Please Oh Pretty Please : Make My City Better!!

My friend C. has spearheaded an event in our fair city of Jersey City to encourage residents to spend their $$$$ in Jersey City instead of traveling across the river or down the road to spend it elsewhere. The challenge is to shop local, July 18th - 24th.

She has contacted various local businesses, some of which are my very favorites, and throughout the week many of them will be offering discounts or promotions to entice you to shop. I urge you to try out something new this week as without increasing business, many of these shops simply might not survive. This initiative, "Make My City" could be just what local businesses need to perk up during the slow summer months

Back when I moved from New York City to Jersey City in 2003, I continued to travel to New York to do the bulk of my shopping. Those were hectic times as I carted nearly all of my groceries and my 6 month old to and fro. Little by little, as I began to discover uniquely Jersey local gems, I decreased my city visits to a more reasonable once or twice a week. Now I combine Jersey City shopping and New York jaunts for the best of both worlds.

I am always surprised when many friends and acquaintances claim never to have shopped at some of my favorite spots. Jersey City has much to offer if you take the time to discover.

Now is the time to dive in...

If you haven't done so, do stop in at Pecoraro Bakery where they now make croissants and muffins, as well as their always fresh Italian loaves and pizzas (some only available on weekends). Next stop, Europa Meat and Provisions where you can discover a world of Polish sausages at your fingertips, perfect for summer grilling. While there you will be across the street from Made With Love Organic Bakery and Cafe, where you can snack on scones nearly as good as mine! Jack's Toys is right next door (though with summer hours will only be open Saturday, offering future discounts) but they are definitely worth a stop anytime you are looking for gifts for the little ones.

Other sweets worth checking out, via their websites or local markets: Sassy Sweet Treats, where you will find home-baked cookies and brownies and Cocoa Bakery where you will find adorable mini-cookies, shortbread, cupcakes and other delights.

After all of the food and sweets, you might possibly be in need of a workout so what better time for me to plug my all-time favorite place to firm up: Project Pilates and their newest venture Hamilton Health and Fitness which I hope to join as soon as it opens!

It is hard for me to end this post as there are so many worthwhile places participating in this event. One new addition that I just can't resist mentioning is Smith and Chang General Goods. Just around the corner from my house, they are a boon to the neighborhood, providing an eclectic, carefully chosen mix of items for the home. Perfect for gifts or for yourself. I can't keep away from the place and even Izzy is attracted to the vintage offerings and purchased an adorable oil can for his Papa for Father's Day.

This is by no means a comprehensive listing of the participating shops and businesses. I frequent many of them but do not have the energy right now to highlight more of them but hope to in the future. Meanwhile check the website for more information. And don't forget to SHOP LOCAL!

Encourage Healthy Eating: Jump With Jill!

Looking for ways to inspire your child to crave healthier foods? Jump with Jill does just that. Jill is a locally based "rockstar nutritionist" whose catchy lyrics will have your child bopping to tunes that foster healthy eating habits. Izzy and I saw her at Made With Love Organics several months ago and he has been bouncing to her music ever since.

Jump With Jill will be at Made With Love this afternoon, from 4:30 - 6:30. Even though healthy eating begins at home, it's always helpful to get some outside inspiration which Jill can certainly provide!

Behold The Batter Bowl

If ever there were a reason to rush off and make pancakes, this bowl is it. It is a "batter bowl" so named I gather, for its spout which makes for easy pouring. I have no idea if these are common but I only just happened upon them the other day, at my next door neighbor's house.

You see my next door neighbor, J. is a potter and quite an accomplished one at that. I knew of his profession but had seen only a few samples of his work in the backyard and I had not an inkling of what lay within. Last weekend I discovered that his yearly pottery event which I had always just thought was a private viewing, was actually a sale, open to those in the know. So Izzy and I made an appearance and it was there that I came upon this gorgeous bowl and two floors of extensive pottery offerings. You can check out more of his work here and next year try to make it to his sale.




