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Author: Kacie Cotter-Harrigan

Adirondack Trust Company Recognized as ‘Thriving In The Face Of Adversity’

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Business.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Adirondack Trust Company has secured a 5-Star rating from BAUERFINANCIAL, the Nation’s Premier Bank Rating Firm. A five-star rating indicates the bank excels in areas of capital adequacy, profitability, asset quality and much more. Earning and maintaining this top rating for 57 consecutive quarters puts Adirondack Trust in the most prestigious bracket as an Exceptional Performance Bank.

“The Adirondack Trust Company is proof that some banks are able to thrive even in the face of substantial adversity,” BAUERFINANCIAL President Karen Dorway said, in a statement. “We know the secret. As your local, community bank, The Adirondack Trust Company has a deep understanding of the needs and conditions of this area, perhaps better than anyone.”

The Adirondack Trust Company is an independent, locally owned and operated, community bank offering a wide variety of business and personal financial services. The bank has more than $1 billion in assets and 13 branch offices. The bank offers banking, trust, insurance, and wealth management services, and originates real estate mortgages, both residential and commercial, and commercial business loans throughout its primary market area. The bank’s website is AdirondackTrust.com.

World-Weary & Stressed: You Are Not Alone

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Families Today.

You may be feeling worried or profoundly sad right now. For yourself, for your family, for the world. Or you may be feeling stressed. Lonely. Anxious. Even frustrated beyond endurance, yet helpless to do anything about it. 

These days, six out of every 10 Americans are right there with you, increasingly stressed and depressed, according to a COVID Impact Survey by NORC at the University of Chicago. In fact, the American Psychological Association is warning that mental health concerns will be serious and long-lasting across the nation due to the pandemic, falling economy, and social unrest. 

Before this all started, you could probably just shake off any troubles that came up. You could move out of your sadness and anger by talking with a friend, focusing on the positive, directing your hands to a project, or watching an uplifting movie. Here are some great coping tips from the Centers for Disease Control that can also help in these difficult times: 

• Manage your isolation by helping others. Make time for regular phone calls or video chats.
• Take care of your body. Eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs. 
• Take a break from the news. Once a day is plenty. Get what you need from reliable sources, then turn it off. 
• Limit screen time. Give your eyes, mind, and body a break by doing something else.
• Maintain normalcy. Keep the regular routine for you and your family as much as possible. 

But don’t be surprised if none of these work as well as they once did. In 2020, we are all being rattled by one national or global event after another. The news seems to get darker every day. Job opportunities seem further out of reach. The isolation, the worry about making ends meet, and the grief for ill or lost family members—all may feel heavier than you can bear. 

First, let me assure you, we will get through this. Our community has been through other pandemics, as well as natural disasters, market crashes, 9/11, and World Wars. Our resilience is indomitable. That said, there is nothing wrong with taking some time to react, work through the stress, and let someone else take care of us for a little while, like a therapist or counselor. That’s just being human. If you sprain your ankle, you see a doctor, right? Mental health care is no different.

The reality of it is, this world may be our new norm for a while. We just don’t know. Given the heightened stress people are feeling due to COVID-19 and current events, now is the time for people to let go of any stigma they may feel around seeking a psychiatrist, therapist, or other mental health provider. 

And if your emotional pain has worsened, please remember: no matter how deep the despair, how immobilizing the hopelessness, there is reason for life, and there are many resources to help you find it. 

At Saratoga Hospital, we offer behavioral health services through our Primary Care practices, medication management and counseling at Saratoga Community Health Center, Inpatient Mental Health services (for those at risk of harming themselves or others), as well as substance abuse and behavioral health counseling through our Addiction Medicine services. 

Whatever your worry, your fear, or your pain, we are here to help you choose to go on. You are not alone. Learn more at SaratogaHospital.org.

