Plumberry Jam: Today in Northern Westchester

Get Out!

2009-11-13T15:43:09Z

The holiday season looms around the corner, about to suck up every moment of free time you imagined you had. But before the rounds of shopping, parties and wrapping arrive at your door, make some time this weekend to get out and about.

Deck Out: Everything is $30 or less at this fun, fabulous and fashionable costume jewelry sale. Perfect for holiday shopping, teacher's gifts, or a guilt-free indulgence for yourself. Friday, Nov. 13th (Yes, today!), 9:30am to 12:30pm, 6 Timberline Lane (in Cornell Woods off of route 100) in Millwood, NY. 914-945-0011

Buy Out: The venerable Chappaqua Craft Fair -- launching pad for such businesses as Chappaqua Toffee (and you know how Plumberry Jam feels about them) - returns for its 25th year, and will feature over 70 vendors offering handcrafted jewelry, clothing, handbags, custom Artwork, one-of-a kind furniture and home accessories, and Gourmet food. Saturday, Nov. 14th, 10am to 4pm at Robert E. Bell School, South Greeley Avenue, Chappaqua.

Rock Out: Ask Your Mom returns to O'Malley's Bar & Restaurant for a pre-holiday gig. Named by Westchester Magazine as the county's best parent band -- where do they come up with these categories? -- AYM will have you grooving like you're back on Ludlow Street. Saturday, Nov. 14th, 9pm to midnight, O'Malley's Bar & Restaurant, 30 E. Main Street, Mt. Kisco, NY.

Give Out: Open Door Medical Family Medical Centers, which has been providing quality medical care to Westchester county residents for 37 years, has set a goal of collecting 3,000 toys for children, infant to 14 years old, this holiday season. To tempt you into assiting them in meeting this goal, Scarborough Singers will host The Lullaby of Broadway: A Concert for Toys on Sunday, Nov. 15th, 3:00pm at the Scarborough Presbyterian Church in Briarcliff Manor. Come with toy (new and unwrapped) in hand; leave with joy in your heart.

Walt Are You Waiting For?

2009-11-09T15:38:52Z

LHJ recently debated whether "Can the Drapers' Marriage be Saved?" and finished with the recommendation that Betty high-tail it back to the city and resume her modeling career or become a board member at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Pity for her she's not living in Westchester today; she might find she could actually have a backyard and a life. You, of course, have both. Here's one way to savor the combination.

What: "An Evening with Walt," part of the landmark exhibition "Bold, Cautious, True," which presents American Art from the Civil War Era and takes its title from a poem by Walt Whitman.
When: Sunday, November 15 at 5:30pm
Where: The Katonah Museum of Art
Why: Novelist Benjamin Cheever will re-imagine the voice of Whitman, reading excerpts from Song of Myself with select members of the community responding with contemporary works by Ezra Pound, Langston Hughes, and Alan Ginsberg, among others. Readers include author and Katonah resident Judy Blundell, 2008 National Book Award winner for the young adult novel What I Saw and How I Lied.

Call (914) 232-9555 ext. 0., to reserve your spot at this free event.

Katonah Museum of Art
134 Jay Street (Route 22)
Katonah, NY
www.katonahmuseum.org

How's the Pressure?

2009-11-02T13:28:34Z

It's day one post-marathon. Given how sore your body feels, you're not sure if you would be diagnosed a masochist or just clinically insane. Oh well, one less thing on the bucket list -- and how else could you drop five pounds in one day? (Take that, Biggest Loser!) Perhaps a massage is what you need. You head to the Nordic Spa in Chappaqua for a little R&R.

Your massage therapist is Olof Kjellberg, L.M.T., founder of the spa and creator of the trademarked "Olof Technique for Musculoskeletal Rejuvenation." This less-than-soothing, but ultimately effective, treatment involves applying intense pressure and leverage to the lower and upper extremities of the body in order to breakdown muscular adhesions, clearing the way for nerves and arteries to better do their respective things. How "intense" is the pressure? One look at the padded soundproof walls in the treatment room should be a gentle hint. In other words, if you're in the market for lavender oil and Enya, you're in the wrong place.

Though clients have been known to scream in agony (hence the padded walls), they eventually leave pain-free and are able to begin training for their next feat of strength and stamina.

Ironman, anyone?

