Category Archives: Weekend

Cookies, Cookies; Cookie Monster!

05 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by in Christmas, Cookies, Epicurean, Festivals, Holidays, New York, Recipes, Travel, Weekend

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As I was saying, there really is a day for everything; apparently, for cookies, it’s an entire week.  Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest are laden with posts about #NationalCookieWeek and the hundred upon hundreds of recipes are mind boggling. 

The Fruit of My Labor

While technically I’m probably done baking, I have this nagging feeling I didn’t make enough cookies. This is a feeling I’m well used to as it occurs most every year.  Last year, that was an unnervingly accurate feeling.  Recovering from an operation, my heart wasn’t really into the whole Christmas season and I thought I could get away making the bear minimum amount of cookies needed.  Big mistake as that was never really enough. Inevitably, every few days, I found myself making more and more cookies.  I wasn’t a happy camper. 

In an effort to alleviate that nagging feeling, this evening I made what should be the last batch of cookies this year — gingersnaps.  Out of the oven, they’re OK; give them a few days and #todiefor! 

Gingersnaps; Not Monster Cookies

In honor of #NationalCookieWeek, I’m sharing that one staple recipe that receives rave reviews and makes quite literally, hundreds of cookies.  I made a 1/2 batch over the weekend and ended up with north of 250 cookies.  I was convinced this was a secret family recipe handed down for at least one generation and something that only us Stifter’s knew about; then I got on Pinterest. Apparently, it’s most everyone’s secret family recipe, sigh.  With that, I give you the coveted Monster Cookie recipe:

  • 12 Eggs 
  • 2 Pounds Brown Sugar 
  • 4 Cups Granulated Sugar 
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla 
  • 8 Teaspoons Baking Soda
  • 1 Pound Margarine (I always use butter and I melt it) 
  • 3 Pounds Peanut Butter (I get the super chunky) 
  • 18 Cups Oatmeal (It doesn’t indicate quick or regular — I use quick)
  • 1 Pound Chocolate Chips 
  • 1 Pound M&Ms (if I use peanut M&Ms then I won’t use the super Chunky peanut butter)
  • 1 Tablespoon Corn Syrup 

Mix the ingredients in order given. Drop by Tablespoon onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 – 12 minutes.  This makes a large, chewy cookie. If you start lifting weights in September, mixing this in December won’t be so painful…oy. 

 I’m looking forward to the weekend; I’m trying to squeeze in a trip to Sugar Loaf, NY for the town’s annual holiday celebration on Saturday.  Saturday night we’re entertaining friends and on Sunday we’ll be attending a Christmas concert #Fun. 

On that #Yummy note, I wish everyone safe travels, smooth sailings and, of course, bon appetite. 

 

Waffles For All My Friends

01 Saturday Dec 2018

Posted by in Connecticut, Cookies, Epicurean, Holidays, Massachusetts, New York, Travel, Very Best Baking, Washington DC, Weekend

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Gourmet’s Creme Brulee French Toast

According to Food & Wine, today is (ok, at this juncture, technically, it should be ‘yesterday was’) #NationalFrenchToastDay; who knew — I swear, there’s a day for everything.  I never enjoyed waffles growing up, they reminded me of eating soggy sponges.  And, the way they were prepared in the Stifter household, they kind of were.  It wasn’t until later in life that my mother became creative with her French Toast.  Can’t really blame her, she did have 5 kids to raise and worked full time — if I were her, I don’t think I’d have put too much creativity into my french toast. 

Fast forward some 20 odd years (gee, just 20 you wonder, how can she be so pithy at such a young age?!?) and I’ve grown to love French Toast.  It started after I met my husband who himself makes a mighty fine Toast of French. In our younger days, we would frequent a local diner called Rosee’s.  Rosee’s was located in a former gas station and had kitschy items on the menu like gas pedal meatballs and windshield wiper hot dogs.  Paola, the owner/chef, made fantastic French Toast — her secret ingredients a dash of cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg — that was absolutely divine.   

Very Best Baking’s (aka Libby’s) Pumpkin Cookies

While Food & Wine’s Instagram account specifically calls out the day, I wasn’t able to grab the link to its ‘8 creative takes on French Toast’ post.  Their Pinterest site doesn’t specifically pay homage to the day, but a simple search for French Toast served up a bevy of recipes.  My favorite, and one that is great for a brunch, can be found in the trusty Gourmet Cookbook (same one that my biscotti is from): a french toast creme brulee.  #SoGood. 

Nyack Chamber of Commerce

It’s now after midnight and I’ve missed French Toast Day 😦  (I should really post during the day time, perhaps that would help expand my roster of Western followers).  I’m making cookies and have a good cadence going on so that I’m able to whack out a graph in between baking cycles.  Tomorrow, we’re off to Nyack, NY which is a fabulous town along the Hudson, it’s actually nestled right next to the Tappan Zee Bridge.  We’ll walk the downtown area and attend its annual tree lighting ceremony. Really, what’s a Christmas without going to some sort of tree lighting — whether a big city like DC or NYC or a small town, like Mystic, CT, where Santa arrives on a boat, #fun, or Harvard, MA, a quintessential New England town.

Ah, only a few more trays of cookies to go — for tonight that is, tomorrow is biscotti day.  I’m wishing all of you a wonderful weekend, safe travels and, of course, bon appetite!

Let’s Hear It For the Northeast!

