There are plenty of fun things to do in Connecticut, no matter what the season, hence why I’m sharing Part II…
Low Cost Indoor Event:
Attend the annual Northeast RV & Camping Show at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT
These RV’s are sweet! Much larger on the inside than they appear~
Nice shower!
Love the indoor mood lighting and ambience…
Free Family Fun:
Go to the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New Haven, CT
Fun time driving Jocelyn Maminta on the 2018 NHV parade route in the News 8 Range Rover!
Loved hanging out with the News 8 team on the 2018 NHV parade route: Mark Davis, Keith Kountz and Jocelyn Maminta.
Jocelyn Maminta was born to be in a parade 🙂
Three of the News 8 meteorologists and News 8 team on the 2018 NHV parade route
Awesome time driving Jocelyn Maminta in New Haven’s 2018 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. News 8 team leads the way…
Good (One Price) Eating:
Check out a restaurant or two or three at the bi-annual (Spring) New Haven Restaurant Week – New Haven, CT
Spring New Haven Restaurant Week – Pacifico Restaurant
Prix Fixe Dinner at Pacifico -(The Shops at Yale) salmon, side dish, beet salad, malbec, coconut ice cream – yummy!
Harvest Wine Bar & Restaurant (The Shops at Yale) Delish Prix Fixe lunch – salmon with julienne carrots and beets, side salad, dessert and lemon water
Brew Baby:
Hang out at one of Connecticut’s most talked about new breweries: Brewport – Bridgeport’s CT’s Brewery and Restaurant where the only thing on the menu to eat is specialty pizza and gourmet salads…
What Brewport is famous for…
The humungous bar…
Me and my girl squad outside on Brewport’s deck; Brewport serves wine too; family sized salad – enough for 4 “hangry” girls; veggie pizza – delish!
Connecticut’s Live Theater:
Check out Cameron Mackintosh’s version of Phantom – Waterbury Palace Theater – Waterbury, CT
This spectacular production played out very well in the stately Waterbury Palace Theater
Or Beautifulat the legendary Shubert Theater, New Haven, CT
The lead in Carole King’s Beautifulcould blow!
Shubert’s OnStage event for Beautiful – hung out with Robbin S, listened to the local musicians and hung out at “The Bitter End.”
Or Crowns at Long Wharf Theater, New Haven, CT
Me and my girlfriend Mia loved this gospel musical celebration which appealed to theater goers young and old
The costumes and of course “Crowns” were spectacular and a show all by themselves
That’s it for now. So remember, there are plenty of fun things to do in Connecticut and some are even low cost or free so enjoy!
I can’t believe that I am already into my 7th year of clean eating! MacMillan Dictionary defines clean eating as “a diet that is based on eating whole foods and avoiding processed and refined foods.” If you were to tell me even 10 years ago that eating clean would be a way of life for me today I would’ve called you crazy (smile)…
Backstory: In June of 2011, I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer so (post-surgery and during chemotherapy) I started my journey of clean eating. I have to admit that it has not always been “easy breezy” and, as a matter of fact, it has sometimes been a real struggle because it takes both time and effort to think and eat clean…
Also, I work on 100% commission in Media Ad Sales so I am on the road alot – that being said, I sometimes don’t have time to eat a healthy, clean lunch. The quick and easy option (junk food) is not only plentiful, but very appealing to the eyes. From time to time I give into those temptations…
And I have to admit that oftentimes when I am stressed I tend to go crazy in the “snacky” foods department…
Plus every now and then (mostly weekends) I’ll have bacon and eggs (not exactly clean eating) but certainly comfort food…
Late night eating is never a good thing but occasionally I can’t help myself and I give into those delicious satisfying cravings in the middle of the night…
Thank God for my daily workout regime at the Edge Fitness Club in Hamden, CT…
And that (God willing) there’s a tomorrow to start over with to try and eat clean, once again (smile).
