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| Holiday Guide |
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
NO ADDED SUGAR
Heat to warm your holiday feast By Ann Dallas Register Staff
Remember all those mouth-watering grilled foods of summer: smoky ribs, burgers, chicken, roasted veggies? Even the humble hot dog tasted better when cooked outdoors. That taste of summer owes a lot to the condiments, and hot sauces of one sort or another are a big deal at our house. Some like it hot, some
like it garlicky; everyone has a favorite. When A&B American Style Pepper Sauce showed up in a press kit offering, there were many eager home cooks who wanted to give it a try. The condiments passed the office taste test with flying colors. We had folks grilling wings, ribs and burgers, and all praised the A&B American Style sauces for their freshness, flavor and zing.
Part of the movement toward small batch, high quality foodstuffs, these sauces use no added sugar or artificial flavorings, and many ingredients are organic. Sold locally at Whole Foods stores in Greater New Haven and at Bishop’s Orchards Farm Market in Guilford, the bottles make great stocking stuffers for cooks, wouldbe chefs and lovers of oysters or bloody marys. Offered as Original,
More Heat, With Garlic, NYC Rooftop and Organic, the condiments are bright and aromatic, with just enough spice to warm your palate. Special holiday gift packs — Holiday Hottie, Everything But the Oysters and American Style Icon — may be ordered directly from A&B American Style at www. abamerican.com. Jars of Pepper Sauce sell for $10-$13 and the gift packs go for $25-$35. A&B American Style PepperSauce
NOVEMBER 2015
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THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
| Holiday Guide
VROOM-VROOM
Vitamix a kitchen friend you can count on through thick and thin Yes, they are expensive, but you give one, and you’re done. Had a blender. Broke It will blend anything. it. Had another blender. Anything. Really. Broke it, too. If you put in frozen fruit with a little sweetA friend of mine suggested that it might be ener, you’ll get a sorbet. time to grow up and get On the other hand, something that would get if you put roasted vegthe job done and grow gies in, perhaps with old with me, too. some broth or cream, the So, I acquired a huswhirling blades will not band. only pulverize, but heat He bought me a Vias well through their spinning, into a hearty, tamix, and I’ve never looked back. VITAMIX » PAGE 5 By Ann Dallas Register Staff
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| Holiday Guide |
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
ALL-CLAD ALL RIGHT
Really tip-top pots can make the whole cooking process so much easier By Ann Dallas Register Staff
Shop, cook, clean up. Shop, cook, clean up. Shop, cook, clean up. Get the picture? We no sooner get ourselves and our families fed, than it’s time to think about the next meal. Whether
you enjoy cooking or find it a necessary evil, it’s always there, simmering in the back of your mind. And nothing is more dispiriting than going through the process, and having dinner get wrecked, or at least turn out not-so-hot, because of burning, sticking or uneven heat. If you are looking for a gift for a cook, even one who appears to be fullyequipped, it’s worth considering an upgrade to whatever pots and pans are in the kitchen right now.
Top-quality pans help a loving, inspired cook in the same way that beautiful sable brushes help a gifted artist. But those pots also give an assist to ... let’s say your more basic cook, who just wants to get the meal on the table and sit down. Things come out better, with less effort. I’ve been in a slow process of upgrading my entire life, from a skillet from Goodwill when I was in college, through other pots and pans, some of which worked, and some of which did not. One thing that can be said definitively about AllClad cookware: It always works.
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It shows up in restaurant kitchens, fancy home kitchens, and it makes a fabulous gift. All-Clad makes a dizzying array of cookware, and even appliances: Triply, d5, and, new this year, d7. Lighter than cast iron, the d7 line boasts seven layers of bonded construction, leading to sturdy, substantial pans that are designed to hold heat well and cook low and slow.
U.S.A., and priced from $150 on up. All-Clad’s d7 line is expensive, but worth it, and a lovely gift for a Ergonomically-designed handles are budding chef. Available this year at easy to grip, flared rims make it easier to pour with- Williams-Sonoma, there are individual skillets, out dripping, and fitted, Dutch ovens, and so forth, domed lids hold the juicy but also sets, so you can upflavors in. Compatible with all grade the whole cupboard cooking surfaces, includat once. ing induction, the pots There’s even an 8-quart are handcrafted in the slow cooker ($349.95).
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Vitamix
ation machines, with equallypowerful motors, but FROM PAGE 3 shorter tasty soup. containHummus, smoothies, ers that salsa, you name it, you will fit uncan eat it, fresh from your der wall kitchen, if you have a Vita- cabinets mix. in your I like the power. There’s kitchen. no need to peel fruit or get And fitoo fussy about the size of nally, the “S” pieces: Just chuck it into model is a the container and let the personalmachine do its thing. size blender, I like the precision. The smaller and variety of settings and tim- not quite as powering mean you can get any texture you desire (if you ful, but pay attention — it’s really very good fast!). at whipping There are too many mod- up smoothies and els to get into here, but ba- drinks, which even have travel mugs you can blend sically, there are “C,” “G” right into. and “S” models. Prices range from $259“C” models are the Clas$719 retail, and if you want sic, tall Vitamixes of yore, to order one online, they big sturdy machines that have a great, easy-to-use will even grind grain into website (running a free fresh flour. shipping promotion): www. “G” are the next Gener-
GIFT
vitamix.com. The website has recipes and advice galore. If you’d prefer to select one in a store, Vitamix is sold at Target locations; Costco; Williams-Sonoma; Chef’s Equipment Emporium, 449 Boston Post Road in Orange; and The Kitchen Store, 641 Boston Post Road in Guilford. At the Tanger Outlets in Westbrook, Exit 65 off I-95, both The Kitchen Collection and the Williams-Sonoma outlet sell reconditioned models (with warranty) for a good bit less. For healthful eating with minimal effort, there’s no better investment.
| Holiday Guide
NEW TRADITIONS
These American families won’t be home for Christmas, so they make the best of it By Melissa Rayworth The Associated Press
In our global world, you can easily buy a Thanksgiving turkey for roasting in Dubai or Beijing or Tokyo. You can shop for Christmas trees in Bangkok, where stores play Christmas carols throughout December, a constant reminder that Santa Claus can come to town even when you’re 8,000 miles from home. And yet, if you’re an American family living overseas, the availability of these holiday touchstones doesn’t change the fact that you’re not really home for the holidays. TRADITIONS » PAGE 6
CHRISTINA LUNDGREN — THERESA STARTA
Theresa Starta and her family host guests from other countries at their home in Dubai, and serve a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. Spending the holiday season far from home can be challenging for American families living overseas. One solution: Invite friends in your host country over for a holiday meal, sharing your family’s traditions with people who may never have experienced them before.
