May 2018 - NY Foodie Family

Recent Tween Reads

Posted on May 29, 2018 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for more details.)

School has been busy but my tweens have still been reading up a storm. Here is a look at some of the recent books that my 9 and 12-year-old children have been reading. With summer vacation soon approaching, maybe some of these reads will interest your own tweens.

The 9-year-old:

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Big Nate on a Roll by Lincoln Peirce
Published: HarperCollins, August 2011
Pages: 224
Source: borrowed from the library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the third book in the Big Nate series. This series is similar to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series in that there are lots of cartoon-like illustrations mixed with the text. In this book, Nate’s Timber Scouts troop is selling wall hangings. The grand prize is a customized skate board that Nate really wants. But he has major competition from new troop member Artur. Who will win the grand prize?! As a fan of cartoons and comics, my son likes this series. He’s read a couple of other books in the Big Nate series and thinks Nate is a funny character.

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Bunny vs. Monkey: Book Two by Jamie Smart
Published by: David Fickling Books, August 2015
Pages: 64
Source: borrowed from the library
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is the second book in the Bunny vs. Monkey children’s graphic novel series. Bunny fights for good while Monkey fights for evil. This book is broken up by seasons, with several comics for each month. Each comic stars Bunny, Monkey, Pig and Squirrel along with some other woodland creatures. Monkey is always unsuccessfully trying to destroy the forest. My son found this book to be hilarious.

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The Lost Hero: The Graphic Novel adapted by Robert Venditti
Art by: Nate Powell
Published by: Disney-Hyperion, October 2014
Pages: 192
Source: borrowed from the library
Rating: 4/5 stars

My son and I read The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan together a couple of months ago. When he saw this graphic novel at the library, he of course had to check it out. This book combines his love of comics with the great story of The Lost Hero.

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Middle School Get Me Out of Here by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
Published by: Jimmy Patterson, May 2012
Pages: 288
Source: borrowed from the library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the follow-up book to Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life. Rafe is now in 7th grade and has been accepted into art school. The family is now living with Rafe’s grandmother in the city, after there’s a fire in the restaurant where his mom worked. His new school isn’t all that Rafe expected it to be and he deals with bullying and trying to make new friends and fit in. There are plenty of illustrations in this book that help add to the story. Fans of the first book will likely enjoy this book as well.

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Stick Dog Slurps Spaghetti (#6) by Tom Waston
Published by: HarperCollins, March 2016
Pages: 240
Source: borrowed from the library
Rating: 3/5 stars

This is the sixth book in the Stick Dog series. This is another series with lots of simple drawings. Can you tell the type of books my son enjoys reading?! In this book after Stick Dog and his friends get a small taste of spaghetti, they go on a search to get more. He enjoyed this book as much as the others that he read.

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Zach King: My Magical Life
Illustrated by: Beverly Arce
Published by: HarperCollins, September 2017
Pages: 208
Source: borrowed from library
Rating: 5/5 stars

Zach King is a social media star and magician. My Magical Life is his debut novel targeted for middle grade readers. Everyone in Zach’s family has a magical power, but he hasn’t discovered his yet. So, his parents decide to stop homeschooling him and send him to a regular middle school. This book comes with a free downloadable app and it will eventually be coming to the big screen. Prior to reading the book my son was familiar with Zach King from YouTube. He loved this book and thought it was a fun read.

The 12-year-old:

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30 People Who Changed the World – Edited by Jean Reynolds
Published by: Seagrass Press, October 2017
Pages: 144
Source: c/o publisher
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

This is a non-fiction book that includes 30 “bite-sized essay from award-winning writers.” Biographies include Julius Caesar, Cesar Chavez, Rosa Park, Sally Ride, Queen Victoria, Malala Yousafzai and many more. Each essay includes photographs and additional print and media resources to learn more information about the individual. My daughter found this book to be very educational. This isn’t a book that she read straight through, but rather would read an essay every now and then. Her favorites include Sally Ride and Malala Yousafzai.

