NY Foodie Family

Exploring Dover Stone Church

Posted on September 24, 2019 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Fall is the perfect time to go hiking! I highly recommend exploring Dover Stone Church in Dover Plains, NY for a day of outdoor family fun. Back in the spring, my daughter and I enjoyed a nice visit here.

Let me be clear right at the start, Dover Stone Church is not actually a church. It’s actually a cavern, formed over the years, in a silhouette reminiscent of a cathedral’s stained glass window. The property was originally private but was purchased by the Town of Dover in 2002, when it became available for sale. Through grants and donations, the property has been renovated and expanded. In the summer of 2015, three miles of nature trails were opened for visitors to enjoy.

But let’s back up. Before you get to the cavern, you must park across the street in the school parking lot (only when school is not in session). After crossing the street, a sign helps point you in the right direction.

A giant sign welcomes you the Dover Stone Church!

And then you encounter this amazing view! This was taken back when we visited in May. I’m sure the view with the fall foliage is just as spectacular!

You pass another welcome sign and a display that gives a short history of the Dover Stone Church.

It’s a short 0.25 mile hike from the pedestrian path to the trails. On the way you cross a footbridge where underneath, the Stone Church Brook flows.

As you approach the Stone Church will pass a sign directing you to the hiking trails towards the left. Stay to the right to visit the Stone Church.

The path toward the Stone Church is pretty rocky. As you get closer to the Church, the rocks are also wet and slippery.

There are some pretty neat views of the brook.

But, of course, the Stone Church is the main reason for this visit!

The cavern was briefly closed in July of 2019 due to rockfalls in the cave. It has since reopened, but you are warned to use caution and enter at your own risk. If attempting to enter the cave, be cautious and wear appropriate footwear. Some minor rock hopping is needed to get inside. But I highly recommend going inside if you can. How often can you see a waterfall inside of a cave?!!

The Stone Church Cave Trail is only 0.3 miles round trip. After we got our fill of the cave, my daughter and I went off to hike. The red trail and yellow trails are each 1 mile round trip and the blue trail is 1.5 miles round trip. The trails are well marked with colored trail markers. We hiked the red trail which was an easy hike with no notable features.

I’d love to visit the Dover Stone Church again with the whole family, since only my daughter and I made this trip. The four of us can try out the other trails.

The Details:
Dover Stone Church
3128 NY-22
Dover Plains, NY 12522

Parking: Park across the street in the Dover Elementary School parking lot (when school is not in session) and at Frescho 22 Plaza, 3156 NY-22 (when school is in session)

Hours: Open 7 AM to 7 PM, weather permitting

*No swimming is allowed
*There is a carry in, carry out policy
*Pets must be leashed
*Altogether, our visit took a little over an hour including photos at the Stone Church and a one mile hike on the red trail.

Five on Friday {40 and Fabulous!}

Posted on September 20, 2019 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(This post contains affiliate links. We earn a small commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog!)

Happy Friday! It’s the first Friday of my 40’s and this post is all things birthday! While some people have told me how bad 40 is with all the aches and pains, I’m a glass half full optimist. So far, 40 has been nothing but fabulous and I’m hoping it stays that way! I’m always posting on my Instagram stories, so check my feed out if you want to see what NY Foodie Family is up to! There’s lots of stories from this weekend in the Poconos and 914 Eats Highlights! Here are five from this past week:

1. Cranberry Manor Bed & Breakfast – For my husband’s 40th I took him to a bed and breakfast in Warwick, NY. For my birthday, we went to the Cranberry Manor Bed & Breakfast in the Poconos. We enjoy the no children policy, the warm hospitality and the delicious breakfasts that bed & breakfasts offer! And this was no exception. We enjoyed a peaceful, childless weekend celebrating me!

2. Barley Creek Brewing Company – We opted to go casual for dinner in the Poconos. When I chose Barley Creek Brewing Company I didn’t realize how large the restaurant was or how many families would be there. Of course we got seated across from the family with three kids under 5 whose youngest screamed through their entire stay……as a mom, I remember those days. Luckily, the food was okay and the beer flight and cider were delicious!

