New England Mamas

Last minute Christmas gifts inspired by nature. Because us New Englanders, we loves us some nature. Ayuh.

Only ten more days until Christmas?? Eek!

(Yes, eek. I don’t know what your reaction is when you find out you’re quickly running out of shopping days before the family invades your house for the holidays, but mine is eek.)

Need some last minute gift ideas? My Etsy addiction and I are here to help.  Most of these items are inspired by nature, because if there's anything we have around here in abundance, it's nature.  Hurry, most of these shops stop shipping in a few days.

And as always, these gifts are made right here in New England.

A Ghost Story of Christmas at the Hartford Stage

A Christmas Carol: A ghost story of Christmas begins on the Hartford Stage with a flurry of white apparitions moving to a bell-like beat that rings out from the loudspeakers. The ghosts cover the stage with the stiffness of the dead, brandishing chains and rattling them against the floor; some spirits sail overhead on wire. Then the macabre spectacle fades into the action of the play as Ebenezer Scrooge and his housekeeper, Mrs. Dilber—played with a sly masculinity by Bill Kux—carry out their rituals on the morning of Christmas Eve. The next 24 hours will bring together past, present and future in a concerted effort to save Scrooge’s life, and maybe just preserve humanity.

This past weekend marked my third viewing of the Hartford Stage’s A Christmas Carol in as many years.

Just in time for the holidays - gift ideas for teachers that deserve an A.

My oldest daughter started preschool last year, and we all couldn't have been happier.  A couple of days a week I would leave her in the care of the most wonderful women I could ever hope to ask for and know that not only would she be learning but that she would be cared for and doted on... along with the 19 other children in her class.

Seriously, how do these women do it?  Twenty kids??  I get the shakes when I have more than one over for a playdate.  Those women need gifts, pronto.

*checking calendar*

Well lookie there, it’s the holidays!  The perfect time to let your favorite educator know how much you appreciate them.  But with what?  Cookies?  Pssh.  Please.  These people help to expand your child's mind!  The least you can do is expand your own past the typical pastry gift.

Etsy to the rescue!

There are many New England artisans and crafters on Etsy, so finding a suitable gift for your kid’s favorite preschool, elementary, or secondary education teacher is a snap, right?

Put down the flour!  Let me help you find something.  I love Etsy.  Some may call it an addiction, I call it... an addiction.  But one person’s time suck is another person’s boon.  I’ve scoured Etsy to find some perfect gift ideas for the teachers in your life, gifts good enough to guarantee your child a good grade.  Not that you would bribe a teacher or anything.  That would be wrong...

Hey, look over there!

Keeping up appearances - yoga pants

Do you drop off your kids at school or preschool in the morning?  If you have babies, do you attend an early morning playgroup?  Do you have to leave the house before 9am? I bet that you do.

I certainly do.  And admittedly, some days, it ain't pretty.  But most days, it is - or - at the very least, it can be.  Let me back up a bit.   I have two daughters, a 3 year old and an 18 month old, and our mornings are super hectic.  Most mornings, I'm up at 5am to work out and by the time I'm back home, it's time to hit the ground running with the girls.  There are breakfasts to be made, permission slips to slip into backpacks, coffee to drink (LOTS of coffee to drink), teeth to be brushed, hair to be combed, bows to be tied into hair, a husband to usher out the door and, well, you get the picture.

There is very little time for showers to be taken or hair to be artfully blown out or outfits to be carefully chosen - at least for this mom.  So what's a mom to do?  I've got to bring my daughter to preschool, and inevitably my toddler and I have a playgroup or a music class to attend, or at the very least, errands to run or groceries to be shopped for.  Wearing my sweaty workout clothes or slipping back into pj's just isn't always an option, so here's what this mom does.

Restaurant Review: Sweet - Worcester, MA. Forget Mary on a piece of toast, this is Heaven in a pastry.

Saturday night.  My husband's and my first date night since August and we, foolishly, attempt to see New Moon on its release weekend.

Once it became apparent that every teen girl and her mother had already purchased tickets to all seven of the evening's showings, we needed to come up with a plan B.  It was, after all, the first date night we had had since August (Oh I'm sorry, did I mention that already?) and there was no way I was going home early, but we had already eaten dinner with the kids.  So we did the next logical thing - we decided to go out for dessert.

But where?

No really, where?

