Great Programs for Kids & Adults @ Ambler Farm

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. 

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Sweet Stuff: Halloween Candy Bark

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

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Sport Hill Farm: Caring for the Land & the Community

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.

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Thai Coconut Curry Lentil Soup c/o Healthy Living Blog

Jeanette Chen is a resident of New Canaan. Her Healthy Living Blog is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition.

Lately, I've been craving both Thai coconut curry soup and lentil soup. Perhaps, it's because I wanted to relive the heady bowl of Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup I had for lunch last week when it was wet and dank outside. There is something warming and completely comforting about spicy Asian noodle soups. Thick lentil soups have also been on my mind, as it's getting cooler out, calling for heartier fare. These two comfort foods inspired me to come up with a recipe for Thai Coconut Curry Lentil soup.

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Reheated: This Week's Top Food News in CT & Beyond

Reheated is a weekly round-up of bite-sized food news in Connecticut and beyond.

In Connecticut...

Tasti D-lite opens Oct 20 in Fairfield at 1201 Kings Highway in Staples Plaza [p.s. CTbites readers get a FREE topping during the month of October]. Info CTbites.

Attention NYC transplants living in Stamford: Fairway will open on November 3! 

A bake sale fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society on behalf of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Oct 20 at 535 Connecticut Ave in Norwalk.

Stew Leonards will be hosting SIP & TWIT on Friday, Oct. 22, a wine tasting combining traditional tastings with social media at 3 Stew Leonard’s Wines locations beginning Friday, Oct 22. Info StewLeonards.com.

Buy tickets now for a chef event featuring Barcelona's Christian Petroni, Match's Matt Storch, Manolo's Pedro Garzon, Capital Grille's Matthew Schmalle and Robin Selden of Marcia Selden Catering with Padma Lakshmi as a special guest judge on Oct. 28. Part tasting, fundraiser and trunk sale of Lakshmi's jewelry collection hosted by Cottages & Gardens. RSVP 203.227.1400.

....and beyond.

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Hartford Baking Company

Alicia Fidalgo is the voice behind The Clean Plate Club blog. She shares her time between West Hartford & Boston. 

On a chilly Sunday morning I recently had the pleasure of visiting Hartford Baking Company in West Hartford, CT. Located in a strip of shops on New Park Avenue, the bakery's interior juxtaposes the cozy comfort of a local bake-shop with urban-inspired industrial design.  

Baked goods run the gamut from sweet to savory: muffins, sticky buns and scones, as well as beautiful crusty European-style bread.

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Bonda Restaurant is Back...Now in Fairfield

If you liked Bonda at its former Westport/Saugatuck location, you’ll love its new incarnation in Fairfield’s Greenfield Hill (the former home of La Colline Verte and Fraiche). Sure, we miss Abbondanza – owner/chef Jamie Cooper’s former Saugatuck gourmet deli/catering operation and site of the original Bonda.  But we’re excited he’s now focused on the restaurant and taking it to the next level in this new location.  It’s a clean, inviting space, with warm orange walls, fresh white trim, vintage posters and comfortable seating. The small, sixty-seat restaurant was nearly filled to capacity when we visited on an otherwise quiet Tuesday evening in October. For good reason. In fact, for at least three very good reasons.

Reason 1:  The Bond-alicious food.  Inventive yet simple dishes, expertly prepared.  Although the menu has a classic American backbone, Jamie treats the world as his pantry.

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Reheated: This Week's Top Food News [weekend edition]

Reheated is a twice-weekly round-up of bite-sized food news in Connecticut and beyond. 

In Connecticut...

Shake Shack will open in Westport in 2011! Info Eater.com

The Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival on Oct 16 in Darien will feature Burger, Shakes and Fries, Heights Pizza and Upper Crust Bagels.

This weekend in Greenwich, Buick Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure invites CTbites readers to the event, featuring Chef Marcus Samuelsson. Register here with Registration Code: NY1BUICK

Let the battle of FroYo begin. Tasti D-lite opens Oct 20 in Fairfield CTbites.com. 

A bake sale fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Awareness month, Oct 20 at 535 Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk CT. 

The 3rd Annual Stamford Charity Chili Cook-off will be held on Sat, October 23 to benefit the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County. Info StamfordNotes.com

Don't miss our next CTbites lunch @ Sugar & Olives in Norwalk Oct 26. Info CTbites.

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SoNo Chef Shoot-Out Crowns a Winner

“The secret ingredient is ... ROOT VEGETABLE!”

And with that, the first ever iron chef-style competition was kicked off at the Clarke Culinary Center in South Norwalk. The event pitted two of the neighborhood’s most well known chefs, Fritz Knipschildt of Cafe Chocopologie and Knipschildt Chocolatier against Matt Storch, chef and partner at Match who have collectively been serving up some of South Norwalk’s best meals for over 22 years. This event was an unforgettable evening of inventive food, chef personalities and culinary surprises that will stand as one of my favorite food moments this year.

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Advertisement: Tasti D-Lite Is Coming to Fairfield!

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? 

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