An Apology, or perhaps, A Confession

I know, I know. My posts have been either sporadic or absent lately. We had a nice stay-cation last week and took the boys on little field trips here and there. I have lots of posts that are percolating in my head about the places we went: Adventure Landing in Greece, NY; pedal boating on Irondequoit Bay; Dinosaur Mini Golf in Niagara Falls; late-night-Tuesdays at Seneca Park Zoo...oh, the places we went!

However, that all has to wait until next week.

This week, our laptop is occupied each night. After the kids are asleep, my husband and I have been watching the second season of Game of Thrones through HBO on-demand. Dirty dishes in the sink, blog posts to write, bills to pay - too bad! I need to know what's happening to the Starks, what the Lannisters will do next, if a Targaryen will sit on the Iron Throne again. Who can be trusted? Who is back-stabbing whom? Who will survive another episode? It's mesmerizing. And a bit dizzying.

Maybe you are rolling your eyes at the thought of watching Game of Thrones, but I've never played D&D or Magic The Gathering. Yes, I like Lord of the Rings, but I wouldn't hang a poster in our house or buy any commemorative figures. I've never been to Comic Con.

You don't have to be a geek to like Game of Thrones. But you do need a strong stomach!

There are beheadings, more than a fair share of misogyny, only a handful of characters with any redeeming qualities, and heroes who are murdered while dishonorable, selfish, monsters become powerful. There's a reason why "Go Medieval on your ass" is a saying.

For all the horrible people and disgusting acts in Game of Thrones, there are characters to love. Tyrion Lannister (played by Peter Dinklage) is the comic relief, and a voice of logic among the chaos. And the Starks: Robb, Arya, Bran, Catelyn, Jon Snow - I find myself thinking about them during the day, wondering what will happen to each of them, how they will survive.

There is love - emotional and a gratuitous amount of physical, good versus evil, natural leaders versus leaders by birth-right, war strategies, family versus duty, tons of conflict, and a teeny tiny bit of magic, too.

Read the books, watch the shows, or both. You just might get caught up in it all, too! We watched the first season through AppleTV by ordering the episodes through iTunes. Then we decided to add HBO to our service so we could watch season two on-demand, and we'll be able to watch season three as it airs in the spring. It's going to be a long wait.

In the meantime, I apologize for neglecting the ROCmomma world and I promise to post again with relevant information very, very soon. As always, thanks for reading!

5 Reasons to Love Perinton Park

Perinton Park is my favorite park in the ROC area and it was introduced to me by my fellow ROCmomma Corie. It is located at 99 O'Connor Road, Fairport, NY (at Fairport Road & O'Connor Road). There are so many reasons why it's my favorite, where do I begin?

First, it is one of the few playgrounds in the shade. Huge trees surround the play structures so they don't get scorching hot, and we stay cooler as well. We've been to plenty of playgrounds where the equipment was so hot, we couldn't even stay to play.

Second, below the play equipment is sand, rather than wood chips or gravel. My kids love to dig so we usually bring a few pails, shovels, and plastic trucks. I've learned to bring extras, because other kids always want to join us. One tip: label your sand toys with your last name using permanent marker. Sometimes a borrowed toy will inadvertently end up in another part of the playground, and this makes it easy to claim it back.

Third, there are three different sections to the playground structures. There is a larger, higher section for bigger kids, a medium section...

...and even a lower, smaller section for little ones. There is a yellow slide behind my son in the picture below that has such a low incline, even a tiny tot can slide down.

There are also rocking toys (pictured below) and swings - baby swings, regular swings, and one swing for children with special needs.

The fourth reason why Perinton Park is my favorite is the Erie Canal. We usually bring our big red wagon (we used to bring the stroller; the park is definitely stroller friendly) and once the kids are tired of the playground, we walk past the basketball courts and up to the Erie Canal path. Your kids will have fun counting the ducks, boats, and kayaks. Plus it's a really pretty walk.

