When you're a wine/appletini girl like myself, very rarely do you find a beer or beer-like beverage that you like enough to purchase on a repeat basis.
When I was in college I discovered Woodchuck Cider and consumed pint glass size amounts at the bar, not knowing just how calorie and sugar rich it was. Then, in the "real world" I found Woodpecker Cider. It wasn't as good as Woodchuck and since it tasted too much like beer, I did not get it again. A few weeks ago, while I was out in Morristown with the sibs and Rob, I decided to try a blueberry beer and I actually really liked it. It revived my preference for non-beer beer, so I went on a small hunt for another good hard cider. 'Tis the season I say.
While browsing the unique beers section at the Wegman's Wine & Spirits shop, I spotted a vintage looking label with the all caps "CIDER" staring at me. My search was pretty much done since it seemed to be 1 of 2 ciders in the Organic and Unique Ingredients section. Samuel Smith's Organic CIDER it read. An English brew. What made it even more appealing was the 118 calorie and 7 grams of sugar per serving count on the label. That came out to be 2 pts in Weight Watchers language. I was sold!
The first sip didn't sell. I thought it was going to be too bland for my sweet taste buds. But after the next few sips, I really began to enjoy it! I had to check the label just to be sure it was definitely alcoholic because it tasted like a homemade cider. It was pretty close though: Water, Organic Apple Juice, Organic Cane Sugar, Malic Acid, Yeast, Carbon Dioxide.
My Final Grade: A-, Not the original, but pretty darn enjoyable. And WW points friendly!
Seasonal Libations: Organic Hard Cider
A cool treat on a cool day: Bent Spoon Ice Cream
You know when you're eating really good ice cream when it's 50 degrees out and you don't even notice that what you are eating is just as cold.
Today, Rob and I stopped by The Bent Spoon ice cream shop in Princeton for some homemade fall ice cream. The unique part of the B. Spoon is that it makes "artisan ice cream"-using local and organic ingredients- which is prepared daily. Since I didn't have enough Thanksgiving goodness, I decided to try their Sweet Potato ice cream which was made from PA potatoes. That was after I sampled their Bourbon Pumpkin (that's your man's ice cream right there!). And since my sister was back at my place watching over Maddy, I picked up a to-go cup of Cranberry Cider
sorbet which was made from heirloom NJ cranberries and Terhune Orchards Apple Cider.
The Sweet Potato ice cream fulfilled my craving for a fall squash confection. It was sweet yet mild like the way Imagine Butternut Squash Soup tastes. The Cranberry Cider, on the other hand, was very rich (I had to sneak a taste before passing it on to my sister): a cranberry flavor burst followed by a dominant cider after taste. The cider was so rich, I could imagine Terhune's apple orchard and boxes of apples lining their shop. For me it was delish. For my sister, it was a little too sweet. To each his own, I guess.
The local/organic/homemade goodness doesn't stop here. There are a handful of more ice cream and sorbet flavors like chocolate bourbon pecan and blackberry tangerine clove as well as coffee, tea and pastries.
Stop in the quaint little shop, nestled between Stacy Gemma and Thomas Sweet Chocolates. Read their locally grown map, giving patrons a detailed breakdown of where they gather their ingredients. Relax against the front window and peer out beyond the Palmer Square shoppers at the holiday decorations and illuminated Christmas tree and enjoy your cold, refreshing ice cream!
RePost: Adopt a Family this holiday
If you are looking to spread some holiday joy to a family in need, New Jersey Radio 101.5 FM is running a family adoption program to give back to the listening community. You can check out the family lists and drop off sites online at the 101.5 website. All items purchased must be new and unwrapped. Gift cards are also welcome.
Mrs Mo's Pretty Picks: Pepper Potts Look-for-Less
It's possible you may have seen a little movie called "Iron Man" this year. And it is also quite possible that you noticed the sophisticated fashion choices made by Gwyneth Paltrow's character, Pepper Potts. There was one item that I absolutely adored and have found a similar look for less!
It may be hard to tell from the picture (it's the only one I could find), but Paltrow is wearing a corset-like top and a black pencil skirt. Call it an all-in-a-days-work outfit for her character, but for the everyday gal like myself, I'd call it a sexy yet conservative holiday outfit. My bargain hunt led me to 3 tops ranging from conservative(Sierra Trading Post, $249.95) to very sexy(Hot Topic, $42). My pick is in the middle (Bebe.com, $79).
