The chances are if you have school-age children, you’ve already done more than your fair share of bake sales.
Me? I love a good bake sale and after several tours of duty, now consider myself a veteran.
I’ve learned through experience that the golden oldies are the true crowd pleasers: usually anything with chocolate, brownies or chocolate covered pretzel sticks, all go down a storm. While I personally love an organic sea-salt and lavender cookie, I appreciate that they’re not guaranteed to make the top 10 list.
Anywho, here’s a great recipe that may not be the healthiest, but is still a good way to use up leftover Halloween candy you might have.
If you don’t have Snickers, then Twix or Almond Joy are good alternatives.
Georgette’s going to love this Flavor Excursion since we’re heading to the North Bergen area (Hudson County), where she went to high school. And since my mom grew up there, it’s special for me. This now Spanish speaking pocket of New Jersey, with its majestic views of New York City and one of the last exits before you head into the Lincoln tunnel, is a vibrant community exploding with flavor. From Argentinian, to Cuban, Colombian and Mexican, it’s a culinary delight to explore.
I used to love visiting my grandparents on 79th Street, a few blocks off Bergenline Avenue, where my grandfather used to have his dental office. So when my friend Jackie told me about the sophisticated Argentine café her mother was raving about, we called our friend Debbie to put a date on the calendar.
And what an amazing outing we had! I was spoiled for this trip since Jackie took the reins and meticulously planned the trip. Bergenline Avenue is a one way street heading south, so we traveled North on Kennedy Blvd and then turned East on 66th Street to our first stop, Dulce de Leche a remarkable Argentine bakery in West New York with a tantalizing display of sweet and savory treats. They have flaky croissants, plain or stuffed with crème caramel and chocolate, crusty loaves of freshly baked bread, golden empanadas stuffed with cheese, spinach or meat and traditional Argentine tea sandwiches so fluffy your teeth sink into each bite like a head into a down pillow.
With Springfield Avenue Partnership as the host and Walgreens as the presenter, Maplewood MayFest will celebrate its 11th Anniversary on Sunday, May 20.
Highlights of MayFest 2012 will include petting zoos and four ponies to ride, a kiddie train and inflatable rides, a balloon animal maker and lots of fun activities for kids. A Classic Car Show will display custom and special interest cars. More than 100 vendors, artists, crafters and civic associations, live music provided by some of the area’s hottest bands plus great food representing the diverse community that lives, works, shops and dines along Springfield Avenue will complete the scene at one of Maplewood’s largest and most anticipated community events.
Each year, thousands flock from near and far to this time-honored, early-summer tradition. This year will be even more special as they continue St. Catherine of Siena Parish’s 60th anniversary celebration.
“It’s a privilege for us in the parish to be here, now, to honor everyone who spent the last 60 years building St. Catherine’s into the wonderful parish it is today,” said Pastor Msgr. Robert Slipe. “The carnival, in its fun way, truly expresses our spirit, bringing the entire community together – our neighbors, family and friends – to enjoy being together and to have a good time.”
Bring the family for dinner or stop for a snack at the Food Court. There will be delicious carnival food and, don’t forget those delicious, fresh-made zeppole!
Do some good while you enjoy your cup of joe. The Salvation Army will be holding their 5th Annual Coffee and a Cause on Thursday May 10 at 9 am. Community-minded women are welcome to attend this event. All proceeds to benefit Cornerstone House, The Salvation Army’s Shelter. So come out for some caffeine with a conscience and good conversation.
Coffee and a Cause
Who: Community-minded women
What: 5th Annual Coffee and a Cause
Where: 13 Trinity Place, Montclair, NJ, 07042 When: Thursday, May 10 at 9 am
Cost: Free
Like many, I LOVE a good bolognese sauce (or ragù alla bolognese as it is called in Italia), but because it takes a loooooong time to let those rich flavors develop and mellow, its rarely something I will tackle mid-week. We’re all short of time when getting those weekday dinners on the table and I’m someone who doesn’t like cutting corners, so I often reserve bolognese for Saturday or Sunday, hence this recipe being called Weekend Rigatoni Bolognese!
In our house, a good bolognese dish is relished by all and is served with the kids’ favorite pasta shapes—something that seems to vary week by week: one week it is bow-ties, the next it’s wheels and then out of the blue comes a request for spirals or plain old spaghetti! I’m sure I’m not alone in the great pasta roulette wheel of life… This week, the pasta of choice was Rigatoni.
I had the pleasure last Saturday of attending the pair’s first book signing at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, where they graciously shared the story of their collaboration (Elisabeth is an artist and baker; Elizabeth is a writer and editor) as well as a few tips for working with fondant and creating “edible works of art.”
Both books are filled with easy-to-follow recipes and directions, as well as more than 150 color photographs that show how to use fondant to create amazing cupcake topper decorations. With a section on “Fondant Fundamentals” the book has everything you need to know, even if you are a beginner and it will be your first time working with fondant. The book is also perfect for older kids and teens, and creating cupcake toppers is a great idea for a party activity.
I’m on a roll with Flavor Excursions, finding unique and tasty Jersey spots to explore new culinary horizons. So if you know some places I haven’t hit yet, feel free to let me know so I can add them to my list.
This time I got a tip from a friend who was interested in my last outing to Wallington for Polish fare. While agreeing how fun it is to venture to ethnic neighborhoods, she mentioned her husband’s favorite outing to Kearny, a trip which connects him with his family’s Scottish roots. Of course my ears perked up, not knowing of a Scottish pocket so close to Montclair (or even one at all!). So I did a bit of research and headed East on Rt. 3 to Kearny. My friend Debbie, who is hooked on these outings and describes them as a much needed break from her mundane drives shuttling her kids to and from various sports, was once again my travel mate. This time, instead of pierogi and sausage, we were on a quest for traditional meat pies, shortbread and fish and chips.
And boy did we did find a pot of gold at the end of our drive, which proved to be a vestige of days long gone in “Soccer Town USA,” a name given to this Scottish settlement in New Jersey after an influx of Scottish and Irish immigrants arrived with the opening of two Scottish factories in the mid 1870’s.
Give yourself a break from cooking on Wednesday nights and take the family out for some MamaMancini Meatballs and Sunday Sauce. At Above Restaurant and Bar in South Orange, kids under 12 get a free Mama Mancini Meatball dinner when you dine as a family every Wednesday night.
Kids love spaghetti and meatballs and I’ve heard that Mama Mancini meatballs are delicious. Just remember to bring wipes!
According to the National Survey of Children’s Health conducted in 2003 and 2007, U.S. children with a food allergy jumped by a third between 2003-2004 and 2007-2008. That’s scary. Having a child with a food allergy is scarier. I speak from experience. My oldest daughter has a severe peanut allergy and despite the prevalence of food allergies, it seems that there are kids with allergies in every classroom, it’s not so easy for families dealing with the life-threatening situation.
Susan Weissman knows the difficulties as well. In fact, her son Eden has several allergies. Weissman writes about them and how they affect the entire family in her new book Feeding Eden.
