A Memorable Mother’s Day

By

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April 23, 2024

Every year as Mother’s Day approaches, I’m giddy with excitement to celebrate my mom. Gifts often seem mediocre, no matter how extravagant they may be. The one thing I am sure of is that a good meal provides the perfect way to start the day.

If you’re choosing to cook at home for mom, my go-to spread is brunch. Think local bagels from Country Hot in Northport, wild lox, homemade herbed cream cheese, thinly sliced red onion, tomatoes, and capers. Serve with passion fruit mimosas or spicy Bloody Mary’s for a kick. Presentation is equally important, so check your favorite food blogs for a surplus of visual tips. If you’re in the mood to serve up something hot, I recommend Challah French Toast with fresh berries and mascarpone, with a side of chicken sausage, or a homemade sweet potato and chorizo hash, served with eggs. Poached eggs are a bit more difficult to master, but they certainly dress up any entrée.

Whether your mom enjoys breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner – the day is likely to book up quickly, so make your reservations (or start planning your meal) before it’s too late!

Lucky for me, my mom is low-maintenance. She enjoys fresh, local food preferably with large quantities of vegetables. The matriarch of my family is a runner and avid CrossFitter. She also works locally as a registered nurse. She enjoys her eggs every morning, and salads each evening. On the *very* rare occasion she goes out for a meal, she will usually pick Thai food. My recommendations for her are usually Sawasdee Thai, Lemonleaf, Raan Thai or Sawadee Thai Fusion (our local staple). Although my mom may be the exception to the rule, I am sure there are plenty of moms out there who enjoy a healthy meal as well.

My other favorite, local healthier spots include Wild Side Bistro, Lota Veco, The Purple Elephant, Tula Kitchen, Rustic Root, and Tiger Lily Café.

If your mom is a foodie, and looking for a good ‘cheat meal’, I recommend Thyme, Salumi, Love Lane Kitchen, The Shed in Sayville, and/or One10. For something a bit more upscale, try Bijou, Jonathan’s or Sage Bistro. Check your neighborhood favorites for Mother’s Day menus, and specials.

Whether you’re dining out or in, make sure you put some thought into Mother’s Day this year. Make a reservation in advance (or aim to prepare/cook an unforgettable spread), and bring along a local bouquet of flowers. After all, our moms have supported us, fed us, and showed up for us…365 days a year.

Long Island Springtime Festivities

By

Kathy Schlegelmilch, CPT

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April 23, 2024

2024 Jones Beach Air Show
U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Sat May 25th/ Sun May 26th 10 am – 3 pm
Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Bethpage Air Show! 2024 Bethpage Air Show Mobile App: Text ‘Airshow’ to 516-842-4400 to download the app today for performer and sponsor information, a site map and helpful FAQs to prepare you for the show, and more to come! Available now on the App Store and Google Play.

Eisenhower Park Craft Fair
At Eisenhower Park Field 8
Sat May 11 – Sun May 12 10 am- 5 pm
Spend the day shopping with the family! Pick up a gift for Mom!
Features over 75 vendors, food court, entertainment and more!

Huntington Waterfront Festival & Craft Fair
Mill Dam Park, Mill Dam Road, Huntington
Sun May 19th 10 am – 4 pm
There will be a variety of booths featuring professional artists, photography, handmade crafts, jewelry, clothing, antiques, gift items, recreational equipment, boats, boating supplies and more. Enjoy locally crafted brew at the beer tent and indulge in the food truck cuisines. Live bands. One of Long Islands’ top festivals.

Bethpage Street Fair
336 Broadway, Bethpage
Sun May 19th 10 am – 5 pm
Features over 100 vendors, food court, entertainment and more!Mother’s Day Festival

Harbes Family Farm -Mattituck
715 Sound Ave, Mattituck, NY
May 11th 10 am – 6 pm
Spend the day with Mom! As a special gift for Mom, Harbes Family Farm is offering FREE admission for Moms to Harbes Barnyard Adventure all weekend long! The Barnyard Adventure is an 8-acre, family friendly experience for all age and a great place for quality time with Mom and Grandma! Free Live Music in the courtyard/picnic area both days from 1 pm-5 pm! There will be great food and drinks including roasted corn, delicious tomato/mozzarella paninis, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and of course, Harbes signature apple cider donuts.

Immune Support for Chronic Illness

By

Dr. Dawn Siglain

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April 23, 2024

Nature has all of the answers and is a mighty force when it comes to immune support. Chronic illness can be traced back to immune dysregulation- whether it is from inflammation, deficiencies, toxic exposure, stress, poor nutrition, or lack of exercise – just to name a few. When you give the body the nutrients that it needs, you can just watch the body’s vitality get restored. Some call it a miracle, I call it nature doing its work. That is why I practice Naturopathic Medicine.

I am constantly reminded to go back to basics with my patients. Most of our immune system resides in our gut. This is why microbiome testing plays such a significant role for healing in my practice. Testing for immune markers in our stool is extremely helpful. Gut health issues are an obvious reason for stool testing, but also skin issues are a red flag that someone’s microbiome needs treatment. Remember, our skin is our largest organ. Whatever is going on within us will navigate to find its way out of us.

Healing may also just be a matter of nutrient deficiencies. Testing is key when it comes to proper supplementation. Vitamin A, C, D and Zinc are my favorite go-tos for immune support. Supplements are the wild wild west and people are being prescribed the wrong dosages and even worse the bottles they are purchasing are doing more harm than good. Vitamins A and D are fat soluble and if someone is taking too high of a dose it can become toxic and overload your liver. There are many different forms of zinc, so make sure to get the kind your body will absorb. If someone is acutely sick, I do the zinc tally tests in my office to find out if someone needs it. Vitamin C is such a wonderful antioxidant that our bodies desperately need when we are sick and it is plentiful in citrus and cruciferous vegetables.