Whether I am travelling to a new city or town, or just socializing in or around Greater New Haven, anyone who knows me knows I love me some sushi! And It doesn’t take long to get me in a “sushi mood” where I like to check out a new sushi restaurant. However, an old fave will get me every time (smile).
What I enjoy with my sushi is one or more of the following:
edamame with sea salt
miso soup
iceberg lettuce salad with ginger dressing
super hot green tea
And usually when I crave sushi it involves a date of some sort. Whether it’s me and my S.O., me and a client, me and one of my relatives, me and one of my good friends or me and a co-worker, a sushi day usually turns into a good sleeping night (smile).
So here are the sushi restaurants I have eaten in once, twice and some even more than three times. These are my faves,not necessarily everyone else’s faves…
For all-you-can-eat, I like Sushi Palace in Orange, CT. The sushi and sashimi is always fresh so it never tastes like it’s been sitting out all day…
Sushi Palace, Orange, CT
For specialty rolls, I prefer Dozo Asian Bistro and Sushi in the Westville section of New Haven, CT. The sushi looks as appetizing as it tastes plus it’s big, juicy and delish!
Dozo Asian Bistro & Sushi, Westville, CT
For those exotic looking specialty rolls, I like to go to Pink Basil in Mystic, CT. They never disappoint and the outdoor seating in the Summer is a big plus.
Pink Basil, Olde Mistick Village, Mystic, CT
Although pricey, the sushi rolls at the Summer Shack in the Mohegan Sun Casino are to die for.
Summer Shack, Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
Me and my S.O. spend alot of time in Lewes, DE, especially as the weather gets warmer. Last Summer we went to The Cultured Pearl in nearby Rehoboth Beach for the most delicious and colorful sushi in town. It’s expensive though, especially during “the Season.”
The Cultured Pearl, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
When my niece Dimitrica was traveling from North Carolina to Massachusetts for business last year, she stopped in Connecticut to visit me. She too is a fan of sushi so I couldn’t help but treat her to one of my local faves: Tokyo Sushi II in North Haven, CT. The interior may look like a pizza parlor but the sushi is out-of-this-world good!!!
Tokyo Sushi II, North Haven, CT
Social media is a great avenue for a new restaurant to post food pics and I must admit that Soga Sushi’s awesome food pics on FB got me there! It’s located right in North Haven, CT so me and my S.O. stopped in last weekend after a long day of running errands. The sushi did not disappoint and the complimentary tasty orange slices afterwards were a nice touch (smile).
Soga Sushi, North Haven, CT
Me and my S.O. recently went to see Office Hour at the Long Wharf Theater and afterwards headed to one of my super faves: Kumo New Haven where the sushi is always fresh, always good!
Kumo Sushi Hibachi, New Haven, CT
Me and my S.O. love to go to the movies any time of the year so we headed over to Iron Chef after a Saturday matinee at Holiday Stadium 10 Cinemas in Wallingford, CT. This restaurant was well recommended by a “sushi friend” and it truly was delish!
Iron Chef, Wallingford, CT
It’s no secret that Olde Mistick Village is one of my favorite shopping destinations in Southeastern Connecticut so when I’m down that way, Go Fish is one of my two fave sushi restaurant Go-To’s…
Go Fish, Olde Mistick Village, Mystic, CT
So whether you are stuck on Sushi like me, or just craving something uniqely different for lunch or dinner, Japanese is the way to go!
I am a super proud Colon Cancer Survivor(since August of 2011) so eating “clean” is an essential part of my life. I’m also Lactose Intolerant so I’m ever mindful of making the right food and beverage choices.
Here are just some of the products I find make it easier for me to lead a dairy-free life:
I eat cereal every morning so milk is a major part of my diet. Before I even realized I was Lactose Intolerant I had already made the switch from whole milk to 2% milk and then finally to 1% milk so switching over to Almond Breeze Almondmilk (Original and Unsweetened) suits me just fine.
