Fighting the Cold War With a Chill Collaborator

The double-wall thermal insulation of the skybar Wine Cool Cover keeps pre-chilled wine cool for hours. Photo from skybar Web site.

HEAD’S UP: Here it is past mid-December and holiday shopping isn't yet an item on the to-do list. What’s a body to do? One option is to give money. Everybody needs money, right. Well … almost everybody does. Yet the idea of gifting money seems a bit slapdash and last-minute, which it is, of course. Never fear. The elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are here to help in what has become a tradition. Continuing through 24 Dec., we will introduce one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). And … we’re off !!!!

Gift Idea(s) Pt. 4:

BY TAMARA FISH

WE’VE all been there before. The wine-cooling dilemma: to chill and drip-drip-drip or to keep dry, eventually warming the wine, especially if a fireplace is nearby.

Absolutely maddening. Completely wrecks the whole purpose of opening a bottle of wine to relax in the first place!

Now there’s no need to lose your cool. Practice aerobics some other way than running to the refrigerator. Forget the art of swaddling the wine bottle. Don’t even think of sticking a cold silver doodad in a handblown crystal goblet. Toss those icky ice-and-water chillers aside. (Besides, the more beautiful they tend to be, the less they tend to work anyway.)

Find relief in the perfect marriage of elegant form and fine function with the skybar Wine Cool Cover (on sale online for $39.99).

The sleek, double-insulated aluminum sleeve fits snuggly over a chilled bottle of bubbly or wine, keeping it frosty for hours. Literally. No more wet patches all over the holiday linens.

No more jarringly frozen fingers grasping slippery bottles.

Wine ... It's in the Bag, a Rather Nice One

The gold-tasseled velvet wine bag comes in six colors. Photo from Way More For Less Website.

A velvet wine bag harkens back to a time when wrapping was as significant as the gift itself, and was never, ever made of paper.

Explore the world of velvet, that noble winter wrap. Lower a bottle inside, and watch the transformation take place, as if by magic. The thick dark velvet wine bag’s cord winds securely around the bottle, a glint of gold dangling along the shapely silhouette, mysterious and seductive.

People nod and smile at an upright velvet sack, held up by nature or a special force from within. Soon their eyes begin to tell another story. Is that for me? What could possibly be inside?

Only one hand will extend the richly encased treasure. Only one other hand will greet it. The fingers will brush against the plush softness. A gentle caress will ripple along the palm. The weight of the bottle will recall the hand from its daydream, as it grips the softened glass. For a while, all is still. Suspense lurks. The wine (or spirits) inside must be special to merit such careful presentation.

The velvet bag is a pleasing package in which to present a bottle of wine or liquor. Photo from Way More For Less Website.

Fearful that the bag might cost as much as the wine? Not to worry. This little find is a best kept holiday secret ($11, including shipping). It’s also available in six colors: royal blue, purple, red, plum, burgundy, and hunter.

Shhhhh – tell no one. Just between you and Vevlyn. Happy Holidays!

Visit http://www.skybarhome.com/Product.aspx?pid=7027
to learn more about the skybarTM Wine Cool Cover, and http://http://www.skybarhome.com/Product.aspx?pid=7027 to learn more about the velvet wine bag.

Prescribing ‘Raw For 30 Days’ & ‘Forks Over Knives’

"Forks Over Knifes" merchandise such as totes and jackets are available for purchase. Photo courtesy of "Forks Over Knives" Web site.

HEAD’S UP: Here it is past mid-December and holiday shopping isn't yet an item on the to-do list. What’s a body to do? One option is to give money. Everybody needs money, right. Well … almost everybody does. Yet the idea of gifting money seems a bit slapdash and last-minute, which it is, of course. Never fear. The elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are here to help in what has become a tradition. Continuing through 24 Dec., we will introduce one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). And … we’re off !!!!

Gift Idea(s) Pt. 3:

By JANET COOK NYC Healthy Chick

WHAT will inspire you to change the way you eat, thereby significantly improving your health and prolonging your life?

No, not simply to eat healthy for as long as it takes to look better in a bathing suit or to lose those extra pounds or to knock a few numbers off the blood-work results and blood pressure. Are you prepared to make a lifelong commitment to it? What if watching a film could actually save your life? Really. I'm not kidding.

Two insightful and powerful documentaries address the health crisis in the United States (and increasingly the world) and offer solutions. They reveal how processed foods are making us sick and what we can do to take back our health – to live healthier, happier and longer lives naturally. Every day, individuals are improving their health and seeing how their lives are transformed by simply eating the way nature intended.

