How I Learned to Ballroom Dance (Etiquette Tips Included!)

A “Learn to Dance Ballroom, No Partner Required” headline caught my eye in a catalog I was flipping through 18 years ago.

Vaguely intrigued because I had always wanted to learn how to dance, I set the catalog from OCM BOCES aside for a couple of days. Pretty soon, however, the plusses of signing up for the class started working on me.

I was recently out of a relationship, so I liked the “no partner required” aspect of this particular learning opportunity. The class was at Onondaga Community College (OCC), which wasn’t far from where I lived and easily accessible after work. I also liked the idea of having a chance to meet new people. It wasn’t long before I had signed up for the class.

Since then, I have come to realize that ‘recently single, recently divorced, recently widowed, recently coupled and recently new to the area’ are some of the main reasons why people discover ballroom dancing. Most of us fit into one or more of these categories at some point in our lives.

Not easy for a beginner like me

For the next six Mondays, up I went to the cafeteria at Onondaga Community College, where I joined a group of about 60 people intending to learn ballroom dancing. Many of the attendees were couples, perhaps taking the class to brush up on some dance steps before a significant event in their lives. Those of us who didn’t have a dance partner were paired up with a teacher assistant.

Our instructor was Walt Medicis, who was 75 years old when I had my first lesson with him. At that point, he had been teaching ballroom at OCC, for the OCM BOCES adult education program and the Town of Manlius Recreation Department for 50 years. But don’t let his age fool you. He’s a fabulous dancer and a great teacher!

A high school prom date who criticized Walt’s dancing inspired him to study ballroom dancing. Since then, he has become one of the area’s best ballroom dance instructors.

After six weeks of Beginner Ballroom, I took a three-week Swing Dance course and then Beginner Ballroom again before moving on to Intermediate. Through those classes, I learned the basic steps for the waltz, fox trot, East Coast Swing, salsa and rumba.

None of these were easy for a beginner like me. More than a few times, I’d mix up the various dance steps that I had learned in class. I remember coming home and trying to persuade my mom to be the ‘leader’ so I could practice what I learned.

When the magic happens

Practice is a key ingredient to learning how to dance. If you’re a ‘follower,’ your job is just to learn, practice and know your steps. If you’re a ‘leader,’ you must also learn, practice and know your steps to properly guide the follower. When the leader and follower come together is when the magic happens.

Within a couple of months of attending classes and practicing as much as I could, I felt as if I was somewhat ready to attend my first actual dance. It was the Syracuse Swing Dance Society’s Halloween dance held at the Syracuse Ukrainian National Home.

That first day, I remember feeling intimidated and self-conscious, because it seemed as if everyone knew what they were doing and having fun. I only wished I could relax and get in on the action.

The hustle, tango & bolero

It turned out that the dance community is very warm and welcoming. I wasn’t standing along the sidelines of the dance floor for too long before a group of people appeared to help me through my first tentative dance steps in a social dancing environment.

They provided a steady stream of encouragement and support, so I started attending the Syracuse Swing Dance Society’s Thursday night dances, where I learned West Coast Swing (which I would describe as a flirty kind of dance) and picked up the basics of the hustle, Nightclub Two-Step, bachata, tango, bolero and merengue.

Sequins, jeans, leather – doesn’t matter

Soon, I was looking for other dance venues to perfect my burgeoning repertoire. I found monthly dances at Guzmán’s Dance Studio and dances hosted by Geno and Theresa Aureli of All for the Love of Dancing in the basement of the Moose Lodge in Solvay. I have been regularly dancing three Saturdays every month for the last seven years.

My favorite dances are with Geno and Theresa, who have moved their dance venue to a newly renovated building in North Syracuse, where they’ve created a beautifully warm, gracious and inviting atmosphere for the dance community.

What I love about dances in the Flamingo Ballroom are the people. On any given night, you might see women dressed in sequins, jeans, leather and lace, which is a testament to the great variety of people who are attracted to ballroom dancing.

You can get really dressed up if you want to. If you decide to come out for a dance there, it’ll be your chance to go through your closet and throw on that outfit you wore to a wedding once. The men don’t dress up as much, which is something we ladies have never been able to quite figure out.