Staying healthy through the holidays: 12-minute workout and eating tips
Turkey. Stuffing. Sweet Potatoes. Corn Bread. More Stuffing. Beer or Wine. Healthy butter doused green beans. Oh and don't forget the Pumpkin Pie.
Lindsay Vastola, the CEO of Body Project Fitness & Health, put together an easy to follow "12-Minute Body Blitz" (yes that's only 12 minutes!!) and 5 tips to beat the bulge. Just click on the images below for the larger version that you can print out and carry with you. Keep the guides in your pocket for a little reminder that YOU CAN DO IT!
MacMall Black Friday Sales
MacMall Thanksgiving Blowout Sale!
NOW only 1299.99! MacBook Pro 15" Glossy/2.4GHZ/2GB/200GB/256MB VRAM/SuperDrive from 6 pm 11/25-11:59 pm 11/28 PT
$350 INSTANT REBATE! Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Editon NOW only $69.99! (was $429.99) from 11/27-11/28
GREAT DEAL! Mac OS X v10.5.4 Leopard NOW only $103.94! (was $129) ends 12/21
GREAT DEAL! Westinghouse 47" 1080p LCD HDTV w/Tuner-Refurbished NOW $664.99! (was $1,449.99) after rebate. ends 12/15
GREAT DEAL! Harman Multimedia JBL On Stage II Speaker and Docking StationNOW $47.99 (was $109.95) While Supplies Last
Boutique News: Holiday Sales
Handbags, Jewelry, Gifts & more!
Print This Coupon Spend $75 and get 20% OFF Your Entire Bill must present coupon valid 12/1-12/19/08 only |
1Pike Drive, Wayne, NJ
(Next to the traffic light on Ratzer Road)
(at the Wayne Y)
973-790-1771
Mon., Tues. & Thurs. 10-6pm
Wed. 10-8pm,
Fri 10-3pm,
Sun. 10-2pm
Visit Our Website - www.cravingsboutique.com
Weird but Good!
Chocolate chips and peanut butter. Tomato, cheese and anchovies. Grilled cheese and fruit loops? We all have our favorite weird but good sandwich combination. My favorite was the chocolate chips and peanut butter (I was a little chunky as a kid!). I also have a vivid memory of putting Doritos in a sandwich at the lunch table. I believe my dad liked peanut butter and pickles. Ick!
Nonetheless, the combinations were good and obviously memorable.
So I ask you...what was your favorite weird but good sandwich combination? And do you still eat it?
Mrs Mo's Marketplace Sales!
Check out the discounts happening at the Marketplace!
Hurry..some are ending soon!
- Save up to 40% off Storewide BabyCenter's Thanksgiving Sale. 11/24-11/30.
- 30% to 50% Discount on Cashmeres & Pashminas at Cashmere Boutique
- Clarins USA Official Store
30% off & Free Shipping,
Promo Code: HOLIDAY1 - Save up to $250! Price drops on MacBooks, MacBook Pros and iMacs Closeout Specials!
- ENDING IN 5 DAYS!
- 30% to 60% OFF All Products at VistaPrint.com
- 30% to 70% OFF Juicy Couture at shopbop.com!
Black Friday Sales
FASHION ALERT
Maternally yours,
Stephanie and “The Crew”
Black Friday in New Jersey
In case you hadn't noticed, many of our retailers who we count on for mega-sales on Black Friday, have been offering mega-sale discounts year round. "Black Friday this year is going to be gray; it's not going to be black," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD Group. "Because it's been such a promotional year, Black Friday is going to be like another busy weekend for the consumer." However, if Black Friday is a ritual and not a headache, then here are some sale sites/extended hours for you!- Chelsea Premium Outlets(Jackson, Jersey Shore, Woodbury Commons, etc) open until midnight 11/28-11/30. See location for sales
- Black Friday Ads posting sales for Walmart, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Toys-R-Us, BJ's, Staples, and more!
- Wishbaskets in Kirkwood: 10$ off and Free Shipping.
- Juli Mei Boutique and Spa in Spring Lake: 20% Gift Certificate
- NJ(and other states) Store opening times
- FREE COFFEE at Quick Check
- Corner Outlet Sneaker Sale in Clifton
- More Black Friday ads for Amazon, Apple, Costco, CVS, JCPenny, KMart and more!
