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NEWS&VIEWS by Jacqueline Bennett

Yankee Magazine Food Awards Winner Helps Draw Winter Farmers’ Market Crowd Ellington, CT – Part of National Trend

Posted on December 20, 2015

David L. Davis

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com

 

A thoroughly charming Englishman, David L. Davis, greeted visitors December 19 to a “Holiday Extravaganza!” Winter Farmers’ Market in Ellington, Connecticut. Wearing a colorfully designed bow tie and red apron, Davis, owner of Hillhome Country Products, stood beneath a large, beautifully adorned wreath hung on a wooden frame, spooning out samples of preserves he makes and which are known to be so good that he was named a Yankee Magazine Food Awards 2015 Winner. 

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“Yes, I make them myself,” said Davis.

 

Displayed and for sale along with bigger jars were appealing gift bags of miniature selections.

 

“With perfect bows tied by my wife,” Davis said.

 

Although it has been some fifty years since Davis moved from his native England, his very proper diction accent remains. Needless to say, it adds a touch of elegance to conversation about his Norfolk-based gourmet business http://hillhomeproducts.com which features a variety of preserves, as well as, pickles, dessert sauces and salad dressing. It is a business, Yankee Magazine noted, Davis started in 2009 due to the immense popularity of marmalade he had ‘put up’ and shared with friends. Yankee singled out Berries of the Wood and described the raspberry-blueberry-blackberry blend jam as follows, “packed with large chunks of whole fruit and the perfect amount of sweetness.” Ideal added the editors, on toast, swirled into oatmeal or simply spooned from the jar.

 

Praising Market Master Dianne Trueb for her organization of the events, Davis said he has been attending Summer Farmers’ Markets at Arbor Park in Ellington for the past two years, which brought him here to the Winter Farmers’ Market. Reflecting a national trend of year round farmers’ markets being held in the United States, Davis was one of several vendors who setup on Saturday afternoon inside the nearly new YMCA on Pinney Road in this upscale New England farming community.

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Veggies.

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Poinsettias from Woodland Gardens, Manchester, CT.

 

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Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods stocking stuffers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pies from Luann’s Bakery on the Hoffman Family Farm in Ellington, CT.

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According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of Winter Farmers’ Markets has been on the rise – jumping in one year, 2010 to 2011, from 886 to 1,225, and representing 17 percent of all farmers’ markets operating in the nation during that time frame. The number rose again in 2012 from 1,225 to 1,864, making winter markets 24 percent of the total 7,865 scheduled that year. Many are being held in climates where winters are cold, such as the New England states.

 

Defined as those held between November and March, one factor in the Winter Farmers’ Markets upward trend is the advent of hoop houses which are plastic-draped funnels used as inexpensive, unheated greenhouses to extend the growing season. The USDA has been co-funding their purchase for farmers since 2009, noted former Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. However, the primary reason given for the upswing in Winter Farmers’ Markets is the burgeoning interest among consumers to buy locally grown food throughout the year.

 

“Through winter markets American farmers are able to meet this need, bringing in additional income to support their families and businesses,” Merrigan stated.

 

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Ellington’s Winter Farmers’ Markets will continue through to March from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the YMCA on 11 Pinney Road, Ellington, Connecticut 06029. 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Burgeoning National Trends, Connecticut Farms, Consumers Demand Locally Grown Food, New England Winter Farmers' Markets, NEWS, Yankee Magazine Food Awards Winner

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Dreaming of a White Christmas?

Posted on December 19, 2015
Courtesy photo - Winter in New England 2014-2015.

Courtesy photo – Winter in New England 2014-2015.

Write-Up by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com

 

Unseasonably warm temperatures have New Englanders worrying aloud that a “White Christmas” may elude the northeastern region of the United States this year. Ever since crooner Bing Crosby sang the Irving Berlin tune, “White Christmas” in the film “Holiday Inn”, it has been an anthem of the Christmas season.

 

After “Holiday Inn” was released in 1942, American service members deployed abroad to fight in World War II are said to have requested to hear “White Christmas” over and over again. Concurrently, the sentimental song brought melancholy as distance kept them from loved ones back in the states, yet joyful memories of home. According to a documentary produced by public television, when visiting the troops, Crosby said it was emotional for him to sing “White Christmas” for the soldiers, because he could see tears rolling down their cheeks.