Whether you like to dress up or not, ballroom dancers are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Everyone is encouraging. More experienced dancers are always willing to invite less experienced dancers to the floor. Also, each dance at the Flamingo Ballroom (held on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of every month) is preceded by a one-hour lesson, usually including the basic steps for a particular dance, so you can brush up on your dance steps.

The ballroom workout

If you decide to give it a try, you’ll find that ballroom dancing is a great stress reliever. When you’re out on the dance floor, there’s no time to think about the past … or … the future. For followers, your best bet is to concentrate on the present so you can take the proper cues from your leader. It’s always just awesome to be in a present state of mind while a leader is spinning you around.

I believe that a dancer’s ability to “be present” is what distinguishes an average dancer from a great dancer. A great follower is someone who will allow the leader to, well, lead. While I’m an average dancer, because I know the basic steps for most dances, I feel that as a follower, I excel in allowing the leader to lead me.

Dancing also is a great way to stay active. On any given dance night, you’ll easily put in anywhere from three to four hours of dancing, which can help you burn hundreds of calories an hour.

That’s probably a big reason why dancers never appear to get any older. To me, the age you are when you start dancing is the age you remain throughout your dancing career. You never seem to grow old if you keep dancing! That’s probably as good a reason as any to start dancing.

My favorite places to dance in Syracuse

In Central New York, you’ll probably find a place to dance every night of the week. I’ve attended dances at all of the following locations:

The Flamingo Ballroom (Geno and Theresa Aureli), North Syracuse: Great parking, beautiful maplewood dance floor, beautiful lighting, cafe room, on-site parking.

Guzmán’s Dance Studio (Michael Guzmán and Krissi Caccamo hosts), Fayetteville: Refreshments table, DJ Joe Carino spins the music, smaller and more intimate crowd.

Puttin’ on the Ritz Dance Studio, DeWitt: Donna Natale O’Neil offers wonderful refreshments, pre-programmed music, two dance floors.

Puttin’ on the Ritz Dance Studio, DeWitt: Steve Ryan hosts swing dances on the first and third Fridays of every month.

Johnston’s Ballybay, Syracuse: DJ “la Maquina” spins Central New York’s finest Latin mix at the Havana Nights Latin Dance Party every Friday night.

(Where do you like to dance? Add your thoughts in the comments section below.)

Some tips on etiquette

If you go, here are a few tips on proper social dance etiquette:

Pay attention to personal hygiene (breath mints and hand sanitizers are available in the Flamingo Ballroom).
Whether you’re a gentleman or a lady, do extend an invitation to dance to those around you (this is especially important for beginners).
Always accept an invitation to dance (unless you have a good excuse not to).
Don’t try to ‘teach’ on the dance floor.
Don’t wear strong perfumes or colognes.
Thank your partner after the dance.
Wear comfortable clothing and appropriate dance shoes.

Hidden Gems: Grimes Glen

My husband and I recently ditched the kids with a sitter, fled south down Canandaigua Lake and landed in picturesque Naples, N.Y.

Our destination was Grimes Glen, a Finger Lakes gorge that boasts two, 60-foot waterfalls and a 1-mile walk past 200-foot shale bluffs and giant hemlock trees.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Tip #1
Bring water shoes! Or rain boots. Or old footwear that you don’t mind getting super wet.

The trail is a bit, well, incomplete. We started on even terrain, but soon began climbing through rocks and trees to avoid having to jump into the creek. At several points, the trail is the creek bed, so your feet will get wet.

Tip #2
Of course, we forgot our water shoes, so we walked barefoot through the creek. Be careful of the big, slippery rocks. Center your foot on the clusters of smaller rocks, and you’ll be less likely to fall.

I eventually gave up my barefoot expedition and put my old hiking boots back on. Sloshing through the creek was a bit more fun when I didn’t have to worry about sliding everywhere!

(Side note: The hubby had previously walked through Grimes Glen when the creek was a bit drier and easily jumped from rock to rock to avoid the water.)

MY FAVORITE PART

At the end of the walk, there’s a rope that you can use to help pull yourself up to the top of the falls. I made it about halfway up. Ian, a more adventurous climber, made it to the top.

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DON’T MISS

Apparently, there’s a swimming hole at the bottom of the second falls. I was so focused on climbing up the falls’ wall that I completely missed this “don’t miss” feature.