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| Holiday Guide |
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
NOVEMBER 2015
Traditions FROM PAGE 5
November and December bring a bittersweet mashup of holiday cheer and homesickness. Some families do fly back to the U.S. for the holidays. But that can be expensive and challenging, especially with school-age kids. “During the first few years when our kids were younger, we tried to travel back to the States to visit with our families,” says Melindah Bush, who lives with her husband and three children in Singapore. “But the cost is expensive. And jet lag with children eats up the first week of the holiday and our first week returning to Asia.” When going home isn’t a good option, how do families stay connected to their holiday tradi-
PAM HURD
In this Dec. 24, 2014, photo, Pam Hurd’s military family, Ryan, center, making victory sign, 8, Ethan, second from right, 12, Sarah, in front of him, 10, Pam Hurd, rear, second row, right, and husband, JJ, rear, center, pose for a photo with friends on a rafting adventure during the holiday season in Bali, Indonesia. Each year, the Hurd family travels with good friends to exotic destinations to enjoy the CHRISTINA LUNDGREN —THERESA STARTA holidays together, which creates unique holiday memories and leaves no time for homesickness. Theresa Starta and her family host guests from other countries at their home in Dubai, and serve a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. Spending the holiday season far from home can be challenging for American families living overseas. One solution: Invite tions? ble: friends in your host country over for a holiday meal, sharing your family’s traditions with Some Americans living people who may never have experienced them before. in Asia share their strat- Embrace adventure egies for making the seaFor Theresa Starta, the son as cheerful as possiholidays used to be easy. She and her husband, Dan, both grew up in the Pittsburgh suburbs, and were used to seeing both sets of in-laws on major holidays. They got stuffed having two Thanksgiving dinners every year, but it was good: They had football on the TV, familiar dishes in the kitchen and loved ones all around. After they relocated to Dubai for Dan’s career, they flew home for several holidays with their two children. It’s about NYOMAN SUKAYASA — PAM HURD a 20-hour trip, with an In this Dec. 25, 2014, Pam Hurd and husband, JJ, and their 8-hour time shift. Then children, Ryan, 8, Ethan, 12, and Sarah, 10, on Christmas this year they moved to day in Bali, Indonesia. Each year, the Hurd family travels Shanghai, and the even with good friends to exotic destinations Hurd to enjoy the longer Christmas flight Intuitive, Mediumship and Angel Readings, holidays together that leave no time for homesickness. home just wasn’t practical. Reiki Healing Sessions Eco-friendly, So this Thanksgiving Theresa says her now based in Okinawa weekend, the family will kids will miss being while her husband serves Local and Nature-based Gift Items decorate their Shanghome with relatives and in the Marine Corps, hai apartment with a tree friends. But their excitetakes a similar approach. and other decorations to ment at trekking around Christmas has become connect with the ChristAntarctica surrounded synonymous with travel, mas spirit. Then, when by penguins is enough to and for the past three school ends in late Dekeep the homesickness holiday seasons they’ve traveled with American cember, they’ll head off at bay. friends who have become on a National Geographic adventure trip to Antarc- Build a family of friends like a second family. tica. Pam Hurd’s family, TRADITIONS » PAGE 8
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| Holiday Guide
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| Holiday Guide |
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
AWAY IN THE MANGER
Wouldn’t be a Nativity without a rented donkey, sheep and a camel, too called. So several years ago, Squire brought the tradition to Cargill United Some farmers have ex- Methodist Church in tra reason to rejoice at his current hometown Christmas: Tis the season of Janesville, Wisconfor renting out animals sin, renting animals from for live Nativity scenes petting zoos and small and other holiday events. farms. The church rents Growing up in rural two pens’ worth of aniBurlington, Wisconsin, mals to stand next to a one of Larry Squire’s famakeshift stable alongvorite Christmas tradiside volunteers dressed tions was helping to set as Mary, Joseph, angels up a Nativity scene in his and the three wise men. uncle’s barn. “It’s a beautiful thing. “We borrowed the anThere’s a calm and peaceimals from all over the fulness that comes from neighborhood,” he rehaving the animals By Melissa Kossler Dutton The Associated Press
there,” Squire said. Farm animals, reindeer and camels are in high demand between Thanksgiving and Christmas, said Megan Powell, event coordinator at Honey Hill Farm, a mobile petting zoo with locations in Berry, Kentucky, and Utica, Ohio. “We will do 25 to 30 events in one weekend,” Powell said. “It’s not uncommon for us to sell out.” Renting animals for Christmas programs helps pay for their food and upkeep, she said, and
has been a huge growth area for the business. “Churches love it,” Powell said. “We didn’t create the demand. We just became overwhelmed by it.” Jodi Collen, an event planner at Augsburg College in Minneapolis and president of the International Special Events Society, explains it this way: “As event professionals, it doesn’t take you long KYLE WILSON - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS to say, ‘I’m organizing a Kyle Wilson began raising reindeer on his Knoxville, Tenn., Nativity, and I can get a donkey — why wouldn’t I farm 15years ago and rents the animals to appear with Santa at various holiday functions. He sees demand for get a donkey?’” NATIVITY » PAGE 10 reindeer increase every year.
Traditions
Keep a few traditions going
FROM PAGE 6
PAM HURD
The Hurd children, Sarah, from left, 8, Ethan, 10, and Ryan, 6, on Christmas morning in Okinawa, Japan. The holidays can be a time of homesickness for many American families living overseas. But, the Hurds, an American military family based in Okinawa, embrace the fun of traveling to places like Indonesia and China at Christmas time while still keeping traditions, like candy cane pajamas, going year after year.
“We are so looking forward to spending this Christmas in Singapore and Malaysia with our friends,” Hurd says. “We are there for 12 days and are calling it our ‘12 Days of Christmas.’” Like the Startas, in early December the Hurds kick off the season by putting up a small, artificial Christmas tree and a few familiar decorations from home. Hurd plays Christmas songs and bakes cookies with the kids using family recipes, and they sometimes attend holiday events on the military base where they live. Then they’ll fly south, celebrating Christmas at a Club Med in Singapore, with a visit to Malaysia’s Legoland theme park. After four years overseas, Hurd’s kids (now 8, 11 and 13) have come to embrace holidays on the road. They’ve hunted for Easter eggs in Taiwan, and worn their candy-cane Christmas pajamas everywhere from Hong Kong to Indonesia.
Creating new traditions is important for many American expat families. Bush spent much of her childhood in California, and her husband, Nathan, grew up in North Carolina, so their holidays in those warm places didn’t involve sledding or building snowmen. But they were filled with extended family, Thanksgiving turkeys in the oven and Christmas mornings at home. Now, in Singapore, they’ve kept their Thanksgiving traditions going while discovering new ones during potluck suppers with friends. “We and our American friends make the traditional foods like turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green-bean casserole and pumpkin pie,” Melindah says. “We also invite our non-American friends to join and share their traditional foods. So we have had Chinese and Asian friends bring noodles and dumplings. Scandinavian friends have brought various appetizers — often herring.
Our Aussie friends make pavlova, and British friends bring a variety of salads and breads.” Theresa Starta did the same in Dubai last year on Thanksgiving; guests came into the kitchen to see the perfectly roasted turkey emerge from the oven, and she explained a bit about each dish. She told her international friends that green-bean casserole is “sort of like everybody’s crazy uncle who has to be there,” but most family members don’t really want to have any. She loves “the giving aspect of preparing this meal for somebody who’s never had it before,” and was delighted to find that the casserole, of all things, turned out to be the group’s favorite: “Everybody came back for seconds.”
Don’t try to replicate the past Lauri Barrett’s childhood memories of holidays in New Hampshire are Christmas-card perfect: lots of snow-covered pine trees and holiday lights twinkling in
the chilly air. But she’s learned that trying to replicate those memories with her very global family (her husband, Lincoln, is from New Zealand, and they are raising their 9-year-old daughters, both adopted from China, in Thailand) just doesn’t work. “If you try to re-create it, it’s just going to fall short,” she says. “You have to make it different, so you don’t have that nostalgia.” Barrett’s daughters attend an American school, but don’t have Thanksgiving off. So earlier in November, she’ll host a Thanksgiving potluck lunch for members of the American Women’s Club of Thailand. For Christmas, the family will travel to South Korea for a ski trip. Barrett says she’ll bring as many gifts as possible, and Santa will make an appearance at their hotel, as will the Elf on a Shelf. Melissa Rayworth writes about lifestyles topics for The Associated Press. Follow her on Twitter @mrayworth.
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The Nutmeg Ballet’s A division of The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory
| Holiday Guide
|9
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| Holiday Guide |
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
CANDY - CANDY - CANDY Nativity FROM PAGE 8
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Honey Hill works with dozens of churches, schools and businesses to provide sheep, donkeys and goats for live Nativity scenes, said Powell, whose mother started the business about 15 years ago with a pony that she rented for birthday parties. “It really took off and she started adding animals.” Rentals start at $325 an hour for a group of animals, depending on which ones are requested and for how long. In most cases, Powell said, visitors are allowed to touch and pet the animals. “We do have a camel,” she said. “But we only have one — so he goes really fast.” Few petting zoos and traditional farms raise camels, and they are
JAN CATRON - LAZY JV RANCH
A wise man and his camel in a Nativity scene at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Owensboro, Ky. The camel named Humphrey, now 14, has been working these kind of events since he was 3years old. harder to incorporate into programs and exhibits, said Bob Hudelson of Lost River Game Farm in Orleans, Indiana. He raises foxes, skunks and other exotic animals. “There are a lot of camels out there — just not a lot of tame camels,” he
said. Many churches want them, however: “The three kings definitely had camels on their journey to see Christ,” Hudelson said. “With the camel, you get more of a feel of the story.” NATIVITY » PAGE 11
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| Holiday Guide
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Nativity FROM PAGE 10
Customers also want reindeer, said Powell, who does not raise them but has thought about it. “The demand for reindeer is really high,” she said. From his farm in Knoxville, Tennessee, Kyle Wilson rents reindeer to malls, Christmas tree farms, zoos, hospitals and other businesses throughout the South. His prices start at $1,500 for a pair of reindeer for 4 hours. “I currently have 21 reindeer, but that’s not enough,” he said. “I started 15 years ago, and each year I have had a record year.” Families love to see Santa arrive with reindeer, said Amy Boyles, marketing manager of Kingsport Town Center in Kingsport, Tennessee. “It’s an added thing for
JAN CATRON — LAZY JV RANCH
KYLE WILSON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cottonball, a purebred Nubian goat from Lazy JV Ranch with her shepherd in a Nativity scene at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Owensboro, Ky. Rented farm animals and reindeer are in high demand during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas for pageants and other seasonal celebrations.
This undated photo provided by Kyle Wilson shows reindeer on his farm in Knoxville, Tenn. During the Christmas season, Wilson travels all over the South with the reindeer he raises on his farm. Malls, hospitals, zoos and many other SALLY POWELL — HONEY HILL FARM businesses love to include Artie, right, the camel with visitors at Honey Hill Farm in Berry, Ky., is a popular addition to the animals as part of their live Nativity and other holiday programs. The mobile petting zoo only owns one camel so holiday displays, he said. he books early during the Christmas season.