Another thing we love about Perinton Park is the train tracks. When you get up to the Erie Canal path, if you walk to the left, you just might see a train. There are a couple of spots where the tracks are visible right from the path. Or, when you're ready to leave, you can turn right out of the parking lot and follow O'Connor Road around the bend, and there are two railroad crossings. On the left by each crossing, there are businesses with large parking lots. We usually trespass for about 15-20 minutes in one of those lots to eat a snack in the car and wait to see a train pass by.

Added bonus: on the other side of Fairport Road, before turning on to O'Connor Road, there is a gas station with a Dunkin Donuts drive-through window. Such easy access if ROCmomma or ROCpoppa needs a tasty beverage before or after the park!

To be fair, I have a few complaints as well. First, there are only about five picnic tables by the playground and people often "claim" them for their entire visit. I have watched families finish their lunch, then leave all their sippy cups and water bottles on the table while they play. They return to the table only when they're ready to pack up and leave, and meanwhile the table has been unused and unusable (is that a word?) for an hour or so. It would be so much nicer if groups could use the table to eat lunch, then pack up and leave their belongings off to the side so that another group might eat their lunch at the table afterward. It just seems like the courteous thing to do, but, ah well.

My other complaint is that there is a bit of a walk to the restroom from the playground. As much as we encourage, "Don't wait til it's too late," we usually end up with wet pants if the restroom is more than a few feet away. If your child waits until they're hopping on one foot before telling you they need the potty, I recommend bringing a couple changes of clothes just in case.

As always, thanks for reading. Be sure to Post a Comment the next time you go to Perinton Park and tell us about your experience.

Family Fun June 29 - July 6, 2012

Your kids won't even have time for the thought, "We're bored!," with something fun to do every day. Better yet, most of it is free of charge (or under $10 per person).

Red, White, and Kangaroo
Friday, June 29, 2012 from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Kango Play Center, 1565 Jefferson Road, Rochester, NY
Adults are free & kids are just $4 each to enjoy admission and party fun including a Kango frisbee, patriotic arts & crafts projects, roller skating, bounce house, climbing structure, and more.

Story Time & Animal Friends
Friday, June 29, 2012 at 11 a.m.
1. Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Road, Fairport, NY - come for the story, stay for the farm animal fun!
2. Wickham Farms, 1821 Fairport Nine Mile Line Road, Penfield, NY - story time, sandbox, farm animals, and playground are free; jumping pillow, batting cages, and mini golf fees apply.

Model Train Open House
Saturday, June 30, 2012 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Edgerton Community Center, 41 Backus Street, Rochester, NY
Free tours of the Edgerton Model Train Room feature four views of Rochester's history, each set in a different season.

School's Out Blast at the Rochester Rhinos
Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 7:05 p.m.
Sahlen's Stadium, 460 Oak Street, Rochester, NY
Watch the game and enjoy free kids activities, including rock wall, bounce houses, live music, human foosball, and more. $5 general admission or $10 premium seating. Click here to purchase tickets.

Literature Live: Cat in the Hat
Saturday, June 30 (10 a.m. - 8 p.m.) - Sunday, July 1, 2012 (noon - 5 p.m.)
Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Square, Rochester, NY
Bring your camera and meet Dr. Seuss's famous cat! Included with general admission.

Trolley Rides

Sunday, June 30 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

New York Museum of Transportation, 6393 East Henrietta Road, West Henrietta, NY

Purchase your tickets, then explore the train cars, antique cars, fire truck, and the model trains in the museum. At your departure time, board the trolley and enjoy the 1-mile ride to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. Explore the second museum before boarding for a ride back to the Museum of Transportation. 

Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Bowling
Every Day (May 1 - August 31, 2012), open until 9 p.m.
Bowl-A-Roll Lanes, 1560 Jefferson Road, Rochester, NY
Kids in grades K-12 can enjoy one FREE game of bowling (including shoe rental) every day this summer!

