March 2020 - NY Foodie Family

Five on Friday {What Day Is It?!}

Posted on March 27, 2020 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

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Hello Friday, is that you? The days are just running together and I’m seriously losing track of time! I thought I’d be posting so much more on the blog, since I’m home all day. However, after working from home, staring at my laptop screen for so many hours, I’m just not feeling very motivated to stay on it any longer than I have to. I thought I was doing okay for the most part with the social distancing. But after looking at the news and social media, I almost had a breakdown the other night. It’s hard to believe that we may be living like this for months. But I got myself out of my funk by reminding myself how much I have to be grateful for, even during these difficult times. It was really helpful and I know that it’s normal and expected to have bouts of sadness and unease. Here are five from this unexciting week:

1. Weekend Walk – As long as we are allowed to be outside, we are going to spend time there, getting some fresh air and exercise. Last weekend we took a drive to Bear Mountain State Park. The kids made it clear that they were NOT going to go on a hike so we walked around Hessian Lake. It was a lot more crowded than I was comfortable with. So we did the 1.4 mile walk pretty quickly and left. It was still a beautiful day with scenic views, even though it was a short visit.

2. Reading – Although I’ve been reading, I’ve not been getting in as much reading time as I thought I’d be during this time. This week I did finish Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner which was an enjoyable read. It’s been years since I’ve read any of her books and I was surprised that I liked this one as much as I did.

3. Watching – This week we only watched two movies. We all watched Motherless Brooklyn together. Then my daughter and I watched Last Christmas. It was fitting that it was snowing the day we watched it. On Netflix, we started watching Tiger King. It’s a crazy, diversion!

4. Cooking – This week’s menu included Vegan White Pizza, Roasted Peanut Butter Cauliflower and Carrot Salad Bowls, Chickpea Shawarma Wraps, Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Pot Pie, and General Tso’s Cauliflower.

5. Social Distancing – During the day Dana and I are continuing to work from home while the kids are doing their online school work. After I log off at 4 PM, we either all go for a walk, or the kids play volleyball or badminton outside for a bit while Dana and I walk. I also try to do yoga, since my back is not happy with me sitting at the dining room table all day working. This week we ordered takeout one day from Izla. Although we can only eat the sides, rice, tostones and yucca fries made for a tasty lunch earlier this week.

I didn’t post any new posts this week. But in case you missed last week’s posts:

Indoor Family Fun During This Stressful Time.

15 Ways to Entertain Yourself At Home During Social Distancing.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday {We Will Get Through This….}

Posted on March 20, 2020 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy Friday! This week has been one unlike any other. I know we are all feeling unsettled during this public health crisis. It seems like everything but the grocery stores are closed now. For now, our schools are closed until the 31st, but who knows if that will change. As we’ve been told, things are going to get worse before they get better. But I know that we will get through this. I am very thankful that Dana and I both have jobs that we can do from home and that my kids are older and able to manage their online school work on their own. It’s obviously not been a very exciting week, but here are five from this week:

1. Weekend Hike – last weekend the social distancing began. We ended up going on a hike (along with a lot of other people who had the same idea!) since it was such a nice day.

2. Reading – I finished Her Daughter’s Mother but book club, like everything else, was canceled. We walked to our local library Monday and I picked up some holds and other books, before they closed for the next couple of weeks. I have just started Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center, which has been on my to read list.

A man in a suit with a gun in his right hand is flanked by five other individuals in the middle of a street which, behind them, is folded upwards. Leonardo DiCaprio's name and those of other cast members are shown above the words "Your Mind Is the Scene of the Crime". The title of the film "INCEPTION", film credits, and theatrical and IMAX release dates are shown at the bottom.

3. Watching – We’ve been having family movie nights most evenings. Together we’ve watched Inception and Austin Powers, both on Netflix. Dana and our daughter watched Doctor Sleep, since they both read the book. I don’t like scary movies so I skipped this one. He was a bit disappointed and noted that the movie was very different than the book.

4. Cooking – This week’s menu included Halushki (sautéed cabbage and onions with egg noodles) for St. Patrick’s Day, cauliflower korma (using a jarred, non-vegan sauce) with basmati rice and naan, chickpea meatloaf with roasted potatoes and a roasted vegetable risotto.

