November 2022 - NY Foodie Family

Hudson Valley Holiday Events Guide 2022

Posted on November 22, 2022 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s hard to believe that it’s already almost December and the holidays will be here before we know it. Although it may be cold out, it’s also one of the most magical times of the year. There are plenty of events taking place now through the new year to get you in the holiday spirit! Check out this year’s Hudson Valley Holiday Events Guide to help plan your month of fun!
As always, please check directly with the venue for the most up-to-date information.

A Frosty Fest: (Ulster Park) Enjoy 12 attractions including a choreographed light show, a drive through Frosty’s Enchanted Forest, an outdoor photo with Santa, a walk through Frosty’s Adventure, “Jingle the Elf” stage show and more.
Dates: Weekends only (Friday-Sunday) November 25 – December 23
Tickets/Price: $21.95/adult + service charge and tax, $18.95/child (under 12) + service charge and tax, Free/children under 12 months
*advance ticket purchases are highly recommended

Boscobel Twilight Tours (Cold Spring) Enjoy a self-guided tour of the mansion, decorated for the holidays. After the tour walk the grounds that are decorated with lights.
Dates: Fridays and Saturdays November 18 – December 10
Self-guided tours at 4:00 PM, 4:20 PM, 4:40 PM, 5:00 PM, 5:40 PM, 6:00 PM, 6:20 PM
Tickets: $29/adults, $24/seniors, $17/children (5-18), Free/children under 5, discounted tickets for members

Grand Holiday Illuminations at Untermyer Park & Gardens: (Yonkers) This annual holiday light show will take place at Untermyer Park & Gardens. See over 100,000 lights that illuminate the Walled Garden.
Dates: December 9 – January 1, 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Tickets/Price: Free, no tickets required

Holiday on the Hill at Lasdon Park and Arboretum: (Katonah) Enjoy the annual Holiday on the Hill exhibit and train show at Lasdon Park and Arboretum. The show has been expanded to include an outdoor display. Santa will be in his cottage for scheduled visits that are coordinated with ticket times. The Bona Bona Ice Cream Truck will be at the event on select dates. Tickets $20/adult, $15/senior, $10/child (ages 2-12)
Dates: November 26 & 27, December 1 – December 31, Thursday through Sunday
Scheduled Time Slots: 10 AM – 10:45 AM, 11 AM – 11:45 AM, 1 PM – 1:45 PM, 2 PM – 2:45 PM, 3 PM – 3:45 PM

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Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo: (Bronx)
Enjoy five lantern safaris throughout the park, ice-carving demonstrations, costumed characters and more.
Dates: Select dates November 18 – January 8
Tickets/Price: $39.95/Adult (Age 13+), $24.95/Child (Ages 3-12), $34.95/Senior (Age 65+), $20/Parking

Holiday Tea Musicale at Caramoor: Listen to live music. Then enjoy a tea service in the Music Room at Rosen House that includes tea sandwiches and holiday treats.
Dates: December 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 at 2 PM
Tickets/Price: $70/adult, $35/child (12 and under)

Holiday Train Show at NYBG: (Bronx)
The New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show is back. Advance tickets are recommended.
Dates: November 19, 2022 – January 16, 2023, 10 AM – 6 PM
Tickets: $35/adult, $31/seniors (65+), $20/children (2-12)

Hommocks Park Ice Rink Skate with Santa (Mamaroneck) Enjoy an afternoon of ice skating with Santa and his friends!
Date: December 18th, 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Admission: $11/adults (12+), $10/child (11 and under), skate rentals: $5

Kevin McCurdy’s Holiday Spirit Festival: (Wappingers Falls)
Enjoy 15 attractions on your Winter Wonderland Walk including a North Pole village, train exhibit, Santa’s Reindeer Barn, holiday entertainment, characters and more.
Dates: November 25 – 27 and Weekends Only (Friday-Sunday) December 2 – December 23, Fridays 6 PM – 9 PM, Saturdays 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM, Sundays 4:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Tickets/Price: Adults: $19.95 plus online fees and NYS sales tax, children: $17.95 plus online fees and NYS sales tax
Advanced ticket reservations required

