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Happy Friday and happy fall! I am all about all things pumpkin spice, cozy sweaters and fall foliage! This is such a fun time of year! School is going well for the kids. My daughter is loving high school! Last night we attended virtual back-to-school night for my son, who is in 7th grade. I have to say, I kind of enjoyed “attending” from my couch, wearing my pajamas! We are looking forward to a three day weekend. Happy Yom Kippur to those who celebrate. Here are five from this week:
1.Supper Club Picnic – We finally got to see the other couples from our supper club! The last time we had gotten together was in February, pre-pandemic. Sunday we met up at the Kensico Dam and enjoyed a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful day with great company!
After our get together, our family walked along the dam and visited the 9/11 memorial, the Rising.
2. Shopping – Last Saturday we took our daughter shopping at Plato’s Closet. She has become a big fan of thrifting and second hand shopping. Me and my wallet are not complaining!
Photograph: Christopher Patey/Netflix
3. Watching – This week I watched the first episode of both The Home Edit and Sing On on Netflix. The Home Edit has gotten me wanting to organize ALL the things! I will be checking out some of their books for sure for some more ideas. Sing On is a karaoke singing competition show, hosted by Tituss Burgess, from The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. It’s a fun show that I can watch while doing other things.
4. Eating – This week we went to The Hummus and Pita Company while we were shopping in Brookfield, CT. Their vegan Shwarma is tasty and we love all the sides!
For our supper club picnic I made roasted eggplant sandwiches with roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, tomato, fresh mozzarella and some balsamic vinegar.
5.Reading – I am currently reading The Last Flight by Julie Clark. This suspense book had me interested from the very beginning. I’m hoping to have it finished by the end of the weekend.
Now that school has started, it’s not as easy to go away with the kids. Plus, COVID is making travel even more difficult. Fortunately, there are many fall weekend getaways close to Westchester County that are perfect for both families or couples looking to rest, recharge and have some fun! I am sharing 7 weekend getaways that we think families will enjoy.
Corning– This is the furthest destination that we are sharing, but it’s definitely doable for a weekend visit. There are some unique experiences to enjoy in the area including the Corning Museum of Glass, Watkins Glen State Park and more.
Crystal Spring Resort – This is the only New Jersey weekend destination that we have traveled to so far, but it’s a good one! Your family may never want to leave the biosphere pool. They offer both complimentary activities and those that have an additional cost. There are several onsite restaurants to choose from.
Emerson Resort – The Emerson Resort is located in the Catskills and is perfectly situated for some fall foliage viewing. This resort is also dog friendly if you want to bring your pet with you. Here you can find the world’s largest kaleidoscope. They offer several onsite activities and also have a spa. The Catskill Rail Explorers and plenty of fall hikes will keep you busy when you’re not enjoying the resort.
Kalahari Resort – If you don’t want to have to worry about the weather, take a visit to Kalahari. You can enjoy the indoor water park, arcade, mini golf and more. With several onsite restaurants, you won’t have to leave the resort. And if the weather is nice, they also have an outdoor treetop adventure course.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania – Only three hours from most of Westchester County, Lancaster, Pennsylvania is a great weekend getaway. Experience “Pennsylvania Dutch Country” for an educational and fun experience.
Pine Ridge Dude Ranch – Pine Ridge Dude Ranch is great if your family enjoys horseback riding. This is an all-inclusive dude ranch experience with both outdoor and indoor activities to keep the family occupied.
Villa Roma Resort– Villa Roma Resort offers a variety of activities for families with kids of all ages including go karts, a bowling alley, a zip line and more. Dinner and breakfast are included in the price of your stay.
Happy Friday! This was a great week. My birthday was Wednesday. As I’ve gotten older, I’m really not into making a big deal about the day. Especially, when it falls on a Wednesday during a pandemic! But for the first time ever I took the day off of work! Work has still been crazy busy and I just didn’t want to have to a stressful day! Here are five from this week:
1. Apple Picking – It’s a little early in the season, but last weekend we went apple picking at Soons Orchards, a new-to-us orchard in New Hampton, NY (Orange County). This was a no frills experience, but the apples are delicious and we had a great time!