So inspired by our new bowl, the morning after its purchase, Izzy and I made some raspberry pancakes ( I just added frozen raspberries to the original recipe) and I was thrilled to be able to pour them straight from the bowl.

A New Way Of Looking At Chicken: Head - On

Our foray into local foodstuffs at the New Amsterdam Market, also led us to the Bo Bo Chicken vendor. I examined their fowl offerings and I was intrigued by the promise of a chicken with more dark meat, since that is what we all prefer.

The chicken came wrapped up inside a plastic bag, with its head tucked neatly on the side, enabling me to promptly forget about exactly what I was in for later. When the time came to cut open the bag and prepare the chicken for dinner, I called Izzy into the kitchen to partake of the experience.

As Izzy looked on, I carefully cut the plastic bag open with a pair of kitchen scissors, allowing the blood to drip down into the sink. Izzy took one look at the bird and pronounced it, "Dead as a dumpling" (not sure what that means but you get the idea). I was far more traumatized by the sight of the sleeping bird than he, yet still I pressed on with my task of preparing it for dinner.

Part of my discomfort in looking the bird square in the face is the fact that we are so unaccustomed to doing so. Izzy, on the other hand, hasn't seen enough dead chickens to have formed a clear opinion. In fact, for him the sight of headless chickens may be more upsetting. (Recently, he was so disturbed by a scene of dancing headless chickens in the abominable movie, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, we had to walk out.)

Back to the chicken in question, I was faced with what to do with the head. I pondered cooking it with the head on, duck-style or simply cutting it off, which is what I ended up doing. I tossed it out, which was probably a mistake but I didn't have time to contemplate other ideas. I roasted the bird like this and we were pleased with the moist results.

Some might recoil in horror at the fact that I exposed Izzy to a chicken head but I would much prefer he recognizes a chicken as a chicken, rather than eat mysterious nuggets that masquerade as chicken. Food experiences such as this one, help him gain a greater understanding of what we eat and why.

Dinner Scene: Balsamic Green Beans With Golden Currant Tomatoes

This green bean dish was part of a vegetarian feast which also included Gazpacho and corn on the cob. Everything was made with entirely local produce, the Golden Currant Tomatoes hailing from our very own backyard and the rest from Stony Hill Farm, which we are so fortunate to have set up shop several times weekly, right here at our Jersey City Farmers' Markets


Balsamic Green Beans With Golden Currant Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 quart green beans
handful of small tomatoes (cherries sliced in half will do)
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
balsamic vinegar


1. Steam or boil green beans 4-5 minutes or until almost tender. Drain.
2. Gently saute minced garlic in a 2-3 tablespoons olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
3. Toss in green beans and tomatoes and cook a couple of minutes more.
4. Add a couple of tablespoons balsamic vinegar, cook a minute more. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

And Then There Were Two: Of Kittens, Cannoli and A Homeless Woman

Checker

How many kitten adoption events need we go to before all of the Fang sisters find homes?

I had to ask myself this question this morning, knowing that Izzy and I were going to devote yet another gorgeous day to trying to find loving homes for our sweet girls. We were late getting started and I almost turned back before convincing myself that we had to press on. If all went well, at least we might even have time to stop for cannoli on the way home.

And so it was we found ourselves, pulling our red wagon packed with kittens, signs and snacks, on the Light Rail to Hoboken. Though late, we were the first to arrive on the scene, in front of Gotham Realty on 1st Street. As fate would have it, a lovely couple, in search of a kitten, made a bee-line towards our set up. They were determined to bring home a kitty and once they held Checker and Pokey, they fell in love. Our two girls charmed them and the dilemma turned into how many to adopt! They ultimately decided upon the two of them!!

Pokey

While J. ran home to get the carrier, T. cuddled the kittens. Though sad to see the girls go, we were as lucky with this adoption, as we were with our first one. Still we had one more who needed a home so we remained at our post, wondering if we would see Rabutnitcha go also.

Rabutnitcha

There was some interest but in the end we put her back into the carrier and took her back home, along with Occhi who will definitely remain with us.

