Monthly Archives: March 2019

Soy Sauce Substitute

ShopRite gave away a 2019 special edition of the OU Guide to Passover, a supplement to Jewish Action Orthodox Union and Kosher Certification Service. It’s a typical holiday magazine aimed at a specific group with stories, traditions, rules, and recipes. That is until you get to an article almost at the center of the magazine but not quite and its called, “Ingredient Substitutions for Passover” by Carrie Beylus.

The introduction may or may not be meaningful to you as a reader so go straight for the substitution chart and take it slowly. Read it carefully and then let your imagination explore and have some fun even if you are not Jewish. Especially if you are not familiar with the rules and some of the ingredients. Then the next time you need one of the ingredients and are in the store trying to find the best one; pay attention to the ingredients its just a wee bit startling. Here are a few of the listed substitutions –

To make

1 oz. Unsweetened baking chocolate = 3 Tbls. Cocoa powder + 1 Tbls. Oil or Margerine

1 tbls all-purpose white flour = ½ tbls potato starch

1 egg = ¼ cup applesauce

Those are pretty common but then there are the unexpected ones and the substitutes I found the most interesting –

1 cup honey = 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar + ¼ cup water

1 cup cream cheese= 1 cup cottage cheese+1/2 stick margarine. (Personal note: It comes out a bit more like farmer cheese and may need to be drained.)

1 cup sweetened condensed milk = 1 cup brown sugar+ 2 eggs+2tbls potato starch+1/2 tsp baking powder+ ½ tsp salt.

Soy sauce! There is a substitute for soy sauce! Did you know? 1 cup soy sauce = 4 tbls balsamic vinegar+1 ½ cups beef broth+2 tsp dark brown sugar+ ¼ tsp ground ginger+pinch garlic powder+ pinch white powder+ (to taste) salt Combine first six ingredients in a saucepan to boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Can use beef bouillon cube for stock dissolved in water.

1 ½ t Italian Seasoning (Its the majoram that is the taste I have never gotten correct)= ¼ tsp oregano+1/4 tsp majoram+1/4 tsp basil+1/8tsp rubbed sage

½ cup chili powder = ¼ cup sweet paprika+1 tbls garlic powder+1 tbls cayenne pepper+1tbls onion powder+1tbls dried oregano+1tsp ground cumin

2/3 cup curry powder= 2 tbls coriander+2 tbls ginger+2 tbls red pepper+2 tbls tumeric

What I learned is that by keeping a few basic fresh spice and herb powders on my spice rack I can make my own fresh versions of the spices that go to waste on my spice rack because I only use them occasionally.

And because I know someone is bound to ask, “Did you try any of these?” Yes I did and even made one with an adjustment for my peculiar taste. I made the soy sauce substituting a very rich mushroom broth for the beef broth so the taste was a little off but it was still very good and I was able to control the salt and of course I added some celery too. I enjoy the flavor of celery and tend to add it to everything and neglect to tell people.

Do you read a magazine that is directed to a specific group? Take a look at it and see if there is something in it that can be shared. Happy Spring!

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

Organize a Plant Swap

For the past several years I have made the arrangements for spring and fall plant swaps in Norwich, CT as a way for dedicated plant growers to get new plants and put their “volunteers” out for adoption to new homes.

The hardest part was finding a facility that would let us use their parking lot for about three hours and place a few signs on their lawn near the driveway during the same period. I chose Sunday afternoons so it would not interfere with the regular business day. I am grateful to both UCFS and Lee Memorial Church for the use of their parking lots. The arrangements for each barely took 10 minutes.

We seldom had leftover plants and people came from as far as East Hartford to make trades and one lady gave an impromptu class on raising lavender to our small crowd. No plant was ever turned away. Some people visited first and then went home to return with plants they wanted to put up for adoption. They wanted to be certain their plant would be given to a good home.

