Drinks 'n Jewelry Tonight In Westport: Sounds Great to Me!

A friend of mine has a jewelry company and is having an event tonight in Westport for GUYS to shop. So, send your dude, and use the ONE FREE DRINK as a hook to get him in the door! The company is called Lula Belle and there is a wide variety of jewelry styles. You can take a peek at the offerings online. My friend is incredibly charming, so I know this event will be great fun, and if she's not there, one of her sisters who runs the company with her is sure to be there. The charm gene runs in their family, so check out this event if you're in the mood to get out tonight. Um, also, BBQ? Yum.

Here is the info for tonight's event:

Bobby Q's in Westport - MENS NIGHT
Lula belle wants your men! Send them out with their male friends and let them shop for the ladies in time for the Holidays!
Buy One - Get One Free Drinks from 5:00 - 10:00pm

Bobby Q's
42 Main St
Westport, CT 06880 Click here to read more.

Bartlett Holiday Showcase Event Thursday

On this Thursday the 15th, the Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens is holding a Healthy Children’s Holiday Showcase. The purpose is to show off their new Children’s Indoor Classroom and an outdoor space called the Nature’s Explore Classroom in the Woods. Besides the tours of the space from 1-3, there are other events going on all day that look like a lot of fun:

ALL DAY: Crafts, Indoor and Outdoor Tours, Shopping, Cookies and Hot Cocoa
11-2pm Mediation 101. Starts on the hour
11:30am – 1pm Winter Wonderland Story Time with Fairy Deb
1-3pm Winter Crafts, Welcome Critters and Science in Nature’s Classroom. Plus tours of the Outdoor Natural Playground and Learning Space (Messy Materials Area, Climbing Area, Building Area, Nature’s Music)
3:00pm Stroller Strides: Making Every Day a Workout with Shanae
3:30 – 4:30pm Kids Concert with Dre Towey

I’ve got a bit of a back issue going on (did I mention I had another baby 8 days ago, and that pregnancy hormones can make your joints loosey-goosey, and for some reason I am super-susceptible to these hormones!) but I may try to hobble up to the Bartlett because this looks like a blast. That's the new baby to the right, looking like a cupcake. She's awesome.

Also, Pure Play Kids, a locally-owned online toy store, is having a trunk show at the event, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Bartlett. I’ve been ogling the store online for 2 years now and have yet to buy anything. (Hey, I’m not done Christmas shopping yet.) I want to see their stuff and meet the owner!

Click on the flier image above to read a bit more, including a little note at the bottom about a road detour.

Hope a bunch of you can make it, and if not, spread the word to your friends, and of course, you can always go to the Bartlett another day. We are so lucky to have these outdoor spaces in Stamford! Click here to read more.

Haitian Book and Arts Festival

The toddler and I are definitely going to try to swing by this event. Has anyone ever been to it? I haven't and am very curious to know what the coolest stuff to see will be.

From the Ferg's latest newsletter:

Haitian Book & Arts Festival
Saturday, October 8 from 2 - 7 p.m.
South End Branch
Hundreds of titles in English, French and Haitian Creole. Documentaries, exhibits, live music and poetry. Presented by the Haitian-American Professionals Association of Connecticut, Inc., in partnership with The Ferguson Library South End Branch and CTE Inc. Click here to read more.

Pumpkin Update 2: Organic Abounds

Evidently organic pumpkin is available! My friend says you can order it on Fresh Direct, and I ran across it at Whole Foods Darien yesterday. I only bought five cans, because realistically, I'll only make a few batches of pumpkin muffins. Plus, I did not want to be a pumpkin hoarder. I wouldn't do that to you guys. Happy cooking and let me know if/when/where you are finding pumpkin! Click here to read more.