3. Bushkill Falls – I love hiking and I especially love waterfalls. So we went to the Poconos knowing that I wanted to hike Bushkill Falls. “Hike” might be too strong of a verb, as it’s more steps and wooden walkways, with a few spots of wooded trails. It’s a touristy place that you have to pay to get in ($16.50 an adult!). But, I did get my fill of waterfalls, as the place is known as “The Niagara of Pennsylvania. “

4. Brothers Fish & Chips – My parents watched the kids while we were away. When they asked where I wanted to go for dinner when we got back, I immediately said Brothers Fish & Chips. This is a seafood restaurant where the chef not only cooks amazing food but is artistic with his plating too. The four adults enjoyed a 7+ course tasting menu that was so good! Pictured here is a lobster tostone which I could have eaten a dozen more of!

5. Book Club and Currently Reading – This week I also met up with my book club. It was a potluck and another night of delicious eats. Sadly, my contribution was garlic bread and Italian bread with butter to go with the lasagna and meatballs that the hostess made. There was no way I could make anything in time, between picking my daughter up from field hockey practice and making the 40 minute drive to the hostess’ house. I was the only one who didn’t enjoy the book, Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter. But it was on my to read list, so I’m glad I read it. Plus, it was a fun night with fellow book lovers. And I was surprised to discover that out of the 12 of us there, 3 of us share the exact same birthday!

I’m currently reading Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane. My husband already listened to it on audio and I can’t wait to be able to discuss it with him.

ICYMI: This week on the blog:

Monday I wrote about the NYCWFF Family Ice Cream Fun-dae.

In this week’s podcast we talked about apple picking and the NYCWFF Family Ice Cream Fun-dae, plus our weekly Quick Hits.

Sharing with Friday Favorites. Have a great weekend!

If you enjoyed this post you may also like:

Five on Friday {Last Weekend Being 39}

Five on Friday {The Kids are Back at School}

Episode 9 Podcast Show Notes: Apple Picking and NYCWFF Family Ice Cream Fun-dae

Posted on September 19, 2019 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

We have a podcast! You can download and listen here:
Anchor
Breaker
iTunes
RadioPublic
Spotify

In this podcast episode we talk about:

Apple Picking:
Fishkill Farms (Hopewell Junction)
Barton Orchards (Poughquag)
Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm (Yorktown Heights)

Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard (North Salem)
Dubois Farm (Highland)
Hurd’s Family Farm (Modena)

NYCWFF: Family Ice Cream Fun-dae
Family Ice Cream Fun-dae Info & Tickets (website)
Family Ice Cream Fun-dae (blog post)

Quick Hits:
1. Westchester Magazine WingFest
2. Jersey Mike’s Hartsdale
3. The Cheese Bar (conveyor belt cheese restaurant)
4. Intoxikatefoodie’s Eating for Orange campaign to support Feeding Westchester

NYCWFF: Family Ice Cream Fun-dae

Posted on September 16, 2019 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(NY Foodie Family was given media passes to the NYCWFF Family Ice Cream Fun-dae. As always, all opinions are our own.)

Does your family love ice cream as much as our does?! If you want to enjoy a fun-filled afternoon together eating all the frozen treats, check out the New York City Wine and Food Festival’s (NYCWFF) Family Ice Cream Fun-dae.

This year the Ice Cream Fun-dae takes place on Sunday, October 13th at SECOND. event space in Chelsea. The event is hosted by Duff Goldman and features ice cream treats from popular ice cream purveyors in and around the city.

We attended last year’s Family Ice Cream Fun-Dae and got to enjoy some of these tasty treats:

16 Handles served Duff’s Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream with cookie dough bites and pink sprinkles.

Ample Hills Creamery had “No Sleep Till’ Pumpkin” which was coffee ice cream with pieces of housemade pumpkin ooey-gooey butter cake.

Big Gay Ice Cream had Birfdae Cek Ice Cream with Strawberry Whipped Cream. Yes, that’s the correct spelling.

