The Berkshires are a wonderful place to visit in June.  The winter’s skiers have gone home and Tanglewood’s visitors have yet to arrive; peace prevails.  Light traffic permits a leisurely drive along the Housatonic River with time to enjoy the view of rolling hills and picturesque countryside. 

Lenox and the surrounding towns were once considered the “Newport of the Berkshires.” It’s here that members of New York and Boston Society summered for the ‘health benefits’ the fresh air provided.  Their ‘cottages’ rivaled the mansions of Newport. The preservation effort that has taken place allows one to experience the charm of a bygone era.  The gardens of lovingly restored country homes abound with lavish peony blooms. Gravel roads meander through woodlands, lush with fern and myrtle.

It was the perfect setting for Bill and I to celebrate our 25^th anniversary. We had the pleasure of staying at Blantyre the former summer ‘cottage’ of the Patterson family.  We were greeted by the staff and owner Ann Fitzpatrick Brown as our bags were whisked away and within minutes we found ourselves relaxing in over-stuffed chairs enjoying fruit, cheese, and drinking champagne from antique flutes.  The Tutor inspired ‘cottage’ is meticulously decorated and filled antiques that somehow instantly feel like old friends.  The Gilded Age feel is made complete with period service and entertainment that blend seamlessly with modern convenience.  Books and welcoming sofas fill the hallways, croquet and shuffleboard await; the spa beckons to the weary traveler.

Something I particularly enjoyed was the whimsical Jay Strongwater salt and pepper collection.  Bunnies, birds, dogs and strawberries; a different set appeared with every meal. Despite the grand surroundings, much of Blantyre’s charm is the staff’s ability to set you immediately at ease.  It’s like being a guest in Jay Gatsby’s house.

A tour of the grounds reveals the former carriage house stables and potting shed now housing guest rooms and a luxurious heated pool and spa. The expansive lawns and wooded trails are a pleasure to explore.  Blantyre not only offers a glimpse into the past, it allows one to experience it.  Located in the charming Berkshire town of Lenox, MA, it was the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary.

I consider myself blessed; with two really great daughters that are now in their twenties, I’m finding I have two great friends.  My younger daughter does our house cleaning once a week (yes!).  This week she suggested we try using a lemon to clean the master bathtub faucet and shower doors.

This interesting idea came from a blog she found on Pintrest called Broccoli Cupcake – Where Healthy Meets Happy. In her post titled, Spring Cleaning – Natural Cleaning Tips the blogger reported that she cleans her bathroom with nothing more than lemon, vinegar and baking soda. She included step by step instructions in addition to before and after pictures.

Now just for the record, I have tried every grocery and hardware store cleaning product on the market to clean whatever this crud buildup is and this bathroom has resisted all of it!  I used bleaches, cleansers, foams, hard water clears, rust stain removers, oxygen cleaners, and even wool pads, and rubbing compounds.  I had given in to the idea that I would have to demo the tub/shower and install a new one.  I even had our water tested thinking that a water softener would stop this from happening in the future (it turned out we did not have hard water).

By that point I had given up and I am embarrassed to admit for many years I just did not bother trying to get the faucet and shower doors clean.  The chrome faucet was a dull white and the shower doors, once clear glass, were now opaque.

Since I have been using vinegar to wash the ceramic and porcelain floors, glass, mirrors and in the laundry and dishwasher for a number of years (with great results) I thought “why not give a lemon a try?” A few minutes after rubbing the faucet with a lemon wedge, I half halfheartedly used an old tooth brush to scrub the faucet and could not believe my eyes – the faucet began to shine!  That lemon had more cleaning power than all the store cleaners combined!

Thrilled and motivated, next I tackled the shower doors which I can actually see through once again!  The cleaning power in that lemon was astonishing. That little lemon saved me thousands of dollars – no need to remodel now!

Next week we go full force using all three of Broccoli Cupcake’s recommended natural products to clean the bathroom – Vinegar, baking soda, and lemon.  No more harmful fumes and no more white stains.  And when I run out of floor cleaner for my hardwood floors, I’ll give Broccoil Cupcake’s black tea suggestion a try. It’s simple – boil a kettle and add three bags of Stash black tea. Allow to steep and then bust out your mop (or mop cover). Soak in the tea and then wipe down your already swept floors.

TED and The Khan Academy Method:

Homework Help or the Future of Learning?