5. Social Distancing – During the day Dana and I are both working from home. But besides the cleaning and cooking, I’ve been reading, doing a paint-by-number and working on puzzles. Dana and I also started another 30 day Yoga with Adriene series. Revolution is actually a 31 day series, but an oldie that we haven’t done.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Monday I wrote about Indoor Family Fun During This Stressful Time.

Wednesday I shared 15 Ways to Entertain Yourself at Home During Social Distancing.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

15 Ways to Entertain Yourself at Home During Social Distancing

Posted on March 18, 2020 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

You’re stuck at home for an indefinite amount of time. There’s only so much cleaning and organizing that you can do. If you have kids, you’re trying to entertain them and stay sane. But you deserve some fun too! Here are 15 ways to entertain yourself at home during social distancing:

1. Learn a Tik Tok Dance. Here are 15 Tik Tok dances that you can learn…..and they are not as easy as they look!

2. Work Out – The gym might be closed, but exercise is important. Not only for your physical well being, but for your mental health as well. Fitness Blender, PopSugar Fitness, Yoga with Adriene,and Madfit are only a few of the sites where you can find free workouts to do.

3. Have a virtual book club – Make reading social by having a virtual book club with your family or friends. Everyone reads the same book and then discusses it together via your favorite group chat/video app.

4. Watch a cooking show – Michelin-rated Chef Massimo Bottura, who recently opened Gucci Osteria in Beverly Hills, has created Kitchen Quarantine. Every day at 3 PM (EST) on his Instagram, he cooks, offer culinary tips and holds online Q & A sessions.

5. Pamper yourself – Take a bath, paint your nails, put on the face mask.

6. Create – Let’s Make Art offers art subscription boxes as well as online tutorials. Or order your own kits from your favorite online retailer. Paint-by-Number, coloring books, calligraphy, knitting, embroidery….the options are endless. Some local craft/pottery places are offering deliverable paint a piece of pottery kits. Bakeries are offering decorate cookies or cupcake kits. Check out your local businesses!

7. Take virtual field trips – These aren’t just for the kids! You can visit museums, zoos, National Parks and more from your home.

8. Create or just listen to fun playlists – Music can be very uplifting in stressful times. Spotify has tons of playlists, like All Out 80’s and Michelle Obama’s workout playlist, or make your own!

9. Meditate – Now is a great time to spend some time meditating! Headspace and Calm are popular meditating apps.

10. Candy Crush, Best Fiends, Homescapes, Pokemon Go, Wizarding World of Harry Potter.……you get the drift. Find a mindless game app.

11. Listen to a new podcast – I’m sure you have your regular podcasts that you listen to, but why don’t you try a new one? Here’s Esquire’s list of the 57 Best Podcasts You Can Listen to in 2020.

12. Binge watch a new-to-you show – Like you haven’t already started doing this! If you need some ideas, check out this list of 55 Best Shows to Binge Watch on Netflix (March 2020) from TechJunkie.

13. Cook something – Yes, you’re probably cooking A LOT more than you are used to. But what about cooking something new to you or something a little more indulgent than you’d normally make? There may be meat and poultry shortages in the grocery stores, but there’s lots of fresh produce!

14. Plan some fun outings – This too shall pass. And when it does, we will all be itching to get out of the house! Start planning now for some fun outings that you’ll take once we are done social distancing.

15. Do whatever that thing is that you’ve always wanted to do but, “never had the time” – Because now all you have is time! Find something off that list that you can do or try now! There are YouTube videos, books, articles and apps for almost everything out there.

Indoor Family Fun During this Stressful Time

Posted on March 16, 2020 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Our nation is facing a pandemic and it looks like this is just the beginning of of what may possibly be a very long journey. While we’ve been advised to practice social distancing and avoid large crowds, being inside and having to entertain our children for days, if not weeks, can seem a bit daunting. Here are some indoor family fun ideas during this stressful time:

Yoga – The physical and mental health benefits of yoga are endless. If you’ve never tried yoga, now, in these uncertain times, is a great time to start. And why not get the whole family involved?!

