July 2016 - Page 2 of 2 - NY Foodie Family

June 2016 Reads

Posted on July 12, 2016 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

It is time once again to link up with Jana and Steph and share my June 2016 reads This month my reading game was stepped up due to a Goodreads challenge that I’m participating in. It’s a team challenge and the more books I read, the better. According to Gretchen Rubin’s four tendencies, I’m an Obliger, so I’ve been reading non-stop, not wanting to let my teammates down! So, expect lots more books from now until October, when this challenge ends! Here are my June reads, listed from least to most enjoyed.

2 Stars

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If Fried Chickens Could Fly by Paige Shelton – This is the first book in the Gram’s Country Cooking School mystery series. I like a good cozy mystery every now and then, but this book was just “eh.” While I normally like cooking and food related mysteries, the paranormal aspect of this book just seemed weird.

3 Stars

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Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan – This book was literally about “crazy rich” Asians, with some characters being a bit “crazy” as well. The story revolves around three super wealthy Chinese families living in Singapore and the effects that their wealth has on various relationships. I found there to be way too many people to keep track of, even though a family tree is provided in the beginning of the book. I also didn’t like all of the translations and footnotes at the bottoms of the pages.

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The Dinner Party by Brenda Janowitz – The majority of this book takes place in one evening at the Gold family Passover Seder. It turns out that each of Sylvia’s three children have their own secrets and grievances which end up coming out at the Seder. This was an okay read about family and sibling relationships.

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Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica – Out of the three books that I have read by Kubica, this is my least favorite. While it was a suspenseful read, I found the ending to be a bit disappointing.

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The Fallout by Tamar Cohen – I heard about this book from the For Crying out Loud podcast with Lynette Carolla and Stefanie Wilder-Taylor. Guest, author Caroline Kepnes recommended this book, so I thought I should give it a try, since I’ve liked Kepnes’ books. The book is about two couples who are best friends. But when one of the husband’s decides to leave his wife, his choice affects all three of them. Unfortunately, this book didn’t do it for me. I found all of the characters really unlikable and annoying.

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The Heir by Kiera Cass – This is the 4th book in the Selection series. I enjoyed seeing how Princess Eadlyn deals with the Selection. However, this book seemed to drag and not really get anywhere. I need to read book 5 to see how the Selection ends.

4 Stars
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Cross Justice by James Patterson – I know Patterson has gotten a little out of hand with the number of books he publishes and I admit they’re not always winners. However, I really enjoy the Alex Cross series and the Women’s Murder Club series. It’s hard to believe that Cross Justice is book number 23 in the Alex Cross series. This was a page turner for me as we learn more about Alex Cross’ parents and childhood.

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Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover – This is the companion story to Hopeless, but is told from Holder’s point of view. I am a fan of Colleen Hoover and recommend reading Hopeless first. Both books deal with the issues of love, loss and forgiveness.

5 Stars

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys – This is a YA book that takes place in 1941. It tells the story of Lina and her family who are taken from their home in Lithuania by Soviet police and sent to a work camp in Siberia. I read this book right after reading Lilac Girls (below) which led for some very depressive reading. Again though, this was a part of history that I didn’t know about.
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Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly – Much of this book takes place in Ravensbruck, the only all female Nazi concentration camp and three girls whose lives will intersect. As much as I read books about this time period, I am always learning something new. I had no idea there was an all female camp or the experiments that they did on the girls. I also found it interesting that characters in this book are based on real people.

CSA Challenge: Penne with Escarole and Sausage

Posted on July 11, 2016 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

If you follow me on Instagram you know that I joined a local CSA for the first time this year. It is fun being introduced to new vegetables, but it is challenging as well. Some of the vegetables I receive I have never heard of, have only tried in restaurants or have never cooked with. Over the next few weeks, I have a new series planned where I am showcasing how I use some of the vegetables from my CSA. Hopefully, this will inspire you to pick up a new vegetable at the Farmer’s market or grocery store or help you cook with it, if like me, you receive it in a CSA pickup.

The first vegetable that I am spotlighting is escarole. Escarole is a leafy green that looks like a head of lettuce, but has a more bitter taste. Because the head of escarole I had was so large, I settled on this Penne with Escarole and Sausage recipe from the Cooking Channel, figuring I’d be able to use most of it up. I have made a similar recipe to this one in the past using broccoli rabe, another bitter green. This recipe was a winner, as the bitterness of the leaves was greatly reduced by the heating. It also blended well with the flavors of the garlic and sausage. To keep the recipe kid-friendly, I omitted the crushed red pepper that the original recipe called for.

Penne with Escarole and Sausage
Recipe adapted from the Cooking Channel, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients
pound pasta
teaspoon olive oil
large onion diced
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for salting pasta water
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper, cooking until onion is soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until browned, 6 to 8 minutes, breaking up the sausage pieces as it cooks. Add the garlic and escarole, and cook for approximately 5 minutes longer, as escarole beings to wilt.

Add the cooked pasta and the reserved cooking water, and stir gently to combine. Simmer until everything is heated through, approximately 2 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the cheese tossing to combine.

