HAPPY THANKSGIVING CAMBRIDGE, NY HAPPY THANKSGIVING CAMBRIDGE, NY

Cambridge Life 11/21/08 Cambridge Life 11/21/08

Winter has finally arrived and Thanksgiving is around the corner...so goes November in Cambridge, NY. I've been anxious to try the wood pellet stove I had installed in September, but the pellets I ordered in May have yet to arrive.


Anyone else having delivery issues?

I've been promised that the elusive pellets will be here sometime this week. I really want to see how the stove works and if it helps with my fuel bills. Several friends have told me they just love their stoves.




Me, I want the comfort of watching a fire as I work on my knitting. Speaking of knitting...I'm a beginner so any tips are always welcome. Now on to the next big thing, Thanksgiving.

I'll be going out of town for the week and probably will not be posting much to this blog. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all the readers of the Cambridge Buzz a very happy Thanksgiving. Look for our new feature "Where Can I Find That?" to start posting in time for your holiday shopping.

Enjoy!

Cambridge Cooks: Pumpkin Pie Cambridge Cooks: Pumpkin Pie

Photos: Debra Pearlman

Okay, Thanksgiving is a little over a week away and I'm already in a state of panic. No, I don't have to prepare a wonderful meal for 20, but I do have to eat a wonderful meal with all the trimmings I love and calories I can't afford. I'm a Weight Watcher and have vowed to stick to the program through all the temptation. So what am I going to do? Watch my portion sizes, stick to the veggies, and bring this holiday favorite so I can enjoy my pie and eat it too!


Photo from hungrygirl.com

WHAT YOU NEED:

For Crust:
2 cups Fiber One bran cereal (original)
1/4 cup light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown); melted & mixed with 1 oz. water
3 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated
1 tsp. cinnamon

For Filling:
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
One 12-oz. can evaporated fat-free milk
3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
Optional Topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip

WHAT YOU DO:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Combine crumbs with all other crust ingredients. Stir until mixed well. In an oven-safe 9-inch pie dish sprayed lightly with nonstick spray, evenly distribute mixture, using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crust. Press it into the edges and up along the sides of the dish. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Mix well. Pour mixture into pie crust. (Filling may be taller than the crust -- trust us, this is okay!) Bake pie in the oven for 45 minutes, and then remove it and allow to cool. Chill in the fridge for several hours (for best results, chill overnight). Cut into 8 slices, and if you like, top with Reddi-wip before serving! MAKES 8 SERVINGS


Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 133
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 236mg
Carbs: 28g
Fiber: 9g
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 6g

POINTS(r) value 2*

Cambridge Life 11/14/08 Cambridge Life 11/14/08

Last week I attended the Agricultural and Tourism Showcase at Christ the King Center. I found some wonderful shops and services that can be found right here in the Battenkill Valley. As I get ready for the holidays, I thought it would be good to start with a gift from me to me.

I love giving myself a spa day but usually travel down to my sister's in Maryland or indulge when out in California to have a true spa experience, but no more!
Erica and Sharon Butto opened The Spa Studio at 11 Broad Street, Glens Falls in 2006. This mother/daughter team have put together a wonderful full service spa right here in our area. They do more than the usual facial or mani/peddi (that's manicure and pedicure for the uninitiated).

Erica is a licensed massage therapist who provides everything from Craniosacral to Tandem Zen. You can enjoy a relaxing Sweedish massage or something more new age like this:

While at the Showcase, I picked up one of their lip balms and, let me tell you, my chapped lips feel great! So treat yourself to some downtime by calling The Spa Studio at 518.745.6909 or visit their website to download an Online Coupon for services. I'm thinking that after a day at the Lake George Outlets, a nice relaxing massage may just be the best holiday gift I get.

Cambridge Buzz Relaunches Strand Cambridge Buzz Relaunches Strand

Photo Compilation by: Pearl Productions LLC

Family coming from out of town and need to find ways to entertain their children? Want a perfect weekend get-away without going to a galaxy far, far away? Looking for a place to fix your car and still have transportation for the day? Or maybe you just need to find star anise for the recipe you just discovered…

The Towns and Villages of the Battenkill Valley and the Cambridge Buzz are going to try and help you answer theses questions and so much more. We will help guide you to find goods and services that may not be as easy to find-- we’re talking everything from oil changes to massage, gourmet food items to unique gift ideas.

