Did Dr Seuss Inspire This Mosaic at Bay Street Station?

As a child I loved the world of Theodore Geisel (Dr Seuss) - those incredbile places and stories that, unknown to us, inspired children of all ages to ask the big moral questions about our place in the world and among others. Okay, as a kid I didn't know they were morality tales, I just liked the stories and the pictures.

Doesn't the green portion of this mosaic remind you of one of those landscapes? Can't you just see one of his characters standing atop the upswung portion?

The Red Eye Cafe On Walnut Street Is Perfect For Brunch

Bleary eyed residents of the Walnut Street area woke this recently  to discover the grand opening of the Red Eye Café. Located diagonally across from Le Salbuen, Red Eye is named after the classic coffee beverage.

A Red Eye Coffee is named for the Red Eye flights from the West Coast. Late night (9 or 10pm) flights out of Los Angeles and San Francisco land in New York at about 5am. Because of the time difference it feels like 2am resulting in red bleary eyes of the travelers. When coffee wasn’t enough to recharge for a day in the Big Apple, travelers took to having a shot of espresso added to their morning coffee. The name was transferred to the beverage and has remained a classic ever since.

Like its namesake drink, the Red Eye Café is steeped in history yet uniquely its own place. Owner Anthony Brinton, who spent more than a decade behind the bar at Montclair's iconic coffee shop, Cafe Eclectic, brings with his familiarity of Montclair’s unique customers plus the chance to add his own spin on the classics making this Walnut Street destination both new and familiar at the same time.

Read the rest of the story Devil Gourmet.

Words I Love : Argyle

ARGYLE

adjective : having a diamond-shaped pattern in two or more colors; dates from about 1790–1800; variation of Argyll; so called because original patterned after the tartan of this clan
________________________________________

Lately I have been seeing the potential for adding argyle painted patterns around the house, the first thing that comes to mind are the panels of the side door of the garage. Right now the side of the garage is a sea of mediocrity, an argyle pattern on the individual door panels will no doubt be whimsical, and if its too much, it can always be painted over. But I doubt that will happen.

Starting Each Day In Gratitude : A How To Guide

"At the start of every day, I reflect on the previous day, and sometimes take a look at what's coming up in my planner, so that each day starts with a sense of gratitude."
Write them down! Writing daily gratitudes in a journal, either sentences, words, phrases, whatever works, is a great way to add depth of meaning to them. The gratitdue journal can become a great source of hope during those times when things just are not going as planned.

Find everything, anything, for which to be grateful. On those days that have less pleasant events and experiences, old stand-bys like Oreos and Iced Tea serve as great reminders of those things for which we can be grateful.


Find it, anything, start out each morning in a state of being grateful, and the blessings will follow through the day.

Checking Out The Vegetarian Menu At Escape Montclair

 
Haven't been to Escape Montclair yet?

Opened in May 2012, Chef Bryan Gregg's Farm to Table restaurant in Montclair NJ quickly became a favorite of foodies and Devil Gourmet.

With locally grown fruits and vegetables driving the menu, it only made sense for Chef Bryan Gregg to include unique Vegetarian Menu alongside the omnivorious lunch and dinner menus.

Discover Escape Montclair on DevilGourmet.com

Taste of Montclair Feeds Our Neighbors - March 10 2014 at MSU

Tickets for Taste of Montclair are on sale now. Devil Gourmet is proud to be a sponsor, Montclair's largest food charity event with 100% of ticket sales going to charity. Taste of Montclair is the showcase of Montclair's best and brightest stars of the culinary world on March 10th 2014. Get your tickets today!

Come to The Rotary Club of Montclair's Taste of Montclair Monday, March 10, 2014 and help us put charity back on the table. The participating restaurants represent the eclectic, wonderful culinary artists that thrive here in Montclair. Whether you have an urge for Italian food or a yen for new Americana cuisine, Montclair restaurants have what you crave. You don't need a plane ticket to travel the world for international foods in one spot - at The Taste of Montclair.

The Taste of Montclair will offer you a world of culinary delights under one roof. Once you buy your ticket and enter our event, you will have all night to enjoy food from every restaurant participating in our non-profit event. All you need to do is buy your ticket - and come sip some wine, taste some food, and discover restaurants you've always wanted to try - under one roof, for a wonderful cause. Join us - 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. on the campus of Montclair State University. 