Occhi and Rabutnitcha

With Occhi and Rabutnitcha in tow, we began to make our way back home. It wasn't that easy. Not only were we waylaid by passersby eager to have a look at the girls but I also suffered a brief bout of hypochondria, wherein my throat felt as if it were closing up. I stopped on a nearby bench to regroup and contemplated a trip to the emergency room but a phone call to my stepmother L. led me to believe that a trip to the drugstore might help and so I carried on.

We made it over to Carlo's Bakery for the aforementioned cannoli. As we approached, I noticed a mob crowding the doorway which I realized were probably drawn in as a result of the bakery's new found fame from the T.V. reality show based there, Cake Boss.

Thinking death was imminent, I was in no mood to brave the line snaking out the door. How was I to die eating a cannoli if I couldn't even get to one? The red wagon would have to wait outside, and Izzy with it. In spite of myself, I waited, and when my dad called to see if I was feeling okay, I told him that in case anything happened to me, it would be cheering to know that I died in a bakery, in a quest for something good to eat.

Cannoli finally in hand, Izzy and continued toward home. He nibbling cannoli, me dragging the red wagon. As we stopped to adjust something in the wagon, a woman sitting on the steps of a nearby bank approached us. She came over to peer at the kittens and looked at them longingly. She then told me that she had lost her own cat two weeks ago. I assumed that she meant that the cat had died and I said I was sorry. Then she broke down in tears, pouring out her tale of woe to Izzy and me. She had left an abusive boyfriend and came back to find the locks changed and her things on the street, including her cat. She has since been living on the streets, no place for her or a cat. She called the Newark Humane Society to pick up the cat as she realized she could not care for it. She wondered aloud what had become of her cat. As she stood before us, teary-eyed over her cat, Izzy called out for another cannoli. I opened the box and handed one to him and another to the woman, at a loss for how else to comfort her.

She took the cannoli and began to eat. Through her tears, she smiled, marveling at the cannoli. She said something like, " I can see why he wanted another. I have never had this before but it sure is good." I asked her where she was staying and she told me she sleeps by the river in Hoboken. I suggested she try one of the shelters in Jersey City but she said they were too dangerous for her. We talked some more about other possibilities and she thanked me for talking to her and said she felt better. I gave her a bit of money and wished her the best and we took leave of her.

On the slow meander home, I wondered as to the best way to help someone like her and do truly hope that she finds her way one day soon, to her own home with cat and cannoli.

R.I.P. Ox: October 16, 2007- July 12, 2009

The rumors have been swirling that Ox Restaurant was either closed for vacation or closed for good. Izzy and decided to walk by this morning and see for ourselves.


What we found were signs, posted by the owners, thanking diners for their patronage and employees for their loyalty. Ox Restaurant is indeed closing for good. We will certainly mourn its demise and hope to see a resurrection in the near future.

Meanwhile we will savor our fond memories of meals past.

Sharing The Farmer's Woes: Part and Parcel Of Belonging To A CSA

Joining a CSA can be somewhat of a gamble. I discovered that the first year I joined a local CSA that didn't quite deliver. Each week I held out hope that there would be something other than Swiss Chard or Tomatoes and then, each week I left feeling vaguely disappointed but still hopeful, as I wandered home with my measly bounty. When the end of the season arrived, I was committed to the concept of a CSA but decided I needed to find a different one.

And so I sought out Farmer Rich and decided to host one from my home. Over the past few years, he has delivered on his promise of providing members with a variety of vegetables and fruit in peak form. Yet Farmer Rich cannot control the sun, moon and stars or the weather so occasionally something does go awry, as it did this week. Apparently our large heads of Romaine lettuce, lovely bunches of beautiful Swiss Chard and mint (oh I do mourn the loss of that), met a sad fate in a cooler, where they were frozen to the core.

I had trouble envisioning how it was that a cooler froze greens as I had imagined an extremely large traveling cooler, instead of what the farmer actually uses. Apparently it is a cooler with a thermostat (Why is that not called a refrigerator? I have no idea!). The story goes that the cooler malfunctioned and the farmer was unable to salvage anything.

