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Cooking With Rachael March Menu Mania

Bloominghill Springs Forth With Outstanding Collections

Brimming With Possibilities Center For Green Building

Wayne Ratzenberger photo Special Section to: The Valley Gazette

The Oxford Gazette

The Stratford Star

The Milford Mirror

The Amity Observer

The Trumbull Times

FairďŹ eld Sun

The Huntington Herald

The Monroe Courier

The Easton Courier

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BREN LANDSCAPING

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by Isabelle Ghaneh

Brighten up with color

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Dennis Leahy likes the outdoors. He likes trees, he likes plants and he likes fresh air. After spending 17 years in a corporate environment, Dennis changed his career and opened his own landscaping and masonry business six years ago. He was born and raised in Connecticut and is an alumnus of UConn. He lived in California as a developer of educational technology back in the mid-1980s. His gig out West lasted for over 12 years, and then he was sent to England for two years. “In one year I traveled 150 days for my company, and I was getting very tired of all the constant traveling and wanted to

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Bren continued on page 10

�� Jackie Perry, editor Bryan Haeffele, designer • Thomas B. Nash, publisher • For advertising information, call 203-926-2080

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MAY 2009

VOL III, ISSUE 5

Special Section to: The Valley Gazette, The Oxford Gazette, The Stratford Star, The Milford Mirror, The Amity Observer, The Trumbull Times, Fairﬁeld Sun, The Huntington Herald, The Monroe Courier, and The Easton Courier.

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Cooking with Rachael Contributed photos

Sara Mayer’s �� March Madness

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As Rachael watches, Sara tops off her Chick ‘N’ Ranch BBQ Crescent Squares.

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She submitted her Chic ’N’ Ranch BBQ Crescent Squares e-mail. Mulches & Fe Organic Soils,via Composts,

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asketball fans are familiar with the term March Madness. “I knew it was a good recipe, because That’s when basketball cham- the first time I made it, I placed it on pionship games are played the table, left the room to get someacross the country. Television thing, and when I returned there wasn’t talk-show host and 30-Minute a crumb left,” said the delighted cook. Food Network cook Rachael Ray caught More than 1,200 recipes were submitted the spirit of that March competition and for consideration. As the entries poured came up with the idea of March Menu in, Rachael’s staff started the elimination Bar Harbor Potting Soil Enriching Hemlock Mulch L processMulch and ultimately chose the top 16 Mania! 99 90 99 recipes the voting 1 cf bag 2 cfto bagsubmit 3 Mulches cfpublic. bag Organic Soils,toComposts, &F Her staff devised a contest to find the country’s top casual party recipe. When “I submitted my recipe for Chic ’N’ the contest was announced, e-mails and Ranch BBQ Crescent Squares one evephone calls started coming in to Sara ning, and the next day I got a call from Mayer of Trumbull. Not surprising, since Rachael Ray. At first I thought it was one most people who know Sara agree she’s of my friends fooling around. I mean, pretty darn good in the kitchen. After she said, ‘Hi, this is Rach,’ and I was receiving links to the contest and being stunned,” said Sara. She knew it was no joke when “Rach” put the show’s staff repeatedly prompted byPotting many Soil of her Enriching Bar Harbor Mulch Hemlock Mulch on the phone and Sara answered a lot of friends, the 28-year-old 99 looked through 90 99 Organic Soils, Composts, Mulches & was Fertilizers 1one cf bagthat 2 cf bag regarding the recipe. 3 cf bag their questions her recipes and found

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Chic ’N’ Ranch BBQ Crescent Squares Ingredients 2 tubes Pillsbury crescent rolls 1-1/2 cups hickory barbeque sauce 1 package ready-made chicken strips, chopped 6 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled 2 cups cheddar or colby jack cheese, shredded 1 cup ranch dressing 1 teaspoon chili powder An enthusiastic audience samples Sara’s second-place winning recipe.