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| Holiday Guide |
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
SURPRISE IN THE MAILBOX
A truly creative greeting card can be ‘a gift in and of itself’ By Kim Cook The Associated Press
Christmas and seasonal greeting cards have long been an artistic niche that inspires illustrators and designers. Besides today’s ubiquitous family photo cards, contemporary designs often take advantage of advances in drafting and production: holography, music embeds, digital photography and laser-cutting among them. Other designs begin life with time-honored tools like the paint pot, pencil box and scissors. Shondra Neumayer of Portland, Oregon, combines modern vintagestyle typography, folk-
arty woodland silhouettes and antique-style, marquee-light imagery with rustic barn-board backgrounds in cards she sells at her Etsy shop, InkDropDesigns. She began designing cards out of frustration with what she saw as a market filled with cheap and cheesy holiday cards, www.etsy. com/shop/inkdropdesigns. “Going to the mailbox should be an exciting event,” she says. “Each (year) I found myself asking the question, ‘Why can’t Christmas cards be cool?’” In a series of cards sold at Society 6’s online store, Christina Rollo, a photographer in
Binghamton, New York, makes intimate portraits of plump little chickadees and sparrows nestling among snowy boughs and berries, www.society6. com. The Museum of Modern Art in New York has been selling holiday cards since 1954. Chay Costello, the museum’s associate director of marketing, says the card program began as a way to foster and encourage young and emerging artists by exposing their work to a larger audience. The program’s early years included work by Alexander Calder, Robert Indiana and Andy Warhol. Costello says Indiana’s famous “Love” illustration
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was originally created as a holiday card. MoMA’s card art is selected through an open submission process, and the museum receives hundreds of designs annually. Pop-up cards have become particularly popular. “We started to see an increasing trend toward cards with special features,” Costello says. “Instead of a card with graphic artwork on its front, many artists have begun to think three-
MOMA DESIGN STORE — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
dimensionally, with spiraling and foldout elements and elaborately crafted pop-out
Children’s book author and artist David Carter’s New Year’s card is a joyful, festive explosion of abstract shapes and pop-up paper construction. constructions that result in a card that’s a gift in CARDS » PAGE 13
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| Holiday Guide
Cards
dren. “Festive Dinner Table,” a card by artist Sophie Blackall of Brooklyn, opens to a holiday FROM PAGE 12 dinner party, www.moand of itself.” mastore.org. The designs feature Other creative cards, paper manipulation at its pop-up and not, are best: shimmering snowavailable at Papyrus, flakes, shooting stars, Galison and the Art Inskiing reindeer, and stitute of Chicago’s holiday bouquets that web shop, among other “bloom” when the card is places. opened. The crafts site Etsy. There are twirling orcom had more than 90,000 Christmas naments, sleds that swoosh through a forest, card offerings in a recent search. Santa perched precariMore at www. ously on a ladder decorating a tree, and a papapyrus.com per bucket full of holiday and www. champagne. galison. New York-based Elsa com. Mora’s lantern-shaped card with intricately cut woodland flora and fauna MOMA DESIGN STORE — is a favorite in the MoMA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS shop, Costello says. This In Brooklyn-based Australian artist Sophie year, Mora’s “Wintertale” Blackall’s “Festive Dinner Table,” a holiday dinner party pops out at you, and there’s a family of realistic, charming characters seated card includes a village around the table. It’s one of the highlights of the Museum of Modern Art’s holiday card complete with homes, collection this year. holly and dancing chil-
Warm, Fuzzy Wishes Don’t forget about dogs and cats in need this holiday season. The Little Guild needs you help to keep animals in shelter and in the community warm and fed this winter.
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Financial contributions can be mailed to: 285 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike West Cornwall, CT 06796 860-672-6346 • www.littleguild.org
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| Holiday Guide |
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
DIGITAL MEASUREMENT DEVICE
Measure once, cut once (you hope) with the eTape16 My biggest complaint about tape measures is they never seem to be handy when you need one. So a homeowner might want to just NEW HAVEN >>
buy six of them and place them in drawers around the house. But right after that, the trouble moves to getting an accurate measure, interpreting the little markings on the measure (Is that a five-eighths or something-16ths?) or — for
aging eyes — seeing the measurement properly. The red eTape16 from eMeasure Inc. measures in U.S. and metric, like some other tape measures, but also displays the result CONTRIBUTED digitally on a little screen at top. The eTape16gives you a top readout, and in this case you wouldn’t want to be leaning in ETAPE16 PAGE 15 for a reading of the tape. »
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NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
eTape16
you’re measuring the inside of a cabinet, you just place it in and let the tape measure do the figuring from FROM PAGE 14 inside edge to inside edge.) If you don’t think you Ditto for hanging a picneed that, you haven’t ture centered on a wall; you tried to do a home project measure the entire width of when everything was gothe wall, hit the centering ing haywire — the lightbutton and it will tell you ing, the equipment, the what is halfway. Granted, that’s simple math but we’ll help, the lack of help... Designed by a pro builder, the take the help anyway. The eTape16 has three measure features a metal built-in memories: “hold,” blade (which retracts powwhich retains a measureerfully; watch your fingertips!), compact size and in- ment even after the blade structions that, unlike the has withdrawn into the average tape measure, you case, and two long-term should read. For instance, a memories that will keep touch of a button changes readings even after the tape shuts off and until they are the readout into inches, feet, fractions or decimals, overwritten. If the added but another button push features confuse you, just will toggle between outside use it as a simple tape meameasurement of the blade sure with a digital dislength alone (measuring to play. The common CR2032 the point where the tape en- coin battery can last for up ters the case) and an inside to 64 hours of continuous measurement, which auto- use. It is available online matically adds the 3-inch at etape16.com and from brick-and-mortar retailers width of the tape measure for about $30. case to the readout. (So if
| Holiday Guide
| 15
HOLIDAY BAKING
Macao Christmas Cake may become a family favorite in your house, too By Nick Malgieri Tribune Content Agency
Every year, as I’m frantically shopping for butter, eggs and sugar a couple of days before Christmas, I promise myself that I’ll get organized in advance next time. Finally getting around to living up to my promise, I’m going to make several Macao Christmas Cakes and put them away in rum-soaked cheesecloth a month or so before the big day. The recipe is from my dear friend, Rosa Carvalho Ross, a chef, cookbook author and owner of the dockside restau-
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rant Scrimshaw way out on the North Fork of Long Island, N.Y. From the former Portuguese colony of Macao, Rosa is as skilled at preparing Cantonese food as she is at the Portuguese and British specialties, which are all part of traditional Macanese cooking. Obviously a British-influenced recipe, this fruitcake is nothing to joke about — it’s delicious, moist and just rich enough without being cloying. I hope it becomes a tradition in your family too. A note about aging fruitcake: The original make-ahead cake, a good fruitcake may
be kept for years if it’s properly wrapped. Give your hands and work surface a good scrub before starting, then brush about 1/3 cup dark rum or brandy all over the cooled fruitcake. Rinse about a yard of new cheesecloth under running hot water, wring it out, and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle the cheesecloth with ¼ cup of the same spirits used to brush the cake. Without wringing out the cheesecloth, wrap the cake in it. Double wrap in plastic, then do the same with aluminum foil. Keep the fruitcake in a cool, dark place until you intend to serve
it. After serving, rewrap as above without adding more spirits to the cheesecloth. If you want to keep the cake for longer than through the holiday season, repeat moistening the cheesecloth and the doubledouble wrapping.