Families with young children can check out Cosmic Yoga. This is a yoga program targeted towards children ages 3+ and introduces them to yoga, mindfulness and meditation in a fun and entertaining way. With yoga-themed adventures like Frozen, Moana, Minecraft and Trolls, your kids (and you!) will have a blast.

Families with older tweens and teens may want to check out Yoga with Adriene. Not only does she have an episode, specifically targeted towards teens, but she adapts her episodes to all levels of yoga.

Virtual Museum Tours – Most, if not all museums are currently closed. However, you can take a virtual tour of these 12 museums located throughout the world.

Movie Marathon – Now is the perfect time to have a mass movie marathon. Have everyone choose a favorite movie and watch it. Or pick movies you’ve been meaning to watch but haven’t yet. If you can’t find your favorites on cable, Netflix, Amazon, etc. try your local library. At this time, most libraries are still open. You can put the movies on hold and have them sent to your local library.

Some ideas for families with younger kids:
*Check out Rotten Tomatoes Top 100 Kids & Family Movies and try to watch the ones you haven’t yet or rewatch your favorites.
*For those with Disney Plus, Disney is streaming Frozen 2 early…..why not watch them both?

Some ideas for families with older kids:
*watch (or rewatch) all of the Harry Potter movies
*do a Marvel movie binge
*do a Star Wars movie marathon

Podcasts – When you’ve tired of the screen, sit together and listen to a podcast. Here are some family friendly podcasts geared toward the 8-12 crowd:

Six Minutes – This podcast is a mystery adventure told in 6 minute episodes.

Smash Boom Best – This podcast is a debate show where topics like cat versus dog and pizza versus taco are battled out and one declared a winner.

The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel – This podcast is a serial mystery, self-described as, “…Goonies, meets Spy Kids meets Stranger things for 8-12 year olds” performed by kids. W

Puzzles – I’ve written about White Mountain family puzzles in the past, as they have been a family favorite. The whole family can enjoy working on a puzzle together, since their family puzzles have pieces cut into three different sizes, small for adults, medium and large, for beginners. They have five different puzzles available in this collection. Otherwise, puzzles with fun pictures like Pets Rock, pictured above, are fun to work on as a family.

Art Projects – Do your kids have boxes of craft projects from birthdays and holidays stashed in their closets? Now is a great time to take them out.

Art is a great way for everyone to sit together but express their own creativity.

*Buy some canvases and everyone can paint their own pictures. If you have rocks or shells from your summer adventures, you can paint those too.
*Take a walk around your yard and find some nature materials. Create collages using what you’ve found.

Other purchasable art activities include:
*Coloring books (for you and the kids)
*Paint-by-numbers (for you and the kids)
*Paint-by-sticker (for kids)

Family Reading Time – There are different variations of family reading time that you can enjoy.
*You can all sit and take turns reading (or some family members can just listen) from the same book. Here’s a list from goodreads for some ideas!
*Or, everyone sits with their own book for a set period of time and enjoys some quiet reading time on their own.

Cook and or Bake – Spend some time together in the kitchen. Have the kids help you prepare dinner one night. Better yet, have them pick out a recipe that they want to try and help them with it. For something a little more fun and motivating, make a sweet treat!

A fun domino game perfect for family game night!

Board Game Time – Now is a good time to clean out the game cabinet and dust those board games off. Enjoy some of your favorites and if you have games that you don’t play anymore, take them out and donate them. If you’re in the market for some new games you can check out some of our favorites here and here, or some from this list.

Five on Friday {Keep Calm}

Posted on March 13, 2020 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Hello Friday! What a crazy week it’s been here. We live in Westchester County, right in the middle of the New York Coronavirus crisis. While neither the school district that I work in or my kids’ school have closed…..yet, there’s lots of panic going on around here. Stores are out of hand sanitizer, cleaners and even toilet paper! Everything is getting canceled to promote social distancing. Saturday my son is working stage crew for our middle school play. They have limited the audience to one parent per cast/crew member, but I think we are going to drop him off and watch the live stream of the show just to be on the safe side. Then the plans are to lay low for the rest of the weekend. Here are five from this week:

1. Weekend Fun – My daughter has qualified to apply for the National Junior Honor Society. She needs volunteer hours, so the two of us spent four hours last weekend volunteering at a local food pantry and then making sandwiches for a Midnight Run. Then after my son and I went to the grocery store to buy supplies for Supper Club (see below) we went to our high school track. He wanted to practice running but then convinced me to walk the nature/wellness path with him. It was a beautiful day and a nice walk with him.