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The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson
Published by: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers, June 2016
Pages: 309
Source: borrowed from library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson’s first YA novel. In this book, high school sophomore Charlie is training to be an Olympic gymnast. But she really wants to do normal high school things like date boys and go to prom. I read this book when it was first published. I had to remind myself that it is a YA book, intended for younger readers. However, the writing and story is appropriate for even middle school readers. My daughter really liked this book. She liked Charlie and found her double life intriguing.

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Kate Walden Directs: Night of the Zombie Chickens by Julie Mata
Published by: Disney-Hyperion, May 2014
Pages: 288
Source: borrowed from library
Rating: 3/5 stars

This middle-grade fiction book is about Kate Walden, a seventh-grade film fanatic. She’s working on her breakout film Night of the Zombie Chickens starring her mom’s organic hens. Then her best friend ditches her for the “cool kids” and Kate ends up alone at the loser table during lunch. Kate ends up dealing with both family issues and friendship issues all while trying to finish her film. My daughter thought this was an okay book about perseverance.

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Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Published by: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, March 2010
Pages: 295
Source: borrowed from library
Rating: 5/5 stars

11-year-old Melody has cerebral palsy and cannot walk or talk. However, Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. My daughter loves this book so much and has read it multiple times. She finds it very inspirational and highly recommends this book to middle school-aged readers.

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Pottymouth and Stoopid by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein
Published by: Jimmy Patterson, June 2017
Pages: 336
Source: borrowed from library
Rating: 3/5 stars

Seventh graders David and Michael are still stuck with the nicknames they received in preschool, “Pottymouth” and “Stoopid.” When a new show on the Cartoon Network debuts, with the name “Pottymouth & Stoopid” the two become very popular. Who is making the television show and how do they know so much about David and Michael’s life? This book is a humorous take on the serious topic of bullying. My daughter thought that this was an okay read. She’s read several other of James Patterson’s series and this wasn’t her favorite.

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The Power of Poppy Pendle by Natasha Lowe
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 2012
Pages: 268
Source: Courtesy of the author
Rating: 3/5 stars

Poppy is born into a long line of witches and has inherited great powers. Even though she’s a talented witch, she really wants to be a baker. However, her parents disagree and will do anything to keep her away from baking. That’s when Poppy decides to take matters into her own hands. This is the first book of three books in the Poppy Pendle series. Several recipes that Poppy makes in the book are included in the back of the book. My daughter thought this was a good book. She liked when Poppy stands up for herself and makes new friends. She also enjoyed reading about all of the delicious things that Poppy made.

5 Podcasts Every Blogger Should Listen To

Posted on May 24, 2018 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Are there any other podcast fans out there? I am a podcast junkie and am always on the lookout for new ones to listen to. I know that there are hundreds of podcasts out there. As I’ve gotten more serious about blogging, I’m always on the lookout for new opportunities to educate myself about the business. There are tons of podcasts about blogging, starting a business and become an entrepreneur. However, here are 5 podcasts every blogger should listen to (in my humble opinion!). I’ve listened to these regularly and have found them to be very helpful.

Boss Girl Creative
This podcast is hosted by Taylor Bradford. I was first introduced to Taylor with her blog Pink Heels Pink Truck, which is now the Taylor Bradford Blog. She’s someone I was familiar with who has become a bossgirl. Boss Girl Creative provides strategies on social media and blogging to help grow an online empire. To-date, there are 154 episodes. I really enjoyed her Nitty Gritty series where she interviews various influential bloggers about their blogging journeys.

The Chopped Podcast
This podcast is hosted by Marley McMillen, of the blog NamelyMarley. She is also the creator of the Chopped Conference, a one-day conference for food bloggers. It’s been a couple of months since a new podcast episode has aired. However, to-date there are 157 episodes to listen to. While this podcast focuses on taking your food blog to the next level, most of the information is very relevant to any type of blog.