Update: Full-On Pumpkin Freakout

Mrs. Green's didn't have pumpkin. (OmNomCT tells me they bought it all, but I think they're joking.)
Yesterday, my coworker swore her husband got two big cans of pumpkin at the Stop and Shop (or Shop Rite, she wasn't sure) on the border on Stamford/Greenwich on Rt. 1. I, of course, ZOOMED to both stores right after work. NO PUMPKIN. A Shop Rite employee said they'd have it in the next month, but is such a glib answer really believable? An employee at Stop and Shop said abruptly and gruffly, "We haven't had it for six months. It's the crop." Clearly, he understands how much trouble we are in.
My friend Mama Ball comments on the previous post that pumpkin will soon be in stores... she's usually right about everything, but I'm going to ask her to do some further research for me.

I am finding confusing info online about the pumpkin shortage. Some links:

--The HGTV readers seem to agree on this thread that there currently IS a shortage.
--I found several versions of an article written in 2010 about how the pumpkin crop of 2009 got destroyed, leading to a shortage in 2009, but suggesting that 2010 would be better.

Well, all my current info from grocery store employees suggests we are in another pumpkin crisis.

I MAY have a can of pumpkin shoved in the back of my pantry. Currently, it's my only hope for making the pumpkin muffins I'm craving so badly.

If you see any pumpkin around, let me know. And don't feed my any false info, you know, like my coworker did. She's clearly got some agenda. Click here to read more.

Pumpkin Horror

I almost don't want to tell you guys this, but I feel it's my duty.
THERE IS NO PUMPKIN ANYWHERE!!!!!!!

I always go into a cooking and baking frenzy in the fall, and pumpkin muffins are on the list for this week. You may or may not know that I am a bit obsessed with pumpkin. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spice lattes, and candy corn pumpkins are a big part of how I accept the end of summer.
The kid and I went to Stop and Shop yesterday morning to stock up on groceries, and the pumpkin wasn't in aisle 7 like it was supposed to be. I stopped an employee. "Excuse me, there's no pumpkin in aisle 7, is it somewhere else?"
"Oh we haven't had pumpkin in forever," she said. "It got recalled last year. If we have it at all, it would be in the natural foods aisle."
I tried to hold in my panic as I gathered yogurt and Drano on the way to the organic aisle... IN WHICH THERE WAS NO CANNED PUMPKIN.

I came home and googled "libby's pumpkin recalled," and on a Cooking Light thread, a commenter said, "You can get more Libby's canned pumpkin than you'll ever need on Amazon." I eagerly clicked on the link provided and saw an image of a can of Libby's pumpkin with the horrifying statement, "Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock."

This situation is serious, people.

I'm stopping by Mrs. Green's later today to see if they have canned pumpkin. If not? Well, I guess I'm going to have to take the unimaginable step of BAKING A PUMPKIN and like, pureeing it myself. What a pain. Click here to read more.

Stamford's ER Vet: Cornell University Veterinary Specialists

The husband went to India for work for the entire month of July, leaving me with a toddler and 9 year old English Coonhound to care for. With only a week left until the husband returned, I started bragging to friends that I'd managed to keep both the child and the dog alive for over 3 weeks. Of course, the next day the dog got into some baby ibuprofin, which in high enough doses can cause major problems like kidney damage and seizures. (This picture is of my dog, in one of her two modes: asleep or neurotic.)

Even though I was pretty sure the dog hadn't gotten much of the liquid, I wasn't about to blow my three week "keeping dog alive" streak. I called the vet, who recommended giving her hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Of course, that remedy didn't work on my stubborn hound. After another call to the vet, we agreed I should take her to the ER Vet. They'd be able to give her fluids to flush the kidneys, or keep her overnight so she'd be supervised if she had a seizure or something. So, at 8:45 on a Saturday night, I packed the dog and kid up into the car and headed off to Cornell University Veterinary Specialists.

CUVS is located in the South End, just south of Fairway. It's a pretty deserted area at night, which made me a little nervous, but once I got inside the building, wow- it's spacious and brand new. Best of all, the staff is great and really seems to have their system down. I filled out some paperwork while the woman at the front desk took our dog back to be looked at. The vet did some calculations and figured out that the dose she could have gotten was only enough to give her indigestion- whew! In just about an hour, we left the vet with doggie Pepcid (and the dog). The whole visit, including the 30 dollar phone call to Poison Control to confirm the calculation, only cost us 188 bucks. So much better than what I was expecting, which was leaving the dog overnight, her possibly being sick, and 4 or 500 bucks for fancy medical care.

