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Eco friendly Maid of Honor? Working on it!

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One of my close girl friends is getting married this June and I have the great honor of serving as the maid of honor in her wedding. This is a role I have been dreaming of since I was a young girl (This is not in the least bit an exaggeration… my mother used to plan on driving by our local church on saturday afternoons when she knew weddings were taking place so that I could evaluate the bride’s and bridesmaids dresses, and put my two cents in on the flower arrangements and vehicle selection). While I always wanted to have my own wedding and get to be the princess for the day, I usually found myself in the position of critiquing what other people did, and explaining to anyone who would listen how differently I would have done things if I were them.

Since being a child, I have been in other weddings in various roles: reader, junior bridesmaid, bridesmaid.
Now that I have moved up in the ranks once again, I am searching more and more options in the Hudson Valley for all different aspects of wedding planning and events.  Not just the boring (it’s all relative of course) ceremony type things, i.e. venues, officiants, etc., but also places for bachelorette parties, showers, favors, etc. Especially those with a eco-friendly flare to them! Since it is not my wedding, I am obviously not in any position to make decisions. But since I love the process so much, I have found that knowing as much as I can about all the options available in the area helps eliminate stress for the people that do have to make the decisions (the bride and groom!) I am hoping to help make my friend’s wedding planning and preparation an experience she will look back on with excitement and happiness, instead being glad it is all over!

This will most likely be a revisited topic for the rest of the spring. I have done a great deal of searching, and haven’t found very specific help or guides for Hudson Valley wedding planning. I’m on a mission to hunt down “sustainable” and “eco-friendly” bridal options in this region. If you know of anything that may be useful, please share! If I can incorporate my finding in to my blog and provide guidance and ideas to other Hudson Valley Brides, I will!

Stay tuned for my MoH diaries as they continue to unfold…

CSA or no CSA?

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I have spent a great deal of time in the last few weeks researching local CSAs. I love the concept. For those that don’t know, CSA is short for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, you pay a yearly membership, and in turn, are provided with a “share” of the farms harvest to which you belong. It can be for just veggies and produce, but can also include fruits, juices, wines, and sometimes community pot-lucks, and educational programs. Some even offer a ‘you-pick’ component (I imagine that may be a perk for people with children especially).

In the past, I participated in a CSA located in New Paltz that I loved. It was the Brook Farm Project CSA. I had outstanding veggies from June through October, and was able to participate in a few community pot luck’s that were really fun. They sold fresh eggs and local goat cheese on pick up days as well, and I loved supporting a local farmer and eating fresh and seasonal vegetables.

The debate that I am having now is whether or not to join a CSA that is closer to my new home, or to just shop at local farmers markets and farms as my shopping routine. I am at most, shopping for myself and my boyfriend, so in my experience, the CSA shares are often enough produce for an entire week, plus some! My boyfriend is not in favor of the CSA as he likes to cook what he would like, and not have the menu depend on what if provided. Additionally, as we have at least two, but likely three weeks we are away this summer, its possible we will miss those share weeks, and still have to spend money elsewhere on food. He also prefers to go to a place like Blooming Hill Farm in Blooming Grove, NY. They have outrageous produce that they supply to major restaurants in NYC. On the weekends, they open to the public to sell produce, as well as fresh and homemade items right on the farm (personal favorites include the ramp pizza, and breakfast pizza, as well as the homemade ice tea!) While their produce is delicious, and I love the experience of going to the farm, eating breakfast, and sitting by the stream while I wait for the food, it’s also a bit pricier than a place like Adam’s Fairacre Farms or a CSA.

I’m still doing more calculating, but these are the CSA’s I have found most recently and am still considering.

Obercreek Farm CSA – http://www.obercreekfarm.com/

Fishkill Farms CSA – http://fishkillfarms.com/csa_fishkillfarm.html

Stonegate Farm CSA – http://www.stonegatefarmny.org/

Anyone have any experience with any of these farms? Or shed some insight on how the CSA’s have worked for you?