2. Shopping – On the way home from apple picking we stopped at Woodbury Common Outlet Center to do some back-to-school shopping. There were some pretty good sales and the kids got some stuff for school. We have another shopping trip planned this weekend.
3. Watching – This week I watched the documentary Social Dilemma. It was very eye-opening on how damaging social media is. It’s kind of crazy how these social media companies manipulate us users.
4. Eating – One of our favorite dinners that I cooked this week was this Banh Mi Pizza.
This Burrata Salad that I had as an appetizer at Farmers and Chefs for my birthday lunch was delicious!
Apples, apples apples! We have sooo many apples from apple picking. I am going to have to cook/bake with them.
You can’t go apple picking and not get cider donuts. Unfortunately, these weren’t hot and fresh. But we did get some powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar and plain ones for our annual cider donut fix.
5.Reading – This week I started reading An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena. This is one of the few books by the author that I haven’t read yet, so wanted to give it a try.
6. Birthday – I started my day off getting a haircut. Then my husband and I stopped at Half Time in Poughkeepsie and we stocked up on craft ciders (for me) and beer (for him). We enjoyed lunch at a new-to-us restaurant, Farmers and Chefs that has been on my want to try list. My husband took my son to his Boy Scout meeting and had to stay for a mandatory parent meeting. So we had a late dinner of Chinese takeout when they got home, with strawberry shortcake for dessert. I am very hopeful that this next year will be a great one!
Is it even fall if you don’t go apple picking?! This is an annual family activity for us. However, we don’t have a favorite orchard and instead every year like to try a different orchard in the area. This year we went apple picking early in the season at Soons Orchards in New Hampton.
The Orchard
Soons Ochards has been growing apples since 1910. They currently grow 55 varieties on their 30 acre orchard. The apples available for picking depend on when in the season you visit. It is important to note that the orchard is down the street from the Market. Like us, many guests mistakenly arrived at the Market, only to discover that we were in the wrong location.
The Experience
Due to COVID, Soons Orchards require timed reservations for apple picking and prepayment in advance. There is also a $1.00 per person charge. When you arrive an employee will check you in and give you your prepaid bag(s).
There is a posted sign that notes the apples that are ready for picking that day, along with their flavor profile. It is recommended that you take a picture on your phone so you can refer to it while picking.
There are signs at the end of each row that note the types of apples that are growing. Rows that have apples that are not ready for picking are roped off.
Soons Orchards U-pick orchard is only five acres, which is a lot smaller than other orchards we have visited. The rows of apple trees are 700 feet long. They are narrow and social distancing cannot be practiced when entering and exiting the rows. Please also be cautious when walking as the ground is uneven in areas. We found that for some apple varieties we had to walk a fair distance down the row to find ones that we could pick. Although you won’t do a lot of walking, comfortable shoes are recommended.
They do not have or allow pole pickers. We found many of the best looking apples at the top of the trees. While climbing trees is prohibited, we found a way to pick those hard-to-reach apples!
We found this cool looking branch arch and of course had to take an apple picking break to take some photos.
If you are looking for a no frills, apple picking experience, give Soons Orchards a try. Be sure to visit the farm store down the road for produce, baked goodies, including cider donuts, and more. We bought some plain, cinnamon sugar and powdered sugar cider donuts. Unfortunately, they do not serve hot, fresh donuts and cider wasn’t ready for the season yet.
The Details: Soons Orchards 634 County Route 50 New Hampton, NY
U-Pick Apples: open now on weekends and holiday Mondays 10 AM – 4 PM through the mid to end of October. The last entry is 3:30 PM. Check their website for the most up-to-date information.
Price: $18 for peck bag $28 for a 1/2 bushel bag
*Check their U-Pick page to see what apples are currently available for picking
Earlier this summer I was scrolling through Instagram where I first learned about the Clover Brooke Farm Llama and Alpaca Hike. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to add it to my summer bucket list.