RANDOM FACT

Grimes Glen has the oldest fossilized tree in New York state.

THE DETAILS

Location: Grimes Glen Park, 4703 Vine Street, Naples, NY 14512
Hours: Open year round, dawn to dusk
Parking: Limited parking at Grimes Glen, but you can park in the municipal lot on Mill Street. The park is also in walking distance from the village of Naples.
For more: Go to http://www.co.ontario.ny.us/Facilities/Facility/Details/Grimes-Glen-Park-11

Hidden Gems: Lamberton Conservatory

As a born and raised Western New Yorker, I fully understand that snow and wintry weather can live anywhere from October to April and everywhere in between. And by the end of March (or February, or January…) it starts to get old. That’s why the Lamberton Conservatory is my favorite hidden gem in Rochester.

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A little nature goes a long way – all year long.

Located on Reservoir Avenue in Highland Park in Rochester, the Lamberton Conservatory is open year round. My favorite times to visit are winter and early spring, when colorful plant life is the perfect escape from the white and cold and gray.

When you enter, you’ll be greeted by coat hooks, a small counter shop, and a fish tank filled with anything from plecostomus to baby turtles. Hang up your coats, because the next door will take you on a warm journey through greenhouses heated to sustain flora from warmer climates.

Follow the brick path through tropical and desert lands. You’ll see red flowers, green cacti, and hanging moss. Breathing in the warm air and seeing plants of blue and purple and every other color is sometimes exactly what I need to soften the edge of winter. There’s even a coffee plant, if you’ve ever wondered what your java looks like in its natural habitat.

Beyond the plants

The Conservatory is one of my two-year-old’s favorite places, though I suspect his reasons are different from mine. If we go anywhere near Highland Park, he asks to see the “turtles and birdies.” Two ponds within the greenhouses are home to piles of turtles. While I’m guessing a “pile” is not the technical term for a group of turtles, visit the pond in the tropical room and you’ll see what I mean. My wild child son, whose constant energy never ceases to amaze me, will happily sit quietly and watch the turtles.

The “birdies” are a handful of quail who may cross your path at any point before entering the desert room, which my son has renamed the “Hop on Pop” room. It makes sense if the only other place you’ve seen a cactus is a Dr. Seuss book.

And if those aren’t enough reasons to visit, there’s also a tortoise named Chuck Norris. I’ve never seen him do martial arts, but word on the street is he’s the strongest shelled citizen around. His need to prove his strength made it necessary to separate him from the rest of the tortoise settlement of Shellville. I’m not making this up.

The Details:

So if you need an escape from a snowy or rainy or otherwise gray day, here’s what you need to know before you stop by:

Location:
Lamberton Conservatory
Highland Park
180 Reservoir Ave
Rochester, NY 14620

Hours:
Open daily 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Cost:
Kids 5 and under are free
Kids 6-18 and seniors 62+ are charged $2
Adults 19 – 61 pay $3 for admission

MyFitnessPal, My New Best Friend

MyFitnessPal makes it easy to journal what you eat and drink.

MyFitnessPal is a food diary, calorie and nutrient tracker and exercise journal rolled into one easy-to-use app. I use the MyFitnessPal app when I realize I’ve been eating a little less than “mindfully” and need to inject some discipline into my routine. Journaling everything you eat and drink is a great way to hold yourself accountable for what you consume, and counting calories through journaling is often heralded as an effective way to maintain or lose weight.

The Rundown

Set yourself up: When you first launch the app, you’ll enter your height and weight, activity levels and weight goals. The app will calculate a daily calorie goal for you based on this information.
- Example:
  Height: 5 feet 6 inches tall
  Weight: 150 lbs.
  Daily activity level: Lightly active
  Goal weight: 145 lbs.
  Weekly Goal: Lose a pound a week
  Result: The app will allot around 1,480 calories a day (this will adjust for each individual’s specific goals and circumstances).
From your mouth to the app: Each day, enter what you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks and drinks. Try not to make exceptions to this rule—the point is to really see what you’re consuming!The app takes out a lot of the guesswork: you can search through a vast catalogue of millions of foods and meals from different stores, brands and restaurants, with nutritional information. Select your food and serving size, and log it in. The app calculates the total calories and keeps your running total for the day.
Feel the burn: Did you go over your calorie goal for the day? Fear not. MyFitnessPal offers no shame, only support. If you’re lacing up those running shoes or hitting the gym, the app allows you to add your exercise and it will increase your calorie allotment based on your activity.