TVOBV Logo designed by Over the Moon Graphics

Spending money shopping has more than an item’s sticker price attached to it. Gas prices are going up daily and our time is becoming scarcer and thus more valuable. When you figure this into the cost of running to the Mall, the savings they offer are not so impressive, if at all. But you can save your valuable time and our natural resource by shopping locally. This supports your friends and neighbors while keeping your tax dollars in Washington County. Maintaining strong and vibrant local economy is essential for the future and, most of all; you will enjoy your shopping experience, especially if you know where to look.

As we move into the holiday season we will create package suggestion for you, making your gift giving fabulous. We will seek out finds under $10, $20, $50 and $100 so that your gift giving is plentiful.

To get the ball rolling, we need to know what you are looking for.

Let’s start with a few simple questions:

1. What have you tried to shop for recently, but could not find locally or did not bother to look for? Be honest we want to help you and the merchants have what you both need a product and a buyer.
2. Is there someone you need to shop for, but don’t know where to begin or what they may like? Send us a query and we will help solve your dilemma.
3. What services have you looked for recently - plumber, electrician, handyman, massage, mailing, etc? Need a recommendation? Ask Where Can I Find That on the Cambridge Buzz Blog (www.cambridgebuzz.blogspot.com)
4. Is there a product or service you wish you could find in the Battenkill Valley? Ask Where Can I Find That (www.cambridgebuzz.blogspot.com) and we will let local merchants know what consumers are looking for.
Questions can be posted as a comment on the Where Can I Find That? entry on the Cambridge Buzz or send in an email to tvobv@nycap.rr.com. Keep checking in on the Cambridge Buzz for answers and ideas. We promise to point you in the right direction.

Each week on the Blog we will feature local merchants or services. You will be able to start an interactive dialog with the purveyor or said services by posting questions on the Blog. They will answer your question and help you find what you are looking for.

Our goal is to help you shop locally for the goods, services, and gifts you need. This process may also bring to you the goods, services and gifts that are not here. Who knows, you may discover lost treasures right in your own backyard.

Cambridge Life 11/6/08 Cambridge Life 11/6/08

Photos by John Carlson and June Mohan

I'm sitting in the Welcome Center of Christ the King in Easton. We are about to start the Regional Agricultural and Tourism Showcase. Merchants and businesses from all around the region are here for you to get to know. The show opens at 3:00 pm today only and runs until 6:00 pm.

West Village Market has a table set-up with all sorts of yummy treats.
Bela Vino @ the Mansion is here with their wonderful gift ideas and wine/beer making supplies
Over the Moon Graphics is on hand to show their talents.

Other Cambridge based business represented today are:

Battenkill Valley Outdoora
Cambridge Buzz Blog
Cambridge Valley Chamber of Commerce
Farm to Chef Inc.
Glens Falls National Bank
Pearl Productions LLC
Rice Mansion Inn
The Cambridge Hotel & Restaurant
The Towns and Villages of the Battenkill Valley
Village Store Co-op

And you thought Cambridge was a sleepy little town...Come out and meet your neighbors. Salem, Greenwich, Saratoga Springs, Argyle, Silver Bay, Granville. Queensberry, Lake George, Glens Falls, Fort Edward, Crown Point, Eagle Bridge, and many other area towns and villages are here.

ELECTION DAY 2008 ELECTION DAY 2008

Exercise your right to choose by voting in every election.

Cambridge Life 11/2/08: Going Green Cambridge Life 11/2/08: Going Green

Photos by John Carlson and June Mohan

As we move closer to winter's long nights and short days, I thought it might be a good time to work on greening my life style. What could I do to not only minimize my own carbon footprint on the planet, but also to save money in these uncertain economic times.

Photos from Living With Ed

You may recognize Ed Bagley Jr. from his many television and film roles, but what I know him from is his television show Living With Ed. For more than 30 years Ed Bagley has been living the green life, and turning his own home and lifestyle into a statement for low impact living. Being an actor, he also turned his passion for conservation into a wonderfully informative and funny television show. Anyway, I wanted to find some good tips on what I could do to conserve energy in my own home. What goes beyond lowering my thermostat (already kept at 60 degrees) and making sure my windows are well insulated?

Visit Fixing the Planet

I found a wealth of information on Fixing the Planet's website. Started by Ed Bagley Jr., this website has loads of information, discussions, forums, and links to help you green up your life. What I like about this site is that there's something for every pocketbook, from installing solar panels to how to turn old household items into useful objects once again.

Being a farm community, we're in a great place to go green. So think about what you can do to help in the greening of Cambridge.