Food Blogger Pro Podcast
This podcast is hosted by Bjork Ostrom, husband of Lindsey Ostrom from the blog Pinch of Yum. Don’t be misled by the title of the podcast. Yes, this is another podcast that is targeted towards food bloggers. However, like the Chopped Podcast, most of the episodes are useful to all bloggers, regardless of niche. To-date there are 151 episodes to listen to.

The Influencer Podcast
This podcast is hosted by Julie Solomon, a New York Times best-selling publicist. This podcast focuses on helping create a brand and business. She interviews various influencers and leaders in the social media realm. To-date there are 60 episodes and 11 influencer insights mini-episodes to listen to.

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Pursuit With Purpose
This is one of the newer podcasts that I’ve started listening to. Melyssa Griffin is another blogger that I was familiar with before she started her podcast. This podcast focuses more on, “creating a life and business that is meaningful, authentic, and fulfilling.” This podcast focuses less on the hows and whys of blogging and more on mindset and motivation as a blogger. To-date there are 38 episodes to listen to.

What podcasts do you listen to that help you blog?

A Weekend in Corning

Posted on May 22, 2018 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Nicknamed “Crystal City,” Corning, NY is perfect for a fun family weekend getaway. Situated in the southern Finger Lakes region, there is something here for everyone. Last summer I visited Corning with my two children and we had a great time. However, the town will appeal to art lovers, wine connoisseurs, or couples looking for a romantic getaway as well. The trip to Corning is a little less than 4 hours by car.

Where to Stay:

Staybridge Suites Corning
Staybridge Suites Corning is located a short distance from the Corning Museum of Glass. This hotel is perfect for families. Our suite had a small kitchenette with a table and chairs and a living room with a television. The kids shared one bedroom and each got a bed all to themselves, while I slept in the other bedroom. Getting ready in the morning was made easier with a bathroom in each bedroom. My kids loved swimming in the indoor pool. Breakfast is included with your stay, which is always nice when traveling, to save on expenses. The buffet had a decent selection of hot and cold choices including oatmeal, scrambled eggs, waffles, pastries, fruit and more. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings the hotel hosts an evening reception with complimentary food and beverages.

What to do:

Rockwell Museum
The Rockwell Museum is located in the heart of Corning, on the corner of Cedar Street. The museum houses a diverse collection of art that tells the story of the American experience through the works of American artists. Open at 9 AM, this is a great place to start your visit in Corning. You can easily spend a couple of hours viewing the paintings, sculptures, photographs and other works of art. You can buy a combo ticket to the Corning Museum of Glass and take advantage of the free shuttle. Read all about why this museum is great for families!

Corning Museum of Glass
Most people associate Corning with the Corning Museum of Glass and of course it is a mandatory stop on your trip. The Corning Museum of Glass houses the world’s largest collection of glass art, with over 3,500 years of glass history exhibited throughout its galleries. During your visit you will also be able to watch live glass making demonstrations that are held continuously throughout the day.

Prior to your visit, be sure to make a reservation at the Studio if you want to participate in a Make Your Own Glass experience. For an additional fee, you can enjoy a memorable glass blowing experience and take home a souvenir of your trip. Because the glass needs to undergo a slow cooling process, it must remain at the studio overnight and can be picked up the next day or shipped to your house, for a fee. Read all about our visit to the CMOG.

Other Museums and Historic Sites
Located in or around Corning you will also find other museums including the Arnot Art Museum, Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, the Finger Lakes Boating Museum and the Erie Depot. History fans will also enjoy Mark Twain’s Elmira.

Watkins Glen International Speedway
Located approximately 30 minutes away is the Watkins Glen International Speedway. If you are into car racing, you may want to plan a weekend when a race is taking place. On specific dates, you can purchase a pass to drive your car around the raceway!

Shopping
The Gaffer District is home to over 50 shops. From clothing, jewelry, glass, wine, cigars, art and more, you will find something for everyone among the different shops.

Wineries & Breweries
The Finger Lakes is well-known for its wine trails. But did you know that the region is also home to many breweries and distilleries? While not something that I could partake in with the kids in tow, I can’t wait to return with my husband to enjoy the craft beverage trail.