If your stress or anxiety is keeping you from getting through your day for longer than a week, or you cannot shake serious feelings of sadness and depression, call your healthcare provider right away. You can also call:

• SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
• Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8225
• NYS Domestic Violence Hotline:1-800-942-6906
• NYS Child Abuse Hotline:1-800-342-3720
• Samaritans Suicide Prevention Center Hotline: 1-518- 689-4673
• Suicide Prevention Coalition of Saratoga County: 1-800-273-8255
• Saratoga County Crisis Line Hotline: 1-518-584-9030
• Wellspring Domestic Violence Hotline: 518-584-8188

Open Air Classes

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Education.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Students throughout Saratoga are spending more class time outside this year. 

Open-air classrooms were utilized more than a century ago as a way to prevent the spread of tuberculous and are being reintroduced this year as a healthy way to adhere to social distancing guidelines. 

When Fred McNeary, a Saratoga Springs High School alum and the CEO of Prestwick Chase at Saratoga, saw that NYRA loaned 175 picnic tables to the Saratoga Springs School District for courtyard seating, he got an idea.

This week, Prestwick Chase donated 75 Adirondack chairs to the district to further expand their outside seating options. The chairs were left over from an outdoor event the retirement community held on Mother’s Day this year. 

“With the pandemic, everyone’s changing how they are having classes. We were happy to do it and the kids were happy to have them,” said John Rowe, Prestwick Chase Marketing Director.

BEING OUTDOORS BECOMES SECOND NATURE

For the children at Saratoga Independent School, being outside more is already becoming second nature.

“We’ve always incorporated some outdoor learning in our classes. We have this beautiful 60-acre campus with trails through the woods, so there are always things for students to see and learn outside. Now, we’re increasing our time outside and having it on a more regular basis for a lot of classes,” said Lisa Brown, Principal of Saratoga Independent School.

Under the school’s three large shade sails, students sit in a circle on foam pads or beach towels for morning meetings, language arts, snack, lunch and more. There are picnic tables, portable easels and whiteboards set up, as well. 

The school purchased microphones and speakers so remote students could connect with the outdoor classrooms, and for Kindergarteners, sitting inside hula hoops serves as a visual and tactile social distancing solution.

“One of the best things that’s come from this whole experience is that the kids are taking it very seriously. Our school motto is to take care of ourselves, each other and the community. This allows the kids to be independent. Kids really do want to do the right thing,” said Brown.

PREPARED FOR PREVENTION

Grounded in the philosophy of hands-on learning, the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs was already running an all-outdoor Forest Kindergarten and is adding another following the same outdoor model.

Waldorf’s 1st through 7th grade students are now spending 75 percent of their school day outside, said Waldorf teacher and Faculty Chair, Astrea Ravenstar. 

High school students are outdoors for half the day studying English, foreign languages and the practical arts. 

Folding chairs equipped with supplies and even cushioned tree stumps have been set up to create outdoor classroom spaces. As the weather cools, the school will be setting up tents and heaters, as well.

When the weather is too wet, classes will be inside but the school’s big windows will remain open for increased ventilation.

“Kids need to dress in layers with hats on. They need to be a little more prepared to stay outside as much as possible. That, combined with the sanitation processes we have in place, really will help keep COVID at bay,” said Ravenstar.

Let’s Go For A Ride

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Sports.

“Life’s better with your knees in the breeze.”

The colorful leaves scurry behind your tires when you take a ride through the North Country in fall. 

“That’s the great thing about where we live; we’re surrounded by great places to ride,” said Roger Goldsmith, owner of Saratoga Motorcycle Center.

It’s a beautiful ride to Sacandaga Lake, said Goldsmith. Another nice trip is around Saratoga Lake, going through Stillwater, Schuylerville, and into Washington County. 

“It doesn’t matter if you’re going for an hour or for the whole day, it’s all right here for you. My friend commented once after he just moved up here, ‘I can’t believe it, I just pull out of my garage and it’s beautiful countryside everywhere I go’,” he said.

