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Congressman Jim Himes helped pass three bills to provide earned benefits and crucial services to our veterans. These measures provide a cost of living increase for veterans’ disability benefits, expand employment services for homeless veterans, and ensure veterans are fully reimbursed for emergency care.
Alexandre Giroux set the Hershey Bears’ record for goals in a season, with his 53rd and 54th tallies, to help the Bears cruise to a 7-2 win over the Sound Tigers. Keith Aucoin also had a big night for Hershey with five points, two of them coming as goals in the first period. Chris Bourque, Graham Mink and Andrew Gordon each had goals in the contest for Hershey to round out the scoring. Trevor Smith padded his team lead in goals with his 29th and Andrew MacDonald also had a tally, his eighth of the season. The Sound Tigers record drops to 44-22-3-5 leaving them with 96 points and second place in the East Division.
By KIMBER AUERBACH
Alexandre Giroux set the Hershey Bears’ record for goals in a season, with his 53rd and 54th tallies, to help the Bears cruise to a 7-2 win over the Sound Tigers. Keith Aucoin also had a big night for Hershey with five points, two of them coming as goals in the first period. Chris Bourque, Graham Mink and Andrew Gordon each had goals in the contest for Hershey to round out the scoring. Trevor Smith padded his team lead in goals with his 29th and Andrew MacDonald also had a tally, his eighth of the season. The Sound Tigers record drops to 44-22-3-5 leaving them with 96 points and second place in the East Division.
By ROB SULLIVAN
The Sound Tigers are proud to announce that right wing Pascal Morency has been named the team’s winner of the American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Southern Connecticut community during the 2008-09 season.
When community events are assigned two weeks prior, Morency is always the first to volunteer his time. Without question, he is one of the most popular players in franchise history, do to his work ethic both on and off the ice. At numerous events throughout the season, Morency has been seen talking to kids, reading to schools and delivering toys to the less fortunate.
Continue reading "Bridgeport Company Fabricates Handrails For New Yankee Stadium" »
Victoria M. Eastus
For the better part of the last 5 decades the American Manufacturing industry has made cooking and food consumption faster, easier, cleaner and blatantly less healthy and more costly. Food has become truly a source of instant gratification comprised of very long names that do not resemble any animal, vegetable or mineral I have ever known.
The history of cooking before this time was extensive. Food production and preparation was a necessity of living with women historically spending at minimum one entire day per week doing nothing but baking bread. Society then ate to live and were grateful for what they grew or hunted or foraged. That sense of naturalistic respect has been overrun by gluttony and excess. Food , the better, the more decadent, has become a status symbol in it’s own right.
That is now changing and will continue to change, at least for the foreseeable future. The economic global plight has taken hold near and far with effects being felt in every sector. Using history as our guide, food can and should take on a new meaning. You do not need to sacrifice flavor or abundance, but you did need to make wiser choices and resign yourself to the fact that if you actually prepare something yourself, yes from scratch, it is going to taste better, be better and cost you less.
First and foremost I would suggest you scour your area and find local markets that are generally cheaper than chains with better and more interesting produce. Food World in Bridgeport is one such place. Their produce is remarkable as is their pricing. You name it they have it. Add more vegetables to less meat, include a soup course, plan you meals in advance and count on using leftovers for lunches or another meal in itself. Fresh Herbs add great flavor to anything. Think outside of your comfort zone and experiment with unusual flavors like tarragon, curries, peppers, lemon grass, tomatillos; combine sweet with savory, have fun and play with your food.
Always check weekly circulars for specials and yes, clipping coupons does help. Try having breakfast for dinner, eggs or pancakes with fresh fruit and ham steaks. Difficult times yes, but comfort food always, always helps sooth the weary soul. Smile and remember, this too shall pass and before you know excess will once again be in fashion.
Awesome Homemade Pancakes.
3 c all purpose flour
3 c milk
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
1 tbls sugar
1 tbls vanilla
1/1/2 tbls baking powder
1 ½ tbls baking soda
3 tbls melted butter
Thoroughly combine all ingredients, I like to refrigerate overnight. Will make @ 24 medium size pancakes. Freeze leftovers between sheets of wax paper. Try adding, chocolate chips, chopped bacon, sliced bananas, or chopped nuts.