2. Reading – I just finished Her Daughter’s Mother by Daniela Petrova. This is my monthly book club read and book club is next week, if it doesn’t get canceled before then!

The Joker dances on a set of stairs. Below him are the words "Joaquin Phoenix", "A Todd Phillips film", "Joker", "October 4".

3. Watching – I made it about halfway through Joker before I had to go to bed. But Dana and our daughter stayed up and watched the whole movie. Dana and I also just started watching Mad Men on Netflix for the first time. We are enjoying it, but it’s infuriating on so many levels about how women were treated in the 1950’s. Plus, all the smoking (and drinking even when pregnant!).

4. Cooking – This week’s menu included Vegan Mac & Cheese, Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos, veggie burgers and fries and Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Pasta.

5. Supper Club – Sunday we had our monthly supper club. This month’s theme was Thai. I made a Vegan Pad See Ew with tofu. I couldn’t find wide rice noodles so ended up using regular pad Thai rice noodles. Dana made Tropical Thai Coconut-Tapioca Pudding for dessert.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Thursday I wrote about the Westchester Knicks.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

February Reads {2020}

Posted on March 10, 2020 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

February flew by and even though it’s a shorter month, I still managed to read 7 books. I even had my first 5 star read of the year! I’m sharing my February reads with Steph and Jana’s Show Us Your Books linkup.

3 Stars

Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown – Alice and her husband move from the city into an old house in the suburbs. In the basement she discovers an old, 1950’s cookbook from the previous owner. Alice ends up cooking her way through the book and learns that she and Nellie Murdoch have a lot in common, despite the several decades separating their lives. Overall, I found this to be just an okay.

The Soul Searcher’s Handbook by Emma Mildon – For those looking to learn and connect more with their spiritual side, this book gives a light overview of all the different areas of everything New Age (crystals, feng-shui, numerology, astrology, etc.). I found this book to be a good, basic intro of a variety of topics.

4 Stars

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins – After a tragic incident, Lydia and her son Lucas are forced to leave Mexico. They travel as migrants through dangerous conditions, hoping to make it to the United States. Only after I was halfway through reading this book did I discover all of the controversy surrounding it. Mainly, that this story wasn’t the Caucasian author’s story to tell. Regardless, I thought it was an enjoyable story and has me interested in reading more about Mexican migration into the United States.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate – This story takes alternates between 1939 Memphis and present day Aiken, South Carolina. In 1939 Memphis, when Rill and her four siblings are alone on their family’s houseboat, they are taken into custody of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society Orphanage. Present day, Avery Stafford, is a daughter of wealth and privilege, being groomed to take after her father’s political footsteps. On a publicity visit with her father to a nursing home, she meets a woman who leads her on a journey that uncovers secrets from the past. This was a goodreads choice 2017 winner. It was also my book club’s February book pick, so I did a reread and liked it as much this time as I did the first read.

The Escape Room by Megan Golden – Four coworkers at Stanhope, a major investment/financial firm are invited to an Escape Room activity. However, they didn’t realize this “game” would involve them locked together in an elevator where all of their secrets are revealed. I’ve debated between a 3 and 4 star rating for this book (3.5?) . This was such an unrealistic thriller and all of the characters were unlikable. However, it was a fast-paced read that had me interested in how it would end.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood – Kat, Bea, Vi and Des are four sisters who live in a small town with their grandmother. The story takes place over a summer, as each girl goes through her own drama. This book was a read off of our own bookshelf (actually, my daughter’s!). It is told in alternating POVs of each of the sisters and was an enjoyable contemporary YA read with feminist and LGBT characters.

5 Stars

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover – At 17 Morgan gets pregnant and marries her boyfriend, now husband, Chris. Present day and Morgan now has a sixteen year-old daughter, Clara, who is interested in a boy that Chris tells her is no good. When Chris is involved in a tragic car accident, both Morgan and Clara’s world is forever changed when they learn the secrets that Chris was keeping. Colleen Hoover is on my favorite authors list, and this book did not disappoint. When a book gets me in tears, it usually rates a 5 star read!