CRAFTING A BUSINESS

Roger Goldsmith is a motorcycle enthusiast who grew up riding. Although his favorites are the Japanese bikes from the 1980’s, he’s experienced Harley Davidsons, Ducati’s and more. 

“I tend to keep more than I should. I love them all,” he said. 

Goldsmith was the original owner of the Crafter’s Gallery on Broadway. After 24 years, he sold it in 2017 to pursue his hobby. Now, he’s turned that hobby into a business, the Saratoga Motorcycle Center.

It hasn’t come without a few bumps in the road, however.

After receiving a building permit on January 10th this year, the anticipated April shop opening was pushed back when the town shutdown construction for six weeks to prevent possible COVID transmission. The 8000 sq. ft. building was finally completed this fall. It includes a 3,000 sq. ft. retail shop and service center as well as a 2,000 sq. ft. RB1-zoned retail space still available for lease.

GETTING TRACTION

Already getting good traction and seeing a steady flow of customers, Saratoga Motorcycle Center is a retail shop selling motorcycle and ATV parts and accessories. They also provide installation and other services. 

Now is a good time to get a general check of fluids, brakes and to pick up stabilizer before storing your bike for the season, advised Goldsmith. If you have a project in mind, like adding extended handlebars or installing saddlebags, the fall is a much better time to do it than in the spring when you’re raring to get out on the road. 

On September 23rd, the official ribbon cutting for Saratoga Motorcycle Center was held with the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce and others in attendance. Certificates of Recognition from Senator Daphne Jordan and Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner were handed out.

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

On Saturday, October 3, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. stop into the Saratoga Motorcycle Center, 4284 NY Route 50, Saratoga Springs for their Grand Opening Celebration.

Enter to win giveaways from Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties, Western Powersports, Hard Drive, and Power Racing. Sweet Caroline’s Pies will be offering pie and pastry samples and sales. 

From 12 to 3 p.m., grilled hot dogs, snacks and desserts will be served. Live music will be performed by Jeff Brisbin.

This event is FREE and COVID compliant. Please wear masks and maintain social distancing. 

For more information, find Saratoga Motorcycle Center on Facebook or call 518-886-8319.

Life Legacy: Ballston Spa’s Most Famous Citizen, The Life of George West

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in History.

Perhaps the most famous and successful citizen in the history of Ballston Spa passed away 119 years ago this week. Here on this anniversary of the death of George West, we look back at his life and the legacy he left behind.

West was born in the English village of Kentisbeare on March 2, 1822. He was the sixth of nine children born to George Sr. and his wife Jane. As soon as he was old enough, West followed in his father’s footsteps and began working at a local paper mill.

After marrying his life-long partner Louisa and learning much about the paper making trade, West moved his young family to America in 1849 to seek a better life. He spent time in New Jersey and Massachusetts managing several paper mills before moving to the town of Milton in 1861. There he obtained a management position at the Pioneer Paper Mill in West Milton. His employer Coe Buchanan was also a partner in an idle mill in nearby Rock City Falls called the Empire. When Buchanan’s partner Harlow Kilmer was killed in a tragic machinery accident, Buchanan offered West the chance to purchase the mill. After some consideration, West took possession of it the following year.

At the time, cotton shortages stemming from the Civil War made producing paper from cotton rags expensive. Paper mill owners and inventors were scrambling to find alternate methods of manufacturing paper. West’s neighbor Chauncey Kilmer perfected a method which used rye straw that could be used for newsprint paper. However, West decided to use manila hemp imported from the Philippines to produce manila paper.

West also decided that rather than limit his product line to various grades of manila paper, he would use some of it to create paper bags. Grocers’ and millers’ bags were in short supply due to the ongoing cotton shortage. If a paper bag could be produced from his manila paper, West reasoned, he would be able to sell them at a much lower price than any other bag manufacturer in the country.