On the bright side, not all of the pickings were in that cooler so we still received some freshly dug potatoes, garlic curls, fava beans and zucchini.

And here's looking forward to a the usual overflowing bags of produce next week!

Posing With Kabanosy

These long links of Kielbasa are called Kabanosy. I only recently (well in the past few years) learned that Kielbasa is simply a generic Polish term for sausage. Kabanosy is just one of the many varieties sold at our local Polish market. It is the one we find most irresistible.

Kabonosy can be warmed up or eaten cold, simply sliced into chunks. Which is what Izzy and I did as soon as we got home today. I said we would have just one bite but one turned into two until, before we knew it, we had finished the entire link.

On Coaxing Children To Eat: In The Classroom

Today I had the pleasure of assisting in Izzy's classroom. The teachers had planned a Thanksgivingesque celebration. There were three stations at which the children prepared three different dishes, ultimately to be eaten for their lunch at a communal table, rather than at separate, small tables as they usually do.

I helped out at the salad station, where the children chopped up carrots, celery, tomatoes and apples. They were also in charge of the fulfilling and age-appropriate task of tearing lettuce into small pieces. Having trained Izzy to use a knife at an early age, I was not quite aware of knife holding protocol for the uninitiated. The teacher demonstrated how the children were to hold the ridged slicer, holding it in one hand while placing the other on top of it, rather than beside it. I wondered how they would have done, had I not seen her demo..Thankfully there were no injuries.

At the cheese and tomato sandwich station they sliced tomatoes and placed them, along with sliced cheese, on small pieces of bread. Perfect jobs for a three- year old to be sure.

At the third station, Miss L., one of their teachers, prepared a Taiwanese sweet potato soup. She helped them grate the sweet potatoes which she then cooked in a rice cooker. I didn't get to see what went into this dish although it looked like simply potatoes, water and maybe some sugar.

Along with food prep, the children were responsible for making place cards with their names on them and setting the table. When the time came to eat, the children were clearly pleased with themselves, though not enough to actually try what they had helped prepare.

I was amazed at how many of the group (about 17), turned down the salad. I would say it was over half, if not more. The soup was an even harder sell. Of course I qvelled when Izzy continued to ask for extra helpings of it but wished the others would at least give it a try. I decided it was time to intervene. As his adorable friend A. was about to toss hers, I stopped her in her tracks. An amusing conversation ensued and the others became engaged as we discussed what would actually happen if she tasted something she didn't like. All eyes were on her and the others who I challenged to taste the soup. And guess what? They did! The friend even admitted it was not as awful as she would have imagined.

The best place to learn healthy, adventurous eating habits is the home. Barring that, teachers certainly can help to model good eating, as they did today. Indeed, modeling is important when it comes to teaching children to eat well, however peer influence can also prove to be quite useful.

As an educator, I have always been interested in measuring the impact of family vs. peer influence. It is so exciting to see how it comes into play in the realm of food.

I look forward to more time spent eating with Izzy and his classmates. Who knows what they might eat!

Izzy Tricked Me...

Into thinking that I could get away with one more year of no trick-or-treating. Up until today, he seemed thrilled with just the prospect of wearing his costume and handing out candy on our front stoop. This morning he asked if he could invite friends over to hand out the candy with him. I explained that his friends probably had their own candy to hand out at their houses. Then I regretted not having a small Halloween get together which I had contemplated but couldn't bring myself to do. After last year, I wasn't really in the mood.

Later on today, when school let out, we came home and prepared our treats. Then, with his costume on, we brought everything out to the stoop. We had organic lollipops, freshly popped popcorn and other organic candy. I also made the most adorable Halloween treat ever (leftovers available if you are in the neighborhood tomorrow!).

These ghosts will definitely become part of our Halloween repertoire. We will make them a tradition at our Halloween party next year.