 

With WWII over a number of years before, in 1954 the movie “White Christmas” was released set in Pine Tree, Vermont. It starred Crosby as a former WWII Army captain and had him once again dreaming of, and singing about a “White Christmas”.

 

Back to present day. Temperatures climbed close to 70 degrees in Connecticut this past week. Despite a dip in the thermometer predicted for today and tomorrow – December 19 & 20 – meteorologists agree the mercury is set to rise again next week making even flurries unlikely on December 25th.

 

Fear not, cold and snow lovers. Snow is coming, says the Farmers’ Almanac – check https://farmersalmanac.com/weather-outlook/2016-winter-forecast/. In fact, the Almanac predicts for New England a “deja vu” of last year’s frigid weather and unusually high snowfalls. Icicles suspended from eaves and rooftop snow shovelers are expected to make appearances again in coming weeks.

 

In the meantime, at least it is still possible to dream along with the ole’ crooner himself, as Crosby sings what has become an American standard and holiday tradition ….

Categories: A White Christmas, American Standards, Holiday Traditions, NEWS, Winter in New England

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It’s a Wrap on December 20th for 2015 Holiday Hours at Gillette Castle

Posted on December 17, 2015
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Photo by Jacqueline Bennett Gillette Castle December 2014

 

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett

Holiday hours for Gillette Castle State Park are slated to ‘wrap-up’ on Sunday, December 20. Perched above the majestic Connecticut River in East Haddam, Connecticut, it is a treat to see this fascinating showplace decorated at Christmastime. Built from fieldstone with a steel frame it took five years for the castle to be completed, between 1914-1919. The project was overseen by owner William Hooker Gillette, a renowned actor of his time whose most famous role was that of Sherlock Holmes.

The State of Connecticut, which administers the property, purchased it from the executors of Gillette’s will in 1943, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Now part of a state park and open to visitors for a fee, the castle was designed to Gillette’s liking featuring “hand-hewn” Southern White Oak woodwork, 47 doors – none the same and featuring external latches “inticately carved” of wood – built-in couches, table trackways, and multiple floors – including an upstairs library where Gillette is noted to have spent afternoons reading.

 

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Outside are trails, walking paths some with “near vertical steps”, a vegetable cellar, a 3-mile long gauge railroad that one can imagine transported Gillette’s company from the theatrical world on a tour of his grounds, stone-arch bridges, and ‘wooded trestles”. 

 

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On the path to Gillette Castle.

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Exterior view of the solarium – inside an ever so small pool of cascading water.

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View from the upstairs library at Gillette Castle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Connecticut River as seen from Gillette Castle in East Haddam, CT.

Connecticut River as seen from Gillette Castle in East Haddam, CT.

Gillette (1853-1937) was born in Connecticut’s capital city of Hartford and was a descendant of Thomas Hooker, Hartford’s founder. A playwright as well as an actor, his career brought Gillette to many a stage. He is said to have given his final performance in 1936 at the Bushnell in Hartford.

 

Looking for a dining experience to add to the Gillette Castle visit? The Gelston House Restaurant & Inn as described in New England colloquialism – “is just down the road” – on East Haddam’s Main Street.

 

Gillette Castle State Park 67 River Road East Haddam, CT 06423 860-526-2336 Holiday hours are weekends only from November 28 – December 20 10 am-4pm. http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325204&depNav_GID=1650 

Categories: American Theater, Fascinating Architecture, iconic New England buildings, New England Destinations, NEWS, Visit New England

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Meet Me at the ‘Kissing Balls Bridge’ in Farmington, Connecticut

Posted on December 14, 2015
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Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com

 

003And if our love is true … Little tugs at the heartstrings more than plans for a clandestine love to be brought to light and sealed by a kiss in a future romantic rendezvous. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr gave unforgettable authenticity to such a story in the 1957 classic film “An Affair to Remember”, with a promise to reunite atop the Empire State Building six months after they fell for each other on a cruise despite being engaged to other people. Timeless in its intent to stir the emotions, an Empire State Building meeting was reprised by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan some forty years later in the movie “Sleepless in Seattle”.

 

In what other memorable spot might the lovelorn rekindle an old adoration, or a budding romance blossom? Ever been kissed on the ‘Kissing Balls Bridge’ in Farmington, Connecticut?

 

Actually, for most months of the year it is better known as the Vincent DiPietro Memorial Bridge spanning the Farmington River along Route 4, near a gateway into town. Come the Christmas holiday season however, rows of beautiful kissing balls seem magically to appear on either side of the bridge. That magic is compliments of a growing tradition coordinated by the town of Farmington’s Economic Development Commission, paid for by sponsors and brought to life by the extraordinary handiwork of Southington-based Winterberry Landscape & Garden Center.

