NY Foodie Family

Hudson Valley Holiday Events Guide

Posted on November 11, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

The lights, the music and of course Santa Claus! While we are still not quite back to “normal”, more holiday events are taking place this year throughout the Hudson Valley. Check out our Hudson Valley Holiday Events Guide for all the info! Tickets are going fast for some of these events so reserve yours now!
As always, please check directly with the venue for the most up-to-date information.

A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage (Chappaqua) Enjoy a liver performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. The show is 90 minutes including intermission. Stay for a sing-along with the cast after the show.
Dates: Select dates and times December 3 – December 19
Tickets: start at $25

A Christmas Carol at the White Plains Performing Arts Center (White Plains) A holiday show the entire family will enjoy. See the musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic.
Dates: Selected dates December 3 – 30, 2 PM and 7 PM
Tickets: $39 – $61

A Frosty Fest: (Ulster Park) Attractions include a new for 2021 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 26 – December 19
Tickets/Price: $18.95/adult + service charge and tax, $14.95/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 tour of the mansion, decorated for the holidays. After the tour walk the grounds that are decorated with lights. Tours are approximately 45 minutes and are limited to 10 guests
Dates: Fridays and Saturdays November 26 – December 18, 4 PM – 7 PM
Tickets: $25/adults, $15/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.
Dates: December 10 – January 2, 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 Holiday Cottage for visits. Tickets $10/child, $20/adult
Dates: November 27 – December 31, Thursday through Sunday

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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 19 – January 9
Tickets/Price: $39.95/Adult (Age 13+), $24.95/Child (Ages 3-12), $34.95/Senior (Age 65+), $17/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 16, 17, 18, 19, concert starts at 1 PM, tea service at 2:15 PM
Tickets/Price: $65

Holiday Train Show at NYBG: (Bronx)
The New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show is back for its 30th year. Advance tickets are recommended.
Dates: November 20, 2021 – January 23, 2022
Tickets: $32/adult, $30/seniors (65+), $18/children (2-12)

Hommocks Park Ice Rink Skate with Santa (Mamaroneck) Enjoy an afternoon of ice skating with Santa and his friends!
Date: December 12th, 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Admission: $10/adults (12+), $9/child, skate rentals: $5

Kevin McCurdy’s Holiday Spirit Festival: (Wappingers Falls)
This year the Holiday Spirit Festival will be an all outdoor event. Enjoy the Winter Wonderland Walk through a North Pole village, train exhibit, Santa’s Reindeer Barn, holiday entertainment, characters and more.
Dates: Weekends Only (Friday-Sunday) November 26 – December 19 and December 22 and 23, Fridays 6 PM – 9 PM, Saturdays 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM, Sundays 4:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Tickets/Price: Adults: $16.95 plus online fees and NYS sales tax, children: $13.95 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: Weekends only (Friday – Sunday) November 26 – December 12, then everyday December 17 – 23 and December 26-December 30.
Tickets: $31/adults, $28/child (ages 3-12)
*Tickets are for timed entry

Muscoot Farm Night Tours (Katonah) See the farm decorated for the holidays and enjoy some treats.
Dates: December 4, 5 and December 11, 12, 18
Price: $20/family, 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 24, 26, & 27 December 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, January 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22
5 PM – 10 PM
Tickets/Price: $35/adults, $20/children (2-12), Free/children under 2
Get a discounted combined ticket with the NYBG Train Show $49/adult, $34/child

The Octagon House: Victorian Christmas Tour (Irvington) Enjoy a Victorian Christmas tour of the Armour-Stiner Octagon House. The eight-sided home will be decorated for the holidays. Tours are approximately 1 hour and recommended for ages 7+. Parking is free but limited. Masks must be worn during the tour.
Dates: Fridays – Mondays, November 12 – December 30 Tours are at: 10 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM and 4 PM
Tickets: $29/adults, $26 (youth ages 7-17)

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 19, 2021 – January 2, 2022
Sunday – Thursday 5 PM – 9 PM, Friday & Saturday 5 PM – 10 PM
Tickets/Price: $28.75/car (with fees)

While you are at Bethel Woods, you can also enjoy Dinner with Santa before or after your drive-thru experience.
Dates: December 3- December 18, 5 PM – 8 PM
Price: $50/adult, $25/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.

