Ad: Seasonal Burgers & Shakes @ Filling Station Co. Kids Bites Restaurant Advertisement Stephanie Webster November 12, 2010 In the month of January, Filling Station Company is presenting diners with a healthy start to 2011. Sticking to those New Years resolutions = one great tasting burger. This month, The Filling Station Co. is featuring "The Resolution Burger," a chickpea burger with Greek salad trimmings and tahini dressing. Pair this with their January milkshake in smooth bold flavors of Chocolate Mint, and suddenly 2011 is looking mighty fine. Read More
Gingerbread Contest: Part 2 Kids Bites Events kids activity Stephanie Webster November 01, 2010 Gingerbread House Day 3: After a fitful night full of dreams involving houses crashing down with disastrous effect, we gathered to set the foundations and raise the walls for our edible CTbites farm stand. For those late to the game, this exercise in amateur baking is all part of a plan to raise money for The Stamford Museum's "Visions of Gingerbread" Exhibit" where professional bakers will show and then auction off gingerbread houses far more spectacular than ours. Read More
Belgique Chocolatier Opens in New Canaan Ingredients Kids Bites Restaurant Specialty Market New Canaan Kid Friendly Dessert Liz Rueven October 31, 2010 Chocoholics pay attention! Next time you have that hankering for serious chocolate, run over to treat yourself and your best friends to the extraordinary Belgian style, hand filled, preservative free chocolates at Belgique Chocolatier. Belgique is familiar to some chocolate lovers in Fairfield County who have enjoyed the chocolates, fine pastries and ice cream at Susan and Pierre Gilissen’s first location in Kent, CT. After searching for a storefront in Fairfield County, they landed on a jewel of a space set back from Elm St. in New Canaan. This location opened in mid-September and is 100 % about the chocolate. Before opening in Kent in 2001, Chef Pierre Gilissen served as Executive Chef and Manager at the Residence of the Netherlands Ambassador to the U.S. in Washington, D.C. There, he prepared all meals, receptions and teas for the Ambassadors, their families and up to 1,000 guests. His passion for chocolates began during his years there. Read More
Gingerbread Contest: Part 1 Ingredients Kids Bites Education Events Stephanie Webster October 29, 2010 The phrase that keeps going through my head as I painstakingly roll out sheets of fondant to recreate wood siding for the CTbites entry in the Stamford Museum's Gingerbread Exhibit is "What was I thinking?" I'm a professional eater, not a professional baker. Knee deep in food dye and frosting, I am so far out of my element, I could be in another country. Obstacles aside, team CTbites is up for the challenge, and driven by the desire to raise money for Stamford Museum's educational programs, we embrace our inner cake decorator. (And thank you Michele Klem of CakeSuite for not screening my distress calls.) Day 1: After a 1 hour planning session with our staff baker and contributor Deanna Foster and our own Chef Nicole, we decide to go with a local CT farm stand theme. Fruit, veggies, grass…with the added bonus of a structure that only requires three walls. How hard could this be? Read More
Visions of Gingerbread @ The Stamford Museum Kids Bites Education Events kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster October 25, 2010 CTbites is proud to be this year's media sponsor for the 2nd annual "Visions of Gingerbread: The Sweetest Architects" exhibit at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. Opening November 6th, this show will feature unique and amazing gingerbread creations by many of your favorite bakers. Check out the lineup: CakeSuite, Sugar & Olives, DiMare's Pasty Shop, SoNo Baking Company, Karin Krumpelbeck, and (are you sitting down?) CTbites will be working on an entry. (If you are a baker and want to help team CTbites, contact us!) Here's the best part...You can bring one of these incredible edibles home to your family. These sweet structures will be put up on the silent auction block, with proceeds going to the Museum's educational programs. Read More
Great Programs for Kids & Adults @ Ambler Farm Ingredients Kids Bites Events Holiday Local Farm kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster October 22, 2010 Don't miss these spooky, educational, & tasty activities @ Ambler Farm. Fright Night: Friday, October 29 & Saturday, October 30 Drop off the kids (grades 3-5) for haunted activities and frightful (and not so frightful) storytelling. Those who were present last year are still talking about the ghost dog who frequents the Farm! Creepy sights and mysterious sounds abound when the moon rises at Ambler Farm. Refreshments included. Enrollment limited. Haunted Halloween Ride, Guessing jar to win the Farm's largest pumpkin, Games, if you dare play... Launch the Trebuchet: Sunday, November 14 If you've been to Ambler Farm Day, you've probably fired the apple slingshots, taken a hay-ride or two, and witnessed pumpkins flying through the air. If the pumpkin-launching trebuchet has intrigued you, now's your chance to get a closer look at this medieval-inspired machine. Read More
