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New Year, New You!

By WML Blogger on December 28, 2012 in

 

 

 

 

It’s time to start thinking about your New Year’s resolutions, those promises we make to better ourselves at the beginning of each year. This year, why not resolve to be healthier!? A great way to start out is by ensuring that you are drinking enough water every day.  As you have probably heard, water is great for you.  The health benefits of water are many. Water flushes out toxins, is great for your complexion, aids in digestion and so much more.  According to The Mayo Clinic, “Water is your body’s principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.”   Adding water to your daily routine can be easy! Here are some tips from About.com.

  • Carry a reusable plastic water bottle with you to work. Fill it periodically, and keep it on your desk.
  • Adding fruit and vegetables to your diet will increase your water intake! Many of these are made up mainly of water, so load up on healthy legumes!
  • Drink low calorie flavored waters if regular water is too bland.  Read labels for products that have no sugar.
  • Tea and coffee count!  Drink a cup of coffee in the morning, and tea in the afternoon, and you’ll get in a few extra cups of water.
  • Dilute your fruit juice with water.  Most fruit juices are loaded with sugar, so diluting it will serve two purposes – reducing sugar, and increasing water.

Do whatever you can to add more water to your diet in 2013.  What are some of your tips???

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Five Ways to Give

By WML Blogger on December 11, 2012 in

 

 

 

 

Oftentimes we forget how fortunate we are. There are many people out there who are less fortunate, and the holidays are a great time to give to those in need. Here are five simple ways to give that will make a huge difference in someones life.

1. Pay It Forward – This is simple, when you are in a drive through line, pay for the car behind you. This works at toll plazas too. Its a nice surprise, and it usually starts a chain reaction of giving.

2. End Childhood Hunger - Lots of kids go hungry at the holidays.  Share Our Strength is matching all gifts up to 500,000 this year. Click here to make a donation and help end childhood hunger.

3. Donate Extra Items- If its time to clean out your closets, then consider donating your old clothes, furniture and household items to the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army is a program that helps many people in need, and they are always accepting donations. The list of drop off locations can be found here. There is one right in Salem, NH, which is approximately 7 miles from Washington Mills.

4. Volunteer – Volunteering your time at a local shelter is a great way to give.  Some places that need help are animal shelters, soup kitchens and community centers.  A quick google search of your area will provide all the information you need.

5. Donate to the Santa Fund – Our local newspaper, the Eagle Tribune, holds a yearly fundraiser to help those in the Merrimack Valley.  Currently the Santa Fund has reached half of its goal. Help them to reach the finish line by clicking here.

Giving is something that can be done year round, but it is especially important around the holidays.  How do you give back? Share your ideas with us!

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Fall Favorite: Apple Pie

By WML Blogger on November 20, 2012 in ,

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving is two days away!! If you are still clamoring for ideas, then you have to make this Dutch Apple Pie. This recipe is brought to you courtesy of Thoughtful Eating. Traditionally, pies with a regular flour and butter crust are the norm. This pie is different becasuse it is topped with a sugary and delicious streusel topping.  I made this recipe last year, and it is now my all time favorite pie recipe.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 Granny Smith apples
(peeled, cored and chopped)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Spritz of lemon juice

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped cold butter

Mrs. Smith Frozen Pie Crust (thawed)

1/2 cup heavy cream
leftover juice from cooking apples

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Poke a few holes in your frozen (now thawed) pie crust and par-bake it in the oven for about 5-7 minutes. Take out of oven and set aside.

Sautee apples, butter, cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat until the apples soften.

While the apples are cooking, prepare your streusel. Combine flour and brown sugar in a bowl and slowly incorporate chopped cold butter. I think it’s best to add the chopped butter in small batches and dust them with the flour so they don’t stick together in big clumps.

Mix the butter, flour and brown sugar with your hands, squeezing as you go along. You still want globs of butter but you want everything to be well incorporated. Set aside mixture (preferably in the fridge so your butter doesn’t start melting).

Once your apples are cooked, transfer them (juice and all) to another bowl, preferably a mixing bowl with a slight spout. Then drain the juice from the apple mixture into the pan you had cooked them in. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream to the pan and cook the juice & cream until thick. This takes a while and I was impatient so mine didn’t really form into a sauce.

Add cooked apples to your pie crust. Then smother the apples with the cream sauce.

Finally, add your streusel topping. Cook in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until the streusel topping is nice and golden brown.

 

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The Pentucket Players Present ‘Sunset Boulevard’

By WML Blogger on October 24, 2012 in

 

 

 

 

The Pentucket Players are entering their 19th season! This fall, check out the community theatre’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece Sunset Boulevard.

“Immortalized onstage by Patti Lupone, Betty Buckley and Glenn Close, Sunset Boulevard tells the tragic story of reclusive, silent screen star Norma Desmond and her ill-fated love affair with a brash young writer… Sunset Boulevard captures the bygone era of the silent screen idols when movie studios created larger than life icons…Dont miss this opportunity to end the year with the Pentucket Players dazzling production of Sunset Boulevard!”

Sunset Boulevard will be showing at the Rogers Center for the Arts, located at Merrimack College in neighboring North Andover.  All seats are reserved, so call or go online for tickets now!  They phone number is 978-688-2755. All seats are $24.

Show times are November 16, 17, 23, 24 at 8:00pm and November 17,18 and 24th at 2:00pm.

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C is for Cranberries!