Summer was quickly coming to an end and I still hadn’t booked a visit. These hikes are held rain or shine so I was hesitant to book tickets too far in advance, for fear of rain. We finally had a free weekend where the weather was looking beautiful and I went online to purchase tickets. Unfortunately, the llama/ alpaca hikes I was interested in only had one ticket available. I knew that my 14 year-old daughter would love this experience, so I direct messaged Clover Brooke Farm on Instagram and asked if they had a wait list. Andrea’s message let me know that they don’t. However, she let me purchase a ticket share, which allowed me and my daughter to share an alpaca for a slightly reduced ticket price. So off to Clover Brooke Farm we went!
From northern Westchester County, Clover Brooke Farm is about an hourlong drive. People come from all over for this experience, as there were at least two groups who traveled from Long Island on the day of our visit.
Clover Brooke Farm is a family owned, 25-acre farm. Current owners Andrea and Mike purchased the farm in 2015. Their main purpose is to be an animal fiber producing farm. However, they also welcome visitors and make additional income through programs like llama/ alpaca hikes, warm & fuzzy animal visits and yoga on the farm.
Before you start your llama/ alpaca hike you get to meet some of the farm animals up close. The animal tour is approximately 30 minutes where you meet goats, sheep and some llamas and alpacas. This is an interactive experience with lots of petting and picture taking!
After the farm tour, we were then given our llamas or alpacas. Each llama and alpaca has their own distinct personality which is fun to see. The animals have fun names too, like Ringo, Biscotti, Prince Caspian, Twist and Shout. On our visit, only two llamas were available. Since we had a share ticket, my daughter and I shared the responsibility of walking Twist, a white alpaca.
The one mile hike takes about an hour, over a well worn path through fields, up hills and into the woods.
There’s a photo-op about halfway through the hike, where Andrea will take your group picture with your phone or camera.
This was such a unique and fun experience! My daughter loved it and had such a great time. If you are looking for something different to do with your family, friends or a day date with your loved one, check out Clover Brooke Farm’s Llama Alpaca Hike and Farm Experience!
The Details: Llama Alpaca Hike and Farm Experience at Clover Brooke Farm 175 Ruskey Lane Hyde Park, NY
Times: Llama Alpaca Hike and Farm experiences are offered: Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: 10 AM and 12 PM Wednesdays: 10 AM
Tickets: $43/person but must be purchased online in advance Ticket shares: $30/person – must be purchased with a full price ticket and needs approval from Andrea
*Participants must be a minimum of 8 years old.
*There is no indoor bathroom. There is a compostable outhouse on the property.
*Bug spray and hand sanitizer are available for use prior to the hike.
*Closed toe shoes are recommended as it is a hike.
*At the end of the hike you are given a complimentary bottle of water.
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Happy Friday! It’s been a busy week around here and I have more than five things to share this week! Tuesday, the kids started their first day of school! They are doing a hybrid model and will do remote, virtual learning three days and go into school two days. This week, they did a smaller transition, so they each only went in one day. It’s been a little difficult for them to get up so early. But overall, so far, so good! This weekend we are hopefully going apple picking and then I’m taking my daughter to do some back-to-school clothes shopping. I will need ALL the patience for this trip! Here are five from this week:
1.Hike – I started the long weekend with a solo hike at Pelton Pond. This was an easy, peaceful 1.5 mile hike with beautiful views. It was just what I needed before having to run around and do errands.
2. Alpacas – Sunday I took my daughter on an Alpaca/Llama hike. This was a summer bucket list item and it was so much fun! I’ll be sharing a post next week all about it!
3. Sunflowers – After our alpaca hike we stopped at a nearby sunflower field. Of course my daughter wanted to take pictures and we also cut our own sunflowers.
4. Reading – I finished On the Come Up this week. This was a great YA book about a teen trying to make it as a rapper. I didn’t love it as much as the author’s other book, The Hate U Give, but it was still a good read. I have just started reading 28 Summers. Although school has started, summer has not officially ended, so I’m sneaking this one in. Plus, I’ve heard such good things about it!
5. Watching – I haven’t watched a movie in awhile, but this weekend we watched Jojo Rabbit. This is a WWII comedy-drama about a Hitler youth whose mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. We enjoyed this one. For such a horrific time period in history, the movie actually had some laugh out loud moments.
6. Eating – This weekend we tried a new-to-us ice cream place, Zoe’s Ice Cream Barn. This lavender honey and peach strawberry pie ice cream were so good!
