croissant

Kava Hot Roast Beef  Shaved roast beef, served on a hoagie with melted Jack, sautéed onions & raspberry horsey sauce …

South-of-the-Border Salad  Our perfect taco salad.  Lettuce, seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, corn, black beans, cheese & sour cream, served with Chipotle Ranch dressing 

These were the desserts they offered tonight.

It was just a fun night with great company and wonderful food and conversations. After we gabbed for I don't know how long, we decided we better not have them throw us out so the Taylors and us went back over to Carol's house. Jerry and Carol headed home because they had to be up early to take care of their daughter, Julie, who has some serious health issues.

The guys must have run out of conversation!

The girls did not! 

We finally decided we had better head on home too! When we went to get to the car, there were a bunch of deer relaxing in Carol's yard.

Here is a link to the obituary for our dear friend, Ken Cuhel.

https://www.cedarmemorial.com/Obituary/2019/Nov/Kenneth-C-Cuhel/

Kava House Cafe - Swisher, Iowa

Kava House Cafe

We have been visiting with family and friends since we got to Iowa on April 26th and so we haven't put much on this blog because we keep this one strictly for travel and the interesting places we find.  However, our friends (the Cuhels, Taylors and Schaubs) all met at The Kava House Cafe in Swisher, Iowa for dinner today.  We think it is a jewel of a restaurant and deserves to be blogged.  If you ever get around Swisher, you should try the place.  We highly recommend it.

They have wonderful sandwiches and home-made desserts.  They also have a nice little gift shop.

Inside the Cafe

Lee heading into the room for larger groups

Jerry looking out the door in the nice atmosphere for dining

Carol and Jerry Schaub

Larry and Barb Taylor

Us, Lee and Mary Benfield

Carol and Ken Cuhel

We all had a great time at the Kava House Cafe and then we went over to Ken and Carol Cuhel's for dessert and more conversation.  It is sooooo good to get together with good  friends especially since we don't see them nearly often enough!

Back of the restaurant