In the interactive Gingerbread Adventures exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden, children learn about the different plant parts used in creating one of their favorite holiday snacks, gingerbread. The Everett Children’s Adventure Garden is home of Gingerbread Adventures, through January 10, 2010.Vibrant vignettes of a gingerbread town deck the halls of the Discovery Center. A gingerbread jazz band, ice skaters and a gingerbread farmer are among the colorful characters displayed in the exhibit.

Youngsters will experience that cinnamon comes from the bark of a tree and ginger is derived from an underground stem, as they explore these and other plant ingredients that go into the classic gingerbread recipe. Children are invited to grind and examine gingerbread ingredients under a microscope and develop a field research notebook about their visit. Less research-oriented children may also enjoy decorating pots with faces and planting wheat seeds that will quickly sprout into miniature heads of wheat, once the pots are brought home to root on sunny windowsills, a lasting reminder that flour (a key ingredient in gingerbread) comes from a plant.

Gingerbread Adventures also features a whimsical display of gingerbread houses. Some of New York’s most imaginative bakers have prepared unique gingerbread creations, certain to capture the imaginations of both children and adults, while evoking the wonder and delicious joys of the holiday season. This year the bakers creating the fairy-tale themed confections are Jill Adams, The Cake Studio, Brooklyn; Kate Almond, Sugar and Spice Bake Shop, the Bronx; Liv Hansen, Riviera Bakehouse, Ardsley; Kate Sullivan, Lovin Sullivan Cakes, Manhattan; and Mark Tasker, Balthazar Bakery, Manhattan.

For more information visit: nybg.com.

Popular Medium Now Available in Manhattan for Private Sessions and Appointments
For fifteen years, internationally renowned psychic medium Glenn Klausner has reunited thousands of people from all walks of life with loved ones who have “crossed over.”

Glenn’s passion for his work, his down-to-earth personality, and his accurate and detailed messages have earned him a vast and loyal following. Bob Olson, Editor from OfSpirit.com Magazine writes that Glenn’s sincerity and popularity will help him follow in the footsteps of psychic mediums James Van Praagh and John Edward. Glen has appeared on ABC, CBS and NBC News (in a documentary entitled After Death Communication: Fact or Fiction), and on various radio programs throughout the United States.

He’s also hosted his own show on Contact Talk Radio, and is a regular guest contributor on internet programs for Hay House Radio and Blog Talk Radio. Glenn is available for private sessions and consultations.

To contact Glenn Klausner and learn more about his work, call 
212-496-3151 or visit glennklausner.com.

Integrated Medicine & Nutrition Brings Concierge Practice 
to NYC

Dr. Michael B. Wald and Dr. Nilay Shah of Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco have additionally brought their practice to New York City with the opening of new offices at 48 West 68th Street. Integrated Medicine & Nutrition offers Concierge Medicine to their patients. Concierge Service is relatively new in the U.S. and offers unique services to patients.

Dr. Wald and Dr. Shah appreciate the balance of traditional medical and complimentary medical approaches for the prevention and treatment of all varieties of health issues. Their mission is to be their patients’ trusted source for wellness. To accomplish this goal, they see fewer patients, maximizing time spent with each person.  Individualized attention is an extremely rare commodity in health care today and the Integrated Medicine & Nutrition Physicians ensure each patient has enough time to fully express health concerns and goals. They also provide lifestyle education in a practical and individualized style, always with the goal of teaching their patients how to get and stay healthy.

As Director of Nutritional Services, Dr. Michael B. Wald provides detailed and highly specific consultations and recommends appropriate tests to assess nutritional needs. Dr. Wald’s training allows him to incorporate medical health history, nutritional tests and dietary recommendations into a holistic, comprehensive program that addresses each person’s health concerns.

Dr. Nilay Shah, Director of Medical Services, combines traditional medical training with a ‘nutritional and holistic spin,’ ensuring his patients receive a wide range of health care options – including those from both natural and conventional medicine.

Appreciating the diverse needs and schedules of New Yorkers, Integrated Medicine & Nutrition has 24-hour accessibility for scheduling and rescheduling and can arrange special appointments on off-hours or weekends and will even come to your home, for an additional fee.  Dr. Shah and Dr. Wald look forward to becoming New Yorker’s gateway for internal medicine, neurologic and nutrition expertise.

To celebrate their NYC launch, Integrated Medicine & Nutrition is offering complimentary 15-minute consultations. For more information about services or appointments call 914-242-8844 or visit their website: intmedny.com.

Presents allow us to express our love and gratitude. 
Why, then, do we get so stressed out over them, and how can we bring sense and significance back to the season? Though many complain about the commercialism of the holiday season, no one—not even the two-sizes-too-small-hearted Grinch—would wish to get rid of presents.

At its core, the exchange of gifts is a joyous ritual. Those robes, orchids and batches of oatmeal cookies we bestow every year let us acknowledge important relationships and strengthen bonds with friends, family and our community. “To give a gift to someone is to say, ‘I am connected to you, and I know you well enough to know what you like,’” advises M.J. Ryan, author of Attitudes of Gratitude.

Faced with a holiday season that’s too often fraught with chaos, stress, waste and debt, it’s easy to lose track of the pleasure and meaning of giving. But, by remembering what lies at the heart of this singular season and looking afresh at our impulses to give and receive, we can make these days feel more like the spiritual celebrations they were meant to be.

