JANUARY 2017
New year, fit family!
ONE PAN MEALS Yummy recipes with less mess to clean up
some helpful information for your family
family
FYI
Should auld acquaintance be forgot —
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account than I think I do and I still have checks left, What about auld New Year’s resolutions? Would it B er g a m o- M re n oo be so terrible if I “forgot” to make any? so I’ve got that going for me, but yet — Resolution a K Two - Fail. Coming off the whirlwind that is December, is it fair to ask people to evaluate their lives, list their Get rid of clutter. I have a 12-year-old son in the house. This shall not be accomplished in any shortcomings and create a list of self-improvement way, shape or form until I have a 21-year-old son which inevitably only makes them feel worse? I have lost track of the number of resolutions living on his own. Resolution Three— Fail. Organize my life. While not Cozi-esque, I will I’ve made over the years, but I know they fall in six basic categories. give myself credit for keeping home and work A appointments relatively straight. And I do know 1. Stop procrastinating. mo e v ther i t where my unbalanced checkbook is. That hast to 2. Save and manage finances using any of the c ’s perspe millions of methods found online. count for something. Resolution Four - Semi-Unfail. 3. Stop and Smell the Roses (and also plant some roses to Spend more time with family and friends. I’d love to say I take long weekends to reconnect with friends, but I don’t. I smell). do make an effort to keep in touch and if schedules allow get 4. Get rid of clutter. together for an afternoon of sidesplitting laughter with friends I 5. Organize my life in such a way as to make a Cozi app am the first one to show up. My floors may be dirty and there’s look like a hot mess. probably an inch of dust on the bookshelves, but if that’s the price 6. Spend more time with family and friends. How have I done over the years? Well, this column is due on of choosing going to a movie with my family so be it. Out of the six resolutions there’s only one that really matters the seventh of the month. The day it is typically written? The sixth. and if I succeed at that one - spending more time with family and Resolution One - Fail. Save and manage money? I haven’t balanced a checkbook friends - then the other five will take care of themselves or at least since 1994, but my online banking says I have more in my be waiting for me next year.
JANUARY 2017 SYRACUSE PARENT
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meals in minutes
fast and easy meals to get your family to the table on time
ONE PAN MEALS= risotto
Ingredients 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 shallot, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 1/2 c. arborio rice 3/4 c. white wine salt and pepper
Directions
Asian beef stew Ingredients
2 lbs cubed stew meat 2 Tbsp each, flour and peanut or vegetable oil 2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped 4 chopped shallots 4 chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste 4 peeled, chopped carrots
Drumsticks & potatoes
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and stir until softened. Add rice and stir 2 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook until liquid is absorbed, one to two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add one cup stock at 4 cups chicken a time and cook, stirring until absorbed, stock, divided five to six minutes each time. Add corn 2 cups corn and cook, stirring occasionally, five to 2 cups diced ham 1 cup white cheddar seven minutes. Stir in ham and cook until warmed through. Remove from heat and cheese, grated stir in cheese until melted. Stir in chives. 1/4 cup sliced Season with salt and pepper. chives
2 cups beef stock 1lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Marinade: 1 tsp Chinese
five spice powder; 1 tsp ground pepper; 3 minced garlic cloves; 2 Tbsp soy sauce; 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar; 1 tsp basil
Directions
Ingredients
8 chicken drumsticks 6 large potatoes, quartered 6 carrots, cut into pieces Salt and pepper 5 cloves crushed garlic 1/ 2 tsp paprika 4 Tbsp olive oil.
Directions
Combine beef, flour, marinade mix in a bowl. Marinate for one hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat oil in casserole dish; brown beef over medium low; add shallots, tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots and stock and simmer about 10 minutes. Cover and transfer to oven. Add squash after an hour and stir. Return to the oven for 45 minutes or until meat is very tender.
Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken, potatoes and carrots in a roasting pan and sprinkle with salt, ground pepper and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss everything to coat. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. When the potatoes and chicken drums are soft and easily pierced with the fork they are ready. To make brown and crispy, turn the broil setting on the oven and broil for 5 minutes, monitoring carefully so drumsticks and potatoes don’t burn.
BLESSED SACRAMENT SCHOOL
3 year olds through 6th grade Elementary School Accredited by the Middle States Commission
Our Open House is 2/1 from 6:00-7:30pm Offering Faith, Knowledge, Discipline, Morals, and Dividends for Life since 1931. Providing your child with academic excellence in a positive and personal environment!
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what’s inside
contents
from the editor 6 In search of my new go-to recipe.
meals in minutes 4 One pan meals = less cleanup.
learning curve 3 Should auld acquaintance be forgot-
healthy family 10 New year, fit family!
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11 LabLearner comes to St. Margaret’s. WANDERERS’ REST HUMANE ASSOCIATION
Now Offering Humane Education for all Youth Groups! • In-School Classroom Visits Accompanied by a Pet • In- Shelter Tours and Youth Donation Projects • Civic Groups and Merit Badge Programs • Creative Projects Offered for Groups - Ask us for details!
calendar 8 What’s happening around you
WRHA’s School Visits seen here with “Manny” a shelter dog!
For more information call: Joanne Cronan-Hamoy, Humane Educator Call (315) 697-2796 x. 102 or E-mail: wrhaprograms@aol.com
7138 Sutherland Dr. PO Box 535 Canastota, NY 13032
(315) 697-2796
www.WanderersRest.org
CORPORATE PARTNER
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Here’s to your health: “Terrific Trail Mix” recipe, page 10.
humane association JANUARY 2017 SYRACUSE PARENT
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from the editor
In search of my new ‘go-to’ recipe This holiday I participated in a cookie exchange with freinds. What a great idea! Although I had to make 11 dozen cookies to give to the 11 others who were particpating, it was well worth the toil - we all got together to swap cookies and “Happy Holidays” while enjoying some snacks and refreshments. As usual, I baked my no-fail, tried-and-true peanut Jennifer Wing butter blossom cookies. I am no master baker so, Editor whatever I make, it has to be easy. I can’t take all the credit for the cookies, however. The kids and my husband helped immensely by taking the wrappers off of the 100-plus chocolate kisses and forming the dough into balls for baking. Now that the season is over and we’re all looking to the new year, I think I might actually be willing to try a new recipe. I probably should do a trial run first, but this recipe (see below) seems pretty simple to me, and could be added to my lineup this year. If anyone has any suggestions for easy cookie recipes to try, I’d certainly welcome them. I’ll also make sure to give an update on how my “new” go-to recipe works out.
Peppermint bars
publisher
David B. Tyler 434-8889 ext. 302 dtyler@eaglenewsonline.com
editor
Jennifer Wing 434-8889 ext. 340 jwing@eaglenewsonline.com
ad sales
Linda Jabbour 434-8889 ext. 304 ljabbour@eaglenewsonline.com
business manager
Luba Demkiv
434-8889 ext. 303 ldemkiv@eaglenewsonline.com
circulation manager
Lori Newcomb
434-8889 ext. 333 lnewcomb@eaglenewsonline.com
Ingredients
creative director
1 package (family-size) fudge brownie mix 5 cups confectioners’ sugar 14 Tbsp butter, melted 2 Tbsp heavy cream 1 tsp peppermint extract 12 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped 1 stick butter Crushed peppermint candies
Sean Haney
434-8889 ext. 331 art@eaglenewsonline.com
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package. Spread in greased foil-lined baking pan. Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool. Filling: beat confectioners’ sugar, 14 Tbsp melted butter, cream and peppermint extract in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended and smooth. Spread evenly over cooled brownie. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Glaze: Microwave chocolate and stick of butter in large bowl for two minutes. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Spread over top of chilled brownie. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies; cut into bars. source: mccormick.com.
Jennifer Wing can be reached at jwing@eaglenewsonline.com.