Coolhaus Ice Cream was serving two of their ice cream flavors, Milkshake ‘n Fries (Salted Tahitian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Shoestring French Fries and Milk Chocolate Milk Balls) and Buttered French Toast (Buttered Brown Sugar Ice Cream with Pecan Pralines, Cakey Toast Pieces and a Maple Swirl).

Davey’s Ice Cream had Chocolate Mud Sundaes with homemade brownie crumb soil, candy critters, cookies n’ chocolate ice cream with gooey caramel sauce and a cherry.

Gigante’s Restaurant and Bar was serving Rainbow Cookie Ice Cream. Honey-almond nougat was sandwiched between rainbow cookies and rolled in sprinkles.

Odd Fellows served Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream with Hot Fudge and Graham Cracker Soil.

Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory had Mini Green Tea and Cookies & Cream Milkshakes.

This year’s ice cream line-up includes a couple of favorites from last year, including Big Gay Ice Cream, Davey’s Ice Cream and the Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. However, this year there are many new ice cream shops participating including Minus10 Ice Cream, Llama Ice Cream, Eggloo, Yum Actually and so many more! Even one of Westchester County’s beloved ice cream shops, Penny Lick Ice Cream Company will be there for the first time!

Be sure to arrive to this event early! Once you enter the space, you are free to eat whatever ice cream treats you want. If you really like something, feel free to have seconds! However, my husband and daughter can tell you, after sampling one of every ice cream treat at last year’s event, they were stuffed!

There are special cocktails for adults as well. Last year, there was a FrappaChata with whipped cream and a RumChata French Toast (RumChata with Maple Whiskey).

Besides getting your fill of ice cream there is other fun to be had. There are face painters, balloon artists, interactive stations for kids, and a DJ playing music.

Of course, one of the highlights of our visit was getting to meet Duff Goldman! He autographed souvenir bowls and was available for pictures. It was a fun and tasty day out for my husband and daughter and one that they still talk about!

The Details:
NYCWFF Family Ice Cream Fun-dae
SECOND.
849 6th Avenue
New York, NY 1001

Date: Sunday, October 13
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Tickets: $95/adults, $40/kids

Five on Friday {Last Weekend Being 39}

Posted on September 13, 2019 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional information).
Happy Friday the 13th! No bad vibes here! I am excited for the weekend because my husband and I are going away to celebrate my birthday. Technically, my birthday is on Monday, but who can celebrate their birthday on a Monday?! Plus, it’s a milestone birthday….I’m turning 40. Fortunately, I don’t feel old and my mantra this year is going to be “40 and Fabulous!” Hopefully, we will enjoy a nice, quiet weekend in the Poconos at a bed and breakfast. I will report back next week on the birthday celebrations. Here are five from this week:

1. Supper Club – This weekend we had our monthly supper club. This month’s theme was “Farm-to-Table.” We all visited our local farmer’s markets and made something using seasonal ingredients we found. I made a Mexican Street Corn Salad that was tasty. But my husband made this Skillet Peach Cobbler with the sweetest, juiciest peaches we’ve had.

2. Reading – Guys, I’m in a reading slump! I have book club next week and need to finish reading Beautiful Ruins. This had been on my to read list for awhile, so I was excited to read it. However, it is not holding my attention and I have little interest in reading it. I started reading this on the 2nd of September and have still not finished it! I’m over half-way through though and if it wasn’t a book club read I’d have given up on it a long time ago. But, I will have to read something quick and suspenseful next!

3. Watching – We had a family movie night recently and watched the 2019 Tim Burton directed version of Dumbo. Dumbo, the elephant, was super cute, but I wasn’t wowed by the movie itself. Although we were all familiar with the story of the flying elephant with the big ears, none of us were sure we’d ever seen the original version!