Features and Extras

Entering meals in the diary can be easy and fast. Use your smartphone’s camera to scan the barcode on packaged foods—like a bag of granola or a protein bar—to automatically record calories. You can even store your go-to snacks in the app.

Calculating calories in meals made from scratch with whole ingredients, such as your grandmother’s chicken noodle soup, can be a little tricky. For homemade meals, enter each separate ingredient, or find a similar meal in the catalogue (just remember that the calorie counts could be inaccurate!). Luckily, if you make certain recipes often, you can save them to use again later.

What I Learned

MyFitnessPal shed light on some of my less-than-healthy eating habits. I was unpleasantly surprised, for example, to learn how many calories (up to 500!) are in the average smoothie. I switched to plain Greek yogurt with some walnuts for a weekday breakfast at only 220 calories. That doesn’t mean I can never have the smoothie—I just have to really want it and be willing to absorb the calories that come with it.

The app also forces you to come to grips with serving size. For me, it was a wake-up call of sorts to face what a recommended serving size really is, versus what I actually consume. To my chagrin, the app forced me to realize that while it might not be so bad to indulge in the half-cup serving size of ice cream listed on the carton, eating three times that amount knocks my daily calorie goal out of reach.

Any Critiques?

The search function on the food catalog can be a little confusing, and the easiest-to-find foods are often those that are packaged or made ready-to-eat. If you search for something simple like “roasted broccoli,” the results include dishes from restaurants and chains that might not be anything like what you made at home. It’s sometimes hard to know which to choose to really reflect what you ate.

Similarly, it’s challenging to ensure you’re correctly logging activity in the exercise diary. You can choose between “cardio” or “strength” activity categories, but there is no way to enter a class that combines both, such as a Zumba class that uses weights, or a kickboxing class that also focuses on pushups and conditioning. To get by, I log the activity by selecting exercises from each category that best represents what I did in class, but it would be nice if the app had some combinations preset in the catalog.

Even if the log isn’t 100 percent accurate, the simple act of tracking my activity is helpful for keeping me accountable, and for looking back at my day with pride, if I met or even came close to meeting my targets.

The Gist

MyFitnessPal is a great way to stay on track, make sure I’m aware of what I’m putting in my body, and how it impacts my wellness goals. I try not to obsess over calories and enjoy the occasional indulgence. But it really helps to see what kind of damage eating the less-than-worth-it slice of sheet cake in the break room might do to my calorie goals for the day. When you’re paying attention—which the app forces you to do—you can see how little things you take for granted can really throw off your momentum for the day. The app—like any true pal—supports you, gives you tough love when necessary, and helps you adjust to make better choices.

Download: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
Cost: FREE (a paid version is available that includes several more features, such as macronutrient tracking and variable calorie and workout goals based on the day of the week)

Disclaimer: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield does not endorse or have any business relationship with MyFitnessPal.

Hidden Gems: Corbett’s Glen Nature Park

What’s the Secret?

You can find me at Cobb’s Hill Park in Rochester, N.Y., on the regular, so it was quite a surprise to discover Corbett’s Glen Nature Park—a stone’s throw from Rochester city limits. I first went to Corbett’s when I joined a Hikyoga session and I continue to go back because:

It’s peaceful. Not many people are around and the park is a good distance from city noise, so you can really experience the wonderfulness of nature. Two miles of 8-foot wide trails makes Corbett’s easy to navigate. Plus there’s a creek with waterfalls—perfect for photographs and dipping your toes in!

It’s cool. If you take the Penfield Road entrance, it may seem like any old walk in the park at first. Don’t be fooled like I was—you’ll eventually come upon the most incredible train bridge. It was constructed in the late 1800s and is still in use today. The original landowner’s house is backed up to the park too, giving you a glimpse into what it was like back then.

One of the interesting structures that you’ll find at Corbett’s Glen.

The Details

Address: 165 Park Ln, Rochester, NY 14625

Corbett’s Glen Nature Park was dedicated in 1999, after the surrounding community rallied together to get the Town of Brighton to purchase the land. Read more about the park’s preservation and history.