Central Mass is not exactly a mecca of culinary delights but luckily we live in the Worcester area.  If you're eating in Worcester you're probably on Shrewsbury Street and that is where we found ourselves on Saturday night at around 8pm after giving up on seeing sparkly vampires on the big screen, frantically using my iPhone to Google "Dessert + Shrewsbury Street + Worcester + wine".

Don't judge.  This was our night without kids and Mama wanted cake and wine.  If that's wrong then... No, it could not be less than not wrong. Moving on.

That search led us to Sweet, a bakery that describes itself as (from their website): "...a unique new restaurant concept that combines an upscale retail pastry shop with a dessert bar / lounge."

Score one for Google.

Walk through the (unfortunately closed due to the time of night) bakery and in the back is the dessert bar/lounge.  Dark gray and red walls with very little artwork give the room an intimate, if not an "Eh, forgettable" feel.  On the left is the bar/open kitchen where the drinks are poured and the desserts are made to order in full view of the patrons.

We sat at the bar because every table was taken.  I took that as a good sign.

There's a prix fixe dessert menu and below the descriptions are both a wine and a beer pairing.  I quickly decided on the French doughnuts filled with chocolate with a caramel dipping sauce with the Prosecco pairing while my husband decided on bread pudding with a Sauternes. Unfortunately, the bartender was either new or having an off night.  He didn't know if they had the Sauternes and didn't really seem to know what it was.  It took him awhile to take our order, I'm pretty sure there were desserts that weren't on the menu he should have told us about and wasn't very attentive despite the fact that there were only six other people at the bar.  He was friendly enough, but friendly doesn't get me my doughnuts quicker.

 When our desserts arrived I was underwhelmed by the presentation and a little disconcerted that the caramel sauce came in the very same ramekin I have in my kitchen cabinet, but I wasn't there to look at it so I quickly dove in.  The doughnuts, as I expected, were a little slice of heaven... if heaven was deep fried with a dark chocolate middle and covered with sugar.  Which I'd like to believe it is.  The caramel sauce was a bit too subtle in flavor to stand up to the friend pastry but when I tasted it alone there was a feint hint of hazelnut.  I had to stop myself from licking the ramekin.

I thought the bread pudding was quite good, again subtle in flavor with a drizzle of basic caramel sauce (no Nutella taste that I could tell. Darn.) and a large pillow of whipped cream.  My husband was happy enough but he likes his flavors stronger so I shared some of my doughnuts with him.  That is true love, people.

As for the wine pairings, Prosecco goes pretty nicely with doughnuts.  Who knew?  And my husband never got his Sauternes but the bartender found him an orange Muscat that was tasty and went well with the bread pudding.

Our night was topped off with two gratis almond cookies that were crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside and two bites of perfection and I'm rethinking my visions of heaven.  It might be crunchy and chewy and almond-y.

So, to recap:

Sweet - 305 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA

Family Friendly:  Sorry, kids.  This is a dessert bar. Leave the little ones at home and enjoy the lounge on your date night, but make sure to bring them back during the daytime business hours (Tues - Sat, 10am - 6pm) for one of Sweet's ten varieties of gourmet cupcakes.   Dessert Bar - N/A, Pastry shop - 9.

Ambiance: Eh, it didn't wow me. - 6

Price:  Drinks were reasonable, and by reasonable I mean they're as expensive as any other more upscale establishment you'll find these days so plan on spending some coin on a drink.  The Prosecco pour was on the small side but I'll chalk that up to the confused bartender.  Next time I'll try one of their dessert themed cocktails.  The prix fixe dessert menu for the evening was $9 per dessert - perhaps a bit expensive for dessert but this ain't your mom's apple pie you're partaking of.  My plate was big enough for sharing, my husband's plate was reasonably sized for one dessert lover.  There was also a savory appetizer menu but I can't for the life of me remember what the prices were.  I blame the sugar. - 7.5

Service:  Poor.  I'll chalk it up to an off night, maybe a fill-in bartender, but it left a black mark on our evening.  I want to give them a higher mark for service because the other waiter on duty seemed on the ball and very attentive but, unfortunately, he wasn't working the bar - 4

Food:  Did I mention heaven was made of chocolate filled friend doughnuts, caramel sauce and almond cookies? - 9  (But I might be biased.  Dessert is my favorite meal and I would sell my children for a good pastry.)

I could continue to compare the desserts to the Almighty, a choir of angels and gates that are pearly or you can check out Sweet on Shrewsbury St. in Worcester for yourself.  Oh yes, please do. And if they're on the menu, I recommend the doughnuts.