Written by Kimberly Carr

For those who are not familiar, TED is a non-profit organization devoted to “ideas worth spreading.”  The acronym “TED” signifies the meeting of three professional worlds: technology, engineering, and design.  The folks at TED “believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world.”  At its two annual conferences in Long Beach/ Palm Springs and Edinburgh, Scotland, TED brings together some of the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give “the talk of their lives” in 18 minutes or less.

One TED presenter was a man named Salman Khan, who founded a remarkable non-profit called “Khan Academy.”  The academy started out simply as a way to tutor his nephews by using his own YouTube videos.  Some surprising things happened when Salman Khan posted his videos to YouTube.  First, his nephews, apparently, preferred video Uncle Salmon to real life Uncle Salman, but more than that, these videos sparked an idea worth spreading.  That idea being that a simple video could help struggling kids to succeed in school.

This instance is the very thing that inspired “Khan Academy”, which aims to change education for the better by providing world-class education to anyone anywhere.  Khan Academy’s website provides cross-curricular resources and videos on a vast number of subjects and learning levels.  The website states, “It doesn’t matter if you are a student, teacher, home-schooler, principal, adults returning to the classroom after 20 years, or a friendly alien just trying to get a leg up on earthly biology.  The Khan Academy’s materials and resources are available to you completely free of charge.”

Khan Academy currently has over 2700 videos (and that number continues to grow) and a world of exercises with help along the way.  If you need a hint, every single problem can be broken down, step-by-step, with one click.  The website also instantly generates statistics based on your progress, so that you can see whether or not you’ve been hitting your goals.  Finally, teachers and coaches can access all of their students’ data and get a summary of class performance as a whole (or dive into a particular student’s profile to better tailor lessons in the classroom.  Students working with Khan Academy at their side will be better prepared for classroom learning and can earn badges and points for learning.  The more students challenge themselves, the more “bragging rights” they will get.  “We’ve heard of students spending hour after hour watching physics videos and 5^th graders relentlessly tackling college-level math to earn Khan Academy badges.”  Khan also reports that an incredibly impressive number of students were active on the Academy website on Christmas day.

The point is, kids are highly motivated and more successful using Khan Academy’s growing number of web resources.  But out of all of the impressive things Salman Khan had to say about Khan Academy, what really stuck with me was the idea that perhaps this method could be the future of learning—could literally flip education as we know it upside-down.  What I mean is this.  Currently, when students learn about a new topic, let’s say, long division, the teacher lectures about plugging numbers into an algorithm, but at the end of the day, students go home and are expected to apply this new knowledge of long division to their homework.

Instead, teachers could assign “lectures” (or Khan videos) for homework. This strategy embraces diverse learning styles and levels by allowing the students to work at their own pace.  Students would quite literally be in control of their own instruction.  They can watch the video lectures on their own time, rewind if they are confused, pause to try something or catch up, and learn at their own desired pace.  In the classroom, students can work on developing a deeper understanding with the support of the teacher.

As an educator, I think this method is absolutely ingenious and I can’t wait to try it out.  Something that started out as “homework help” really could become so much more.  Technology, mixed with the power of ideas, really could revolutionize education as we know it.

View Salman Khan’s inspiring TED Talk here.

Be Prepared.

That’s the motto of the Boy Scouts.

“Be prepared for what?” someone once asked Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting,

“Why, for any old thing.” said Baden-Powell.

Like the Boy Scouts, I believe in being prepared.  2011 tested the survival skills of many New England families with its particularly extreme weather – heavy snowstorms, tornadoes, and a hurricane.  Hurricane Irene left me with out power and water for 7 days.  The emergency food pantry is where I fell short with my emergency preparations.  Although I had non-perishable foods, I did not have what I needed to make balanced meals.  The goal of this blog post is to give you recommendations to start your own emergency food pantry.

With the the winter season here, now is as great time to get stated. Below you’ll find my emergency food pantry list and an emergency shopping list.  I’ve also included a link to “Emergency Kitchen” a website with recipes for one pot meals that can be made with canned and non-perishable food.  Non-perishable foods are “stable” foods that do not spoil and have a shelf life of several months or even years.  They are foods that can be found in many American home pantries.  The emergency list also contains perishable items that do not need refrigeration and have a shelf life of approximately one week.  These include foods like; bread, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

When planning an emergency food pantry, consider the cooking appliances and tools you’ll have accessible in the event of an emergency.  I have a natural gas stove in my kitchen and a propane outdoor grille, they will both work without electricity.  Matches and manual can and bottle openers are important tools to have on hand for emergency situations. Also consider stocking paper products (napkins, plates, bowls and cutlery) as these will make meal clean-up easier.