The restaurant list reads like a who's who of Montclair Food and Restaurants:

12 West, Asalt and Buttery, Beyond Pita, Costanera Cocina Peruana, CulinAriane, Java Love, Fairway Market, Fin Raw Bar and Kitchen, Mac Attack, Fitzgerald's 1928.

Also joining us will be: Fresco, Greek Taverna, Highlawn Pavilion, Le Salbuen Cafe Market, Olive That And More, Manny's Diner Mesob, Miss Nicky's Toffee, Red Eye Cafe, Samba, Sapori, Salute Bistro, Sodexo, Sweet Sister Cakes, The Manor, The Office, Toro Sushi, Whole Foods Montclair, Williams Sonoma.

Don't Forget Java Love, Montclair Bread Company, Jarets Stuffed Cupcakes, The Chocolate Path, CARS Delivery, and Yellow Plum., 

Last year, Taste of Montclair raised over $25,000 for charity including the food programs of the Salvation Army in Montclair, Toni's Kitchen, and the Human Needs Food Pantry.

Tickets are available at the Taste of Montclair section of the Montclair Restaurant Week website.

Favourite Words : Noblesse Oblige

Noblesse Oblige - noun

the moral obligation of those of high birth, powerful social position, etc., to act with honor, kindliness, generosity, etc.

The belief that the wealthy and privileged are obliged to help those less fortunate. From French, meaning “nobility obligates.”

Love Is .... by Lisa Lipscomb

Love is an action, a pleasure, an art
I remember when he told me and showed me
He treated our time together, like a treasure
A box that was opened and given new light, everytime we came together
He smiled and I felt it
He laughed and sang and wrote me
Pages and pages of poetry
We danced, we dined, we walked together
Relaxed, we'd unwind


He was the object of my affection
And I was his
I smile thinking about it


The memories, his kiss
He found me when I was out at lunch with my friends
We met as I was leaving
I must see you again
So what began by chance
Blossomed and grew
He shared his love of love
My inspiration lifted and flew
I was touched by his life, his presence, his words

And although we've moved on

I am saturated in a pool of remembering, love is a verb~

Lisa Lipscomb is the author of Somewhere In the Middle Of Love . Her fans enjoy her blog where she often publishes her work, but we're waiting for her next book. (hint, hint, nudge, nudge, Lisa)

America Sainthood : Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton

On this day in 1821 Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton died.

 She was the first saint born in the US.

Born in New York City to an Episcopalian Family, Seton converted to Roman Catholicism after spending time in Italy following the death of her husband. She returned to the United States and started a school for Catholic girls.

Eventually Seton founded the first apostolic community for women in America : the Sisters of Charity of St Joseph. In addition to starting a free school, it dedicated itself to care for children and the poor.

 Today her legacy lives on in numerous parishes and Seton Hall University bearing her name where countless numbers of people have been inspired by her work.

Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was canonized in 1975,

How To Tell If You've Been Really Bad This Year

Ssshhhhh! Don't Tell Jeero - He Thinks It's Mistletoe

Jeero loves the

Season of Advent.

Here he is in the large holly in the garden.

(He thinks it's Mistletoe)

Words We Love : Immaculate Conception

–noun Roman Catholic Church .

the dogma of the unique privilege by which the Virgin Mary was conceived in her mother's womb without the stain of original sin through the anticipated merits of Jesus Christ.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is marked on 8 December which always seems to be a point of confusion for some Roman Catholics and non-Catholics alike as it falls just 17 days before Christmas. (how can there be a conception and then birth a little more than a fortnight later?). Immacualate Conception refers to the conception of Mary, the Blessed Virgin, who is often called the Immaculata, especially in art.

The Feast of the Annunciation (25 March) marks when Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary. 25 March falls exactly nine months prior to Christmas.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Monclair NJ is named in honor of Blessed Virgin.

Favourite Words : Gambol

Gambol

–verb

1.to skip about, as in dancing or playing; frolic.

After sitting in the lap of the naked lady statue, Jeero gamboled in Rockefeller Center much to the amusement of other tourists. 

A Proverb On Thanksgiving

“If you cannot be grateful for what you have received, then be thankful for what you have been spared.”

~ Yiddish proverb

You Think Thanksgiving Grocery Shopping Is Rough On You?

Thanksgiving Food Preparation Is For The Birds - Literally!

Being a good steward of all that I have been given is an important part of the gratitude I express for Thanksgiving. Simple acts like making sure all the peels and trimmings from fruit and vegetables find their way to the compost have been a part of the day for as long as I can remember. This year I am going to make sure that Thanksgiving is truly for the birds!