It’s important to re-test labwork to make sure you are absorbing your supplements. IV therapy is another way to get nutrients if you are suffering from malabsorption and it is offered in my office. High dose vitamin C can be very effective for chronic illness. Plus, I consult with our in-office IV therapist to give specific recommendations that my patients need based on labwork. Again, anyone can get IV therapy – but are you getting the vitamins and minerals your body actually needs?

Chronic illness such as Lyme disease, Epstein Barr Virus, Long COVID, Autoimmune Disease and much more take away one’s quality of life. Why turn to harsh medications with side effects without laying the foundation with proper vitamins and minerals first? Antimicrobials are extremely effective against infections and there are so many natural options without side effects. There are tons of natural antiviral support including high dose Vitamin A. Don’t treat a virus with an antibiotic – makes no sense.

When you lay the foundation of health with nutrition and proper supplementation you are setting yourself up with a great means of defense against chronic illness. If you already suffer from chronic illness, take action sooner than later to find help. Let’s get back to basics, back to nature and back to restoring health!

Baking Coach: Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies

By

Lisa Basini

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April 23, 2024

Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies

Yield: 18 cookies

Here is what you need:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice.
1-2 drops pink food dye
Garnish: 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Here is how you do it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; set aside.

Using a hand-mixer or rubber spatula, beat butter with sugar, lemon zest, egg yolk, and extract. Slowly add in flour mixture and mix until it forms a dough.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared pans two inches apart. Using your thumb, create a dimple to hold the glaze in the center of each cookie. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden- brown. If centers become puffy, use the back of a wooden spoon or a teaspoon to compress the center of the cookie.

While the cookies are cooling, mix together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and pink color. Spoon glaze into the center of each cookie and allow icing to set 1 to 2 hours before serving. Store cookies in fridge in an airtight container after frosting sets. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Home & Garden: Top Trends for 2024-Part 2

By

Natalie Weinstein

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April 23, 2024

As a designer who has been concerned about the health and wellness of my clients, as well as their design needs, I have seen many additions to the designers’ arsenal of tools to create a safe and healthier home over the years. Thanks to modern technology and the development of technical devices, designers as well as homeowners, have the advantage of many more choices in product selection and services.

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) study of the 2024 “trends” has discovered that consumers today will spend more on health and wellness products than ever before. So let’s examine some of today’s areas of attention:

Bedrooms now have more bedside tables wired for storing and charging electronics at night for a more restful, uninterrupted sleep.
Window treatments can be set to remotely accommodate the circadian cycle of day and night.
Many bathroom renovations are now including steam showers and saunas for relaxation and stress release.
Today’s technology (AI) is being implemented in kitchen design as appliance manufactures are enhancing them to reduce waste and conserve resources.
AI has also improved aging in place, water and energy conservation, air quality and leak detection, among other things.

It’s clearly a new world in the design world where health and wellness have taken center stage as we learn and understand how the health of our home environment affects the health of our planet.

To that end, the green initiative that is being highlighted in our own town of St. James will be discussed at length on Friday, May 3rd at the former Calderone Theatre which will soon be going green during a renovation overseen by Frank Dalene, noted builder and expert in decarbonizing the world. His guest will be Neil Rosen, architect, member of the US Green Building Alliance and LEED certified expert for Northwell Health. Anyone who cares about the environment and their own personal environment will not want to miss this event. It will be a unique learning experience for all of us.

Family Features: Orange Juice Biscuits: Level Up Brunch Spreads with Natural Goodness

By

etweekmedia

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April 23, 2024

Orange Juice Biscuits

Here is what you need:

Orange Butter Sauce:

1 1/2 cups Florida Orange Juice
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Orange Biscuits:

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 cups bleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1 2/3 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup Florida Orange Juice

Here is how you do it:

To make orange butter sauce: Boil orange juice 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

To make orange biscuits: Preheat oven to 425° F. Use fingers to rub sugar and zest together until sugar is moistened and looks like wet sand.

In large bowl, whisk orange sugar, 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Using two forks or pastry blender, cut in shortening to size of small peas.

Combine milk and orange juice then stir into flour mixture to make sticky dough.

Turn out dough onto well-floured work surface. Sprinkle top with flour and knead about six times while folding dough over in half and using more flour as needed.

Pat dough out to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with round cutter by dipping cutter in flour then pressing into dough. Do not turn cutter while pressing. Place biscuits close together but not touching on baking sheet.

Gather dough scraps and fold 2-3 times, pat out again and cut biscuits. Repeat until dough is used.

Brush tops with orange butter sauce. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature with remaining sauce.

#16963. Source: Florida Department of Citrus

Deep-sea Creeps: A Book Signing Event!

By

etweekmedia

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April 23, 2024

Deep-sea Creeps: A free author event with refreshments at…

The Next Chapter 204 New York Avenue, Huntington
Wednesday, May 15th at 7pm

New Yorker contributor and bad-boyfriend scholar Danielle Kraese will read from and discuss her newest humor book, “Deep-sea Creeps: A Field Guide to Terrible Ex-boyfriends (As Sea Creatures).”

Enjoy a glass of wine as she takes you on an expedition through some of the fishiest exes, like The Egomaniac, The Improv Star, and The Self-Proclaimed “Nice Guy.”

Anyone who purchases a copy of “Deep-sea Creeps” at The Next Chapter can have their book signed after the event.