Outdoor Fun
There are many different outdoor activities to enjoy in Corning. Depending on when you visit you can kayak, hike, bike, fish, boat and even horseback ride. No matter what season you visit, you should make time for a stop at Watkins Glen State Park. A short drive from Corning, this New York State park is home to 19 waterfalls, a couple of which you can actually walk behind! During our visit we kayaked, went horseback riding, and also visited Watkins Glen State Park.

Where to Eat:

Old World Café
Within walking distance of the Rockwell Museum is the Old World Cafe. It sits in the heart of the Gaffer District, and is a perfect place to grab lunch. You can enjoy the homemade soups, sandwiches and salads, but leave room for some Purity ice cream, served in the parlor.

Hand + Foot
Back in the Gaffer District enjoy dinner at Hand + Foot. The have a drink menu featuring an extensive list of draft beers. Their menu features sandwiches and dishes made with seasonal ingredients. The restaurant focuses on community and has one long table for seating, conducive for meeting the locals and making new friends.

Nickel’s Pit BBQ
After a hike at Watkins Glen State Park, visit Nickel’s Pit BBQ located on North Franklin Street. The restaurant is located in the historic Watkins Glen fire department building. It serves all kinds of delicious BBQ in a casual, but fun atmosphere.

Village Tavern Restaurant
Located approximately 40 minutes away in Hammondsport, near Lake Keuka, is Village Tavern Restaurant. This European style bar and restaurant serves award-winning wines and over 100 different beers. While the restaurant specializes in fresh fish and seafood, the lunch menu includes a variety of salads and sandwiches. This restaurant is seasonal and is open May through the beginning of December.

Note: Thank you Corning and the Southern Finger Lakes for hosting our visit. As always, all opinions are our own.

Duckpin Bowling {Family Fun}

Posted on May 17, 2018 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

I’m sure many families have been bowling before. But have you tried Duckpin bowling?! Duckpin bowling is similar to the bowling that most of us are familiar with. However, there are some differences. First, although there are ten pins, they are smaller and lighter than those used in 10-pin bowling, making it more difficult to roll a strike. Second, the balls are smaller in size and do not have finger holes.

Our family recently visited the only local Duckpin bowling alley that we are aware of, Danbury Duckpin Lanes, in Danbury, Connecticut.

This is an old school bowling alley. There are no televisions or streaming LCD screens. The lanes don’t have automatic scoring or pin clearing. But there is lots of memorabilia and look at that clock!

When you check-in at the main desk you are assigned a lane and given a scoring paper and pencil. The time is recorded, as you pay by the amount of time spent bowling, not per game. Scoring is calculated the same way as regular bowling. Except in duckpin bowling, you roll three balls per frame.

After each roll you hit the floor pedal to clear the fallen pins.

Then once you roll your third ball, you hit the reset button to load the pins for the next player.

There is a bit of a learning curve to Duckpin bowling, mostly in getting comfortable holding and throwing the ball. The smaller balls were a bit hard to hold, especially for the kids. Although the bowling alley has bumpers available, we opted not to use them. They are the kind that have to be put in and everyone has to use them. My son wasn’t very happy about this, since many of his balls ended up in the gutter.

We spent an hour and twenty minutes bowling two games, with my husband winning both. Although there is a small snack bar at the lanes, we didn’t eat while we were there, as we had gone out to lunch right before bowling.

Duckpin bowling is a fun variation of ten-pin bowling. We had a great time at Danbury Duckpin Lanes and plan on visiting again soon!

The Details:
Danbury Duckpin Lanes
7 East Hayestown Road
Danbury, CT 06811
(203) 744-4505

Hours: Closed Monday & Tuesday
Wednesday & Thursday 3:30 PM – 6 PM
Friday 3:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Saturday 12 PM – 9:30 PM
Sunday 11 AM – 6 PM

Price: 3o minute minimum, price starts at $16 for 30 minutes
Shoes: $1.50/pair

*Credit cards are accepted.