The night of their first day back-to-school we ordered takeout from Izla. The kids both agreed on this place when they were asked where they wanted to get food from. My son, the only meat eater in the family, enjoyed pernil while the rest of us enjoyed ALL the sides (tostones, yuca fries, rice and gandules, sweet plantains and mixed veggies)!
One of our favorite meals that we made this week were the Summer Grain Bowls from Eats Well With Others. They were super easy to make and can be easily adapted when corn isn’t in season.
7. Back-to-School Pic – It’s tradition to take an annual first and last day of school picture. So, even though the kids had a remote, virtual first day, I made them get up and take a picture before I had to go to work!
ICYMI this week on the blog:
Monday I posted about our visit to Villa Roma Resort in the Catskills.
This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional info.
Summer is officially over and today is the first day of school for the kiddos. It’s also Steph and Jana’s monthly Show Us Your Books linkup. August was another great reading month for me. Out of the 10 books I read, they were all 4 star reads except for one! I’m not sure if I’m being more selective about which books I read, but I’m not going to complain. Here are my August 2020 Reads:
3 stars:
Good Girls Lie by J. T. Ellison – (suspense, December 2019) A student at an elite, all-girls boarding school in Virginia is found dead. Was it suicide or murder? I found this book so unbelievable, yet had to finish it to see what happened.
4 stars:
Always the Last to Knowby Kristan Higgins – (Contemporary Fiction, June 2020) A couple are married for almost fifty years. The husband is bike riding when he gets hit by a car and ends up having a stroke. During this time the wife discovers a secret he’s been keeping from her. Meanwhile their two adult daughters are facing struggles of their own. This book shows all the messiness and complications of family dynamics. This is only the second book that I’ve read by this author, but I have to read more of her stuff.
Eliza Starts a Rumor by Jane Rosen – (Contemporary Fiction, June 2020) An online moderator for a women’s parenting forum starts a rumor after she learns of a rival online parenting group. Unfortunately, this rumor has major consequences for some women. I was interested in this book since it takes place in the Hudson Valley and I actually live in the Hudson Valley. I wasn’t sure what to expect before reading this. But it was really enjoyable. The characters were all likable and there was a lot more depth and emotion to the book than I thought there would be.
A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight – (suspense, May 2020) Described as Big Little Lies meets Presumed Innocent. A lawyer gets a call from a college friend who is accused of murdering his wife. While she tries to help him, her own marriage is slowly falling apart. This was a fast paced thriller that had me guessing until the end.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley – (suspense/thriller, June 2020) The most perfectly planned wedding is taking place on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Except nothing is turning out as the bride expected and then someone ends up dead. Although I didn’t really like any of the characters the story itself kept me reading.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – (historical fiction, February 2017) In early 1900’s Korea a young woman is impregnated by a wealthy man she falls in love with. But he’s married with kids. A sick minister staying at her mother’s boarding house offers to wed her and the two move to Japan. The story covers a span of over 50 years. I learned so much about Koreans living in Japan during this time period.
Pretty Thingsby Janelle Brown – (suspense, April 2020) Two young women get involved in a game of deceit. One a petty swindler has her eye on conning the other, a heiress and Instagram influencer. But of course, things don’t go as planned. This was a good, suspense book and I read it’s being turned into an Amazon series adaptation starring Nicole Kidman.
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim – (YA Fantasy, July 2019) This YA fantasy book is described as Project Runway meets Mulan. A teen girl who is an excellent tailor pretends to be a boy so she can compete to try to become a Royal Tailor to the Imperial Majesty. This is the first book in a series. My teen daughter read and enjoyed this so I gave it a try and liked it as well.
The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipman -(Contemporary Fiction, April 2019) A woman inherits her family’s cottage. She leaves her cheating husband, quits her job and attempts to renovate the cottage into a bed and breakfast. This was a touching, light summer read. I’ve enjoyed all of Shipman’s books that I’ve read.
The Young Elites by Marie Lu – (YA Fantasy, October 2014) Ten years ago a deadly blood fever left some teens with special powers. These “young elites” are targeted by the king to be destroyed before they destroy the country. One new elite just discovered her power but it may be too dark for even the Young Elites. This was a YA fantasy book that we’ve had sitting unread on our bookshelf for ages. I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. This is also the first book in a series.