The park also features:

52 acres
A boardwalk area
A deck viewing area
A seating area overlooking Postcard Falls
There are NO restrooms and garbage receptacles

The park is open year-round, from dawn until dusk. If you’re going, I recommend entering the park via the Penfield Road trailhead. It’s at the intersection of Penfield Road and Forest Hills Road and includes an eight-car parking lot. The other entrance is located off of Glen Road, near Route 441. This entrance is great if you’re not feeling a hike or want to get to the train bridge right away. In this case, park on the road before the tunnel. Walk through the tunnel to get to the trails.

Don’t Miss.

The train bridge. It’s enormous and mind boggling how it was constructed without modern technology! If you’re feeling brave, you can climb the steps (that lead to nowhere) on the right side of the bridge for a bird’s eye view of the park.

Hidden Gems: Corbett's Glen Train Bridge

A view from underneath the train bridge at Corbett’s Glen.

Must-see Sculptures - Stone Quarry Hill Art Park

Hidden Gems: Stone Quarry Hill Art Park

What’s The Secret?

We “discovered” the park during one of our impulsive drives along Route 20, just south of Syracuse, NY.

We drove along with no particular destination in mind. But then we noticed a small sign a couple miles east of the village of Cazenovia, Madison County, telling us to take the next right to Stone Quarry Hill Art Park. Neither my partner John nor I had ever heard of the park, so we decided to check it out.

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What we found off Stone Quarry Road was a delightful fusion of art and the outdoors. Surrounded by farmland and wooded hills, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park consists of 104 acres of open land, where you can follow four miles of hiking trails to take in both countryside vistas and about 100 large sculptures.

The Details

Location: 3883 Stone Quarry Road, Cazenovia, NY 13035
Hours: Park open year-round; indoor gallery open May through October
Suggested donation: $5 per person; children 16 and under are free
For more: Go to sqhap.org

The Highlights – Where Art Meets Nature

The nonprofit art park was founded in 1991 by Dorothy Riester, a sculptor, and her husband, Robert. Although the land originally displayed mainly Dorothy’s works, the park over time began to add creations by other on-site artists. An indoor gallery holds additional temporary exhibitions during the summer and fall months, while the outdoor museum remains open year-round.

Natural materials make up some of the sculptures, which means that they change and perhaps even decompose with the seasons. This, and the ability to experience the park in different seasons, makes the park a place where art lovers of all ages can explore over and over again.

Stone Quarry Hill Art Park also hosts artistic events each year, such as the Syracuse Ceramic Guild Pottery Fair and a “Snow Drawings” event during Cazenovia’s Winter Festival on Feb. 11, 2017. It’s also become an increasingly popular site for weddings.

Don’t Miss

Don’t miss joining “Contemplating Man,” a sculpture that surveys the view of the countryside from his vantage point at the top of the hill.

“Contemplating Man” – Stone Quarry Hill Art Park

It’s Not Too Late! 5 Tips for Starting a Blessings Jar

A pale, purple-colored vase that sits year-round on Kesha Carter’s kitchen counter is the centerpiece of her family’s annual New Year’s resolution.

Carter and her family—her husband and two children, ages 10 and 20—resolve each year to celebrate the positive things in their lives.

That vase is known as the family’s “Blessings Jar.” For the third straight year, the family resolved to drop notes into the jar whenever something happened that made them happy.

They’ll spend 2017 dropping tiny slips of paper into the Blessings Jar, and on New Year’s Day 2018, they’ll have a family brunch or dinner and take turns reading the blessings.

“It’s a great opportunity to reflect on what made us feel good and how we can build upon that for the upcoming year,” Carter said.

Blessings from 2016

On New Year’s Day 2017, for example, the family had 20 notes—or 20 positive memories—to celebrate from the previous year.

Kesha Carter with her family , celebrating the arrival of the New Year

Her 10-year-old son recounted the tough tests he had “rocked” over the last year. He was sick for a few of the tests—and/or missed the pre-test reviews—and had to do a lot of studying on his own to catch up. He was proud to have earned scores of 92 and 106 on those exams.

Carter, meanwhile, celebrated a yearlong quest to eat healthier by consuming more “real” foods or items that aren’t heavily processed, such as fruits and vegetables.