14 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Connecticut, Holidays, Maryland, Massachusetts, New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Travel, Washington DC, Weekend, Winter Solstice

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DC in WinterI love the winter. From its first days being the darkest with the winter solstice, yet brightest with the Christmas holidays, to the freezing storms of February that leave the trees a glistening wonderland, I really enjoy all things winter, especially here in the Northeast. I tend not to get the doldrums as I like outdoor activities as much as I find comfort in lounging on the couch with a cup of something hot — hot cocoa, hot toddy, not mulled cider — and alcoholic to warm my soul.  And, as a New Englander traveling, more specifically driving, in the winter isn’t an issue.

So, I was tickled when I tripped across a USA Today article about the best destinations for cold winter vacations.  The article is based on a WalletHub study that analyzed a locale’s costs and hassle (of getting to/from), overall destination costs, attractions, weather, activity, and safety.  The study looked at more than a 100 destinations and of the top 32, 13 were in the Northeast; woo hoo!! Washington and New York placed in the top 5 (NY ranking highest for attractions), the others are:

6: Boston

9: Philadelphia

10: Pittsburgh

18: Baltimore

21: Rochester, NY

27: Buffalo, NY

28: Worcester, MA

29: Providence, RI

30: Hartford, CT

31: Albany, NY

32: Bridgeport, CT (I’m a bit dubious about this one)

According to the folks at WalletHub, sports are a constant driver for winter travel; however, food (yeah, all things epicurean), heritage, and spa services are growing influencers of travel to cold weather destinations.

While people tend to get depressed with the shorter days, I encourage you to breath deep and take a cold weather trip; you’ll enjoy it. If you do go, safe travels and, of course, bon appetite!

via The best destinations for cold winter vacations in 2018

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Planes, Trains & Automobiles

13 Tuesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Holidays, Massachusetts, New York, Thanksgiving, Travel, Washington DC, Weekend

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car travelIn my previous life, handling Hertz’s Corporate Communications, I worked quite closely with AAA and their Thanksgiving Travel Forecast was always the catalyst for a slew of media inquiries.  A busy time for us, I was always impressed with the quality of their research.  Below are highlights with some specific details for the Nor’east:

  • Automobiles: The vast majority of travelers – 48.5 million – will hit the road this Thanksgiving, nearly 5 percent more than last year.
  • Planes: The largest growth in holiday travel is by air, at 5.4 percent, with 4.27 million travelers.
  • Trains, Buses and Cruise Ships: Travel across these sectors will increase by 1.4 percent, with a total 1.48 million passengers

For those traveling by car, AAA and INRIX, the global leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, predict drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion Thanksgiving week during the early evening commute period, with travel times starting to increase on Monday. Drivers in New York City and Boston will see the largest delays – nearly quadruple normal drive times.  That’s right quadruple…insert loud groan here.

Per INRIX, the worst times to hit the road in major Northeast cities:

  • Boston Tuesday 4:00 – 6:00 PM
  • Washington, D.C. Tuesday 5:00 – 7:00 PM
  • New York Tuesday 6:00 – 8:00 PM

By and large, the best days to travel will be on Thanksgiving Day, Friday or Saturday. Drivers should expect increased travel times on Sunday as most holiday travelers will be making their way home.  As you figure out your travels, plan accordingly and think about leaving during an ‘off’ day or hour — i.e. leave on Sunday or early morning Thanksgiving day n(typically my strategy which works well).

Happy planning, safe travels and bon appetite!

Don’t Take My Word For It

11 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by in Holidays, Massachusetts, New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Thanksgiving, Travel, Uncategorized, Weekend

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Don’t take my word for it, but I’m pretty darn good at finding fun and unique things to do no matter where I am.  One of the first rule of thumbs is knowing who you’re catering to — is it just yourself, your family, a persnickety friend — and their interests.  From there, planning a 1/2 day, day or even week-long adventure becomes a relatively easy task.

Flight 93 MemorialI did this on a recent trip to Pennsylvania. We took an extended weekend — we usually do a get-away for our anniversary — to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, PA.  My interests were fulfilled; but what about my husband?  What would I do for him?  For him, with a bit of legwork, I found the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, our ‘hub’ for the weekend, and a fantastic hat shop, Killer Hats, in Lancaster County where he bought his first Stetson (yes, Tony is a hat guy).

Last night, as we were figuring out what to do today (he typically works on Sundays, so spending the day together is an oddity); I mentioned a craft fair from my Christmas ‘Things to Do’ list.  He didn’t completely puke all over the idea and begrudgingly committed to going.  That’s when the conversation got interesting.

“I usually find really good things for us to do,” I exclaimed at his lame-ass “OK.” He conceded, “Yes, actually you do; you do find great things to do.”  How do I do this?  How do I know that a Shakespeare in the Park performance at some random park in some small town in the middle of Maine is taking place?   Well, I’ll tell you:

  1.  I dissect where I’m going, who I’m going with, why I’m going and how long I will be somewhere.
  2. I head to the state, county/region, and city tourism sites — some little towns don’t have a proper tourism bureau and that’s OK.
  3. I check out the local chamber of commerce, specifically their events page .
  4. I peruse the Arts and Entertainment calendars of the local papers.

While this isn’t an exhaustive list of what I do, this is the foundation and it’s a solid foundation.  I actually did this for our Thanksgiving trip to Warren, MA.  Last year, we kind of just went there — my thought being ‘cabin in the woods, fire place, goats…this is going to be great.’  We had nothing to do anyway and I was recovering from an operation so sitting by a fire was just fine.  This year, however, is a different story and I’m anticipating at least one afternoon of antiquing, a meal or two at the Salem Cross Inn, and perhaps checking out Bright Nights at Forest Park in Springfield — all things I found using the simple steps noted above.

Tomorrow, I’ll be checking out the holiday boutique at Lambert Castle (Patterson, NJ), shopping and making my desserts — I must bake tomorrow; I must bake tomorrow; I must bake tomorrow…Oy.