Look for the meaning
One way to bring meaning back to the holidays is to remember that they are holy days. “Welcome in the spirit of whatever you’re celebrating, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah or the solstice,” says Barbara Biziou, author of The Joys of Everyday Ritual and The Joy of Family Rituals. Biziou advocates reviving the family’s traditional ways of celebrating or creating new rituals, such as making ornaments together or cooking a meal for a neighbor or stranger, if the old ones no longer feel meaningful. Instead of obsessing about presents, we can spend this season connecting with people through the sharing of food, warmth and hospitality.

Ryan has found a way to make sure that everyone around her table remembers the holiday’s true meaning: At her dinner, each person takes a turn listening, as the others tell what they appreciate about her or him. “When we feel gratitude for what we have received, we have an experience of fullness,” comments Ryan. “From that fullness, you naturally want to give back. This is true generosity, not obligatory giving. It’s the natural process of recognizing what we have, and then sharing it.”

The good gift
Great pleasure is found in giving—or receiving—just the right gift. Last Christmas, for example, Ryan’s husband gave her a box of 12 envelopes, one for each month; inside each envelope was a picture of one of her favorite flowers that she could then trade in for an actual bouquet. This was a successful present, she explains, because it demonstrated how well her husband knew her—plus, it lasted all year long.

Ultimately, the best gifts are the ones given from the heart, gifts that infuse these rituals with feelings and values. They’re the ones that bring joy to the recipient and the giver—joy to the world. Even the Grinch realized this, right before his heart grew three sizes: “’Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.’”
Who could argue with Dr. Seuss?

Frances Lefkowitz is an award-winning writer, editor and reviewer whose work is widely published via print and subscription radio.

5 Great Gifts
According to the Center for a New American Dream, 54 percent of 21st century Americans surveyed, “feel that spending less money on gifts will allow them to focus on the true meaning of the holidays.” Here are some gift ideas that won’t break the time or money bank.

Personalized cookbook. Give friends recipes for the kinds of food they enjoy. Throughout the year, clip items from magazines and newspapers, and then compile them into a store-bought journal.

Something of your own. Giving away things we love to people we love is always meaningful, whether it’s a family heirloom, a piece of jewelry or a favorite book.

Photographs. Who doesn’t adore a picture of the grandkids, a childhood snapshot of ourselves with our best friend, or a visual memento from last summer’s camping trip? Frame a single photo, put a series in an album, or pick 12 and have them made into a calendar at the photo shop.

Gift of experience. 
Giving activities—a spa day for two, a wine tasting lesson or sports tickets—brings people together. Concert dates, brunch or a trip to a favorite hiking spot are other good options.

A donation.
Send a check to someone’s favorite charity in lieu of a gift (make sure it’s their favorite cause, not ours). Or, ask friends if we can join them in their volunteer work.

Every December, parents like me lament the “gimme” culture that so easily overtakes the holidays. But with environmental and social justice issues gaining ground and everyone rethinking economic priorities, introducing your child to opportunities for alternative giving can make a world of difference.

Even little changes—such as adding a charity to the family’s giving tradition—can have a profound impact on how a child approaches the holidays. The idea is not to make a child feel bad about wanting stuff or be guilted into giving to others. Only cheerful giving makes a lasting difference. The following tips will help everyone tap into a deeper joy this holiday season by embracing altruistic and Earth-friendly gifts.

Reframe the List
Rather than instituting a blanket prohibition on traditional gifts, consider asking your child to name the two or three items he or she most wants to receive. Then, gently turn the focus outward by generating a new list, asking, “What do you love the most?”

Aside from the obvious (“Cookies!” “My iPod!”), try to capture your child’s fondness for certain things: animals, people, places or hobbies. Then ask, “How can we give a gift to that?” For example, if your daughter says “Bears,” ask if she’d like to give money to help protect panda or grizzly habitats. Play up your son’s fondness for tree forts by donating to a tree-planting group. There are endless ways to creatively encourage giving to a cause that matters to a child.

Go Eco
When nothing but a tangible gift will do, scour natural shops, where you’ll find high-quality items made with personal and planetary health in mind. Options abound: adorable, organic, stuffed animals and nontoxic wooden toys make babies and toddlers smile. Even picky teens might appreciate a sustainable-harvest bamboo skateboard (reportedly stronger than conventional decks), or trendy, organic-fiber apparel.

Also consider scouting high-end consignment stores for barely used and cost-conscious clothes and toys. Then, encourage low-impact wrappings, such as cloth napkins, kitchen towels or an old standby, the Sunday comics.

Give and Do Good
When shopping, look for fair-trade items, which means that producers were paid honest wages for their wares. Jewelry, chocolates, toys and more can be sourced from such fair-trade companies as those found at WorldofGood.org and BeadforLife.org.

The nifty, solar-powered BOGO (Buy One/Give One) flashlight at BogoLight.com does more than illuminate your keyhole; for every light purchased, another is donated to a grateful community in the developing world. When you buy the UN World Food Programme’s reversible burlap and muslin FEED bag, proceeds feed one impoverished child for one school year; it’s available at Amazon.com.

Volunteer
Return to the list you generated with your child and pick something you can do together in your town as a gift to your family’s place in the world. Do your kids love outings near the water? Spend an hour picking up trash along a local shoreline or creek. Do they enjoy the company of other kids? Have them box up gently used or new clothes, books and toys and deliver them to a family shelter housing homeless children. Whatever you do, make it your child’s choice. You’ll likely find that altruistic giving is a lot like cooking: Once kids get involved, they eat it up.