Macao Christmas Cake 8 ounces dark raisins 8 ounces golden raisins 8 ounces dried currants 4 ounces candied orange peel, cut into 1/4-inch dice 4 ounces candied lemon peel, cut into 1/4-inch dice ½ cup (about 2 ounces) slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
CAKE » PAGE 16
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| Holiday Guide |
Cake FROM PAGE 15
3 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off) 2½ whole nutmegs, finely grated 1½ teaspoons baking powder 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 6 large eggs, at room temperature ½ cup dark rum or Cognac ¼ cup creme de cacao or other chocolate liqueur 16-cup (10-inch) tube or Bundt pan, buttered, sprinkled with dry breadcrumbs and sprayed with vegetable cooking spray 1. Set a rack in the
lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. 2. Toss all the dried
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
and candied fruit and the almonds with ¼ cup of the flour and set aside. 3. Stir the remaining 2¾ cups flour together with the nutmeg and baking powder. 4. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed with the paddle attachment until light, about 3 or 4 minutes. 5. Beat in a quarter of the flour, followed by 3 of the eggs, one at a time. Stop and scrape the bowl and beater. 6. Repeat Step 5. 7. Beat in another quarter of the flour, followed by the rum and creme de cacao. Stop and scrape. 8. Beat in the last of the flour, then remove the bowl from the mixer. Use a large rubber spatula to give a final mixing to the batter and then fold in the fruit and almond mixture. 9. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan
and smooth the top. Bake the cake until it is firm and a paring knife inserted a couple of inches into the cake midway between the side of the pan and the central tube emerges dry, 2-2½ hours. 10. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes, then unmold and cool completely. If you are serving the cake soon after baking it, double wrap in plastic and store at room temperature. If you are preparing it more than a week in advance, moisten and age it, as described above. Makes a 10-inch tube cake, about 30 thin slices. — Adapted from a recipe by Edris Carvalho Nick Malgieri is the award-winning author of “Perfect Cakes,” HarperCollins, 2002; “A Baker’s Tour,”
WIsHIng EvEryonE a HaPPy & HEalTHy
HolIday sEason Bowling by “TIME”
TOM ECKERLE
Macao Christmas Cake HarperCollins, 2005; and “Perfect Light
Desserts” Morrow, 2006. © 2009, Nick Malgieri.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
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THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
| Holiday Guide
| 17
QUITE CRAFTY
These are Carrie Brown, not Charlie Brown, Christmas trees By Michelle Locke The Associated Press
Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree ... how boring are thy branches? If you’re in a bit of a holiday rut when it comes to seasonal decorating, Carrie Brown’s recently released “The New Christmas Tree,” Artisan Books, may be just what you need to get that creative sap flowing. Brown, owner of the popular Jimtown Store near Healdsburg, Calif., a country store and café, has been re-inventing trees for years, from the “blue tree” she made one Christmas to reflect her mood (which magically improved the more she got into the project) to the “bonfire ready” trees she came up with one year — manzanita branches studded with
plump marshmallows. Her book presents 24 ideas for rethinking the tree, starting with the basics: picking the tree, what types work best with certain designs and caring for your festive foliage. Some of the trees are quite simple, like a silver tree that’s a skinny branch strung with silver jewelry and other found objects. Some are aimed at keen crafters, like the paperwhite tree decorated with all kinds of ornaments made from different weights of white paper. A stunner of a tree — and the one that made the cover — is the bees’ tree, made of rosemary branches arranged in a vase and decorated with felted bees, beeswax ornaments and tiny vials of wax-dipped honey, among
other things. Beautifully photographed and coffee-table ready, the book is also practical, containing detailed instructions on how to re-create the featured trees along with website references for downloading templates. Brown would like it to serve as both blueprint and inspiration. “I decided that it would be a wonderful thing to share, because there’s a lot of commercialism for Christmas, a lot of the same-old, same-old,” says Brown. “I think young people particularly feel that some of the old commercial ways don’t reflect them. I wanted to present something that could give people the opportunity to express themselves.”
TREES » PAGE 18
ERIC RISBERG — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cyclists stop at the Jimtown Store in Healdsburg, Calif. The Alexander Valley country store that dates to 1893 is owned by Carrie Brown, author of “The New Christmas Tree.”
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| Holiday Guide |
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
Trees FROM PAGE 17
Personalizing your tree is one of the trends of the season, says Ann Blevins, senior editor of Better Homes and Gardens’ “Christmas Ideas,” an annual publication on newsstands. “People have become much more comfortable making their tree personalized, whether it’s ornaments from your vacations or framed letters to Santa,” she says. Although many people stick with traditional red and green in their tree décor, a new twist this year is faceted metallic ornaments, which go hand-inhand with the home-decorating trend of faceted metal lamps, says Blevins. New takes on lighting include Edison lights, which look like old-fashioned bulbs with a visible
Ornaments hang on The Giving Tree on the display at the Jimtown Store in Healdsburg, Calif. The tree is in the book “The New Christmas Tree,” by Carrie Brown, owner of the Alexander Valley country store that dates to 1893.
“People have become much more comfortable making their tree personalized.”
PHOTOS BY ERIC RISBERG — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Ann Blevins, senior editor of Better Homes and Gardens’ “Christmas Ideas”
Ornaments hang on the Popcorn, Peanut, Pretzel and Pickle Tree on display at the Jimtown Store in Healdsburg, Calif. The tree is in the book “The New Christmas Tree,” by Carrie Brown, owner of the Alexander Valley country store that dates to 1893.
“filament,” as well as tiny Getting your tree tofairy lights designed to be gether can be one of the woven deep in the tree and best parts of the seaused in abundance. son (unlike, say, pre-party
house cleaning) and some of the ideas in Brown’s book could be the basis for a trimming party.
Join us for an old-fashioned Christmas Celebration Friday, Saturday & Sunday December 4, 5, & 6
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12th annual candlelight wine tour to fund Christmas in Riverton • Tree lighting • Caroling • Holiday shopping • Festival of trees • Torrington Area Model Railroaders • “A Christmas Carol” theater performance
A tree decorated with gingerbread cookies and other sweets, Brown’s “deconstructed gingerbread
house” might be a good choice for a child with a December birthday. TREES » PAGE 19
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NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
Carrie Brown, author of “The New Christmas Tree,” adjusts a Popcorn, Peanut, Pretzel and Pickle Tree that is featured in her book at the Jimtown Store in Healdsburg, Calif. Brown is the owner of the Alexander Valley country store that dates to 1893.
Trees FROM PAGE 18
Partygoers could help decorate some of the simpler cookie ornaments and go home with treats from the tree. Several of the trees are inspired by collections.
For instance, Brown used her collection of decorative pin cushions in a tree that includes the cushions studded with decorative pins as well as homemade bugle and sequin balls. The Giving Tree, one of Brown’s favorites, turns the tables on the typical advent calendar.
| Holiday Guide
The Reflector Tree sits atop a shelf at the Jimtown Store in Healdsburg, Calif. The tree is in the book “The New Christmas Tree,” by Carrie Brown, owner of the Alexander Valley country store that dates to 1893.
Carrie Brown poses with ornaments from The Pin Tree at the Jimtown Store in Healdsburg, Calif. At left is the Popcorn, Peanut, Pretzel and Pickle Tree and at top right is The Reflector Tree, both of which are in her book.
Ornaments include envelopes holding age-appropriate “good deed” slips. Children get to open an envelope every day in the countdown to Christmas, but instead of getting chocolate they have a chance to exercise their generosity. Brown offers lots of ideas for home-made and
ping the store-bought tree skirt in favor of an interesting throw or length of material. Finding an alternative to old-fashioned skirts comes with a hidden bonus, notes Blevins. “We’re wrapping the tree in a throw — a fur throw or a sweater throw — which is nice because
PHOTOS BY ERIC RISBERG — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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| 19
when Christmas is over and it’s January, you have a new afghan, and it’s perfect.” • More online: http:// www.workman.com/ products/9781579655914/, http://www.bhg.com/ christmas/, Michelle Locke tweets at https:// twitter.com/Locke_ Michelle.
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| Holiday Guide |
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
NOVEMBER 2015
EASY TO SHOP FOR
You don’t have to be a foodie to enjoy these culinary inspirations
It is hard to believe it’s that time of the year again; I was reminded last week seeing store personnel putting up Christmas decorations, displays of gifts and the menorahs, waiting to be lit on Dec. Stephen 6, the first Fries night of Hanukkah. Each year, I look forward to bringing you interesting ideas for gifts for the foodies in your life or yourself. My file with information about new food products, kitchen gadgets and cookbooks collected from trade shows I attended is bursting. Best wishes to you this holiday season, and let the shopping begin. To make it easy for “one-stop shopping,” I have asked WAVE, 1046 Chapel St., New Haven, 203-624-3032, www. wavenewhaven.com, to carry many of the gifts mentioned here. My first suggestions are whimsical gifts from Fred & Friends that will put a smile on the recipients face. Le Crock COQ replicates a classic comedy food-safe rubber chicken that delivers flavor as well as laughs. Just fill it with your favorite bouquet of herbs and set it in the pot. The broth will pick up the herbal notes while keeping the leaves and stems contained. Kids and the kid in you will enjoy Crack a Smile, a heat-safe silicone egg mold that turns scrambled eggs and pancakes into a smile. Wine enthusiasts will enjoy Tapped . Just turn on the “tap” and wine breathes as it pours; turn it back to stop the flow and seal in the flavor. Dinner Do’s encourages kids to play with their food. They will enjoy picking one of three hair dos painted on the plates and then creating a funny face with their food. The possibilities are endless. This gift, available in girls or boys sets, gives a chance for children to exercise their creativity while they eat. Will it be meatballs with a mullet or will the brioche have bangs? It is deliciously fun. Wouldn’t you have loved this when you were a kid?
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
Whimsical gifts from Fred & Friends, like Le Crock COQ, left, Crack a Smile, above, and Dinner Do’s, top of opposite page, bring some fun to food.
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
| Holiday Guide
| 21
The set of six deliciously themed
Mistaken Lyrics coasters (“snack”
theme) is a great gift for the food and fun-loving music-mishearing loved one in your life. Food–themed lyrics are laser engraved on 4-inch cork squares. “Shark Tank” fans might recall when shark Barbara Corcoran struck a deal with Scratch & Grain Cookie Kits, http://www.scratchandgrain. com/, owners Taya Geiger and Leah Tutin. The two moms of young children, were looking for a kit to make cookie baking easier. Since there were none, they created one. Each kit includes individually packaged high-quality, all-natural ingredients, most of which are organic. When you add the ingredients in the right order, it tastes better, unlike other cookie mixes where all of the ingredients are already mixed in one bag. Their kits avoid waste, too, since a cookie recipe requires the purchase of larger quantities of ingredients called for, which often won’t be used and eventually thrown away. Available are the holiday sugar cookie, classic chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin or sugar, gluten-free chocolate truffle and snicker doodle.