There we sat, trolling for trick-or-treaters but few were coming our way. I could see Izzy would tire of this soon enough. Finally T., one of his classmates, came by and I decided it wouldn't harm anyone if we joined them to trick-or-treat at a few houses. My little bat boy flitted down the street, eager to ring bells and accept candy. After about a half an hour of this, he was ready to go home.

Once there, he promptly dumped out his loot and began to count it! He had over 60 pieces of candy. I explained to him that when I was little, my parents had the right to check over and discard anything that wasn't so good..like candies made in China, those with excessive food-coloring, the ones with sketchy labels.. He gladly handed over nearly half of the candy and was even on board with the one piece a week plan. Not bad for a first Halloween.

Singing The Lunchtime Blues...

Sandwiches coming home untouched, pasta barely eaten, Izzy's lunchbox was coming home in a sorry state. Something was surely amiss in the lunchroom but I knew not what. So I adjusted his lunch and instead of the usual two to three items, I put one measly sandwich or a small amount of pasta and vegetables.

Gone were any notions of packing a lunch like Albert's (including a whole array of delicacies) who is a character in one of our favorite story books, Bread and Jam for Frances. Instead I resigned myself to packing a paltry lunch for Izzy and then having a snack fiend arrive home from school at three o'clock and eat non-stop until dinner.

The reason for this odd eating behavior (which has also afflicted many of Izzy's schoolmates): a change in lunchtime. Lunch is now eaten at 11:30 instead of noon. After eating breakfast at 8:30 and snack at who knows when, it is no wonder that Izzy is not quite hungry for lunch at 11:30. Haven't they heard of elevenses?

Parents have voiced their concerns but since the lunch hour was changed as a result of various park issues, the lunch hour is likely to remain as is. It is up to the parents to come up with solutions.

Some mentioned serving smaller breakfasts, which I am opposed to doing. Isn't breakfast supposed to be the most important meal of the day? Other ideas that might prove more effective are: limiting snack portions, offering lighter snacks such as fruit, and allowing access to lunchboxes after park time.

An early lunchtime is certainly not ideal but neither is school lunching in general. If only we lived in France, where many school children still go home for lunch..

According To Alice Waters

Who spoke at the Times Center tonight as part of the first annual New York City Wine and Food Festival; if schools taught eco-gastronomy according to her Edible Schoolyard model, we could turn our children into little eco-gastronomes.

It was wonderful to be present for her discussion and hear her answers to the thoughtful questions from the audience. There were many schoolteachers and others who hope to improve the public school cafeteria situation. Unfortunately her answers always led back to the same thing: the federal government needs to step in to add extra funds to improve the breakfast and lunch programs in schools, ultimately saving money in the long run , when children grow up healthier as a result of eating better.

At the end of the discussion there was a wine and chocolate tasting and we had a chance to have her sign our books. My friend L. asked her what she did on airplanes and she said she would never eat airplane food and always has something with her so that she doesn't have to (glad I am not the only one).

When it was my turn to have my book signed, I told her how I was raising my own little eco-gastronome and she said "Bravo. Keep it up." Which, of course, I will continue to do.

p.s. She looks awfully good for someone I imagine is in her 60's. It must be all of the local, organic foods she eats!

Local Dinner: Venison Salami

My cat preoccupation has left me scant time for thinking about food. Good thing the Hamilton Park Farmer's Market was open today. There I found the fixings for a no cook meal, completely local save for the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I picked up a hunk of venison salami*, definitely worth the $8 donation to Upper Meadows Farm, along with some mozzarella from Hoboken Farms. I added lettuce and tomatoes from my CSA, along with basil from my garden and bread from the local bakery. I drizzled some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the cheese and greens and voila, our dinner was made.



*I generally don't think of salami as a virtuous food but this salami is altogether different. It is neither greasy nor too salty, having been made with naturally lean venison meat, without any preservatives.

Homemade Venison Sliders: The Secret Revealed

After all these months, the venison sliders from Ox, still call to me. I heard from the owner that they were temporarily removed from the menu scheduled to return during the colder months.