For most cost efficient recipes, please email me. Victoria Eastus is the owner of Carrot Top Country Kitchen.
by Edward L. Yingling, ABA president and CEO
“There is much to like in the Treasury’s proposal, and ABA has previously testified before Congress in favor of the creation of a systemic regulator, a mechanism for resolving troubled non-bank firms that pose systemic risk and closing gaps in our regulatory system. However, several specific items raise serious concerns and merit careful deliberation.
“The proposal wisely creates a systemic oversight regulator and reinforces the principle that we cannot have a stable financial system that preserves the notion that any institution is too big to fail. It recognizes that in the case of some institutions, regardless of size, where systemically significant operations are involved, there must be a system for the orderly resolution of the institution in the event of impending failure.
“Regarding areas of concern, careful thought and deliberation must be given before significantly altering the roles of the Federal Reserve and the FDIC.
The next Connecticut meeting of the Adoptive Parents Committee, Inc. will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Westport/Weston. The topic of discussion will be “Empowering Ourselves and Our Children to Handle Adoption Comments and Questions."
The Adoptive Parents Committee is a not-for-profit organization providing adoption information, education, and support throughout the tri-state area. For more information, please visit our website at www.adoptiveparents.org or call us at 914-997-7859.
By ROB SULLIVAN
Despite uncorking a remarkable 50 shots on goal, the Sound Tigers lost to the Worcester Sharks 5-3 Tuesday night at the The Arena at Harbor Yard in a game that was hardly as close as it looked. P.J. Fenton paced the Shark attack with a pair of goals.
Bridgeport’s fate was sealed when the Sharks potted four goals in the first period, forcing Sound Tiger coach Jack Capuano to replace starting goaltender Nathan Lawson with Peter Mannino at the start of the second period.
The loss snapped the Sound Tigers six-game home winning streak and they were unable to increase their slim one-point lead over the Hershey Bears for the top spot in the AHL’s Eastern Conference. That sets up a battle for first place between the Sound Tigers and the Bears Friday night in Hershey.
Two minutes into the opening period, Worcester got on the board with a goal from Steven Zalewski, his 12th tally of the season to give the Sharks the 1-0 lead. Fenton would increase Worcester’s lead to 2-0 a minute later when he jammed a loose puck under Lawson’s pads. Mike Fornataro and Derek Joslin had the assists on Fenton’s fifth goal of the season. Jesse Joensuu cut the Sharks lead in half at the 7:31 mark of the first when he wristed a quick snap-shot over the glove of Worcester starting goalie, Thomas Greiss. Bentivoglio rimmed a pass around the boards to Joensuu behind the net. The Finnish winger, made a quick move to elude a Worcester defenseman and skated out to the right circle where he wristed a shot over Greiss’ glove. The goal was Joensuu’s 18th of the season, cutting the Sharks’ lead to 2-1 Fornataro would regain the two-goal lead, three minutes later for Worcester when he tapped a fluttering puck behind Lawson and into the net for his tenth goal of the season. Jason Demers and Fenton had the helpers. Fenton picked up his third point and second goal of the period, with 47 seconds left in the frame to give Worcester the 4-1 lead.
Andrew Desjardins collected his eighth goal of the season to give the Sharks the 5-1 lead. Jason Demers and Dan DaSilva assisted, with the marker coming with four minutes to play in the middle frame. Bentivoglio cut Worcester’s lead to 5-2, 58 seconds later. Jeremy Colliton started the play in the high slot, feeding a pass to Chris Lee who crept in from his point position along the left-wing boards. Lee took the puck and threaded a pass to Bentivoglio for the tap-in goal at the back post for his ninth tally of the season.
The Sound Tigers peppered Greiss with 22 shots in the third period but only hit the back of the net when Walter tacked on his 18th goal of the season with four minutes to play in regulation time when he grabbed loose puck in the high slot and wristed a shot over a screened Greiss to make the score 5-3. Mark Wotton had the only assist on the goal.
Lawson and Mannino combined to make 22 saves on 27 shots while Greiss earned the win, turning aside 47. The Sound Tigers were 0-for-7 on the power-play and 2-for-4 on the penalty-kill.
Tiger Bites: The game’s three stars: P.J. Denton (1), Thomas Greiss (2), Sean Bentivoglio (3)…The official attendance was 2,177…In a monumental goof, Worcester was misspelled on the game day tickets. Instead of looking at the proper spelling of the city at the heart of New England, the alleged 2,177 fans read the word “Worchester.” For a WORCESTER native, that gaffe rankled.
By ROB SULLIVAN
The Fairfield Warde girls basketball team’s dream of winning its first state championship was dashed in a flurry Friday night as a 26-point fourth quarter outburst by Hillhouse gave the Lady Academics the Class L title. Hillhouse took the game 65-59 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.
