Arts & Entertainment

Carrot-Shaped Waffles

Carrot-Shaped Waffles

YIELD: Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 cups all-purpose waffle and baking mix
  • 1 1/3 cups milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 teaspoons McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract, divided
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons Sunflower color from McCormick Color from Nature Food Colors, divided
  • 1 teaspoon Berry color from McCormick Color from Nature Food Colors
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sky Blue color from McCormick Color from Nature Food Colors
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Heat round waffle iron. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix together waffle mix, milk, egg, oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon each sunflower and berry colors until blended. Let batter stand 5 minutes to allow color to fully develop.

Pour about 1/3 cup batter onto center of waffle iron. Close lid. Cook about 3 minutes, or until no longer steaming. Carefully remove waffle. Repeat with remaining batter. Cut each waffle into 8 triangles. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, stir sky blue color and remaining sunflower color into cream. Add confectioners’ sugar and remaining vanilla; beat with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon into re-sealable plastic bag. Cut piece off one bottom corner.

To decorate and serve waffles, place waffle triangles onto serving plates and pipe green colored cream on wide side of each triangle to resemble carrot tops.

For more recipes and tips, check out McCormick.com

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While decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back centuries, the high cost of eggs may make it more difficult for some families this year. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find creative ways to keep the season special and create memories with loved ones. These “egg-citing” alternatives to using traditional eggs can help keep those simple moments of connection and creativity alive:

Pretty in Plastic: Dyeing plastic eggs is an activity perfect for all ages with less stress and less mess since they don’t crack or break when dropped. Dyeable plastic eggs also typically come in packages of more than a traditional dozen, offering more opportunities for creativity. Another added bonus: You can decorate your home every year with the finished product since they don’t go bad. They are also perfect for DIY projects, such as making them into garland, hanging ornaments, place settings or gifts that can be used for years to come.

Baked Easter Decor: Instead of buying eggs, you can make your own baking soda dough eggs using 1/2 cup corn starch, 1 cup baking soda and 3/4 cup water. Combine the ingredients, roll into egg shapes and bake in the oven for 1 hour at 175 F then simply dye them as you would real eggs using an egg decorating kit. Fun for all ages, these eggs can be turned into a variety of decor and mementos with kids taking the lead on mixing the dough batter and shaping the eggs before an adult helps with the baking.

Repurposed Treasure from Nature: Kids often love to hunt for fun-shaped and colorful rocks when exploring outdoors or collect seashells while on vacation or taking a walk on the beach. Now, rather than storing them in a “treasure box” or throwing them back outside, they can be creatively decorated for Easter using paint, stickers, glitter, accessories and other add-ons. Using rocks of all shapes and sizes is a cost-effective, low-waste alternative that allows children to use their imaginations for creative play once they’re done decorating.

Glazed Lemon Loaf

By Heidi Sutton

Whether you’re enjoying a spring holiday like Easter or simply embracing the opportunities that the new air brings, food remains the centerpiece. And with citrus, each moment can be a celebration. If you love the smell and taste of lemons, then this Lemon Loaf is the perfect sweet bread to bake for Easter. Serve it up for breakfast, brunch, dessert or an afternoon treat.

Glazed Lemon Loaf

YIELD: Makes one loaf
INGREDIENTS:
Loaf
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Zest from 2 lemons

Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Zest from 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F and line your 8 x 4″ loaf pan with parchment paper. Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add in your eggs one at a time and vanilla extract. Into a smaller bowl mix together your flour, salt and baking soda. Alternately add the dry ingredients and your sour cream to the batter, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat between each addition until just combined. Fold in fresh lemon juice and zest and mix until well combined.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in oven about 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest together until smooth. Remove loaf from oven and let cool completely (about one hour) before topping with lemon glaze.

Find more citrus recipes at Sunkist.com/Recipes.

Corinne Badger

Senior catcher Corinne Badger was the hero on April 2 as she launched a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Seawolves to a 3-2 win over UNCW in the series finale. The victory marked Stony Brook’s first-ever CAA home win and first walk-off win this season.

Junior outfielder Alicia Orosco led off the top of the seventh inning by reaching on an error. Senior outfielder Shauna Nuss moved Orosco over with a sacrifice bunt to put her in scoring position. Badger stepped to the plate with the chance to tie or win the game — and she did just that.

Badger crushed Kara Hammock’s 1-0 offering over the right center field fence for a two-run walk-off home run. The homer was Badger’s eighth of the season. She leads the team in home runs and ranks second in the CAA.