Nordic Therapy Spa
65 South Bedford Road, Chappaqua
914-238-1558
http://www.nordictherapyspa.com/

Haunting Good Fun

2009-10-26T13:00:12Z

If any holiday truly bewitches you, it's Halloween. Sure, you buy the candy under the premise of it being "for the trick-or-treaters" and, to their pleased horror, deck house in frighteningly good way, but you really go batty when someone scares up some fun meant for you. And thankfully (yeah, yeah, next holiday), there are a few other adults about who are as haunted by the whole thing as you.

Eat It: Flour & Sun Bakery is featuring Halloween-themed cupcakes all week; those sporting a costume on the actual holiday get a free mini-cupcake -- just the excuse you need to don that witch's hat or Marilyn wig that would so otherwise mortify your tweenager.
Flour &Sun Bakery, 19 Washington Avenue, Pleasantville; 495-3232; www.flourandsunbakery.com

Buy It: NoKa - that little bit of downtown transported to just across from the Katonah train station -- is offering 40% off of all Halloween accessories, just in case you don't have enough (as if you ever could).
NoKa, 25 Katonah Avenue, Katonah; 232-7278; www.nokashop.com

Do It: The usually sun-filled, breezy rooms of the Katonah Art Center will be transformed into a haunted house on Halloween night, courtesy of the artists (both students and instructors) of the Center and community volunteers. Promising a Vampire Den worthy of True Blood (we hope certain visitors will be able to keep their fangs in), along with zombies, mummies and other creatures of the night for those allowed to stay up past dark, and friendly witches and fortune tellers for those whose bedtimes fall a bit earlier, the evening is free. Children's room open 5:30 - 8:00pm; rest of the house open 6:30 - 10:00pm. Katonah Art Center, 131 Bedford Road; 232-4843; www.katonahartcenter.com

You Can Take the Girl Out of the City; Cravings Eats & Treats, Briarcliff Manor

2009-10-02T15:13:31Z

Though you've finally made peace with your suburban existence (it's only taken you five plus years to get there), there are certain memories of your city life that linger. Chief among them are not the close proximity to shops, museums and theaters, but rather the soup from Hale n' Hearty and the frozen yogurt at Bloomingdales. Yes, you can scoot down to White Plains for your cold sour creamy fix, but it's not the same as when you were in your Carrie Bradshaw working girl heyday.

Westchester resident Erica Cohen feels your (hunger) pain. That's why she opened Cravings Eats & Treats in Briarcliff. This charming food shop is a haven for post-urbanites. In addition to paninis, quiches and fresh salad ingredients (a la NYC's Tossed), there's freshly baked muffins, scones, cookies and cupcakes, Hale n' Hearty soups and Bloomingdale's style frogurt (including the plain flavor) with toppings (including the Melba sauce and granola). Cue sound of angels singing!

"Coming from the city (many moons ago), I have kept my NYC mentality. Many Westchester families have also migrated up north from Manhattan and miss the comfort and availability of these great items. So, I decided to bring them here," says Cohen. The proprietor also offers a selection of culinary-themed gift items, including cute baking-mix kits for kids.

A place to purchase birthday presents and yogurt without waiting in a massive line? Cue more angels singing.

Cravings Eats & Treats
549 North State Road, Briarcliff Manor
914-944-4622
cravingsny@gmail.com

Thanks for the Memories

2009-09-25T14:45:41Z

It's only month one of back-to-school, but with the amount of PTA paperwork, art projects and homework that are already pouring out of your children’s backpack, it feels much longer. You have vowed this year to control the paper trail (scribbles get tossed, for example) if only so that you can see the surface of your kitchen table. But there are certain things that you would never part ways with. The report card, the class picture, first kindergarten drawing, first spelling test -- these are the things that you wish you could keep better track of, but alas, organization just isn’t your strong suit.

Thankfully, it is that of Pam Socolow, founder of Family Facts, an organizational company based in Mount Kisco. From busy life planners to Pregnancy planners, the queen of clutter-free thinks of everything, including the School Years Memento Keeper. This attractive keepsake lets you keep track of your child’s school stuff from preschool up through high school. Along with handy pouches for report cards and special awards, there’s designated space to document your child’s vital statistics, signature and artwork so that you can see how they change through the years -- and have a good cry at how old they (and you) are getting. Speaking of, if you really enjoy ripping your heart out, you can present the Keeper to your child as a graduation gift. That, along with a copy of Dr. Suess’s Oh the Places You’ll Go! should keep you in tissues for weeks.