5 Things Our Family Wants To Do In NYC

Posted on July 8, 2016 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

When you don’t have the funds or the time to travel a great distance, it is often suggested that you be a tourist in your own town. Our family is certainly trying to take advantage of all our town and the surrounding Hudson Valley has to offer this summer. However, we also live a short train ride away from New York City. The city offers so much to see and do that there’s always something to add to our NYC to do list. Here are five things that we’d like to do in NYC:

1. Visit the Statue Liberty – The last time I visited the Statue of Liberty was in elementary school on a Girl Scout trip. I thought that maybe we’d take the kids this summer and went online to reserve tickets to the crown…..because if we go visit the Statue of Liberty, I want to go to the top. The next available tickets were for the middle of October! Since I don’t know the kids’ sports and activity schedules for the new school year, I didn’t want to make any reservations yet. I guess this trip won’t be happening anytime soon.

2. See a Broadway Musical – New York City is famous for its Broadway musicals and plays. It is always fun to go see a show together.

3. Take a Bus Tour – I’ve been saying for awhile now that I’d love to do the whole touristy thing and take a bus tour through NYC. While The Ride is a bit on the pricey side, I’ve heard it’s one of the better bus tours available.

4. Have Dim Sum in China Town – Last year, my family conducted our own food tour of China Town. My kids ended up loving soup dumplings and have been asking for them again. Instead of doing another food tour through Chinatown, we think they’d like having dim sum there. It has been years since we’ve had dim sum and what better place to get some than in Chinatown?!

5. Visit a Museum – Last year we visited the Museum of Natural History. While we took the kids to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan when they were much younger, we think they are now old enough to enjoy the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) or the Guggenheim. We may have to take advantage of the MoMA’s free Friday nights one day this summer.

And a bonus:

6. Walk the High Line – The High Line is an elevated freight rail that has been turned into a public park.

We are fortunate to live so close to New York City. There is always something new to see or do and we are hoping to take advantage of this more often.

What are your favorite New York City family-friendly recommendations?

The Tween Reads: June 2016 Part 1

Posted on July 7, 2016 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

As I’ve mentioned, my children are voracious readers. In Friday’s post I shared some of the books that my son had read in June. My daughter, who recently turned 10, wanted to write on the blog. I thought it would be fun for her to write reviews of her recent reads. She reads several books a week and hopefully her reviews will help give you and your children some new book recommendations. When applicable, I add my mom notes with my thoughts and opinions! However, my daughter reads way too many books for me to keep up with her! Stay tuned for next week’s Part 2 post for more of her June book reviews.

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Allie, First at Last by Angela Cervantes – Allie, First At Last is about a girl named Allie, who will do anything to earn a medal or trophy to put on her family’s trophy wall. All of her siblings have earned trophies and medals. Even her grandpa won a Congressional Medal of Honor. Allie first tries winning the science fair and then tries to win the Trailblazer contest. I liked, not loved this book. It wasn’t the best book, but it shows true signs of friendship, hatred and understanding throughout the book. Read the book to find out if she wins!

Mom’s notes: Reading this book as an adult, I really enjoyed it. Allie, the main character in this story is a fifth grader. Come September, my daughter will be entering 5th grade, which is what attracted me to put this book on hold for her in the first place. Allie is Mexican American. While this is not important to the story, it was refreshing to read a book with characters from a different background. I also enjoyed that Allie became good friends with Victor, without any romantic connotations. This book is recently published (March 2016) middle grade fiction book that I highly recommend.

*This book was borrowed from the library.

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Read All About It! (Dear Know it-all #1) by Rachel Wise – This book is about a girl named Sam Martone, a who works for the newspaper at her school. When she is asked to write the Dear Know it-all column, Sam is really excited and nervous. Being the Dear Know it-all is a very special and secret job that states that the author of the column must not tell anyone. When Sam is asked to work with her crush, it is SO awkward. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to find out more on a girl who is super good at reporting and writing and who, in my opinion, is also clumsy.

*This book was borrowed from the library.

Pack of Dorks

Pack of Dorks by Beth Vrabel – This book is about a girl named Lucy who is 4th grade like I was. She goes through lots of troubles throughout the book At one point, Lucy kissed Tom Lemmings and he gave her a ring. But three days later he wants his ring back because he said Lucy wasn’t a good kisser. Lucy’s mom has a baby named Molly. Molly was born with Downs Syndrome. It is a VERY hard time for Lucy, losing her best friend, having a new baby sister, not having a boyfriend anymore and having parents who are grumpy and tired all the time. She feels like a dork now. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in adventure.

*This book was borrowed from the library.

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Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan – Save Me a Seat is about a Boy named Ravi [Rah-VEE] and a boy named Joe. Ravi came all the way from India and is vegetarian. Joe is a boy with special needs and is over-weight. When Ravi comes into Mrs. Beams 5^th grade class, he thinks the class bully, Dillon Samreen is his friend, but he’s not. In the end, Joe and Ravi become good friends. I give this book 4 stars because I think that this book is a nice book for bullying and friendship and it passes many messages.