LUMAGICA Light Show at Harvest Moon (North Salem) Enjoy a walking tour of illuminated animal structures and decorations through the apple orchards at Harvest Moon
Dates: November 18 – December 30, 4 PM – 9 PM
Tickets: $29.99-$35.99/adults + booking fees (depending on date of visit), $22.99 – $28.99/child (ages 3-12) + booking fees (depending on date of visit)
*Tickets are for timed entry

Menorah Lighting at Ridge Hill (Yonkers) “Join us and Chabad of Yonkers to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with a traditional Menorah lighting ceremony and celebration! Head to Ridge Hill beginning at 4PM for family-friendly activities, delicious Hanukkah treats, and more! Plus, don’t miss out on the Gelt Drop, featuring our friends at Yonkers Fire Department! Collect all the chocolate gelt you can as they rain down from the highest point of the fire truck’s lift.”
Date: Sunday, December 18, 4 PM – 6 PM at Fountain Plaza

Most Wonderful Time of the Year (White Plains) “Experience all the music and the magic of the season we call “the most wonderful time of the year”. From classics like “Winter Wonderland” to “O Holy Night”, radio hits like Darlene Love’s “Christmas” (Baby, Please Come Home), Elvis’s “Blue Christmas” and classic holiday songs from stage and screen like “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”,”Silver Bells” and more. This concert is a merry celebration of all things holiday, guaranteed to lift your spirits and warm your heart this season!”
Dates: December 21, 2022 – 7 PM
Tickets: $43-$50

Muscoot Farm Holiday Lights on the Farm (Katonah) See the farm decorated for the holidays and enjoy some treats.
Dates: December 3, 10, 17, 5 PM-8 PM
Price: $25/family (up to 4 guests), registration required

NYBG GLOW: (Bronx)
GLOW is an evening, outdoor illuminated experience at the New York Botanical Garden. During your visit you can also enjoy ice carving displays, dancers, musicians and other outdoor fun.
Dates: November 18-19, 23, 25, & 26 December 2-3, 9-11, 15-17, 22-23, 26-30, January 1, 7, 14
5 PM – 10 PM
Tickets/Price: $39/adults, $24/children (2-12), Free/children under 2
Get a discounted combined ticket with the NYBG Train Show $54/adult, $39/child

The Octagon House: Victorian Christmas Tour (Irvington) “Celebrate the holiday season in this lyrical, eight-sided home surrounded by the sights of Christmas in 1872. The restored National Landmark will be filled with elaborate holiday décor featuring wreaths, garlands, and the sparkle of ornaments on a grand Christmas Tree inside the salon. With the help of original feather trees and antique ornaments, the 1-hour tour will fill you in on the history of Christmas, and how it was celebrated in the 19th Century.”

Tours are recommended for ages 12+. Parking is free but limited. Masks must be worn during the tour.
Dates: Fridays – Mondays, November 11 – December 30 Tours are at: 10 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM and 4 PM
Tickets: $29/general admission

Peace, Love, Lights: Drive-Thru Holiday Lights Experience at Bethel Woods: (Swan Lake) Enjoy an over one mile drive-thru holiday illuminated experience from the warmth of your car.
Dates: November 25-27, 2022, December 1-4, 8-11, December 15 – January 1, 2023
5 PM – 10 PM
Tickets/Price: $30/car

While you are at Bethel Woods, you can also enjoy Dinner with Santa before or after your drive-thru experience.
Dates: December 16-17, 5 PM – 8 PM
Price: $55/adult, $30/child

Pop-up Ice Skating Rink at the Cross County Center: (Yonkers) The Cross County Center has a Pop-Up Ice Skating rink. It’s located at Center Court near the Christmas tree. Admission: $10 for a one hour session and includes skates. Debit/credit only – no cash. Must be 5 years or 42 inches tall.