 

Blowing in the wind.

Swaying in the wind.

 

“Winterberry Gardens outdid themselves again this year, every year they seem to get bigger and better,” Rose Ponte, Farmington Economic Development Director, noted about the kissing balls in a press release.

 

 

Adorned by big red bows along with streaming red and gold ribbons, this year some two dozen kissing balls sway in the wind suspended above the Farmington River on vintage style light posts while awaiting the arrival of a December snowfall – and of course a romantic convergence or two. Care should be taken by those who decide to make their way near the busy road onto the inner pedestrian walks for a short stroll. One might suggest care should always be taken when it comes to matters of the heart, if as well, testing the kissing balls is in the offing.

 

 

Dedicated in 2010, reportedly thanks to a grassroots campaign the new bridge was named for longtime Farmington firefighter Vincent DiPietro who served the town for 34 years, also as fire chief and fire marshal, and who served during the war in Vietnam. He passed away in 2008.

 

Kissing Balls have been added Farmington's Unionville.

Kissing Balls have been added in Farmington’s Unionville section.

 

The bridge kissing balls have been so well received by the public that kissing balls have been added in the Unionville section of Farmington, according to Ponte.

 

Kissing Balls date back to the Middle Ages say various online sources. Originally crafted as seasonal holy boughs of “interlocking evergreens”, they are said to have signified glad blessings to those who passed beneath them. During Puritan times they were frowned upon but regained popularity during the era of Queen Victoria of England. It was during that period that herbs such as lavender and rosemary were added to the boughs symbolizing loyalty and devotion, or thyme symbolizing courage. By the end of the 19th Century, the kissing balls took on a romantic meaning. With the addition of mistletoe sprigs, unmarried men and unmarried ladies would kiss beneath the boughs.

 

Today they are thought to take on many meanings, depending upon whatever herbs may be included in the beautiful boughs. In some cases they may invite a kiss, while at other times representing the kindness of the season. Contemporary kissing balls are considered “harbingers” of the holidays. And it has been noted, whatever else they might stand for, kissing balls are always meant to welcome visitors.

 

P.S. It is still possible to join in the sponsorship program of this yearlong project. Contact Rose Ponte at 860-675-2395.

Categories: Clandestine Love & Romance, English traditions, Holiday displays, Holiday Traditions, Kissing Balls in New England, New England Bridges, NEWS, Symbols of Glad Blessings, Symbols of Welcome

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More From Stockbridge, MA

Posted on December 13, 2015

Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com

Red Lion Inn.

Red Lion Inn December 2015.

 

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Education about a classic Chevy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rathskeller  below.

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Horse drawn sleigh.

 

 

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This pooch could be a Norman Rockwell model.

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Oh the kissing ball!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lobby fireplace.

Checking in.

Checking in.

 

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Christmas splendor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Melane.

Photo by Melane.

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Categories: New England Tourism, NEWS, Stockbridge MA, The Berkshires

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Destination: Widow Bingham’s Tavern at Red Lion Inn Stockbridge, MA

Posted on December 11, 2015

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com

Widow Bingham's Tavern at the Red Lion Inn stockbridge, Massachusetts

Widow Bingham’s Tavern at the Red Lion Inn Stockbridge, Massachusetts

 

Across the threshold from the elegant dining room in Stockbridge, Massachusetts’ Red Lion Inn and above a rathskeller bar there, is the casual, rustic Widow Bingham’s Tavern. Though the main dining room is lovely, there is something most appealing about the ole’ Americana atmosphere of the tavern.

 

 

Red checkered tablecloths coordinate with dark, wooden chairs. Historic memorabilia pattern the walls. Overhead lamps create dim lighting accented by a stained glass window decor, “wood planked” floors and a busy bar. Holiday decorations on this visit added to the enjoyable experience. The tavern is small so if it is preferred, reservations are a good idea.

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Turkey sandwich.