Santacon at The Valley (Yorktown Heights) Dress up in a Santa suit or an ugly Christmas sweater and enjoy a bar crawl around the mall. There will be activities for kids along the way, drink specials, Best Santa contest and more.
Date: December 11, 2 PM – 6 PM
Free to participate – food and drink sold separately

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 26, 2021 – January 2, 2022 (except December 24 and December 25)
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 55 vendors and artisans will be selling their wares in individual walled sheds.
Dates: December 5 – December 19

The Wonderland of Lights (Rhinebeck) Taking place at the Dutchess County Fair Grounds, enjoy this drive through holiday light experience.
Dates: November 25 – December 26, 2021
Tickets: $25/car

Photos with Santa:

Cross County Shopping Center: (Yonkers) Santa will be available for photos and visits in his workshop. Reservations are recommended but not required.

Jefferson Valley Mall: (Yorktown Heights) Reservations are strongly recommended. Santa and his helpers will be wearing masks and guests are required to wear masks as well.
Dates: November 27 – December 24

Welcome Santa on November 27 at 9:30 AM and enjoy breakfast with him. There will be arts and crafts, “Letter’s to Santa” writing opportunities, special guest appearances from costumed characters, Holiday Bounce House and more.

The Westchester: (White Plains) Reservations are strongly recommended. Santa and his helpers will be wearing masks and guests are required to wear masks as well.
Dates: November 12 – December 24

Enjoy pet photos with Santa on November 21, November 28 and December 5 from 7-8 PM

October Reads {2021}

Posted on November 9, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

*This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional info.*

Another month, another book review post. I read a surprisingly higher number of books than usual in October, with a total of seven books read. Unfortunately, they weren’t all great reads. Here are my October reads, which I’m sharing with Steph and Jana’s monthly Show Us Your Books linkup.

3 stars

Brunch and Other Obligations by Suzanne Nugent (Contemporary Fiction, May 2020) When Molly dies, she leaves a request that her three friends (who are not friends with each other) meet up for brunch, once a month for a year. She also leaves them each an inexplicable gift. Although the friends seem to have nothing in common with each other, they follow through on their friend’s request. Through the process they learn that Molly may have known what was best for them after all. This was an okay book about female friendship that was fairly predictable.

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller (Contemporary Fiction, July 2021) After having sex with her best friend since childhood, Elle must decide if she is going to stay with her husband and three children or leave to be with him. The main storyline takes place over 24 hours with flashbacks to show how Elle’s life has evolved to the present. I read this book because it was a Reese’s Book Club Pick and she usually chooses books that I enjoy. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of the books that I loved. I found it to be slow and the ending confusing.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth (c/o Netgalley) (mystery/thriller, April 2022) The story opens with a wedding, where a tragic event takes place. Rachel and Tully’s mother is in a nursing home with dementia. Their father is dating and soon engaged to a much younger woman. Each of the women have their own struggles that they are secretly hiding. Each of their stories brings light on the surprising conclusion. I have been a huge Hepworth fan. This was an engrossing, fast-paced read. However, I just didn’t love this one though as much as her others.

4 stars

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (memoir, April 2021) At the age of 25, Michelle learns her mother has terminal cancer. Although they didn’t always have the best relationship, they always connected through their shared love of food. Faced with losing this part of her Korean American identity, Zauner learns to cook some of the traditional dishes she grew up eating with her mother. I heard about this book after hearing Zauner on a couple of different food podcasts talking about her memoir and Korean food. I haven’t read a memoir in a long time and this was a good one.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (mystery/thriller, May 2021) Hannah’s husband disappears, leaving her a note to protect his sixteen-year-old daughter. When the FBI start investigating her husband’s disappearance, she realizes that she didn’t really know him. This was an enjoyable, fast-paced read that more mystery than thriller.

Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking by Maangchi and Lauren Chattman (Cookbook, May 2015) I’m counting reading Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking as a book towards my goodreads reading goal because I did read this cover to cover. I am looking to learn how to cook Korean food and this is where I started. I know Maangchi has a big YouTube following and I’ll likely check out her videos. I just find cooking with a printed recipe easier. I wish she had cooking times listed with the recipes. Plus, most of the recipes in this cookbook were meat-based. So far, I’ve only tried one banchan vegetable side dish and it didn’t turn out great. But there are a couple of more recipes I hope to try out before it’s due back to the library.

The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harms (Fiction, July 2021) Two neighbors, one a working mom, the other a stay-at-home mom end up waking up in each other’s bodies and get to see how the other mom lives. This was a good look at “the mommy wars” and how we all are just doing the best that we can. I’ve enjoyed all of the books by Harms that I’ve read, including this one.