She also worked hard throughout the year to be less cranky in the mornings.

“I really thought I had succeeded in yelling a lot less in the mornings, and I felt good when my family completely agreed!” she said.

A more positive New Year

Carter and her friends first discussed the idea of a Blessings Jar as a way for their families to celebrate the little things in life that make them happy.

This is an approach to the New Year that focuses on the positive, and not the negative. You don’t have to start the year by focusing on the fact that you “need to” lose weight, save money, stop smoking, etc.

“Instead of starting the New Year with what’s ‘wrong’ with you, what if you started with what you do well?” said Eileen Wolff, workplace wellness consultant, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

Consider what makes you happy. What do you enjoy doing? What motivates you? In the upcoming year, why not do more of the things you already do that make you feel happy and healthy?

Do you like to read? Why not listen to an audiobook or podcast while on the treadmill? Is it hard to work out because you’re a parent with an active family? Consider doing active things with your family, like taking a martial arts class together or snowshoeing through a local park.

Blessings Jar 101

For Carter, her positive New Year starts with the Blessings Jar. If you’d like to create your own, here are some tips:

Avoid jars that are transparent, including those that are made of clear glass or plastic. You don’t want people to read what’s on the slips of paper before the year is up.
Set no rules. People can submit notes on whatever made them happy or proud that year.
Allow participants to submit any big or small accomplishments.

Blessings Jar for saving special moments throughout 2017

The Carter Family Blessings Jar

“My husband, at first, only submitted one blessing a year, because he didn’t think he had accomplishments that were important enough to be recognized,” Carter said. “But this past year, he submitted three or four recognitions. He learned that anything that he personally wanted to celebrate was important enough for the jar.”

Don’t keep tabs on how many blessings each person submits to the jar. There’s no pressure to submit a lot or a few recognitions.
Take note of what makes others happy. If your child was proud that he did his chores that year without being asked, take note and praise him throughout the year for doing just that.

“I learned what matters to my family,” Carter said,” and now I can take notice of that throughout the year.”

A Crock-Pot Saved My Sanity and My Marriage

God bless the Crock-Pot. Yes, it’s that cauldron-type electronic countertop cooking device made of inch-thick ceramics and a heavy glass top that your grandmother may describe a bit more literally as a “slow cooker.”

I know not one person who has used one and been disappointed. If you are among the uninitiated, let me tell you something: Crock-Pots don’t just make easy, delicious meals. They enhance marriages. They preserve sanity. They feed hungry children.

How do I know this? First, I am a married, 47-year-old father of two children, ages 7 and 8. My wife and I work full-time in different cities and, up until very recently, my wife worked multiple 12-hour shifts at a hospital 90 minutes away from our home, which meant that I would essentially be a married-but-single parent for multiple days every week.

Second, after I graduated from college many years ago and was searching for a job in my field, I took a job as a prep cook as a stop-gap measure and was soon “promoted” to line cook after only a few weeks. That stop-gap job turned into the better part of two years. So, I cooked. I cooked A LOT. I was not content in staying at my parents’ house, so I worked double shifts and weekends between three different restaurant locations to pay my rent and bills. I had steaks and pasta and chicken coming out of my ears. Fast-forward 20 some-odd years – I don’t cook as much anymore. In fact, I rarely cook, and when I do, it’s usually out of necessity. And frankly, I don’t WANT to cook at all.

Third, as I mentioned , my wife and I have two small children. They go to school in the morning and, more often than I’d like, occasionally come home at the end of the day with their lunchboxes, the contents of which are only half-eaten or virtually untouched.

Me: “Why didn’t you eat your lunch today?”
Them: “I didn’t have time.”
M: “You had a lunch hour today, didn’t you?”
T: “Yes.”
M: “Then how did you not have time to eat a sandwich and an apple?”
T: “I was talking to my friends and forgot to eat.”

Now, it’s close to 6 p.m. on a weeknight, my wife’s out of town for the day, I had a busy day at work and I’m tired, I don’t want to cook, and the kids and I are hungry. Enter Crock-Pot.

I take my coat off and see a note on the kitchen counter. It’s from my loving wife.

It says, “Dinner’s in the crock.”