Stony Brook received a pair of standout pitching performances in the circle. Junior Mia Haynes got the start and went the first 5.0 innings. Haynes surrendered seven hits and allowed one run (earned) and struck out three. Melaas earned the win in relief as she went 2.0 innings and gave up one run (earned) and struck out two.

“It was a terrific ball game, and I am so proud of the way we fought and played. Any time that we win it’s big and any time we win a CAA game it’s big. To be able to continuously get better within this series from game one, to game two, to game three it really shows growth from our team,” said head coach Megan T. Bryant.

 

UNDER THE SEA ART Create an ocean-inspired origami scene at the Whaling Museum on April 13.

PROGRAMS

Superheroes of the Sky

Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown presents Superheroes of the Sky on April 8 from 11 a.m. to noon. Take part in a walking tour with Jim while he feeds the Center’s Birds of Prey and tells you about their incredible adaptations that help them survive in the wild. You’ll be seeing and learning about bald eagles, turkey vultures, owls, hawks and many more. Tickets are $10 adults, $5 children at www.sweetbriarnc.org. Call 631-979-6344 for more info.

Fossil Finds

Sunken Meadow State Park, Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park presents a family program, Fossil Finds, on April 8 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Take a journey through time and explore what kinds of plants and animals lived on Earth in the past. Learn about Earth’s natural history as you observe real fossils and simulate how they form. Explore how fossils are found, and how you can discover clues about the past by comparing them to life today. $4 per person. To register, visit www.eventbrite.com and search #NatureEdventure. Questions? call 631-269-4333.

Egg Drop Workshop

Hop on over to the Long Island Explorium, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson on Easter Sunday, April 9 from 1 to 3 p.m. or 3 to 5 p.m.  for an “egg-cellent” adventure in engineering with Stony Brook University’s Biomedical Engineering Society! Kids will have a blast putting their engineering skills to the test as they design and build a structure to protect their eggs from a 10ft drop. The workshop is free with $5 paid admission to the Long Island Explorium but pre-registration is required by visiting www.longislandexplorium.org/events. Questions? Call 631-331-3277.

Books in the Barn

Smithtown Historical Society’s new Books in the Barn program for ages 3 to 5 with parent/caregiver continues on April 10, 17 and 24  from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Meet at the newly refurbished Franklin O. Arthur Farm, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown to listen to stories about farms, barns and animals. Then visit with the chickens, bunnies, sheep, ponies and barn cats that call the farm home. Free. Open to all. To register, visit www.smithlib.org/children. For more information, call 631-360-2480, ext. 140.

Spring Break at the Hatchery

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor hosts several programs during spring break including Hatchery Tours (11 am.), Fish Feeding Demonstrations (at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.) and Live Animal Encounters (2 p.m.) on April 10; Natural Art on April 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Bird Buffet on April 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Nature Detective on April 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. For more info, call 516-692-6768.

Teen Creators Comic Club

The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook hosts an 8-week after school Teen Creators Comic Club workshop for teens in middle and high school on Wednesdays April 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Students will learn about the art of creating comics by exploring overall concept, character development, setting, and storyline. Drawing skills will be developed, or started from scratch, as students work on backgrounds, faces and figures in motion and leave with their own comic creation. $90 per student. Register at www.longislandmuseum.org. For more information, call 631-751-0066 or visit www.longislandmuseum.org.

Ocean Origami

The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor presents an Ocean Origami drop-workshop for ages 7 and up on April 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. Did you know that in April of 1845, the Long Island whaleship Manhattan became the first American ship to enter Japan’s waters in over 200 years? Celebrate this anniversary and America’s enduring appreciation of Japanese artistry by creating an ocean-inspired origami scene. ​Admission fee + $10 participant; museum members $5. Call 631-367-3418 or visit www.cshfishhatchery.org.

FILM

‘The Prince of Egypt’

The Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Cinema for Kids! series with a screening of The Prince of Egypt on April 9 at noon. The epic adventure tells the tale of two brothers — one born of royal blood, one an orphan with a secret past. As one becomes the ruler of a powerful empire and the other the chosen leader of his people, their final confrontation will forever change the world. Adapted from the story of Exodus. Rated G. Tickets are $12, $5 children 12 and under. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

THEATER

‘Finding Nemo Jr.

The Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown presents Finding Nemo Jr. on April 6, 7 and 8. Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. Featuring memorable songs such as “Just Keep Swimming,” “Fish Are Friends Not Food,” and “Go With the Flow,” Finding Nemo Jr. brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship, and adventure. All seats are $25. To order, call 800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

‘Seussical the Musical’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Seussical the Musical on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. through April 30 with a special sensory sensitive performance on April 15. “Oh the Thinks You Can Think!” Dive into the colorful world of Dr. Seuss as The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who sets off to save a speck of dust containing The Whos from destruction. All seats are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. seats are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

‘The Adventures of Peter Rabbit’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson kicks off spring with The Adventures of Peter Rabbit from April 5 to 29 with a sensory sensitive performance on April 16 at 11 a.m. Join Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, Mrs. Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and the McGregors in this delightful adaption suggested by the characters created by Beatrix Potter, a Theatre Three tradition for spring break. All seats are $10. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

A scene from 'Finding Nemo' Jr. at SPAC. Photo by Jackie St. Louis

Just in time for spring break, the Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown presents Finding Nemo Jr. through Saturday, April 8.

Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. Featuring memorable songs such as “Just Keep Swimming,” “Fish Are Friends Not Food,” and “Go With the Flow,” Finding Nemo Jr. brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship, and adventure.

Final performances are on April 6 and 7 at 1 p.m. and April 8 at 10:30 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. All seats are $25. To order, call 800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

Photo from PSEG

April is National Safe Digging Month and PSEG Long Island reminds customers, contractors and excavators that the law requires them to call 811 before digging to ensure underground pipelines, conduits, wires and cables are properly marked out.

Every digging project, even a small project like planting a tree or building a deck, requires a call to 811. It’s the law. The call is free and the mark-out service is free. The call must be made whether the job is being performed by a professional or a do-it-yourselfer. Striking an underground electrical line can cause serious injury and outages, and result in repair costs and fines.

“It’s spring once again, and people on Long Island are starting outdoor improvements to their homes and businesses. Calling 811 ahead of time helps protect underground utility lines and, more importantly, the safety of anyone digging,” said Michael Sullivan, PSEG Long Island’s vice president of Transmission and Distribution Operations. “Customers are getting the message. Last year there were more than 215,000 mark-out requests in our service area, and so far this year, there have been more than 44,000 requests to 811.”

According to Common Ground Alliance, a member-driven association of nearly 1,800 individuals and 250 member companies in every facet of the underground utility industry, 40% of active diggers in North America do not call 811 because they think their project is too shallow to require it. All digging projects require a call to 811.

A free call to 811 in the service area automatically connects the caller to the local New York one-call center, which collects information about digging projects. The one-call center then provides the information to the utility companies, which send representatives to mark the locations of nearby underground lines with flags, paint or both. Once lines have been properly marked and confirmation from all of the utility owners is received, projects may proceed as long as caution is used around the marked areas.

Here’s important information to consider:

  • Underground gas and electric lines are everywhere, even on private properties. These facilities can be easily damaged if dug into, with the potential to cause serious injuries. Digging into these lines can also disrupt vital utility services, resulting in costly delays, expensive repairs and environmental or property damage.
  • Whether the job is a major home improvement project or something as simple as a fence or mailbox post, a call to 811 must be placed beforehand to determine where it’s safe to dig.
  • Call 811 at least two business days before the commencement of each job to have underground pipes, wires and equipment located. Each facility owner must respond by providing the excavator with a positive confirmation indicating that marks are in place where utility lines are buried or that there are no existing facilities in the area of the proposed work. This service is free of charge.
  • Be sure to wait until all of the utilities have responded. Don’t dig until lines have been marked or you have received confirmation that the area is clear of facilities.
  • Property owners must maintain and respect the marks. Always hand dig within 2 feet of marked lines to find the existing facilities before using mechanized equipment.
  • If gas lines are damaged or there is a gas smell when excavating, call 911 immediately from a safe area.

Calling before you dig is more than a good idea − it’s the law. Additional information, including a booklet on safe excavating practices and the protection of underground facilities, can be found on the PSEG Long Island website.

Photo courtesy of Theatre Three

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson kicks off spring with The Adventures of Peter Rabbit from April 5 to 29 with a sensory sensitive performance on April 16 at 11 a.m. Join Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, Mrs. Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and the McGregors in this delightful adaption suggested by the characters created by Beatrix Potter, a Theatre Three tradition for spring break. All seats are $10. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

The Whaling Museum &  Education Center will host its 2nd annual Golf Outing  fundraising event on Monday May 15 at The  Woodside Club in Syosset. New York Community Bank (NYCB) is the main event sponsor. This event is in support of the museum’s community education  programming.