It’s easiest to start with just a few categories. Challenge the whole family to get on board and have some fun. For example: Reusing the same decorations, tableware and activities year after year creates treasured traditions among family and friends.

Remember to emphasize quality over quantity: buy 25 percent less than normal when shopping, for everything from trimmings to hors d’oeuvres. It’s likely that no one will miss the excess, and every effort aids the planet.
Here are some ideas to kick-start the celebrations:

Trees — Invest in a live tree to plant in the yard after the holidays, and patronize a local, pesticide-free, sustainable farm or grower if possible. For a cut tree, chip and compost it later. (Many communities offer post-holiday curbside pickup, composting trees for mulch. Call your public works or waste management department for details.)

Lights — New light-emitting diode (LED), fluorescent or solar holiday lights are preferred replacements when old-style lights fail. Put them on a timer and use conservatively. With traditional lights, pick strings with smaller bulbs, which use less energy and emit less heat.

Ornaments and décor — The best decorations are handcrafted, made from 100 percent natural materials, and created at home, locally or by artisans in other countries earning fair wages. Avoid products containing non-recyclable plastics, lead, phthalates or other toxins.

Creating zero-waste home decorations can become a cherished family tradition, eagerly anticipated each year and enjoyed by all ages. Consider designing recycled-paper snowflake cutouts; wreaths and centerpieces from collected tree trimmings; non-microwave popcorn and cranberry garlands; gingerbread houses; soy or beeswax candles; and stockings made from fabric scraps or knit natural fibers.

Tableware — Favor reusable plates, glasses, utensils, napkins and tablecloths. For larger gatherings, borrow extra place settings from friends or family, rent them, or stock up at a consignment or thrift store.

Cards — Send e-cards or email the family newsletter, or find snail-mail cards, invitations and thank-you notes made from recycled or tree-free materials and soy-based inks, via the Internet (search “eco-friendly cards” and “recycled holiday cards”). Find creative ways to parlay incoming cards by searching “reuse holiday cards.”

Gifts — Ideal presents sare handmade, activity-based, consumable or charitable. Look for a fair trade stamp of approval, as well as use of natural, sustainable, reused or recycled materials. Forego anything overpackaged, mass-produced, disposable, cheaply made, of unknown origin or requiring lots of additional components.

Wrapping — Creative giftwrap options include reusing decorative papers and traditional ribbons, raffia ribbons and repurposed fabrics.

Food and drink — Enjoy healthy holiday meals made from local and organic foods, to avoid genetically modified ingredients (see Natural Awakenings November 2008 issue). Cut down on meats, while upping the fruit and veggie quotient. Select organic drinks and liqueurs, and wine with real cork stoppers. Finally, compost table scraps.

Hosting a splashy party during the holidays, or anytime, can be as enjoyable as it is eco-friendly. The key to going green is to plan ahead, get everyone involved, and make it fun.

Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell are mother and daughter coauthors of Celebrate Green! – Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations & Traditions for the Whole Family, from which this article was adapted. Find more ideas for enlivening occasions throughout the year at CelebrateGreen.net.

Whether chewy or crunchy, eaten straight or dunked in milk, cookies are a perfect accompaniment to holiday parties and chilly nights gathered around the fireplace. This year, indulge family and friends with a batch of these tasty treats, updated by using unrefined flours, natural sugars, and nutrient-boosting ingredients, including dried fruit, heart-healthy nuts, vitamin-rich pumpkin, anantioxidant-laden organic dark chocolate. To cut unhealthy fats, these recipes also substitute unsweetened applesauce and egg whites for some of the butter. Such creative twists gladly transform cookies from a guilty indulgence to a healthier treat—true comfort food for a joyous season.
Gingerbread People
Makes 3 ½ dozen / Preparation tip: Currants make good eyes, noses and buttons; place on cookies before baking. Or, decorate with all-natural colored sprinkles before baking.

1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup brown sugar
5 Tblsp unsalted butter, softened
½ cup molasses
1  egg

Icing (optional)
2 cups    powdered sugar, sifted
¼ tsp    lemon or vanilla extract
3-4 Tblsp    water

1. In a medium bowl, combine flours, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and butter; beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until thoroughly combined and fluffy. Add molasses and egg and blend. Add flour mixture to molasses mixture; beat on low until blended. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic. Chill for 1-2 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. On a floured board, roll dough into a ¼-inch-thick circle. Cut out cookies with a cutter. Place one inch apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Decorate with candies and currants, if desired. Bake for 7-8 minutes until firm. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make icing

Combine powdered sugar and lemon or vanilla extract. Add 3 tablespoons water and stir. If necessary, add an additional tablespoon of water until a spreadable paste forms. Use a piping cloth (or zip-top plastic bag with one corner snipped) to decorate cooled cookies.