“I have this habit of dipping my pizza crust in my salad dressing,” Sara explained. “One evening when I didn’t have dough for pizza, I used crescent rolls instead. I also decided to drizzle some ranch dressing over the chicken and bacon which I put on the pizza. It was an immediate hit at home.” Apparently, it was an immediate hit across America. Sara was informed that she was in the running, and her recipe was voted as one of the top 16 entries. “I was told that if I ended up in the top two, a television camera crew would come to Trumbull where I live with my parents and shoot me cooking in the kitchen and entertaining friends.” Sure enough, each week, Sara’s original recipe rose through the ranks from 16 to eight to four, and finally the cook-off between the top two contestants — one of whom was Sara. As promised, camera crews pulled into the driveway of Sara’s parents, Barbara and Paul Mayer. Both parents and two younger brothers were great support and enjoyed watching the whole process.

1 tablespoon scallions, chopped 1 sandwich-size re-sealable bag

“They videotaped me cooking in the kitchen with my mom. Then they had me change my clothes, so that it looked as if it were another day. That’s when I had a few of my friends over, and we were taped as if we were having a party.

Preparation Heat oven to 375˚F. Roll out the crescent rolls and place them on a cookie sheet. Pinch 2 sheets together in the middle to create 1 large dough. Bake 8-11 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and turn on broiler.

“Everything happened so quickly,” said Sara. When news spread about this young Trumbull cook, WTNH television invited her on the Connecticut Style show where she prepared her recipe. However, it was when she met Rachael Ray in New York that cooking on television took on a whole new dimension. “Rachael Ray is so nice,” said Sara, pointing out how quickly the celebrity made her feel comfortable. “I had my The Food Network crew ﬁlms Sara at home as own dressing room with my name on she puts together her March Mania entry. it! Before I knew what was happening I was rushed into the hair and make-up set of Rachael Ray pots and pans. The room. Then we did this coin toss, which talented cook is a corporate-event plandetermined that I would cook my recipe ner by day and jokes about her marital first.” status — “I’m still looking for my Prince Charming,” she said. One thing’s for The audience determined the winner sure, when that prince comes along, he’ll of the “tastiest 2.” The grand prize was never go hungry. This girl can cook, and $5,000 of free groceries. Sara came in though she’s not a champ, yet — she’s a a close second, and won a complete winner!

Yields: 4 servings

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BLOOMINGHILL GARDEN IN EASTON

Springing forth with outstanding collections by Jeannette Ross Lovers of Japanese maples won’t want to miss visiting Bloominghill — a private garden at 95 Wilson Road in Easton — when it welcomes visitors on Sunday, May 31, from 10 to 3, as part of The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program. It will be open again on Sunday, July 12. Bloominghill is the aptly named work of Lois Bloom, who has designed, planted and maintained the property herself over the past 20 years. “This is an informal garden,” she said. “It’s just filled with the things I love.” They include small ornamental trees, dwarf conifers and her beloved Japanese maples, of which she has 25 varieties. The garden rambles along three acres of the more than four-acre property. Something is in bloom all year long, Lois said, even in January when the early blooming Dawn viburnum gets things started.

Contributed photos

Visitors in May should be treated to a spectacular display of Lois’s Japanese maple collection. The trees leaf out at the same time in a variety of vibrant hues, from pink to orange, chartreuse, red, and green. “They are so varied,” Lois said, “they look like flowering shrubs.” By mid-summer they will all have turned red or green, and in fall they change to their autumnal hues at different times. Spring is the only season they are all vibrant at the same time. The Japanese maples are of all sizes, from the petite Red Filigree Lace (Acer palmatum) to the taller Golden Full Moon Maple (Acer shiraswanum aureum). Some are grouped

Lois Bloom’s garden is an informal one, ﬁlled with things she loves.

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together to maximize their color, leaf shape and overall profile, while others stand alone as specimens.

which are still living — as well as a collection of forsythia and lilacs, which also remain although some have been moved around. Original stone walls stand up straight once more after some tidying up.

There is also an impressive collection of conifers, including a Dr. Seuss-like Serbian spruce, a blue-green Himalayan pine, Arizona cypress, and a small, boulder-hugging Hane pine. Among the specimen trees are a Styrax of the Pink Chimes variety, which should be in bloom this month, a Camperdown elm, a Heritage River birch with fabulously peeling bark, and a Katsura tree by the pond.