Sweet Stuff: Halloween Candy Bark Kids Bites Features Holiday kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert Nicole Straight October 21, 2010 My girlfriend and I were thumbing through our monthly cooking mags and we both noticed the cover picture of a very decadent looking Halloween themed candy bark. I thought, “ this looks like fun, but I can do better than that!” So off I went to our local grocery store that is stocked with bins of interesting looking sweets and nuts. 10 mini bags later, here’s what I came up with! Alas, it's not healthy, but Halloween only comes once a year, and it's a great activity for a kids Halloween party. The making is (almost) the best part of this recipe! Halloween Candy Bark for Kids Read More
Sport Hill Farm: Caring for the Land & the Community Ingredients Kids Bites Easton Local Artisan Local Farm Organic Farm Fresh Jessica Ryan October 21, 2010 Sustainable, seasonal, local, organic, and green might be popular phrases these days among the media and the masses, but to those who truly care about where their food comes from, whether they contain pesticides and want to support their communities, these are very powerful words indeed. By buying locally, seasonally and organically, the consumer never has to worry about food recalls. More importantly, the consumers know not only where their food comes from, but get to know their farmers by name. These are the people who also truly care about the future of their children and of children for generations to come… These are the people who truly care about preserving the world around them. Patti Popp of Sport Hill Farm is just this type of person. Read More
Advertisement: Tasti D-Lite Is Coming to Fairfield! Kids Bites Restaurant Fairfield Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster October 14, 2010 Good news for Tasti D-Lite fans. Made with natural ingredients, this lower calorie frozen dessert treat is opening its doors in Fairfield CT on October 20th at 1201 King Highway in Fairfield's Staples Plaza. Tasti D Lite has long had a cult following among health-conscious consumers as well as celebrities who line up to enjoy their guilt-free confections. Now Fairfield can enjoy the pleasure of Tasti without the commute, and CTbites readers get a FREE topping during the month of October! The Fairfield store will have nine tables, comfortable couches, and Wi-Fi access. Pair this with 100+ creamy delicious flavors (most of which are gluten free), including Toasted Coconut, Caramel Apple, and Mud Pie…why would you ever leave? Read More
Skillet Eggs & Potatoes from "The Parsley Thief" Kids Bites Features Recipe Breakfast Kid Friendly katie vitucci October 07, 2010 Katie Vitucci is a Norwalk resident and the Founder of The Parsley Thief, a blog about food and family. When I was a child, my grandmother's fried potatoes were one of my most favorite things in the world. She cooked them in a cast iron skillet, with nothing else but some oil, until they were perfectly crisped. Then, she would fry an egg on top. Whenever I wasn't feeling well, this is what she would make me...the ultimate comfort food. I recently made some for my kids. They are not potato fans...but, they do like french fries & these are so crispy, they don't taste like typical home fries, which sometimes have a mushy texture. They taste like french fries. They loved them!! So, this has become one of our "Breakfast for Dinner" options. This dish can be modified to suit your taste. Add some garlic, onion, bell or hot peppers...anything. I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet, as it does such a great job of browning the potatoes. Skillet Eggs & Potatoes Read More
Pinkberry Grand Opening Party Kids Bites Restaurant Events Fairfield Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster October 06, 2010
Ambler Farm Day Is This Weekend!! Kids Bites Events Local Farm kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster September 29, 2010
School Lunch Makeover: From Farm To Fork Kids Bites Education Fairfield Local Farm Recipe Jessica Ryan September 22, 2010 I walked into the Unquowa School kitchen this morning to talk to Chef Peter Gorman and Chef-in-Residence Lauren Issaeff, as they were busily making 80 gallons of heirloom tomato sauce to be served to the children, faculty and staff over the course of the school year. Peter and Lauren had their hands full with the seeds, pulp and juices from the various colored heirloom tomatoes that had been freshly picked from Sport Hill Farm, up the road in Easton. On top of the stove, garlic, (also from Sport Hill Farm), simmered in olive oil, and a large bundle of basil, from Gilbertie’s Farm, sat patiently waiting to be tossed in. I was overcome by the wonderful aromas swirling around the kitchen. It was just 9:00 a.m., but how I wished it was lunchtime! This is not an atypical scene in this private school’s kitchen. Read More