The loss ended a nearly perfect season for the Lady Mustangs who finished the season 26-1 and entered the tournament as the top seed in Class L. Hillhouse, out of New Haven, was probably undervalued as the seventh seed. The Lady Academics finished the campaign with a 26-2 mark and defeated powerhouses Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport and Avon along the way.
Still, Warde was in control entering the final frame holding a 44-39 lead. The Fairfielders also led 14-6 after the first quarter and 26-19 at the half. Coach Dave Danko’s team displayed the same superb command of the court as they had throughout the campaign.
By CARYN KAUFMAN
Main State Ventures (MSV) is pleased to announce that Casey Family Services, the direct service agency of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, has signed a 10-year lease to relocate to 775-779 Main Street. The leading child welfare organization will take over the entire building, representing 21,000 square feet. Located across from The Barnum Museum, this project will involve major renovation including new interior construction fit out as well as extensive façade improvements. Renovations are expected to begin by June and extend into the Fall for an end-of-year occupancy.
“Casey Family Services is an outstanding organization and a well-respected leader in Bridgeport’s network of social service agencies,” stated Kim Morque, principal, Main State Ventures. “These buildings have been vacant for years and Main State Venture is committed to bringing them back to life and putting them to productive use. This deal sends a strong signal that companies want to be in downtown Bridgeport. I want to thank Mayor Finch and the team at the Bridgeport Economic Resource Center for their support of this transaction.”
Continue reading "Casey Family Services to relocate downtown" »
The Music and Arts Center for Humanity (MACH) and The Fairfield Theatre Company join forces to present the Ailey II Company on April 4th at the Klein Memorial Auditorium. This gala event is to benefit MACH’s school year programs and the three unique summer camps; Ailey/Camp, Neighborhood Studios and MACH Camp. This is the first time two local arts organizations have co-produced an event in Bridgeport.
The Fairfield Theatre Company has been the managing entity at the historic Klein Auditorium since the Fall of 2007, bringing a steady stream of internationally recognized artists to Bridgeport. "After our first amazing year at The Klein, it is a privilege to present the premier contemporary dance company, AILEY II. We are thrilled to partner with MACH on what will be a stellar event. Both organizations share a vision for our community grounded in the belief that great art makes for great citizens," says Miles Marek, Producing Director, Fairfield Theatre Company.
This year marks the 10th Anniversary of MACH Ailey/Camp, one of nine such camps in the nation. Ailey/Camp, consists of dance lessons, life skills workshops and creative communications for middle school boys and girls living in Bridgeport and considered at risk. The day camp focuses on dance as an athletic discipline requiring concentration, teamwork and coordination. All campers also participate in workshops on personal development, coping with peer pressure, nutrition and anger management, among others. The six-week program culminates in a joyous celebration of newly acquired dance skills and readings.
The Ailey II Company was founded in 1974 by Alvin Ailey as a workshop composed of his most promising scholarship students. The Company has grown to embody Mr. Ailey’s mission to provide performances, training and community programs for everyone.
A limited number of Benefactor, Patron and Supporter tickets for center orchestra are available through MACH. To purchase any of these select ticket packages contact Remy Joseph at 366-3300 extension 230.
All other tickets will be available through the Fairfield Theatre Company, 203-259-1056, or online at www.fairfieldtheatre.org
Date: Saturday, April 4th, 2009
Time: 8 pm show, doors open at 7 pm, box office opens at 5:00 pm day of show
Ticket Price: $17-$37 FTC Members get $10 discount, groups of ten or more get 10% off
Buy tickets at: www.fairfieldtheatre.org or call the box office 203-259-1036
Location: FTC at the Klein Memorial Auditorium,
The Fairfield Theatre Company is dedicated to promoting live entertainment, and the open sharing of creative freedom, as cultural imperatives in the communities it serves. To that end, we have endeavored to create new venues -- and revive existing ones -- for the presentation and preservation of plays, concerts, lectures, artistic workshops and exhibition, and for the accessibility of these programs via all available media, platforms and formats. We seek to expand opportunities for artists to express, and for audiences to enjoy, what non-profit theatre may offer.
By ROB SULLIVAN
You’ve seen the caricature.
The cigar chomping pol, dictating orders to a bunch of lackeys named Ditto, Deuce and Runaround.