 

 

With an emphasis on traditional New England fare, the menu includes salads, soups, sandwiches, Chicken Pot Pie, Ale Battered Haddock, Macaroni & Cheese and more. The New England Clam Chowder was delicious! Having selected a soup & half sandwich option, the chowder arrived first then came a generous portion, cold, half turkey& stuffing sandwich garnished with lettuce and cranberry mayo. The turkey slices were thick but could have been more moist. However, a requested side of cranberry sauce made the difference. I do wonder if a slight warming of the sandwich would enhance the overall flavor. Someone else in our party ordered a whole turkey&stuffing sandwich and had the same assessments – the whole sandwich came with a mix of “local greens”, large pickle and crispy potato chips. A Butternut Squash Bisque got rave reviews. Also receiving thumbs up were a grilled salmon dinner, open face prime rib and a burger smothered with cheese.

 

Brown Sugar Cake.

Brown Sugar Cake.

 

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When it came time for dessert we were eager to try the Brown Sugar Cake. I was curious to learn if it would be reminiscent of one of my father’s favorites as it had been baked by my grandmother, Burnt Sugar Cake. Though tasty, the Brown Sugar Cake was not similar. For $11, the Brown Sugar Cake was served gourmet style in a small mound portion, with a drizzling of caramel sauce and topped with a scoop of flavorful coffee ice cream. Although it did not compare to an old English family recipe, I am glad to have tried it and would order it again.

 

Widow Bingham’s Tavern is named for an original owner, according to the Red Lion Inn website. The inn is a 2015 winner of the Diner’s Choice Opentable award. Just outside is the Courtyard which is available for dining during warmer seasons.

 

Under the miseltoe at the Red Lion Inn.

Under the mistletoe at the Red Lion Inn Stockbridge, MA.

Historic Red Lion Inn decorated for the holidays.

Historic Red Lion Inn decorated for the holidays.

 

 

Located in the beautiful Berkshires, the Red Lion Inn was once a stagecoach stop. Serving Stockbridge and travelers since 1773, the historic inn was made famous by a Norman Rockwell illustration published in McCall’s magazine in 1967.

 

 

013Red Lion Inn, 30 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA 413-298-5545 http://www.redlioninn.com

Categories: 2015 Opentable Diner's Choice Winner, Food, Historic New England Taverns, New England Inns, NEWS, Restaurants, Traditional New England Fare

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26th Norman Rockwell Holiday Recreation on Main Street Stockbridge, MA

Posted on December 9, 2015
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Photo by Jacqueline Bennett Stockbridge, MA., December 2015.

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com

 

Norman Rockwell's Stockbridge Main Street on Christmas Eve.

Norman Rockwell’s Stockbridge Main Street on Christmas Eve.

Travel the highway up into the Berkshire Mountains exiting onto secondary routes, and nestled in along the road going west from Lee is the village of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Home to renowned American illustrator Norman Rockwell for the last 25 years of his life, Stockbridge is where he created one of his most famous works. That famous rendering depicts Main Street in Stockbridge on Christmas Eve and was published by McCall’s magazine in a 1967 special section called “Home for Christmas”.

 

On Sunday, December 6, the clock was turned back in Stockbridge to the 1960’s era when Rockwell painted the Christmas Eve scene. Vintage cars “strategically” lined-up in the center of town recreating the Rockwell sreetscape for the 26th annual “Main Street at Christmas the Norman Rockwell Holiday Recreation”, to benefit the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce.   010038

 

 

 

Rockwell’s depiction of Stockbridge catapulted the small town into the public eye. It was “meant to evoke the quintessential American holiday, to evoke a sense of warmth and peace … that would make people all over the country, possibly all over the world, feel as though they had come home for Christmas,” Norman Rockwell Museum curator Stephanie Plunkett told Chris Bury, when for ABC, he covered the 2009 recreation.

 

As seen in Rockwell's illustration - a 1955 red Mercury with Christmas Tree on top.

As seen in Rockwell’s illustration – a 1955 red Mercury with Christmas Tree on top made an appearance.

 

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The Londontown Carolers on the front porch of the Red Lion Inn.

 

 

 

The illustration shows the public library, gift shops, Rockwell’s studio & home in a far corner, The Red Lion Inn and a red 1955 Mercury with a Christmas Tree on top. Making an appearance on Sunday was a red 1955 Mercury – complete with a tree.

 

 

The Red Lion Inn, which according to the museum closed for the winter at the time, is dark in Rockwell’s illustration. On Sunday however, it was vibrant. Lit for the holiday, the inn which once served as a stagecoach stop, was decorated from top to bottom while the Londontown Carolers performed on the long, front porch adorned by kissing balls that awaited couples of all ages.