Meanwhile, I needed a fix. I just so happened to have some chopped venison in my freezer. Doesn't everyone? And I just so happened to bump into Edward, the owner, near my house recently. I asked him for the recipe.
He claims it is simply Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

So I gave it a try. And he was right. These are divine.

Venison Sliders (Ox Style)

2 lbs. chopped venison
1 tablespoon or so Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Pepper

1. Mix ingredients gently and form into small patties (I made 11)
2. Grill 3-4 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook or the meat will be tough.

Serve with caramelized onions and chopped mushrooms.

The Wonder Of A Blue Egg: Local Eggs, At Their Best

Imagine the wonder and surprise in my little boy's eyes when he opens a carton of eggs to find that they are all just a little bit different, with one blue egg and one speckled egg nestled in amongst the others, each a different size.

Intrigued by the prospect of a blue egg, Izzy immediately reserved it for himself. I told him we would save it for a "fried egg day", to savor its goodness.



Today turned out to be the day Izzy requested his egg for breakfast, heretofore unheard of. He happily burst the bright shining yolk with his bread, dunking it in, savoring its flavor as it dripped down his chin.




Egg bliss.

These Upper Meadows Farm eggs (from the Hamilton Park Farmers' Market) were a delight to behold, even for me. I imagined a diverse bunch of hens clucking around, contentedly laying them. It is for that image and many other reasons as well, that I will only purchase eggs from a farmer I know and trust, which sometimes means a trip to Union Square, in the freezing cold, with eggs on my brain.

I have been buying local farm eggs for the past 10 years or so and often hesitate at the idea of buying eggs at the supermarket, even when desperate times call for desperate measures. When I have no choice, I look for organic, free-roaming eggs that are as local as possible (say Pennsylvania instead of Wisconsin for example). For more in-depth egg-selection criteria, check out this article in today's New York Times. And keep in mind that eggs are most incredible when fresh from the farm.

A little egg poetry...

Carton Surprise

Different sizes.
Different colors.

One blue.
One speckled.

One brown.
One freckled.

What have the hens gone and done.
Magic is within each one.

Bright yellow yolk.
Smooth white

True eggy taste
in every bite.

Cat In The Kitchen: More Cat Tales

Last I reported, Mama cat was suffering from empty nest syndrome. It has been about a month now since she has been on her own and we see more and more of her every day. We did spot one of her kittens in a neighbors yard a few times and I heard tell that someone was caring for two of them over on Erie Street. I do hope that they have found good homes.

As for Mama, she often comes to eat three times a day, waiting patiently by the screen door. It seems that she might be in the family way, again, given the sight of her rapidly expanding middle. I am ambivalent as to what to do about this. Certain cat people and neighbors recommend that I have her taken care of, but I hesitate, imagining the cute kittens frolicking in my yard.

Izzy and I look forward to feeding Mama and on occasion, we even invite her in to eat. A few times I have left the back door open while she was eating and she wandered silently into the living room where I was typing. Not realizing she was there, I turned to get up and she dashed back outside. Who knows, perhaps she wants to be our cat?

Last night, during the hurricane-induced rains, I wondered where the poor cat was hiding. I knew she liked to hide under our grill so I was relieved to discover that she managed to stay dry there, hiding on the shelf which holds the propane tank. This seems to be her new hangout, as I have seen her emerge from there on several occasions.

Worried as I was about her whereabouts, it occurred to me to buy her a cat house, so she would have shelter in the event of inclement weather. It might also serve as a place to have her babies. I found these, which are awfully fancy but A. decided he could make one himself. He designed it last night with hopes of getting to it today. Door day number seven prevented him from doing so.

And so I ponder what to do about mama... Any takers for the kitties?









.

Surrounded By Sweets: Trying To Remain Reasonable

But other moms in the park make it soooooooo difficult. Don't they know that I have waited until my child was over five years of age before introducing him to "The Ice Lady"? Isn't it bad enough that he now demands "Icy" every time we go to the park?

Today was a "No Icy" for Izzy day. I mean he had snacked upon a juicy nectarine topped with homemade whipped cream before going to the park. Shouldn't that suffice in the dessert realm?