Chocolate & Peppermint Sandwiches

Makes 12 / Hint: The chocolate cookies also are delicious on their own. Preparation tip: Substitute mint chocolate chip or mocha frozen yogurt or ice cream, if preferred.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup natural cane sugar
4 Tblsp unsalted butter
2 Tblsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 pint fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
½ cup crushed all-natural peppermint candies, divided

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl, blend sugars and butter until fluffy. Add applesauce, vanilla extract and egg. Once thoroughly combined, blend in flour mixture. Transfer dough to one end of a large sheet of waxed paper. Fold paper over dough and wrap completely, rolling dough into a 12-inch log. Freeze for 1-2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a baking sheet using a cooking oil spray pump. Unwrap dough and slice crosswise into 24 cookies. Bake 12 at a time for 10-12 minutes or until firm to the touch. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

3. While cookies are cooling, remove frozen yogurt from freezer to soften. Stir in ¼ cup crushed peppermint candies. Place remaining ¼ cup crushed candies in a shallow dish. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of frozen yogurt on the flat side of one cookie. Place another cookie (flat side down) on top and gently push together. Roll edges lightly in crushed candies. Repeat with remaining cookies. Wrap sandwiches individually in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, 2-4 hours.

Cranberry-Ginger Biscotti
Makes 24 / Crispy biscotti, Italian for “twice-baked,” pair perfectly with English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea. Test kitchen tip: Don’t worry if they’re a little soft when they come out of the oven—they will harden as they cool. Store in airtight container.

1 tsp  vanilla extract
2 whole eggs
1  egg white
2 Tblsp  honey
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
¾ cup  natural cane sugar
1 tsp    ground cinnamon
1 tsp    baking powder
½ tsp  salt
½ cup chopped, crystallized ginger
½ cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine vanilla extract, whole eggs, egg white and honey in a medium bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and blend thoroughly. Add ginger and cranberries; stir until well-blended and cranberries and ginger are distributed.

3. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 12-inch-long flattened log, approximately ½ inch thick. Place logs on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.

4.Reduce oven temperature to 325°. On a cutting board, slice each log diagonally into 12 slices, each ½ inch thick. Place pieces cut-side up, on baking sheet and bake for an additional 8 minutes; flip and cook on the other side for another 8 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Bizcochitos
Makes about 40 / A lightened version of New Mexico’s official state cookie, the delicate bizcochito is found at nearly every holiday occasion in the Land of Enchantment.

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp anise seed
1  tsp baking powder
¼  tsp salt
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, divided
5 Tblsp unsalted butter, softened
¾  cup granulated fructose or  sugar, plus 1 Tblsp
1  egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, anise, baking powder, salt and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. In a second bowl, beat butter and ¾ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Once mixture is smooth, blend in flour mixture. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a ball. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour, until firm.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. On a flour-coated cutting board and using a flour-coated rolling pin, roll dough into a ¼ inch-thick circle. Cut dough into 2-inch shapes (such as stars).

3. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle cookies with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Transfer to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes until golden.

Peanut Butter Kisses
Makes 4 ½ dozen / Updates the classic peanut butter cookie with more whole grains and a delicious bite of dark chocolate in the center. Soft and excellent with milk.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup oat bran
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup pure maple syrup
2/3 cup natural peanut butter,
smooth or chunky
6 Tblsp unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups    brown sugar
2  eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 ½ doz large dark chocolate drops (such as Dagoba)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly coat baking sheets using a cooking oil spray pump.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flours, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, combine maple syrup, peanut butter, butter and brown sugar. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until well-blended. Stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture. Set aside for a few minutes to firm slightly.

3.Roll 1-inch balls between your palms. Place balls onto prepared baking sheets, about two inches apart. Bake 4 minutes. Remove baking sheets from oven and place one chocolate drop in the center of each cookie. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookies from sheets and transfer to wire racks to cool.

Molasses-Walnut Cookies
Makes three dozen / A nice dessert or sweet breakfast treat, these cakelike cookies dunk well in a French roast or hickory coffee. Preparation tips: 
Don’t overstir the batter, or the cookies will become too dense. For a different glaze taste, substitute coffee or rum for the milk.

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground allspice
¾ cup natural cane sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
6 Tblsp    unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup    pumpkin purée
4 Tblsp molasses
1  egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3  cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1/3  cup unsweetened,  shredded coconut

Glaze (optional)
1  cup powdered sugar, sifted
¼ cup pure maple syrup
½ Tblsp unsalted butter,  softened
1-2 Tblsp nonfat milk
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1. Place a paper towel in a colander. Set applesauce on paper towels and top with a second paper towel. Let sit for five minutes, until liquid has drained. Scoop applesauce off paper toweling and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine sugars and butter. Blend together for 5 minutes. Add drained applesauce, pumpkin, molasses, egg and vanilla extract. Beat on low until thoroughly combined. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Stir in walnuts, candied ginger and coconut.

3. Coat a baking sheet using a cooking oil spray pump. Measure dough 1 tablespoon at a time; with floured hands, roll it between your palms and set on baking sheet (12 cookies per batch). Reflour hands and flatten each cookie with your palm. If not adding glaze, sprinkle cookies with natural cane sugar instead. Bake for 16 minutes, until golden. Remove from sheet and cool on wire rack.

To make glaze:

Blend powdered sugar, maple syrup, butter and milk until smooth. Add vanilla and cinnamon. Spread a small dollop on top of cooled cookies.

New York is brimming with holiday traditions. From the Rockefeller Center Tree, to the Radio City Holiday Show, to the ice-skating in Bryant Park, every family has activities they like to enjoy at this time of year. And over the last 18 years more than a million of them have ventured out to the New York Botanical Garden to enjoy the Holiday Train Show.  
Last year 160,000 people came to enjoy the Holiday Train Show. It’s the most-attended event at the Garden and features dozens of replicas of iconic skyscrapers, museums, mansions, brownstones, bridges, ballparks, and other famous structures. All have been meticulously brought to life by the imagination and diligence of Paul Busse and his team from Applied Imagination, in Alexandria, Kentucky.