I want to shop local, I want to eat fresh and seasonally, and I want to support safe farming practices. I need a solution to address all of those things on a budget…I really do want it all!

Trivia in the Hudson Valley

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One of my favorite new-(ish) pastimes is bar/restaurant trivia. Since living in The Hudson Valley, I have been able to participate in a few different trivia nights in various localities. It’s a fun way to get out during the week, and if you are any good, can also win you some goodies. Here’s the run down on those that I know of, have participated in, or hope to make it to! Please share more if you know of them.

Newburgh Brewery – Wednesday Nights – This is difficult trivia! They have at least 4 different categories that they announcement on their Facebook page earlier in the day on Wednesday. If you are savvy, you can brush up on some of your facts before attending. The perks of this trivia is that you can have teams of up to 8 people. They serve $5 beers, and allow you to have food delivered directly to the brewery. The downside of the trivia is that due to the awesome size of the room (it’s huge and beautiful!) it is sometimes difficult to hear.

Captain Lawrence Brewery – bi-monthly on Thursdays – I have not ventured to this trivia yet. I can’t wait to! The reviews that I hear include excitement over the free beer tasting in the tap room prior to trivia starting. I can’t confirm that yet though, hopefully by the end of the month!

Hyde Park Brewery – Thursday Nights – It’s been a long time since I have been to this trivia due to my relocation around the valley. More college kids than the average trivia game, but to me, that also means more of a chance to win! This trivia is done by Stump! Trivia…a trivia business that hosts pub trivia at multiple locations. It’s a great game as it includes a level of wagering in every round, has picture bonuses, and always includes current events and pop culture topics in addition to other regular trivia categories.

Max’s on Main – Tuesday Nights – This is another location for Stump! Trivia. The menu at Max’s is awesome, and the owners are always in the restaurant chatting with customers (and sometimes trying to help with trivia questions!) There are a lot of regulars to this game, so it’s a tough one to win against the seasoned veteran teams. This is always a fun game. Perks of this place include the food and the company. The downside is definitely the size. It’s not as large as most of the breweries, so to get a good table on the bar side, you have to be there by 7-7:15pm.

Gleason’s – Wednesday Nights – Gleason’s food and beer list is amazing. Both their soups and flatbreads are some of my favorite. I have not tried their trivia yet, but if it’s anything like everything else they offer, I’m sure it will be awesome!

Skytop Steakhouse – Tuesday Nights – I love the Skytop. My favorite food to order their is the Garlic sliced sirloin steak. Trivia night has been increasing in popularity, and in my opinion, improving consistently. Sometimes hard to hear because of the acoustics, but still worth the game. Also, though Kingston is making a sincere effort at urban revitalization, Skytop still ensures a good crowd with no trouble or nasty drunken mishaps…which is more then a few other locations in the area can boast.

I know that there are a ton more games out there, I’ll add to the list as I learn about them. Share where else their is good trivia in the Valley!

 

Revitalization for Newburgh!

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This afternoon I went to the Bank Square Coffee Shop to hang out, read, and do a little work for a class I am taking online. I was really excited to overhear the conversation that was taking place next to me. There were two men, both in their 20s and 30s, discussing how positive the changes were in Beacon. The older of the two men (who were both guitarists) noted that, “its [Beacon’s] transformation is profound enough to be wrote about one day.”  As someone who is constantly excited to walk down Main Street and see what’s new, and go to places like The Hop, Max’s, and Bank Square, I was really happy to know it wasn’t just me that lived in this bubble of excitement about Beacon.

The gentlemens’ conversation then veered in the direction of discussing Newburgh. For those of you that are not familiar with the Hudson Valley, Newburgh is (was) the murder capital of New York. While there are a number of great up and coming places in Newburgh, the poverty level in the city, as well as the lack of industry in the area, lead to a large crime rate and other typical urban dilemmas. However, as it is located just across the river from Beacon, some of the new business, traffic flow, and investment coming into the area will hopefully makes its way to the much needed community projects and business ventures just across the river.