I was very impressed with the CUVS staff. While I was there, a family with an injured cat came in, and the front desk lady was so prompt and attentive with them. She calmly said she was worried about how fast the cat was breathing and hustled the cat back to the exam rooms, but she was so gentle about it. She could have really freaked that family out, and she didn't. When the vet came out to talk to me and tell me what he'd figured out about our dog, he explained everything thoroughly and slowly- a nice change from many of the doctors I see who rush in and out of the exam rooms as fast as they possibly can.

I highly recommend Cornell University Veterinary Specialists if you ever need emergency care for your pet, and I think we are really lucky to have them in Stamford. Click here to read more.

Tapas and Avant-Garde Cooking Documentary at Avon

Put July 13 on your calendar if you like documentaries... and food!

I love both but am busy that day, but you should go and enjoy. The Avon is giving a sneak peek of the documentary El Bulli: Cooking in Progress, about one of the world's most exclusive restaurants. After the documentary, Barcelona is giving a free tapas tasting! I bet there will be wine, too, so I completely endorse this event. From the press release:

ABOUT THE FILM: El Bulli has been called the best restaurant in the world and Ferran Adrià, its creator, deemed a brilliant innovator, the father of molecular gastronomy, or sometimes just a crazy chef. The restaurant, located outside of Barcelona, closes each year for 6 months, as Adrià and staff sequester themselves to concentrate on creating the new culinary wonders that will become their next 30-course menu. (The restaurant accommodates only 50 for dinner, despite two million annual requests for reservations.)

This is cooking as avant-garde art: a cocktail composed of hazelnut oil, salt, and water or a dessert of freeze-dried peppermint and ice shavings. Surrounded by bizarre hi-tech equipment, elaborate containers, chopping blocks and knives, they experiment with making mushroom juice and sweet potato meringue. Gereon Wetzel's elegant, observational documentary captures the razor-sharp, science-fiction sensibility at work. Adrià exclaims: "The more bewilderment, the better."

The film is at 7:30. See the Avon's Special Events page for more detailed info. Click here to read more.

Recent Obsession: Sausage Egg and Cheese Sandwich

Last month I went on a big sausage egg and cheese sandwich (on a hard roll- only a hard roll is acceptable) kick. I started with the place I first became friends with the sandwich: Riverside Deli in Greenwich. That sandwich is standard but very, very good. My one complaint is that you have to order a DOUBLE egg to make the egg fill the sandwich, but then that's a teeny bit too much egg.

Vigilante's Deli on Hope St. solves the egg problem by using extra large eggs. They add a bit of an edge to their sandwich by using slightly spicy sausage. I really enjoyed their sandwich, but on a regular basis, I'd prefer to standard sausage of Riverside Deli. Still, Vigilante's is an excellent option.

Garden Catering on High Ridge Rd. in Stamford offers an OK sausage egg and cheese sandwich. The fact that I ate mine while driving (to Massachusetts) may have impacted my enjoyment of the sandwich, but I wasn't crazy over it. I'd have to try it again to identify what the problem was, but WHY would I try it again if I could get Vigilante's? Oh, right, because Vigilante's is closed on Sunday. Also, Garden Catering is really meant for fried chicken and those delicious potato cones. Best junk lunch ever.

However, I just learned of another place on Hope St. from my new favorite local blog, OMNOMCT. One of their posts tells me that Giacomo's Italian Deli has good breakfast sandwiches. They suggest putting it on the Arthur Ave bread that Jack imports from the Bronx, which goes against my hard roll love, but I'll try anything once.

One place I'll never try again is Bull's Head Diner. The sausage egg cheese sandwich I got there could not have been worse. I don't even want to talk about it.