Five on Friday {11-5-21}

Posted on November 5, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy Friday! This week has been a long and busy one. I’ve been so tired all week and am looking forward to that extra hour of sleep on Sunday for day light savings. This weekend my son is heading to Saratoga with his Boy Scout troop. Here are five from this week:

1. Halloween – The kids both had parties Saturday and slept over friends’ houses. Sunday I took my son trick or treating with his friends to some townhouses near us. One of these cows is him! My daughter had some friends over and they went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood and then watched a scary movie.

2. Reading – This week I finished reading The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowely Heller. This is a Reese’s Book Club pick so I thought I’d give it a try. It was a bit slow for me with unlikable characters. Overall, I didn’t think it was a great read.

3. Cooking – Dinners this week included Skillet Ricotta Pasta with Roasted Broccoli and Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry.

4. Watching – My son is one of the stage managers for his middle school production of High School Musical. Since none of us had seen it I got a copy from the library so he could become familiar with the show he’s working on.

5. Eating – This week my husband and I had a rare weeknight date at Maria Restaurant. This is a 2020 and 2021 Michelin Bib Gourmand winner and rightfully so. The food is always so good but this Wild Mushroom Ravioli was amazing!

6. HVRW – Wednesday night I attended a media dinner for Hudson Valley Restaurant week at Terrapin in Rhinebeck. This is such a beautiful restaurant and has been on my want-to-try list for awhile now. This I enjoyed this morel and wild mushroom bisque. I have to go back during the day though to explore the town.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I posted about Badageoni Georgian Kitchen in Mount Kisco.

Check out how I make our family's weekly meal plan.

Thursday I shared an updated post on my meal planning process.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

A Peek Inside our Meal Planning Process {Updated}

Posted on November 4, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Meal planning is crucial in making our week run smoothly. It’s so nice to come home from work knowing what we will be having for dinner. It also helps us plan accordingly on busy nights when my husband and I can delegate who is going to cook. Meal planning keeps our food budget in check, since there are rarely last minute trips to the grocery store for “a few items” or multiple nights of takeout. There are many ways to meal plan and there is no one tried and true method. You really have to figure out what works best for your family. I am showing you how I create our weekly meal plan which will hopefully give you some tips and inspiration.

1. The Calendar: You can find fancy, online printable menus if that will help motivate you or you like things to look pretty. For meal planning, I do not go the fancy route. As seen above, I use the back of a piece of scrap paper and set up a monthly calendar. I plan our menus weekly and write the meals in pencil, so I can erase and move things around if needed. It’s a constant work-in-progress with lots of erasing and moving things around.

2. The Day: Deciding what day you want your meal plan to start on is up to you and your schedule. We do our weekly grocery shopping at Shoprite. The new sale circular begins on Sundays, so over the weekend I write out the menu and make the grocery list. Then Sunday mornings, my husband and I do the shopping together.

3. Time: Meal planning does take a little bit of time. Especially in the beginning if you have never done it before. One you’ve built up a library of recipes your family enjoys it will become much quicker to rotate those meals. It takes me a little bit longer, because I rarely, if ever make the same recipe twice. It takes some time for me to go through my recipe resources (see below) and pick out the new recipes I want to make for the week. However, my new routine is to get up early on Saturday morning, make myself a cup of coffee and sit on the couch watching a show while I work on the weekly meal plan. This past weekend, I was super productive and got most of November’s meal plan completed!

4. The Planning: If you are new to meal planning, it might be easier to start with some recipes that you know your family eats and enjoys and maybe aim for one new recipe a week. I recommend you use your grocery store circular to start your planning. If chicken is on sale this week, I recommend making at least one chicken dish and buying some extra chicken that you can freeze for the future. Some people prefer to have a themed dinner for each day, like Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday. This helps in keeping a consistency to meal planning. Although my meal plan varies from week to week, we always have homemade pizza on Friday nights. Once I find a recipe that I decide I’m going to make, I write it in pencil on the calendar, along with the name of the source (blog name, magazine, website). Although I will have my five recipes for the week written in, I won’t necessarily make them in that order. When we eat each meal depends on factors like which dishes have produce that may spoil or how busy our schedules are. I will then write in each box, what day I actually plan on making that dish.

5. Grocery List: After the meal plan is made I write the grocery list. I go through each recipe I plan on making for the week and write down the ingredients that I need. I circle the recipe on the calendar to know that I made sure I had everything I needed for that recipe. I then go through the grocery store circular adding in all of the other items we need that week to the list. And that is my meal planning process!

Meal Planning Resources:

So, where can you find recipes? For starters, check out the resources right here on the blog! Although I stopped posting new ones, I have a page that includes 89 of our weekly menu plans and seven vegan meal plans that I have posted!