TWOs-Day at Wickham Farms
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. (repeats every Tuesday!)
Wickham Farms, 1821 Fairport Nine Mile Line Road, Penfield, NY
Mini golf is just $2 per round, and earn double punches on your ice cream punch cards. Sandbox, farm animals, and playground are free; regular jumping pillow and batting cages fees apply.

LEGO Block Party
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 from 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Pittsford Community Library, 24 State Street, Pittsford, NY
They supply the Lego and Duplo blocks, you supply the imagination. Open to all ages. Free; no registration required.

The Zoo is Open Late!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 until 8 p.m. (every Tuesday in July and August)
Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY
Gates remain open until 7 p.m. and the zoo grounds are open until 8 p.m. Included with regular admission. Arrive earlier and check out the programming every day. My boys love the enrichment programs (most days at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. - check the schedule). Last year we enjoyed watching the polar bears swim to catch frozen watermelons, and the cougar hunting around the trees for hidden treats.

Independence Day Celebrations
Wednesday, July 4, 2012

• Music (7:30 p.m.) and fireworks (10 p.m.) in Downtown Rochester
• Pony Rides, Kids' Music, Inflatables, "Magic Guy" magic shows, and more (4 p.m.) and Fireworks (9:40 p.m.) at Henrietta Veterans Memorial Park 
• Check out this list of Independence Day Festivities in Brighton, Brockport, Canandaigua, Chili, Fairport, Genessee Country Village, and Waterport/Albion

Free Skating
Thursday, July 5, 2012 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (see coupon for additional dates and times)
Horizon Fun FX, 675 Ling Road, Rochester, NY
Print the coupon and up to 10 people can roller skate for free (includes skate rental)!

Where's Waldo? Family Scavenger Hunt
Friday, July 6, 2012 during participating stores' business hours (through July 31st)
Lift Bridge Book Shop, 45 Main Street, Brockport, NY
Visit Lift Bridge Book Shop for a list of participating stores, then stop by each store to see the display in their front window. Solve the puzzle and receive a card from the business. Collect all 20 cards and answer two bonus questions to be entered into the grand prize drawing. Participation is free.

Enjoy your Independence Day and the first week of July! As always, thanks for reading. If you check out any of these fun events, Post a Comment and let us know about your experience.

Brown's Berry Patch

This past Saturday, we were looking for something different to do with the kids and decided to try Brown's Berry Patch.  It's a bit of a drive to Waterport, but it was peak week for strawberries, plus we have heard some great things about the farm. I must say, we had a berry good time. (Yep, I went there.)

First we walked into the Marketplace. You could definitely spend some time - and some money - in there. They have unique mustards, jams, salsas, and even Bloody Mary mix. Most of it is even made with fruit from their farm. Fresh-picked fruit can be purchased inside, if you're not planning on picking your own. And who can resist an ice cream sundae made with freshly baked waffle cones and fresh-picked berries?!?!? Although, they had me at ice cream.

Inside, we purchased tickets for the Barnyard Adventure. We actually purchased the Combo Passes so we could visit Barnyard Adventure and take a ride on the Barnyard Express (it's only a dollar more). Next you have to bring your receipt to the barnyard behind the Marketplace and get your bracelets. Then the fun begins.

After saying hello to some friendly farm animals, our boys headed straight for the giant sandbox. There are plenty of trucks and digging toys, a tunnel to climb through, and a real boat that kids can sit in and  pretend to drive.

We skipped the playground and play house, and went straight for the duck races. They also have boat races, and plenty of spots to take fun photos, too.

After riding around on the tricycle track, we tried out the rope maze. It's harder than it looks, but it's easy to get out if needed.

Next stop: the jumping pillow! Just be sure your kids are wearing socks. No shoes are allowed, and the jumping pillow can get pretty hot in the sun.

