What is that vehicle meandering down the road? It’s a traveling restaurant! It’s a classroom on wheels! It’s a disaster relief kitchen! It must be the Foodie Bus; aka the Help Bus; aka Loretta! The Westchester personal chef Jennifer Cook bought a 40-foot school bus, lovingly nicknamed her Loretta after a very special donor and repurposed her to resemble a barn complete with rustic beams, a tin roof and a long, wooden table which seats 8-12 inside and many more outside. T

Starting in early November I think a lot about food, and this obsession carries me right through New Year’s Day. I get out my mom’s sacred cookbooks that have doodles in the corners and hysterical comments like “Crazy Janie snuck a fourth piece of this cake and thought no one noticed. I guess she’s off her diet!” I also scour the NY Times for their most popular online recipes, and bug my friends for their go-to entrees and desserts. Yesterday, my sofa and lap were overflo

There is nothing better than starting your day speaking with four high school seniors determined to make a difference. What started as a school assignment has turned into a community endeavor and a project that will have lasting effects on the students and those less fortunate. It started last year when, Marley Simpson, Audrey Risko, Natalie Rosenthal and Chloe Barbanell were tasked to research and come up with a solution to a global issue that also had local relevance. Aft

Who is that chef described as a pioneer of the Hudson Valley Farm to Table Cooking? Who is that guy with a quirky sense of humor and a passion for Rock & Roll? It can only be Ric Orlando, a renowned chef, restaurateur, author, lecturer, blogger musician-turned-culinarian and proponent of clean food, naturally raised products. Recently, we were dismayed to find out that Ric was closing his very popular and trendy restaurant, New World Home Cooking, after 25 years. We were

What Do Chocolate Chip Cookies & Disney Have in Common? Making Happy Memories! Established in 2012 by cancer survivor Frank Squeo, Baking Memories 4 Kids sends children with life threatening and terminal illnesses to Florida to enjoy a full week at Orlando’s theme parks. The program is funded by proceeds raised from their holiday cookie sale. Headquartered in the Hudson Valley (Valley Cottage, NY), Baking Memories 4 Kids has surprised 93 families with an all-expense paid t

Can you imagine having your restaurant staff prepare 1,200 hot meals a week for neighborhood kids? What about making a habit out of always putting quarters in a stranger’s expired parking meter, or paying for the meal of the guy behind you in the drive-thru? “Kindness is a currency,” says Leslie Lampert, executive chef/owner of Love Hospitality in Mt. Kisco, NY. Leslie Lampert has been talking with her mouth full for more than 30 years. As Senior Editor at Ladies' Home Jou

If you’re looking for a good ways to give back and get some holiday shopping done, you might want to look at Sparrow’s Nest. “Sparrow’s Nest of the Hudson Valley was created in 2012 with the simple idea of cooking for the families of local moms diagnosed with cancer. The dream to help these caregivers of children started with 6 families and has grown into feeding over 1200 people since the charity’s inception. In June of 2017, the charity expanded its mission to include child

There's a lot more to Deising's Bakery in Kingston than just great food! See how they're giving back to the community one cake a

BEING GRATEFUL...A THANKSGIVING FEAST FOR ALL Last Thanksgiving your turkey was a little dry, no one ate your string bean casserole, and your designated clean-up crew fell asleep in front of the football game. Maybe it’s time to shake it up this year. The Family of Woodstock is inviting the public to their 42nd annual THANKSGIVING FEAST at the Woodstock Community Center, 56 Rock City Road, from 1 pm to 4 pm on Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd. There is no charge to attend and

Inspirational murals and yoga for mom. Wellness seminars and Lagunitas craft beer for dad. Funk rock bands and a New Orleans-style parade for the teens. Scavenger hunts and bike rides for the little kids. There will be something for your entire family to enjoy at the 8th annual O+ Festival in Kingston on October 6-8. O+ (pronounced O-positive) was founded in 2010 in Kingston, NY by a small group of artists, doctors and one dentist. Today, O+ builds long-term relationships

How did your teenagers spend their summer? I met some teens who worked on Hudson Valley farms, made their own kale pesto and body scrubs, and then sold their creations at a local farmer’s market! NORTHEAST COMMUNITY CENTER’S (NECC) FARM & FOOD PROGRAM Teens in the Farm and Food Education Program work each summer at the Millerton Farmers' Market, help out on area farms, and run their own entrepreneurial business, creating farm-made products to sell. “The interns love the cooki

This past weekend, Poughkeepsie was alive with street musicians, mural artists and wellness professionals. The first annual O POSITIVE FESTIVAL (O+) transformed the city by bringing their mission to life: “By exchanging the art of medicine for the medicine of art, O POSITIVE empowers communities to take control of their collective wellbeing.” The under-insured artists and musicians who donate their works and performance to O+ audiences receive free health and wellness care