Then you take a look at the recent history of Bridgeport politics and you hear stories about the “system” and the “machine,”, and think about Joe Ganim and John Fabrizi, and the image of Mario Testa as the size of an Underdog balloon at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade pops into the imagination.
Mario Testa is a Bridgeport legend, right up there with Socialist Mayor Jasper MacLevy. Testa, a former state representative, ruled the city’s Democrats with an iron fist during the Ganim years. When Joe Ganim crashed and burned, Testa appeared to step aside.
Guess again.
Like Lazarus, he was back. Sending the previous Bridgeport DTC Chairman John Stafstrom to the dungeons of hell (sort of).
Mario is one of those guys who doesn’t have to think about his last name, he’s just Mario. Mention that name in some corners of the Park City and you might just have said Kaiser Sose.
Tell me why.
That’s what I’m wondering as I sit across the table from this unaffected little guy. (Granted, I’m a lot larger than most people, but I still dwarfed him.) Power broker? No way.
And Mario Testa agrees.
“When I hear that type of talk, I look the other way,” says Testa. “If having the best interests of the city of Bridgeport as my most important priority than so be it. Then I’m a power broker.”
Testa is enjoying something of a renaissance. For many years, his fate and power were tied to that of Joe Ganim, but no longer. Testa emerged from a power struggle last year and is once again the man on the throne.
“My only passion is to put the city first,” insists Testa. “If the title ‘power broker’ is how some people want to classify me, then so goes it.”
One of the most recent controversies surrounding Testa is his relationship with current Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, a situation Testa says is overblown.
“We have a fine relationship, if that’s what you’re asking me about,” he said. “Our relationship is very good and I will tell that to everybody. What he has done is this economic environment is a very good accomplishment.”
Like most in positions of leadership. Testa places the blame for Bridgeport’s struggles on the economy rather than on its elected officials.
“The problems with the economy have certainly made it a little difficult, particularly for the mayor as well as the town chairman,” he remarks.
When asked about the reference to himself, the DTC Head was forthcoming.
“It’s hard in a situation where people are being laid off,” he observes. “No one likes to put anyone out of work. I don’t envy the mayor. He has a very difficult job. But the issues facing the city are same. Everybody wants the city to put its best foot forward.”
The casual observer might write off Mario Testa as a dinosaur who wants to reach back to the Joe Ganim days, but Mario says no.
“Things need to be a little different, we need some new blood,” he said, adding he was encouraged by the election of freshman City Councilmen such as Brian Crowe and Sue Brannelly from Black Rock.
“Not just that district,” he says, “But I think new participation is important and it has been encouraging.”
Party unity has always been a hallmark of Testa’s leadership and that hasn’t changed since the 90s and Joe Ganim.
“The way I see it, if you’re a member of the party, you’re a member of the party,”:he said.
But all being said and done, the DTC Chair still bristles at the trhoughought of being called a “power broker.”
“Ask any elected official in this city if I’ve ever asked them for a vote,” he fumes. “They will all say no.”
Then he paused.
“Fund raising’s a different thing. If you want to be a good candidate you have to raise money.”
By ROB SULLIVAN
John Fabrizi is a contented man these days.
The former mayor has settled into his job as Bridgeport’s Director of Adult Education, is happy with his home and family life and has recently dropped a lot of weight.
“You know what a big factor is?” he asked. “No stress.”
Fabrizi does seem more relaxed as he holds court in his office at Central High School, a copy of Joesph Ellis’ Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation on display in the center of his bookcase.
“You want to borrow it?” he asks. “Go ahead. Just give it back.”
Fabrizi says he has embraced his new responsibilities with as much enthusiasm as he ran the city.
“I’ve had a nice welcome here,” he said. “I’m not scared to ask what I don’t know. I’m constantly researching what I need to best do my job and live up to my responsibilities.”
Fabrizi stressed that there is an urgent need for adults in the Park City to further their education, noting that a remarkably high number of Bridgeport residents do not have a high school education.
“Do you realize that almost 50 percent of adult residents of the city of Bridgeport do not have a high school diploma?” asked Fabrizi. “That’s obviously a significant number and a problem that I hope we can continue to address in this department.”
By ADRIEN DENNY
Utah Grizzlies Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Kevin Colley announced today that goaltender Mike Mole has returned to the team from the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers after being called-up March 13.
The Grizzlies are proud to be the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders and their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
Mole appeared in one game in Bridgeport on March 15 in Hershey suffering a 3-2 defeat. It marks the third-straight season that Mole has been recalled to Bridgeport. Last year he was called-up to New York in March becoming the first of five Grizzlies to head to the NHL in the last 12 months.