The day isn't complete without checking out Goat Mountain and the giant slide. Look up and you'll see goats walking around above the barn and silo, along various walkways. On the other side of the silo, kids can climb up to the top of the tower and zip down the giant slide.

Inside the silo, run around, listen to your echo, and crawl through a tunnel. Adults, relax on a hay bale while the kids go crazy.

Be sure to bring some quarters; you'll want to feed the goats. Buy some animal food from the dispenser, drop it in the can and watch a goat pull the rope with his teeth until the can is at the top, where he can enjoy a well-deserved treat. Impressive trick!

Pedal cars, swings, a misting tent, and the Red Barn Twister are lots of fun. The twister is an oversized tunnel that spins. Kids can climb in while others turn it, and giggles will be unstoppable.

The Barnyard Express is a fun way to take a seat, take a break, and see the whole farm. Each animal car has a horn and bells to keep kids busy while they ride.

Finally! Time to pick some strawberries. We bought two four-quart baskets in the Marketplace, and we filled one with beautiful red berries.

 Then we walked over to the cherry orchard to fill our second basket with delicious, plump cherries.

We had a great day, and I'm already planning another trip when the blueberries are ripe in July. Between June and October, there are about a dozen different fruit and berry varieties that are available. Check their web site for updated picking conditions.

If you're planning a trip, Brown's Berry Patch is located at 14264 Roosevelt Highway (Route 18) in Waterport, NY. You can purchase a meal or snack in the Marketplace, or at the outdoor Farm Grill (weekends only). There is both indoor and outdoor seating available. There were posted signs near all outdoor tables indicating that coolers are not allowed. Restrooms are located in the Marketplace.

We ended our visit right around dinner time and found a decent, low-key restaurant about five minutes away: Black North Inn. It was relatively kid-friendly. The staff was friendly, there is a kids' menu, and if you can get a table facing the water, the boats outside may be enough to occupy the kids while the adults have a real conversation. At least for a few minutes. (Non-kid-friendly note: there is no changing table in the restroom). We ordered the Chevre-Portobello Pizza, and I was sad the next day when the leftovers were gone. It was that good. Garlic, spinach, portobello mushrooms, goat cheese, and mozzarella; could there be a more delicious combination for a pizza? Probably not.

On the next sunny day when you are looking for something new to do, I highly recommend Brown's Berry Patch. Be sure to Post a Comment and let us know about your visit! And as always, thanks for reading.

Birthday Party Idea: Dinosaur Party

Last weekend, we celebrated my son's fifth birthday. He wanted a Dino Dan party - actually, he wanted to replicate the birthday party episode of Dino Dan. No pressure. We usually just invite the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, but we have now embarked into the friend-party age. We set a limit of five friends (five years old, five friends; it made sense in my head), and ended up inviting eight, plus the usual family members.

I've been an event planner since before I knew it was a profession. I love details! Even in college, when planning an off-campus building-wide party in our apartment complex, I had a clipboard and checklists.  So, if you're thinking about planning a dinosaur party - or a Dino Dan party - allow me to share some ideas and guidelines to help you.

Invitations

Sure you could purchase dinosaur invitations at the store. Or, you could make them yourself. I printed the party information, four times to one sheet of paper. The party info started, "Dinosaur hunters and explorers, we need you! We will be digging for fossils and having a Dino Dan adventure to celebrate..." I cut them out (4"x 5 1/4"), then I cut brown card stock (construction paper will do) into quarters: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" each. I mounted the party info to the brown sheets and let my son decorate each one with dinosaur stickers.

Decorations

We had green balloons, streamers, and table cloths because that's my son's favorite color. Dino parties could also use shades of brown to make the party area look like a jungle. A week before the party, my sons and I went crazy with foam sheets, dinosaur stickers, and markers to make tons of dinosaur decorations. Then my almost-five-year-old started tracing his three middle fingers and connecting them to make dinosaur footprints. We made a herd's worth. Of course, some toy dinosaurs on the tables are a nice touch, too.