Coming Soon: Mrs Mo's Wishpot Gift Picks
Holiday shopping is upon us.
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Free Wine in Flemington!
Special Savings at Main Street Manor in Flemington
194 Main Street, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-782-4928
Red Wine for White Wine lovers
I'm not going to lie. I drink red wine for the health benefits.
I was "trained" on white-zin and I am a die-hard Riesling drinker. But every now and then, I'll buy a cheap bottle of red wine to drink with dinner or to relax with. They say RED food & drink are good for your heart AND most recently I saw that it helps to fight Alzheimer's Disease. I'm gaining a liking for it and have found a few types that I enjoy. I look for wines with a berry fruit "note" that are not too dry. Remember, I'm a Riesling lover! When I can, I go to different liquor stores to see if there is a variety depending on location (I don't think there is). So far, I have found 3 that I really enjoy. But this is just the beginning.
Here are my "Red Wine for White Wine Lovers" picks for November:
Seven Daughters: " 50% merlot, 17% cabernet sauvignon, 17% cabernet franc, 11% zinfandel, 2% syrah, 2% carignane and 1% sangiovese." This was a nice surprise. I've been looking for this brand since I saw it at Fritzie's at LBI. It was sweet (for red wine) though I imagine that it would not be as popular with true red wine drinkers. It's a good table drink for a variety of guest pallets.
Black Opal Shiraz Cabernet: "The 2006 Black Opal Shiraz Cabernet is a rich wine full of berry, pepper, and spice aromas with red with purple hues. Ripe berry flavors and hints of spice develop on the full-bodied yet elegant palate. This wine has soft tannins and a lingering refined finish." I like Shiraz. I'm not sure what it is; perhaps the "berry notes." But it was good!
Yellow Tail Shiraz-Grenache: "Lush raspberry aromas and a touch of spice." Another Shiraz. I think this one is my favorite thus far. And I love the hot pink label. But that's just me being a girly girl.
Dole Way to Snack! Recipe Winners
Congrats to Deana from Cherry Hill for being a finalist in the Dole Way to Snack! recipe contest. To view her recipe and the other finalists, click here.
Boutique News
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Motrin got it wrong
If you are a mom and haven't seen or heard the new Motrin ad, you should see it ASAP. In an effort to relate with moms and "ease their pain," the ad has achieved the opposite: it has lost moms as potential consumers.
Claiming that moms who carry their babies are merely following a fad-trying to look like an official mom-completely belittles the incredible emotional bond that mom and baby achieve by the various carrying products (sling, carrier, etc). I agree that being a mom adds some extra pain in different places, but while trying to be fun and trendy the ad turns moms off. The ad also shows a lack of research or use of focus groups. There is no way this would have passed a panel of women and/or moms.
See the ad for yourself here and then watch the video response below of hundreds of moms (myself included) on Twitter, one of the now most powerful tools on issues that affect women! If you haven't joined the discussion on Twitter, get involved now! DM or Reply to KatjaPresnal.
Boutique News
Greetings!
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NJ Artist Hitting it Big!
Morris Plains/Morristown native Blaire Reinhard has hit the big time with her self-titled band. I have a vague memory of going with her to a rehearsal for a play or something and I think she said at the time that she had lent her voice to My Little Pony Commercials (this was in Elementary or Middle School). But that's just my wacky memory.
The Blaire Reinhard Band is a mix of blues, folk, indie rock and pop. From her MySpace Page:
"Blaire's music has been featured on MTV, HBO, NBC, FOX, CBS, ABC, ABC-Family, FX, and Comedy Central, in shows such as "Lincoln Heights" (theme song), "Chappelle's Show", "Felicity", "Young and the Restless", "One Life to Live", "Six Feet Under", and "Over There". She has also had songs in several major motion pictures, among them "The Namesake", "Step Up", and "High School Musical". "
Check out some videos below and check out her MySpace page for more!
Are you recycling correctly?
I have been more diligent about recycling correctly in our house ever since I spotted a poster in the Princeton Municipal Building (as I was picking up Maddy's birth certificate) indicating which items go in which colored buckets.