4. Eating – This week my husband represented NY Foodie Family and attended a tasting event at a new organic market that opened. He was given a reuseable tote bag that had some food items including this Better Almond Butter. This was my first introduction to the nut butter scene. I’m usually a peanut butter eater, if I’m eating nut butter at all. But I tried this one on toast. It has no sweetness, which takes some getting used to. But it’s healthy and I’m REALLY trying, at least during the week, to eat better.

5. Cooking – Yeah for back-to-school! (insert eye roll here!). We are in full swing with activity schedules and my chauffeur hat is really getting a workout. Meal planning is so important for us and I’m continuing to have the kids choose a recipe and help cook dinner one night a week. My daughter chose spaghetti and meatballs, her favorite. Since my son didn’t pick a recipe, he helped me make these Chicken Tikka Masala Flatbreads. These are so quick and easy to make and so tasty, that it has become a “regular” recipe for us (I put regular in quotes since I rarely make the same thing twice and we’ve now had this about 3-4 times since I first discovered it months ago). I’ve been using this sauce that I can easily find at my local Shoprite.

This week on the podcast we talk about Part II of our Weekend in Cooperstown. Then we end with our Quick Hits of the week!

This week on the blog I posted about the new Mike’s Organic Market that opened in Stamford, CT.

I also shared my August 2019 reads.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

You may enjoy these posts:

Five on Friday {The Kids are Back in School}

Five on Friday {I Wanna Soak Up the Sun}

Five on Friday {Summer Days Driftin Away}

Podcast Episode 8: Cooperstown Part II {Show Notes}

Posted on September 12, 2019 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

We have a podcast! You can download and listen here:
Anchor
Breaker
iTunes
RadioPublic
Spotify

In this podcast episode we talk about:

A Weekend in Cooperstown (blog post)

Fly Creek Cider Mill (website)
288 Goose Street
Fly Creek, NY 13337
A Tasty Time at Fly Creek Cider Mill (blog post)

Cooperstown Beverage Exchange (website)
73 Main Street
Cooperstown, NY 13326

Doubleday Cafe (Website)
93 W. Main Street
Cooperstown, NY 13326

New York Pizzeria (website)
75 Chestnut Street
Cooperstown, NY 13326

Lake ‘N Pines Motel (website)
7102 State Highway 80
Cooperstown, NY 13326

Quick Hits:
Bicycle Sundays
White Plains Jazz Festival (website)
Rivertown Public Market (website)
Cooking Lately:
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
One Pot 30 Minute Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta
20 Minute Ramen Carbonara

August Reads {2019}

Posted on September 10, 2019 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for more information.)
Summer is over. While I enjoyed some great summer reading at the beach, which is my fave, I’m currently lacking motivation to read. I’m not sure if it’s my current book choices, the weather, or being back to a very scheduled routine. However, I am hoping that this passes, sooner than later. One highlight of my summer reading is that I participated in my library’s summer adult reading BINGO game and I actually won a prize! I received a box of 30 handmade greeting cards and a $20 Barnes & Noble gift card. All for just reading! I read a couple of really good books in August and some okay reads. Here are my August reads that I’m sharing with Steph and Jana’s monthly SUYB linkup:

3 Stars:

The Farm by Joanna Ramos – Golden Oaks, known as “the Farm” is a place where hosts carry babies for super wealthy women, who are either too old to carry a baby or just don’t want to be pregnant. These hosts, many of whom are poor immigrants from other countries, are paid well and live the life of luxury while on the farm. Jane, a young woman from the Philippines becomes a host so she can provide for her own infant daughter. While she is on the Farm, an older cousin is caring for her daughter. This book takes a look at race, privilege and motherhood in the modern world.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager – Jules Larsen finds an apartment sitting job at the Bartholemew building in NYC. But she finds that there’s a lot of rules and that some strange things seem to be going on in the building. Then when fellow apartment sitter, Ingrid, goes missing, Jules tries to find out what happened to her. This was my first Riley Sager book and for me was just an okay mystery/thriller.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren – Olive’s sister married Ethan’s brother. But when everyone, except Olive and Ethan get sick at the wedding, the two of them are left taking the honeymoon to Maui that their siblings were supposed to go on. However, they have to pretend that they are married, which creates more problems than they had expected. I’ve become a fan of the Christina Lauren writing duo and have read several of their books now. This was a cute romance book, but wasn’t one of my faves of theirs. I’m feeling like their books are getting formulaic, with a similar story line/theme to all of them.