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days ($29.99) chronicles six Americans with diabetes who for one month switched to a diet consisting entirely of vegan, organic, uncooked foods. They are challenged to give up meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, soda, junk food, fast food, processed food, packaged food and even cooked food. The remarkable journey of each participant is tracked as s/he experiences the medical, physical and emotional transformations brought on by this radical diet and lifestyle change. Witness moments of struggle, support and startling clarity that diet can reverse disease and change lives.

Forks Over Knives ( $19.99) documents the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering researchers, T. Colin Campbell and Caldwell Esselstyn. The film examines the profound claim that most – if not all – of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed by not eating animal-based and processed foods. Leading experts on health examine the question "why we don’t know" and tackle the issue of diet and disease in a way that will have people talking for years. It’s a film that can save lives.

“Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days” and “Forks Over Knives” are simple and affordable cures to what ails so many who face ever-increasing healthcare costs. If you, a loved one or friend is challenged with any chronic disease or illness, first consider these particular prescriptions.

Reclaiming and retaining health never felt and tasted so good!

Visit http://www.rawfor30days.com/index5.html and
http://www.forksoverknives.com/ to learn more about the DVDS and to see trailers.

Paul Taylor's Democratic Offer to Potential Patrons

Choreographer Paul Taylor, right, in rehearsal with dancers. Photos by Paul B. Goode.

HEAD’S UP: Here it is past mid-December and holiday shopping isn't yet an item on the to-do list. What’s a body to do? One option is to give money. Everybody needs money, right. Well … almost everybody does. Yet the idea of gifting money seems a bit slapdash and last-minute, which it is, of course. Never fear. The elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are here to help in what has become a tradition. Continuing through 24 Dec., we will introduce one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). And … we’re off !!!!

Gift Idea(s) Pt. 2:

BY TAMARA BECK

IN at the creation!

Here’s an affordable opportunity to finance a piece from a master of vibrant dance.

Commissioning a dance work can cost in the many thousands of dollars. Once, only royalty could afford to be patrons of the arts, investing heavily to have masterpieces produced for their pleasure. Now, commoners have that opportunity through January 2012.

Paul Taylor, the creative force behind the renown Paul Taylor Dance Company, will be at work on his 136th dance soon, and anyone can “Create With Taylor.”

An investment as small as $5 buys behind-the-scenes views of PT creating his special brand of magic. Not surprisingly, the greater the investment, the greater the goodies. A $25 investment, for example, also comes with an autographed photo of PT.

Paul Taylor, right, with Annmaria Mazzini and Michael Trusnovec.

At the $100-plus level, patrons get all of the aforementioned, plus PTDC merchandise and a DVD of “Dancemaker,” the Oscar-nominated documentary about the company.

Patrons will be issued a password to log-in and watch as the dance progresses over the six-week creative period and subsequent weeks of rehearsal. The project culminates with the world premiere of the dance at Syracuse University in March 2012.

Visit http://http://www.createwithtaylor.org/ to learn more about “Create with Taylor.”

'Painting Churches' Despite a Jaundiced Eye

Kathleen Chalfant and Richard Easton are the subjects of “Painting Churches.” Photo courtesy of Keen Company.

HEAD’S UP: Here it is past mid-December and holiday shopping isn't yet an item on the to-do list. What’s a body to do? One option is to give money. Everybody needs money, right. Well … almost everybody does. Yet the idea of gifting money seems a bit slapdash and last-minute, which it is, of course. Never fear. The elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are here to help in what has become a tradition. Commencing today right through 24 Dec., we will introduce one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). And … we’re off !!!!

Gift Idea(s), Pt. 1:

By TAMARA BECK

THE excitement and anticipation of the curtain rising offers an invaluable experience. And shared experiences provide the best kind of memories.

The Keen Company production of Tina Howe’s “Painting Churches” will begin a limited run on 14 Feb. (through 7 April) with a cast that includes Kathleen Chalfant, Richard Easton and Kate Turnbull.

“Painting Churches"($58.50), the first New York revival of the Pulitzer finalist, is a nostalgic look at a New England family. The Churches – Fanny and Gardner, a poet heading quietly toward senility – are the aging parents of Mags who has returned home to help her parents pack up their Boston townhouse to move permanently to Cape Cod. Now a New York-based painter, Mags wishes to attempt an honest portrait of her parents despite past resentments that could threaten her efforts.