Ridge Hill on Ice: (Yonkers) “Lace up and skate over to Ridge Hill On Ice as we transform The Town Square Lawn into an outdoor ice rink for the holiday season! Guests will need to book ice skating reservations in advance to ensure a skating time slot. Walk-ups are also welcome, but we cannot guarantee you will be able to skate at that time.”
Dates: November 20 – January 29
Monday – Thursdays: 4PM to 9PM, Fridays: 4PM to 10PM, Saturdays: 11AM to 10PM, Sundays: 11AM to 8PM, Holiday Hours: 10AM to 9PM (Dates: December 26th – January 1st) Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Price: $18 (plus tax)/person includes skate rental and 75 minutes of skate time, $14 (plus tax)/children 12 and under includes skate rental and 75 minutes of skate time

Westchester’s Winter Wonderland: (Valhalla) Enjoy Westchester’s Winter Wonderland drive-thru Holiday Light Extravaganza. Enjoy a 1.2-mile illuminated drive from the warmth of your car.

Dates: Open every night November 25, 2022 – January 1, 2023 (except December 24 and December 25), 6 PM Monday – Friday, 5 PM weekends
Tickets/Price: $25/car off-peak, $35/car peak, large passenger vans/limos additional fee

White Plains Holiday Market: (White Plains)
This holiday market will be held on Court Street between Martine Ave. and Main Street. Over 50 vendors and artisans will be selling their wares in individual walled sheds.
Dates: December 9 – December 18, 12 PM – 7 PM daily (8 PM on Friday and Saturday nights)

The Wonderland of Lights (Rhinebeck) Taking place at the Dutchess County Fair Grounds, enjoy this drive through holiday light experience.
Dates: November 25 – December 25, 2022 – 5:30 PM – 9 PM
CLOSED: November 28, 29, 30 & December 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14
Tickets: $25/car online in advance, $30/car at the gate

Photos with Santa:

Cross County Shopping Center: (Yonkers) Santa will be available for photos and visits in his new winter wonderland cabin. Reservations are recommended but not required.
Dates: November 17 – December 24

Jefferson Valley Mall: (Yorktown Heights) Reservations are strongly recommended.
Dates: November 25 – December 24

Ridge Hill: (Yonkers) Reservations are strongly recommended.
Dates: November 21 – December 24

The Westchester: (White Plains) Reservations are strongly recommended.
Dates: November 25 – December 24
Pet Night, Sunday December 11 from 6-7 PM

Five on Friday {November 18, 2022}

Posted on November 18, 2022 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

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Happy Friday! It’s crazy that Thanksgiving is next week! However, before we get to Thanksgiving we get to celebrate my husband’s birthday on Saturday. After a day filled with work/activities for the kids, we are going to hopefully get to enjoy a rare family dinner out to celebrate him. Here are five from this week:

1. Blackjack Update – A new pic of Blackjack. He’s now 6 months old. He likes to get the two older cats all riled up. He loves to eat. He doesn’t enjoy cuddling or being held (which makes me sad). He’s lucky he’s cute! Because he looks like a mini version of our older black cat, Salem, we’ve been calling him “Baby” way more than we’ve been calling him “Blackjack.”

2. Reading – It’s holiday reading season! I made this Instagram reel showcasing my Holiday to-be-read pile. This week I finished reading Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss. It was a cute holiday read. I also finished reading The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews which I enjoyed as well.

3. Cooking – This week’s menu included Sesame Apricot Tofu with rice and roasted broccoli, veggie burgers and fries, pierogies and roasted green beans and Gigi Hadid TikTok pasta with Caesar salad.

4. Watching – I watched another Christmas movie, Falling For Christmas (Netflix) which was a cute movie with Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet (who I recognized from Glee). I also watched Christmas on Repeat (Hulu) and do not recommend. It was like Groundhog’s Day but Christmas themed, where a woman has to relive Christmas day over and over until she gets it right.

5. HVRW Lunch Date – Nov. 7-Nov. 20 is Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. My husband and I were able to have a lunch date at Restaurant X in Congers. This Peter Kelly’s Rockland County restaurant. Overall, we thought the meal was just okay. However, we’ve been to his Yonkers restaurant X2O and really enjoyed that meal.

6. Defensive Driving – Last Saturday we spent most of the day in a defensive driving class. We are doing anything and everything to lower our car insurance bill after seeing the shocking price increase when we added our teen daughter to our insurance plan.

7. Internet Faves this week

A reminder for the upcoming holiday season.

