newsandviewsjb

NEWS&VIEWS by Jacqueline Bennett

Posts from the “Food” Category

Christmas Baking & Oranges in Stockings

Posted on December 24, 2016

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Food is an integral part of Christmas and baking can be a most satisfying aspect of the season. Long hours spent peeling, measuring and  mixing are quite worthwhile when the finished product is eagerly anticipated by family and friends.   A sight that heralds the holiday for me is loaves of banana bread fresh out of the oven, later wrapped in foil for delivery. This isn’t just any banana bread, it is a family baking tradition being carried on by my sister Candy made from our mother Cecelia’s recipe which was handed down to her from our grandmother Delia. It is tricky trying to achieve the precise flavor and consistency resulting from this recipe. Done right…

Categories: Culinary Christmas Trations, Food, Oranges in Stockings - why?

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Shady Glen Carolers – A Holiday Tradition

Posted on December 11, 2016

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Since my childhood, not a Christmas season has passed without anticipation of seeing and hearing the carolers perched atop the roof of Shady Glen, a sandwich and ice cream shop in Manchester, Connecticut. In an ever changing world this holiday tradition has been a joyful constant.   Shady Glen Dairy Stores include two shops both in Manchester. The original store is located along the Routes 6 & 44 corridor, which connects Hartford County with the state’s “Quiet Corner”.  Shady Glen is well-known as a Nutmeg State treasure and “local institution”. Famously, former CBS news anchor Dan Rather stopped in here.   Among my earliest memories as a little girl are those of my father carrying me…

Categories: Christmas Special Ice Cream, Food, Holiday Traditions, Iconic New England Restaurant, Vintage Ambiance

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Mom’s Recipe Box: Candy’s No-Salt Crockpot Simmered Vegetable Soup

Posted on December 7, 2016

            Candy’s No-Salt Crockpot Simmered Fresh Vegetable Soup     Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Unfortunately, most store-bought or restaurant soups are loaded with sodium. In an effort to still be able to partake of one of the most enjoyable of all food selections but in a healthier way, my sister Candy decided to experiment and create her own no-salt, crockpot simmered, fresh vegetable soup.                     She found Swanson’s no-salt broth at the Stop & Shop supermarket, then picked out fresh cabbage, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, celery, broccoli, onions, and green pepper. From there it was a matter of peeling and chopping. Homemade soup can pretty much be flavored…

Categories: Crockpot Cooking, Food, Learning Curves, No-Salt Fresh Vegetable Soup

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Destination: Hometown Kitchen at the Plaza in Somers, Connecticut

Posted on October 20, 2016

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Hometown Kitchen is aptly named. Tucked inside Southfield Corners Plaza in Somers, Connecticut it is the kind of restaurant best known to locals. In fact, I first ate here a number of years ago when it was called Kathy’s Playhouse because it was a favorite stop for one of my brothers, F.W. and his wife, who were both teachers in a nearby town.       What brings me back is the scrumptious pumpkin bread which I was told by a waitress is still homemade by her sister, the former owner. Moist, flavorful and so popular it is sold by the loaves, it is as tasty as the pumpkin bread that used to be served at…

Categories: Food, NEWS, Off the Beaten Path, Restaurants

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Mom’s Recipe Box: Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon & Fresh Vegetables

Posted on October 9, 2016

          Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon & Fresh Vegetables   My first experience of salmon was for a holiday dinner at Apricots Restaurant in Farmington, Connecticut. Served in what can be described as a gourmet portion, the salmon was cooked to perfection and presented with a few stalks of tender asparagus. Overall, it was simply divine.   Not only is salmon delicious but it is found on every list I have read of foods that are good for the heart. The thing is – salmon can be expensive at the grocery store. As well, the thought of preparing an unfamiliar fish dish can be intimidating.   A recent sale on salmon, however, at Big Y World Class Supermarket in the area…