Food blogs have become my main source of dinner recipes. There are so many food blogs out there, ranging from family focused, quick and easy meals, to more involved recipe blogs. I subscribe to several food blogs and get new posts e-mailed to me. We are vegetarian and my main focus when meal planning is to find recipes that sound delicious but are quick and easy to make.

Here are a few food blogs that I use often and recommend:

Eats Well With Others – Joanne posts vegetarian recipes. I think I make at least one recipe of hers a week. She also posts a weekly meal plan post.

Half Baked Harvest, How Sweet Eats and Pinch of Yum are all great blogs with consistently good recipes. I’ve rarely made a recipe from these blogs that wasn’t delicious. Some of these recipes can be a bit involved or require a bunch of ingredients, so just review the recipe before deciding to make it. While their blogs are not strictly vegetarian, they all post a good number of recipes that are.

Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen – My friend Ashley has been running her food blog since 2006! It is full of delicious recipes and a great resource if you’re not sure what to make!

For beginner cooks I also highly recommend the website allrecipes.com. You can search for recipes by a number of different factors, including ingredients or name. I’ve found most recipes that I’ve used from the site easy to make. It’s especially helpful since there are tons of ratings and reviews. If a recipe has lots of five star ratings, it’s probably going to be good.

Try cooking recipes from several different blogs. You will eventually find you like certain bloggers’ recipe choices, presentation, photographs, etc. over others. You don’t need to subscribe to all of them! I have two meal planning folders on my phone. One is titled “Vegetarian recipes” and anytime I see a recipe I want to make I bookmark it there. If I decide to make the recipe, I bookmark it in the “Cooking This Week” folder, so it’s easier to find when needed.

And don’t forget about Pinterest. There are millions of recipes posted on that site. Start creating boards of recipes that you see that interest you and you can refer to your board for inspiration when meal planning!

I’ve found that as much as I enjoy reading cookbooks, I don’t use them very often. Most recipes can easily be found online. If you have a favorite cookbook, I’d love some recommendations!

I hope this helps give you a better idea on how to meal plan, if this is new to you! Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments section or e-mail me. I’d love to hear how others meal plan and am always looking for tips on how to make the process easier!

Badageoni Georgian Kitchen {Global Westchester}

Posted on November 2, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

If you have no idea where the country of Georgia is, welcome to the club. It took a Google search for me to discover that the country, approximately the size of South Carolina, is actually part of both Europe and Asia. Luckily, you don’t need to know any of this to thoroughly enjoy Badageoni in Mount Kisco.

Badageoni is the only Georgian restaurant in Westchester County. The 65-seat restaurant is owned by siblings Inga Duignan and Giga Jankarashvili. So what exactly is Georgian cuisine, you ask? Based on its geographic location, Georgian food is influenced by the Mediterranean, Turkey and the Middle East. However, after dining at Badageoni, I can say the food is like nothing I’ve eaten before.

What should you order?

Khachapuri is a Georgian cheese bread and Badageoni serves five different varieties. We opted for Adjaruli Khachapuri because it was the first one listed. We figured this would make it the most popular and perhaps the most traditional choice ($15). This “cheese boat” is stuffed with a hot river of cheese and can be topped with a sunny side egg, which we opted not to get. It is served blazing hot from the oven, finished with pats of butter. The server directed us to mix it all up before eating. In the family of cheesy bread, I would say its closest relative is the calzone.

Badageoni serves several cold plates, most of which are vegetarian. We opted for Pkhali Rolls, eggplant and sweet peppers stuffed with walnuts and Georgian spices and garnished with pomegranate seeds ($15). The 3 eggplant rolls and 4 stuffed peppers along with a piece of Georgian cornbread was perfect for two of us. However, I’d likely order another appetizer if there were additional diners with us.

Khinkali is the national dish of Georgia. We ordered the Potato Khinkali, potato dumplings served with fried onions and yogurt sauce ($16). It was terrific. Although, in hindsight, I wish I had ordered the basic Khinkali as it is the more traditional dish. It is the Georgian version of the soup dumpling and we generally like to order the most representative dish whenever possible.

You break the pastry crust with your spoon and inside is a piping hot crock of dumplings and onions in yogurt sauce. These potato dumplings are not filled and have a similar texture and taste to a soft gnocchi. The yogurt sauce is creamy with a slight tang.

The dessert menu is fairly limited with only four choices: ice cream, ice cream with meringue and caramel, napoleon or badageoni. The server noted that the badageoni is similar to a panna cotta, which sounded interesting. Plus, it’s named after the restaurant. However, when I debated between the napoleon or the badageoni, she recommended the napoleon. We went her expert opinion.