4 Stars:

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein – Told through the eyes of an old dog named Enzo, we reminisce on his life with his human owner, Denny, and all of the ups and downs they’ve been through together. This was a reread for me this month. It’s my work book club’s book pick and since I had first read it so long ago, I decided to do a reread. I enjoyed it as much as the first time and can’t wait to see the movie (but I’m going to wait until it comes to DVD!). I had my 13 year-old daughter read it and she really liked it too.

Born A Crime by Trevor Noah – This was the only non-fiction book that I read this month. I am vaguely familiar with Trevor Noah because my husband used to watch him on The Daily Show (back when we had cable). I had heard good reviews of this book and figured I’d read it for for the Celebrity Author box for my library BINGO game card. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this. It really gave me insight into what life is like in South Africa.

5 Stars:

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman – A colleague at work recently read Beartown and it reminded me of how much I had loved that book. I realized that I had still never read the sequel so got right on it. I feel like sequels can be hit or miss. But I just loved Us Against You as much as Beartown. It was nice to see how the story continued. Backman really knows character development. He makes even the unlikable characters, likable. I’m just sad the story is over now. Since I was raving so much about this book, I told my husband I wanted him to read Beartown, which he is currently doing.

You may also enjoy:

July 2019 Reads

June 2019 Reads

May 2019 Reads

Mike’s Organic Market Now Open In Stamford!

Posted on September 9, 2019 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(NY Foodie Family was invited to attend a Tasting event at the newly opened Mike’s Organic Market. As always, all opinions are our own.)

After 10 years of delivering organic groceries to the Fairfield, Connecticut and surrounding Westchester area, Mike’s Organic Delivery has opened a market!

Meet Mike Geller. A Greenwich, CT native, he founded Mike’s Organic Delivery in 2009. His mission is to make it easy for people to eat clean and wholesome food by delivering it right to their doorstep. During the ten years of owning his delivery business, he’s fostered partnerships with farmers, fishermen and other artisans and producers. He and his team hand-pick only the best products to offer his customers They are able to continue Mike’s mission but now are able to give customers the ability to shop for themselves.

The market, located in an commercial park in Stamford, is housed in part of a brick building that formerly served as their grocery delivery service headquarters. The warehouse gives the market an industrial vibe.

Part of the decor pays homage to Mike’s time spent bow hunting while he was living in Africa. His experience working and living in the Kalahari Desert helped to inspire the launch of his business.

You will see their slogan “Your Organic is Showing” throughout the space and branded on gear, like this cute tote bag. Mike states the slogan dates back to the origins of Mike’s Organic Delivery and was the slogan for the first t-shirt he made. He thought it was fun, catchy and memorable and it’s just stuck over the years.

Inside the Market, the shelves are stocked with the highest quality, small batch, artisanal products that Mike and his team can find. We found many locally made products in the store like Farmer Orzo and Spinach Rotini from Northern Farmhouse Pasta, handcrafted right in the Catskills. In the freezer section you can find ice cream from Arethusa Farm in Litchfield, CT and the dairy case includes milk from the Bethel Creamery.

And, of course, we can’t forget about the produce! The market only sells organic, seasonal fruit and vegetables from local farms.

The corn, from Saunderskill Farm (where we went strawberry picking this summer!), is so sweet you can eat it uncooked and right off the cob.

We discovered at this event that fresh, seasonal produce doesn’t need much to taste good.

Grilled organic mini bell peppers, gazpacho, and Persian cucumber salad are all easy to make and highlight the freshness of the ingredients. If you need some cooking inspiration, you can find plenty of recipes on the Mike’s Organic website.

The showstopper of the evening was the wagyu beef. The beef was first cooked sous vide earlier in the day and then seared for a few minutes before serving. According to my husband, it was the most buttery, tender rib-eye that he’s tasted.

