Celebrating Summer at the Rutgers Gardens Open House & Wine Tasting Festival

If you've never been to the hidden gem that is 

Rutgers Gardens, this weekend is the time to do it! We'll be there with goods that will make you feel good on the inside and on the outside. Come by and visit.

The Magic of Firefly Summer Nights

It's been a long time since I was a little girl catching fireflies in the summer. Yet seeing them sparkling on a warm summer night still holds all of that magic and wonder for me..

I always know when summer has truly arrived when the first twinkles appear at twilight. They're dancing like little fairies

Despite my love of summer and fireflies, there are a number of things I never knew about them until recently.

• It remains a bit of a mystery as to why the western US states don't have the wonder of lightening bugs. There are some species that don't actually glow, and they can be found in sections of the west. There are also some parts of Utah that have glowing lightening bugs. It's nice to know there are still mysteries around.

• Fireflies have been having habitat problems, just as many wild creatures have. They live, breed, lay their eggs, and are born in the same area. Pave over that area and no more fireflies around. They don't relocate. That's sad.

• To help our nightlights to keep on glowing, let your grass grow a little longer. Have trees and dense shrubs around your property. They also like leaf piles and rotty wood around. Add water features to your yard - even a bird bath will do. Keep your outdoor lighting to a minimum. And most importantly - do not use chemicals and pesticides that will kill all the larvae. 

• There's a program where you can certify your backyard as a Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. Pretty cool. I may have to do this myself. You can also sign up to participate in a Firefly Watch to help scientists learn more about the evening lightshows.

•  There's a place in Tennessee where there are annual Firefly Watches. Thousands of fireflies flicker in synchronicity. This is going on my dream trip list.

• This is cool and sad at the same time. Fireflies have dedicated light organs that are located under their abdomens. The insects take in oxygen and, inside special cells, combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat.  But also, luciferin is used in many medical research projects. It is used used as markers to detect blood clots and tuberculosis cells, as well as other research. Luckily, there is a synthetic luciferin available, although some place still harvest fireflies for the chemical.

• That twinkling glow is created by the most perfect light source. 100% of the energy in the chemical reaction is used for light. No heat is created.

I like to think of fireflies as the harbingers of summer. They are the singers of the warm days, the fairies that light the path. They are a part of the magic of nature, 

Beating the Steaminess with Lemons and Cucumbers

I might have said this before, but I'm a soda drinker. I know, it's bad for me. When they take blood it makes that pop top "pptt shshshsh" sound. I'm trying to be better. Especially in the steamy, humid, New Jersey summer. In weather like this, hydration is so important. And as much as I love my diet beverage, it doesn't cut it.

My favorite way to get refreshed in the summer is a cool as a cucumber infused water blend. So easy, so quick and so good for you.

There are lots of recipes for this spa style water out there. Below is my favorite.

Cucumber Water 
1 large lemon  
1 goodly sized cucumber
1 knuckle of ginger

Thinly slice the lemon. I like to use a mandolin so the slices are nice and thin.
Thinly slice the cucumber the same way.
Finely chop the ginger. If you like a more gingery kick, grate the the ginger.
Throw everything into a pitcher, about quart sized. Fill the pitcher with water.
This tastes best if you let in sit overnight.
I'll refill the pitcher 2 or 3 times before I'll ditch the lemon and such and make a new batch.

You can always make a few adjustments to suit your tastes. Every now and then I'll add some sliced strawberries, some mashed blueberries, some diced watermelon, or a dash of crushed mint leaves.

You'd be surprised how wonderful this tastes, and how cooling. Really makes you understand the phrase Cool as a Cucumber.

Have you ever made something like this? What's your favorite blend?

Charmed by Chester

One of my favorite things about traveling to all of the fairs and festivals is getting to discover (or rediscover) some of the lovely locales around New Jersey.

A few weeks ago we were at the Chester Wine & Food Festival in Chester, NJ. When I was telling my mother how delightful I thought the town was, she reminded me that we used to go there fairly frequently. There were some restaurants  that my parents liked and we would go, walk around town, and then go to dinner. Keep in mind, this was a very, very long time ago (maybe even very, very, VERY). I had totally forgotten about that, so I got to discover Chester all over again.

It's the kind of town I love. There are many small shops filled with interesting and unusual treasures. The main street fits the bill for a movie or TV show about small town America. And it's all in the backyard of our very crowded but lovable state.

Not far from our booth at the wine fest was the Black River Candy Shoppe. Oh my goodness! What a treasure trove of sweet delights. They had Jelly Bellys packed in plastic bags - all the same flavor in a bag! And those wonderful fruit slices I love. They also had Bonamo Taffy Bites that are covered in chocolate. The store is packed in every corner. The staff was friendly, charming, and helpful.

Another place I must stop on my return visit is The Stained Glass Boutique on Main Street. It was a brightly sunny day and the whole place sparkled. Thank heavens I didn't bring my credit card in or my whole house would be sparkling, too. There were ornaments and sun catchers, boxes and bottles, and all types of beautiful, colorful glass bobbery.

The downtown area of Chester isn't huge, but there's plenty to see and do. I didn't have too much time to wander around since I had to get back to our booth. It was Cindy's turn to go explore. I could have easily gotten lost in Midnight Owl. I couldn't manage to look at everything that was packed into this charming small shop.  Clothes, accessories, handmade items, garden art, jewelry and so much more. I could have spent hours (and a small fortune) in there. 

Of course all that walking and shopping will stir up your appetite. There are many places to try. Looking to keep it on the healthy side? Try The Robin's Nest. Excellent pannini's there, and an energizing juice bar. Maria's had some wonderful chai tea, perfect for a chilly afternoon. Most folks in the shop were getting coffee, but I'm a tea girl. For an even broader tea selection, try Sally Lunn's Tea Shop. For dinner, I enjoy The Publick House. Good, solid, yummy food.

I intend to head back to Chester soon, just to go shopping and soak it all in. Small shops filled with unique items. Small businesses that gather or make things that they love to share with us. Can't wait to discover the further charms of Chester.