For starters, join the festivities at Macy's July 4 spectacularfireworks from the Hudson River in NYC (or on NBC at 9 p.m.EST). It’s definitely worth the watch! And through July and August, in New York City’s Bryant Park, enjoy FREE performances of some of Broadway's most popular on- and off-Broadway shows (open to the public, each week from 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.) Featuring performances from mega-hit shows like Stomp, Sister Act, The Lion King, Rent, Mary Poppins and so much more!
And for a change of pace… what better way to celebrate ourcountry’s melting-pot heritage than to swing by the 40th annual International African Arts Festival! Held in the Commodore Park, downtown Brooklyn, the four-day fest (from July 1 through July 4) stages an eclectic lineup of performances, including jazz, gospel and reggae concerts, dance, story-telling, arts and crafts, face painting, rides and a massive African marketplace. For more info visit: www.iaafestival.org.
And here are a few more cool ideas worth mentioning!
On July 16, grab the kids and head out to the 9th Annual New Jersey State Ice Cream Festival!
Complete with ice cream tastings, eating contests and loads of games, rides and entertainment for the whole family.
Where: Washington Street, Toms River, NJ Time: 11.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. For advance tickets and information visit:
9th Annual New Jersey State Ice Cream Festival
It’s National Grilling Month!
July is a natural month to focus on grilling. The Fourth of July is synony- mous with grilling, and every weekend the smell of cookouts fills the air. It’s easy, it lends itself beautifully to get-togethers and lets you stay out- side. So why am I pouring water on our grilling fires? It turns out that grilling food can expose it to two different types of cancer-causing agents (carcinogens):
PAHs, created when the food’s fat drips onto the heat source, causing the food to be coated with PAH-filled smoke.
HCAs, created when food is cooked over high heat, and when red meat is cooked well-done.
And it doesn’t matter if you use wood, charcoal or gas to grill your food, the effect is the same.
So should we give up grilling altogether? Not at all! Reader’s Digest has a great article on safer grilling at www.rd.com/food/- 10-guidelines-for-healthier-grilling, and I’ve highlighted them below. Follow these guidelines for healthier grilling and enjoy your meal!
Choose fish over meat. Fish generally contains less fat than meat and poultry, which makes it less likely to create PAH- carrying smoke. And it tends to require much less time on the grill, reducing its exposure to carcinogens.
Don’t char your meat. While you want to cook meat thoroughly (especially poultry), you don’t want to cook it beyond all recogni- tion. Avoid well-done meat as much as possible.
Keep the fat to a minimum. Choose lean cuts of meat, trim all visible fat, and remove skin from chicken.
Precook your foods. Partially cooking meat or poultry in the microwave for two to five minutes draws out most of the potentially harmful chemicals without sacrificing moistness. (Be sure to dis- card the juices produced.) To prevent bacteria from multiplying, grill the food immediately after precooking.
Oil your grill. A little oil keeps charred material from sticking to the food. (It also helps keep fish and chicken in one piece.)
Use aluminum foil. Make tiny holes in a piece of foil and place it on the grill underneath your meat. The holes let the fat drip down, and the foil reduces the amount of smoke that billows back up. Wrapping the meat completely in perforated foil is an even better idea.
Lower the heat. On charcoal grills, increase the distance between the food and the hot coals by spreading the coals thin or by prop- ping the grill rack on bricks. On gas grills, simply adjust the heat setting.
Stick to charcoal and hardwood (like hickory and maple) because they burn at lower temperatures than softwood (like pine).
Clean your grill. Scrub your grill thoroughly after every use to avoid a buildup of carcinogens that can be transferred to your food the next time you grill.
My favorite bonus tip: marinate your food before grilling it. Researchers have found that marinating food reduces the resulting carcinogens by more than 90%, possibly by drawing out the chemical precursors of carcinogens. Just be sure to treat marinades, which draw bacteria from meat and poultry, as a raw food. To use a marinade as a serving sauce, set aside a portion before you place the meat in it or boil it for three minutes before serving.
2011 "Rock Your Park" Flash Mob Contest
Demonstrate the power of parks and recreation through the National Park and Recreation Association (NRPA) 2011 “Rock Your Park” Flash Mob Contest (via YouTube). NRPA will choose one park and recreation agency and one citizen group as winners!
Click here to access the rules and official online entry form. All entries are due on or before Aug. 1, 2011.
Not quite sure of what's a 'flash mob'? (well here's the scoop!)
A flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, and perform an unusual act for a brief time, often for the purposes of entertainment and/or satire, and then disperse. First attempted in 2003, flash mobs have become an Internet phenomenon. Combined with social media, flash mobs can send a powerful message.
Here is a great example of flash mob goes “green,” which took place in Canada in 2011.
Sunday, July 24th, is Auntie's Day!
Help to celebrate that special Auntie in your child's life with a cool few suggestions from our friends at SavvyAuntie.com
1. A Picnic for Two (or More!): It's summer, and an outdoor picnic is a perfect way to have some major fun in the sun. Don't forget to pack a picnic basket full of delicious treats like mac and cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or whatever else you know your Gourm- Auntie will love.
2. Trip to the Zoo: Perfect daytime fun for our Adventurer Aunties, celebrate Auntie's Day™ with a few extra furry friends. Make sure to let Auntie choose an exhibit or two of her choice, and don't forget to talk about all the natural wonders you're sure to witness!
3. Niece and Nephew Night In: Getting all dressed up for a night on the town isn't the only way to celebrate our Aunties (though it is a fun op- tion!). Dust off your favorite board games, snacks, and playing cards, and get ready for a night of unforgettable QualAuntie time. Scrabble anyone?
4. Evening at the Museum: Research shows that taking nieces and nephews out to museums can be an extremely positive and impactful experience, but the even greater news is that Aunties love museums too!
5. Movie Magic: Take your Auntie to see a movie of her choice, but don't argue if she insists on springing for the popcorn. A cozier alternative—rent her favorite classic DVDs. Auntie Mame (1958) is one of our favorites!
And at the movies... three deeply affecting films shine the light on the complexities of fatherhood.
A Better Life In theaters: June 24th, 2011
From the director of ABOUT A BOY comes A BETTER LIFE—a touching, poignant, multi-generational story about a father's love and the lengths a parent will go to give his child the opportunities he never had.
Courageous In theaters: September 30th, 2011
Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, they are confident and focused, standing up to the worst the streets can offer. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge they're ill prepared to tackle: fatherhood. When tragedy strikes home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Sherwood Pictures, creators of FIREPROOF, returns with this heartfelt, action- packed story. Protecting the streets is second nature to these law enforce- ment officers. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That takes courage.
The Descendants In theaters: December 16th, 2011
From Alexander Payne, the creator of the Oscar-winning SIDEWAYS, set in Hawaii, THE DESCENDANTS is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney) an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off Waikiki. The event leads to a rapprochement with his young daughters while Matt wrestles with a decision to sell the family's land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.
SITES WE LOVE!
Your brain, just brighter.
Created by neuroscientists, Lumosity is a web-based training program, proven to make brains smarter, faster and more flexible,through the use of 40 games designed to sharpen a wide range of cognitive skills. The sign-up process walks you through a series of questions to figure out whetheryou want, for example, to improve your ability to remember names, get better at problem solving, or simply develop better concentration at work or while driving. It then designs a series of “courses” tailored to your particular interests.But all of this comes at a price. Website subscriptions cost $14.95 a month, or $80 a year. And yet, plenty of people are paying!To learn more visit... lumosity.com