Goodie Bags

I found inexpensive pail-and-shovel sets for the "bags" and filled them with bubbles (slap a dinosaur sticker on the bottle and they become Dino Bubbles), dinosaur stickers, dinosaur temporary tattoos, and a dinosaur rubber ducky.

Food

Snacks:

• Prehistoric Cheese & Crackers
• Herbivore Treats (baby carrots, celery, peppers, hummus, and veggie dip)
• Carnivore Treats (animal crackers - my son's favorite)
• Rocks & Lava (chips & salsa)
• Dinosaur Bones (pretzel sticks, see photo above)

Lunch:

• "Crustaceous" Pizza 
• Dinosaur PB&Js (using a dinosaur sandwich cutter)
• Fruitasaurus Salad (pictured above; I chopped the rest into a fruit salad)

Dinner (friends left at 2:00; our families stayed later):

• Herbivore Salad
• Pasta Raptor Salad
• Jurassic Potato Salad
• Rocks & Lava (Cornbread Muffins and Vegetarian Chili)
• Herbivore Treats on a Stick (Marinated & Grilled Veggie Kebabs)

Dessert:

• Dinosaur Eggs in Nests (egg-shaped cake bites [vanilla cake mixed with raspberry preserves, coated in white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed freeze-dried raspberries], resting in Rice Krispie treats that were shaped in muffin tins to look like nests; see first photo below)
• Dinosaur Cupcakes (made in a dino-shaped muffin tin)
• Rock Foundation for the dinosaur cupcakes and dino eggs & nests (tube of cookie dough, rolled out onto a pizza stone with peanut butter chips, toffee bits, and graham cracker crumbs pressed in and baked for 17 minutes). We put a few cupcakes and eggs/nests on the "rock foundation" and put a "5" candle in one cupcake. This is what we brought out to sing "Happy Birthday." The rest of the cupcakes and eggs/nests were divided between two trays, for either end of the table. (see second photo below)
• Triassic Ice cream

Activities

One of the most important things I learned during Student Teaching was to change the stimulus every 15 minutes. This is true for all ages (even adults!). So I planned out our two hour party in fifteen-minute increments.

12:00 - 12:15 p.m. - friends arriving; play with backyard toys; Dinosaur Tattoos

Materials Needed: Spray bottle with water, paper towels, tattoos (leftover from goodie bags)
Rain Plan: Play with dinosaur toys; paper/crayons/dinosaur stickers out on the table; Dinosaur tattoos

12:15 - 12:30 p.m. - Dig for Dinosaur Eggs

Materials Needed: shovels, enough hidden dinosaur eggs to yield 3-4 per guest, brown paper bags
Rain Plan: Use large Rubbermaid bin filled with rice, on a large tarp; bury eggs in the rice

We gave each child a shovel (the other half of the pail-and-shovel sets used for goodie bags) and told them that Dino Dan was here earlier and saw some dinosaurs lay eggs in the sandbox. Each person could find four eggs then we would hatch them.

The dino eggs were made with a homemade play dough. The recipe I followed called for 2 1/2 cups of flour, 2 1/2 cups of used coffee grounds, 1 1/2 cups of salt, 1 cup of sand, and 3/4+ cups of water (enough to make it stick together). We shaped the "dough" around small plastic dinosaurs and let them dry for a few days. THE DOUGH IS NOT EDIBLE. Hopefully, that's obvious; just look at it:

To hatch the eggs, the kids just used their fingers. We had a large bucket out and asked them to put the "egg shells" into the bucket, and they could put their dinosaurs into a bag. Before the party, I labeled brown paper bags with each child's name just for this part.