At first West’s bags were made by hand at the Union Store in Ballston Spa, but demand soon far outpaced his ability to supply them. He therefore erected a bag factory next door to the Empire Mill and in 1866 built a second paper mill next door, which he named the Excelsior.

By 1875 West’s mills were manufacturing five and a half tons of manila paper per day. Half of this output was sent to his bag factory, while the other half was sent in equal parts to Chicago and St. Louis for his business partners to use in manufacturing their own bags. Eight teams of horses were kept busy delivering raw materials to the mills and finished paper from Rock City Falls to the railroad freight station in Ballston Spa five miles away. Total sales approached $65,000 per month, equivalent to $1.2 million today.

For about ten years, Rock City Falls could lay claim to the largest manila paper bag operation in the world. West added to his paper empire by purchasing two mills in Middle Grove, Pioneer Mill in West Milton, and Eagle Mill near Factory Village. In 1875 he completed his largest acquisition: the former Jonas Hovey estate in Ballston Spa, consisting of several mills, a mansion, tenement houses, and a large tract of land.

A year later West refitted one of the former Hovey mills into a modern bag factory and moved all bag-making operations out of Rock City Falls. His Ballston Spa mills, consisting of the Union, Glen, and Island mills, became the center of his operations, although six other paper mills along the Kayaderosseras Creek continued to churn out tons of manila paper as well.

West became ill in 1898, just as paper bag factories around the country were being consolidated into giant corporations. Unable to run his huge operation single-handedly like he did for so many years, he sold his mills to the Union Bag and Paper Company.

In January 1901 his wife of 56 years passed away. Already ill from Bright’s disease, West passed away just months later on September 28, leaving behind a fortune that would be valued at $75 million in today’s dollars.

Today large portions of the Empire Mill still stand in Rock City Falls, along with the stone foundations of the Excelsior Mill and his 23 room mansion that now serves as a bed and breakfast. His Union mill and bag factory building complex on Prospect Street in Ballston Spa survives as mixed-use buildings, with the “Geo. West” name still etched in the stonework for all to see.

Tim is an independent historian working in the nonprofit field. In 1997 he moved to the Town of Milton and from 2003 to 2013 served as the Treasurer of the Saratoga County Historical Society (Brookside) Board of Trustees. In 2014  he moved to Glenville to be closer to work. He has written 18 books, some self-published and others published by Arcadia Press, which include histories of local industries, railroads, and inventions. He has also published a biography of George West with help from one of West’s descendants, Douglass “Tim” Mabee of Saratoga Springs. Tim can be reached at tstarr71@gmail.com

Sponsored by the Saratoga County History Roundtable.

Life Legacy: Ballston Spa’s Most Famous Citizen, The Life of George West

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in History.

Perhaps the most famous and successful citizen in the history of Ballston Spa passed away 119 years ago this week. Here on this anniversary of the death of George West, we look back at his life and the legacy he left behind.

West was born in the English village of Kentisbeare on March 2, 1822. He was the sixth of nine children born to George Sr. and his wife Jane. As soon as he was old enough, West followed in his father’s footsteps and began working at a local paper mill.

After marrying his life-long partner Louisa and learning much about the paper making trade, West moved his young family to America in 1849 to seek a better life. He spent time in New Jersey and Massachusetts managing several paper mills before moving to the town of Milton in 1861. There he obtained a management position at the Pioneer Paper Mill in West Milton. His employer Coe Buchanan was also a partner in an idle mill in nearby Rock City Falls called the Empire. When Buchanan’s partner Harlow Kilmer was killed in a tragic machinery accident, Buchanan offered West the chance to purchase the mill. After some consideration, West took possession of it the following year.

At the time, cotton shortages stemming from the Civil War made producing paper from cotton rags expensive. Paper mill owners and inventors were scrambling to find alternate methods of manufacturing paper. West’s neighbor Chauncey Kilmer perfected a method which used rye straw that could be used for newsprint paper. However, West decided to use manila hemp imported from the Philippines to produce manila paper.