The napoleon ($14) was delicious. I haven’t had napoleon in ages! And the serving was large enough for sharing. My husband and I each had a generous piece and we still had half to bring home for the kids. Georgian desserts are traditionally nut and/or fruit based, so I was surprised not to find a more diverse selection of sweets.

Badageoni is a recipient of a Michelin Bib Gourmand. This award is given to restaurants that serve delicious food at reasonable prices. While my husband and I are vegetarians, there are a variety of meat dishes served here. From charcoal-grilled meats (Mtsvadi) to signature dishes like Chakapuli (slow-cooked lamb in white wine with tarragon, scallions and herbs) and Tabaka (fried crispy cornish hen) ,there is something for everyone. While vegetarians can find plenty to eat here, vegans have a more limited selection.

Fall and winter are a great time to visit this restaurant. Many of the dishes are heavy on bread, cheese and pastry, which are perfect comfort foods for cold, dark evenings!

The Details:

Badageoni Georgian Cuisine
website
26 East Main Street
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 864-1666

Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 12 PM – 9 PM
Friday – Sunday: 12 PM – 10 PM
Closed Wednesdays

Parking: Street parking in front of the restaurant and a municipal parking lot behind the restaurant (free parking on weekends)

Price: $$ (expect to pay around $100 for two people to dine, (appetizer, khachapuri, two entrees and dessert) not including drinks) Portions are large enough to share an appetizer and/or dessert.

Five on Friday {Happy Halloween}

Posted on October 29, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

*This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for info.*

Hello Friday! I cannot believe that it is already the end of October! With the rainy weather and the rise of COVID cases in the schools, my son’s middle school Halloween Bash was canceled. The kids still have Halloween plans for the weekend that I hope will still work out. Here are five from this week:

1. Sports – My daughter’s field hockey team made it to sectionals. They won their game last Friday afternoon in overtime but lost in the quarterfinals against the first seeded team. My son’s last modified soccer game got canceled this week due to the rainy weather. I love watching the kids play their sports, but I’m not going to lie, I’m looking forward to a more relaxed upcoming activity schedule!

2. Reading – This week I finished reading Brunch and Other Obligations by Suzanne Nugent. This was just an okay read for me about female friendship. I just downloaded 4 books from Netgalley onto my kindle and have several books out from the library. There are too many books and not enough reading time!

3. Cooking – This week’s dinners included BLTs with Morningstar Farms Bacon, Chipotle Cauliflower Pitas and these Hoisin Tofu Noodles.

4. Watching – Friday night my husband and I watched Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain. I’ve also started watching the limited Netflix series Maid. Both are good but pretty depressing!

5. Eating – Saturday my husband and I had a lunch date at Badageoni Georgian cuisine in Mt. Kisco. This was our first time visiting and our first time having Georgian cuisine. The food was delicious and included this adjaruli, a traditional open-faced cheese boat.

6. Jack o’lanterns – Saturday night we carved jack o’lanterns. I think my husband did an amazing job on his Baby Yoda!

7. HVRW – Hudson Valley Restaurant Week takes place November 1 – 14. We were invited to the kick-off party held Monday at Tilly Foster’s Farm. My husband went, representing NY Foodie Family and got to sample local beer, spirits and food products from local farms and businesses. We like the milk from Ronnybrook Farm Dairy and my husband loved the eggnog he sampled. They just started producing it for the holiday season!

8. Dinner with my parents – My mom had knee replacement surgery last week. She’s slowly recovering so we brought Chinese takeout over Sunday for a visit and to give my dad a night off from cooking. I stopped at Homestyle Desserts and picked up some pastries for dessert. These were soooo good!

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I shared November Events in Westchester County.

Thursday I posted Snack Time where I share some of the snacks we’ve been enjoying.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

Snack Time {Volume 1}

Posted on October 28, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

One thing my family loves is snacks, especially with two teens in the house! Our house is always stocked with chips, cookies, candy, desserts and more. We are always on the lookout for new, seasonal, international and limited edition snacks. Snack Time is our monthly showcase of recent snack tries and buys. What were some of your favorite snacks this month?

Cookies, Cakes and Baked Goods:

Entenmann’s Pumpkin Donuts – We are not frequent packaged donut eaters. However, my husband was at the grocery store when our daughter called him, craving donuts. These donuts have an unnatural orange color to them and you don’t really get the flavor of pumpkin. But, they have a light glaze, are moist and fill that craving when you are looking for something sweet. Plus, they come in a package of 8, which works out nicely for a family of 4.