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SYRACUSE PARENT JANUARY 2017
We want your news! Contributions can be sent to Jen Wing, Editor, Syracuse Parent Magazine, 2501 James Street, Suite 100 Syracuse, New York 13206. Original contributions become the property of Syracuse Parent Magazine. Contributions cannot be acknowledged or returned. To contact us please call 315.434.8889, or fax 315.434.8883 Syracuse Parent Magazine is a unit of Community Media Group LLC. Published monthly. Deadline for advertising and calendar events is the 10th day of the month preceding publication. Display advertising rates available upon request. Syracuse Parent Magazine reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason. We do not guarantee any of the information, services, or products published in this or any issue. The opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this paper. Copyright © 2008 by Syracuse Parent Magazine. No portion of Syracuse Parent Magazine may be reproduced without permission from the editor.
At St. Margaret’s School, our foundation is built on:
Visit us a StMargaretSchoolNY.org for more information, or call to arrage a personal tour with our principal, Mrs. Hopkins 201 Roxboro Road, Mattydale, NY 13211 315-455-5791
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A Safe Environment: Not only do we have an exceptional nurse on staff, but all faculty and staff members are CPR and First Aid certified. Advanced Technology: Each classroom is equipped with iPad and Brightlinks technology, offering our students an exciting and engaging way to learn. Faith-Based Education: We pride ourselves in teaching as Jesus did, using Christian principles throughout each and every lesson. Academic Excellence: With our Spanish curriculum beginning as early as age 3, we believe it’s never too early to introduce a new language into our children’s everyday lives.
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Offering Babies, Mixed Ages, and Big Kids classes
JANUARY 2017 SYRACUSE PARENT
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calendar
here is what’s happening around you
Sunday, Jan. 1 First Day Hike
Noon, Green Lakes State Park, Fayetteville; 637-6111. Meet at the Boathouse for a three-mile hike that will take you around Green and Round Lake. If snow is on the ground you may bring snowshoes. Registration is required .
Jan 1-8
2016 Lights on the Lake 5-10 p.m., Onondaga Lake Park, Liverpool; lightsonthelake.com. The two-mile-long drive through features light displays and animated scenes. Admission varies.
31st Annual Gingerbread Gallery Hours vary; see eriecanalmuseum. org for details, Erie Canal Museum, 318 Erie Blvd E • Syracuse. An exhibit with dozens of imaginative creations by families, individuals and professional bakers using a variety of edibles. Admission varies.
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“Mary Poppins” Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Showtimes vary, visit syracusestage.org. The beloved family musical is an enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers and astonishing stage magic. Jan. 7 show is the
first sensory friendly live production with special accommodations and specially trained ushers, staff and volunteers. Tickets for this show can only be purchased in person at the Box Office or by phone, 443-3275.
Jan. 2–Feb. 28
Snow Leopard Days Rosamond Gifford Zoo, 1 Conservation Place, Syracuse; rosamondgiffordzoo.org. Zoo goers will enjoy half price admission.
Saturday, Jan. 7
Snowshoe Hike and Bonfire 6 p.m., Beaver Lake
SYRACUSE PARENT JANUARY 2017
Friday, Jan. 13
Nature Center, Baldwinsville; onondagacountyparks.com. Advance registration required. Snowshoe through the snowy forest and field. Watch for deer and rabbits. Listen for the hoot of a distant Barred owl. Join a guide for a snowshoe trek along the Southern Exposure trail. Upon returning sit by a warm bonfire and sip hot chocolate. A great event for the whole family. Cost: $5 per person.
5:30 to 7:30 p.m,, the MOST, 500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse. Staff turns down the noise, turns off flashing lights and shuts off the air compressors so people with sensory processing challenges can enjoy the museum. The museum also offers quiet areas where participants can sit, relax, and regroup. For more information and prices, visit most.org.