Thank you Villa Roma Resort for hosting NY Foodie Family. As always, all opinions are our own.
School is starting again and calendars are getting busy. Fall is the perfect time to go for a weekend getaway to the Catskills. Villa Roma Resort is an all-inclusive family resort in Sullivan County. A little over an hour and a half drive from northern Westchester County, Villa Roma Resort has everything you need for a relaxing vacation.
This year, the Callicoon, NY resort is celebrating its 50th anniversary. What started as a small boarding boarding house with a pool and 2 bocce courts has since expanded into an 430 acre property. Besides the resort area, Villa Roma also has an 18 hole PGA Golf Course and a downhill ski area and Chalet.
I first heard about Villa Roma from a colleague who would visit every summer with her family. With COVID, we have been wanting to travel while staying in New York State. I thought a visit here would be a perfect way to end our summer.
The Room
As you can tell from both the name and the décor, Villa Roma is an Italian-themed resort. Villa Roma includes timeshare condo units, with 140 guest rooms in the main building. There is a variety of guest rooms from traditional rooms to two bedroom suites.
We stayed in a 2 bedroom efficiency room that had a sitting area, kitchen, two bedrooms (one with a king size bed and one with a queen) and a bathroom with a separate tub and shower.
I have to admit that the bathroom was one of the best features of the room! With a teen daughter who loves to spend a lot of time in the bathroom, it was nice that there was enough space and privacy that multiple could use the bathroom at the same time
Activities & Entertainment:
Villa Roma dubs their entertainment as a “Cruise on Land” with Doc Holiday. Each day they have a schedule of activities that includes arts and crafts, Bingo, Horse or Turtle Racing and various types of competitions (Corn Hole, Bocce Ball, Ping Pong and more).
While we didn’t participate in any of the scheduled activities, we did watch a couple of rounds of horse racing. Guests can bet $1 on a horse. Special dice are rolled and the horses move up positions based on the dice roll. Winning bets earn money, with payouts based on the number of bets per horse.
If scheduled group fun isn’t your thing, there are many other activities to keep you busy. It’s important to check the weekly information sheet, as the times of the below activities vary by day. They also close certain attractions for cleaning during select hours.
Guests can purchase an unlimited fun package when they book their reservations. The band is not available for purchase once you arrive at the resort. The activities marked with an asterisk below are included in the unlimited fun package. Otherwise, these activities do have additional fees fee. Tickets are $2 each and most activities require at least 3 tickets per person to participate.
Go Karts* – This was the first time that the kids and I ever drove a go kart. While I’m happy to be able to cross that off my bucket list, once was enough for me. However, the kids loved driving the go karts. There are six single go karts and two doubles. I recommend getting to the go karts early. When we arrived at 12 PM we waited almost an hour to ride. The next day we arrived a little after the 10 AM opening and waited less than 10 minutes. Closed-toe shoes are required to ride the Go Karts and guests must be 56 inches to drive in a single car. Children have to be at least 44 inches to ride in a double car with an adult.
Bowling* – The resort has an 8 lane bowling alley in the Sports Complex. To maintain a safe environment during COVID, they are only running 4 lanes at a time. They do not take reservations and are running on a first come, first serve basis. They give you bowling shoes and have paper and pencil scoring.
Indoor Fun Park* – There are a variety of bounce houses for younger kids.
Bumper Boats* – During our visit, only three of the four bumper boats were in operation. Each bumper boat can hold three people, so my daughter and I rode together.
Zip Line* – This is one activity that we did not try. Some activities, like the zip line are only available during select times. When we arrived, the line was long and we wanted to head out.
Game Room & Arcade – The game room has ping pong tables, pickleball courts, pool tables and more. Plus, there’s an arcade with a variety of games.
Sports Courts – Inside the Sports Complex, one racquet ball court had a volleyball net set up and one had a basketball hoop. My son requested that we all play volleyball.
Pools – There are three outdoor pools. One is a zero entry with play features and a water bucket.
One pool has a water slide and the other is a swimming pool.