When shopping for your emergency food pantry, consider purchasing single serving sizes whenever possible to eliminate the need for refrigeration after containers have been opened.  Emergency food pantries should include a variety of foods for balanced nutrition.  It’s also a good idea to periodically check expiration dates on these food items. Peggy Van Laaned’s PDF, “Safe Food Storage” is an informative guide that’s well worth reading.

Fruits and Vegetables Group

• Canned vegetables (choose low/no sodium to minimize the need to drink water)
• Vegetable juice
• Canned tomatoes (juice and sauce)
• Spaghetti sauce
• Canned fruit and fruit cups (in natural juice rather than syrupy fruits)
• Dried fruits (bananas, pineapple, apricots are good examples)
• Applesauce
• Fruit juice and juice boxes

Protein Group

• Canned meat (tuna, salmon, or chicken for example)
• Canned ham sandwich spread
• Dried and dehydrated meats (jerky for example)
• Soups, stews, and chili
• Baked beans
• Dried and canned beans and peas
• Chili Beef stew
• Peanut butter
• Nuts

Grain Group

• Oatmeal
• Whole grain crackers
• Breakfast Cereals
• All pasta types
• Whole grain rice
• Whole grain crackers (good replacement for bread)
• Granola bars
• Cereal bars
• Quinoa

Other

• Water
• Electrolyte drinks
• Alfredo sauce
• Gravy
• Bouillon cubes (great for flavoring rice and pasta)
• Dry soup mix (also great for flavoring rice and pasta)
• Mustard, ketchup, and soy sauce
• Salad dressing (types that do not need to be stored in refrigerator after opening)
• Pudding cups (a welcome treat!)

Emergency shopping

• Bread
• Fresh fruit
• Mayonnaise packets
• Fresh vegetables (that do not need refrigeration: Green beans, broccoli, and brussel sprouts )

Helpful websites:

Emergency Kitchen – one pot recipes for canned and non-perishable foods: http://www.y2kkitchen.com/html/recipes.html

Safe Food Storage – PDF food storage guide:  http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/store/texas_storage.pdf

Looking for a great Holiday gift idea?

In the slow period after lunch, a coworker and I have started trading cookies at work.  I introduced him to my all time favorite cookie; the one that makes me feel like Homer Simpson when he’s thinking about doughnuts.  The Red Barn Coffee Roasters Raspberry Shortbread cookie is that good.  It’s a buttery shortbread cookie filled with the perfect amount of raspberry jam.  Each bite is pure delight.

Earlier this week, Bruce gave me a cookie from a party he and his wife had attended over the weekend and it was fantastic!  Bruce and Maria had shared their cookie, but I had greedily gobbled down mine without a thought for my husband.  It was a Mexican Chocolate Cookie made by the Dancing Deer Baking Company.  This cookie is a real treat.  Each cookie is individually packaged and tied with a bow so that it makes a great simple gift or party favor.  Truly, I was thrilled to receive it.

The clever packaging tells the story of the cookie and it’s not what you’d expect.  Dancing Deer’s Sweet Home Project helps homeless families find jobs and homes of their own by providing funding and support for homeless mothers to finish their education.  It helps parents transform their lives by attaining economic self-sufficiency.

The Sweet Home Project is an alliance between Dancing Deer and One Family, Inc.  Dancing Deer donates 35% of its Sweet Home product line retail revenues to these efforts.  One family is a nonprofit organization created by the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation which is committed to ending family homelessness and promoting self-sufficiency nationally.

The Mexican Chocolate cookie not only tastes great, its adorable house shape completes the packaging story.  It has a delicious, balanced, chocolate spice flavor that’s not as sweet as American chocolate, so if you are not a big chocolate lover, don’t shy away from this cookie.    The hint of spice is similar to gingerbread but not as strong.  Really, it’s a sublime combination.

If you are looking for inexpensive Holiday gifts -these cookies are perfect for teachers, coworkers, and clients.  I have college age kids, these cookies will help stretch their tight Holiday budgets.

Without question, Wellfleet is my favorite place on earth.  Located on the tip of Cape Cod, It is a friendly town, rich in quaint seaside character.  Since more than half of Wellfleet’s land area is part of the National Seashore, you can expect to find some of the most beautiful beaches on Cape Cod. Even more popular than the beaches, are Wellfleet’s abundance of oysters.