Just keep them off your kitchen table.

School Year Mementos filing system, $22

Available at Penny Auntie Toys

Chappaqua, New York

Take the Cake

2009-09-21T13:12:01Z

Cupcakes, once cute little sisters to the much-revered birthday cake, have taken center stage to become the new black in the world of baked goods, thanks to specialty stores like Crumbs in NYC, and Westchester's Flour & Sun Bakery. Among their attributes: A perfect frosting-to-cake ratio, utensil-free eating, and doling them out is far easier than trying to slice-n-serve slabs of cake to 20 kids all screaming for a pink rose.

That's why you'll jump for joy that a new cupcake company has been born. BabyCakes, conceived by Chappaqua resident Stacey Munowitz, offers a line of gourmet vanilla and chocolate cupcakes and cupcake-cakes decorated with concession-stand toppings such as Kit Kats, nonpareils, Butterfingers, candy hearts, jellybeans and chocolate race cars. The little bundles of joy can be made using completely organic ingredients upon request for two dollars more per dozen. "Everyone who knows me knows that baking is my passion. It's something that just makes me happy," says Munowitz. "And cupcakes make everyone happy!"

Perhaps the best part? BabyCakes delivers to your doorstep. Which, on the day of your party, will make you very happy indeed.

BabyCakes
$22 per regular dozen
$24 per organic dozen
914-864-2757

Lights, Camera, Action!

2009-09-14T13:39:06Z

In this age of video-taking phones, webcasts and YouTube, everyone, it seems, is an auteur. Your daughter dreams of being a real-life iCarly; your son aspires to be Spike Jonze (skateboard and all). And you wouldn't mind if one of them turned out to be a Spielberg in the making.

If the phrase "Mom! Phineas and Ferb are making a title sequence!" is frequently caught around your house, sign up your aspiring cinematographers and animators for a class at the new Media Arts Lab at Jacob Burns Film Center. With classes in production, animation and songwriting, kids (and you - there are plenty of adult classes as well) can make their own short films, learn production, even write and produce their own theme song (and lets face it; every one needs a theme song). Got a spectator on your hands? Let them learn the art of criticism (of films, at least). Now in their second year of classes, moms of previous students are giving it two thumbs up.

Registration is still open for classes, so don't miss out!

Jacob Burns Film Center - Media Arts Lab
405 Manville Rd.
Pleasantville, NY
914.773.7663
Media Arts Lab at Jacob Burns Film Center

Yakety Yak, Do Talk Back

2009-09-09T11:34:48Z

The kids are out the door, on the bus and putting their thinking caps back on. Time to get yours back on, too. You promise yourself you will be informed of more than just the latest office and tennis-club gossip. You vow to join a new book club (in which members actually read). You swear to at least scan the headlines every morning.

Whatever your "turn the brain back on" vow may be, one sure intellect reviver is Katonah Museum of Art's CrossTalk event on September 17. Featuring Jonathan Klein, president of CNN/US, and Lee Woodruff, author of the NY Times #1 bestseller, In an Instant, a memoir chronicling the joys and hardships of her marriage to ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff following his traumatic brain injury, the evening promises to be full of stimulating and unexpected conversation.

What will they talk about? Who knows. That's kind of the point of CrossTalk, the on-going series hosted by Katonah Museum of Art in conjunction with the Katonah Library. Here's how it works: Take two intelligent, insightful and clever people. Add topic they are not actually experts in. Mix in possibly outlandish insight; sprinkle with dash of audience Q&A (which, given there's wine beforehand, may be outlandish as well). Result: The feeling that, yes, this is what you went to college for.

And it beats taking bridge lessons through your town's "Continuing Ed" any day.

CrossTalk with Jonathan Klein and Lee Woodruff
Thursday, September 17 at 6:30pm.
Katonah Museum of Art
134 Jay Street (Route 22) in Katonah
Tickets: $20 in advance; $25 at the door.
To purchase tickets, contact Laura Bass at (914) 232-9555, ext. 2978.

See Food: The Boathouse

2009-08-10T12:52:36Z

Yes, August is actually here already. You never did make it to the beach, did you? Well, you've never been a huge fan of sand or traffic anyway. Still, you would have enjoyed a good plate of seafood at some joint on the water.