12:30 - 1:00 p.m. Lunch Break

1:00 - 1:15 p.m. Dino Dan Scavenger Hunt

Materials Needed: binoculars for each guest, large dinosaurs to hide, a cardboard leaf or drumstick-shape, cardboard legs (2 or 4) to hide, piñata with "final clue" inside, rope to tie the piñata, bat to hit the piñata
Rain Plan: hide the objects in different rooms in the house; hang piñata in largest doorway (remove all breakable objects first)

The mission of our scavenger hunt was to find out which dinosaur stole the goodie bags and where he hid them. First, we gave out binoculars - just like Dino Dan's - to use during the mission. Their first task was to find the suspects: some dinosaurs that were hidden. I had given each a tag with it's name, a leaf (herbivore) or chicken drumstick (carnivore), and either a 2 (biped) or 4 (quadruped).

The next clue was hidden in the backyard: either a large cardboard leaf or drumstick. They found the leaf and we eliminated the carnivores.

The next clue was hidden in the front yard: 2 or 4 cardboard legs. They found four, so we eliminated the bipeds.

The final clue was hidden inside a stegosaurus piñata. There was a tiny triceratops with a note that read, "I hid your goodie bags in the garage."

1:15 - 1:30 p.m. Pin the Tail on the Stegosaurus

Materials Needed: dinosaur poster (I drew & painted one; or you can buy one), paper "tails" - with each guest's name written on one, masking tape, blindfold
Rain Plan: hang the poster in the hallway

1:30 p.m. Cake & Ice Cream

1:45 p.m. Open Gifts

2:00 p.m. Say Goodbye & Thank You to Friends

I had a couple of extra tricks up my sleeve, just in case. And they came in handy. First, was Brontosaurus, Brontosaurus, T. rex (instead of Duck, Duck, Goose). The pizza was delivered a few minutes late, so this was a good time-filler. Second, while we were getting desserts on the table, it was difficult to keep all the kids in their seats. They wanted to play. So I handed out Magic Color Scratch Dinosaurs to each child, along with a scratching tool (they come with the set). The dinosaurs are black and the kids scratch designs onto them, revealing a rainbow of colors underneath. The set also comes with string, so they can hang them up at home. The kids liked scratching away, and by the time they finished, cake was served.

My son had a blast. His friends and our family had a great time, too. Even I had fun, once I put my clipboard down. I hope these ideas are helpful, and if you have any dino-rific party tips, please Post a Comment to share them.

As always, thanks for reading. Happy exploring. Happy dinosaur hunting. And happy 5th birthday to my sweet boy.

Family Fun This Weekend

Do you have weekend plans? Friday and Saturday are looking lovely - around 80 and sunny - for everyone planning barbecues, heading to sports events, or looking to take a hike. But it's probably best to have an indoor back-up plan for Sunday in case they're right about the thunderstorms. Not to worry! There's plenty to do this weekend (and Friday, too - now that the kids are out of school, we need to keep them busy).

Animal Tales Drop-In Story Time

Friday, June 22 at 11 a.m.

Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Road, Fairport, NY

All are welcome to stop in and listen to an animal-themed story. Afterward, check out the dogs and cats inside the shelter, as well as the rabbits and other animals in the barn. Then head outside to pet the sheep and goats, and walk along the farm path to see horses, pigs, ducks, and more. Free of charge.

Tails and Tales Story Time

Friday, June 22 at 11 a.m.

Wickham Farms, 1821 Fairport Nine Mile Line Road, Penfield, NY

Stop by the barn for story time and visit from a farm animal. Story time is free; tickets for jumping pillow, mini golf, batting cages, and concessions sold separately. Don't forget to bring your own sand toys for the giant sand box (or rent a toy while you're there).

School's Out Celebration

Friday, June 22 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Long Acre Farms, 1342 Eddy Road, Macedon, NY

Admission is $5 per person over age 2 and includes: jumping pillow, giant slide, duck races, hoop shoot, trikes, mini maze, traverse climbing wall, sandbox, and spider web. Face painting and crafts available for additional $1-3. Snacks available for purchase.