Mr. Busse works from a totally natural palette. The models are constructed from myriad varieties of leaves, twigs, bark, berries, pods, pine cones and other plant materials. Each botanic interpretation of these historic landmarks takes many months to research, design and craft. More than a hundred of these models are on display through January 10, 2010, in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

Every year Busse surprises Holiday Train Show stalwarts with a couple new models. This year there’s a new model of the original Penn Station. Paul Busse believes it “could be his most exciting building yet.” The original building took up about 20 acres at West 34th and 8th Avenue when it was first built nearly 100 years ago. The Holiday Train Show version is a compact 20 square feet.

The intricate Garden version of Penn Station includes the “Grand Concourse,” accurately set two feet above the replica’s street level. It also features cutaway views of the train tracks beneath the station, complete with underground shuttling trains. The new Holiday Train Show version of the original Penn Station features columns made from honeysuckle; façade trim of sea grape leaves, peppercorns, viburnum, willow and oak bark; and railings of screw pod, burning bush, willow and acorn caps.

The roof is magnolia and pine cone scales and the skylights are burning bush and basket reed. The adorning eagles have white pine cone bodies, hemlock clove feet, magnolia bud feathers, and acorn cap wings. The clocks are birch bark and wheat seeds and the statues have pistachio bodies and cedrela wings. Mr. Busse and his team of six artists worked over 1100 hours to lovingly complete this new version of the old Penn Station.

Also new this year is a rendition of the original Brooks Brothers flagship store at 346 Madison Avenue (at 44th Street) in Manhattan. The model features beech and pine scale columns and juniper cone trim. The window mullions are red willow and fungus serves as the lower window topper. The roof trim is winged euonymus, lotus stems, pine stems, acorns, eucalyptus pod, reed and beech seeds. Founded in 1818 by Henry Sands Brooks as the first ready-to-wear fashion emporium in America. Brooks Brothers is the country’s oldest clothing retailer, and its flagship store is a New York icon.

Other innovations this year include sound. If you listen carefully you can hear World Series games being played inside the hallowed walls of the old Yankee Stadium. And digital technology allows crowds to hear baroque organ music coming through the faux-stained glass windows of the St. Patrick’s Cathedral model.

Although these precious replicas could stand alone as a museum-quality exhibit, the model trains are also crowd favorites. More than one dozen, large-scale, “garden-gauge” trains, from late 1800s American steam engines and streetcars to whimsical ladybug and circus cars, to modern freight and high-speed passenger trains, traverse over bridges, under waterfalls, around mountains, and through tunnels, winding their way between the landmark replicas.

For information about tickets and Holiday Train Show hours, visit 
online at www.nybg.org.

TOP 10 TIPS to Maximize a Visit to the Holiday Train Show

The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show is their most-attended exhibit of the year. In the last 18 years, over one million people have been charmed by this annual holiday present to the city. Seasoned veterans of the show, who have made it part of their family’s yearly holiday tradition, offer some advice for the novice visitor.

1.    Avoid standing in line at the gate. Purchase tickets online at 
www.nybg.org and reserve early.

2.    Christmas week is traditionally the busiest time at the Holiday Train Show. Plan your visit for the days before and after the 
December 26-January 3 crowds and also save money on ticket prices.

3.    Evening viewings of the Holiday Train Show with twinkling lights in the “crystal palace” are magical. Plan your non-peak day visit for about 4pm and prepare to be enchanted.

4.    Become a Garden Member to take advantage of discounted tickets and Members-Only Holiday Train Show viewing opportunities.

5.    Avoid traffic and take the train to the trains. The Metro North Railroad stops across the street from the Botanical Garden gates. It’s about a twenty-minute ride from Grand Central Station, on the Harlem line.

6.    The Garden has adopted a timed ticket system to better serve the flow of crowds. However, be advised that due to those same crowds, visitors may experience a delay to enter, based on visitor flow through the show.

7.    Holiday Train Show tickets are sold in 15-minute blocks to facilitate entry into the Conservatory. But that doesn’t mean you have only 15 minutes to enjoy the show. Arrive about 30 minutes before your scheduled time to get on the grounds and in place for your designated entry time.

8.    Strollers are encouraged on the garden grounds but are not permitted in the Conservatory. There’s a designated area to leave strollers. Baby carriers are permitted for transporting babies through the show.

9.    The Holiday Train Show takes place indoors and is a rain or shine event. There are no refunds or rainchecks.

10.    Don’t miss the interactive Gingerbread Adventures program in the 
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, before or after viewing the 
Holiday Train Show.

For more information on the Holiday Train Show and other New York Botanical Garden offerings, visit the website at www.nybg.org.

By Robin Mattson

As Thanksgiving draws near, I begin to put the menu together, daydreaming about the various culinary possibilities. This year, as in so many years past, I will journey to Crescent City, California to visit with my family. It’s a beautiful, sleepy little town on the northern coast, where the few remaining members of my tribe have chosen to live.  If we’re lucky we will catch the beginning of the Dungeness crab season before we leave. It’s a great location if you like things pulled from the cold Pacific Ocean or caught in the cool clear waters of the Smith River, which happens to be one of the cleanest rivers in the country

.We usually rent a log cabin on the river and my nephew, who happens to be a great co-chef, and I prepare dinner, usually consisting of way too many dishes. Every year we promise to ‘keep it simple’ but always overdo it.
Again this year I have the dilemma of what and how much of my CSA share can I tote across state lines.

I ponder this as I trudge home with heavy bags and the cold, windy and wet weather that comes with living at the tip of Manhattan in November.California is starting to sound pretty good right now, even though getting to the tiny, rather remote berg of Crescent City can be brutal, especially during the busy holiday season. But I will persevere.

I make it home with my shopping bags, and now comes the hard part…I must choose which vegetables I’m going to take with me. But how does one decide between a selection of curvaceous 
winter squash and a variety of delectable root vegetables?? I quickly eliminate the appealing baby greens that I realize would never survive the trip. I guess it’s time to get practical.

So the butternut squash wins! It’s easy to pack in one piece, with little chance of breakage and great menu potential. The grueling decision has left me exhausted. I don’t know how Simon Cowell does it. Once in Crescent City I plan to turn the butternut squash into a velvety, rich-tasting soup that is perfect for my holiday dinner as a first course. Here’s what else I picked up today at my CSA delivery with some recipe ideas for each vegetable.

Today’s Share:
Baby Greens/Pak Choi .25 lb or 2 each
Cooking Greens (Large) .5 lbs
Potatoes 1 lb
Green Tomatoes .75 lb
Carrots .75 lb
Winter Squash 1

Menu Ideas:
Green and Sweet Cherry Tomato Salad, 
 in a balsamic vinaigrette, on top 
  of a bed of baby greens
Navy Bean and Swiss Chard soup
Potato-Leek soup
Baked Winter Squash tart
Hot carrot puree, combined with butter, 
    brown sugar and 
    orange juice.
Maple Butternut bisque

Butternut Burst Soup
Serves 6-8

1 Tablespoon butter
1 1/2 Cup onions finely chopped
2 medium size butternut squash
2 Granny Smith apples peeled, 
    cored and sliced
4 Cups chicken stock
Dash of cinnamon
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
3/4 Cup sweetened-condensed 
    low fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
*Toasted seeds from  butternut squash

Melt butter in medium size stockpot.  Add onions and cook over low heat until tender (approximately 5 minutes).  Peel squash, slice in half, remove seeds and strings, then chop coarsely.  Reserve seeds for toasting.  Add squash, apples and chicken stock to the stock pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover stock pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

Strain off solids and reserve liquid.  Puree solids in food processor until smooth, processing them in two batches.  Add cinnamon and maple syrup during puree process.  Place puree in large bowl and whisk in condensed milk and reserve liquid.  Season with salt and pepper.  Chill.  Soup can be served hot or cold.

*To toast seeds: remove pulp from seeds by washing them in a fine sieve under cold running water.  
Allow seeds to dry on a cookie sheet.  Salt lightly and cook at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.

By Robin Mattson

My CSA produce has gently shifted to autumnal rewards, lots of apples, winter squash like sweet sugar pumpkins and a variety of root vegetables, such as carrots, beets and potatoes. The colorful kale also continues to arrive, along with a huge head of cabbage.  Depending on the weather and time of year these CSA pick- ups can be overwhelmingly abundant even with just a single share of the farm’s crops.

When I see too many fruits and vegetables piling up I like to turn to juicing as way of using up the goods. Juicing is quick and easy and makes sense, especially if you’ve already made the investment in a juicing machine that has been collecting dust for a while, as mine has. The apples, carrots and a small piece of beet from today’s haul make a terrific taste combination, full of vitamins.

Have you seen those baby Sugar Pumpkins?  They are great for baking, have a mild, sweet flavor and are also a great source of vitamin A.  I keep reminding myself not to forget to save the seeds for toasting and to keep on hand as a healthy snack. Then it occurs to me that I’ve never included a dessert in this column.

The flesh from the small size Sugar Pumpkin is tender and succulent and of course is a natural for pies and muffins, but I want something different that goes together quickly and does not require me to roll out a crust. I may not be a baker, but I am a pudding maker, and this one is inspired by the filling of a pumpkin pie.

During the month of October we are bombarded with pumpkins, they seem to be everywhere. This time of year they are most often considered for their decorative possibilities, as we take a stab at creative carving for Halloween. Lest their culinary applications be forgotten, here is a sweet reminder that carving isn’t the only way to go with a pumpkin in October. Pumpkin Pudding is a delicious twist on that old standby Pumpkin Pie. 

And don’t try re-purposing the flesh from your carving pumpkins to make this recipe. You need a Sugar Pumpkin for baking purposes. I get my Sugar Pumpkins from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) deliveries, but they are also readily available at farmer’s markets and grocery stores. If you must use canned pumpkin, do not buy the canned pumpkin “pie-mix,” opt instead for the canned organic pumpkin with no additives.

This pudding is quick and easy to make and can be prepared and refrigerated for a day or two, tightly covered in plastic wrap.  This is comfort food to be savored. And when topped with freshly whipped cream, it’s fancy enough for company. You can try to keep them all for yourself, but you risk having a family member eat several while your back is turned, as my husband did last night. Happy Halloween!

Robin Mattson is an award-winning actress, author and chef.

Pumpkin Pudding
Serves 6

1 small sweet Sugar Pumpkin 
sometimes called Pie Pumpkins 
(not the kind usually used for carving). Or substitute 1 cup canned organic pumpkin puree.
2 cups organic low-fat milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream

If using a fresh Sugar Pumpkin, cut it in half and remove the seeds. Slice into 1 inch wedges and peel. Boil the fresh pumpkin in just enough water to cover the flesh for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.