West also decided that rather than limit his product line to various grades of manila paper, he would use some of it to create paper bags. Grocers’ and millers’ bags were in short supply due to the ongoing cotton shortage. If a paper bag could be produced from his manila paper, West reasoned, he would be able to sell them at a much lower price than any other bag manufacturer in the country.

At first West’s bags were made by hand at the Union Store in Ballston Spa, but demand soon far outpaced his ability to supply them. He therefore erected a bag factory next door to the Empire Mill and in 1866 built a second paper mill next door, which he named the Excelsior.

By 1875 West’s mills were manufacturing five and a half tons of manila paper per day. Half of this output was sent to his bag factory, while the other half was sent in equal parts to Chicago and St. Louis for his business partners to use in manufacturing their own bags. Eight teams of horses were kept busy delivering raw materials to the mills and finished paper from Rock City Falls to the railroad freight station in Ballston Spa five miles away. Total sales approached $65,000 per month, equivalent to $1.2 million today.

For about ten years, Rock City Falls could lay claim to the largest manila paper bag operation in the world. West added to his paper empire by purchasing two mills in Middle Grove, Pioneer Mill in West Milton, and Eagle Mill near Factory Village. In 1875 he completed his largest acquisition: the former Jonas Hovey estate in Ballston Spa, consisting of several mills, a mansion, tenement houses, and a large tract of land.

A year later West refitted one of the former Hovey mills into a modern bag factory and moved all bag-making operations out of Rock City Falls. His Ballston Spa mills, consisting of the Union, Glen, and Island mills, became the center of his operations, although six other paper mills along the Kayaderosseras Creek continued to churn out tons of manila paper as well.

West became ill in 1898, just as paper bag factories around the country were being consolidated into giant corporations. Unable to run his huge operation single-handedly like he did for so many years, he sold his mills to the Union Bag and Paper Company.

In January 1901 his wife of 56 years passed away. Already ill from Bright’s disease, West passed away just months later on September 28, leaving behind a fortune that would be valued at $75 million in today’s dollars.

Today large portions of the Empire Mill still stand in Rock City Falls, along with the stone foundations of the Excelsior Mill and his 23 room mansion that now serves as a bed and breakfast. His Union mill and bag factory building complex on Prospect Street in Ballston Spa survives as mixed-use buildings, with the “Geo. West” name still etched in the stonework for all to see.

Tim is an independent historian working in the nonprofit field. In 1997 he moved to the Town of Milton and from 2003 to 2013 served as the Treasurer of the Saratoga County Historical Society (Brookside) Board of Trustees. In 2014  he moved to Glenville to be closer to work. He has written 18 books, some self-published and others published by Arcadia Press, which include histories of local industries, railroads, and inventions. He has also published a biography of George West with help from one of West’s descendants, Douglass “Tim” Mabee of Saratoga Springs. Tim can be reached at tstarr71@gmail.com

Sponsored by the Saratoga County History Roundtable.

Saratoga – It’s About Human Connections

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Winner's Circle.

Another Saratoga race meeting, albeit a strange one, has recently ended and despite the lack of on track fans, handicappers scanned past performances and used handicapping tools new and old to discern winners and value. While the tools have been greatly expanded over the years with easy access to video replay and ever more sophisticated speed and pace figures, the mission remains the same – pick winners. Any handicapper will tell you how frustrating the chase can be but also how rewarding.

This article is meant to explore how and why the Saratoga race meet is different than most. I like to say the race meeting is about humans not horses. Saratoga is a high-profile niche meet that holds historical and aesthetic significance beyond dollars. Often when dollars and cents are in play those off the track often exceed those that are earned on the track. For that reason there is an additional element that is hard to quantify in a pace figure or on paper – it is human emotion and desire. 

Those of us who have owned or trained horses will tell you how difficult it is to win a race and that there are a million ways to lose a race. Each trip to the Winner’s Circle should be enjoyed as the accomplishment it is regardless of the time of year or conditions under which it occurs but human nature being what it is it simply is not. Due to its high profile a win at Saratoga simply has a high value that exceeds its cost.

