We Love JAM: Blenheim Apricot Jam
Ten years ago, Eric Haeberli and Phineas Hoang used the Blenheim apricots from one tree in their yard (which used to be part of an apricot orchard) to make apricot jam by combining the freshly picked fruit, sugar, and spices (the blend of which is a secret). The result was one of the most delicious jams ever created: Blenheim Apricot Jam. Five years later in 2007, Eric and Phineas decided to turn a five-year hobby into a business called “We Love Jam” and now sell their jam to the public in a jar simply labeled “JAM“…but in limited quantities because the Blenheim apricots are only harvested in late June and July – and the jam starts shipping in August. Read more 
Jeni’s Splendid Frozen Yogurt
During the summer, ice cream is a regular part of our daily diet with the choices limited to the local soft serve or store-bought hard variety. A few weeks ago, my daughter asked if we could order a healthy alternative – frozen yogurt – since the selection is limited in this remote area of upstate New York. We went on-line and came upon Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream and noticed she makes 5 flavors of frozen yogurt (which varies depending on the time of year) so we ordered all five flavors. Three days later, the five pints of frozen yogurt: Black Currant, Grapefruit, Lime and Blueberries, Lime Cardamom, and Mango Lassi – were delivered (via UPS ground service) to our door frozen solid on dry ice. Read more
Muesli Fusion
Muesli Fusion is based out of Rochester, New York and is the creator of seven muesli cereals made from all natural, raw and organic ingredients including grains, nuts, dried fruits, and seeds. Each blend of muesli is designed for a specific target audience or for those that want a different cereal each day of the week: low-fat, protein packed, no nuts or seeds, gluten-free, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, high fiber, and sweetened with nothing but dried fruit (five out of the seven blends with the remaining two containing cocoa nibs or cinnamon chips). Read more
The Big Face Collection
T-shirts have never taken up much space in my closet, despite its immense popularity in this country. In fact, I can count on one hand how many t-shirts I own. It’s not that I have a blanket aversion to t-shirts (although my daughter claims I do), it’s just so rare that I find a t-shirt that I like – the exception being the Big Face t-shirt collection by The Mountain. The Big Face t-shirt collection is best described as three-dimensional animal faces on a t-shirt that look so real, they appear to pop out at anyone that looks at them. So, when I saw the guinea pig t-shirt, I had to have it since I am somewhat known as a guinea pig when it comes to tasting food. Read more
The Worst Race of My Life…But It was Fun….
Last week, my friend, Mark asked if I wanted to run “Race the Train” – an 8.4 mile race in upstate New York (North Creek) and since I’ve been running 8-10 miles four days a week this summer, I immediately registered although I briefly hesitated because the weather forecast was for hot temperatures on Saturday, August 4th. With a start time of 9:00 am – late by running standards – we all knew this race wouldn’t be our best but the idea of racing a train sounded fun. Read more
Chambre De Sucre
Chambre De Sucre is a Japanese sugar artisan company that sells decorative sugars in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and textures. The sugars have been manufactured for nearly 300 years by one of the oldest Japanese family owned businesses and are now imported to the United States through Web Japan, an international trading company based in California that is dedicated to importing and exporting the highest quality Japanese products. Read more
The Doll
Recently, I was cleaning out the bins in the basement and came across a well worn old doll – a small bald baby with a soft squishy body and felt lined booties – that was given to my daughter by a total stranger years ago in a random act of kindness. I cradled the doll, smiled, and put it back in the bin for safekeeping. A visiting friend asked why I was keeping that ratty old doll so I told her the following story. Read more
“Margaret”
A few days ago, NPR interviewed Kenneth Lonergan on Margaret – his most recent movie release. Lonergan, a writer and director, is well-known for the movie “You Can Count On Me” (2000) starring Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo, which was nominated for two Academy awards.
Margaret was filmed in 2006 but was not released until last year because of a disagreement between Lonergan and Fox Searchlight over the editing of the film: Lonergan wanted to release a longer version (2-1/2 hours) and Fox Searchlight didn’t which led to lawsuits and ultimately to delay the release of the film. The DVD was released this week and includes both versions. Read more
Absent the Killer Instinct; Present a Heart
My daughter finished the swim season last year with an announcement that she was joining the school’s water polo team. She had never played water polo before but with most of the swim team opting to play during off-season, I encouraged her to take on a new sport if she was interested. A week later, she came home and announced the coach asked if she wanted to train to be the team’s goalie. Seems the current goalie was a senior and graduating so a slot was opening up. Given her freshman status, her height and long arm reach, she was the ideal prospect and took to the sport with a total sense of commitment. Read more
My Husband’s Mistress: Fern
Several years ago, my husband starting leaving the house to go work on the “road” – the name we gave our driveway that meanders through a dense forest in the Adirondacks. Thinking it strange that he spent so much time on the road, I peeked out a window one morning and encountered him on his hands and knees gently pushing aside ferns to pull out prickly raspberry vines and weeds that were vying for ground space. When I asked him what he was doing, he told me he was clearing out the brush and weeds to give his ferns space to grow. My husband loves ferns: those fragile looking green-leaved surface cover plants that can spread as fast as kudzu if given the chance. Read more
Paddock Post 