This year I would like to pass the watering can on to someone else or perhaps a group but not one person or group has stepped up. Is it because it is not a fundraiser? Is it because they are too embarrassed to ask how it works? Or is it because their egos get in the way? They did not have the idea first so obviously they cannot pick up the mantle and make it their own.

Norwich has multiple gardening groups, clubs and organizations and not one of them has shown an interest in taking on the plant swap as a benefit for the residents of the city. Where are the people who talk loudly and proudly about how they want to beautify the city? Gardens and gardeners easily share their plants. Spring is when people are anxious to get out side and divide up bulbs and move their plants around and buy packets with just a few more seeds than they really want. Sometimes gardeners have a bit more success growing from seeds and are looking for others to adopt their extras.

Its easy to plead for money to purchase plants that others have grown but its more difficult and takes much more dedication to demonstrate how plants can be planted once to return year after year.

So what is a plant swap? Its an event where plant owners and want to be plant owners come together to swap plants. For free. No money should be involved at all.

What do people bring to a plant swap? Healthy, pest-free plants that they are ready to part with. They can be bare root or in pots or in newspaper.

How do you get started? Talk to people. Find people who are looking to clean up their garden, divide their plants or are looking for new plants.

Decide who will organize the event.

Pick a location. Parking lots are a great place but some organize their plant swaps indoors.

Choose a date and time

Decide if there are rules. I never had any. I just encouraged people to bring plants, mingle and discuss what they knew about the plants . It was helpful to have blank paper and pen and masking tape and marker to identify the plants if the donor had not already done so.

I brought tables and chairs. Tables for the plants and the chairs for me and anyone looking to rest or to chat. (Helpful hint: Covering the table with newspaper makes clean-up easier)

Promote the plant swap online, in newspapers, radio, community bulletin boards, garden centers, schools, colleges and your garden groups.

Arrange for clean-up of the site after the event.

Relax and have fun!

By the way, this can be done in small communities, neighborhoods, schools, churches, other events, farmers markets, concerts, and it can be done multiple times and by different groups.

2019 Spring Skirmish

The tulips are up! The tulips are up! Spring is really coming soon! The tulips are up! My war with the neighborhood squirrels continues. I admitted defeat in the porch cushion skirmish and just leave the sorriest looking you have ever had the misfortune of ever seeing cushion on the porch furniture all year round for the squirrels to pull the stuffing out of for their nests. I could not convince them that it was not good for their babies. When its time to sit on the porch the people cushions are brought out from the front hall and put back when we go in.

Anyway, now the rodents have discovered my tulips! Big thick sturdy buds about two inches high from the ground. I go out in the morning and tell them how good they are looking and how proud I am of their growth. Then what do I see just a few minutes later? One of the grey furry beasts sitting by my beautiful bud delicately peeling off a leaf and nibbling away just as happy as happy can be. I go rushing out to the rescue of my bud and meet the “Who me?” glare of the grey scourge. He doesn’t even run away. He just sat back and stared at me as if to ask, “Who are you to disturb my breakfast? Have you an appointment?”

Big shot human that I am loudly tells him to hit the road and motions with my thumb as the nibbling continues. A bit more forward motion on my part is met with a very decided glare and look of disgust from the grey trespasser before he waddles off. Not even a scamper or a run off! A slow, waddle and a look over the shoulder as if to say, “You don’t scare me human. I am not leaving because you scare me. I am leaving because all your noise has ruined my breakfast. I’ll be back later or maybe tomorrow but I will be back.”

I wandered around looking for more signs of spring and realized just how much green I was seeing. Most of the snow piles are gone so the grass is exposed and I would not be surprised if I wasn’t whining about having to cut my grass beginning in mid April.

The daffodils have broken earth but haven’t really taken off yet. I can never tell if the wisteria is really waking up this early or not. It just looks different. I don’t even know some of the plants I am looking at. It’s just that its 50+ degrees on a Saturday in Norwich and I needed to be outside enjoying it.

How about you?

Norwich Economic Growth

Otis Library Executive Director Bob Farwell, wrote an eloquent Op Ed in the Norwich Bulletin titled, “Otis Library is an integral part of Norwich’s economic revival.” There is no doubt that Otis Library is performing its part but where are the rest of the potential players. The ones referred to on page 21 of Norwich’s Economic Development Strategic Plan where “The importance of a downtown to economic development cannot be overstated, particularly in attracting knowledge-based businesses and professionals to the community.” The entire plan appears on the city web site under the Government tab. The document envisions a successful economic revival based on strategic thinking and corresponding action.

But where are the other organizations and the programs? Norwich creates and sponsors with our tax dollars all sorts of organizations who pay very nice salaries to a selected few but, I repeat, where are the support programs? The continuing education and support programs for meeting and growing a business development program, information and communication technology training for developing businesses, fulfillment of administrative procedures, counseling for complying with tax regulations, labor laws and social security obligations, legal advice on licensing and intellectual properties raising expansion capital through traditional bank loans and more unconventional finance such as microcredit instruments, seed and first-round equity investments by venture capitalists and business angels.

Norwich, CT has loudly been making claims of being a global city but where are those programs? And I am not referring to a street fair. Where are the programs that address the challenges faced by immigrant entrepreneurs? Where are the classes designed to help develop the business language skills, financial literacy, understanding business culture and environment, counseling and assistance on administrative procedures, recruitment practices and legal compliance, credit facilitation ?

Where are the programs of public education such as a recent Buffalo, NY presentation on “Agents of Change: How Immigrant Run Ethnic Food Retailers Improve Food Environments,” or “Engaging Immigrant Audiences in Local Museums?”

Will 1^st Friday Norwich ever copy the examples of other cities with Global programs and develop a niche for artwork, photography and crafts by immigrants? Artwork, jewelry, paper bead works, recyclable mixed media for sale in a booth that may develop into shop like the Welcome Project in Cincinnati, or Heartfelt Tidbits in Camp Washington, or Stitch Buffalo in New York.

So now I have a question for you. When will you, the reader, Norwich supporter, resident, or taxpayer begin demanding the Norwich organizations work together and support the single goal of supporting Norwich’s Economic Development Strategic Plan to build a successful city? Otis Library can not do it alone.

Stuff and Targets

It happened. I am not certain how or when but it happened. But last week it came in the snail mail. An advertisement for a luncheon at a retirement community with experts on how to downsize your home.

The sponsor is Stoneridge, An active retirement living community in Mystic. On either of two days Stoneridge is inviting everyone of a certain age to a free and delicious lunch prepared by their chef to meet experts from Moving Station and Caring Transitions. The representatives will be offering tips on sorting thru all of your possessions to keep or toss, how to sell furniture, antiques and other items you may no longer have room for and your family and friends don’t want or need. So who are these experts and why do I feel like prey?

Moving Station began in 1995 as a corporate executive and military service before targeting seniors moving to smaller homes. The company matches seniors with a nationwide network of senior communities and real estate management services such as selling the home, sorting and organizing the personal belongings and moving them to the new home and of course discounted financial consulting.

Using such a company has a lot of good points and can relieve some of the pressure at a very stressful time. According to their website Moving Station assigns a manager to you to learn about your needs, your timeline, finances, belonging selection, keep/give away/donate/sell/storage, VA benefits and long-term care insurance.

Moving Station offers three options as a real estate advocate 1. recommending real estate agents and negotiating price and offers. 2. A quick buy program and 3. A home purchase program with a sale guarantee.

The cost depends on which services you use and if your senior living community is listed with them as clients. The company reviews I read were positive but this is not the only option available.

Caring Transitions is the other company being presented by Stoneridge. Caring Transitions makes much wider claims and promises only certified professionals but I could not find out who was certifying the professionals. Each case is treated individually with a “compassionate, experienced professional” sorting through the years of memories, preparing the house for sale, liquidating assets and finding the perfect new senior living accommodation. Their advertisement says they focus on helping seniors find and move into a new home or facility that meet their needs (and their family’s needs).