Notably in normal years, a splashy performance by a runner at Saratoga during sales week can slingshot its sire to unexpected levels in that week’s select sales. An eye-popping first time starter by a new sire is immeasurably more valuable sales week than it is the rest of the year and this is not lost on the human connections. It is not a coincidence that two year maiden special weights are full in the days preceding the yearling sales and it is not uncommon for owners to save well-meant first time starters for that week in hopes of sparking interest in
the bloodlines.

These emotional and less obvious reasons make winning at Saratoga more rewarding to certain connections than winning elsewhere – even if the overall annual dollars earned are fewer by waiting for the spa meet.

No discussion of aiming for Saratoga would be complete without a discussion of one of the grandest Saratoga-aimers of all-time- G.P. Odom. George Odom known as Major or Maje since he was a child was born in 1906 and was winning races at Saratoga until 1987. From a racing family (his father was a jockey and trainer, and part of the 1955 inaugural class of inductees to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame) he went to Columbia University and then to work on Wall Street in 1930.  He was quoted as saying “Bad timing. People were jumping out of windows so fast you had to watch out or they’d fall on you and crush you. Then in 1932, President Roosevelt declared the bank holiday. Well, I went to the races for the holiday and stayed there.”

Maje Odom loved to cash a bet and it has been recalled that he won so much money on his 1938 Belmont Stakes winner – Pasteurize – surviving a foul claim at a plush 8-1 in a six horse field – that he bought an airplane! When later in his career he ceased training a public stable he settled into training primarily for he and his wife Mary and aimed for Saratoga. Each year he would start in March or April on the farm, have the requisite public works at Delaware Park in the months leading to Saratoga and head to the spa ready for bear.  He won a race at Saratoga nearly every year until his final starter Waggley won on August 23, 1987. They were always well-meant and fast, and many were first time starters or off a lay-off. More often than not they scored as planned.  To those who remembered from year to year it was a ritual and meant all was right with the world when one of his horses was well-bet and ran to it at Saratoga. Those that didn’t remember got to tear up tickets.

Today trainer statistics are readily available and Maje Odom’s 30% winning percentage would be common knowledge. But what about the less obvious owner statistics? We all know of the owners who actively seek the owner title and run horses every day in all sorts of spots to garner wins.  They command most of the attention but what is more difficult to discern are the connections who aim for this meet but have limited starters.

Below is my list of owners who tend to run better at Saratoga than elsewhere who even in this very odd year showed peak performance in Saratoga. Mark them for next year as well. Including their horses even when conventional handicapping tools and methods don’t point to them will provide you with an opportunity to have a few hidden winners and even more live competitors at compelling prices.

Trainers to watch:
• James Bond – that’s worth repeating James Bond. A locally based family operation that absolutely excels at Saratoga.
• David Donk – the phrase “Honk if you like Donk” will echo in your head as one long priced winner after anther hits the wire first.
• Roy S. Lerman – very few runners, very long prices but springs in the money finishes each year

Owners to watch include:
• Peter J. Callahan • William L. Clifton, Jr.
• Roy S. Lerman • Roddy J. Valente
• Patricia Generazio • Alex G. Campbell, Jr.

Each of these owners, for varying reasons, finds the added excitement and fun that a win at Saratoga brings worth striving for all year. What is more important is that each of them has proven they know how to target Saratoga successfully. Scanning the owner listings each morning for these owners will yield surprising results.

Saratoga racing – it’s as much about people as it is about horses.

William G. Gotimer, Jr. is a Saratoga resident and life-long racing fan and owner. He is a practicing attorney specializing in corporate and business transactions with numerous racing participants as clients. He may be reached at wgotimer@verizon.net

Keeping the Lunchbox Fresh

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Food.