Look no further than The Boathouse in Ossining to make your New England seaside dreams come true. Sit outside on the patio for a view of the boat-filled harbor and enjoy an array of salads, wraps, burgers and surf n' turf items from the menu, including lump crab cakes and Seafood Pot Pie. While they don't have lobster permanently on the menu, you can call a day or so in advance of your visit to ask them to add it to their daily fish order.

Since no meal at the shore would be complete without ice cream, skip the desserts and head to the Blue Pig in Croton-on-Hudson for a cone instead.

The Boathouse
4-6 Westerly Road
Ossining, NY
914-923-6466

What's In Store: Churchill's of Mount Kisco

2009-07-27T14:50:05Z

There was a period of time when you thought if you saw one more bank open in Mount Kisco, your head might explode. (Even for the re-fi addicted, comparison shopping for mortgage rates was something you did online, not by strolling past windows.) Then came last September, and of course, there were no more banks opening -- and one conspicuously closed. And you began thinking that empty real estate was even worse than a streetful of financial institutions.

But hallelujah -- in one fell swoop, in flies the answer to all your prayers: Churchill's, the new men's & women's boutique that has come to nest in the former Wa-Mu space in Mount Kisco. And it's one well-feathered -- or more exactly, well-paneled-nest. Working with architect Leonard Brandes and multiple local craftsmen (including Bright Electric, Allstar Woodworking and Glass Solutions), Danielle Churchill, has transformed the 3,200 square foot space into an elegant, upscale retreat that combines modern sensibilities (bamboo veneer paneling, for instance) with clever Old-World touches (like wrought iron and crystal drop chandeliers).

Hanging from their well-designed racks are equally captivating clothes: Amongst the hand-selected European, Israeli, Brazilian and American designers, you'll spot names such as Brioni, Kiton, John Varvatos, Luciano Barbera and Hugo Boss Selection amongst the men's wear, and labels including The Row, Dsquared, Vivienne Westwood (only place to find her in Westchester, ladies), Elizabeth and James, and Nicole Farhi for women. In short, you'll be hard pressed to find something you don't love on sight.

The brain child of Churchill and Lori Land -- both boasting long-term involvement in the fashion industry -- Churchill's opens its doors today. You'll find the store stocked with "pre-fall" merch (eg, what to wear during that perplexing period in between beachwear and tweeds) -- suiting, separates, shoes, jewelry and more. Tailoring is included (natch); their sevices also include wardrobe consulting; private appointments and private shopping nights.

Churchill's of Mount Kisco
41 South Moger Avenue
Mount Kisco, NY 10549
(914)666-4800

Vintage Secrets

2009-07-19T23:41:46Z

Sure, it's easy enough when you're out on the town: the waiter inquires if you'd care to view the wine list, and you simply demur and offer up the honor to one dining companion or another. Why, you're almost magnanimous about it! No one at the table suspects a thing, as once again, you privately take a moment to curse your most shameful secret.

You don't know the first thing about wine.

You couldn't tell your nose from your legs. You wouldn't know a tannin if it walked up and bit you on the bouquet. You can continue to live your lie -- drinking your sorrows away with wine that other people have chosen, or pay a visit to the Wine Junction in Mount Kisco.

With years of experience, manager Chris Zoski is only too happy to give you a Wine for Dummies-style crash course. Tell him what you're serving at your next dinner party and he'll offer you spot-on wine suggestions. The store stocks bottles in all varieties and price points. Your wallet and your palette will appreciate the $10 section. (Of course you can also pick up a $2000 Burgundy if money's no object.)

While you may be a long way off from a new career as a sommelier, a few visits to the shop will give you enough confidence to order the wine yourself.

Now if you could only learn how to open the bottle without breaking the cork.

Wine Junction
36 E Main Street, Mount Kisco
914-244-9463

As American as Apple Pie: Fruit Desserts for Fourth of July

2009-07-01T12:50:39Z

For about a week and a half now, you've been wracking your brain trying to come up with a good dessert to bring to your friend's house for July 4th. Fresh out of ideas, you're about this close to calling an ice-cream truck to show up in the driveway. (Not a bad idea when you think of it. Who doesn't love a Jack and Jill Chocolate Éclair bar?) You consider a flag sheet cake. Always a crowd pleaser, in a Family Circle kind of way, but you're not ready to go that retro, nor that fussy. If you are looking for inspiration, without a lot of effort, here are four really easy sweet ending ideas to try:

Simple Strawberry Shortcakes
Top store-bought biscuits (or home baked) with macerated strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

To make macerated strawberries: Crush 3 pints of strawberries (hulled and quartered) in a medium bowl. Add 5 Tablespoons sugar, 1 Tablespoon honey, 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest, 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice and combine. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

To make fresh whipped cream: Combine 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, 2 Tablespoons of sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract in a metal mixing bowl. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium for approximately 2 minutes until stiff peaks have formed.