JHL Thai Coconut Roll – My sister bought these Thai Coconut Rolls at HMart and gave us a bag. They are super crunchy and break apart into a million crumbs, often in the bag before you can get a hand on one. But they have a nice mild coconut and sesame flavor.

Jules Destrooper Butter Waffles – Jules Destrooper is a Belgian cookie company that has been in business since 1886. They only use 100% natural ingredients with no preservatives, artificial colors or artificial flavors. These butter waffles (aka lukken) are one of their best sellers. These were buttery and delicious.

Candy:

Mocati Hard Candy Assortment – (c/o Aprati and American Licorice Company) Aprati, a division of the American Licorice Company, kindly sent us a variety of their candies to sample. This included these Mocati Hard Candy Assortment. These are hard candies that come in three different coffee flavored blends: espresso, caramel macchiato and mocha mint. These are a nice after lunch treat when you want a little something sweet. All of the flavors are great!

The Frutati Hard Candy Assortment are also hard candies that come in three flavors: Blueberry-Yuzu, Pineapple-Passionfruit and Green Apple Mango. These flavors are inspired by the culture and flavors of Cambodia, where the candy is sourced and supplied from.

The American Licorice Company was founded in 1914. Red Vines Made Simple are licorice made without artificial flavors, colors, high fructose corn syrup or GMO ingredients. While I’m generally not a fan of licorice of any flavor, my son and husband have been enjoying these. Especially the blueberry pomegranate flavor. Red Vines come in a variety of flavors including the original red and black licorice.

Chips:

Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Truffle & Sea Salt – Our family loves a good potato chip and we are fans of Kettle Brand chips. My chip preference is a kettle chip, which are sturdy and crunchy. However, these Krinkle Cut chips were surprisingly thick. As soon as you open the bag the truffle scent hits you in the face. This is a good thing, of course.

Orion O!Karto – My husband picked these up on a visit to HMart. We are always trying new Asian snacks and Hmart carries a ton of them! These potato snacks are similar in shape and texture to veggie straws. They have a mild cream & cheese flavor and the chip melts in your mouth.

Wholesome Pantry Organic Korean BBQ Popcorn – This popcorn is addicting! It’s part of Shoprite stores private label food brand, Wholesome Pantry. This popcorn checks the sweet, salty and spicy boxes, creating an addicting snack that we all enjoy. Be warned: it does have a little heat.

Frozen:

My Mochi – For those that are unfamiliar with mochi, they are Japanese rice cakes made of glutinous rice. My Mochi are ice cream-filled mochi. They are found in the freezer section of the grocery store and come in 15 different flavors, though our grocery store only carried three. We’ve sampled both the strawberry and mint chocolate chip. Although I am not a mochi fan, mostly due to the chewy texture, both my husband and kids love it. This is perfect since they come in a box of six. They have enjoyed both flavors they have tried.

November Events in Westchester County

Posted on October 26, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Here is your November Events in Westchester County (and the surrounding area). Hope you enjoy a month filled with fun! Check back as we continue to update this post.

Comedy:

Levity Live (Palisade Center – West Nyack) Enjoy a comedy show at Levity Live in November. Upcoming shows include Eddie Griffin (Nov. 5-6), Pinky Patel (Nov. 7), Andrew Dice Clay (Nov. 10-11), D.L. Hughley (Nov. 12-14), Mark Viera (Nov. 26-28).

Date Night/Girls Night Out:

Imagine VR Studios Karaoke Night (Yorktown Heights) November 13: free entry, 8-11 PM, enjoy a night of karaoke at Imagine VR Studios inside the Jefferson Valley mall

Eat & Drink:

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week (restaurants throughout the Hudson Valley) Fall Hudson Valley Restaurant Week (HVRW) is taking place November 1- November 14. Enjoy a 3 course lunch ($25.95) or 3 course dinner ($35.95) at over 100 restaurants located throughout the Hudson Valley.

Taste of Westchester Cooking Demo Classes (restaurants throughout Westchester County) enjoy cooking demos from local chefs and then sample their creations. November classes include: Brothers Fish & Chips (Nov. 1), Clock Tower Grill (Nov. 3), Tredici North (Nov. 10), The 808 Bistro (Nov. 13), Albano’s (Nov. 18), Maria Restaurant (Nov. 20).