Some fun Newburgh businesses to check out:

* The Wherehouse – Great bar/pub

* Downing Film Center – Small private film screen with smaller and larger production films

* Caffe Macchiato – Coffee shop just across from Washington Park

Though I haven’t been to any of the restaurants on Front Street yet, many of them have great reviews. During the summer, there are some great bars located right on the water. It’s a fun atmosphere and view, if nothing else! Before I venture there though, I definitely want to try Manchu Picchu, the Peruvian restaurant right on Broadway (my boyfriend, and friends have been and love it…I just haven’t made it yet!)

In general, hearing so much about city revitalization made me feel really happy today. I get excited about growth and positive development anywhere really, so to have it happening in my own backyard is definitely something that makes me smile.

What other places do you see going through this type of change? What other places in Newburgh should I try?? Please share your suggestions!

No More Tupperware

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In the effort to be more healthy, eco-concious, and sustainable, I often find myself struggling against consumerism and added cost that is associated with those decisions (Beacon Natural’s is far more expensive than many other local grocery stores nearby).  Since college, I remember hearing to never put plastic in the microwave. I knew that this was because of chemicals they contained and how they could slowly leach out of the plastic and into food being contained in them. So I tried, half-heartedly to stop microwaving plastic.

My eco-conscience education continued and I learned that plastic bags at grocery stores added to landfills at an immeasurable rate, and that I should switch to paper which was more easily recyclable and bio-degradeable. After that, I learned of sustainable options such as canvas bags, which I could bring to the store myself, and not waste any paper or plastic. I wasn’t adding to landfills, I wasn’t ruining the rainforest, and I was being a conscientious consumer!

While grocery shopping though, I would often be disappointed in the decisions I was forced to make in buying spinach in a plastic box, while carrying around my canvas grocery bag. If it wasn’t spinach, it was meat (packed on styroform and wrapped in plastic) or fruit in slotted plastic containers such as strawberries or blueberries. I felt like grocery shopping in general took away from the decision I had made to be eco-friendly. I felt helpless because if it came down to spinach in a plastic box, or no spinach at all… the plastic box was coming home with me.

In the past few years, my boyfriend has rekindled my desire to continue to make better and more healthy choices for myself and the planet. When eating breakfast with him, I would brag that my milk was from Ronnybrook, and came in a glass bottle (with a plastic cap), so I was being super green by not only buying local, but in sustainable glassware. My green ego wouldn’t last too long though. He would remind me that I was being eco-conscious, but poisoning myself with chemicals in the microwave at the same time. With gentle and continuous reminders, some subtle – passing me a glass container as I reach for the microwave… and some more overt – “you are poisoning any future children that we may have” as I take my plastic container out of the microwave, he weaned me off of my plastic tupperware addiction, and pushed me into Pyrex (glass food storage option that is widely available and affordable).

On January 13th, 2013, I read an article in The New York Times, Eat Like a Mennonite, which gave me even more reason and cause to veer away from most plastics, not even just ones heated in the microwave! Bisphenol – A, more commonly referred to as BPA, is a chemical used as a plastic hardener that has been linked with obesity. Additionally, BPA has been preliminarily linked with breast and prostate cancers. This chemical is present in many wrappings, food containers, and liners of food products, even if they are organic and natural products themselves. The article discusses the challenge of eliminating BPA from the authors life for a few days. Though she notes it would be nearly impossible to completely eliminate the chemical from your life if you live in any populated area and consume any type of commercial products, there are small changes that can be made to significantly lower your exposure to BPA. I for one, stopped purchasing bottled water, and instead invested in a water filter and a Life Factory Water Bottle to carry filtered water with me in a BPA free container.

Granted, these changes for me were expensive in the short term (Brita filters 5/$24.99 Life Factory Bottle $19.99/ Brita Water Pitcher $15.99), I can only hope that the expense of being ecological, sustainable, and HEALTHY will pay of later on long term. Hopefully I can continue to make changes like this, that are relatively easy to do, and are sustainable options. What recommendations do you have??