And this! It’s definitely how I feel, but unfortunately, I do have to go back out to drive/pick up the kids from work and extracurricular activities.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday {November 11, 2022}

Posted on November 11, 2022 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy Friday and Happy Veteran’s Day! I am happy to have today off from work. With daylight savings we got an extra hour of sleep, but somehow I was dragging this week! I am very grateful for this three day weekend! Here are five from this week:

1. Baking – This week I made a S’mores Cobbler. I love all things s’mores! This was chocolatey and rich.

2. Reading – This week I finished It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover. I loved It Ends With Us but I read it so long ago that I didn’t remember much of it. It Starts With Us was good, but I didn’t love it.

3. Cooking – This week’s menu included Spanakopita with Greek potatoes and Tomato Salad, Sticky and Spicy Baked Cauliflower with rice and roasted green beans, Spaghetti and Beyond Meatballs and Baked Broccoli Cheddar Tortellini Skillet (but I used mini cheese ravioli).

4. Watching – I watched the first two episodes of Blockbuster (Netflix) but wasn’t a fan. If you’ve watched it and it gets better after the first two episodes, let me know! I also watched Catering Christmas (Hulu). I’m normally not a big Hallmark-esque Christmas movie watcher. I prefer to read Christmas books. But I could use a little feel-good holiday spirit right now and this movie passed the time just fine!

5. School Play – My son is a high school freshman and is currently a stage manager-in-training. Last weekend was our high school’s fall performance, The Laramie Project. Although he had to be there Friday, Saturday and Sunday, my husband and I went on Saturday to see the play. The Laramie Project tells the story of the townspeople of Laramie, Wyoming’s reaction to the 1998 murder of gay, college student Matthew Shepard. The kids did an amazing job of telling this important story. It’s a well-known play was even made into a movie.

6. Election Day – I hope everyone got out and voted on Election Day! I don’t talk politics on the blog, but I think everyone should exercise their right to vote.

7. Memes and Other Online Finds

This one hit particularly hard this week. I’m going through a rough patch with my teen daughter and as much as I’m hoping to “teach the hard lessons” it’s not easy.

And something more humorous! Sadly, I need to get my son a new winter coat, since he’s outgrown last year’s. It’s on my to-do list this weekend and fortunately, it’s not too cold out yet. However, even when I do get him a new winter jacket, he will not be wearing it to school. Neither of my kids do since that’s not a cool teen thing.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday {November 4, 2022}

Posted on November 4, 2022 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Thank goodness it’s Friday! It’s been a long week and I am very much looking forward to the weekend! My son is a stage manager in training and the fall high school play is this weekend. The weather is supposed to be fairly warm (low 70’s) for November and I’m hoping to get a little outdoor time. Here are five from this week:

1. Baking – After watching episodes of the new season of The Great British Baking Show, I’ve been craving cake. I made a Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Poke Cake. The icing was a bit on the sweet side, but it filled my cake craving and was a seasonal treat.

2. Field Hockey – Saturday my daughter’s field hockey team played in the Section finals. They ended up losing 0-1. It was such a close game. The last time our school district made it to the Championship Finals was in 2009! There are only two seniors on the team so we are hoping they can make it to the finals again next year!

3. Reading – I finished reading the non-fiction book The Gospel of Wellness by Rina Raphael. This book takes a deep dive into the wellness industry and was an informative read. I also finished The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. This was my first holiday read of the season and was a good one!

4. Cooking – This week’s menu included Korean Tofu Rice Bowls, Penne with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Boursin Cheese, Baked Cinnamon Crunch French Toast and Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup.

5. Watching – This week I watched the movie Luckiest Girl Alive (Netflix). I read the book back in 2015 and didn’t remember much of it. But I had given it 3 stars on Goodreads. I found the movie to be just okay.

6. Eating – Sunday we went out to lunch with our daughter to Ramenesque in Peekskill. My husband and her shared a bowl of vegetarian ramen and. Tofu curry. I had this miso salmon. We hadn’t been here in ages.

7. Halloween – This was the first Halloween that I can remember where I was actually home to give candy out to trick-or-treaters. We don’t normally get a lot of trick-or-treaters (I think we got around 10 this year) so I made sure to stock up on candy that we actually enjoy!

8. Favorite Memes: