Are You Excited for these March Events in Philadelphia?

Trip Idea: Milwaukee

Milwaukee is a great American city. Set on Lake Michigan, it boasts a great mixture of natural wonder and urban vigor, sprinkled with an open-hearted Wisconsin welcom. Here are some highlights:

Miller Park
Catch a ballgame at Miller Park, one of the most beloved ballparks in the country and the home of the Milwaukee Brewers. The stadium combines an aura of baseball’s romantic past with a state-of-the-art modern flair. Visit the website: http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/mil/ballpark/index.jsp

Harley-Davidson Museum
This popular attraction makes Harley enthusiasts buzz but its appeal extends well beyond the motorcycle world. People of every stripe find it fascinating to learn about American history and culture through the lens of America’s most iconic motorcycle company. Click here for more: http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/HD_Museum/Museum.jsp

Pabst Mansion
Visit the castle-like mansion built by Milwaukee sea captain and beer baron Frederick Pabst in 1892. You’ll love learning about Pabst’s adventurous history while taking in the mansion’s beautifully designed interiors, original 1890’s furnishings, rare art, and stunning ironwork features. Visit the website: http://pabstmansion.com/

Segway of Wisconsin
Segway offers memorable tours of Milwaukee’s beautiful lakefront. You’ll enjoy gliding on a single-person-operated segway vehicle as you embark on a tour that spans a wide range of Milwauke attractions, including Pier Wisconsin, the historic Veteran’s Park, the War Memorial, and the Summerfest grounds. Click here for more information: http://www.segwayofwisconsin.com/what-we-do

Kettle Moraine State Forest
This is an ideal place in which to relish Milwaukee’s famed fall foliage, enjoy a picnic, have a camping getaway, go on a hike while enjoying lake views, take a scenic drive, and much more. Visit here to learn more: http://www.stateparks.com/kettle_moraine.html

Delicious Winter Soups

What better way to stay cozy during the winter months than with a bowl of piping-hot, scrumptious soup? Here are four mouth-watering soups certain to fill you with warmth and satisfaction when the next cold front rolls in: 

  Beef, Barley, and Mushroom Soup
This slow-cooker recipe yields a hardy and flavor-filled soup. The basic ingredients are beef chuck, shiitake mushrooms, white turnips, barley, and fresh dill. It's particularly delicious if served up with a dollop of sour cream on top. Click here for the recipe.

Roasted Squash Soup with Maple-Glazed Bananas
This unique recipe results in a creamy, thick, delicately sweet soup that will nourish your every taste bud. It’s also packed with vitamins that will help you fight off the dreaded winter cold. The ingredients include butternut squash, pecans, bananas, crème fraiche, and cinnamon. Click here for the recipe.

Carrot and Ginger Soup
You can’t go wrong with a bowl of this vibrantly colored and richly flavored soup. The tongue-tingling ginger and hints of curry powder combine to add tang to the light freshness of the carrots. It is especially lovely when served with a touch of lemon cream made from crème fraiche and a grated lemon rind. Click here for the recipe.

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
This recipe yields the ultimate in flavor since the ingredients meld together for 5-6 hours in the crock pot, steeping in each other’s deliciousness. The fresh cilantro keeps the spice of the green chilies at just the right level, and the chicken cooks to tender perfection. Serve with fried tortillas and cheese on top. Click here for the recipe.
 

Philadelphia 76ers: Poised For Greatness

With three playoff berths in the last four seasons, the Philadelphia 76ers have had solid showings recently, and they're ready to carry that success further into the postseason. Last year's arrival of Doug Collins as head coach gave the team a much needed boost. His leadership helped add another fourteen wins to the previous season. Collins has a team of new and veteran talents to nurture. Jrue Holiday enters his third season as one of the most exciting players on the roster. Louis Williams, Thad Young, and Andre Igoudala also promise to keep up the team's high-octane attack. Philadelphia also still has one of the top power forwards in Elton Brand. This is a team ready to capitalize on the consistent promise shown in previous years. They want more than just a first round playoff exit. This season might be their breakout year.

Find Sixers schedules, tickets, merchandise, and more at http://www.nba.com/sixers.

Check Out These Classic Children’s Books

Every year a fresh crop of children’s books fills the bookstores – but there are some classics that can never be replaced. Here are five must-have timeless children’s books for the little ones in your life:

• Eloise by Kay Thompson. This charmingly-illustrated picture book tells the story of Eloise, a little girl growing up in the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Young readers relish joining her quirky adventures all over the Big Apple.
• The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. This book tells the story of four children who run away after the death of their parents and move into an abandoned boxcar. As they figure out how to survive on their own, their family bond goes stronger than ever before.
• The Borrowers by Mary Norton. Kids love this imagination-stirring book that follows the capers of tiny people who live under the floorboards of houses. The miniature folks have a habit of ‘borrowing’ items from the occupants of the homes, setting in motion events that never fail to entertain young readers.
• Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish. This book will not only have your kids giggling up a storm, it will also teach them to think about language as a fun, flexible, and playful medium. The book tells the story of Amelia Bedelia, a British housekeeper who takes everything literally. When asked to make a sponge cake, she cuts up a sponge and puts it in a cake. And that’s just the beginning!
• From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.I Konigsburg. This Newbery Medal-winning children’s book classic tells the story of eleven-year-old Claudia Kincaid and her nine-year-old brother Jamie. The two run away from home and move into the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Their adventures have intrigued young readers for over 40 years.

Get Some Culture: What Is Greek Yogurt?

Yogurt is one of the most popular dairy products on the market for a number of reasons – it’s high in protein and essential probiotics that can help your digestive system work properly. One of the most interesting variants is Greek yogurt, which is becoming a trend due to having less fat and more flavor. So what differentiates Greek yogurt from the regular stuff?