My local Twiends recommend:
Fusaro's Market on High Ridge Rd. and Lakeside Diner Long Ridge Rd. (@kzone 8)
the breakfast burrito at Rosie's in New Canaan (@After_Words)
the Vegas at Nicholas Roberts in Norwalk (@CT_Bites)
Garden Catering, High Ridge Road - egg, chili and cheese (@HeyStamford)

@PhilippeKeb seconded Lakeside and @CT_Bites agreed with @After_Words about Rosie's breakfast burrito.

I'll probably try Fusaro's and Lakeside, because I'm all about an easy local breakfast! Click here to read more.

Local Blog Has Scoop on Volta!

I just found the blog OMNOMCT. It's done by a local couple and they review restaurants and gossip about food. I love gossip of any type. They have lots of info about food and food events in the area, so add it to your reader... I just did!

I was happy to learn from OMNOMCT that the new gelateria to be opened right next to Bar Rosso is run by... the SAME GUY THAT DOES CAPRICCIO! I love Capriccio for fast healthy delicious food as well as (OBVIOUSLY) their fantastic outdoor seating.

I quote OMNOMCT's post about Volta:
Apparently, much like Capriccio, there will be outdoor seating, with room for about 50 people. On the menu? Yep, you guessed it gelato and crepes, but it doesn’t stop there. They’ll also serve wine and beer along with lighter cafe fare like salads and sandwiches with a French twist.

We eat at the same places over and over (Capriccio, Coalhouse Pizza, Vinny's Backyard BBQ), so I'm excited to have a new option.

Thanks for the scoop, OMNOMCT! Click here to read more.

Bar Rosso Initial Thoughts

Bar Rosso is located in the old Bennett's Fish and Steakhouse. The inside is redone beautifully and it was very busy when we were there on Friday. We were the only people there with a kid; there were many couples on dates and several groups of friends. Bar Rosso is run by the same owners as Napa, which you KNOW I (and Robert DeNiro and Ron Howard) adore.

My initial thoughts are that the food at Bar Rosso was too heavily flavored. I love strong flavor, but the spaghetti with meatballs was very, very garlicky. The sausage that came with my chicken entree was coated in what I think was parmesan and it was just too much for me. Maybe it was because I filled up on delicious bread, though.

The husband got filet mignon and potatoes. He ate most of it (which for him is a very good sign) but said it was a bit dry. His garlicky potatoes were great.

Next time I go to Bar Rosso I'm going to try the salad and a pizza, although the buzz on twitter was that the pizza dough was a bit off. My Twiends also found the flat screen TVs annoying, but they also agreed that a new place needs time to sort itself out.

The good thing is that prices are much lower than Napa, so once Bar Rosso gets itself on track, I think it will be a great place to go. I am crazy about pizza, and to have a nice resto offer it makes my heart sing. There looked to be 24-30 outdoor seats, which should be a real boon to Bar Rosso.

My verdict is that Bar Rosso is definitely worth a visit. There is a lot on the menu and I need you to let me know what is awesome so I can try it, too.

Check out this informative write up at CT Bites:
--Behind The Scenes @ Bar Rosso's Stamford Opening

I also just found this write up at OMNOMCT which gives some suggestions for what to try and does note that they found the food to be a "bit too salty."
--Hallelujah! A feast worth waiting for. Click here to read more.

Nurse-In! Nurse-In!

I have always wanted to be a part of a nurse-in. There's one next Tuesday at the Trumbull Mall at 12:30, but I have to work, darn it!

Last week a woman at the Westfield Trumbull Mall was told by a security guard that she had to cover up while nursing. That's clearly a violation of CT State Law, which reads, "It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section: for a place of public accommodation, resort or amusement to restrict or limit the right of a mother to breast-feed her child." Unfortunately the woman felt intimidated by the guard and left.

I would have pulled out the little card I have that has the CT State Law written on it, told to guard to get away from me, promptly contacted management, and then called every media outlet in the area. It's absurd that nursing moms have to be so aware of their civil rights, but the incident at Trumbull Mall shows why.

