Snow Day!

Snow Day!
I'll try to keep you updated, if the snow really comes as predicted (check the twitter feed at the right).
Drive safely.
Build a snowman.

(A Christmas snowman in Ohio.)

Happy (Mid) February

My, oh my. It sure has been a while since I've posted. And it's not entirely because I haven't had things to post.

I had a lovely early dinner at Judie's, ate another delicious popover, had soup and salad -- all for only $11;
I witnessed a flood on Hamilton Street during all those meltings and rains;
I've been driving around the area looking at countryside and visiting open houses;
I've been feeding birds, and generally keeping myself busy supporting the local library system.

This message is mostly just to encourage you to check the links on the right for local events and for school cancellations -- there's supposedly a storm coming -- be prepared -- get up early to see if you can sleep in.... And when the storm disappears, treat yourself to a popover!

Don't Forget to Vote -- Tomorrow! (Tuesday)

Tomorrow is election day for the state of Massachusetts. The polls are split between State Senator Scott Brown and Attorney General Martha Coakley. Visit their websites to find out more about them and their stances on the issues, and see the multitude of news articles for info on their sentate race, debates, and other such election-type information.
(You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter and YouTube.)

Be sure to make time on Tuesday to get out and vote! Polls are open from 7am-8pm.
Find your polling location here.

Captain Candy Strikes Sugar into the Heart of Amherst

Perhaps you have heard of Captain Video in North Amherst -- where you get free popcorn while you search for a movie and where there are large bins with candy to buy. Well, Captain Video has expanded their candy selection into Captain Candy, a new sister-store at 103 North Pleasant Street between Bart's Homemade and Panda East Restaurant. We discovered the sugary delight on New Year's Eve and stopped in after dinner to peruse their selection of sweets.

And what a *selection there was to peruse! Bins and bins of bulk candy (150+ reportedly) -- gummies, licorices, jellies, chocolates, taffies, and sugar-frees; nostalgic candies like Bit 'o Honeys, Mary Janes, Now & Laters, Sky Bars; and novelty candies like gummy snakes, licorice pipettes, extra-large lollipops, and jawbreakers bigger than my fist. They also have a chocolate case with hand-made chocolates (chocolate covered cherries, truffles with sea salt, chocolate brandies, etcetera) for the more discriminating candy lovers.

The large selection, very reasonable prices (many of the bulk candies come in at $1.99/quarter-pound, packaged candies are individually priced), great location, and enthusiastic and friendly staff (we had an entertaining time talking to the manager/owner/employee) make this a perfect place to find the treats that will satisfy your sweet-tooth -- or sweet-teeth, as the case may be. Just be sure to brush & floss after your visit.


*A listing of candies I remember from my first visit: swirly gummy bears, large sour gummy bears, gummy sharks, gummy peach penguins, gummy cola panda bears, gummy brains, gummy fried eggs, fruit gels, realistic gummy worms, gummy worms, gummy dinosaurs, bit 'o honeys, mary janes, black taffy, licorice scotty dogs, nerds, now&laters, licorice pipettes, cotton candy, smooth&melty mints, lollipops, mint nonpareils, squeezable liquid candy, yard-long gummy snakes, sky bars, french chew taffies in a variety of flavours, jelly belly jellybeans, gummy raspberries, gummy fruit salad, peach slices, mexican hats, jawbreakers, sour patch kids, sour gummy worms, fruit slices, chocolate covered coffee beans, chocolate-covered cherries, truffles, swedish fish, spice drops, red licorice laces, licorice wheels, salt water taffy, laffy taffy, cowtails, giant sweet tarts (or giant smarties)... and there were many many more. (I can't wait to go back again!)

3 Seasonal Treats

The season has come for treats and goodies, and though I'm not typically a chocolate person (ice cream is usually my sweet of choice), this winter I am craving dark chocolate delicacies -- and more. Here is my top 3 list this season:

Sipping Chocolate from Trader Joe's
This rich chocolate drink is amazingly better than any hot chocolate I have ever had. Most hot chocolate is too sweet and too thin. But this chocolate is deep, dark, and lightly sweet. Add it to hot whole milk, and you have the perfect winter drink.