Thanksgiving is a great time to think about the birds and wildlife in our gardens. Filling the bird feeder in the colder months is a common practice, but many don't realize their Thanksgiving dinner is a bounty for the birds.

For several months now I have kept a lidded cat litter container on the enclosed porch into which the "special seeds" have gone once they were dry. Papaya, watermelon, even apple seeds have made their way there. But Thanksgiving is the motherload of bird buffet bounty.

Seeds from the butternut squash and pumpkin are scattered on a baking sheet and allowed to dry. If some of the dried flesh is there its no big deal, but most of the fibrous pulp should be removed. Egg shells from pies are allowed to dry on the sheet as well. They'll be smashed up and mixed in with the seeds. Egg shells provide necessary grit to help birds digest their food, plus the calcium is a neccessary nutrient that helps with shell formation later in spring. I collect seeds and shells from the kitchen year round and them mix them with store-bought seed blends. Usually I keep the kitchen seeds separate from the others, saving the "special" seeds for Christmas or days of extreme cold or heavy snow. The birds may not realize how special those seeds are, but going the extra mile for creation helps keep me focused on how much I have encroached on the space they was given to them

For Thanksgiving day itself a buffet is put out on a flat feeding platform that consists of some of those less than perfect cranberries, bruised berries, apple cores, and bread trimmings. At the end of the day anything that wasn't eaten from the platform gets dumped into the compost where it will break down and form that black gold that will enrich the garden next spring.

Montclair's Best Kept Foodie Secret

The size and variety of the cookbook collection at Watchung Booksellers is Montclair's Best Kept Foodie Secret

Words That Make Me Giggle : Spatchcock

Spatchcock

–noun

a fowl such as turkey that has been dressed and split open for grilling.

–verb (used with object)

to prepare and roast (a fowl) in this manner.

For the record, Estelle does not like this word

 and encourages you to eat more beef.

South Africa Will Blow You Away : Check Out The Portfolio Collection

The Portfolio Travel Blog
The Informed Choice For The Independent Traveler

One of the best things about traveling to new destinations is when your holiday has been to a place most of your friends and family would have never imagined : someplace off the beaten path (or at least the path beaten by your friends), someplace that you were able to experience outside the limits of some "if it's Tuesday it must be Museum Day" package. It's travel to these undiscovered places we most envy!

The Portfolio Collection Travel Blog is THE PLACE to tell the entire world about your Southern Africa experiences in South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho. Letting your friends know about your trip is one thing, having it publishes on a major travel site is a whole other cup of tea. Of course as travelers share their experiences here, those planning to travel can find all sorts of places and adventures they did not know existed.

One of the slogans of the Portfolio Collection Blog is “local is lekker*." In addition to the vast number of contributions from international travelers, many of the regular contributors are South Africans whose love of their country grows each day. It's not uncommon to find entries about local events, favourite coffee shops and cafes, or even my favourite, a recipe for Malva Pudding!

Of course even before you book your flight, start wandering through the blog to read about bistros tucked away and known only by locals, or bookshops featuring up and coming South African authors, or the best places to go penguin viewing on Boulder Beach. Of course there is the wine, South African wines have vineyard owners in California quaking in their boots, er, I mean flip flops - and the writers at Portfolio Collection can lead you to some of the most scenic wineries the world over! (and the wine is pretty fantastic too!) Making holiday plans here will allow you to discover places that were missed by the guidebooks.


With Delta Airlines offering non-stop service to Johannesburg, and one stop service to Cape Town from the US, now is the time to start dreaming about your South Africa holiday.



*lekker = really, really nice, cool and awesome.

(South Africa has a diverse history, one being its masala of languages. Lekker is one of the fantastic borrowed words that make 'South African English' special)


Visit the South Africa Travel Portfolio Blogtoday.

Major #foodporn : SuzyQues BBQ In West Orange NJ

SuzyQue’s is a unique blend of southern BBQ. The restaurant draws from the flavors of Memphis, St. Louis, Texas and North Carolina to create their own special delicacies. The finest premium meats slow smoked in a state of the art smoker with an exclusive blend of rubs made in house from scratch. All BBQ is available dry rubbed simply seasoned and smoked or slathered with one of four sauces,

•Tomato

•Molasses   •Vinegar

•and… For a spicy kick Orange Habenero!

SuzyQues is in West Orange NJ. To find out more visit : http://www.SuzyQues.com/