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Christmas Food Booth from the Red Lion Inn sold New England Clam Chowder, Cider & Donuts, Hot Chocolate and more.

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Snow covered Main Street in Rockwell’s rendering, as it typically would at this time of year. That was not the case on Sunday due to unseasonably warm temperatures hovering around 52 degrees. But as people strolled the downtown the spirit of Christmas and nostalgia for a simpler America were palpable.

 

 

 

AS RELATED in a biography about Rockwell put out by the Norman Rockwell Museum http://www.nrm.org/press/norman-rockwell-brief-bio/ he was born in New York City in 1894 and knew from a young age that he wanted to become an artist. He died at age 85 in 1978. Rockwell attended the New York School of Art, the National Academy of Design transferring to The Art Students League. In 1921, he and his family moved to New Rochelle, NY and by age 22 he had painted his first cover for the Saturday Evening Post. It took him some 10 years to finish the Stockbridge Main Street painting.”Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed,” Rockwell was quoted as saying. He married a schoolteacher in 1930, they had three sons. Rockwell moved to Vermont then in 1953 to Stockbridge. After the loss of his first wife, he remarried, another schoolteacher. In addition to his popular holiday Saturday Evening Post covers, among Rockwell’s most beloved illustrations are the Four Freedoms said to have been inspired by a speech delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Congress in 1943 – Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear.

 

 

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Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas ran December 4-6. The event featured Tales of Christmas at a local church on Friday, house tours, story time, a caroling luminaria walk and a holiday concert on Saturday, and the recreation on Sunday. Go to STOCKBRIDGECHAMBER.ORG for more information.

Categories: American history, American icons, American illustrators, Christmas, New England Inns, Norman Rockwell Holiday Recreation

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Connecticut Governor Orders Flags at Half-Staff for Pearl Harbor Remembrance “No Matter How Long It May Take Us” FDR

Posted on December 7, 2015
From Wikipedia: USS Arizona shown on December 7, 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

From Wikipedia: USS Arizona shown on December 7, 1941 during attack on Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

By: Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com

 

Seventy-four years have passed since on this day in 1941 at 10:55 a.m., the United States was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to ask Congress to declare war on Japan and brought the U.S. into World War II. Everyday life in the U.S. was changed putting Americans on constant alert. Individual families were affected. Not only the families of the more than 2,000 who died there but, as well, families of the young men and women who signed on for the fight. That includes my own family, as I have written about previously in a newsandviewsjb piece titled “Quiet Heroes From Connecticut’s Quiet Corner” .

There are many lessons to be drawn from history. None however, may be greater on this anniversary than what one editorial writer described as the “persistence of courage” of the American people. 

     

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DATELINE CT- In honor of the 74th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has ordered flags to remain flying at half-staff until sunset today. The surprise attack on the U.S. Naval Base by the Empire of Japan on December 7, 1941 took some 2,400 lives, destroying battleships and aircraft in the Pacific region.

 

“On this day, we recognize the extraordinary sacrifices of all who served in Pearl Harbor nearly 75 years ago, in addition to the over 2,400 people – both military and civilians – who lost their lives, “Malloy stated in a press release.

 

The governor added, “This day of remembrance is also an opportunity to thank all of those who served our country during World War II, courageously responding to the call of duty. We are grateful to all who serve in our military to protect our freedoms and stand up for democracy”.

 

Following the Pearl Harbor attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress describing the date as “a day that will live in infamy.” He went on to pledge “no matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.” Roosevelt’s steadfast words have been credited with “buoying the confidence” of the country in the belief that ultimately the U.S would be victorious.

 

 

Among the memorials built to those who died in the attack is one made of marble which stands above the sunken USS Arizona and was dedicated in 1962. Ceremonies are expected to be held across the country today, some to be attended by survivors of the attack.

 

Listen below to President Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor address.

Categories: American history, Courage, NEWS

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Christmas Tree Custom Thrives at Dzen Family Farm & Garden Market

Posted on December 5, 2015
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Dzen Christmas Tree Farm South Windsor, Connecticut

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Dzen Garden Market 187 Windsorville Road, Ellington, CT at the five corners.

 

 

Story & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com

 

Christmas Trees .... Oh Christmas Trees.

Christmas Trees …. Oh Christmas Trees.

Through the centuries the Christmas Tree has evolved into one of the holiday season’s most beloved customs. In central Connecticut, when it comes time to cut your own or pick from the best of already cut trees, the name Dzen quickly comes to mind.