*The snack bar sells food at a reasonable price: pizza $2.00, french fries $2.00, hot dog $1.75 plus snacks, beverages, ice cream and more.

Cooking Lately

Posted on May 14, 2018 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

If you’re a regular blog reader you may have noticed that I haven’t posted a weekly meal plan for the past two weeks. Believe me, I’ve still been cooking up a storm during the week. I just haven’t had time to post our meal plan here. So today, I’m sharing some of the meals that I’ve cooked over the past two weeks. Again, I hope this post helps you find something new to make for dinner. Mix up your weekly dinners and try a new recipe! You and your family might like it! So on to what’s been cooking lately:

Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole from Broma Bakery – This was a family favorite and my daughter already asked me to make this again. My only criticism of this recipe is that it should be called Taco Tater Tot Casserole. After looking at some other “cheeseburger” tater tot casserole recipes, I noticed that the others had mustard, ketchup and pickles. This recipe had none of that but does have taco seasoning. I forgot to serve this with sour cream and it was still tasty. This is a hearty, comfort dish that I’ll save to make again in the fall once the weather gets cool again.

Cowboy Spaghetti from Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals – I’ve made this recipe before many years ago. Although it sounds like a weird combination of ingredients, somehow it works. I did not use beer in my recipe. The family enjoyed this meal and this is another recipe that I’ll likely make again, come fall or winter.

Instant Pot Sticky Korean Chicken from Half Baked Harvest – This was a quick and easy chicken dish. Instead of the gochugang sauce the recipe called for, I used a tablespoon of chili garlic sauce. Even that was probably a bit much, since the chicken turned out pretty spicy. My chicken ended up pretty saucy, which I didn’t mind because I spooned it over the rice. However, I used a pound of chicken and there was no leftovers and not even enough for seconds. Next time, I’ll reduce the amount of chili garlic sauce and double the amount of chicken. I served this with rice and veggies. This will be made again!

Cajun Chicken Alfredo Shells from Closet Cooking – This was probably one of the more time consuming meals to make over the past two weeks. The night before I was going to make these my husband pre-cooked the chicken for me in the Instant Pot. While the shells cooked, I made the sauce and got the chicken and broccoli mixture together. These were pretty tasty, but I think more work than it was worth. Luckily, there were leftovers which my daughter and I took for lunch the next day. I served these shells with a Caesar salad.

Wafflewiches from Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals – If you are looking for a super quick and easy meal, these Wafflewiches are it! It’s a different take on the Monte Cristo, using waffles instead of French Toast. My kids rarely eat a cold cut sandwich, but both enjoyed these wafflewiches.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw from Pinch of Yum – Shrimp are quick and easy to cook. The sauce and slaw was easy to throw together and it packed a lot of flavor! There was a bunch of slaw and sauce leftover, which we are using in fish tacos!

What have you been cooking lately?

Birchbox {April 2018}

Posted on May 10, 2018 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

I’ve always been a fan of subscription boxes. There’s just something about getting a surprise package in the mail every month that’s just for me. I finally broke down and started a Birchbox subscription. For the rare few who may have not heard of Birchbox, it’s a monthly subscription that sends you five sample-sized beauty products. After hearing so much about it for so long, I decided to give it a go.

When you sign up for Birchbox you complete a Beauty Profile that covers your skin, hair and beauty style and knowledge. FYI, I’m very low-maintenance with barely any beauty knowledge. My almost non-existent beauty and make-up routine is very minimalist.

I was hesitant to try Birchbox because the products they send are sample-sized. However, I have to say that I was impressed with what was sent. The samples are big enough to get several uses out of each product. Plus, I also like that if you love one of the products in the box, you can purchase the full-size item through the website. And the best part, the boxes are only $10 a month! And aren’t the boxes themselves so pretty?! I plan on keeping these to store things in.