Time stands still for a moment as I soak in the meaning of this message. Not only is my wife’s greatness confirmed, but my kids and I can enjoy a delicious meal in little more than the amount of time it’ll take me to put it on a plate and serve it.

It only takes minutes of prep work to create chicken tacos in a Crock-Pot

My wife created all of this foodborne happiness in less than five minutes. Before she left the house that morning, she emptied a package of four raw chicken breasts into the crockpot, along with one jar of sliced pepperoncini peppers with the juice, and set the crockpot to cook on low for 6 hours.

The only prep that needed to be done when I got home is to pull apart the chicken (it will come apart just like slow-roasted pork) and serve it in a tortilla with toppings, such as diced tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream or olives. The kids, especially, need their vegetables, so I often pair these soft tacos with a side of steamed broccoli (available in steamable bags, such as SteamFresh by Bird’s Eye, found in the frozen section of the supermarket) and a quick and delicious dinner is done.

We often take things a step further by preparing Crock-Pot meals even further ahead of time – by freezing them in gallon Ziploc bags for future chow-downs.

Chicken parmesan can be prepared in advance and served over pasta

For instance, just last night, we enjoyed a chicken parmesan pasta dish that was prepped months ago. To prepare, I diced three to four chicken breasts up into medium-sized chunks, threw them in a bag with our favorite tomato sauce, and put the bag into the freezer. Yesterday morning, my wife took the bag out of the freezer and put the contents into the crock (on low for 5 hours). Last night, when we got home, all we had to do was boil some bowtie pasta, drain and ladle on the chicken and sauce, and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

Although the two examples I used were chicken recipes, crockpots can be used for just about any meats, vegetables, fish, soups, sauces, and even cocktails (yes, Google “Crocktails”)! And these days, slow cookers come in many different sizes (4 qt. – 8.5 qt.), shapes and configurations (timers, locking lids for portability, digital displays, etc.) and they’re relatively inexpensive ($30-$80). So save your sanity and your marriage, while feeding your family, with some really easy cooking done Crock-Pot style.

18 Places to Ski & Snowboard in Upstate New York

Living in upstate New York, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll end up trying to learn to ski or snowboard at some point. In my case, I had a boyfriend who grew up near a ski resort and raced his entire life, so I really didn’t have an option not to ski.

I started learning to ski at the ripe old age of 22. I clicked my boots into my first pair of skis as he showed me the ropes at our local ski hill, Toggenburg, in Fabius, Onondaga County. I was not a stellar student and a wee bit apprehensive. But after about six weeks, I perfected my “wedge”—the beginner stance in downhill skiing.

Feeling confident that I could handle anything with my practiced wedge, we ventured out to Utah with six friends. On our first day, we went to Snowbird, an absolutely beautiful ski resort. At 11,000 feet, it’s a big mountain! By comparison, the elevation at Toggenburg is 2,000 feet. As the skiing newbie, I trusted my crew of friends and my then boyfriend (my first mistake) as we started the first run at The Summit and a trail called the Cirque Traverse. The sign screamed “Cliffs Ahead-DANGER!” which should have been a big clue that I was in way over my head.

The Cirque Traverse was basically a single track trail at the very top of the mountain with a steep cliff to the left—not my preferred way down. To the right and my only way down was what skiers call a “bowl.” A bowl is basically a big, wide open, ungroomed, snow-covered cliff. Super!

Needless to say, there were a few choice words thrown around. I asked my beloved boyfriend, “How do I get into the bowl?” His answer: “You jump!”…. “I WHAT??!!!”

I figured my time on this planet was likely over. So, being the last one standing, I jumped into the bowl with my awesome wedge stance and was met with a lot of soft, fluffy snow. I had a blast, but I’m not sure I left much snow on the mountain. I quickly learned that the wedge stance works great on our hard, eastern coast snow, but it wasn’t the thing for thigh-deep powder skiing! After a lot of laughter and many falls later, I made it to the bottom and decided I’d let my boyfriend live.

This is a picture half-way down the upper Cirque bowl:

I married that nutty guy and had two kids who were also bitten by the ski racing bug. Over the past 15 years, we’ve spent a lot of time traveling around New York state and enjoying many of the local ski areas!