Visit http://www.keencompany.org/home/ to learn more about “Painting Churches.”

A Little Less of 'Nutcracker'&Co. Goes a Long Way
The New York Theatre Ballet produces truncated versions of ballets, including "Nutcracker." Photo by Richard Termine.

CHOREOGRAPHER Keith Michael’s “Nutcracker” is a great way to start a holiday tradition with 3- to 10-year olds. The New York Theatre Ballet specializes in family-friendly, compact versions of classic ballets.

The “Nutcracker” keeps all the drama and flair of the longer versions around the country. Of course, the story takes place at Christmas when the toymaker Drosselmeyer brings the nutcracker in question as a gift for the daughter of the household. After the excitement of the holiday party, with its dancing and games, the young girl dreams about her Nutcracker prince. In this dream, she and her prince ride into the Sugar Plum Fairy’s wonderland where they are entertained by dancers from all corners of the world.

While the “Nutcracker” plays through today at Florence Gould Hall for the year, other fairytale ballets are on offer for the younger set. In January and February, NYTB will be peforming the Alice in Wonderland Follies. In March, comes Sleeping Beauty. (Tickets are $31 for children and $36 for the adults who accompany them.)

Visit http://www.nytb.org/ to learn more about the New York Theatre Ballet’s abbreviated versions of classic ballets.

Want Teen Drama? Here's Team Play (Harnessed, Thankfully!).
Team Play is an opportunity for teens to do something productive with their drama. Photo courtesy of Primary Stages.

HERE’S an opportunity for that dramatic teen to strut his or her stuff in front of a captive audience.

Team Play is a seven-session, intensive workshop from Primary Stages workshop. It encourages students to unleash the performer buried deep inside or residing just below the surface. The class, which is geared to 14- to18-year-olds and begins in January, is led by working theater artists.

Playwright-director Eric Holmes and actor-musician Chesney Snow will guide participants through exercises meant to generate theatrical ideas and unlock their skills.

Team Play ($250) culminates with a showcase, allowing students to present their work to an invited audience.

Visit http://www.primarystages.org/teamplay or email Sarah Matteucci at sarah@primarystages.org to learn more about “Team Play.

How to Store Wines, Pt 2: A Tale of Woe and Love

It's not exactly the 1994 Conn Creek Cab Sauv Select Reserve, but close enough. Photo courtesy of Media Uvinim.

NEVER underestimate the role of chance and luck in storing wine. Even those “in the know” sometimes get shocked or pleasantly surprised.

The Bottle
In 1997, my husband’s boss gave him a bottle of a 1994 Conn Creek Select Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet. Not being much of a wine geek, he stored the wine on its side in a heavy velvet gift bag under his bed in various apartments – for the next 13 years!!! When I found out I groaned. In addition to lying around for more than a decade, the wine has lately been lazing about in an apartment that tends to the bone-dry and very hot. So much for three of the six wine storage tips in “How to Store Wines Pt. 1 (http://www.ow.ly/84aQU)

I just knew this beautiful wine would be skunked. All my wine-geek friends and professionals were ready to pronounce a requiem for such an unnoteworthy demise. Funny, because everyone knew it was “already long gone” there was no real incentive to uncork it and prove the obvious. So, believe-it-not, the wine stayed dormant for yet another year .


The Woe
Last night, with a back-up bottle in the wings just in case, my other half and I uncorked the Napa Valley Cabernet. The minute the foil wrap came off, an ever-so-slight vinegary waft arose from the cork. Not a good omen. Oh well. Out comes the trusty bartender’s corkscrew. Then, as if the threads have been stripped, the corkscrew pulls up crumbs. The cork is disintegrating right before my very eyes! Merde. I put the corkscrew in reverse, unwind it fully, cup the top of the bottle, close my eyes, and blow gently. Cork fragments breeze everywhere. Look again. Where to aim the next surgical strike? Uggggh, along the wall of the bottle. Not the best place, but not too many choices left.

Wait a minute: “Hey Hon,” I asked my husband, “did we ever get the two-pronged corkscrew, the one I said I always hated?”

“You mean the one you threatened to throw out if I did?”

“Yeah, that one.”

“Of course not!”

“WHY DID YOU LISTEN TO ME!?!?!”

He looks perplexed. I don’t understand. Must be a guy-thang. Back to the drawing board.