Lois worked her way across three acres with no plan in mind. “I just bought things I loved and found a place for them,” she said. Sometimes they get moved and sometimes they stay put. At first she focused on planting perennial flowers and shrubs, and they have provided an easy-to-maintain foundation for the garden. Today there are thousands of bulbs and a number of flowering trees as well as all the other plants. Lois also gets lots of ideas from the New York Botanical Garden, where she is a docent. When Lois saw the sun shine through the botanical garden’s Himalayan pine, she knew she had to have one. “It’s absolutely stunning,” she said. Hers is small, but thriving.

Also in bloom in May will be lilacs, rhododendron and perennials, including amsonia and peonies. There are also ferns, stonework and sculpture to enjoy on this tranquil parcel. Slow But Steady Progress Although Lois and her husband have lived in the house on the property for 40 years, she didn’t begin gardening in earnest until about 20 years ago. They had a vegetable garden and a large bed devoted to asparagus. But when one year the woodchucks devoured the asparagus before the stalks could rejuvenate , Lois decided it was easier to buy vegetables at the farmer’s market. It was a renovation project that really got things going. The house that originally stood on the property had been built with a massive stone foundation in the 18th Century. That house burned down in the 1930s and was replaced with the current home, but a wall from the original foundation, which had been built into a hillside, remained. It was just outside her kitchen, and Lois decided she wanted a patio to butt up against it. The work was done by Bill Wargo, who included a few planting areas that got Lois started. “I’m a collector,” Lois said. On display in her home are her collections of blue and white china and antique maps and prints. “When I filled up the inside,” she said, “I started on the outside.” One thing led to another, starting with the patio, and she worked her way across the lawn creating one island bed after another. “I know the popular thing to

Ten years ago, Lois hired master stone mason Tim Currier of Newtown to build a fountain at the end of the kitchen patio and create a rock garden on one of Bloominghill’s slopes. Lois has also punctuated her garden with sculpture by Lubomir Tomaszewsky of Easton. Visitors who attend the July 12 Open Day will have a different experience. While the Japanese maples will be in their summer colors, the hosta, astilbe, Japanese primrose, meadow rue, hydrangea, and a riot of day lilies will all be in full color. Japanese maples, such as Red Filigree Lace and Golden Full Moon Maple, are featured in an Easton Open House Garden.

call them is garden rooms,” Lois said, “but I just call them spaces because they don’t have any walls.”

Bloominghill is new to the Open Days program, and Lois said she joined in because she enjoys sharing her garden with others, and is looking forward to meeting other garden lovers. “I love to have people come and look at the garden,” she said. “You enjoy it so much you like other people to enjoy it as well.”

When she started, the entire place was very primitive — the hill outside the kitchen a jungle. The property had at one time been a farm, and all that remained were three ancient apple trees and two very old pear trees — all of

Admission to the garden is $5, which is a donation to The Garden Conservancy. Visitors will be asked to park along Wilson Road. For information or directions, visit gardenconservancy.org or call 845-265-5384.

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CENTER FOR GREEN BUILDING

Brimming with possibilities by Robin E. Glowa Going green is a powerful movement gaining momentum. From home-building and cleaning supplies to beauty products and clothing, consumers are becoming increasingly inspired to learn more about green products and how they can benefit from their use. Utilizing sustainable, renewable and natural resources positively impacts the world and its inhabitants by providing alternative methods for a safe and comfortable lifestyle.

Wayne Ratzenberger photos

Many individuals seek the protective power of green solutions for health reasons. Erin Buckley became passionately interested in finding clean, green products when her husband, Jonathon Tuminski, continually arrived home covered in fiberglass-induced rashes. As owners of Measure to Measure, a carpentry business, Erin and Jonathon experienced first-hand the toxic quality of many building products. Erin recalls, “When I had my first baby, Thandi, I became so concerned about the health of both my husband and son that I started doing research and discovered that as a tradesman, Jonathon

Extensive research ensures that all products are of superior quality.