Drain pumpkin and place in medium size bowl mash the pumpkin with a fork until smooth. Set aside 1 cup of mashed pumpkin and reserve the rest for another use. Or freeze the extra in 1 cup portions for use in making future custards.

Preheat oven to 325 and butter six 4 oz custard dishes.
In a large saucepan, heat the milk, maple syrup and brown sugar over low heat stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves (about 5 minutes), remove pan from heat.

In a steady slow stream, whisk beaten eggs into warm milk mixture. Add in pumpkin puree, fresh ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla extract mix until combined.
Distribute equal amounts of custard mixture into buttered custard cups. Do not overfill.

Place filled custard cups in a shallow roasting pan and pour hot water into the roasting pan until hot water comes ½ way up to the top of the custard cups. This is called a water bath and keeps the custard from curdling and stops it from boiling over.

Bake 50 minutes and test if done by inserting a knife into the center of the custard. When knife comes out “clean,” the custard is done.
Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 1 day before serving. Top with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

From the mambo’s sultry hip shimmies to the foxtrot’s long, sweeping steps, ballroom dancing has captured today’s fitness spotlight as a shining venue for shaping up, improving cardiovascular health and losing weight. The renewed interest is especially high among people 18 to 49, says Leslie Spearin, a rhythm champion and traveling consultant for Arthur Murray International, Inc.

Spearin is among those who attribute the dance form’s elevated popularity to recent Hollywood films and reality shows like ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. It also helps that news from prominent medical research centers supports ballroom dancing’s generous physical and mental benefits. Participants see it as a fun path to overall fitness.

All the Right Moves
While dancers are moving to specific rhythms, they are 
actually coordinating their body and mind, advises Judy Gantz, founder and director of the Center for Movement Education and Research, in Los Angeles. “They look 
at each other and interact, which are important 
social components. Walking on a treadmill or exercising in front of a mirror doesn’t provide that.”

“Dancers are happy and have fun, a winning combination for everyone,” adds Tara Christensen, director of public relations for Arthur Murray. “We see the benefits of ballroom dancing in our studios every day, as well as whenever our students and teachers gather for dance parties and competitions.”

Exercise for Body and Brain
Thanks to moves accentuated with pivots, turns, bounces, kicks, sways, quick steps, bends and rolling-hip motions, vigorous ballroom dancing, which elevates heart rate and oxygen consumption, can burn as many as 400 calories per hour. Studies by California State University at Long Beach show that beginning students can boost their heart rates to near-maximum training rates with just a five-minute warm-up and 20-minute polka, cha-cha or swing. Even moderate ballroom dance burns 250 to 300 calories an hour.

Whether dancing for health, to prep for a wedding or prom or to spice up a marriage, individuals and couples who get their groove on are reported to enjoy better bone health from this weight-bearing activity. Plus, they enjoy increased flexibility and core strength.

Gantz, who specializes in dance kinesiology and Laban Movement Analysis, a comprehensive system for understanding movement, notes that dances requiring complex coordination also enhance mental acuity.

A 2003 study by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine validates dancing’s ability to increase blood flow to the brain via mental challenges, which may lower the risk of dementia and the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Pertinent activities include memorizing complex steps, staying with the rhythm of music and working with a partner.

The same study also credited dancing’s social interaction with decreasing stress and depression. As the Mayo Clinic has reported, self-confidence and self-discipline jump right along with enhanced circulation, muscle tone and coordination.
Angela Prince, national public relations director of USA Dance Inc., advises beginners that they can sign up for the group classes held by many local social groups, churches and YMCAs, as well as area dance studios.

“With everyone on the same level in these sessions, inhibition and fear quickly dissipate,” notes Prince. She encourages newcomers to quickly get beyond the idea that others are judging them. “Other beginners are too busy thinking about what they are doing to notice anyone else’s steps. Before you know it, you are learning to move beyond your comfort zone and unleashing your creative self.”

For more information, visit USADance.org.

Coming Home to Yourself
When Your Home Expresses Who You Are

Home. It’s a small word for a universal idea, one that resonates deeply with complex individual meanings and associations.
Regardless of whether home is a room, apartment, cottage or mansion, how homey it seems depends first on two physical factors: light coming in on two sides and a view of greenery or sky, according to Clare Cooper Marcus, professor emerita of the departments of architecture and landscape architecture and environmental planning at the University of California, Berkeley.

“We yearn for nature,” she observes. “Houseplants or a view of a garden is a universal desire.”In her seminal book, House as a Mirror of Self: Exploring the Deeper Meaning of Home, which resulted from her work on a low-income housing project and a series of case studies, Marcus came to understand that “People consciously and unconsciously use their home environment to express something about themselves.”

For Marcus, our evolving self-image is directly reflected in the homes we create, like a chambered nautilus, around our deepest self. Sometimes, we discover that we have outgrown the shell in which we currently live, and a change is in order, remarks Jill Butler, an illustrator, creativity coach and author of Create the Space You Deserve: An Artistic Journey to Expressing Yourself Through Your Home. This could be the result of a shift, as the result of downsizing to a smaller home or again becoming a single adult; a celebration of finally being able to build a home or move to the place of our dreams; or a milestone, which might come in the form of a first apartment or new baby.