Pauline Hantilo shows a holiday arrangement.

Pauline Hantilo shows a holiday arrangement.

 

 

Dzen Garden Market at the Ellington five corners is currently adorned with evergreen logs, kissing balls, wreaths and trees galore – the latter making their way to the market from the Dzen Christmas Tree Farm just up the road in South Windsor, along Barber Hill Road. Folks who choose to cut their own at the farm are greeted by a festive looking arch decorated by longtime Dzen employee Pauline Hantilo who can be found, most days during the season, at the market working on holiday arrangements.

 

 

Minature Christmas Trees at the Dzen Garden Market.

Miniature Christmas Trees.

“All of our trees come from the Dzen farm, the one with the arch in front” she said Friday morning December 4.

Kris Kringle rose pointsettia grown in Somers, CT.

“Kris Kringle” rose poinsettia grown in Somers, CT.

 

Inside the market are displays of beautiful poinsettias, as well as, winter roses poinsettia plants grown by another farmer in nearby Somers. The rose poinsettias are nicknamed “Kris Kringle”, according to Hantilo.

 

 

 

Owned by Donald and Joseph Dzen, the Dzen Christmas Tree Farm spans 100 acres where Fraser firs, canaan firs, balsam firs and blue spruce are grown, according to their website. In the 1930’s their grandfather Steven Dzen began by growing potatoes and tobacco and raising dairy cows. It was in the 1970’s that Christmas Trees were added followed by the opening of the Ellington market in 1998.

 

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How about a cone of peppermint ice cream?

 

Situated on one of five corners at a roundabout, in addition to the garden aspect of the market the Dzen Garden Market in Ellington also has an ice cream window. It is currently open and has added holiday flavors such as peppermint, eggnog, apple pie and pumpkin.

 

Dzen Christmas Trees have become an annual tradition for many, both in and beyond the area. Online sources say the history of Christmas Trees dates back to Roman times evolving to become a custom celebrated in different countries. Said to have been banned in America during the Puritan era, Christmas Trees later were put up in pockets of the country. Immortalized in the Christmas song “Oh Tannenbaum”, the origin of the modern Christmas Tree is associated with the Renaissance of modern Germany. Reportedly, it was popularized in America in the mid 1800’s thanks to the Royal Family of Great Britain.

 

One account goes that Queen Victoria’s husband Price Albert, who was her German cousin, brought a Christmas Tree to Windsor Castle and an illustrated family portrait around the Christmas Tree appeared in a London publication. News of it spread to the “fashionable East Coast” of America and became a catalyst for American Christians’ modern Christmas Tree custom. Coming from his home state of Vermont, the first national Christmas Tree was lit in 1923 on the lawn of the White House by President Calvin Coolidge.

 

Whatever the origin, the Christmas Tree is now one of the best known and celebrated symbols of the season.

 

Visit https:// http://www.dzenfarms.com/christmas-trees/  for more information about the Dzen Christmas Tree Farm in South Windsor, CT, one in Ellington and the market. 

Categories: Christmas Tree History, Cut Your Own Christmas Trees in Connecticut, Holiday Traditions, NEWS, Oh Tannenbaum!

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Mom’s Recipe Box: Melt-in-Your-Mouth Muffins Easy To Make With Kids

Posted on December 1, 2015
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Melt-in-Your- Mouth Muffins Easy To Make With Kids have been added to Mom’s Recipe Box.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Muffins

 

Among the books my sister Candy ordered through the Scholastic Book Club she coordinated for her Grade 2 class, is one called “Stuck-on- Cooking” by Richard D. Williams and Linda Williams Aber. It contains recipes easy to prepare with children, including this one, “Melt-in-Your-Mouth Muffins”.013

 

Not long ago she decided to give the recipe a try.  The muffins were quite tasty and just as the recipe says it shows the baker how to turn a plain muffin into “a special type of muffin” by creating a top crevace then adding in your choice of blueberries, apple slices, crushed pineapple, grated orange or lemon rind, chopped dates & chopped walnuts, cranberries or jelly.

 

 

Candy selected two flavors of jelly. One being Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Triple Berry and the other apple jelly. Very simple and fun. A recipe to consider baking with kids over the coming Christmas vacation. – JB

 

 

 

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Recipe found in “Stuck-on-Cooking by Richard D. Williams and Linda Williams Aber.

Categories: Baking, Baking with kids, Easy Recipes, Holiday Activities with Children, NEWS

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