My April 2018 box included:

Beautaniq Beauty: Fill + Tame Brow Gel (full-size $12) – I have never used brow gel and have to admit that I still haven’t tried this. As far as beauty and makeup go, I’m a super minimalist and brow gel seems a little too much for me.

Dr. Lipp: Miracle Balm (full-size $16.50)- This product is one that would get a lot more use from me in the winter. That’s when my lips and especially my hands get super dry. This Miracle Balm is thick and has the consistency of petroleum jelly. I’ve only used it a couple of times on my lips, but so far, so good.

jane iredale: Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain in Forever Pink (full-size $25) – I don’t wear blush or “cheek stain.” I also don’t normally wear lipstick during the week. If I wear lipstick before going out, I want it to stand out a little bit. I found this shade to be a little too light for me. The color was barely noticeable, but gave my lips a little shine.

Marcelle: BB Cream Golden Glow (full-size $29) – As I’ve mentioned, I’m late to the make-up game. Can I admit that I’ve never used a BB cream until now?! BB creams have become super popular because they are a multi-functional product. They moisturize, provide light foundation coverage and many also have sun protection. I received the Golden Glow shade in my box and have to say that I do like it. I think I’m a BB cream convert, but am going to experiment with some different brands.

Vasanti: BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator (full-size $34) – I have been using this a couple of times a week in the shower. I only use a pea size amount each time, so I’ve been able to get a number of uses out of this sample. I’m not sure I notice a big difference when I use this, so this is something I’d probably not buy the full-size version of.

As you can see, the price of the full-size products of some of these samples are a lot more than I’d be willing to pay to try a product and not know if I’ll love it. I also believe that as you rate and review your samples, Birchbox can get a better sense of what you like and don’t like. This will hopefully help your box get better and better each month! I’m planning on getting the May Birchbox but will likely put my subscription on hold for the summer.

Do you subscribe to Birchbox? What was in your April box?

April 2018 Reads

Posted on May 8, 2018 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for additional information.)

It’s the second Tuesday of the month which means that I’m sharing my April reads with Jana and Steph’s Show Us Your Books linkup. It was a slow reading month for me. I only read five books, but all but one were great reads. Here are my April 2018 reads in least to most liked.

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Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver – This was my only non-fiction book of the month. After being diagnosed with MS, Carver reassessed her life and decided to live a more minimalist life. Her book gives tips and strategies on how to pursue minimalism. I found it to be too autobiographical and the advice was pretty basic.

4 stars

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The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth – This book is about Pleasant Court and three women, Essie, Ange and Fran, who live with their families there. When Isabelle, a single woman, moves into the neighborhood the women are on high alert. Each of the women, including Isabelle, are each dealing with their own struggles. While it appears to the others that their lives are perfect they are indeed not. The story line and writing style of this book reminded me of Liane Moriarty. While Hepworth has become a recent favorite author, this book had a different writing style/feel than her other books that I’ve read. It was still an enjoyable read for me though.

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The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah – Hannah has been a favorite author for awhile. I found this book to start off slow. At first, I was thinking this wasn’t my kind of read. However, once I got about half-way through I got really invested into Leni’s life, rooting for her and her mom.

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The Other Mother by Carol Goodman – Daphne meets Laurel at a postpartum mother’s support group. The two both have daughters named Chloe. Soon Daphne starts dressing and looking like Laurel. Their intense friendship has some drastic consequences. When I picked up this book, I realized that I had read one of Goodman’s books many years ago and wasn’t a big fan of it. So, I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy this book. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this was a decent suspense read.

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Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney – Amber wakes up in the hospital, unable to see or speak. However, she can hear everything going on around her. As the story unfolds between the past, the week before her accident and the present, we discover what really happened. I feel like I’ve read a couple of books recently where the wife was in an accident and can’t remember what happened prior to it and I wasn’t impressed. This book though had lots of twists and I found it to be an enjoyable read.

Five on Friday {May the Fourth Be With You!}

Posted on May 4, 2018 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional information.)

