Vida Local: Coven

I had about 30 seconds to spare before a meeting in Salem this morning and decided to grab an iced coffee and some kind of pastry at Coven. The interior is really fun, with tons of local art everywhere (Rich Flynn Cheap Art!) and a television that was showing everyone's favorite meddling kids, The Amazing Chan Clan.

I got the large iced coffee and a blueberry muffin that was inspiring. As in, I took the first bite and could taste all the right ingredients and instantly wanted to run home and bake my own. Not the usual clod of fats, sugar and flour, but a light, yet substantial cup-cake-sized muffin with fresh blueberries. Bonus points too, for the little spice shakers shaped like lightbulbs at the coffee station.

Coven is located on Essex Street across from Harrison's Comics.

Vida Local: Coven

Vida Local: 3 Reasons to Celebrate!

Survived the crazy thunder/hail storm yesterday and today is one of those days that makes it almost impossible to work downstairs in the "bunker". If you are stuck indoors too, here's 3 reasons to cheer up!

1: The Salem Farmers' Market opens in less than 2 weeks! Sure it gets as crowded as Ben Thanh during Tet, but it's always a great feeling to elbow in there and get your fresh corn while you catch up with your neighbors.

2: Local farmstands are open for business again!


3: Picked-that-day fresh produce is starting to appear in the bins of farmstands. My new favorite is Green Meadows Farm in Hamilton. It's a fun mini-daytrip to go to Bradley Palmer State Park, then stop in at the farm on the way home to pick up dinner. Out of the farmstands I've been to so far this year (4), this is the best one to shop at for all your family's needs. They have guilt-free meat in the freezer section, yogurt, Richardson's milk, toiletries, flowers and enough animals out back to keep a 4 year old entertained while you shop.

Vida Local: 3 Reasons to Celebrate!

Nesting has a new hero!

Roost, at 40 Front Street in Salem, has hit the block running with a great selection of what they call, urban country design. They sell terrariums, cookbooks, natural and organic products, handmade soaps, decorative vases and dishes and french presses and teapots, all chosen with an eye towards great design and alleviating the winter blahs. Check them out and help support the awesome 3/50 project as well!

Nesting has a new hero!

Cheap Thrill of the Week: Magic Birthday Candle!

(please note-This is only a video simulation of the reaction at our house last night)



Great way to entertain a toddler for 6 bucks!

Cheap Thrill of the Week: Magic Birthday Candle!

Fun at the Salem Farmers' Market

Yay! Finally got to go to the Salem Farmers' Market today (see right) un-emcumbered by a stroller full of screeching toddler. 2 fresh zucchini and a big yellow squash for $1.75. And, I'm not embarrassed to say that the only other thing I bought was a gigantic double-chocolate brownie for $3 from Nana's Kitchen. It was there OK?

Guess which food item the 3yo's going to eat?

Fun at the Salem Farmers' Market

Get Lit in Salem!

Salem's 2009 Literature Festival is coming up fast! They have a website here and the schedule page looks really good. It all takes place the weekend of March 27-29 and there's events for authors, soon-to-be authors, kids and Scrabble fanatics. Pack your reading glasses and come on over!

Get Lit in Salem!

St. Patrick's Day Survival Tip:

Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's day right? Now there's finally a way to celebrate that doesn't involve green beer, shamrock shakes (which I thought was another name for a St. Pat's hangover, but whatever) and everyone's favorite; boiled cabbage and soda bread. Turtle Alley (in Salem and Gloucester) has created Irish Stout Truffles! Bring these to your Aunt Brigid's annual Boiled Banquet and you can use them as a smoke screen against being plied with whiskey and stout by your scary uncle all evening. "Oh, no more Car Bombs for me, I've still got a buzz from these truffles!"
Good luck

UPDATE: I went into Turtle Alley's Salem location today and got a 1/2 pound for $10. If anyone wants me, I'll be in a corner in a truffle coma...

They have great greeting cards and cool gee-gaws too!

St. Patrick's Day Survival Tip:

Spring Cleaning! Book Swap

The Salem Recycling committee is hosting a book swap on Saturday,
Februrary 28th at nearby St. Peters Church from 9:00 am - noon. Folks can bring in any unwanted books, videos, CDs, DVDs etc and choose anything that they like. All leftover materials will be recycled through "Got Books".

Address: 24 Saint Peter St, Salem across the street from the Salem Cinema.

See you there! (I'll be the one trying to unload the interactive Princess Barbie books with the almost-dead batteries)

Also, the above image was found on a great site called Simple Productivity Blog. Check it out!

Spring Cleaning! Book Swap

Buy Local! Salem's So Sweet

-But you already knew that right?


Salem Main Streets will be hosting a chocolate and ice sculpture festival February 6-14!

$20 gets you in the door of the kick-off event at Hamilton Hall on Friday, Feb. 6 at 6:30pm. The event features wine, chocolate and coffee samplings from Salem purveyors.

Lots of stores will be having special Valentine deals and sales as well. The SMS site has the full details.

Buy Local! Salem's So Sweet

Buy Local! Yarn Sale Kicks Off Thursday at Seed Stitch

From now until the end of January, Seed Stitch Fine Yarn at 21 Front Street in Salem is having a sale with 20-70% off yarns of all types. They will be open from 10am to 7pm and (I think) until 8pm on Thursdays. Support a local business (and your knitting habit) and check it out!

(they are very toddler-tolerant too!)

Buy Local! Yarn Sale Kicks Off Thursday at Seed Stitch

Found: Organic Coffee That Actually Tastes Good

One of the ways that my local Market Basket keeps me coming back for more punishment is the occasional awesome bargain find. Sometimes, it's Nutella at 2 for $4 when the Whole Paycheck price hovers around $5 a jar. This past week, it's the Good Earth coffee which I found for $4.99 for a 10 oz. bag.

And here's the kicker; it actually tastes like coffee, good coffee. Their website doesn't say anything about their labor situation, just stresses the fact that their coffee is raised in organic conditions. I have to confess that I've bought Fair Trade coffee in the past for a good price at BJ's and while it made for guilt-free caffeination, it tasted kind of sour. Still, you could always use it for recipes or composting.

Found: Organic Coffee That Actually Tastes Good

Shop Local: Cornerstone Books

1) They have hot drinks, baked goods and a fireplace.

2) They will honor Barnes and Noble coupons.

3) They sell their own gift cards.

4) They also have an online retail store.

There's also a great kid's corner and no matter how crazy my toddler acts, I never get the "look" from the staff.

Shop Local: Cornerstone Books

Shop Local for Christmas! 5 Reasons

1. You'll save on gas.
2. You won't run the risk of giving "that special someone" a gift that looks like anything but.
3. No hours wasted sitting in traffic, finding a decent parking spot and then waiting in line.
4. It will keep your local economy going strong.
5. It's more fun!

I tried doing this last year and had a great time finding comics for my niece and nephew at Harrison's (who else would be able to recommend non-naughty age appropriate but not brain-mushing manga?). Some other good places:

Derby Bookstore
Cornerstone Books
Pamplemousse
Bunghole Liquors (fun t-shirts)
PEM Gift Shop

Shop Local for Christmas! 5 Reasons