Mole rejoins Robert Gherson as the Grizzlies goaltending tandem and returns to Utah still ranked third in the ECHL in saves (1,374) and minutes played (2,766).
The Grizzlies return to action Tuesday and Wednesday at the E-Center when they will host the Phoenix RoadRunners. Face-off both evenings is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
By Zach Munroe
Natalie Weaver, a sophomore at Daniel Hand High School in Madison, was named champion of Connecticut’s 4th Annual Poetry Out Loud State Finals competition on March 10 at the Carol Autorino Center in West Hartford. The competition was presented by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism (CCT) and the State Department of Education, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation.
During the state finals, 16 contestants from high schools across the state recited works they selected from an anthology of more than 400 classic and contemporary poems. Weaver received $200 and $500 went to Daniel Hand High School for the purchase of poetry books. Kendra Manthey, a sophomore at Berlin High School, was voted runner-up and received $100 plus $200 for her school library.
Other state finalists included Oliver Brown, a senior at Rockville High School (Vernon); Eric Haff, a senior at Waterford High School; and Allyson Makuch, a senior at Newtown High School.
Congressman Jim Himes announced that he will hold a Federal Grants Workshop to help constituents and local organizations navigate the process for applying for federal funding for local projects. The Congressman’s Recovery Director Shante` Hanks will lead the event, and experts from federal agencies will be on hand to answer questions and provide advice. Any local organization, business, or individual interested in applying for competitive federal grants is encouraged to attend. The workshop will include a presentation on the grant writing processes.
WHO: Congressman Jim Himes
Himes’ Recovery Director Shante` Hanks
Representatives from the Department of Housing & Urban Development, Small Business Association, Small Business Innovation Research, the City of Bridgeport, and the Fairfield County Community Foundation
WHAT: Federal Grants Workshop
WHEN: Friday, March 27, 2009
Sign-in: 9:30am
Workshop: 10:00am-12:00pm
WHERE: Norwalk Community College
Gen Re Room
188 Richards Avenue Norwalk, CT 06854
By KIMBER AUERBACH
The Sound Tigers capped off their three-game weekend with a 4-3 win over the Portland Pirates, to move within three points of clinching their first trip to the Calder Cup Playoffs in two years. Sean Bentivoglio’s goal with 36 seconds remaining in the second period, would become the eventual game-winner after Peter Mannino stopped all 10 shots he saw in the third period. Chris Lee, Trevor Smith and Micheal Haley each had a tally in the opening frame for the Sound Tigers. Portland received goals from Derek Whitmore, Marek Zagrapan and Mathieu Darche. Mannino returned from the New York Islanders this morning and earned his 14th win of the season, stopping 34 of the 37 shots he faced. The Sound Tigers remain the top team in the Eastern Conference with a record of 44-20-3-5, giving them 96 points, one ahead of the Hershey Bears.
Whitmore gave the Pirates the 1-0 lead on Portland’s first shot of the game, 3:35 into the first period. Kyle Rank had the lone assist on Whitmore’s 11th goal of the season. The Sound Tigers would answer with three tallies of their own before the period would end, starting with Chris Lee’s fifth goal of the season. Jesse Joensuu attempted to fire a shot on net the deflected off a body and trickled out to Lee at the point. The defenseman cranked a shot on goal that snuck through Pirates’ starting goalie, Kellen Briggs to tie the score at 1-1. Sean Bentivoglio had the second assist on the goal. Only 36 seconds later, the Sound Tigers would make take the lead at 2-1 on Smith’s team-leading 28th goal of the season. Ben Walter and Junior Lessard had the assists on Smith’s goal. Haley put the Sound Tigers up by two later in the period when he deposited a perfect pass from Tomas Marcinko into the back of the net for his third marker this season. Marcinko came in from the right circle on a two-on-one with Haley. As Marcinko skated in on Briggs, he waited for Haley to position his stick at the back post where he redirected the puck past Briggs for the 3-1 lead. Robin Figren earned his first professional point with the second assist.