I made sure to remind Izzy that "Icy" would not be an option today. Note: If you are trying to monitor your child's sweets consumption, it is always best to set out the rules in advance. Diminishes the chances of major tantrums since they know what is in store.

Once at the park, Izzy began to play with a couple of children who were happily licking some "icy." He merely noted what they were eating and went on playing. He then asked for some of his snack to eat along with them. He happily grabbed some cheese cubes and ran off. I was glad to see that he remained unfazed. After all, I very well realize that I can't prevent other kids from eating junk food, it is simply my job to keep Izzy from getting into a tizzy over it.

He handled it marvelously, even when he came back to point out that just moments after finishing their icy, those very same children then went to the ice cream truck and were allowed to purchase soft ice cream cones!

I would have thought he were fibbing, had I not witnessed it with my own two eyes. He remained surprisingly subdued, merely musing aloud as to how it was possible to have both. I, on the other hand, remained speechless, having no explanation.

Where The Wild Things Were: A Sixth Birthday Party (With Flowers and an Empanada)

Izzy's friend I. turned six today. Making this not only the first day of school but the first day of school plus a birthday party day. A memorable one at that!



It was a flower party, all pretty pastels. The party began on a calm note, as the first order of business was painting small wooden flower frames. This was followed by a number of musical chair type games which became quite raucous, Izzy's voice rising high above the din. The kids were bursting with energy, or was that a sugar high after several frosted cookies and cups of apple juice? They were practically hanging off the chandeliers.

Then came the dress-up component which included large green hats and funny glasses for the boys.. And bright pink feather boas for the girls, which Izzy and the other boys were coveting.

Properly attired, it was time for pizza and cake. The pizza part was uneventful, the cake a different story. The birthday girl watched as her guests each received their own cupcake with candle. She wanted one too, not realizing that she would be receiving a special one, a giant daisy cake. This brilliant idea went over well at her sister N's birthday. Here, not so much.

She just wanted a cupcake of her own. Understandable.



And the party wasn't over yet. Stuffed with cake, Izzy called me upstairs to witness the bursting of the empanada. Imagine what an awful mess that would be, empanada filling everywhere.. Good thing what he actually meant was "pinata". Just what all sugar-shocked kids need.

But a thrill nonetheless and a great way to see perfectly reasonable children turn mad as they scramble for red hots and plastic toys, vying for who could amass the most loot. The birthday girl was crying again, as were her friends as they squabbled over who got the bubblegum or the whistle.

Difficult to drag the kids from the mayhem but the party was over. Time for them to start dreaming of the next one.

Bodega Ban

Jersey City is full of bodegas, small neighborhood shops selling booze, lottery tickets, pet food, cleansing products and other sorts of household essentials for those too lazy to go the extra few blocks to the supermarket. They are good to have around in a pinch but I rarely ever go inside , save to purchase a bag of ice.

My husband, unlike me, can't stay away from our nearest bodega. He frequents the one on 7th and Erie for beer and wine on a regular basis. On more than one occasion, he has brought home a bottle of wine, only to open it and find that it tastes like vinegar. When this happens, he promptly corks the bottle up, marches back to the store and asks for a replacement.

This has worked well for the past five years but a couple of weeks ago when it happened, yet again, he received a less than warm response. When he returned to the store to ask for a new bottle the owners said, "Don't buy wine here anymore. Our other customers don't complain. If you don't like it, buy it elsewhere..." He claimed that their request wasn't mean-spirited..

I was incredulous, as he buys from them quite frequently. Why do they have license to sell rotten wine, simply because the other customers are less particular? At the same time, I also thought the circumstances were rather funny because he is a wine snob of sorts and in a way I suppose they have a point. Either way, if I were him I certainly wouldn't buy there anymore.

And so for a couple of weeks he tried to buy elsewhere. And tonight he even tried going to another neighborhood bodega but couldn't bring himself to do so. So what did he do? He dared return to his old haunt and he came home with another cheap bottle, feeling no shame.

And it was not rotten.