In Our Car: Radio We Can Agree On

I purchased my Sirius Satellite Radio unit because of Howard Stern back in 2005. His two stations, Howard 100 and Howard 101, have been bringing me untold hours of joy ever since. Before he slipped the surly bonds of terrestrial radio, I listened to his show in syndication on WCCC, the local indie station with the claim to fame of having employed Stern as a morning DJ thirty years ago. While Stern’s detractors are legion here and anywhere, his Connecticut fan base rivals that of any other stronghold he fought to win over the past three decades.

There is an obvious discrepancy between parenthood and my subscription to the Howard Stern channels. Though I held out as long as I could—until my 2 year old daughter switched up Bob the Builder with the name of the Stern Show producer and started singing “Bababooey, yes you can!” at the supermarket—I was forced to curtail my listening habits while she was in the car. It was at that point I discovered a benefit I hadn’t anticipated when I signed on with Sirius more than six months before my daughter was born. That happy surprise was Kids Place Live. The KPL programming fell on the exact opposite end of the listener spectrum from the Howard Stern Show and would become our third most listened-to station.

KPL is built on the same format as most radio shows, with DJs of varying degrees of annoyingness and bits that are in turn humorous and not-so-much. Though I am never more of a “mom” than when I am tuned to Absolutely Mindy, and only slightly less of one when listening to the clever, adult-placating humor of Kenny Curtis’s Animal Farm, I have to say that I do get some personal enjoyment out of the genre of music that has come a long way since the Raffi and Rosenshontz of my youth.

Even if you don’t have Sirius/XM—in fact, I’d say this will be even more valuable if you don’t—I’d like to share with you a list of what I consider to be the best Parent-Friendly children’s songs out there today. These are the kind of songs that can bridge the gap between Howard Stern (or whoever you love that little ears can’t or won’t listen to) and your young impressionables. Load these songs onto your iPod or support the artists by buying the whole CD, and you will amass a collection that will keep the mini-van rocking all the way to school.

10. Electric Car, They Might Be Giants with Robin Goldwasser—an environmentally conscious boon for the whole family.

9. The Hampster Dance Song, Hampton the Hampster—This is one of my daughter’s favorites; if only the car allowed us more space in which to gyrate appropriately.

8. Four Boys Named Jordan, Jessica Harper—a melodious voice and a stunning commentary on what it means to be a Jordan in America today.

7. No Nothing, Randy Kaplan—An incredibly catchy song that I love; I would’ve put it much closer to #1 except that some people classify the catchiness as being of the “I can’t get that [bleeping] song out of my head” variety.

6. I’ve Got a Butt, Uncle Jim—before this song, I wouldn’t have known what a sacroiliac was; now I am proud to say that I am as clued in as my four year old.

5. I Like to Move It, Sacha Baron Cohen from Madagascar—A match made in heaven.

4. Toast, Heywood Banks –“Take a piece of bread, put it in the slot/Push down the lever and the wires get hot/I get toast.”

3. 18 Wheels on a Big Rig, Trout Fishing in America—a spin on the traditional counting song that includes Roman numerals and ∏.

2. Three Little Fishies, Kay Kyser – this retro hit was #1 on the charts in 1939. I assure you that mine is the only list in existence on which it is #2 today.

1. The Window, Trout Fishing in America—There are only two bands I am determined to see in concert this coming year: Rammstein (in Germany) and Trout Fishing in America. Listen to The Window—or any of their songs, really—and you will see why I believe that a TFIA concert is an experience for the whole family.

New England Triathlons

I'm finishing up my triathlon season.  After the first year of triathlons, I will no longer be considered a newbie.  In what has been almost a year of training, I've noticed a couple of things.  First, I get a fair amount of hits on my blog each week from people searching for triathlons and second, you really don't have to be a super buff person to do them.  Seriously, people of all shapes and sizes participate.

Just like triathletes come in all shapes and sizes, so do triathlons.  I have found each of my triathlons to be better than the last.  However, if you're looking for a really good New England triathlon for newbies, I would recommend Max Performance, Title 9 Women's  Triathlon in Hopkinton State Park. 