Ambler Farms Announces Great Kids Programs for Fall Kids Bites Events Local Artisan Local Farm Stephanie Webster September 14, 2010 Attention Fairfield County families: Are you always looking for a great weekend activity? Why not get away from the burbs and head to the farm! Ambler Farms has some great fall family friendly event you will not want to miss, (plus they make for great holiday card photo opps). These activities are both fun and educational, and most programs run $10-$20 per family. Saturday, September 18th - Family Garden Tour Sunday, September 19th - Honey Harvest Saturday, September 25th - Sheep Shearing Sunday, October 3rd - Ambler Farm Day Read More
Meat & Music @ The 3rd Annual Blues & BBQ Festival Kids Bites Restaurant BBQ Events Beer Stephanie Webster September 13, 2010 Westport’s annual Blues, Views & BBQ Festival will take place on September 24th, 25th and 26th. This event celebrates food, music and family with an exciting line-up of bands, barbecue and cooking events, as well as fun for the whole family. This year’s fest, sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society, the country’s premier barbecue organization, features the amateur backyard Cookin’ For A Cause competition, in which teams of two to four participants compete in categories of chicken, ribs, and “chef’s choice.” At the same time, certified pit-masters will be grilling, smoking and barbecuing in the Pro Invitational competition. Both contests are followed by a Pro-Am Invitational “Throwdown” competition where amateur teams compete against the pros. The Pro-Am Invitational includes an “Iron Chef”-style twist where competitors must use three mystery ingredients. Our own contributor, Sarah Green will be there to help judge the Iron Chef event. Read More
CT Taste Organic Festival 2010 Ingredients Kids Bites Events Organic kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster August 09, 2010 Save the Date. Join CT National Organic Farming Organization to celebrate the 10th annual TASTE! ORGANIC CT 2010 on September 19th at Manchester Community College from 10 am to 4pm. Experience the only LOCAL & ORGANIC festival in Connecticut offering a farmer's market, fresh prepared food, live music, sustainable vendors, artisans, free workshops and free kids activities! Head Chef, John Turenne is busily sourcing the finest and freshest ingredients from Connecticut Farms to be on the event's menu. Three local celebrity chefs are designing recipes that will showcase our local and organic food. Chef John Turenne, fresh from his recent TV stint with “The Naked Chef” Jamie Oliver, will be cooking and running the NOFA Food Booth show. Read More
CT Berry Picking is On!! Ingredients Kids Bites Local Farm kids activity Farm Fresh Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster July 19, 2010
CTbites Shout Out: Where Do You Eat Out w/ Kids? Kids Bites Restaurant CTbites Shout Out Comfort Food Kid Friendly multiple Authors June 09, 2010 It's the age old problem. You want to go out for dinner with your family, but you simply can't bear the thought of the Diner again. Where can you eat out in Fairfield County where both adults and children will not just endure but enjoy their meals? To help us with this conundrum, I asked our contributors to share their suggestions in the latest CTbites Shoutout: What are your favorite places to eat out with kids? If you have favorite family restaurants, share them by posting a comment below! If my kids (10, 7, & 5) had their way, they would eat tacos, refried beans and rice every day of the week. Read More
Free Local Ice Cream Tasting Ingredients Kids Bites Education Events Local Artisan Westport Dessert Stephanie Webster June 01, 2010 What could make these glorious almost Summer days even better? Did you say "Ice cream?" Yeah…that's what we thought too, so we teamed up with The Whole Foods Market and The Fairfield Green Food Guide for a... Free Local Ice Cream Tasting!! On June 18th, please join us @ The Whole Foods Market in Westport as we sample some excellent ice creams, gelatos and sorbet from 12:00pm-2:00pm in the cafe. This sweet & creamy get ready for Summer event will feature LOCAL ice cream, gelato and sorbet (so even those who can't do dairy can still enjoy). Stop by to sample how good these summer treats can taste and chat about the local significance in our community. We will be answering questions about sustainability and why buying local is best for you, your family and your community. All of the samples are made with all natural or organic ingredients. Bring your appetite and your kids! Check out the frozen dessert lineup: Read More