Categories: Easy Meals, Food, Heart Healthy Meals, NEWS

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My Secret Morning Slippers

Posted on July 27, 2016

  By Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Glance around the kitchen of my townhouse apartment and it is what one might call annoyingly heart healthy yet for good reason. From ever present Del Monte bananas atop the refrigerator, to boxes of cereal such as Kellogg’s Raisin Bran to Quaker Rice Cakes, to 99 percent fat free skinned chicken breasts, light Promise, fresh yellow and zucchini squash, asparagus, blueberries (the supposed miracle fruit), bing cheeries, watermelon … I could go on but you get the picture.   One of the best heart healthy weapons, however, resting in disguise by the front door of my living room are what I will call “my secret morning slippers”. One of my favorite things has become slipping them on early – and I do…

Categories: Family, Food, Heart Healthy, NEWS

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Chris Baker “92” Day Declared by Windsor, CT Mayor at Bart’s Beanery, “It’s Swaggy Day”!

Posted on July 9, 2016

  Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   “It’s Swaggy Day,” a smiling Chris Baker- nickname “Swaggy”- told the crowd gathered at Bart’s Beanery in Windsor, Connecticut Friday evening, July 8.   Baker, a defensive lineman for the NFL Washington Redskins – number 92 – had just been presented with a proclamation by Windsor Mayor Donald Trinks declaring today, July 9, 2016, Chris Baker “92” Day.   The honor recognizes not only Baker’s play but his “generosity and dedication” to enhance the lives of local youth and empower them to reach their potential.   “Chris is of modest upbringing and he never forgot his roots with his literacy and charitable foundation. Chris represents the true character of Windsor High School – he is…

Categories: Classic American Hotdog Stands, Connecticut's First Town, Food, Literacy Efforts, Magic Grill, New England Classics, Positive NFL Role Models, Restaurants, Role models, True Love

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Destination: Bill’s Seafood Near the “Singing Bridge”

Posted on July 5, 2016

                              Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   One of the most popular shacks along the Connecticut shoreline is Bill’s Seafood. Not far from Hammonasset Beach State Park, Bill’s Seafood is located in Westbrook next to “The Singing Bridge” –  so nicknamed because of the harmonic sound it emanates as vehicles pass over. Open seven days a week – except Christmas and Thanksgiving – it seems this place is perpetually packed.     From the road the view of the outdoor patio is always appealing – it has a great setting near a small body of water. On this Sunday afternoon the rustic inside room was also full. Casual…

Categories: Coastal Connecticut, Food, New England Shoreline Restaurants, Point Judith Calamari, Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussles, Stonington Sea Scallop Platter

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“As American As Apple Pie”

Posted on May 13, 2016

  Write-Up & Photo by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   National Apple Pie Day, May 13, pays homage to a fruit-filled delight which is much more than the quintessential American dessert – apple pie it is a symbol of American culture and ideals. “As American as apple pie” is an expression which has been around for at least a century and a half since 1860, note on-line sources. During World War II , “mom” became part of the idiomatic phrase thanks to American soldiers who said they were fighting for “Mom and Apple Pie”. Eventually “the boy/girl next door” was added, rendering the popular articulation which remains relevant in this the 21st Century, “As American as Mom, apple pie and the boy next door”.  …

Categories: "As American As Apple Pie", Desserts, Food, National Apple Pie Day, NEWS, Quintessential America

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Pretzels – A Religious Experience

Posted on April 26, 2016

  Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Having subscribed to the National Day Calendar e-mail newsletter, I awoke this morning to not only learn it is National Pretzel Day but to learn too the interesting history about this snack. Today is also Presidential Primary day here in Connecticut, as well as, in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.   Given the “pretzel logic” – twisted reasoning which when examined does not make sense – often employed in politics, what a coincidence these primaries are being held on a day celebrating pretzels!   Anyway – it seems the pretzel has its origin in Christianity, according to National Day Calendar which sites the History of Science and Technology as a source, and points to…

Categories: Food, Great American Snack Food, National Pretzel Day, NEWS, Pretzel Logic

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