Attempt #2: No luck. Pulling up cork fragments again, but at least they’re damp. The cork hasn’t dried out entirely. A marginally good sign. Cork fragments do not smell moldy. Slightly vinegary, but not moldy. Another marginally good sign.
Attempt #3: Same as before.
Attempt #4: Just as with football, sometimes ya just have to go right down the center. OK. Making a bit of progress, the remaining cork starts to edge up the bottle, and then begins to crumble.

The two-pronged corkscrew can come in handy with a broken cork. Photo courtesy of Corkscrew.

Oh to hell with it! I push the remaining ¼ cork into the bottle. Initial pour (with strainer): very dark, but a slightly brownish tinge. Looks a little rusty. Oxidation? Perhaps, and oxidation means vinegar. This bottle is going to be shot. Not even going to bother sniffing it.

Love?
First taste: What?!?! Can this be real? This is un-effing-believably good! The Napa Valley Cabernet is a little past prime, but not by much. An oaky smoky bone-dry whisper on the tongue, and then a small rush of fruit flavors and spices roll in, followed by a long, rich, neverending finish. And my husband, who knows not of wine, says, “Oh, so this is what a wine can be!” Yes, indeed, dear. It can. What a revelation.

Long story short: Red wines are like cats – relatively unpredictable beasties. Another bottle from the same lot could have behaved more “typically” and turned to vinegar.

The moral of his story: drink. Wine is meant to be drunk, not buried away, or at least, not buried away until forever. Grab a few friends and family, enjoy the holiday season, but do drink responsibly.

Next Up: David Bouley and the Beaujolais

Not in Their Back Yard in 'Neighbourhood Watch'

Martin (Matthew Cottle) and company push back against hooliganism in "Neighbourhood Watch." Photos by Karl Andre Photography.

BY TAMARA BECK

LISTENING to the shrill noise of fear-mongering can make vigilantes of even the most mild mannered.

In “Neighbourhood Watch,” a Brits Off Broadway production at 59E59 Theaters through 1 Jan., it’s the pacifist Martin (Matthew Cottle) who has turned activist.

Matthew has just moved to The Bluebell Hill Development with his sister, Hilda (Alexandra Mathie), who mobilizes his neighbors against the threats of lawlessness from the nearby housing project, or “estate” as the British more grandly call it.

Martin, egged on by Rod (Terence Booth) who is a “retired security bloke,” organizes a crime watch with his neighbors. “It’s either a fence or a dozen yobbos coming up the hill,” Rod says, “intent on vandalizing the place.”

Fueled by this paranoia, the newcomers overreact, setting up committees for self-defense. They also issue identity cards to the tenants and have industrial fencing installed about the perimeter. Martin and Hilda even put Gareth (Richard Derrington), an out of work engineer, to work building stocks and other deterrents to bad behavior.

In “Neighbourhood Watch,” the acting is universally intelligent and understated. Frances Grey as the resident tart, Amy, is a cheerfully welcome complement to the bachelors and loners in the cast of characters.

The play moves a bit slowly in the first act through what seems like endless committee meetings. Perhaps, though, this is playwright and director Alan Ayckbourn’s way of demonstrating the tedium of such proceedings.

Alexandra Mathie as Hilda and Frances Grey as Amy in "Neighbourhood Watch."

By the way, the headline in this commentary could be that this is AA’s 75th play since 1959 when he started writing at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in North Yorkshire. He was also the theater's artistic director until his retirement in 2009. At the age of 72, the Knight and recipient of both the British Olivier and American Tony Awards for Special Lifetime Achievement, has not lost his touch at very British humor.

As “Neighbourhood Watch” progresses, it comes as no surprise that Martin’s plan to defend life and property falls apart, creating more mayhem than it foils. The way that everything unravels in the play is hilariously pulled together so that in the end it earns its standing as bittersweet farce in the AA canon.

To learn more about “Neighbourhood Watch” visit http://http://www.britsoffbroadway.com/ or http://www.59e59.org/.

Thinking Your Way to Saiety and a Thinner You

Friends can get together over a hardy smoothie that is rich in nutrients and lower in calories than a full-on meal. Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.

By JANET COOK, NYC Healthy Chick

ALREADY making resolutions to be more fit, healthy and lose weight in 2012? Historically, has it been a problem keeping them?

Creating success is not an accident. It begins with a well-conceived plan. More can and will be achieved in 2012 than in the past once a disciplined plan of action is in place. By investing your efforts into a New Year’s Resolution you give yourself a launching pad for starting a new year and new life.