“New York Community Bank, a division of Flagstar Bank, N.A., is proud to once again sponsor this year’s golf outing to raise funds for The Whaling Museum.  As a long-time member of the Board of Trustees, I feel that I am personally making a difference toward the future of the organization.  By supporting this event, you can also make a difference to ensure that The Whaling Museum can continue to serve the Long Island community and provide a critical link to its history,” said Thomas Cangemi, President, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of New York Community Bancorp, Inc. and Flagstar Bank, N.A.

“So many Long Islanders have fond memories of visiting our museum. We want to keep our museum going strong for the current and next generation, and our Golf Outing is a crucial fundraiser toward the museum’s operations. We are deeply grateful to New York Community Bank and our many other generous supporters who show their  ongoing support of The Whaling Museum,”  said Nomi Dayan, Executive Director, The Whaling  Museum & Education Center. “This event supports the museum’s commitment to provide exhibitions inspired by Long Island’s extraordinary history and fulfill our role as a hub for community programs which foster creativity and critical  thinking.” 

The outing begins at 9 a.m. with 11 a.m. as the “Shotgun Start.” Throughout the day golfers can expect ongoing buffets, on-course contests, hole-in one prizes and gin tastings from Championz Gin. There will be a cocktail reception followed by a  dinner buffet for guests to enjoy. The museum has planned a variety of on course activities for golfers to enjoy throughout the day. 

With breakfast, golfers may partake in drinks served by Murph’s Famous Bloody Mary Bar. Prior  to hitting the course, golfers are invited to meet with Stretch Zone for professional stretching that  will get them safely ready for a round. Next, golfers can stop by the Golfer Giveaway Table for a  shopping spree where every golfer gets to choose their own giveaway. Throughout the day, the  museum will be showcasing an exclusive Raffle Table with excellent prizes donated by local  businesses and generous corporations. The purchase of raffle tickets directly supports the museum’s public programming.

Golfers of all player levels are invited to join the Museum for this exciting opportunity to support a unique cultural gem on Long Island. This event is a significant fundraiser for their  education and cultural events serving children’s programs and a variety of adult programs that explore the history of whaling and Long Island’s crucial relationship with the ocean environment. All funds raised will support community education programming for the museum.  

The cost to play as an individual golfer is $525 which includes meals throughout the day as well  as the cocktail reception and dinner. The cost for cocktail and dinner reception only is $195. There are many levels of sponsorship available as well as a “Big Whale Foursome” which includes a Tee Sign with company logo for $2,000.

Registration and sponsorships are available on the website at cshwhalingmuseum.org/golf or by  contacting Gina Van Bell, 631-367-3418 ext. 12 or at [email protected]

 

MEET CHEVY!

This week’s shelter pet is Chevy, a one and a half year-old male pit mix up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter.

Chevy  has had a very difficult start to his young life. He was found by law enforcement lying on the side of the road on New Year’s Eve. He was emaciated, completely blind, and very scared and injured. X-rays showed that he had broken and fractured bones all over. It became clear that these injuries were the result of either abuse or negligence.

Chevy had surgery to repair a dislocated elbow, and spent some time in a foster home so his recovery could be closely monitored. Chevy’s condition began to improve, as he started to perk up and play, and showed signs of vision returning in one of his eyes. He still gave a happy greeting to everyone who walked by and would nudge people for affection. His body may have been damaged, but his attitude and spirit would never be broken.

While his vision was improving in one eye, his other eye still had a detached retina, swelling, and light bleeding. The difficult decision was made to remove this eye. Now that he has fully recovered from this surgery, his doctors believe he will live a pain-free life. Chevy is finally getting to experience the happy puppy life that he never had before. He has gained back weight, is strong and mobile despite still having a slight limp, and loves to snuggle and kiss. Even though he was mistreated by humans before, he is still very trusting and friendly to all new people. Chevy is the perfect example of the ultimate comeback story, and he won’t let anything get him down.

Chevy will only be allowed to be into the best of homes who will provide him with the love and care he was missing in his past life. Chevy has experience living with dogs and gets along well with them, but he does need some time to get used to other canine companions and introduce himself. Due to his limited vision, he should only be with older kids that will respect his sight trouble. He also has a well-managed food allergy. Chevy can’t wait to find his perfect furrever home, and we know that home is out there somewhere for him.

If you are interested in meeting Chevy, please fill out an application to schedule time to properly interact with him in a domestic setting, which includes a Meet and Greet Room, the dog runs, and a dog walk trail.

Download the Foster Application at:

https://www.smithtownny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4325/Foster-Application

The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are currently Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.