More Than a Meal (Bethel) November 5, 12, 13: Enjoy this unique dining experience at Bethel Woods in the Market Sheds. 5 PM, Chef Jasper Alivia serves a family-style, prix-fixe meal at your private, reserved table. Specialty cocktails and conversation with Neal Hitch, Senior Curator at the Museum of Bethel Woods. Tickets: $55/person

Fin & Brew Pop-Up Tasting Dinner (Peekskill) November 5: Enjoy a 5-course tasting menu with wine pairing. $100/person

Benriach 5 Course Scotch Dinner and Tasting (Thornwood) November 8: The Barley House is hosting a 5-course meal paired with 5 single-malt scotches. 7 PM – 10 PM, 21+ only, $65/person

Sambal Vegan Dinner (Irvington) November 9: Sambal Thai & Malaysian restaurant is hosting a special 3 course vegan dinner. $45/person, served family-style.

City Winery Bourbon & Bacon (Montgomery) November 11: Enjoy a four-course dinner paired with wine, beer and spirit. Doors open at 5:45 PM, dinner begins at 6:00 PM. General admission: $100.

Fairs & Festivals:

YOFIFEST (Yonkers) November 5-21: Enjoy a full schedule of film screenings, workshops, panels and more. Films can be viewed in person or live streamed. Check the full schedule and film prices here.

Westchester’s Winter Wonderland (Valhalla) November 26, 2021 – January 2, 2022: Experience this 1.2 mile drive-thru light extravaganza. Tickets: $25/off peak, $35/peak (per vehicle)

Kids:

Virtual Reality Teen Night (Yorktown Heights) November 19: 6 PM – 8 PM, ages 9-15, teens enjoy unlimited play and access to all standard and premium VR experiences on the VR stations and VR Simulators. Ticket price includes a voucher for pizza and water. $30/ticket

Live Music & Performances:

Tunes & Brews (Yorktown Heights) November 5 & 12: PB Pizza & Beer and the Jefferson Valley Mall bring live music, craft beer and food trucks from 7-10 PM.

White Plains Performing Arts Center (WPPAC) (White Plains) The WPPAC has two shows in November – Golden Oldies Reunion Vol. 1 (November 5). This show is a rental and not a WPPAC event. Lisa Marie Riley – One Funny Mommy (November 6).

Concerts at Bethel Woods (Bethel) A little further to travel but some great musicians worth checking out play here. In November you can see:

Capitol Theatre (Port Chester) November’s lineup includes: Gary Clark Jr. (Nov. 2 -4), Cheap Trick (Nov. 7), Steely Dan: The Absolutely Normal Tour (Nov. 9-10), Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (Nov. 21), Bob Dylan: Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour (Nov. 23-24), *Check the site for the full lineup.

Emelin Theatre (Mamaroneck) November’s lineup includes Amy Helm (Nov. 4) and Joan Osborne (Nov. 11) *Check the site for the full lineup

Paramount Hudson Valley (Peekskill) Music is back at the Paramount. November’s lineup includes: Titans of ’80’s Rock Tribute Show (Nov. 6), The Best of the Eagles (Nov. 13), A Night with Woodstock Festival Greats – Joplin and Santana (Nov. 19) *Check the site for the full lineup

Tarrytown Music Hall (Tarrytown) November’s lineup includes: Vic DiBitetto (Nov. 5-6), The Psychedelic Furs (Nov. 7), Friends! The Musical Parody (Nov. 12), Rosanne Cash (Nov. 13), The Machine performs Pink Floyd (Nov. 19) *Check the site for the full lineup

Shopping:

MADE (Montgomery) November 14: Presented by Edible Hudson Valley and City Winery Hudson Valley enjoy this Makers Market event. Enjoy a day of shopping from local artisans, live music, local wine and more. 11 AM – 5 PM, Tickets: $12

Holiday Pop-Up at the Jefferson Valley Mall (Yorktown Heights) November 27: The Jefferson Valley Mall and Westchester Blogger are partnering to bring a holiday pop-up to the mall. Enjoy supporting small businesses and get your holiday shopping done! 12 PM – 6 PM.

Other Fun:

Fused Fitness Workout Event (Peekskill) November 6: Presented by Fused Fit and Peekskill Brewery. 11 AM – 2 PM, enjoy a full body mini-band and bodyweight interval workout. All levels welcome. Post workout enjoy a complimentary PB Valley Life brew. Tickets: $15

Five on Friday {10-22-21}

Posted on October 22, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy Friday! Hooray for making it through another week! It was a busy and long one and I’m so ready for the weekend. Here are five from this week:

1. Homecoming – Friday night was our Homecoming football game. The homecoming dance got moved from Saturday to Sunday because of the rain. Here is my daughter in her homecoming dress that I talked about shopping for in my Instagram stories and previous Five on Friday post!

