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| An excruciatingly opinionated guide to the Connecticut Shoreline |
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| A home cooked meal made easy? The proliferation of food subscription boxes has had us intrigued for a while. There’s one for every taste, from paleo to vegan to classic family cooking. The upside? Everything is included in your box, all the ingredients pre-measured and ready to go. Careful instructions and even access to videos on websites are available if you’re looking to amp up your cooking skills. Some offer ingredients that aren’t easy to find on the Shoreline, and you’ll surely learn a new technique or two. We think they’re great for expanding your repertoire, gifting, or simply for those of us who live busy lives but like to cook healthy dinners at home, sans planning, shopping, and prep. The downside? Read carefully, the subscriptions must be cancelled by a specific date and time or you’ll get another week’s worth whether you want it or not. Leftovers are meager to nil, and if you don’t like what’s in the box you’re out of luck (in some cases you can choose your dinners). The packaging is a bit horrifying, too, but some companies offer returns and others are entirely recycled and recyclable. We tried a few subscriptions and here’s what we found.
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| Blue Apron Blue Apron and I were not off to an auspicious start. One of our dinners called for 1 & 1/2 pounds of chicken wings and only one paltry nine-ounce package was in the box (yes, I weighed it). When I contacted the company, they said they would credit my account. Hmmmm.
Oh well, two days of interesting meals awaited, and a snack of chicken wings: I was left to choose between steak tacos and catfish on a bed of freekeh. Figuring the catfish was best to use first, I set to work...
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Purple Carrot I really wanted to love Mark Bittman’s venture into food boxes. I’m a huge fan of his books and was a faithful reader of his column in the New York Times. Plenty of his super simple recipes are staples in my house, and our copy of How to Cook Everything is well past dog-eared. These days, Mark wants to turn us into a world of vegans. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind an all-veg meal and I did like his approach with his last book (VB6 or Vegan Before 6). His proposed eating plan of no meat before dinner is an easy way to add more green to your diet...
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Green Blender At first the idea of a smoothie box just seemed silly. I mean, really, throw a bunch of fruit, a handful of spinach, and a spoon of flax seed in the blender and you’re good to go. But I love a smoothie as a fast, healthy breakfast option, and I was intrigued by the concoctions on Green Blender’s website, so I signed right up for a weekly delivery. My first box of five smoothies (each serve two) arrived on a Thursday which would make for a healthy weekend. Included was all manner of unusual and organic ingredients: plenty of fruits and vegetables, plus single portion packets of superfoods and protein additions...
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Hungry Root For those that would rather skip the groceries AND the prep, but crave a healthy meal at home, Hungry Root is your answer. The folks behind this delivery are as crazy about spiraling as we are (and if you haven’t laid out the $19.99 at Williams Sonoma Outlet yet, we say spring for it)! This isn’t your run of the mill box plan, here you order a la carte from the website and there’s no bother about canceling if you want to. We were fascinated by the offerings in our box when it arrived. Someone is having a lot of fun with food...
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| An E-list Yoga Retreat at the Weekapaug Inn
Exciting news! I'm collaborating with The Weekapaug Inn, a Relais and Chateaux property and one of my favorite getaways, on a Yoga Retreat! It's the sister property of the fabled Ocean House, but a little more casual and a little less dear. We're bringing Ava Tyler, one of my favorite and most experienced yoga teachers on the Shoreline (and winner of many years of the-e-list Best of the Shoreline Readers Poll). On top of that, you'll have gorgeous rooms, panoramic views, four yoga classes (plus a yoga studio with salt pond views!), a locavore, epicurean and healthy menu by their award winning chef, Jennifer Backman, and other planned activities that you can partake in or not (or plotz on a couch with a book, in front of the fire and the view in the Searoom). No rules! For all levels, but not appropriate for those who have never taken a yoga class. The plan is for two nights, three days, four yoga classes, two ample breakfasts and two gourmet dinners (plus a guest pantry filled with coffees, teas and treats), in either a queen or king-bedded room at an all inclusive rate of (around) $1000 per stay, single occupancy, with all taxes, tips and fees included. We'll offer a discount for double occupancy, but there are only queen or king bedded rooms available (no separate beds). We are working on exact pricing, which is dependent on how many people sign up. And if you'd like to bring a companion in the same room, we'll let you know what the additional fee will be. Plus, enjoy Spa treatments at the nearby Ocean House OH Spa at 15% off. So here’s my question: before I put down a deposit, I’d like to know if this appeals to e-list readers. The dates are: Wednesday through Friday, March 30th through April 1st. Please email me back if you're interested in joining the fun and I'll get busy making arrangements: erica@the-e-list.com.
p.s. Normal pricing for just the room this time of year starts at $400 (tax and fees included), so this is quite a deal for a gorgeous, luxury property, and we’ll have a healthy early spring interlude!
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featured event
Open House at The Independent Day School
Fearless Learning: Are your children measured by test scores or by their interests and talents? Discover how our students achieve excellence by pursuing their passions. See our engaging program in action. Meet our inspiring teachers. Come to our Open House: Thursday, February 25th from 6 - 8pm
115 Laurel Brook Road, Middlefield, CT 860.347.7235
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| It’s Your Time to THRIVE! 2/17 - 3/16
Sign up for this month-long program, grounded in Positive Psychology that will help you transform your life. The program includes (2) two-hour workshops PLUS a 1-hour group coaching call. If you’re looking to gain the clarity and courage needed to take charge of your life and create what you truly want then this program just may be for you. Presented by Dana Hilmer, a Positive Psychology coach and consultant. Her mission is simple: to help you live your truth and create the life you truly crave.
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| The youngest of a famous musical family, Livingston picked up his first guitar at 13, recorded his first album at 18 and some forty years later teaches others stage performance as a full professor at the Berklee School of Music. Come watch him practice what he teaches at the Kate; it’s sure to be a fantastic evening.
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Attend Essex Wellness Center’s “Live Well 2016!” Lecture Series, free 90-minute educational lectures presented by various Essex Wellness Center holistic professionals.
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Enjoy the entire cycle of Beethoven’s works for piano and cello over two days plus a discount for dining at the Old Lyme Inn.
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A two-day celebration of winter family fun at the Florence Griswold Museum on Valentine’s Day Weekend.
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Reserve your place at ‘The TABLE’, A Thyme to Cook’s pop-up dinner at Outer Light Brewing Company in Groton.
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Student Ambassadors will provide individual tours and Administrators will share information about the value of a Williams education.
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| And that's not all! Find concerts, cooking classes, openings and more on:
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| Just in case you missed last week's list about how to cook in your fireplace, plus three yummy recipes, here you go:
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