How to Get Started in Skiing and/or Snowboarding

Skiing and snowboarding are both excellent options to get you outside and active during the long upstate New York winters. Snowboarding is different from skiing in that you strap both feet into a single board to get down the hill. It melds skateboarding, surfing, skiing and sledding all into one.

Required Equipment

For skiing: skis, ski boots, bindings, poles, goggles and a helmet.
For snowboarding: a snowboard, snowboard boots, bindings, goggles and a helmet.

To go down the hill, you also have to get to the top beforehand! Depending on the ski area, you’ll be brought to the top by a chairlift, t-bars or tow ropes. Bigger ski resorts, like Whiteface in Lake Placid, have a gondola lift. Chairlifts and gondolas let you sit and rest while going up the hill and allow for a pretty, scenic view.

How to Know Which Downhill Trails to Use

The downhill trails vary from beginner to expert. These markings tell you the difficulty of each trail and are the same at all ski areas:

Green Circle: Easier
Blue Square: More Difficult
Black Diamond: Most Difficult
Double-Black Diamond: Most Difficult, use extra caution
Orange Oval: Freestyle Terrain

Ski areas are now going beyond traditional ways to get down the hill and are even providing terrain parks to challenge skiers and boarders with different obstacles, such as jumps, rails and half pipes. I’m in awe of people who ski and board in the terrain park, because they make it look so easy! If I attempted any of these, I would definitely be on the ground and all of my equipment strewn around me on the hill—what we call a “yard sale” in skiing.

New York State has more than 50 ski and snowboarding areas. Most provide equipment rentals and lessons for skiing and snowboarding. These can be group lessons or private lessons. All you need to bring is yourself and your winter coat, snow pants, gloves, hat and a wallet.

In upstate New York, there are a number of excellent areas where you can ski and snowboard.

In the Buffalo area:

Holiday Valley, Ellicottville
Peek‘n Peak , Clymer

In Rochester, you can enjoy:

Bristol Mountain, Canandaigua
Hunt Hollow, Naples
Swain, Swain
Brantling, Sodus

In Central New York:

Toggenburg, Fabius
Labrador, Truxton
Song, Tully
Greek Peak, Cortland

Near the Utica area, the Adirondack Park includes:

West Mountain, Queensbury
Whiteface, Lake Placid
Gore, North Creek

A little more local to Utica includes:

Snow Ridge, Turin
Woods Valley, Westernville

A little to our south, The Catskill Mountains have:

Windham, Windham
Hunter, Hunter
Belleayre, Highmount

For me, there’s nothing better than arriving at the top of a mountain on a crystal clear, sunny day in winter and enjoying the view! Even after my husband and kids have ditched me and are racing down the hill, I am completely content to take my time and enjoy the scenery. I’m glad that I added skiing to my winter activities and learned to ski. It gets me outside and exercising with my family and I’m able to experience some of the most stellar views in our state.

If you are looking for something fun to do during our long, snowy winters, head to your local ski/snowboard area. Just be prepared to fall.

Hidden Gems: Take a Stroll Along Rochester’s Secret Walk

There is no sign. You just have to know it’s there.

What’s the secret?

A few blocks up from Ontario Beach Park in Rochester, New York, is a secret walk through some of the most scenic backyards in the city. Starting near Beach Avenue and Tamarack Street is a three-block public sidewalk that borders Lake Ontario. The path seemingly goes right through the backyards and gardens of some of Rochester’s most prized real estate.

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It feels a bit odd, but it’s perfectly legal to follow the sidewalk as it turns toward the shore and navigates along this city-owned right of way open to the general public. Along the way, you’ll see beautiful lakefront houses, lush landscaping, sailboats on the lake and lots of birds. At the end of the walk partially off to the side is a statue of the Virgin Mary; it’s believed to have once belonged to the nuns who were former residents of a nearby house long since demolished. The nuns may be gone, but the statue remains, covered with rosaries from those who’ve strolled along the secret walk over the course of many decades.

Don’t Miss

Stretch your legs a little more and walk a half mile down to where Lake Ontario meets the Genesee River and enjoy a delicious custard at Abbott’s Frozen Custard, ride the historic Dentzel Menagiere Carousel and stroll through the Port of Rochester Ferry Building.

Strap on your winter boots: The secret stroll can also be a great option for the colder weather months. (Although Abbott’s and the carousel might be closed for the season! )