Peachy Pound Cakes
Grill halved peaches (cut side down) and sliced pound cake over a medium-hot fire until peaches are soft. Top with maple syrup, vanilla ice cream and/or homemade whipped cream.

Patriotic Cheesecake Parfaits
Layer spoonfuls of store-bought (or homemade) cheesecake (preferably with a graham cracker crust), blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, and fresh whipped cream in parfait glasses or clear plastic cups. Top with macerated strawberries if desired.

"Sophisticated" Ice-Cream Sandwiches
If you forgo the ice-cream truck idea, you can still have your fix: Sandwich scoops of vanilla or chocolate ice cream in between large chocolate-chip cookies or brownies. Serve immediately.

It's In the Bag: Sassy Sadie Bags at Beehive Co-op

2009-06-29T13:10:02Z

Come this time of year, shoes are tossed in favor of sandals and flip-flops; jeans take a back shelf to shorts; and, of course, handbags are traded in for totes that don't mind exposure to sun, sand and pool splashes.

For a carry-all that will stand up to summer's demands -- and yet not make you look like a bag lady - check out the Sassy Sadie's Bags at Beehive Co-op, Mount Kisco. These eco-friendly, ice-pop- colored bags are made from recycled fiber and feature a snappy graphic on the front - vintage images, dogs, cats, sea horses, flowers and more. At under $20 each, you may even want to grab several to compliment that ribbon-thong flip-flop collection you've amassed.

Now, if you could just find a way to swap the mom-mobile for a convertible, everything would be perfect.

Sassy Sadie Bags, $16
Beehive Co-op
337 Main Street
Mount Kisco
914.218.8700

http://www.beehiveco-op.com

Red, White, and You

2009-06-26T12:49:00Z

Thanks to the various viral and bacterial plagues ripping through your house, you have more than one recent opportunity to muse upon your pediatrician's Michael Albert pop-art posters of such foundational documents as the Declaration of Independence and Preamble to the Constitution, you find yourself inspired to celebrate July 4th with something more than just regional microbrews, hormone-free hamburgers and cakes involving organic fruit and whipped cream laid out in patriotic themes. (Although all that has its merits.)

The upside to being tethered to the house due to alphabetically designated flus and their sufferers: You have time to get online and book tickets to upcoming Independence Day festivities. Here's a few to try:

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts: Pops, Patriots & Fireworks. Michael Barrett leads the Orchestra of St. Luke's in an evening of popular American classics, ranging from Sousa marches to Duke Ellington swings to Alan Menken Disney-movie kid-pleasers. Hot dogs and hamburgers will grilled on site; fireworks follow the performance.

July 4, 8:00pm
Venetian Theater, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts
149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah
http://caramoor.org
Tickets: $30.00, $40.00, $50.00, $60.00, $70.00
Tickets for children 12 and under are half price.
To order children's tickets, please call the box office at 914.232.1252

Washington Irving's Sunnyside and Van Cortlandt Manor: Enjoy a day of patriotic merriment, Early American style, at either of these two Historic Hudson Valley sites. The celebrations at Sunnyside will send you back to 1859, with speeches and debates reviving the issues of that day: abolition, temperance and women's suffrage (well, advocates were right about two out of three of those); in addition, there'll be dancing, juggling and a chance to play "town ball," a precursor to baseball. Van Cortlandt Manor's time machine will send you back to 1809, with the highlight being a grand parade at 2pm across the grounds (kids are invited to march!). Feel free to bring picnics, or get goodies onsite from Geordanes Market in Irvington.

July 4, 10am to 6pm. Admission to either site is $12 for adults; $10 for seniors; $6 for children 5-17; and free for children under age 5 and HHV members. Tours of the sites' houses are included in the price of admission. Washington Irving's Sunnyside is at 89 West Sunnyside Lane in Tarrytown, one mile south of the Tappan Zee Bridge, off Route 9. Van Cortlandt Manor is at 525 South Riverside Avenue in Croton-on-Hudson, just off Route 9A. For information: 914-631-8200 or www.hudsonvalley.org