The Wellfleet OysterFest is an oyster lover’s dream come true.  The annual two-day festival takes place the weekend after Columbus Day. Tents and oyster shuckers line Main Street and the two large parking areas in the center of town.  OysterFest brings together locals and visitors alike for a weekend of fun featuring something for everyone: local cuisine, educational lectures, cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, children’s activities, live music, road races, walking tours, and the Oyster Shuck-Off competition.  My favorite local studio, The Jewelry Studio of Wellfleet, had a tent featuring unique jewelry created by Jesse Mia Horowitz, a local Wellfleet woman.  Out of all her beautiful pieces, my favorite is an oyster pendant, which she casts out of silver using a real Wellfleet oyster as a mold.  The food choices range from chilidogs, and burgers, to fresh shucked oysters, home made chowder and Arnold’s famous fried oysters. Winslow’s Tavern, a restaurant located in the heart of Wellfleet, serves some of their best menu items at a low price to guests who pack into the outdoor area.

The Oyster Shuck-Off takes place on the main stage behind Town Hall.  Contestants are given 24 oysters to shuck as fast and elegantly as they can.   Controversial rulings have been known to fire up the crowd of thousands, as devastating time penalties are added for broken shells, massacred oysters, and blood shed from slashed fingers.  Contestants are the fastest shuckers in the area, and include Wellfleet’s commercial fishermen and chefs from near and far.    It is fun to see different shucking techniques used by the competitors.  This year, Anton Christen of Boston’s Union Oyster House brought a special shucking rock, which he used to help slam his shucker into the side of the oyster.  There were also some friendly rivalries between some of the local seafood suppliers.  A shucker from Mac’s Seafood competed against a shucker from Hatch’s Fish Market to determine which place really shucked the best oysters.  Adventurous members of the audience had to dodge flying shells in hopes of bidding on trays of the briny delicacies and eating a piece of oyster history.

At one point, someone dressed as a golden scallop rushed the stage and entertained the audience with silly dance moves as they waited to hear the results of the first competitors.  The winner of the Shuck-off earns a $1,000 cash prize and qualifies to complete in the National U.S. Oyster Shucking Championship in St. Mary’s County, Maryland.  James Gray, who gracefully shucked 24 oysters in just two minutes and twenty-nine seconds, completed this year’s fastest shuck time during Saturday’s qualifiers!

Out of all the fun and festivities, I think my favorite part of OysterFest is Wellfleet’s dedication to the environment that supplies them with their famous oysters.  One key focus of the festival is to educate the public about the critical role oysters play in a healthy ecosystem.  Many educational tents could be found that featured interactive ecosystems for kids (and adults) to explore.  All oyster-eaters are asked to recycle their shells so that Wellfleet can dump them all back into the ocean.  This helps the reproduction of more oysters, in fact recyclers expect to create between three and seven times more oysters just by putting used shells (which carry valuable nutrients) back into the water where they came from.  Recycling also helps the promotion reef development in the area, which helps control erosion and provides habitat for many sea creatures.  Recycling oysters even the helps filter the water!  Adult oysters filter several gallons of water per hour, which removes particles and pollutants from the water.  Check out this PDF for more detailed information on why it’s important to recycle your shells!  It is so inspiring to see a town working together to create a healthier ecosystem in their waters.  The size of the shell recycling bins was unfathomably heaping, which brought a tear to this OysterFest-er’s eyes.

If you’re looking for a fun, educational, and delicious weekend outing, pack yourself up and get to Wellfleet’s OysterFest next year!

Thinking of “leaf peeping” this weekend but don’t know where to go?  The US Forest Service recently launched its expanded Fall Colors 2011 and the site is jam packed with information about one of nature’s most spectacular seasons.  Within minutes I had all the information I needed to plan a weekend adventure of leaf peeping.

The Fall Colors website includes clickable maps that link to forest-by-forest fall color information, state tourism, and fall color websites.  It also offers a variety of family activities like finding direction without a compass, how to make leaf and bark rubbings, and how to make a waterscope.  Waterscopes are a simple, but very useful tool that allows you to easily see the life taking place in shallow streams and ponds.

You can also access the latest foliage updates at the Fall Colors Hotline – 1-800-345-4595.  The hotline provides audio updates on the best places, dates and routes to take for peak viewing of fall foliage in national forests.

The hardest part for me will be deciding between a road trip to the White Mountain National Forest in Woodstock, New Hampshire via the Kancamagus Highway  or a trip along the Connecticut River byway in Vermont.   Either way, I’m sure it will be a good choice!