Ever since signing up, I've received several outstanding informational emails and offers from the company.  I was invited to a free open water swim workshop, and an escorted "tour" of the full triathlon course.  They also have a hotline for newbies if I have any questions, and they offer to partner each newbie with a veteran triathlete buddy to answer any questions and provide support and guidance. The best thing that I got was an email with a 15 page brochure explaining exactly what would happen on triathlon day and the order of events.  I emailed it to my husband and parents who will be attending the triathlon so they could see exactly how it worked.  It is probably more useful for my parents, since they have never been to a triathlon before.  My husband considers himself a veteran and likes to brag that he and the boys always  get to the finish line before me.  Of course, they don't swim, bike, or run; they walk right to the finish line and stay in the audience.  The brochure suggests that Max Performance has planned the triathlon as thoroughly as they did the preparation.  They have an "Inspiration Station" where your friends and family can make posters and signs to cheer you on, and they give each triathlete a free cow bell to add sound to the signs of those cheering.  Perhaps more impressively, this is apparently typical of all of their triathlons.  I wish I had known about this for my first few triathlons.

No, I don't work for Max Performance and I'm not getting anything for doing this post.  I know there are some New England Mama contributers who do triathlons, so I thought I would just pass this info along to them.  Did I mention you get a cowbell? 

Oh, the Places You'll Go...

(This review is written by my sister, Mrs Q, who will slowly be sucked into the blogging world, mark my words.  Until then, please enjoy this review she so graciously agreed to provide for your reading enjoyment):

On a recent trek to Western Massachusetts, my family made a pit stop at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. Located in the gardens in and about the Springfield Museums (the "quadrangle" as us locals used to call it), this larger-than-life collection of sculptures bears tribute to the late Theodor Seuss Geisel, who was born and raised in Springfield.

Seuss' step-daughter, Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, created the bronze sculptures of Dr. Seuss' favorite characters -- the Cat in the Hat, Yertle the Turtle, the Grinch and the Lorax -- even the author himself.  My two "things" especially enjoyed the massive sculpture of story time characters springing from an open book, including Thing One and Thing Two, Horton the Elephant and Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose.

The surrounding gardens are lush and invite visitors to walk around or linger and enjoy a brown-bagged lunch on one of the many park benches (in fact, much to the delight of my son, one bench includes a bronzed forgotten lunch bag and parcel of groceries). Unfortunately, most sculptures include "do not climb" signs around them (for obvious reasons), but there's a wonderful photo op on a large chair among the open pages of a ten-foot-tall copy of "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" (Beware of "oh, the places you'll burn" when sitting on a bronze chair in the summer sun.)

The sculpture garden is free to the public, and free parking is located in an adjacent lot. The garden is ringed with the Springfield Library and a number of art, history and science museums; a nominal admission fee includes all four museums. Some picnic tables are located under a large tent near the parking lot.

The garden is relatively small, so I'm not sure I could recommend it as its own field trip. However, if you are driving through the Springfield area anyway (say, for a trip to Six Flags or, um, gulp, a 20th high school reunion), this makes a nice place for young kids to run off some energy.  It's a lovely way to bring beloved books to life and remember the gifted mind behind some of the most imaginative stories ever told. As you make your way out, make sure to look up and enjoy the tumbling tower of top hats that reach up to the sky.

Dr. Seuss would be proud.

Secret Spaces, Hidden Gems: I'm HUNGRY!

The Busy Bee is a diner. Not a fake, Johnny Rocket's type diner. A real live, old fashioned, corned beef and cabbage, pot roast dinner with mashed potatoes diner. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, the Busy Bee is one of our absolute favorite restaurants.  The food is good, the atmosphere is amazingly nostalgic, the staff hilarious, the menu extensive, and the prices are unreal. 

The Busy Bee is located right outside of Audobon Circle on Beacon Street, right on the Brookline-Boston Line. It is essentially in a BU neighborhood, but so many old neighborhood types frequent the restaurant that you would never know it's so close to a major university.

I discovered the Busy Bee when I moved to Boston for graduate school  in 1976. I lived right around the corner from this dingy looking place, but my roommates told me it was absolute gold inside. Once I ventured in, I was hooked. It's cheap, dirt cheap. The food is all home cooked right on the premises. It's delicious food and the atmosphere... well, if you're older than dirt you'll remember the John Belushi "Cheeseburger cheeseburger" routine on the original SNL. That's the Busy Bee. It's a family owned place. The family is Greek. They yell at each other. The same customers have been coming in since the beginning of time. Everyone is friendly, but the waitresses can be a bit brusque if you take too much of their time.