There is also an adults only jacuzzi hot tub with a waterfall which is where I hung out! When we arrived at the pool area at 11 AM, almost every lounge chair was “taken” with a towel. However, there was hardly anyone in the pool area at that time. We were fortunate to find a table and chairs where I could sit to keep an eye on my son, who went swimming. There are lifeguards supervising all pool areas, including the hot tub.
Due to COVID, the gym and indoor pool were closed during our visit. For an additional cost, visitors can enjoy horseback riding and paintball.
Nightly Entertainment:
Every night there is some type of evening entertainment. There may be bonfires, dance parties, and, on the night of our visit, a lip sync battle. The event was hosted by Mama Villa Roma, a Villa Roma favorite. Due to the inclement weather, the entertainment was held in the Forum Night Club.
Food:
When you stay at Villa Roma, depending on the meal package you select, dinner and breakfast are included in the price of your stay. You are assigned a table in the main dining room and eat dinner and breakfast at the same table, with the same wait staff, the duration of your visit.
Dinner is served 6:30 PM – 8 PM and reservations are required. Menus may change based on the season and day of the week, but offer an appetizer, choice of soup or pasta, salad, entree and dessert. Thursday evenings feature a special Caesar’s Night seven course menu. Since we have two vegans, a vegetarian and a meat eater in our family, I made sure to notify them when I made our 6:30 PM dinner reservations.
My son enjoyed the seven course feast that included a variety of appetizers (fried calamari, sausage and peppers and spare ribs), plus ravioli, a Caesar salad and his entree, the Dill Butter Salmon Fillet.
Meanwhile, the kitchen was able to make a tofu and vegetable stir fry with rice for the three of us, which was delicious!
And look at this platter of Italian pastries that they served. My son is now a fan of Italian rainbow cookies!
Breakfast is served 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM daily. They offer a variety of different dishes including eggs, french toast, pancakes, cereal, bagels, fruit and more.
There are several other food options for lunch, snacks and breakfast and dinner, if you choose not to participate in the dining plan. I enjoyed a strawberry milkshake at the Cappo Dolce Coffee & Ice Cream Parlor.
COVID and Safety Measures:
Villa Roma is doing a great job with their safety measures. They have signs up throughout the resort noting that masks must be worn. During all activities that we visited, mask wearing was enforced, even when go karting. Hand sanitizer stations are located throughout the resort and throughout our stay we saw staff in the public common areas cleaning.
We walked by the pool area the first afternoon of our visit and were surprised at the number of people in the pool area and that few, if any were wearing masks. Obviously masks cannot be worn while swimming. But the number of people not wearing them while sitting in the chairs around the pool area made us uncomfortable. So, we visited the pool earlier the next day when it was less crowded and we were more comfortable.
Villa Roma caters to all types of visitors. We saw many families during our visit as well as couples of all ages. Many of these couples and families have been visiting Villa Roma for years! A couple of days at Villa Roma Resort was just what our family needed. It was nice to disconnect and enjoy some quality family time. There was enough to do to keep our 14 and 12 year-old entertained over our two day stay.
If you are looking for a family getaway, close to home, check out Villa Roma Resort in the Catskills!
The Details:
Villa Roma Resort 356 Villa Roma Road Callicoon, NY 12723 1-800-533-6767
*Be sure to check the website for promotions and special offers
*If you are staying in a room with a refrigerator/kitchen, stock up on snacks and drinks.
*Get to attractions with limited hours like the Go Karts, bowling and the zipline before or close to opening, to avoid long waits.
*Semi-casual attire is recommended for dinner and men are requested to wear collared shirts. However, a dress code is not enforced and we saw people wearing everything from tank tops and jeans to men in collared button down shirts and slacks and women in sun dresses.
This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional info.
Happy Friday and hello September! This is it – the last unofficial weekend of summer. With Labor Day on Monday, we have a long weekend before the kids start school Tuesday. I am hoping they have a good and SAFE year despite all the changes. I am so ready for fall and can’t wait for the cooler weather! I’m also happy my blog is up and running again. Last Friday, some of you may have discovered that my blog had a database error issue and you couldn’t access the blog. After some help from Bluehost, I was able to get it up and running again. Here are five from this week:
1. Villa Roma – Last week we spent two days at Villa Roma Resort in the Catskills. It was so nice to get away for a couple of days and we had such a good time.