Happy Friday and Happy Star Wars Day! May started on Tuesday with a beautiful spring day and then decided to jump to 90 degrees. So, it’s been feeling like summer these past few days. I’m not quite ready for this heat, but I’m not going to complain. Winter lasted way too long. It’s been a busy couple of weeks here but we will hopefully have a relaxing weekend. Here are five from this week:

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1. Reading – I am in the middle of reading Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins. It’s a contemporary fiction book about Nora, a doctor who gets injured and decides to go back home to heal. I’m half-way through and am enjoying it.

The Greatest Showman poster.png Pitch Perfect 2 poster.jpg

2. Watching – Over the past two weeks we watched Pitch Perfect 2, Coco and The Greatest Showman. I highly recommend watching all of these movies! Pitch Perfect is one of my favorite movies. While Pitch Perfect 2 wasn’t as great, it’s still a fun movie. I’ve enjoyed getting to watch them again with my kids and am waiting for the third movie to come in from the library. Coco was surprisingly good. I wasn’t expecting much from this animated kids movie but was pleasantly surprised! The Greatest Showman was great and I know why people are buying the soundtrack. There are lots of great songs from this movie!

3. Eating – We had our monthly supper club this past weekend and the theme was Australian. It was actually difficult to find “Australian” recipes. I made lamingtons, which is a type of cake with icing and then covered in coconut.

4. Family Fun – This past weekend our family saw the Cirque du Soleil show Volta. It was such an amazing show. It’s in New Jersey until this weekend and then it’s going to Long Island, Oaks, PA, Seattle, WA and then San Francisco and San Jose, CA. You can read my review of this family fun experience!

5. Subscription Box Fun (c/o STRONG self(ie)) – Do you have a tween/teen daughter? They will love this STRONG self(ie) subscription box! STRONG self(ie) kindly sent me a box to review and both my daughter and I loved it! This box is quarterly and is filled with items to help our daughters become their best self(ie). You can read my full review. If you use code “Foodie20” and receive 20% off your first box!

Sharing with Friday Favorites. Have a great weekend!

Westchester Weekend {May 5 & 6}

Posted on May 2, 2018 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Every weekend there’s always a ton of events going on in Westchester County and the surrounding area. Unfortunately, there are too many events to write about and I’m lucky if our family can attend even one event. However, I’m hoping to showcase some highlight events that you may want to try to attend. Here’s a quick look at some of the family fun and food events taking place in Westchester County and the surrounding area this weekend.

As always, please check with the website/venue for the most up-to-date information.

Saturday, May 5:

I Love My Park Day
Organized by Parks & Trails NY in a partnership with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, this statewide celebration has volunteers helping to clean up and beautify state parks, public lands and historic sites throughout New York.

Pre-register for specific locations through the website.

K104’s 7th Annual Cupcake Festival
Main Street
Beacon, NY 12508

Enjoy sampling cupcakes (for a cost) from local bakeries throughout the Hudson Valley. There are also family activities and local vendors selling goods.

1 PM – 5 PM

Free Admission
Rain Date – Sunday, May 6

May 5 & 6:
Hudson Valley Wine and Chocolate Festival
Patterson Recreation Center
65 Front Street
Patterson, NY 12563
(845) 878-7200

**This event is for adults only, 21+. This year’s festival has a Kentucky Derby theme! Sip wine, spirits and cider, sample chocolates

11 AM – 4 PM

Tickets: $30
Designated Driver Ticket: $10

Valley Con
Jefferson Valley Mall
Hill Blvd.
Jefferson, Valley, NY

The first Valley Con will include video game tournaments, meet and greet and panel discussions with celebrity guests, free movie screenings and more.

Saturday: 12 PM – 9 PM
Sunday: 11 AM – 6 PM

Free

Cirque du Soleil: Volta

Posted on May 1, 2018 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(Thank you to Cirque du Soleil for hosting NY Foodie Family. As usual, all opinions are our own.)