Witty Mistaken Lyrics coasters, above, is a great gift for the food and fun-loving music-mishearing loved one in your life, while Scratch & Grain Cookie Kits, at left, makes baking easier.
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| Holiday Guide |
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
Center Subaru
Tequila Salt Shooters from The Spice Lab, www.thespicelab.com, are shot glasses with a finely veined, translucent appearance of rose quartz, but are actually carved from the finest quality Himalayan pink salt. Salt is a long-lasting, naturally anti-bacterial mineral so the glasses require little care to become a favorite party starter for years to come. A set of glasses with a bottle of Tequila makes the perfect gift. Also from Spice Lab is sea salt infused with ground chili peppers and lime zest, a unique spice blend used as an Asian condiment to complement fresh tropical fruits like mango and pineapple. Sprinkle on popcorn or rim a margarita glass with this salt for a blast of flavor. Chef Salt was founded when Andrew Schloss and David Joachim, award-winning cookbook authors and chefs, met Mark Bitterman, an international salt expert. They agreed that there is a trick to making ingredients work together, like chefs do in their restaurants. Most people would like the flavor
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Salt is a long-lasting, naturally anti-bacterial mineral so the glasses require little care to become a favorite party starter for years to come, like the Chili Lime Margarita Sea Salt from The Spice Lab, far left, and the speciality Chef Salt, below.
of restaurant food in their home cooking, but lack the expertise and time. Each of the Chef Salt blends brings the art and craft of professional cooking into the home kitchen. Think of it as “chef in a jar.” Open a jar of bacon BBQ and inhale the rich, woodsy aromas of red-alder smoked salt, three kinds of smoky peppers, and the scent of smoked bacon. Mix it into burgers, toss with chicken, rub it on ribs, roasts and brisket. Mix 3 pinches of 7 Salt Chef Salt and ¾ cup of cocoa nibs on a sheet of foil. Roll a room-temperature 8-ounce log of fresh goat cheese in the mixture, and when thoroughly coated, press the coating into the surface of the cheese. Put on a serving plate and serve with slices of French bread and ¼ cup of orange marmalade on the side. Other flavors include bamboo curry, holy mole, N.Y. steak, truffle herb, Tunisian fire and Tuscan herb. Spreadable bacon? Yes, thanks to The Bacon Jams, www.thebaconjams.com, I have tried it on a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich on sourdough bread. Be creative and use it on whatever you like bacon on, or one of the creative recipes provided on their website, like baked bacon jammed brie, spicy seared bacon jam scallops or s’more bacon jam. Available in original, The Bacon Jams come in original, black pepper black pepper or red chile and garlic. or red chile and garlic flavors.
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
| Holiday Guide
| 23
A mother and son team combined two different loves, baking and craft beer and added their creativity to make a simple, delicious loaf of bread. The result … Soberdough Brew Bread . Simply add 12 ounces of beer to any of the all-natural mixes, stir and bake for 45 minutes. Check out www.soberdough. com for suggestions of which beer (or nonalcoholic recommendation) work best for each of the 12 mixes. Just in time for the season are apple fritter, cranberry orange and pumpkin spice. The savory mixes include green chile cheddar, buffalovin’ wing and sun-dried tomato. Contact Stephen Fries, professor and coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, at
[email protected]. edu or Dept. FC, Gateway Community College, 20 Church St., New Haven 06510. For more, go to www.stephenfries. com.
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La Trattoria Restaurant 21 Old Albany Turnpike, Canton, CT 06019, United States
24
| Holiday Guide |
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
TOY-BOOK COMBO
‘The Moodsters’ help kids build emotional intelligence turing a book/toy combo, is based on the curriculum taught at the Yale Center for Emotional InIt probably won’t harm telligence. your child to own a Five lovable characters mindless action toy (guns are featured, each deaside), but the mindful picting a different emoparent is also trying to tion and teaching simhelp mold a better citizen ple strategies to building during playtime. EI skills. Enter The Moodsters, Two young child tesa new line of toys and ters loved the “Time to books designed to help a Be Kind” colorful book child develop emotional and Moodster Mirror intelligence skills. (electronic, with characWhat does that mean? ter voices). Well, you really want to Also available are The discourage bullies and Moodsters Meter (with encourage kids who have the “Meet the Moodempathy for their fellow sters” storybook and the classmates and peers. Feelings Flashlight (with The Moodsters, cre“The Scary Sleepover” ated by child developbook. ment-parenting expert The toy is available at Target for about $20. Denise Daniels and feaBy Joe Amarante
[email protected] @Joeammo on Twitter
CONTRIBUTED
Moodsters books and toys run about $20.
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NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
| Holiday Guide
| 25
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Nothing quite like getting a holiday gift in April, June or October to is. Everything from Anna Sui makeup to zebra masks for kids. Freshlypressed records, juices and Suffering from a prehigh-fashion togs. Mysholiday “what to give” headache? The prescriptery boxes for people and tion may be a subscription. for pets. Subscription gifts, one If your loved one is of the hottest retail trends, more into Content than literally keep on giving: Stuff, consider ordering a subscription for e-books, New installments arrive over the course of weeks movie passes, or classes in or months. art, cooking or exercise. While the idea isn’t “They’re a great imnew (remember those reprovement on the gift cord-of-the-month clubs?), card,” says Neale Martin, a the breadth and variety consumer expert and CEO of what you can subscribe at Sublime Behavior MarBy Kim Cook The Associated Press
keting in Marietta, Georgia; like gift cards, subscription gifts are easy to buy, especially last-minute, at a variety of prices, but they also can be highly customized. “The idea of giving a present that will be bringing smiles for months creates a very powerful reinforcement,” he said. Liz Cadman founded a THERESA HENSLEY — BESPOKE POST website, MySubscriptionAddiction.com, devoted to Inspired by Ernest Hemingway, the Frontier Box is one of Bespoke Post’s most popular boxes containing a mix of subscription gifts. The box includes high craft items like a Kaweco Black Sport Fountain Pen, a Machine Era Co. bottle opener, and an Opinel No. 8pocket knife – the same one items each month. GIFT » PAGE 26 Pablo Picasso used to carve sculptures.
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| Holiday Guide |
Gift FROM PAGE 24
That improves the odds that your recipients will like what you gave them, she says: “Boxes give you variety. Most include fiveplus items, so you know someone’s going to like at least a few of them.” Many local stores will work with customers to put together subscriptiongift options. For ideas, here are some online offerings:
Home
• Decoterie sends a curated box of limited-edition home accessories and textiles — coasters, thankyou notes and a personalized ceramic bowl were among items in this summer’s box, www.cratejoy. com/decoterie. • Burke Décor’s subscriptions include a mix of home, spa and travel accessories, www.burkedecor.com. • Set your style parameters at Linen Crate and get a monthly box of tablecloths, placemats, towels or rugs, as well as coordinating items like platters and spa accessories, (www.linencrate.com. • The edible subscription universe is vast and varied. Chocolate of the Month, Bacon of the Month, Spice to Meet You, Candy Japan and Original Craft Beer Club are all services that might appeal to foodies. Pressed Juicery sends an array of green, root, citrus and fruit juices.
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
product, www.birchbox. com. • From Stitch Fix, five new wardrobe items, chosen by a stylist, appear at the door. Send an e-gift card that your recipients can redeem; they select delivery dates, keep what they want and return the rest in the prepaid mailing bag, www.stitchfix.com. • At Quarterly, prominent people like Nina Garcia, creative director of Elle Décor, and science icon Bill Nye create their own boxes and include a personal note outlining why they chose what they did. Nye’s boxes have included bow ties and cardboard DNA models, www. quarterly.co. • Cadman recommends Popsugar Must Have as a subscription gift for women. “It’s $40 a month, and they send a variety of beauty, fashion, home, food and fitness items,” she says. October’s box in- Surprise them with a Spangler Science Club gift subscription. cluded a satin pillowcase and a gift card for monogrammed jewelry, www. musthave.popsugar.com.