Thursday, Jan. 12
Jan. 13 - March 3
Trail Tales
1 p.m., Beaver Lake Nature Center, Baldwinsville; onondagacountyparks. com. Perfect for pre-school aged children (3-5 years old), accompanied by an adult. A naturalist will first read two stories to the children and then lead the group out on a hike themed to match the stories. Free with nature center admission.
Sensory Friendly Time
See The Best of Teen Art Weekdays 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., through March 3 (Closed Jan. 16 for MLK Day), Whitney Applied Technology Center, Onondaga Community College, 4585 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. Featuring winners of CNY Scholastic Art Awards. See over 1,000 award-winning artworks by CNY junior and senior high students. Free.
here is what’s happening around you
Monday, Jan. 16
Saturday, Jan. 21
10 a.m.-5 p.m., the MOST, 500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse. Planetarium shows and extra hands-on activities; see calendar of events at most.org for details. Hands-on activities are free with exhibit admission.
Crunch Hockey
9:30-11 a.m., the MOST, 500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse; most.org. Sara Velardi, a PhD candidate in Environmental and Natural Resources Policy at SUNY College of Environmental Sciences, will lead a discussion about genetically modified organisms. Talks are aimed at middle school students, who must be accompanied by a parent or adult. After the event, students and their parents are invited to tour the MOST’s exhibits for free. The event is sponsored by the Technology Alliance of Central New York. A light breakfast is served before the event. Free, but RSVP to jrcafe@tacny.org with number of people.
7 p.m., Friday vs. Wilkes Barre/ Scranton Penquins; Saturday vs. Utica Comets; The Oncenter War Memorial Arena, 515 Montgomery St., Syracuse. Ticket prices vary; syracusecrunch.com.
8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the MOST, 500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse; most.org. Open to all VEX IQ teams in Central
Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the MOST
Crunch Hockey vs. Wilks Barre/Scranton Penguins 1 p.m., The Oncenter War Memorial Arena, 515 Montgomery St., Syracuse. Ticket prices vary; syracusecrunch.com.
Friday-Sa, Jan 20-21
TACNY Junior Café Scientifique
CNY Regional VEX IQ Robotics Competition
New York. Teams of students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, will build a robot to solve an engineering challenge presented in the form of a game. Snow date is Sunday, Jan. 22. There is a $25 team registration fee, but teams from the Syracuse City School District can apply for a waiver. For more information, contact Peter Plumley at pplumley@ most.org or 425-9068 ext. 2163.
Thursday, Jan. 26 Trail Tales
1 p.m., Beaver Lake Nature Center, Baldwinsville; onondagacountyparks.com. Perfect for pre-school aged children (3-5 years old), accompanied by an adult. A naturalist will read stories to the children and then lead a hike themed to match the stories. Free with nature center admission.
Sunday, Jan 29
Music of the Masters 2:30-4:30 p.m., St. Paul’s
calendar
Episcopal Cathedral, 310 Montgomery St., Syracuse; experiencesymphoria.org. Ticket prices vary; 18 and under free.
Friday, Feb. 3
Silver Knights vs Milwaukee Wave 7:30 p.m., The Oncenter War Memorial Arena, 515 Montgomery St., Syracuse; syracusesilverknights. com. Great professional indoor soccer for the whole family to watch. Ticket prices vary.
Saturday, Feb. 4
Symphoria Kids II: Wild Things 10:30-11:30 a.m., Inspiration Hall, 709 James St., Syracuse; experiencesymphoria.org. Explore the stories, sights, and sounds of animals and other wild things with this program that is specially created for children under age six. Ticket prices vary; 18 and under free.
JANUARY 2017 SYRACUSE PARENT
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healthy family
tips and ideas for keeping your family fast, fit, and feeling great
New year, fit family! By Heather Polcaro, RDN The New Year is upon us and most likely one of your family’s resolution was to be healthier. Well, to achieve this vision and become healthier, you and your family will need to eat better food choices, watch portion sizes and be active. Better efforts to incorporate daily activity into our lives can help manage and/or lose unwanted weight, increase our energy levels and improve sleep, these are just some of the fantastic benefits to activity. So, get started by picking some ideas from these 50 listed and try to do them weekly all year long for 2017! 1. Go for a brisk walk-daily. 2. Commercials: do jumping jacks. 3. Go cross-country skiing. 4. Go Snowshoeing. 5. Go ice skating-indoor or out. 6. Go swimming at an indoor pool. 7. Ride a bike (wear a helmet.)