War of 1812 Bicentennial & Jane Austen Weekend

Saturday, June 23 - Sunday, June 24 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Genessee Country Village & Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Road, Mumford, NY

Celebrate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 as well as the Regency Era of Jane Austen. Activities include morning parade and flag raising on Village Square, fashion shows, live target shooting, Jane Austen dance demonstration (Saturday only), tactical demonstrations and militia drills, fife & drum concert, and more. Regular admission fees apply.

Discover Madagascar Day

Saturday, June 23 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY

Celebrate Madagascar's Independence Day and learn about this country's people and special wildlife. Games and puzzles will be available for children. Included with regular admission.

Strawberry Celebration

Saturday, June 23 - Sunday, June 24 from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Brown's Berry Patch, 14264 Roosevelt Highway, Waterport, NY 

Pick a basket of sun-ripened strawberries during peak season - right now! Bring your own containers or purchase some inside. Don't forget to sample some of the strawberry products in the market, too. After you've picked some berries, check out Barnyard Adventure (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.) or have a bite to eat at the Farm Grill (12-7 p.m.).

Trolley Rides

Sunday, June 23 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

New York Museum of Transportation, 6393 East Henrietta Road, West Henrietta, NY

Purchase a ticket for a unique trolley ride when you arrive. While you wait for your trolley, explore the train cars, antique cars, fire truck, and the model trains in the museum. At your departure time, board the trolley and enjoy the 1-mile ride to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. Explore the second museum before boarding for a ride back to the Museum of Transportation. 

Giant-Screen Films

Sunday, June 24 from 1 - 4:15 p.m.

Rochester Museum & Science Center - Strasenburgh Planetarium, 657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY

There are giant-screen films and star shows daily, but given the chance of thunderstorms, Sunday would be a perfect day to go see one. Discounted tickets for RMSC members.

1 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 4:15 p.m. - Fly Me to the Moon (50 min.; animated; ages 5-adult)

3:15 p.m. - Ring of Fire (45 min.; live action; ages 6 - adult)

More outdoor ideas:

• Fly a kite at Veterans Memorial Park 
• Get splashed at the Camp Eastman spray ground
• Check out Wild Wings at Mendon Ponds Park
• Walk along the Erie Canal at Perinton Park
• Feed the trout at Powder Mills Park Fish Hatchery
• Walk a trail at Tinker Nature Park

More indoor ideas:

• Ride the train at Strong National Museum of Play
• Build with Keva Planks at Rochester Museum & Science Center
• Check out some books at your local Library
• If you belong to the YMCA, check out the Adventure Center at the Southeast Family Branch (Pittsford) or go swimming at the Eastside Family Branch (Penfield) 
• Head to Kango, Bounce It Out, or Jump Club to jump away the sillies

That should be enough to keep us all out of trouble this weekend. Enjoy yourself, and as always, thanks for reading.

A Whole Week of Dinners with My First CSA Share

On Monday afternoon, I made sure my boys were excited about our first trip to Mud Creek Farm to pick up our CSA share. A while back, I wrote a post about community supported agriculture (CSA) and why I'm a fan. Now my boys are fans too.

We arrived early for our pick up, and went straight to the Pick Your Own Garden.

Each crop that was ready to be picked was marked with a flag and a sign. The boys took their job seriously: finding the flags in the field. Our first stop was a pink flag by the sugar snap peas. I showed the boys how to find the pea pods, then to pull and twist them off the stems. We filled a big Solo cup (this week's allotment) in just a few minutes.

Next we saw a yellow flag by the flowers. My four-year-old picked a white snapdragon, my two-year-old picked a pink snapdragon, they each picked out some flowers that look like giant mums, I picked a purple wildflower, and we added some maroon Queen Anne's Lace (or perhaps some strain of baby's breath?) to our bouquet. Pretty.

Our last stop was an orange flag at the other end of the field by the garlic chives. I'd never had - or heard of - garlic chives before, and I admit I was excited. I snipped a couple of handfuls, and then we made our way over to pick up this week's share. Holy greens, Batman! My canvas bags were overflowing with leafy goodness in no time.