Men
NOVEMBER 2015
BRYAN HIGGINS — STEVE SPANGLER SCIENCE
• With Dollar Shave, you choose the style of blade and razor you want and refills arrive on the schedule you determine, www. dollarshaveclub.com. • Or try Bespoke Post, Cadman says: “It’s $45 a month and they deliver high-quality items (think ties, barware, grooming kits, shoes, etc.). Each month, they announce new box options, and your giftee gets to pick which one they want,” www.bespokepost.com. • At Chicago-based Women Trunk Club, a stylist gath• There are all kinds of ers a clothing selection beauty, fashion and wellwhich you preview and apness subscriptions, many prove online. When the of which ask you to deitems arrive in a box, you scribe your personal style can nix them if they don’t and makeup paramefit or don’t look right, ters; the companies take www.trunkclub.com. • Socks are sometimes it from there. Birchbox, a THERESA HENSLEY — BESPOKE POST called a lame gift, but subscription pioneer, ofThis photo provided by Bespoke Post shows an array of wintry snacks and drinks with a bit of a “guy” vibe that what about a whole fers monthly boxes of samGIFT >> PAGE 27 distinguishes the Butcher subscription box. ple sizes and one full-size
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
| Holiday Guide 2015 / 2016
FROM THE SHOP AT MOHAWK MOUNTAIN & MOHAWK MOUNTAIN SKI AREA
Outstanding selection of winter gear GOGGLES
Give a gift you know will be the perfect fit. Mohawk Money gift cards are available in any denomination, never expire, and can be used for any purchase at Mohawk Mountain! We can ship your Mohawk Money card anywhere. Give the gift of winter apparel, lift tickets, new boots, waffles, and more - it’s up to them!
THERESA HENSLEY — BESPOKE POST
Inspired by Ernest Hemingway, the Frontier Box is one of Bespoke Post’s most popular subscription gifts. The box includes high craft items like a Kaweco Black Sport Fountain Pen, a Machine Era Co. bottle opener, and an Opinel No. 8pocket knife – the same one Pablo Picasso used to carve sculptures.
Gift FROM PAGE 26
year’s worth of cool ones? Soul Socks, which sends a house-designed pair of Peruvian cotton socks each month, helps support jobtraining programs for American high schoolers, www.soulsocks.com.
Kids
• Arts and crafts are a fun subscription gift for children; each month brings a new box of creative possibilities. Check out Green Kid Crafts and Art in a Box, www.greenkidcrafts.com or www.artinabox.net. • Tinker Crate offers
puzzles and engineering challenges for 9- to 12-year-olds, www.tinker. kiwicrate.com. • Spangler Science Club, aimed at kindergartners through sixth-graders, sends enough stuff each month for over a dozen science experiments, www. spanglerscienceclub.com. • My Geek Box centers around a theme — “sidekicks” and “justice” were recent ones — with geek gear, collectibles and Tshirts, www.mygeekbox. co.uk. • GiftLit sends monthly book boxes, while Brickbox’s niche is — you guessed it — all things Lego, www.giftlit.com or www.brickbox.com. • Expose your budding
3- to 12-year-old traveler to new places with Little Passports. Young armchair globetrotters get started with a little suitcase and a map. Then comes a monthly array of activity kits, gadgets, stickers and souvenirs that explore sciences and world cultures, www. littlepassports.com. • Citrus Lane sends boxes skewed to babies, toddlers or preschoolers, full of quality toys, games and snacks, www.citruslane.com.
Pets
• Barkbox lets pets in on the subscription-gift game with dog and cat toys and treats arriving monthly, www.barkbox.com.
All your favorite brands!
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Give the gift of confidence and fun! Lessons are available every day of the season, and can be bundled with rentals and lift tickets for even greater value!
Your holiday shopping destination
mohawkmtn.com
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NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
HEARTH AND HOME
May your days be merry and bright and safe around the fireplace StatePoint
Fireplaces mean warmth, comfort and ambiance — and there’s no better time of year to enjoy one than when loved ones are gathered together for the holidays. To make the most of the experience, consider these tips:
Safety first
With some precautions in mind, the fireplace can be the centerpiece to your festivities. Keep clothing, furniture, draperies and flammable materials at a safe distance. Stockings hung by the chimney with care sound nice, but should be avoided in practice — there are plenty of safe alternatives for this traditional holiday display, such as the banister or the windows. Don’t be shy about using your fireplace while you have holiday visitors. Just be sure guests know that it can be very hot during and after use, and remember that children and pets should always be supervised. Keep the remote control out of reach. Factory-provided safety screens, aftermarket freestanding screens, and barriers help reduce burn risk, as they prevent skin from coming into direct contact with hot glass. You can learn more about fireplace safety and request a safety barrier at heatilator.com/ Fireplace-Safety.aspx.
What to know
A new fireplace can be
STATEPOINT
Be sure guests know that it can be very hot during and after use, and remember that children and pets should always be supervised. the perfect gift you give yourself this season, and smart technologies are making them more versatile than ever before. Different needs will guide your choice. Do you want a fireplace that’s more decorative, or are you interested in high heat output? How do you want to start a fire — with a wall switch, a log, a remote control or a thermostat? Do your research before making any decisions. Free online resources, available at heatilator. com, can help you determine what fuel choice and style is right for your home - whether you are looking for a modern or traditional design in a wood-burning, gas, or electric fireplace.
Deck the mantel The fireplace can be one of the top areas of the home to showcase your decorating skills — especially during the holiday season. Save your most treasured trimmings for the mantel. Display frames filled with holiday photos of family and friends, scented candles, garlands with dried berries, flowers and festive ribbons and bowls of seasonal fruit. White, silver, and gold color schemes are beautiful and appropriate for the season too. Just be sure all decorations are safely away from heat and flame. Make your holidays a little bit merrier by getting your fireplace prepped for the season.
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
| Holiday Guide
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MAKING IT MEANINGFUL
Everyone has a tech gift or two on their wish list StatePoint
Technology gifts continue to dominate holiday wish lists. Before purchasing the latest gadget, remember that one size doesn’t fit all. Just as you wouldn’t buy the same sweater for everyone, different recipients have different needs when it comes to tech gifts. This season, consider technology gifts that can improve your loved ones’ daily lives by matching devices to their personal interests. Here are some ideas
for thoughtful holiday tech gifts for everyone on your list.
The go-getter
Purchasing a gift for a busy parent, a world traveler or a social butterfly? Wearable technology will definitely be at the top of their lists this season. Fitness fanatics will love souped-up Bluetooth headsets and activity trackers; while on-the-go moms will be grateful for the ease a smart watch provides them. TECH » PAGE 36
STATEPOINT
Do your homework to ensure whichever gift you pick is compatible with the recipient’s existing technology.
Holiday Greetings We take this opportunity to wish you a happy holiday season and a new year of health, happiness, and prosperity.
203 Main Street Thomaston, CT 06787 local tel 860.283.1874 toll-free 855.344.1874 thomastonsb.com Member FDIC
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| Holiday Guide |
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
NOVEMBER 2015
MMM ... JAVA
Ninja Coffee Bar is ready when you are Machine even comes with a milk frother pect from a drip coffeepot, and in that mode, it makes very good coffee. With the success of NinBut wait! There’s more! ja’s juicers and blenders The Ninja Coffee Bar, new in stores this fall, will the past couple of years, brew into its pot, into your I was not surprised when travel mug or cup, and has they developed a coffee settings for normal brewpot. It has a carafe and a ing, what the Ninja folks permanent cone filter, just call “rich brew” (our office like what you would exfolks dubbed it the “rocket By Ann Dallas Register Staff
joe’s
The Ninja Coffee Bar, new in stores this fall, will brew into its pot, into your travel mug or cup, and has settings for normal brewing, what the Ninja folks call “rich brew” and “brew over ice.” CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
20% off all retail, wrapped to go! featuring Bumble and bumble Oribe V76 by Vaughn Yonka Paris Nomaterra Perfume Paddyway home fragrance
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NOVEMBER 2015
fuel” setting) and “brew over ice.” It comes with a cylindrical glass microwave-safe milk frother, which was of particular interest to me. I warmed the milk in it, frothed it up, and poured it over my mug of coffee, producing a very satisfactory latte. I liked that you did not have to use pre-made pods, as I like to grind beans just prior to making coffee, and that you could make a pot or a mug. Iced coffee, particularly with cold frothed milk and a little cinnamon dusting, was popular. The water container has ribs that give you a good grip, which is necessary for me, since I’m always in the middle of several things at once in the kitchen. Not that I’m a klutz or anything, but it felt nice and secure on the trip from faucet to coffeepot. All this flexibility means
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
| Holiday Guide
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there’s a learning curve to using it. When it arrived, we were unpacking it and everybody wanted to make coffee RIGHT NOW. Fortunately, regular coffee brewed into a carafe is easy enough even for journalists. And then the YouTube videos and simple, clear instruction book helped, too. Sold at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Walmart and Macy’s, the Ninja Coffee Bar is priced at $150$200, depending on whether you opt for the glass carafe or the thermal stainless steel one.
Ninja Coffee Bar brews coffee into carafes, left, and individual mugs, above.