I have been a fan of Cirque du Soleil, ever since I saw my first show, Varekai, many years ago. For those unfamiliar, Cirque du Soleil literally means Circus of the Sun. However, this is no ordinary circus. The Canadian company is the largest theatrical producer in the world, and Volta, their newest show, is their 41st production.

Photo Credit – Benoit Z. Leroux, courtesy of Cirque du Soleil.

Volta is now performing at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment in East Rutherford, New Jersey until May 6. My family and I saw the show this past weekend and we had an amazing time! Although my kids have seen a couple Cirque du Soleil shows on DVD and television, this was their first live show. It was definitely an experience that they will not forget!

As soon as Volta starts you are in for a treat. The colorful costumes, the rhythmic sounds and the amazing acrobatic feats combine for an awe-inspiring performance. Volta, tells the story of WAZ, a guy who looks a little different than others, with his blue feathered hair. He hopes that the fame of performing on a popular game show will bring him love and acceptance. He is led on a journey with the Elites, the Greys and the Free Spirits as he comes to accept who he is.

Photo Credit – Michael Kass courtesy of Cirque du Soleil.

The show’s acrobatics focus strongly on street sports, with BMX, rope skipping, parkour, shape diving and more. There are also some comedic bits as well. My kids found WAZ’s story to be a bit vague and difficult to follow. However, they loved the acrobatic displays! During the shape diving act (pictured above), a couple of the performers knocked down the shapes during their dives. At the intermission, my kids asked, “Did they do that on purpose?” I told them that I didn’t think that they did it on purpose. But, we noted how the crowd was super excited for them when they landed their next dive. These minor mistakes showed my kids that these performers are human and we all make mistakes. As my daughter noted, “They were super brave to even get up there. I could never do that!” So, there were teachable moments during the show as well.

Photo Credit – Patrice Lamoureux courtesy of Cirque du Soleil.

The music for Volta was written and composed by Anthony Gonzalez, from the French music band, M83. As the musical director for Volta, he brings a variety of music styles to the stage. A band and singers perform live for each show.

Photo Credit – Michael Kass courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

As I mentioned, Cirque du Soleil shows are productions. This is not a short “circus” show. The show is broken up into two acts and was approximately two hours, with a 25-minute intermission. This is a show for everyone. The night we attended there were families with children of all ages as well as couples, young and old. Tickets start at $55 and are similarly priced to what you’d pay to see a Broadway show. There are two tiers of seating, with all seats having a decent view of the stage.

Get your tickets soon, as Volta is only playing in East Rutherford until May 6th. Then it will move on to Uniondale, Long Island with performances from May 17 through June 10. This is a fun experience that your family will LOVE!

The Details:

Cirque du Soleil’s Volta
Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment
1 Racetrack Drive
East Rutherford, NJ 07073

Parking: $20

Available Shows:
Wednesday May 2: 8 PM
Thursday May 3: 8 PM
Friday May 4: 4:30 PM
Sunday May 6: 1:30 PM and 5 PM

Tickets:
Start at $55, varies depending on the show and seat choice – can be purchased online or by calling 1-877-9CIRQUE (1-877-924-7783).

Tips:
*Doors open for the 8 PM show at 7:15 PM. There was a lot of traffic getting into the parking lot of the Meadowlands Race Track. You then have to take a shuttle bus to the circus tent.

*I recommend either leaving the show as the cast are taking bows or hanging out after the show for a little bit. The crowds after the show ended were crazy, as everyone had to wait to get a shuttle bus back to the parking lot. It just so happened that the night we attended it was raining and we didn’t have an umbrella, so we got a tad bit wet!

*Food and drinks are available for purchase. However, be prepared to pay a hefty price. A bottle of water costs $5 and a bag of popcorn (approximately the size of a medium movie theater popcorn) costs $12. Alcohol, including beer, wine and spirits, are available as well. We had an early dinner before we went to see the show and stopped on the way home for a treat.

*Flash photography is not allowed. If you are in an aisle seat in front of the stage, have your camera ready during the bows. The cast comes down off the stage and walks into the aisles – you may be able to get a close-up pic!