Atkins Vanilla Caramel in Dark Chocolate
Something happens in the holiday season, and I invariably start craving caramels. I tried making them once, but I didn't pay enough attention to them and they didn't quite work out the way I had hoped. This year I found my happiness at Atkins Farms in their candy department in the form of vanilla caramels wrapped in dark chocolate. One of these satisfies a caramel/chocolate craving. Two of these brings a smile to my face.

Fresh Gingerbread with Hot Orange Sauce
This can't be purchased -- it must be made from scratch and eaten warm. Don't skimp on the spices in the gingerbread, and definitely don't skimp on the orange sauce -- smother the gingerbread with it and you won't be sorry. Delightful.

Treats for the season. Comfort foods for the darkness and cold. Enjoy!
Happy holidays!

Milk: Fresh, Local, and ... Raw

Raw milk first caught my attention when it was recommended to me in mid-May of 2009. A mother was explaining to me, in response to learning that my husband is lactose intolerant, that raw milk can often be drunk by those who are lactose intolerant -- that the pasteurization process kills important enzymes and bacteria that are actually beneficial to the processing power of the digestive system. She went on to tell me about her children and how much they love raw milk and how raw milk is the only milk they will drink.

I did a little research on the topic and then filed the information away for future reference.

That future came a few weeks ago when my husband came home from a farmer's market and started telling me about how raw milk had been recommended to him by someone else who was lactose intolerant but had no problems drinking raw milk. We did a little more research, had a bit of discussion, and decided we needed to try it.

There are a number of small dairies in Massachusetts that sell raw milk, and one of them, Flayvors of Cook Farm, happens to be right on my shopping route. So I made a visit to Cook Farms to put my name on the raw milk list (it is only available by pre-order), and I waited just under a week before picking up my first fresh gallon. We went through that gallon (just the two of us) in about 4 days -- and that was holding back; we've had to order more for subsequent weeks. I find it delicious, my husband can drink it without consequence, and it works wonderfully in recipes. (I'm looking forward to making authentic buttermilk with it one of these days.)

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized -- milk that has not been heated to 160+ degrees in order to kill bacteria that can be found in the milk. The lack of heating helps it retain its natural vitamin content, enzymes, and amino acids. It is whole milk, and therefore higher in fat content (4.0% butterfat at Cook), which in my opinion just makes it taste better (I love a little cream, don't you?).

Raw milk is available at Flayvors of Cook Farm for $5/gallon or $2.75/half-gallon, day-of fresh on Mondays & Fridays.
More information about raw milk and where you can buy it in Massachusetts can be found on the NOFA (Northeast Farming Assocation) website.

Milk -- it does a body good! -- and this stuff is SO good, it does a body even better!

School Closings, Take 2

Just a repost from last year around this time:

Where to Find School Closings for Belchertown, Amherst, Hadley, Ware, Palmer, Granby, and other local areas.

The links on this post are especially useful if you don't have cable access or if you don't want to wait while the cancellations scroll on and on and on.

Enjoy the winter!

PS -- I've added bunches of new events to the calendar. See below.

Winter Cardinal

I just can't help myself. Winter comes, the feeders go out, and all of a sudden I'm obsessed with birds. It's a hereditary obsession... my grandmother was also obsessed with birds and feeders, and my mother has quite a few birdfeeders in view of the windows of her house. We've added a few of new birds to the list since my last post: blue jays, a goldfinch, and a carolina wren -- a lovely little bird with a large voice -- the first wren I've seen!

Today's winter picture: one of our male cardinals. I love when the male and female come together, which they sometimes do in the evenings. I like to think they're on a date, trying out the new cuisine at The Deck Feeder, the new hotspot in town....