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| Holiday Guide |
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
DECORATING IN SMALL SPACES
What to do when there’s no room for a great, big holiday tree during the holidays,” CavinWinfrey said. “I tell people, yes, take all those ittybitty gnomes and nutcrackers and line the edge of your bathroom with them. I revel in the holidays. Why not?” Cavin-Winfrey said the most underused decorating areas in small spaces are windows and windowsills. Even a few inches of sill is enough to create a makeshift winter scene, whether it’s out of holiday-neutral decor such as chunky, lightup snowflakes or more Christmas-specific pieces such as ornaments and
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bows. “Go to town hanging things at various heights,” she says, “like a store’s holiday display window that faces in.” As an example, Restoration Hardware sells hanging Winter Wonderland snowflake lights that measure between 16 and 24 inches ($39-$47, www. restorationhardware.com). If you’re not particularly crafty, use the area as a window garden packed with succulents and box plants, such as Christmas cacti, amaryllis and poinIKEA settias. “Cover every inch,” IKEA’s Strala pendant and table lamps dress up windows she says. DECOR PAGE 38 and sills. »
Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey, an interior designer in Alexandria, Virginia. “Live a WASHINGTON >> How do you little.” make a small space feel What might be seen as like home for the holidays? garish or gauche most of Can it even be done? When the year takes on a more playful, festive tone around traditional decor is out of the question (in other the holidays. And because words, if your apartment one could argue that trahardly holds your luggage, ditional decorations such let alone a Colorado blue as large trees and mantel spruce), designers and redressings are better suited tailers say there’s no reason for traditional homes, livto feel bound to the clasing in a small apartment sics. Instead, try embracing is license to loosen up. The kitschy decor in the interest bonus, of course, is that of keeping things festive, glitzy, campy decor is typipersonal and fun. cally more budget-friendly. “It’s the holidays,” says “I can’t get enough kitsch By Megan Buerger Special To The Washington Post
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NOVEMBER 2015
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The Silo Holiday Bazaar!
| Holiday Guide
featuring local artisans!
“Small Business” Saturday, Nov. 28 10am - 5pm
Sunday, Nov. 29 10am - 4pm
Blown glass, stoneware, woodworking, baskets, jewelry and so much more!
Join the Christmas spirit and support local artists while you admire the famous Silo Christmas Tree & Holiday Art Exhibit,“Wonderment”
The Silo Gallery @ The Silo • 44 Upland Rd • New Milford, CT hunthillfarmtrust.org • 860-355-0300
Special Holiday Weekend Hours: Open 10 am ‐ 5 pm Nov. 27‐29 & Dec. 4‐6
Storytime on Saturdays at 11 am; artwork and fine crafts by local artisans; wreaths, Christmas trees, & baked goods available for purchase.
Open until 7 pm on both Fridays for late‐night shoppers
The "Christmas Shoppe" at the Merwinsville Hotel
Designer Women’s Clothing, Handbags and Accessories Holiday Attire, Jewelry & Gifts
1 Browns Forge Road • Gaylordsville, CT merwinsvillehotel.org • 860.350.4443 (or for further information call 860.355.3531)
bodhitreegallery.com
the Bodhi Tree Gallery NEW LOCATION! 14 Cobble Court Litchfield, CT 06759 860-567-TREE (8733) Sun: 12 - 5, Tues-Sat: 10 - 5
See our collec�on of Unique Locally Handcra�ed Gi�s!
FUNKWARE POTTERY Route 44, Canaan, CT
SALE
(across from Stop & Shop)
Open from 10-5 Nov. 27 - Dec. 24
Saturday thru Wednesday
Whiting Mills
9thAnnual
Open Studios
10% - 25%
OFF EVERYTHING
Hourly demonstra�ons by resident and guest ar�sts in a variety of media, Holiday sales, entertainment and refreshments
100 Whiting St. Winsted, CT 06098
contact: 860 738 2240
whitingmills.com Sale items include: glass bulbs, dinnerware, photo frames, Judaica, and Fanciful Flights Try our workshops!
December 5 & 6 11 - 5 pm
10% Off
your entire purchase
27 East Main St. • Torrington, CT 06790 860-305-6579 •
[email protected]
karenrossi.com
Thursday & Friday 1 -4pm • Saturday 9 -4pm
LOCALLY MADE F OR T HE H OLIDAYS
Old Avon Village - Rt. 44, Avon Call Brittany at 860-678-0808 www.jolieboutiqueconsignment.com
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NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
WHAT TO GET THE GARDENER
Planting season starts the moment they open one of these By Lola Honeybone
This year’s holiday roundup has a little bit for everyone — a smattering of garden décor; backyard medicinals; straw-producing strawberries and even (if so inclined) perfect potatoes grown in your indoor tub. To round it out, I’ve added a soil doctoring guide to serve as the backbone for all the fun. All offer nuggets of garden know-how that should add experimental projects to our 2016 gardens — and some in the name of “selfenrichment” only (i.e. lidded Venus fly trap in the entry way). Whether its growing little darlings like calendula, chamomile and yarrow or dipping into ancient varieties of terrarium-bound moss, let’s hunker down with some light (some heavy) garden reads this winter and have some Hunker down with some light (and some heavy) garden reads this winter. fun in 2016.
‘Grow a Living Wall: Create Vertical Gardens with Purpose,’ by Shawna Coronado Shawna Coronado, longtime Chicago native and master of the 3-foot by 3-foot balcony space, wants us all to take veggies, herbs and fruits and grow up. Urban agriculture is booming, but Coronado believes gardeners may be stuck on the ground, in containers and limited floor space. “Grow a Living Wall: Create Vertical Gardens with Pur-
pose” is Coronado’s longawaited first title; a compilation years in the making with an aha moment in the middle. Containers might be the comfortable option, but Coronado says a little effort will pay off big. “Grow a Living Wall” (Cool Springs Press) includes the right system for every garden goal. A shady space, full sun, veggie only, flowers only, herbs and cocktails … the options are laid out according to shopping list and planting and maintenance instructions.
‘Terrariums: Gardens Under Glass,’ by Maria Colletti Maria Colletti, terrarium designer for Shop in the Garden at the New York Botanical Garden, is a terrarium purist (with a good dose of “why not!). She adores the “humble” fish bowl, has found love in mood moss, and for a long winter admits an obsession with Cryptanthus. Colletti’s newly published Terrariums: Gardens Under Glass (Cool Springs Press, September 2015) is
a detailed compendium of organized projects from years of trial and error. Ten step-by-step projects represent the best of her work, advice and sources for all things terrarium building; alongside ideas for custom projects that require no more than a turn of the imagination. She shares standard, traditional and classic building steps for any vessel and either suggests a “stop” for Zen-sake or a little nudge for a more sensational, conversation piece.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
‘Backyard Pharmacy: Growing Medicinal Plants in Your Own Yard,’ by Elizabeth Millard Elizabeth Millard, author of the touted “Indoor Kitchen Gardening” and the co-founder of Bossy Acres, a thriving CSA based in Minneapolis, is caretaker to 40 acres with more than 60 types of vegetables, some fruits and more than 20 types of herbs. Millard’s acreage and quaint garner stems; and come Ocdens are packed with vatober, heavy lifting is in a rieties that demand ample day’s work. space with often thick runGARDEN » PAGE 37
NOVEMBER 2015
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| Holiday Guide
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| Holiday Guide |
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
Tech
reserve your holiday parties
FROM PAGE 29
Gift Certificates available
Serving lunch and dinner Seven days a week.
SAYBROOK FISH HOUSE
At The Intersection Of 44, 202 & 179 860-693-0034
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Do your homework to ensure whichever gift you pick is compatible with the recipient’s existing technology. If your loved one is an Apple fanatic, you don’t want to get an Android smartwatch. Add extra personalization by taking into account product design. For example, several jewelry designers have introduced necklaces and bracelets that cleverly house sports activity trackers inside the accessory.
The home office worker Entrepreneurism is on the rise and that means home offices are becoming a staple. The key to working from home is staying organized, max-
imizing space and minimizing clutter. Many entrepreneurs and telecommuters don’t realize that their phones can actually help them streamline their home office experience. These days, you can link your mobile phone calls to your home phone to maximize efficiency. For example, with the Panasonic KXTGF382M Link2Cell Digital Phone, you can link up to two smartphones to make and receive calls, as well as receive talking ID alerts so you never miss texts. Added benefit? This product helps increase efficiency. A downloadable Android App provides alerts when the linked cellphone receives emails and social media updates. A busy entrepreneur can block up to 250 unwanted numbers with the touch of one button. Additionally, a powerful battery backup system will keep the phone connected for up to seven
hours even if the power goes out. More information is available at amazon.com.
The entertainer
Gift lists always include a friend or family member that loves to entertain guests. Home chefs who like to throw dinner parties will surely appreciate a wireless Bluetooth cooking thermometer that syncs with a smartphone to alert them when their main dish is done, or a digital measuring cup, that enables cooks to measure liquids and convert measurement units. Wine aficionados can also go high tech this season. New gifts include sonic decanters, smart chillers, and even special devices that allow you to pour wine without uncorking it to preserve freshness. This holiday season don’t just go high-tech with your gifts, go highly-personalized too.
Boating, it's Yachts of Fun
Come See Us For All Your Boating Sales, Parts And Service Needs 2016 Models Arriving Daily
She’s still mad at you for giving her that vacuum last year. Ouch. Sometimes we just don’t get it. The vacuum was one of those times.
All she can do is feel terrific wearing it.
Make it up to her this year. Give her the gift of fine jewelry. It doesn’t have a thing to do with cars. And she can’t clean with it, cook with it, or vacuum with it.