I love love love cheese so I was super excited when I found out I could still have cheddar cheese, a personal fave, as well as any of the “hard” cheeses as they are easier to digest than the “soft” cheeses and therefore do not upset my stomach. For cheddar cheese, I prefer the CABOT brand…
When it comes to yogurt there are so many options today but I tend to gravitate towards Yoplait lactose free yogurtas it just tastes better than most of the other dairy-free brands flooding the market.
I used to love to slap a dollop of whipped creme on top of my pie or cake during the holidays. Instead of using whipped creme, try this simple recipe to make your own dairy -free version:
Use one can of full-fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen organic Coconut Milk is a good brand to use)
Plus one tablespoon of local honey for sweetener (optional)
Whisk the two ingredients together for up to 4 minutes and you’re good to go!
During the dog days of Summer (which is honestly the only time I think of ice cream) one of my fave dairy-free choices is Breyers Lactose Free Natural Vanilla as it’s simply delicious.
If you are a salad lover like me, scratch the heavy blue cheese or ranch dressings (or other milk-based dressings) and switch over to the lighter Balsamic Vinaigrette (Wish Bone makes a tasty version…)
And finally, I’m an avid snacker so I found that Hummus easily takes the place of creme (“soft”) cheese, its way better for you plus it tastes good too! Sabra Classic Hummus (or its many equally delicious varieties)makes a healthy satisfying dip whether you’re snacking on raw veggies, crackers, pretzels, and/or baked chips. Yummy!
So whether you are Lactose intolerant or not, Bon Appetit!
Today is Friday, September 22nd, or as my good friend and News 8 Chief Meteorologist Gil Simmons would say, it is the “Autumnal Equinox.” Fancy! And really just another way of saying Fall (smile). Fall in Connecticut means it’s that time when folks can truly enjoy festivals, fairs, carnivals and outdoor expos.
Speaking of festivals, on Saturday, September 16th I had the distinct pleasure of attending the 10th annual Garlic Festival at Olde Mistick Village in Mystic, CT.
Free admission and free parking so I expected it was going to be crazy busy and I was so-ooooooo right…
I must admit I’ve always had a fondness for Mystic…you see I grew up in Groton, CT (right next door to Mystic) so I spent a lot of time in that town (especially while in high school) visiting friends, eating Mystic Pizza, working after school at the ABC Film Lab, hanging out at “The Village,” as we called Olde Mistick Village back in the day, walking downtown during the annual Mystic Arts and Crafts Fair, chilling out at the marina, visiting the Seaport, watching my sister Casandra conduct tours during her kick a– Summer job at the Mystic Aquarium, etc…
So I was looking forward to spending time at The Village once again, albeit now through the eyes of my middle-aged self…
On that particular Saturday, as luck would have it, the weather was sunny and delightful – – perfect for walking around and enjoying the sights and sounds.
Folks (couples, singles, families, dogs, and babies) came from all over Connecticut and beyond.
One of the first things I did was head over to the duck pond. I was not disappointed…
Love seeing the ducks!
Especially when they dive underwater!
Sampled the wide varieties of olive oil and artisanal honey at Sticky Situations, which was jam-packed with folk!
Bought a souvenir gift from Sophia’s Magical Christmas Shop.
Hung out at Franklin’s General Store for free samples of delish fudge and the experience of a trip back in time…
Spent time at Garden Store Specialties to check out the whimsical gifts for the lawn and garden.
Even made time for lunch with my client Joyce at my new fave, Pink Basil…delish!
Enjoyed a ‘cold one’ at Jealous Monk, a social hall and beer garden.
Garlic galore!
You don’t even need to like the taste of garlic to attend this annual festival as there is truly something for everyone. There’s live entertainment, farm fresh goodies, specialty food carts, vendors, crafters, artists and even authors. And it all takes place at the coolest Village in Connecticut!