Caring Transitions professionals sift through, organize and remove any unwanted possessions of their customers. Through their online auction and estate sales, they help sell those possessions that still have value and donate those lesser-valued items for a tax credit.

There was no mention of prices or percentages that I could find and I doubt that it is a free service.

As a senior citizen I am not feeling safe. I feel as if I am wearing a target on my wallet while my needs are invisible.

Upstairs Downtown

Some day I will learn. I will learn why Norwich, CT residents insist on only doing the same things, that have not worked in the past, over and over again. Testing to see if it will work this time. I will also learn why new organizations will only do the same fund raisers or events that the churches or small organizations are currently doing to shore up their coffers. Frankly I find that embarrassing and frustrating as well as considering it to be a form of legal theft. Just because you can, does not mean you should. A true professional knows this and tries their best to bring the new, the different and the not done yet. A true professional, prides themselves on showing what may be the same old things in a different light.

I want to learn why the new and the established organizations in Norwich, CT refuse to learn from other places promotions and events that have not been done locally but have been done in other places and would do well here in Norwich, CT.

For example – In 1994 Toby Keith released a country music album called Boomtown which contained a ballad titled, “ Upstairs Downtown.” The words relate the tale of a young woman, moving out on her own for the first time as she struggles to earn a living and gain life skills. It has become an unlikely theme song in mid-west towns looking to reclaim their downtowns.

In 2005, Mike Jackson and Dan Carmody created and presented an upper story redevelopment program for an Illinois Main Street Conference using building owners, contractors, architects, city officials, preservationists, and downtown professionals to build community capacity to revitalize its underutilized assets and help stakeholders work together to create more robust downtown.

Not looking to copy ideas from local church fundraisers the Canton, MS Square Merchants, used the Upstairs/Downtown theme to grow an event that benefited a local group and showed off some available space. “Ever wonder what was upstairs on the square?”

“The Canton Garden Club in conjunction with Canton Tourism invite you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to tour some spectacular upstairs spaces in the Canton downtown area and enjoy hors d’oeuvres and beverages that reflect the atmosphere of each unique loft.”
Noblesville, Indiana has an annual event that,
“Without the building owners and tenants’ willingness to open their second and third floor spaces, this unique exploratory event would not be possible. The people, places and experiences within downtown Noblesville are what strengthens the connectivity of a community,” said Alaina Shonkwiler, event chairperson. “To be able to walk into an upper floor space, rooted in the history of Noblesville, and hear stories of how the floors still have burn marks from a fire in the early 1900’s or that there is a basketball court on the third floor of one of the buildings; that is what sets us apart and gives tour-goers a feeling of being deeply connected to Noblesville’s heritage.”
Norwich needs to work of developing better relationships with its many absentee landlords and offering to programs to help increase their incomes may or may not be desirable. Further investigation of their very well constructed website led me to a page called, “Incentives structured around your success.”
“Our local and state governments are more than business-friendly. Because we recognize the importance of healthy, growing businesses to our economy, we see companies as our partners in serving the community. That’s why Noblesville and the State of Indiana have decided to offer an array of incentives and grants to companies that choose to locate or grow here. We recognize that our community already offers many advantages to business, from our highly-accessible location, to our skilled workforce, to a vibrant lifestyle — but we see these programs that help companies thrive as one more great reason to choose Noblesville, Indiana.”
Then was a clear and easy to read list of Tax Abatements (with easy downloadable applications).

In Concord, NH there is Concord’s Annual Upstairs, Downtown Walking Tour a three hour event
“Just as the winds of October begin to bite into your bones, Intown Concord and Ledyard Bank present the Upstairs Downtown Haunted Tour.”
“Join us on our hunt for the haunted as we scurry through the rafters and slither into the underground, sharing the legends those lost souls who still reside all around us.
Tickets $40 per person – available for purchase here at Brown Paper Tickets ONLY. Tour limited to 150 participants.
The tickets are all the same – but you will be asked to choose a color group when you purchase (there are six colors/six groups). If you want all members of your party to be together, choose tickets in the same color group.
MEET AT Eagle Square – top of the fountain – at 5:00. The Upstairs, Downtown Haunted Walking Tour departs promptly at 5:25!
TOUR LOCATIONS ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE for those with mobility issues. Attendees should wear appropriate footwear for lots of walking and several flights of stairs. Upstairs, Downtown is a rain-or-shine event.”

In the city of Ottumwa “residents were given a tour of six buildings under renovation to see how it will reenergize downtown. Some of the buildings included a radio station, living spaces and others office spaces.”

But alas, in Norwich, CT, we celebrate every First Friday with open art galleries but the restaurants and bars don’t participate. Try getting a cup of coffee at the end of the evening. We bring in jumpy houses for children and street vendors from far away to take the money of the day back to their home communities while we ignore the local businesses unless you are a convenient bar.

If something was a success 50 years ago, Norwich is in line to bring it back. Of course that does not include a parade that brought joy and laughter and is very different from the boring, mundane and common parades we have every year. As residents, we do not even have enough confidence in our participants to use out of the ordinary themes to make our parades different from our neighboring towns. Once around the block is now fine for us.
I know that Norwich, CT can do better. I know that Norwich, CT can do any of these projects and a lot more. But they can only happen if we demand more from our paid, elected and appointed leaders. The money from NPU, the local banks and government was in your pocket first. Demand it be well spent and not frittered away.

Its time for the residents and yes, the local funders to demand more from the spending of their dollars.

A Norwich Murder

Have you ever looked at the ducks at Brown Park in Norwich, CT? There is one fine fellow there with a black beak. I was told he is an Icelandic Duck identified by his dark beak. I don’t know for certain he is but I do know he enjoyed some of the corn kernels I tossed in the water so I had a better view of the ducks.

Then my eyes wandered to the back side of the gazebo where there was a murder. Surprisingly there was not a lot of screaming nor blood or even a body but boy was there a gathering of by-standers. Looking around and waiting patiently for someone with more authority to arrive and make an announcement of some kind. The ground was black with the onlookers jostling for the best position. It was a gathering of big black crows. I am used to seeing them high in the trees looking for juicy morsels to eat but this day the crowd was on the ground. I tossed them a few kernels of corn which earned me a glare as if to say, “Is this the best you can do? ” Crows are predators and scavengers, that will eat practically anything. I read their diet consists of various road-kill, insects, frogs, snakes, mice, human fast food, even eggs and nestlings of other birds. An adult crow needs about 11 ounces of food daily.

Curious about why this large group might be on the ground I googled “crows.”

I learned a group of crows is called a “murder” thanks to old folk tales and superstitions. There is even a folktale that crows will gather and decide the capital fate of another crow.

Crows are members of the Corvidae family, that includes blue jays. They are used as a symbol of death and dying because as scavengers they are found where people and animals are expected to die soon. They are loud, rambunctious, very intelligent and considered a pest by farmers trying to protect their crops and seedlings. Crows live all over the world, except for Antarctica.

Some people fear them because of their black feathers. Research demonstrated crows are actually very social and caring creatures, and also among the smartest animals on the planet. Crows use at least 250 different calls. The distress call brings other crows to their aid, as crows will defend unrelated crows.
They learn quickly, easily and can even make and use tools.

Crows mate for life with tight-knit families, and are very social roosting in huge numbers (in the thousands) to protect themselves from enemies like red-tailed hawks, horned-owls, and raccoons.
West Nile Virus has killed 45% of American crows since 1999, though they’re still listed on the Least Concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Learn more about crows at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/a-murder-of-crows-crow-facts/5965/
I never did discover why they were all on the ground.

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