Come in and see us. We have a wide selection of truly fine jewelry that will make her forget all about last year... and remember this year forever.
FRED RICHARDS PRESIDENT
Also Stop In And See Us at Saunder's Package Store for All Your Spirits
JEWELERS 572 MAIN STREET • WINSTED, CT 06098
TELEPHONE (860) 379-5366 • WWW.EJEWELRY.COM/FGRICHARDS
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
Garden
dener can play doctor to his or her own delicate ecosystem – and get it right. According to Murphy, it’s about time. “In the age of industrial agriculture, our intuitive knowledge of how to build healthy soils needs rediscovery.” “Building Soil” is the ground-up answer to lush flowers and edibles with clear guidelines that matches almost every decision.
FROM PAGE 34
It is Millard’s tiny corner garden, in comparison, that as she says, “greets me with open arms. Our little herb garden is one of the most important growing spaces on the land.” Medicinal darlings such as calendula, chamomile and yarrow all grow alongside culinary favorites of basil and thyme. “This is my fairy garden,” says Millard. “I love to come home to its delicate fronds and cute as a button flowers.” Millard’s medicinal garden, detailed in “Backyard Pharmacy: Growing Medicinal Plants in Your Own Yard,” (Cool Springs Press, May 2015), draws her in with promises of sustainability and health care.
‘Building Soil: A Downto-Earth Approach,’ by Elizabeth Murphy
‘Straw Bale Gardens Complete,’ by Joel Karsten
Elizabeth Murphy — soil scientist, writer, farm enthusiast and gardener — is on the front lines of organic matter research. Murphy’s “Building Soil: A Down-To-Earth Approach,” (Cool Springs Press, March 2015) is her soil know-how packaged so the average gar-
Joel Karsten revolutionized vegetable gardening for tens of thousands of gardeners with his best-selling “Straw Bale Gardening,” (2013, Cool Springs Press). Karsten’s soilless, weedless, straw bales became a break-out gardening technique for those need-
*,-!"'- $.**+%"&)(.!#
| Holiday Guide
| 37
ing a break from finicky soil; poor growing conditions; weedy patches; and uptight growing schedules. Over the course of several growing seasons, Karsten compiled a comprehensive list of questions and answers born of thousands of straw bale gardeners, using the system, loving the system and making it their own. “Straw Bale Gardens Complete” (Cool Springs Press, 2015) is Karsten’s guide to growing with straw bales in every climate, given varied water conditions, pests and even veggie performance. Cold climates to tropical — drought to plenty — Karsten tackles straw bale gardens in every condition in every zone. The basics regarding conditioning, planting and harvesting have not changed; “Straw Bale Gardens Complete” simply adjusts to the variables.
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| Holiday Guide |
Decor FROM PAGE 32
Joseph Ireland, a Washington designer, also praises eccentric holiday decor. “The tackier the better,” he says. “My philosophy is more, more, more.” Each winter, he takes a wire tabletop tree with branches lined in little white lights (the 3-foot Starlit Tree from Restoration Hardware, $99) and covers it with vibrant, vintage clip-on bird ornaments. “If you’re not going to get a real tree, go completely in the other direction,” he says. He keeps it on the dining room table and stacks presents around it. “It feels almost springy,” he said. “I keep it up for months.” Commitment-phobes should look to accessories. Cavin-Winfrey buys inex-
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
pensive lampshades and decorates them for the holidays with colorful fabric. And don’t underestimate the power of a few throw pillows, she advised. “Pick a retro print or a fresh take on red and green, like berry and chartreuse, and toss them in the living area,” she said. “It adds instant edge.” For lovers of modern design, CB2’s holiday accessories balance silly humor with sophisticated design. “Modern doesn’t have to mean serious, and fun doesn’t have to mean juvenile,” said Sara Harter, the company’s director of visual merchandising. “A whimsical shape in a substantial material can be very livable, and it’s the best way to convey your CB2 personality and style.” Ornaments are a perfect CB2’s wall-mounted gold tree and Disco Gnomes. opportunity to indulge in a little quirk. Urban Outfood-related ornaments for or hot sauce ($10), for examfitters has a series of goofy those who love sushi ($12) ple. Or, for something more
Call and order your Specialty Cuts of beef, pork or lamb for the holidays.
Grinder, Coldcut & Snack trays available Call and place your holiday orders now!
Happy Holidays from the staff at
Carbone’s Market
221 Oak Ave. Torrington • 860-489-8164
RESTORATION HARDWARE
Washington, D.C., designer Joseph Ireland keeps a Restoration Hardware Starlit Tree up for months. elegant, group a handful of CB2’s jellyfish orna-
ments ($5 each) on a thick string of garland or a wallmounted gold tree ($35). Harter uses the tree as a place to hang Christmas cards. But one of the company’s most beloved accessories is its Disco Gnome, which combines a folklore image with glamorous disco ball-inspired materials. It was designed two years ago by the husband-wife design duo Cortney and Robert Novogratz and was so popular that CB2 brought it back last season in two sizes (the 18-inch version sold out on Black Friday, and a 9-inch gnome). Harter recommends placing it on bookshelves alongside a few heirloom nutcrackers. “Kitsch is not about creating silly themes, it’s about adding touches that are uniquely yours,” she said. “It’s putting a playful twist on something traditional to give it new life.”
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• Vaporizers 18+ Permitted SEYMOUR
7 Franklin St. 203.463.8132
next to Stop & Shop
Gift Certificates Available WATERBURY
437 Watertown Ave. 203.527.6406 in the Mary’s Diner Plaza
TORRINGTON
954 East Main St. 860.484.4697 next to Sprint Store
“The Cheaper and Cleaner Alternative to Smoking”
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
| Holiday Guide
Pat’s Pizzazz NO ONE BEATS PAT’S PRICES! Furniture Recliners Starting at
Starting at
Power Lift Recliners $
68999
$
749
$
99
Ashley Sofa Love 2 pcs. Only
199
Solid Starting at Wood TV $ Dropleaf $ Stands Dinette Set 42x108 Farmhouse dinette
(W) 6 chairs
999
599
and UP
Queen Bed, Dresser Mirror chest and Nightstand
899
$
$
Pillow Top Mattress Sets LOWEST PRICES EVER!
Twin $199 Full $255
Now with 2 stores on Winsted Road, Torrington, CT • 860-496-0028
333-Next to Dynasty Restaurant • 386-Next to Sherwin Williams Hours: Tues., Wed., Fri. 10-6:00 • Thurs. 10-8 • Sat. 10-5 • Sun. 12-4 CLOSED MONDAY
Futons
399
Ashley Furniture Pub table and 4 stools
129 Complete cherry or black bedroom Set
299
99 Wood $
Only $
Jewlwery Armoires & Vanitys
$
229
Queen $299 King $399
& UP
bunk beds Instock
Starting at
$
29999
We Specialize in Platform Beds
underbed trundle and drawers sold separately
Twin size $150 Full Size $200 Queen Size $250 King Size $300
www.patspizzazzfurniture.com ALL CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
| 39
40
| Holiday Guide |
NOVEMBER 2015
THE REGISTER CITIZEN, THE LITCHFIELD COUNTY TIMES AND THE FOOTHILLS TRADER
68 Main Street Torrington, CT | 860.489.7180 www.warnertheatre.org The Nutmeg Ballet’s
Nutcracker
a division of
The Nutmeg
The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory Bring the children, they will believe everything, Bring your parents and grandparents, and let them be children again.
Sharon E. Dante
Founder & Executive Director
Victoria Mazzarelli/Artistic Director Timothy Melady/Ballet Master
See Tomorrow’s Ballet Stars Today!
In The Nancy Marine Studio Theatre HOLIDAY MOVIES TORRINGTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Dec 5
Saturday, December 19 Satur at 2:00 pm & 7 pm
Sunday Sunday, December 20 at 2:00 pm
Warner Box Office: 860.489.7180
Purchase your Tickets now www.nutmegballet.org
BO BURNHAM December 5-8pm SISTER’S CHRISTMAS CATECHISM Dec 10-13 Nutmeg Presents:
THE NUTCRACKER Dec 19 & 20, 2015 National Recording Artists
LUCINDA and MICHAEL LIVE! NO BOUNDARIES Jan 9, 2016 MOMIX OPUS CACTUS Jan 9 & 10, 2016 ROCK OF AGES Feb 6-14, 2016
Young Actors Series Presents
PLAY ON Feb 12-14
In The Nancy Marine Studio Theatre
LOST IN YONKERS march 5-13, 2016 Nutmeg Presents:
IMPACT march 19-20, 2016 COLIN MOCHRIE & BRAD SHERWOOD: Two Man Group June 10, 2016 at 7pm BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS may 7-15, 2016 NUTMEG GRADUATION SERIES may 18-21, 2016 PILOBOLUS, The Next Adventure may 27-28, 2016 at 8pm Nutmeg Presents:
SUMMER DANCE FESTIVAL July 25-31, 2016 SEUSSICAL July 30 - aug 7, 2016