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was 46 percent more likely to contract esophageal, nasal and lung cancer. When I became pregnant with our daughter, Amaris, I started to take a long look at the world. What are we doing? What are we leaving?” Erin’s resolution to ensure her family’s good health propelled her to locate products that would eliminate or greatly minimize their exposure to troublesome chemicals, allergens and other poisons. For the last three years, Erin and Jonathon have stocked the results of that intensive research at the Center for Green Building. A marvelous resource for a myriad of green products, the center’s showroom is large and bright and brimming with possibilities for a more beautiful world. “A big portion of our business is education,” notes Erin. “We offer a workshop series on Thursday evenings with speakers who are experts in all kinds of fields — from radiant heating to biofuels to emissions reductions. We want everyone to feel confident using our products and to have as much education as possible.” Erin’s own research has developed into partnerships with companies offering

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Expert advice is available on a host of products to enhance both the style and safety of your home.

incredibly creative products. Eager to offer an insulation material that would eliminate those horrifying rashes, Erin discovered an option manufactured from blue jeans. “It’s a dream to work with,” she says, “soft, not itchy and fire retardant. People have been thrilled with the results.” She goes on to say, “With 500 pairs of jeans you can insulate a 2,000-squarefoot home!” The Center for Green Building is currently hosting a denim drive, which will be used to help Habitat for Humanity. While some contractors or home owners may be slightly reluctant to use green products, Erin’s extensive research ensures that the products are of superior quality. “I have to make sure the product works,” says Erin “I also have to make sure my customers know

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“People want to see and touch the products,” says Erin. All around the center showroom, there are samples of different products. EcoStar Roofing is made from recycled rubber and plastic to look just like slate or cedar shingles. Cork flooring from Portugal is richly textured and available in stunning hues of amber, green, purple, and brown. Erin notes, “This flooring contains a natural

Green continued on page 12

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Bren continued from page 2 spend more time with my family,” Dennis said. Finally in 2003, he found himself at a crossroad. He had the option of continuing to work in software development, which would mean moving back to the West Coast, or going into business for himself. Dennis’s family is in the excavation business, and while he pondered his options, he worked for his family, mostly outdoors. He also was a production manager on several small software jobs. A good family friend, Ed LaFlamme, owner of a landscape company, suggested that Dennis go into the landscaping business. On March 15, 2003, Dennis put an ad in the paper to see what response he would get. “I received 40 calls in 10 days, and 20 of those callers became my customers. By June, I had five people working for me,” he said.

Bren Landscaping’s team has the expertise to transform the mundane to the marvelous.

Dennis discovered he loved working outdoors, but he still did software jobs in the winter. He picked up a job in software development as a consultant. “I was at a meeting for a technology group in the

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early months of 2004, and I swear that meeting took place in a room that was 12 feet by 12-feet, with no windows. Ten of us were in there. The whole time I was inside all I could think of was being outside working on trees. I loosened my tie, I rolled up my sleeves, and I finally stood up and said I had to go outside. I said to myself, ‘That’s it, I shouldn’t be here.’ The meeting was starting to sound like a Charlie Brown cartoon with everyone going yak yak yak. At that point I made my decision, and I concentrated on my landscape and masonry work exclusively. Now I do snow plowing and winter maintenance during the off season,” he said. Dennis usually has around seven employees working for him, and he works closely with Leanna Kearney, his landscape

designer and the head of his planting crew. “Leanna does all the purchasing of the plants. She has a master’s degree in art therapy and she is a true artist. When she was growing up, she lived near the White Flower Farm in Litchfield, and several of her aunts worked on the farm. Leanna has a great love of flowers and plants, particularly their colors, textures, shapes and sizes,” he said.

Dennis has an ongoing project with a client who lives in the backwoods of New Canaan on 10 acres. He handles all the landscaping, and he has developed several small gardens around the property. “Leanna and I wanted to have big and bright swatches of color in the client’s gardens. We used boxwoods, hydrangeas,

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weeping Atlas cedars, along with lilies, astilbes, and redbuds,” he said.