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8. Jump rope during commercials. 9. Join a sports team. 10. Carry groceries. 11. Rake leaves. 12. Shovel snow. 13. Play tennis. 14. Wash the car. 15. Mow the lawn. 16. Go hiking. 17. Try dancing. 18. Take a Zumba class. 19. Walk the dog. 20. Play catch. 21. Run in place at commercials. 22. Walk the mall. 23. So sledding. 24. Plant a garden. 25. Take a yoga class. 26. Play Frisbee. 27. Take a boxing class. 28. Learn karate. 29. Go rollerblading. 30. Swim laps. 31. Walk around a park or zoo. 32. Train for a marathon. 33. Take the stairs.
SYRACUSE PARENT JANUARY 2017
34. Row a boat. 35. Stretch during commercials. 36. Learn tai-chi. 37. Learn how to kickbox. 38. Go kayaking or canoeing. 39. Play the Wii sports. 40. Do a program on FitTv. 41. Try an exercise video. 42. Go bowling. 43. Lift light weights at commercials. 44. Try an exercise ball. 45. Bounce on a trampoline. 46. Go fly fishing. 47. Vacuum the house. 48. Play hopscotch. 49. Play an instrument. 50. Weed the garden. Whatever, you and your family choose- make sure to have a fun, fit and fantastic year. Heather Polcaro is a registered dietitian nutritionist at SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Terrific Trail Mix
A great after-exercise snack!
Ingredients:
1 cup combination diced dried fruit, such as prunes, apricots, pears and apples 1/2 cup raisins and/or dried cherries or cranberries 1 1/2 cups unsalted sunflower seeds 1 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (or honey-roasted peanuts, chopped walnuts or unsalted almonds)
Directions:
Mix in a bowl all ingredients-portion into snack bags and enjoy! Nutrition facts: Calories 96 (Serving=1/4 cup); Fat 4.6 gm - mostly healthy fat poly/mono-unsaturated; Carbohydrates 13.2 gm; Fiber 2.4 gm; Protein 2.6 gm. References: Allrecipes.com, Learningexpress.com
learning curve
LabLearner comes to St. Margaret’s Young scientists at St. Margaret’s School in Mattydale now have a new space in which to experiment and learn with the completion of a hands-on laboratory, part of the school’s new science program. LabLearner, an “all-in-one” science program, provides a whole-school curriculum, a hands-on laboratory, and ongoing training and support for teachers. Founded in 1996, LabLearner is used in hundreds of schools around the country and has a curriculum focused on core scientific concepts, using a “spiraling” model to teach, revisit and build on students’ understanding of the concepts from year to year. “Science is not just a body of knowledge, it’s also a skill set,” company President Keith Verner said. “You can have all
the information in your head, but if you don’t know how to translate it with the tools and equipment of science, it’s meaningless in the end. So we teach kids how to use the real tools of science.” LabLearner supplies all the materials for the lab, from lesson plans to tables to microscopes — and even some crisp, white lab coats. This year, students from kindergarten through sixth
grade will spend time in the lab once a week. “As a teacher I’ve always loved science, but there are a few obstacles to teachers doing science in the rooms,” said St. Margret’s Principal Amanda Hopkins. “For example, [in a typical classroom] you don’t have the space to set up an experiment and then leave it because you need that same table for reading group.”
Is Your Medicine Cabinet Safe? The majority of teens are getting them from the medicine cabinets of family and friends
1 in 5 teen report abusing prescription drugs Talk with your kids about the safe use and risk of prescription drugs and OTC medicines.
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