All meals have their challenges whether it’s a pandemic or not; packing the lunchbox is no exception. I have three children and I’d like to tell you I figured it all out after the first, but I did not. Each child came with their own sets of likes and dislikes. My youngest was, and is, my pickiest eater with a fickle palate that’s forever changing. She is NOT the traditional sandwich eater.

Whether you are homeschooling, fully virtual, or schooling in a hybrid fashion, here are few lunchtime prep tips that are tried and true:

• Use the weekend to organize the plan.
• Separate shelf-stable snacks in containers or Ziploc® bags and put them in a basket so that the kids know they are for lunchbox packing only. 
• Prepack refrigerated items into containers for several days at a time, label and keep those items in the fridge ready to grab.
• Include your children in the entire process.

The goal? Keeping you from spending more time than needed in the kitchen during the busy weekdays.  Not only will these steps save you time, but they will also help to promote independence in the kiddos and hopefully feel-good vibes in your kitchen (wink).

Here are some easy prep ideas that include apples:

1.Cinnamon Apples:Simply wash, core, slice your apples.  Place them in a Ziploc® style bag.  Add a few shakes of cinnamon, seal the bag, and shake.  This helps to avoid brown apples, enhances flavor and they keep in the fridge for several days.

2. Dip:Make yogurt dips to serve with the cinnamon apples and keep in mini containers.  Try my Creamsicle Fruit Dip by folding 6 oz. low-fat vanilla yogurt with 6 oz. of Greek yogurt and the juice freshly squeezed from half of a navel orange. 

3. Apple Pie Parfait: Layer vanilla yogurt, granola, and cooked apples that have been cooled.  Simply wash, core, peel, and dice two apples.  Cook them in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.These will keep for several days in the fridge.

*Apples, cinnamon, yogurt, and granola are all available at the farmers’ market.

Cheers to a successful school year.

Jodie Fitz is the creator of the Price Chopper/Market 32 Kids Cooking Club.You can learn more about her, her recipes, and her online classes by visiting JodieFitz.com.  She is also the author of Fidget Grows a Pizza Garden.

Saratoga Farmers’ Market runs at Wilton Mall 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our newsletter: www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/weekly-newsletter.

FM PeanutAppleWraps

Sock It To Me

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Food.

Hello my Foodie Friends!

September still has the warmer days. However, the nights are beginning to get chilly. As we settle into the routine of children back to school and balancing our work and family lives, what to make for dinner can be a daily dilemma. Soup was a meal that my mother made often to serve our household of seven people (five being young children). Coming in from school in the afternoons or a day of play outside with our neighborhood kids, I could taste the soup through the aroma. A soup that is dear to my heart that evokes Italian childhood memories of my mother’s cooking is Pastina Chicken Soup. She would make her own homemade chicken broth and tiny little pasta shaped form of stars known as “pastina.” Chicken broth is a staple in most Italian households. You can rest assured that there will be a few quarts in the freezer at all times. You need a really good homemade broth to make pastina, vegetable soups, risottos, sauces, and chicken dishes pop with flavor. 

There was one essential item that my mother had to have to assist her with the process of making her broth, the soup sock. 

You can fill these cotton mesh bags with your favorite herbs and ingredients for flavoring stocks and soups. The finely woven material holds delicate herbs or expands to accommodate everything from bones to chopped vegetables. When cooking is complete, simply remove the bag – no need for straining! They are made of strong, 100% fine cotton mesh. The soup sock comes in a large size to accommodate all sorts of flavoring ingredients, from bones and whole vegetables to herb leaves. They will not impart odors or flavors into soups or stocks. The best part is that they help with a mess-free cooking – no need for straining. The packets of soups socks come in sets of three and they are made in the USA.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your neighborhood kitchen and cutlery store, and pull up your socks at 33 Railroad Place and say Sock it to me! We carry cool tools for cooks. Find the items you need to assist with making your favorite soup. 

Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen”

 Take Care,
John & PaulaREARDON Pastina