Five on Friday {Spring Ahead}

Posted on March 6, 2020 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy Friday! This Sunday we lose an hour of sleep as we “spring ahead.” I’m super disappointed with the lack of snow this winter. But I have to admit, I’m loving these spring temps! And it’s going to be lighter earlier! Coronavirus has hit Westchester County, so there’s been some panic. You cannot find hand sanitizer on store shelves, schools have closed, and some people have been quarantined to their homes. And of course, yesterday, Dana came down with a cold. Hopefully, he will be better by Sunday, since we have our monthly supper club. Here are five from this week:

1. Weekend Fun – Saturday Dana and I went to Woodbury Commons outlets. C. was on a Boy Scout camping trip and A. went ice skating with some friends. I was in desperate need of some pants and found some at Ann Taylor Loft and the Old Navy outlet. On the way home we stopped at the newly opened Aldi’s in Monroe-Woodbury. It’s the closest (only) Aldi’s near us. We found a bunch of vegan food items including vegan sour cream. This was our first time trying it and I have to say that it’s not that bad!

Sunday evening after C. came home we went bowling. It’s been on his family bucket list for awhile. None of us did very well but it was a fun night out together.

2. Watching – This weekend Dana and I watched Parasite, winner of the Academy Awards: Best Picture. We also watched Gemini Man, starring Will Smith. I started binge watching The Stranger on Netflix. It’s based on Harlan Coben’s book, which I read several years ago, but I don’t remember anything about it…#bookamnesia! It’s so suspenseful and I highly recommend!

3. Reading – I haven’t gotten in much reading time (because, see above!). I’ve been slowly making my way through Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson. It’s a suspense/thriller book, which is usually my favorite genre. But it’s moving a little slow for me.

4. Cooking – This week’s menu included Vegan Meatballs with pasta, Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Cialntro Chimichurri Sauce, Lentil & Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus Wraps and Sheet Pan Garlic Tofu & Brussels Sprouts.

5. Baking – This week I had time to bake. I never was a big baker, but since becoming vegan, this was my first time baking anything. I am always a fan of muffins since I can freeze the leftovers. I made Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins. They were super simple to make and used applesauce instead of eggs. The muffins had a different consistency than what we are used to, but they were moist.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Thursday I wrote about the Westchester Knicks.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

Family Fun at the Westchester Knicks

Posted on March 5, 2020 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Did you know that Westchester County has its own basketball team?! For years, the Westchester Knicks have been playing at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. Our family tries to attend at least one of their basketball games every year, as they are a lot of fun and close to home!

The Westchester Knicks are part of the G League, the NBA’s minor league basketball association. This year there are currently 28 teams that are part of the G League. Each team is affiliated with an NBA team, with the Westchester Knicks affiliated with the New York Knicks. Some of the G League players that you see now have a chance to be drafted to an NBA team in the future.

If you have basketball fans, seeing a Westchester Knicks game is a great way to enjoy some family fun at a reasonable price. Ticket prices start at just $11.50! And with 25 home games a season, there’s plenty of opportunity to catch a game or two. For those die-hard fans, season passes are available.

The team mascot, Hudson, makes an appearance at all of the games. Plus, there’s lots of entertainment including the dance cam, guest participation activities and a half-time show.

Food is available for purchase at the concession stands (one on each level). The Westchester County Center serves Nathan’s hot dogs, fries, chicken tenders and more. You can also purchase a variety of snacks like hot pretzels, popcorn and nachos.

As of this posting, there are four more home games where you can see the Westchester Knicks in action. Cheer on our county’s home team and enjoy some family fun!

The Details:
Westchester Knicks
Westchester County Center
198 Central Avenue
White Plains, NY 10606

Parking: $15 in the Westchester County Center parking lot

Tickets: Ticket prices range from $11.50 – $147.50+ based on seat location and ticket demand.

Schedule: Please check the Westchester Knicks site for most up-to-date schedule. The basketball season runs from mid-November through the end of March.