By WML Blogger on October 23, 2012 in

 

 

 

If you got a chance to stop by the lobby on October 11th, you might have tried the sparkling cranberry cocktail or homemade baked goods. We thought you might want the recipe for the Crustless Cranberry Pie since it is incredibly simple and would make a perfect addition to your Holiday table. Even though this is called a ‘pie’ it is much more like a cake. This recipe is courtesy of www.allrecipes.com.
Enjoy!

1 C all purpose flour

1C granulated white sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups of fresh cranberries (can also use frozen)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (we used sliced almonds)

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 inch pie pan.
  • Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in the cranberries and the walnuts, and toss to coat. Stir in the butter, beaten eggs, and almond extract. If you are using frozen cranberries, the mixture will be very thick. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

*Notes: We sprinkled the top of the cake with sugar before baking. It made a nice sugary crust on top!

 

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5 Things To Do in Lawrence!

By WML Blogger on October 2, 2012 in

 

 

 

 

Living at Washington Mills has some distinct advantages. Lawrence and the surrounding areas have lots to offer. Here are 5 things to do withing walking distance of our building.

1. Heritage State Park is located across the street at 1 Jackson St, Lawrence, MA. This state park is located inside a restored boarding house and has two floors of interactive exhibits.  Heritage Park tells the story of our city, one of the nation’s first industrial cities and home to the infamous 1912 Bread and Roses strike.

“The Heritage Park Visitors Center  features the original beams and brickwork. You will find a  turn-of-the–century kitchen, complete with antique stove and sink similar to  that of the mill workers. There are amazing models of the mills and boarding houses to help visitors imagine how the community looked and functioned. Visitors can trace the routes of more than 30 immigrant populations who settled in Lawrence and can test their skills at planning their own industrial city.”

2. Cafe Azteca is located at 180 Common St, Lawrence and is two blocks from Washington Mills.  Recently featured on WGBH on Neighborhood Kitchens, Cafe Azteca has been serving authentic Mexican food since 1994.  Open 7 days a week, head over to Cafe Azteca for lunch or dinner, and make sure to have one of Chef Antonio’s infamous desserts!!!

3. The Claddagh Pub has been a Lawrence institution since 1992.  This unique Irish bar serves a full menu of delicious food and has 36 beers on tap! Walk down to the Claddagh for a free buffet during Patriots games, or take free line dancing lessons! There is always something going on at our hometown Irish Pub.

4. The Lawrence History Center is located at 15 Union St, 6th floor, Lawrence, MA.  The history center has exhibits year round that detail the rich history of our town and its integral part in the Industrial Revolution.  Visit the History Center website for information on current and upcoming exhibits and much more.

5. Lawrence has its very own farmers market! Held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, our farmers market sells fresh fruits and vegetables, beaded jewelry and accessories, scarves, hot food and more!  Stop at the farmers market and listen to music, get some fresh air and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of downtown Lawrence.  There’s still time, this years market goes until October 31st.

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Who Wants Chowdah?!

By WML Blogger on September 24, 2012 in

 

 

 

 

Winnikenni Castle, located in historic Haverhill MA, is having its annual Chowder Fest !!

Sample different types of chowders, look at Classic Cars and tap your feet the the musical stylings of The B Street Bombers and Itchy Feet!

Chowderfest is taking place on Sunday October 7th from 12-5pm.  Admission is $10 for adults, and $5 for children. This event is presented by the Winnekenni Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, celebrating our 44th year promoting the arts and science, along with our ongoing preservation and enhancement of the Castle and its adjunct buildings and grounds.   Winnikenni is a mere 12 miles north of Washington Mills! We’ll see you there!

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Free Family Art Night at EAC!

By WML Blogger on September 9, 2012 in

 

 

 

 

Essex Art Center, 56 Island St, Lawrence, is hosting a Free Family Art night on Wednesday September 12th from 5-7pm! All ages are welcome to join!

Have you ever wanted to try the potter’s wheel or learn how to use watercolor paints? Do you have ideas
on how to transform old magazines and other recycled material into works of art? Do you want to see what creative movies local teens have made? If you answered
yes to any of these questions, please drop by and explore all the art-opportunities EAC has available for you. A great opportunity to meet local
artists, get your hands creating, view our new gallery exhibitions or just mingle with others who want to explore their creative side!

For more information contact EAC at 978-685-2343

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Free Labor Day Concert at Winnikenni Castle!

By WML Blogger on August 27, 2012 in

 

 

 

 

 

Winnikenni Castle is hosting a Free Blues Concert on September 3rd!
Paul Prue and the Who Crows Band, and Peter Chase and the Still Breathing Blues Band come to the castle along with great opening acts and many special guests.
The concert takes place on Monday September 3rd at 2pm. Bring chairs, blankets and sunscreen, as the concert takes place on the outdoor Castle stage. Concert will move indoors in the event of inclement weather.
Check out Winnkenni’s website for more information and directions.

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Etsy Is Having A Party and You’re Invited!

By WML Blogger on August 23, 2012 in

 

 

 

 

Salem, MA Etsy artist Ana Campos is hosting an Etsy Craft Party, and you are invited! Many local Etsy artists will be at this event being held at Seed Stitch located at 21 Front St, Salem MA. Partake in free projects that you can make yourself and take home. Three Etsians will be selling their goods: Pressbound, Zooguu (handmade plush toys pictured to the left), and Toil and Trouble.  Snacks and drinks will be offered.

The party is happening tomorrow, August 24th starting at 7pm. A map can be found on the Meetup page. Join in on the fun and help support local craftspeople!