First, a quick scientific explanation of how yogurt is made. Milk is heated to a certain temperature to kill any undesirable bacteria, then cooled and infused with a new bacteria culture. The natural process of fermentation by that bacteria creates lactic acid, which causes the milk to thicken and gives yogurt its trademark flavor.

Greek yogurt is given a second step after the fermentation, when the product is strained through a cloth or muslin bag to remove the whey. This must be done at very cold temperatures to prevent spoiling. The final product is thicker and tangier than traditional yogurt, and is used for a number of dishes in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Some uses for Greek yogurt include using it as a base for tzatziki sauce, the traditional condiment of the gyro sandwich, or serving it for a dessert topped with honey. In other countries, it is known as labneh and stored in olive oil to impart more flavor.

Since straining eliminates whey, Greek yogurt is lower in sugar and carbohydrates than traditional yogurt, and higher in protein. This has made it popular among calorie-counters.

Top 5 Craft Beers

You might have already seen our selection of top craft beers. But with so many outstanding brands on the market, we can’t help highlighting five more exciting choices:

1. Firestone Velvet Merlin. This oatmeal stout is a favorite with craft beer connoisseurs – a beer of delicious contrasts that combines dark coloring with a surprisingly light and juicy texture.

2. New Belgium Ranger iPA. This IPA packs a punch. It was once a cult favorite, but a beer this could couldn't stay secret for long. An ideal compliment to pizza.

3. Bitches' Brew. Another highly original offering from the Dogfish Head Company, this beer has a lot more going for it than just a catchy title. It’s a delectable stout that involves unusual ingredients like African gesho root and raw honey.

4. Victory Yakima Glory: Lovers of dark bitter, take note: Yakima Glory combines floral hops and roasted malts in a unique and unforgettable brew. If you like intensity, this is the beer for you.

5. The Alchemist Ouroboros: This Vermont-made brew is the perfect choice for those who like a fruity and refreshing beer. Hints of grapefruit lend the beer a citrusy tang that mixes with floral undertones to give your taste buds a juicy jolt.

Going to New York This Fall? Don’t Miss These Broadway Shows

No trip to New York City is complete without a visit to the Great White Way. If you’re bound for the Big Apple this fall, make sure you head to Broadway to catch at least one of these exciting shows:

The Mountaintop
A moving and socially charged play that explores the events before Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 assassination. Starring performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett. (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 242 West 45th Street)

Relatively Speaking
A laughter-filled evening of three one-act plays by some of today’s leading comedy writers: “Honeymoon Hotel,” by Woody Allen, “Talking Cure,” by Ethan Coen (of Coen brothers fame), and “George is Dead” by Elaine May. (Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 West 47th Street)

Chinglish
An innovative new comedy by Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, “Chinglish” follows an American business who travels to China for work. The play explores communication, miscommunication, and human connection, packing in lots of laughs along the way. (Longacre Theatre, 220 West 48th Street)

Other Desert Cities
This is a wry and sometimes scathing drama about a woman who returns home after a six year absence to celebrate Christmas with her parents and siblings. When she announces that she's about to publish a memoir focusing on an intense chapter in the family’s history, the tension escalates. (Booth Theatre, 222 West 45th Street)

Seminar
A sharp comedy with dark undertones, centered on four young writers participating in a private seminar taught by a major literary figure. Attractions, allegiances, and rivalries abound. Alan Rickman stars. (John Golden Theatre, 252 West 45th Street)

Enjoy These Exciting Pennsylvania Fall Events

As Autumn falls upon Pennsylvania many great events await you: from huge block parties and film festivals to haunted houses and apple picking. Here’s a look at some of them:

Bloktoberfest – On October 15th from noon to 8 p.m., South Philly’s premiere block party returns and it's bigger than ever. Three blocks on South Street will be filled with great food and live music during an event that benefits education initiatives tied to the area’s schools and students.

Philadelphia Film Festival – Starting on October 20th, the Philadelphia Film Society celebrates 14 days of independent, feature length, and documentary film during the Society's 20th anniversary.

Haunted Houses – With Fright Factory, Terror Behind The Walls, The Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride, Sleepy Hollow Hayride, Lulu’s House of Horrors, and more, Pennsylvania is filled with plenty of places to experience thrills and chills during Halloween season.

Apple Picking, Pumpkin Patches, and more – Fall is the perfect season for picking apples, getting pumpkins, and harvesting a variety of other fruits and vegetables. There are also plenty of great places for picking up other fall goods like apple butter, pumpkin bread, and canning supplies. For an extensive list of farms around Pennsylvania, click here.

Craft Beer Express – Climb aboard on November 12th as a special party bus shuttles you back and forth between 12 of Philadelphia’s best craft beer bars as they host a plethora of special theme events.

It’s All True: New Fall Non-Fiction

This fall, pick up one of these books for a real-life adventure!

Hemingway’s Boat: Everything He Loved in Life and Lost, 1934-1961 by Paul Hendrickson

As the 50th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway’s death approaches, Paul Hendrickson uses Papa’s beloved boat Pilar to examine a life shot through with crippling loss.

Ghosts by Daylight: Love, War and Redemption by Janine Di Giovanni

A famed war correspondent struggles to leave her violent memories behind and start life as a mother.

We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People by Peter Van Buren

Surprising and sometimes painfully funny stories from the Iraqi reconstruction, by a diplomat who was there.

Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock by David Margolick

In 1957, Hazel Massery and a mob of 250 white students viciously bullied Elizabeth Eckford and seven other African American teenagers as they attempted to desegregate Little Rock High School. The event was caught on tape. Margolick traces its personal and political consequences, which still reverberate today.

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