2. Reading – This week I finished The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth. This is an ARC that I got to read from Netgalley. I’ve loved all her other books but this one wasn’t a favorite. This week I also read Crying in HMart by Michelle Zauner. This is a memoir that I really enjoyed.

3. Cooking – Kimchi Pancakes. I picked up some kimchi at HMart and made a batch of these on Sunday. I find that this dish really cuts the spiciness of the kimchi.

Sunday night my husband made French Onion Meatballs. We substituted Impossible Meat for the ground beef the recipe called for. We served this with mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables. While this recipe is on the lengthier side, I purposely chose it as a weekend meal.

4. Watching – Friday night while my daughter was at the football game we had a pizza and movie night with our son. He got to choose the movie and picked Bill & Ted Face the Music. I don’t remember if I ever saw the original movie, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Let’s just say that I was just there to enjoy the time with my son and wasn’t a fan of the movie!

5. Eating – over the weekend we took my son out for Korean food at SGD DUBU in Hartsdale. With me being Korean, you’d think we’d eat it a lot more. I’m hoping to change that and plan on trying to cook some Korean food at home. Since we eat it so rarely, my favorite is the bibimbap. This was served on a hot stone plate versus the bowl that I’m used to. Every restaurant makes it a little differently but it’s always so good!

6. Netflix Book Club – Did you see that Netflix is having a book/watch club?! As someone who always prefers to read the book first, this is right up my alley! The first book is going to be Passing by Nella Larsen. I just picked the book up yesterday from the library and hope to read/watch along.

7. Playing – Saturday we had an impromptu family game night and played several rounds of Canine Chaos. It’s a fast-paced card matching game that we all enjoy. We also have the similar Cat Chaos too and switch up which edition we play!

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I shared Eat & Drink Westchester County: Pumpkin Edition.

Thursday I posted Bike Ride on the Dutchess Rail Trail.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

A Bike Ride on the Dutchess Rail Trail

Posted on October 21, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

The Dutchess Rail Trail is a 13.4 mile paved trail that runs from East Fishkill to the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. The paved trail is perfect for a bike ride and is highly trafficked by bike riders, joggers and walkers. There are eight different parking lots that provide entry to the Dutchess Rail Trail.

We recently took a family bike ride on the Dutchess Rail Trail. I am always looking for teen-friendly family activities and thought a bike ride would be fun. The only problem is that none of us own a bike. That tells you how often we go bike riding! After some quick research, I discovered that Leisure Ride Bike Rentals in Poughkeepsie rents bikes and is located right off the Dutchess Rail Trail.

We arrived at Leisure Ride Bike Rentals at close to 3:30 PM on a Saturday afternoon. There are a variety of different bikes that are available for rent including cruisers, mountain bikes, comfort and tandem bikes. We had no idea what type of bikes we should choose and owner, James Taylor, was super helpful! He recommended bikes for each of us based on our height and experience. He had us sit on the bikes and made sure we were comfortable with our choices. He then gave us quick tutorials on how to change the gears, brake, etc.

Once we were situated we headed out to the trail. Dutchess Rail Trail access is within several feet of the parking lot. It took me a few minutes to get confident riding the bike. The last time I was on a bike was probably when I was my son’s age! As they say, though, you don’t forget how to ride a bike. Soon we were all on our way. I didn’t realize that helmets are required on the Dutchess Rail Trail, until we were on the trail and saw the sign. I promise we will wear them next time!

We opted to take the trail south towards Hopewell Junction. The trail is paved, which makes for smooth bike riding. There are benches and picnic tables throughout the trail, perfect for snack and water breaks.

The trail is very scenic. We ended up riding 1 1/2 hours for a 7 mile round-trip bike ride. While this isn’t a super long bike ride, it was the perfect length for some of us who haven’t ridden a bike in years!

The trail has markers so you know how far you’ve traveled.

We all had such a great time riding together.

The Details:

Leisure Ride Bike Rentals
266 Titusville Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

Hours: Open daily 10 AM – 6 PM

Cost: $9/hour or $35/day
bike insurance is $2/rider extra
Cash or credit

*Helmets are available for free with rental

*Bikes are sanitized between users

*If you are hungry after your bike ride, Leisure Ride Bike Rentals has a small cafe that sells smoothies, paninis, wraps, burgers and more.

*For a sweet treat, approximately 10 minutes away is Eastdale Village, where Amanda’s Macaron Shoppe and Spoons Ice Cream are both located.