Yelp says: This is a breakfast spot/diner with an extensive menu at dirt-cheap prices. Get past the nondescript exterior to find an establishment that has been doing business for decades. Service is fast and swift, so it is a great place to head for one of those quick-yet-satisfying meals. Regulars have been returning here; some for decades; for heart-stopping breakfast platters and lunch and dinner specials that are easy on the wallet, if not the cholesterol levels. Does not accept credit cards; accepts cash only."

That's exactly right. They got the entire essense of the Busy Bee on one little paragraph. As a long time customer, I can remember when they only used those cone-shaped cups that sat inside a silver holder. Now when was the last time you saw those? And the plates? They are divided into portions. It's 1958 all over again. But this isn't nostalgia happening. This place just never changed. A few booths, some seats at the counter, old dusty plants in the window... it could be anyplace in America.

The food? Thick potatoes with onions and all the good stuff for the homefries.  Eggs made to order and made to perfection. Ohhh, the hash.  A delightfully fattening mix of corned beef, potatoes, peppers, onions, and about a half-pound of butter, probably. Get the Fresh Fruit Bowl to-go, which for $3.25, it's brimming with pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, grapes and melon.

Besides the $5 breakfast....my other favourite aspect is that all the waitresses yell at you in their thick New England accents.  Having someone yell "WADDYA WANNT? WHITE OR WHEAT?? I AIN'T GOT ALL DAY" in regards to what sort of bread you want toasted, is the most delightful way to start the day. The waitresses are always available with a "Hi Hon" or "Sure Dear" (albeit somewhat snarky - picture Alice, Vera and Flo from Mel's Diner) to start the day. 

From Peter screaming for French Fries behind the counter to the cranky waitresses with a heart of gold, the entire staff oozes authenticity. Try the Cheeseburger Deluxe (still under 4 bucks I believe) or any of the great daily specials. Best cole slaw in the city and the fries are deep fried just right.

I've been going here for about 30 years. I remember when the staff, (mostly family members) would be fighting with each other so loudly, I fully expected fisticuffs. Didn't make for casual dining although now it's quieter even with same waitress though She's "a doll" and quickly makes you feel like a regular by berating your ability to place your order in a timely fashion. She's just kidding though.

I had to think long and hard to decide whether or not I wanted to share this Hidden Gem. But my daughter, who is a huge fan of their corned beef, said it would be wrong not to. So go, but if you see me there and it's crowded, thats MY booth you're sitting in.

Secret Spaces/Hidden Gems: I want even more candy! This time, the homemade kind.

Candy.  Mmmm, candy.  I love candy.  No, I REALLY LOVE CANDY.  Nom nom nom.

I particularly love chocolate.  If I could, I'd sprinkle pounds of it on the floor and roll around in it... But that would be a waste of some fine, sugary, chocolaty goodness.  Not to mention a horrible mess.

In a place near where I grew up there is a fantastic candy store where they make their own candies on site, and the smell when you walk in the door... Oh my LAWD.  I still have dreams about it.  It's called Priscilla Candy Shop and they have two locations - One in Gardner, MA, where they not only sell but also make the confections that I dream about nightly, and another in Concord, MA.

I was raised on the candies from this place.  Which might account for my poor eating habits.  My earliest memories involve an extremely large plate of chocolates, like Smidgens (small chocolate covered peanut butter shapes, usually whimsical in nature, that will make you forget there is such a thing as Reese's peanut butter cups), homemade chocolate mints (Peppermint Patties?  I'm sorry, these knock those out of the water),  and the piece de resistance, individually wrapped slices of French Roll in wax paper, on my grandmother's coffee table every Christmas. 

Now these French Rolls are not like anything you've ever experienced.  And, no, these are not bread rolls.  A French Roll, Priscilla-style, is a log of fudge-y, chocolate-y heaven covered in crushed nuts.  But it's not fudge.  I suppose it's a sort of ganache.  I really can't describe it except to say you'd sell your first born child for one.  It's really that good.  My Godmother worked for Priscilla Candy Shop for awhile and every Christmas I'd have one of those bad boys waiting for me as a gift.  It wouldn't even make it to see the New Year.

Though I realize pictures of these candies would be great in this post, I'm happy to say they don't last long enough in my house to photograph.  I barely make it out of the store before stuffing my face with them.  You'll have to check out the place for yourself or order some from their website.  Trust me and order the French Roll.  You won't be disappointed.