Portland would score twice in the middle frame starting with Zagrapan’s 18th goal of the season, 12:39 in. Colin Murphy assisted on the goal to pull the Pirates within a goal, 3-2. Three minutes later, Darche would tie the score at three with his 23rd tally of the season. Nathan Gerbe and Mike Kostka had the helpers on the game-winner. With less than a minute remaining in the period, the teams were playing four men aside before Bentivoglio came out of the box with 42 seconds left in the period. Peter Mannino settled the puck for Jeremy Colliton who snapped a pass from deep in the Sound Tigers zone to Bentivoglio who came streaking out of the penalty box. Bentivoglio came in alone on Briggs, deked to his backhand and slid the puck through the Portland net-minder’s legs to give the Sound Tigers the 4-3 lead while on the power-play.
In the third, Mannino shut the door, turning aside all 10 shots the Pirates fired at him. The Sound Tiger goalie finished the game with 34 saves while Briggs had 31. The Sound Tigers were 1-for-5 on the man-advantage and 5-for-5 on the penalty-kill.
On Tuesday, the Sound Tigers will finish their four-game home stand against the Worcester Sharks. Face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. For tickets or information on how to receive group discounted pricing, contact the team’s front office at (203) 334-GOAL or e-mail info@soundtigers.com.
By Victoria Marie Eastus
Dried fruits and nuts bring to mind an era gone by. From the 1940’s until the early 70’s, dried fruit and nuts were found at virtually all cocktail parties in one form or another. Historically though, they have been a dietary necessity in numerous cultures since the beginning of time with references to them in ancient cave paintings as well as The Bible.
Nuts though started getting a bad rap in the 1970’s due to their high fat content and fried fruits have become something lingering in the bottom of holiday gift baskets. Many recent studies though have shown that nuts are not only and excellent source of protein, but can also possibly reduce cholesterol and may lower one’s risk of some types of cancer.
Dried fruits have also started to regain some popularity with an increase in commercially available fruits such as apples, peaches, cherries and cranberries. Until fairly recently one had to go to a specialty store to purchase high quality nuts and dried fruits, yet now most supermarkets have a large variety of each. There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of mail order companies that offer a tremendous variety of nuts from around the world as well as selections of dried fruits that in the past would never be considered.
The uses for dried fruits and nuts are manifold. It goes without saying that they make a great snack on their own. However, with a little ingenuity, these 2 groups of food have a place at every meal and every gathering. Nuts are great toasted or raw, tossed in a salad, sprinkled over fruit or combined in a cream soup or on top of chicken or fish. They can add delicious flavor and texture to rice dishes or casseroles. Dried cherries, cranberries and pineapple are a delicious addition when roasting pork, duck or turkey. Nuts are at their best toasted which is easily done by roasting on a baking sheet for about 6 minutes at 350 degrees or sautéing in a skillet with a bit of oil and seasonings of your choice. Take care not to over brown as they can become bitter. Walnuts, pine nuts and almonds are delicious toasted and make wonderful prestos with a variety of greens.
Dried fruits and nuts are extremely versatile. They can be added to so many dishes from soups and salads to grilled fish and roasted vegetables. They can easily turn a simple dish into something special. But remember, nuts are still great with cocktails, slightly heated and tossed with any combination of dried fruits.
Quick Tips
*Finely chop any combination of dried fruits and nuts and combine with cream cheese for a great sandwich spread or topping for muffins, toast or raw vegetables.
*Finely chop dried fruits or nuts and stir into oatmeal or cream of wheat or sprinkles on pancakes or waffles.
*Chopped peanuts give hamburgers or meatloaf a nice crunch and added flavor.
*Add any combination of dried chopped fruits and nuts into pancake batter, bread mixes or cookie dough.
*Stir into egg or fish salads.
Take note though, there has been a substantial rise in peanut allergies so be sure who will be consuming anything with any type of nut product.
Be creative and be imaginative and bring back the heyday of the fruit and nut.
By JOSHUA A. BERNSTEIN
The Islanders scored a season-high three power-play goals and Peter Mannino made 40 saves in his first NHL start as the Islanders defeated the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-2, Sunday afternoon at United Center.
"I couldn’t ask for anything better. That’s the dream come true: to get a start in the NHL and to get a win on the first one with a lot of shots like that," said Mannino. "It’s picture perfect."
Mark Streit scored a season-high two power-play goals and added an assist en route to the Islanders’ second win on their six-game road trip. Richard Park and Frans Nielsen also tallied for the Islanders, who are 4-1-1 in their last six games.
Mannino looked solid early in his first NHL start. He made 12 saves in the opening period, including a dandy on Andrew Ladd late in the frame.
"I told myself earlier I just wanted to be composed," said Mannino. "I kind of kept that in my mind right from the beginning, and it went well."
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