The kids and I tried driving Go Karts for the first time (which you can see on my Instagram). A full post/review will be up next week.
2. Reading – I am finishing up The One by John Marrs. This is a good sci-fi/suspense read where a DNA test matches you with your “perfect partner.” Unfortunately, getting matched has its consequences. I recently discovered that it’s being made into a 10-episode Netflix show.
3. Cooking – This week one of our favorite meals were these Summer Risotto Stuffed Peppers from How Sweet Eats. They weren’t difficult, just time consuming. It took about an hour start to finish.
4. RiverWalk – Sunday the weather was beautiful. I walked part of the RiverWalk in Peekskill and spent some time reading by the Hudson River. It was quiet and peaceful and just what I needed.
5. Eating – We enjoyed this plate of Italian pastries at our dinner at Villa Roma.
I found chocolate waffle cones at my local Shoprite, which I of course had to buy. I filled it with Turkey Hill Trio’politan Mint Cookie. I’m not going to lie. Work has been crazy busy and I earned this ice cream cone!
I love Chinese takeout! It’s our go-to when we don’t have the time or energy to cook. Thanks to MaxEx PR, I discovered the recently opened Chigo Cin Hawthorne, which is bringing Chinese takeout to a whole new level.
Chigo, named as a combination of “Chinese to Go” is located on Saw Mill River Road in Hawthorne. The restaurant only does takeout and delivery, but they deliver to over 20 towns throughout Westchester County (New York) and Fairfield County (Connecticut). They even have their own app to make ordering easy.
When you get your food, don’t think you’re going to be eating regular Chinese takeout. Chigo uses fresh, organic, locally sourced ingredients. The prices may be a little higher than your standard Chinese takeout, but the quality is so much better. My husband and son were running errands in White Plains and stopped to pick up our order on the way home. In our family of four we have two vegans, one vegetarian (myself) and one meat eater.
Vegetable Spring Rolls ($8)
I think I ordered almost every vegetable dish on the menu! From the Dim Sum section I ordered scallion pancakes and vegetable spring rolls. They also have Firecracker Spring Rolls, Chinese BBQ Spare Ribs, Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Classic Crab Rangoon and more.
Vegetable Dumplings ($8)
They serve four different dumplings, including a Shanghai Soup Dumpling. We went with the pan fried Vegetable Dumplings.
Organic Vegetable Fried Rice ($9)
We also ordered Organic Vegetable Fried Rice, Shanghai Lo Mein Noodles (mild) and the Chinatown Stir Fry with Tofu. For an additional cost you can add chicken, beef, shrimp pork or tofu to any of the rice and stir fry dishes.
Berkshire Pork Bao Buns ($8)
And for my son, I ordered Berkshire Pork Bao Buns, since he’s the only meat eater in the family and loves these!
Scallion Pancakes ($8)
We enjoyed our dinner and could taste the difference between our local Chinese takeout and this meal. Portions are on the smaller side. Whereas I thought that I had over ordered for the four of us, it was actually the perfect amount of food. Even though we ordered fried rice, I was surprised that we didn’t receive any white rice to go with the stir fry.
Chinatown Stir Fry with Tofu ($17)
Chigo also serves a variety of “classic” Chinese dishes like Sesame Chicken, Chicken & Broccoli, Classic Peking Duck, Fiery Pepper Steak and more. These dishes can be ordered in either half or full sizes.
Shanghai Noodles – mild ($11)
We are not strict vegans and vegetarians. However, when I called to order I did ask if the vegetable dishes I ordered were vegan/vegetarian. Please be aware that most of them are not. They noted that they use chicken powder for flavoring in many of the dishes. The items that they could make vegan for us included the fried rice and the vegetable stir-fry. Since vegetarian and vegan diets are becoming more popular, I think it would be helpful if they noted on their menu which dishes were or could be made vegan/vegetarian.
Chigo is worth checking out to taste a new spin on Chinese takeout.
The Details: Chigo Chinese Restaurant 58 Saw Mill River Road Hawthorne, NY 10532 (914) 495-3323
Hours: Open daily 5 PM – 10 PM for takeout or delivery