I find it tragic that many people find the healthiest way of feeding a child* to be indecent. I know it impacts women's motivation to breastfeed, because it's inconvenient and just plain not fun to go hide in a corner if you need to feed your child. The CT State Law is in the "Human Rights and Opportunities" section. It is a human right to breastfeed.

I almost can't blame the security guard; we see breastfeeding done in public so rarely (first of all, people usually don't even NOTICE you are breastfeeding), so it makes sense that he'd be uneducated about it. It's his employer's job to make sure he and all staff are aware of the rights of their patrons, so I'm curious who holds the most responsibility for the guard's mistake. Was he properly trained?

To many people, the idea of a cover makes sense. What those people don't know is that once the kid hits 5 months or so, he realizes that having a sheet over his head while he's trying to eat is uncomfortable. He then rips the cover off, waves it around, and punches you in the face with it. Meanwhile, the whole restaurant, or airport, or park is watching the action. At a certain point, a nursing cover is way more attention-getting than uncovering your boob for 1-2 seconds, latching the kid on, and just using your shirt to cover your boob.

Anyway, if you are a nursing mom or know one who's free on Tuesday, and if she's a bit of a hell-raiser like me, please tell her about the nurse-in!


*PS- Hey, Forest Park, Georgia- notice I say CHILD, not baby. Your law limiting public breastfeeding to children under age TWO is ridiculous, unfair, and discriminatory. As someone whose two year old still nurses, I take personal offense to this arbitrary law which shows your ignorance of breastfeeding, children, and biology in general. You should be ashamed of yourselves. I state, once again, that is a human right to breastfeed a child of any age, and I'm happy I live in a state that recognizes that.

(Georgia's law is similar to CT but says it's a woman's right to breastfeed her BABY. When does a "baby" become a "child?" Who should decide that? Certainly not a bunch of strangers who don't know your kid, and certainly not a bunch of dummies who apparently care nothing about breastfeeding and its health benefits.)

There is also a school in Georgia that BANNED BREASTFEEDING ON THE PREMISES. Can you believe that? The real story is actually worse than it sounds, so you should read it. Not only was the teacher who wanted her baby brought to her during the day told she could not breastfeed her baby at school, this means that the teen moms at the school are banned from breastfeeding.

HUMAN RIGHTS! HUMAN RIGHTS!!!

Many people also think women should just pump and use a bottle in public. Those people have probably never had cold plastic pulling at their nipples. They've probably never had to set a pump up, sit alone in a room for 10-15 minutes, break the pump down, store the milk, transport the milk, then wash all the parts and bottles that night and repack the parts in the morning. Also, decent breast pumps cost at least 200 bucks. Mine was 300. Pumping is not very fun, although I'm thankful to my pump for letting me keep nursing my kid full-time after I went back to work at ten months. Nursing your actual BABY, though, makes more milk, and is just way more comfortable. For that Georgia school to imply that breastfeeding is so dirty that it's banned on the premises... well, it makes me sick that breastfeeding moms are at the mercy of such morons. Click here to read more.

The Big C Filming at Greenwich High!

Excitingly, when I went to a meeting at Greenwich High School yesterday, the Big C was filming! Talk about dropping into my lap. My boring insurance meeting was RIGHT NEXT DOOR to the science classroom in which they were filming. I sidled up to some crew members, whispered/mouthed, “I’m just nosy,” and peeked in at the filming. Then I skedaddled, as I didn’t want to push my luck, plus I had to go listen to some really horribly boring information before rushing off to pick up the toddler.

On the way out of my meeting, I chatted up a crew guy and promised him I’d stalk them more this summer, when I only have a toddler to deal with as opposed to a toddler and a job.

Set-stalking is a real time investment; that's what you don't realize until you do it. I spent at least 6 hours stalking all over Stamford before it paid off in getting to watch DeNiro act at the train station.

I did receive other information from crew members, but since I did not identify myself as a blogger, I’m not going to blab anything.

I'll just say, I think it's totally awesome that Greenwich Schools was up for having Showtime film at GHS! SO COOL! Click here to read more.