The hardy protein breakfast shake is a high-nutrient, low-calorie way to start the day. Photo courtesy of All Recipes.

In accordance with creating a successful plan follow NYC Healthy Chick’s New Year’s Action Plan For A Healthier You.

Stop Die-ting, Start Intuitive Eating
Starvation and caloric deprivation only lend themselves to weight gain and yo-yo dieting. Why not give Intuitive Eating a shot. What’s this?

According to Wikipedia, “It’s a nutrition philosophy based on the premise that becoming more attuned to the body's natural hunger signals is a more effective way to attain a healthy weight, rather than keeping track of the amounts of energy and fats in foods. It's a process that is intended to create a healthy relationship with food, mind and body. Intuitive eating, just like many other dieting philosophies, goes by many names, including non-dieting or the non-diet approach, normal eating, wisdom eating, conscious eating and more.”

A homecooked meal with family can nurture body and soul. Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.

In other words, Intuitive Eating is the opposite of dieting because the latter is externally driven.

Today, we are triggered externally to eat food all the time. These triggers can be emotions, "because it's time," opportunity, and/or perceived rules of eating. When there are rigid rules for so-called healthy eating, we are more likely to succumb to overeating as a consequence of breaking well-meaning rules.

To learn more about this approach, get a copy of “Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works” by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. The two prominent nutritionists focus on nurturing the body rather than starving it, while encouraging natural weight loss and identifying the natural weight. The step-by-step approach rejects the diet mentality and at the same time promotes the idea of feeling feelings without using food. This way of eating allows us to honor our hunger and feeling of fullness through a safe relationship with food and our bodies.

Two nutritionists provide a roadmap for a functional relationship with food in "Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works." Photo from Amazon.

Breakfast Shakes: Drink Yourself Skinny
Dr. Mehmet Oz aka Dr. Oz endorses drinking the right protein shake for breakfast as a lesson in how to eat less, lose weight and raise the metabolism by 25 percent. Other benefits include:


– reduces or eliminates fatty foods, which can save an average of 400-500 calories per day;
– keeps blood sugar levels balanced, allowing the body to burn stored fat as fuel;
– increases energy levels, which allows for increase in activity and automatically burns more calories.

Replace the 750-calorie bagel and orange juice meal with a 240-calorie protein shake and save 510 calories a day. The results will show up on the bathroom scale in no time. Drinking a protein shake first thing in the morning is a simple, foolproof weight-loss method.

Dr. Oz orders the right protein shake first thing in the morning to get started on the right foot. Photo courtesy of doctoroz.com.

Eat Out Less, Eat Home Cooked Meals More
First of all, there is nothing like a homecooked meal. There are so many benefits to eating at home. Meals prepared at home are gifts of nourishment to the body. Dining out too often can sabotage a rational eating plan because we eat things we don’t normally eat at home. Take note of the following saboteurs:


– Multiple courses in huge portions
– Free bread
– Dessert menus and coffee
– Excessive alcohol
– Tasty dishes loaded with salt, sugar and fat

Even NYC Healthy Chick and the most disciplined individuals can succumb to the temptations if externally triggered. Consider the following benefits of not dining out when temptation strikes:


– Saves time and money
– Less salt, trans fats and caloric consumption
– More balanced meals
– Decreases likelihood of food poisoning
– Better energy
– Improved weight management
– Control over portions

A recipe for good Intuitive Eating is the colorful roasted fish, vegetables and quinoa combo. Photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market.

Some good dishes
Of course, kicking off a new plan for a healthier you also requires some great recipes. Fire up the metabolism first thing in the morning with a protein shake loaded with strawberries and bananas. Blend the Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie with a favorite protein powder. This combination is loaded with vitamins, minerals and protein that will help cut calories while delivering a delicious meal that will fill most tummies for hours. (http://www.allrecipes.com/Recipe/strawberry-banana-protein-smoothie/detail.aspx)

Also filling and fabulous is Roasted Fish and Veggies With Quinoa and Pine Nuts. Not only is it flavorful, it’s colorful. The combination of basil and almonds or walnuts is bound to knock your socks off. (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/3178)

Unwrapping the best gift ever just got easier. With the Intuitive Eating action plan becoming fit, healthy and lighter in 2012 is a no-brainer.

“Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works” is available at Amazon. com for as low as around $5., http://www.ow.ly/7XLQI