“Creating a soul space, or a nest, is not a new idea for most women,” says Butler. “What might be new is creating the nest that supports you and makes you feel loved and nurtured when your world might not. Taking the time to understand the deeper need is the first step.”

How a House Becomes a Home
“A house is more than a roof over your head,” says Butler, noting that it is far more than what it came to be seen as in recent years as Americans’ primary savings account. “The whole idea of a house became skewed when we worried more about resale value than actually living there,” she continues. “It’s time to consider their return on our emotional investment.”

A house becomes a home only as we put our own personal, emotional imprint on it. “A home is people-made,” writes Alexandra Stoddard, author of Feeling at Home: Defining Who You Are and How You Want to Live. “Our home is our essence, the ultimate Earthly place where we live and love and have our being.

“All the more reason to ask ourselves: Are we living with harmony, fulfillment, and joy at home? Are we living as well as we would like, or are we too often anxious, emotionally exhausted and stressed?”

Interior designer Kelee Katillac, author of House of Belief: Creating Your Own Personal Style, suggests we start by taking a close look at what we see around us in our home. “Homes that say nothing of who we are—what we believe in and values that we aspire toward—are places of tumultuous spiritual discontent,” she counsels. “By filling the space around us with benign objects—department-store clones with matching accessories to fill every nook and cranny—we lock ourselves into a gilded cage of fashion for which our creative spirit has no key.”

Taking Stock
Before we can create a home that truly expresses our deepest self, we need to rediscover who we are now, where we are in our life and what we really want. This calls for an assessment or inventory, a “before” snapshot.

Thomas Moore, in Care of the Soul: How to Add Depth and Meaning to Your Everyday Life, recalls a “reading” he did of one woman’s dwelling. “My idea was to see the house’s poetry and alphabet, to understand the gestures it was making in its architecture, colors, furnishing [and] decorations, and the condition it was in at that particular time.” After the exercise, he notes, “We both felt unusually connected to the place.” More, “I was motivated to reflect on my own home and to think more deeply about the poetics of everyday life.”

How well does our current home feel like we wish it to? In Feeling at Home, Stoddard lists 15 elements that contribute to the emotional intelligence of a home. In addition to the dual keys of light and a view outside, as Marcus mentions, are color, comfortable furniture, change (periodic rearrangement of elements), privacy, fresh air, nature, beauty, art, order, a working kitchen, a home library and favorite objects. The latter may encompass heirlooms, childhood souvenirs and handcrafts.

“We begin by shaping our home environments into places of inspiration and affirmation,” advises Katillac. “By keeping our beliefs in front of us in our homes and by building our belief and our confidence through artistry in our own home, we enter into an exhilarating process that affects our lives on every level.”

Creative Renewal
“Although we tend to relegate creativity to the working artist, all of us are creating all the time,” says Butler. Creativity at home may begin with a notebook filled with pictures culled from magazines, paint chips, product literature and to-do lists. We have the information and the ideas, now we must make it all happen.

Some creative house projects are relatively easy and inexpensive to do ourselves. We can make a static space, like a living or dining room, function better for how we really live—make it more informal, colorful, or lived-in—by changing the type of furniture or its arrangement, advises Katillac. Butler emphasizes that the secret to using every room lies in setting up the room exactly as we want it.

We can happily engage all the senses with favorite music, scented candles, fresh flowers, soft throws or silky pillows and perhaps a garden, visible through a window. We can repaint a room in a color we love. We can even make our own artwork. We can decorate only with objects that resonate with us, with less of an eye to the price.

“Living artfully might require taking the time to buy things with soul for the home,” counsels Moore. “Good linens, a special rug or a simple teapot can be a source of enrichment, not only for our own life, but also the lives of our children and grandchildren.”
Adds Katillac, “By surrounding ourselves with the trappings of our past successes, or with things we associate with those who have achieved the success we want in our lives, we begin to believe in the possibility of our dreams.”

When re-envisioning our home involves tearing out walls, adding rooms or building from the ground up, it’s time to call in help from experts: architects, interior designers, contractors, plumbers and painters—the works. That can seem daunting at first. But our sources share a secret: Find a professional with the credentials you want for your project, and he or she generally will lead you to other qualified people.

“Each lead, each name or name of a service, leads to the next lead,” advises Butler. “Each time you meet someone and get help, he or she will answer questions and evoke more questions yet to be answered, and on and on it goes.”

Finished … for Now
When our home project is finished we’ll know, because the space contributes to our well-being, says Butler. “You’ll feel nurtured, nested, and protected. You’ll feel at home.”
“Feeling at home is a way of life, an inspiring journey of discovery as well as a bridge that leads us to great appreciation, reverence and beauty,” concludes Stoddard. A home that feels like home is a place “where we’ve transformed our spirit because we’ve learned how to follow our own heart.”

The effects, too, are ongoing. “Through this process of belief-based decorating,” adds Katillac, “nothing seems beyond transformation—negative thoughts, financial trouble, loneliness—nothing.”

Judith Fertig is a freelance writer in Overland Park, KS. 
Connect at JFertig299@aol.com.

For more information and inspiration, contact Jill Butler at JillButler.com; Kelee Katillac at KeleeKatillac.com and KatillacShack.com; Clare Cooper Marcus at Clare@MyGarden.com; Thomas Moore at CareOfTheSoul.net; and Alexandra Stoddard at AlexandraStoddard.com.