• Window Treatments, Bedding & Furnishings, Upholstered Headboards

An unfortunate problem developed shortly after he took on the New Canaan project. “My clients bought the property because they wanted to have privacy, and in the second year of their ownership, the land next to them was sold. The new owners built their new house within 70 feet of my clients’ home. When my clients were on their back porch, they could see and hear people entering their neighbors’ front door,” he said. Dennis was asked to sound- and visionproof their yard. He planted 25-foot dogwoods and a row of 20-foot Fat Albert spruce trees to create a buffer for their back porch. Dennis knows that in today’s difficult economy many homeowners are holding back on services and are trying to do some household projects on their own. He recommends that they concentrate on doing a lot of weeding, pruning and deadheading of flowers, since “flowers need to use their energy wisely.” He also suggests putting down hay if you have a vegetable garden, since it acts as a natural weed inhibitor. “Homeowners can buy flats of flowers for $8 to $12 from any nursery in the area.

• Rug Cleaning & Restoration

Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. Orange location where we have Opened a New Custom, Designer Carpeting & Rug Gallery and Full Service Design Center in addition to our Existing Rug Showroom We have Contemporary, Traditional and Everything in between. Make Your House a Home, with the Best Selection, Quality and Price

They can spend time with their children out back planting, weeding and cleaning up their landscape. Planting colorful annuals and perennials gives your garden variety and lots of color. Many nurseries have great sales before the summer months of July and August,” he said.

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Dennis does small projects as well as large ones. As long as he’s outdoors, he’s happy!

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Bren Landscaping is at 98 Bulkley Drive in Fairfield; call 203-373-1327 or visit the Web site, brenlandscaping.com.

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wax called suberin, which makes the cork flooring waterproof. It’s simple to install yourself; you can cut it with scissors! It is naturally pest-resistant and a good sound absorber. While this product comes from quite a distance, we really try to promote American-made products as well as local companies.”

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“There is a whole cocktail of chemicals in carpeting,” says Erin. “The line of carpeting we offer is made in Georgia from cotton, hemp, jute, natural rubber, and wool, is completely non-toxic, and is the only 100%-all-natural carpet on the market.”

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Green continued from page 9

Paperstone is a unique option for countertops, tabletops, desks, or room dividers. This product, which Erin tested extensively, is made from layers of paper, beeswax, canuba wax, and a small amount of cashew and macadamia oil. It delighted her with its beauty and durability. For interior wall plaster, Erin is happy to recommend American Clay. “The plaster is made from essentially the same material as that of cave paintings,” she says. “American Clay is a living wall. It breathes, absorbing moisture and releasing a little as well. It does not absorb dust or oil from your hands.”

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Available from AFM Safecoat are 950 shades of mineral- rather than chemicalbased paint. “This paint has practically no odor and applies well. Contractors like it a lot,” Erin says. Air purifiers will help clear homes of pesky allergens. “We had ours for our kids before we opened the center,” she says. “We sell Austin Air Purifiers, which have the best American-made filter on the market.” Not just a superlative source of green building supplies, the center has related books and gardening supplies as well as madein-Connecticut cleaning products, soaps, lotions, jewelry, and accessories. You’ll find all the expert advice you need at the Center for Green Building to help bring green into your life. The Center for Green Building LLC is at 3380 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, 203-382-0774, centerforgreenbuilding.com.

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HOME I OF THE I MONTH ■

Vacation at Home LOCATION: This Colonial-style house is set on a private lake in Oxford. PROPERTY: On less than an acre, maintenance is low and pleasure is high — with lakeside views, a beach within walking distance and fun on the water. HOME: Built in 2005, this is a house with many fine details, such as hardwood floors, nine-foot ceilings and a two-story foyer. On the first level is a living room with fireplace and a balcony; a dining room with tray ceiling; a family room with fireplace, vaulted ceiling, balcony and sliders; and an eat-in kitchen with pantry, balcony and sliders. On the second level is a master bedroom with full bath, vaulted ceiling and walk-in closet. There are three more bedrooms, two baths and one half bath. GARAGE: Two-car attached. PRICE: $529,900. REALTY: Century 21 Home Services Richter. Agent: Sandra Gawkowski, 203-888-4505. Photography: Wayne Ratzenberger.

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