Many town across New Jersey have designated colored bins for curbside pick-up. In Princeton and West Windsor, we have Yellow for cans & bottles and Green for paper products. As I looked at the poster, I realized 2 things: 1) We weren't recycling certain things while 2) we recycled other items that we shouldn't. For example, I wasn't recycling the junk mail and cereal boxes(a DO) but I was leaving something like a pizza or frozen food box(a DON'T) with the Green bin. Now, as the recycling official in the house, I have not only reduced our weekly trash output, but I have felt better about the small part we can do to help the environment.
To see what exactly you should be recycling and what goes in the trash, click the image below to view the larger version. Photo courtesy of The Mercer County Improvement Authority. 
Mrs Mo's Review: 24-Karat Kids
If you like Gossip Girl, keep up with the latest trends, and secretly want to be a wealthy and fabulous Upper-East Sider, then you must read 24- Karat Kids by Dr. Judy Goldstein and Sebastian Stuart. Co-written by a prominent Upper-East Side pediatrician, 24-Karat Kids is a hilarious and [somewhat] fictional depiction of child-raring of the wealthy and elite.
Shelley Green just joined Madison Pediatrics and is immediately whisked in the fabulous lifestyle of Amanda Walker, the mother of a little girl whom Shelley "saved" on her first day of work. Soon, Shelley is wearing designer clothing, hob-nobbing with the rich & famous and cheating on her fiance! All the while, she quickly becomes one of the most sought after pediatricians in the group and manages to form bonds with her patients.
This book was not only entertaining and a good laugh, but it was educational. Goldstein and Stuart use Dr. Green's visits with her patients as an opportunity to teach the reader, who might just be a parent too, a thing or two about common issue with newborns. For example, one mother was beyond frustrated over her baby's incessant crying. Dr. Green suggested vacuuming with the baby since the noise is similar to that of the womb. Now I know why Maddy never got upset when I vacuumed around her!
I found myself reading passages of 24-Karat Kids to my husband because of the mere hilarity of the scene or because of the somewhat truth to it. And there is a happy ending...depending on which personal life you end up preferring.
NJ Hall of Fame
Jersey Cares
Donate your gently used winter coats to at-risk men, women, children & infants. Skip the Craigslist and eBay sales this year and give your coat to someone in need.
Click below for more details.
Boutique News
Come celebrate with me and save, save save!
Maternally yours,
Stephanie and “The Crew”
Boutique News
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What have I been doing lately?
For a little over 2 weeks now, I've been working on expanding the ever growing empire of Moi! Ok, that sounded really conceited. But truthfully, for the longest time I've wanted been trying to figure out how to group all of my volunteer work with the knowledge I've acquired at Rider and couple it with my hobby for planning, designing and teaching. If this was my business, what would I call it? Is it "Communications?" What about "Consulting?" It's not strictly "Event Planning," so it took me a bit to land on the perfect word to define my services. And I came up with it.
H. Morris Solutions.
Simple. Personal. Professional.
I chose "Solutions" because that is exactly what I want to offer an individual or company: Business Solutions. From administrative support with virtual assistance to planning meetings and networking events. From helping to promote a self-starter with pr tools to training a staff on how to use a new web-portal. I've done so many random jobs and tasks that it was time for me to make my services official.
I'm currently in the process of designing business cards and a website. I've established a web address and email, but will publish those when I have more content. With the help of family and friends I have decided on a crisp and professional logo that is also simple and classic. What do you think?
My next step is to actually join the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, the organization that I volunteered for before Maddy was born. I have behind-the-scenes knowledge of how powerful belonging to a Chamber is to help get noticed. Not only are their events fun and effective, but the members are so welcoming and enjoy helping each other. Joining the chamber will be the easy part. Getting out there any actually networking and mingling, will be hard. It may not be obvious from the way I write or the content of my site, but it's very hard for me to network and promote myself face-to-face. I prefer someone to come up to me and start a conversation. I'm still learning the art of small talk. That's the shy part of me. But, you have to start somewhere. And if you want to be successful, you have to step outside your comfort zone.
Beyond the Chamber, some other networks that I have used to promote this site and will use to promote my business are: EntreCard, Twitter and Facebook. I will also get more practice writing press releases that I can send to papers and other media outlets. And the rest will be left to research and referrals.
Feel free to drop me a line at hmorris@hmorris-solutions.com if you are interested in my services or would simply like some information.
Bridal Expo Season!
This weekend, 11/16/08:
WeddingSetGo.com Bridal Show at Rutgers
Weddings First Bridal Extravaganza at the Centerton Country Club