Mom’s Notes: I found this recently published (May 2016) middle grade fiction book to be just okay. I enjoyed that the two main characters were boys, although the story itself is appropriate for both boys and girls. Unfortunately, the friendship between Joe and Ravi really doesn’t form until the very end of the book, when they outwit Dillon, the bully. I disliked that Dillon’s bullying wasn’t addressed at all in the book and he got away with his behavior.

*This book was borrowed from the library.

The Kid Reads: June 2016

Posted on July 1, 2016 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

I do a monthly post and join a link up each month sharing the books that I’ve read in the previous month. My kids are voracious readers (I wonder where they got that from?!) and I thought that I’d write a monthly post sharing the books that they’ve been reading each month. My son will be eight next month but is an advanced reader. He reads a variety of books but especially enjoys graphic novels, the Jedi Academy and the Origami Yoda series and the Diary of a Wimpy Kids series. To expand his reading, I often put a bunch of books that I think may interest on hold at the library. He can then give the books a try and any he doesn’t like we send back. Here are some of his June 2016 reads.

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Cheesie Mack Is Not a Genius or Anything by Steve Cotler – This is the first book in a five book series. Ronald “Cheesie” Mack is a soon-to-be sixth grader. In this book, he tells stories about his graduation, his older sister, June (who he calls Goon), his best friend Georgie and more. This series is targeted for readers ages 8-12.

The kid’s thoughts: I liked this book because Cheesie makes up his own words like splenderful and invents sandwiches like the BLART (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Ranch and Tomatoes). This book is full of adventure so I recommend it if you like adventure.

*This book was borrowed from the library.

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Galaxy Zack: Journey to Juno by Ray O’Ryan – This is the second book in the Galaxy Zack series, which my son is enjoying. In this book Zack goes on a trip to Juno with the Explorer’s Club. Zack gets partnered with Seth Stevens, the class bully. They are supposed to be taking photos and videos of the cool things that they find on Juno. However, Seth leaves Zack to do all of the work. Zack ends up discovering a galaxy gemmite, a powerful crystal, but doesn’t want Seth to get any credit for the discovery. He of course ends up having a change of heart. This series is recommended for readers ages 5-8. It is filled with lots of illustrations and short chapters.

The Kid’s thoughts: I liked this book. I’ve already read the first book Hello, Nebulon and like this series since it’s about beautiful, make-believe planets . There is cool technology in this like Zack’s house assistant, IRA (Indoor Robotic Assistant). For dinner they don’t have to cook anything, they just say what they want and it magically comes out of the wall. I am getting ready to read the next book in the series.

*This book was borrowed from the library.

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Shark School: Deep-Sea Disaster by Davy Ocean – My son received this book as an end-of-year gift from his second grade teacher. This book is about Harry Hammer, a hammerhead shark that wants to be cool like famous sea wrestler Gregor the Gnasher. On a class trip to a shipwreck, the class gets trapped and Harry ends up helping out. This book is the first in a series of seven. It is illustrated and is recommended for readers ages 6-9.

The Kid’s thoughts: I liked it because there were funny parts, like when Harry tries to beat Rick to the classroom and the door’s closed and he hits the door. I agree with the sea creatures in Harry’s class that the Great White Shark is the coolest shark in the ocean. I liked Harry because he’s serious and stands up for other people. I liked this book and want to read more of the series.

*We own this book.

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Timmy Failure: Mistakes were Made by Stephan Pastis – When you’re perusing books at the library and the cover of this book has Diary of a Wimpy Kid author noting that Timmy Failure is a winner, you have to give it a try! This is the first in a five book series, targeted toward middle grade readers. Although the book has 294 pages, it has very short chapters and many are filled with illustrations and cartoons. Timmy has a detective agency, Total Failure, Inc. and a pet polar bear named Total. Throughout the book, Timmy works on three different cases. I perused the first couple chapters of this book, which were humorous, but not such that I think my almost eight year old understands it. I also noted a large number of words that my son probably doesn’t understand.

The kid’s thoughts: I liked this book because it’s funny. Total the polar bear acts crazy and is funny. He’s my favorite character. I liked the illustrations in the book. There were some words that I didn’t know but I could still understand what was going on in the book. I would recommend this book to kids who like detective stories.

*This book was borrowed from the library.

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Zac Power Mind Games by H.I. Larry – I had put this book on hold for my son, not realizing that it was the third book in the series. This series features 12 year old Zac Power, a spy for the Government Investigation Bureau (GIB). In this book his mission is to locate hackers trying to access WorldEye, GIB’s satellite system. A lot of cool technology and gadgets are featured in this book, which appealed to my son (see below). This is a futuristic fantasy book with a focus on video games. This series is targeted towards readers ages 8-11 and will appeal to those who enjoy action and adventure. My son liked this book enough to request the first book in the series.

The kid’s thoughts: In my son’s words, “this book was okay.” He likes that Zac Power is a spy and he likes the different gadgets that Zac uses during his mission, like the karaoke scooter and the stink bomb (the 10,000 dog farts setting definitely appealed to my son’s sense of humor!).

*This book was borrowed from the library.