The final tally: a ginormous bag of kale, more Swiss chard than I know what to do with, a head of Romaine lettuce, 2 1/2 pounds of spinach, some broccoli, garlic scapes, plus the snap peas and garlic chives. Now, what to do with it all? Well, we had my older son's birthday party this past weekend which left us with lots of extra food but not an entire meal's worth of anything. Our surplus included stale rosemary-olive oil bread which I turned into breadcrumbs, a few types of cheese, parsley, basil, celery, carrots, pasta salad, and potato salad.

As I added items to my bag, I kept thinking, "What in the world am I going to do with all this?" And around this time last year, I remember seeing some Facebook posts from friends asking for recipes for their CSA bounty. So, I know I'm not alone. I figured that some of you might be wondering what to do with your fridge full of new produce, so I'm sharing my week's menu.

A Whole Week of Dinners with My First CSA Share

1. Quiche (recipe follows) and Tossed Salad, plus leftover Potato Salad
2. Chik'n and Veggie al Forno with Jarlsberg cream sauce 
3. Curried Lentils & Kale with Basmati Rice
4. Ravioli & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Sauteed Kale, Spinach & Garlic Scapes
5. Marinated Tofu with Stir Fried Bok Choi, Snap Peas, Carrots & Garlic Chives and Brown Rice
6. Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans and Fresh Tomatoes over pasta
7. Leftovers!

The quiche was delicious, if I do say so myself (I made up the recipe)! Try it yourself:

Swiss Chard Quiche

1 Tbsp. olive oil
4-5+ leaves Swiss chard, de-ribbed and roughly chopped
2 garlic scapes, chopped
1/4 c. white wine
1 c. sausage or vegetarian sausage, cooked to package instructions and crumbled
10 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 roasted red pepper (jarred is fine), chopped
5 eggs
1/2 c. milk
4 oz. shredded cheese (pepper jack is a good option)
1 tsp. salt-free seasoning
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375. Coat a pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the chopped garlic scapes and heat 1 minute. Add the chard and wine. Toss to coat, then cover until chard is wilted. Allow to cool then squeeze out excess moisture using paper towels.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Add the cheese and four seasonings and mix well. Add the Swiss chard and garlic scapes, the cooked sausage, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and mix well. Pour into prepared pie plate and top with bread crumbs. Bake 30-35 minutes.


I made up this recipe as well:

Chik'n and Veggie al Forno with Jarlsberg Cream Sauce

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/4 c. white wine
1 pkg. Quorn Chik'n Tenders (or real chicken)
2 garlic scapes, chopped
6 c.+ combined Swiss chard (de-ribbed) and spinach, chopped
1 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
1 c. milk or milk alternative
4 oz. Jarlsberg cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, warm 1 Tbsp. oil and wine. Add the chik'n or chicken and cook until browned and liquid is absorbed. Remove chik'n to a dish and set aside.

3. In same skillet, warm 1 Tbsp. oil and add chopped garlic scapes; heat 1 minute. Add chard and spinach; toss then cover until greens are wilted.

4. In a small saucepan, heat remaining oil and add 1 Tbsp. flour. Whisk and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Add cheese and stir until melted. Turn off heat and add parsley and basil; mix well.

5. In a large bowl, combine chik'n, greens, leftover cooked veggies, and cream sauce. Pour into prepared casserole dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake 30 minutes.


Cooking with all these fresh-from-the-ground foods is exciting. Trying to pair them with other foods from our pantry and fridge is challenging, but it's sparked some culinary creativity - which is usually a good thing. Plus, my grocery bill this week was only $52 for some fruit, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, bread, milk, eggs, string cheese, and juice. Not bad.

As always, thanks for reading and happy cooking! If you have a great farm-market or CSA-related recipe, please Post a Comment to share it.