There’s a cute little play area for little ones to shop and cook their own food while their parents shop. Mike doesn’t want the space to be just be a market. His goal is to make it a learning and wellness center as well by providing classes and programs that encourage healthy living and eating. His plans include pop-up chef dinners, partnering with local restaurants and businesses to provide classes and more.

Some fun, already planned upcoming events include:

September 19th, 7-10 PM: Nola @ the warehouse pre-event to the 2019 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival – Mike’s Organic Market is kicking off its fall event season…New Orleans style! Hometown legend Pete Francis (founder of Dispatch) will perform a special concert at the warehouse featuring his brand new song “Belong to the Band,” whose music video was shot in The Big Easy. The event will showcase signature New Orleans cuisine including Oyster Po’ Boy Sandwiches, Warm Beignets (a la Cafe Du Monde) and more prepared by culinary genius Chef Geoff Lazlo and utilizing the finest locally sourced ingredients from Mike’s. A portion of the proceeds will go to clean up efforts in New Orleans.
October 6th, 9 AM – 2 PM: Sheep Shearing Day – a fun-filled fest for the whole family where the kids can meet Farmers Pete and Carol from Sepe Farm and watch a live sheep shearing. The event will offer food tastings, crafts for the kids and a Sunday Market loaded with baked goods.
October 17th, 7 – 10 PM: Oktoberfest – the ultimate Pig Roast in collaboration with farmer-owned butcher shop The Piggery. Two Roads Brewing Company will provide brew tastings and Chef Lazlo will roast the pig and create farm to table masterpieces.

Be sure to check out the new Mike’s Organic Market in Stamford for all of your organic, locally sourced produce and healthy foods!

The Details:
Mike’s Organic Market
377 Fairfield Avenue, Building 1
Stamford, CT 06902
(203) 832-3000

Hours: Open Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 4 PM

Parking: Plenty of free parking outside the market

Five on Friday {The Kids Are Back in School}

Posted on September 6, 2019 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional information.)
Happy Friday! The kids are back in school…..and not happy about it! Unfortunately, summer had to come to an end. As much as a full calendar of activities gets me a bit anxious, I think our family thrives on routine. I know it’s going to take the kids a bit of time to readjust to early wake up. Believe, me Tuesday morning was ROUGH! But, we have one week down, only 178 more days left! LOL! Here are five from this week:

1. Reading – Over the weekend I finished reading The Farm by Joanne Ramos. The book is about a farm for surrogates, pregnant with babies for the super wealthy. It focused on relevant topics like race and inequality, but overall was just an okay read for me.

2. Last Beach Trip – We spent Labor Day weekend in Rhode Island and enjoyed our last beach trip of the summer. I even got a sunburn to prove it! My husband and I went back one evening to watch the sun set and got this beautiful picture.

3. Cliff Walk – My parents have been living in RI for years now. We’ve gotten into a routine when we visit and I’ve realized there’s so much in Rhode Island that we need to see and explore. So, I decided that we will do/try something new every trip. This visit we did the Cliff Walk in Newport. It’s a 3.5 mile “walk.” However there are some rocky parts and my daughter complained that it’s definitely more of a hike. There’s a reason it’s so popular though. There are some amazing views of the ocean and coastline.

4. Belly Flops – We made a stop at Ocean State Job Lot on our way home and saw these Belly Flops from Jelly Belly there. These are the reject jelly beans that don’t pass the company’s high standards. Do I care that the jelly beans are misshapen? Not at all! Jelly Belly’s are the only jelly beans I like, so this was a win for me!

5. Winner! – This week at my weekly library drop off/pick-up trip, I learned that I had won a prize from the summer BINGO game! I won a box of 30 handmade cards and a $20 Barnes & Noble gift card, just from reading!

6. Mr. Softee – The Mr. Softee truck visited our office this week and my supervisor treated me to an ice cream. I went with a classic vanilla cone, which was such a nice treat during the work day!

ICYMI, this week on the blog: