Monday, April 1, 2013

April 2013 Events




SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / BRETT CRAWFORD From left, Fitchburg State University theater professor Richard McElvain of Boston as Vince Cappuzzi and FSU junior Thomas Karner, 20, of Hopkinton as Teddy practice a scene during a dress rehearsal of FSU's play "Saco-Vanzetti," on Saturday.

Below is a list of what is going on in Johnny Appleseed Country during the month of April.

1 Monday 6:30pm. National Poetry Month Kickoff: Fitchburg Public Library, 610 Main St.; free. Charles Coe will share poems from his latest book. For information call 978-829-1780.

2-7 Tues & Wed 6pm (preview), Thurs-Sat 7:30pm, Sunday 2pm.  (Sacco-Vanzetti) Vince, Al & Teddy at McKay Theater, Fitchburg State University. The Theater Department’s spring production is a world premiere by New York playwright Bruce J. Robinson. Set in a small Massachusetts town in the 1920s, it is a time when Italians were still deported because of their beliefs. It’s about Al and Teddy Capuzzi and their father, Vince—unassimilated and dedicated to Sacco and Vanzetti.  Using Sacco and Vanzetti as its backdrop, this play dramatizes “otherness” in America and the eternal clash between fathers and sons. Call the box office, 978-665-3347.

3 Wednesday. Westminster Farmers' Market Vendor Registration, Training, and Update. For more information, email hertel@mapleheightsfarm.com.

3 Wednesday 10am-1pm. Job Fair 2013: Mount Wachusett Community College, 444 Green St., Gardner; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for students and from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the general public; free. Event will feature more than two dozen companies and organizations. For information call 1-508-713-3802.
3 Wednesday 6pm.  Scholar Talk at McKay Theater, Fitchburg State University. The reverberations from world-wide protests and cultural upheaval surrounding the 1927 execution of two laborers, provoking anti-Italian, anti-immigrant, and anti-anarchist sentiment still resonate today. Scholar Michael Topp shares insights pre- and post-performance of Vince, Al & Teddy (see April 2-7 listing). Free admission.
4 Thursday 9:30am-noon. Sogetsu Ikebana with Kaye Vosburg at Tower Hill. Classroom A--Stoddard Center - Non-members $35., Members $32. Sogetsu Ikebana is an internationally recognized school of Japanese flower arranging. In these classes, you will learn the essentials of this venerable art from veteran exhibitor and instructor Kaye Vosburgh. Kaye provides the flowers for each class and will have supplies and equipment for purchase by students who wish them. Sign up for one or all four classes. For more information, e-mail registrar@towerhillbg.org or call 508-869-6111x124.
4 Thursday 5:30pm. The NCCES Foundation is holding its 2nd Annual Auction at 171 South Street, Fitchburg, MA 01420. Monies raised for the NCCES Foundation go toward additional programming and ensuring equitable participation in field trips, sports, and after school activities for all NCCES students. There are many ways individuals and corporations can contribute to this worthy cause. For more information please contact Emily Austin-Bruns at (978) 343-2174 / austinbrunse@ncces.org.
4 Thursday 6pm. Screening of the Documentary Including Samuel (a film on inclusion) Sheraton Four Points/Leominster no RSVP necessary. Parents, providers, teachers, friends and families are invited to come grab a bag of popcorn and enjoy a free screening of a film about inclusion—Including Samuel. Running time is 55 minutes. For more information please contact Noreen Alves at 978.602.8679 or strengthfam@gmail.com.
4 Thursday 6pm. History of Mount Wachusett Community College with Vincent Ialenti, Dean of Technology, at The Gardner Museum, 28 Pearl St., Gardner. This is a fast-moving visual tribute to MWCC celebrating its 50th anniversary. Wine and cheese reception from 6-7 pm. Program from 7-8 pm. Admission $3. Call 978-632-3277.
4 Thursday 8pm. Sonny Landreth. Bull Run Restaurant Shirley, MA.
5 Friday. Eagle and other wildlife enthusiasts are asked to save April 5, 2013 to participate in a new statewide spring eagle count for Mass Wildlife. This effort will include a concentrated survey of the major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs across the Commonwealth. Organized by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) the survey will be conducted by agency staff and volunteers.  Teams will be checking known eagle territories and exploring areas with potential eagle habitat to try to locate “new” eagle nests.  If inclement weather prevents the survey on April 5, the backup date is April 12, 2013.  Additionally, the Division encourages anyone to submit eagle sightings throughout the year by email to natural.heritage@state.ma.usor by postal service to “Eagle Survey”, MassWildlife, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, 100 Hartwell Street, Suite 230, West Boylston, MA 01583.  
5 Friday 11am-2pm. Take it to the Curator at the Museum of Russian Icons, 203 Union St., Clinton. Icon specialist Frank Ford will provide visitors with information about the region, date and subject matter of their icons. Monetary evaluations will not be given. Visit www.museumofrussianicons.org.
5 Friday 5pm-9pm. Cruise Night at Kimball Farm, 1543 Lunenburg Rd., Lancaster. Oldies music by DJ Kev, music trivia with the famous Ricky, cash prizes, great food and ice cream. Free admission. Call 978-534-9800.
5 Friday 6:30pm-7:30pm. Come hear SteveSongs in Concert! Featuring Mr. Steve from PBS Kids and The Sillies at The Mary Rowlandson Elementary School in Lancaster. With his quirky lyrics and acoustic instrumentals, Mr. Steve - winner of two Parent's Choice GOLD Awards - is sure to entertain listeners of all ages. At the end of the show, get your chance to meet Steve in person! Bring the kids and enjoy a fun-filled hour of song and dance. This concert is brought to you by The Imago School (www.imagoschool.org) Tickets are $12.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door (children under 2 are free). Tickets may be purchased in advance at The Imago School or online at www.brownpapertickets.com.
6 Saturday. Wachusett Mountain's Pond Skim. Pull out your favorite costume, find your widest skis and test your balance as you cascade across the man-made pond to cheers from eager on-lookers, waiting patiently for the next big wipe out!
6 Saturday. Wachusett Mountain's Closing Day Celebration. Nobody ever likes to see the end of ski season, but go out in style with a big celebration on the back deck with the Chris Fitz Band! Enjoy great food and beer and lively music all afternoon long.
6 Saturday 2pm. The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley at Theater at the Mount. Stanley Lambchop is your ordinary, everyday, normal 10-year-old, with a normal mom, normal dad, and a normal little brother. For Stanley, this is a problem; life is too normal! He wants to travel the world, do something amazing, something no one's ever seen before. One night, the bulletin board on the wall above Stanley's bed comes loose and falls. Right on top of Stanley! And the next morning, Stanley wakes up flat. Not just a little flat- really, REALLY flat! In hopes that he will become a 3D boy again, Stanley puts himself in a big envelope and travels the world, as a human letter. And the adventure begins!" For more information, visit mwcc.edu/tam/shows.
6 Saturday 3pm-5pm. Concert: Zolotoj Plyos. This concert will take place at the Clinton High School Auditorium at 200 West Boylston Street in Clinton. Advance purchase recommended at (978) 598-5000. Tickets: $15 for Museum members, $18 for nonmembers. $1 off for WOO Card holders. Alexander Solovov, Elena Sadina, and Sergei Grachev make up the folk ensemble “Zolotoj Plyos,” which was founded in 1994 in the city of Saratov, Russia. While students in Russia, the musicians collected old Russian folk songs and bell music in rural villages and towns. The group’s repertoire includes folk songs and instrumental pieces from various parts of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, and other areas, and also features Gypsy music, Russian popular music, and Jewish music. The members of the ensemble play more than thirty Russian folk instruments, including the bayan, chromatic and diatonic accordions, the balalaika, domra, guitar, zhaleika, clarinet, saxophone, various percussion instruments , and Russian bells. For more information, click here.
6 Saturday 6:30pm. Quabbin’s Got Talent coffee house series at First Congregational Parish, Petersham. The talent contest is open to all ages, both individuals and groups. Throughout the series, the competition will be open to the first 10 individuals or groups that sign up. Free admission (donations accepted). Call 978-544-1872.
6 Saturday 8pm. Marty Nestor. Bull Run Restaurant Shirley, MA.
7 Sunday. Wachusett Mountain's 3rd Annual Up, Down & Around Challenge. Join us for our annual adventure challenge which takes competitors on a run, bike, hike and ski all around the mountain. Stay tuned for further updates as the winter progresses! For more information, visit www.wachusett.com.
7 Sunday. Wachusett Mountain's Closing Day Celebration. Nobody ever likes to see the end of ski season, but we'll go out in style with a big celebration on the back deck with the Chris Fitz Band! Enjoy great food and beer and lively music all afternoon long.  For more information, visit www.wachusett.com.
7 Sunday 10am–4pm. Railfair 2013 model railroad at two locations: The Shirley Middle School, 1 Hospital Rd., will have exhibitors showing various model train exhibits and working model railroads, as well as many dealers selling all types of model train gear of all scales and actual railroad memorabilia; and the Nashua Valley Railroad Association Quarters, 2 Shaker Rd Suite E205, will display a 2,000 sq ft HO scale model railroad layout which depicts the Boston and Maine Railroad running from Portland, Maine to Mechanicville, NY. Admission to both locations): $5 adults, $3 Senior Citizens and Teens, Children under 12 Free.
7 Sunday 2pm. Real Townies are Always Home presented by Sally Cragin at the Winchendon Historical Society, 151 Front St., Winchendon. Sally Cragin, a storyteller, presents an entertaining exploration of aspects of New England seldom considered: boisterous visiting geese, town pounds, the winter beater, the dreaded-but-welcome plowman, the pink plastic flamingo, (a local invention), canoeing by moonlight, the awesome snapping turtle and the soul-reviving qualities of a pond. Call 978-297-2142.
10 Wednesday 3:30pm. Fitchburg Art Museum Director Nick Capasso will discuss contemporary art on Wednesday, April 10, as part of Fitchburg State University’s Humanities Visiting Speaker Series at Ellis White Lecture Hall in Hammond Hall. His remarks will explain art history and major aesthetic themes in American earthworks and site-specific sculpture from the late 1960s to the present.
12-14 Friday 7pm–9pm; Saturday, 12pm–5pm; Sunday, 12pm–4pm. Spring Art Show and Sale sponsored by the Greater Gardner Artists Association. Exhibition of fine art by members and other area artists. Visit www.gardner-ggaaart.org. Free admission.
12-14 Friday & Saturday 8pm; Sunday 2pm. Harvey, presented by The New Players Theater Guild at the Center for Performing Arts, 15 Rollstone St., Fitchburg. Elwood P. Dowd is an affable man who claims to have an unseen (and presumably imaginary) friend Harvey — whom Elwood describes as a six-foot, one-and-one-half-inch tall pooka resembling an anthropomorphic rabbit. For ticket information, visit www.nptg.org. 
12 Friday 8pm. Siobhan Mangus. Bull Run Restaurant Shirley, MA. Also playing, Aztec Two-Step.
13 Saturday, 7:30 p.m. – Thayer Symphony Orchestra presents Classics in the Movies. This concert will feature famous works by classical masters that have been used in the soundtracks of equally famous Hollywood films. Among the familiar pieces you'll hear are "The Blue Danube Waltz" by Strauss, the very familiar "Wedding March" from "Midsummer Night's Dream" by Mendelssohn, the Leopold Stokowsky orchestration of Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D minor," and other such familiar favorites.
The complete program can be viewed here. The concert will be held at the Stratos Dukakis Performing Arts Center at the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School ("Monty Tech") on Route 2A in Fitchburg. More details about the program appear on the TSO Web site at this link. Individual ticket prices are as follows:

13 Saturday. New Comedy Shorts at the Fay Club, 620 Main St., Fitchburg, a benefit for Stratton Players. Original short comedies by Sally Cragin and Jeff Van Amburgh. Dinner and a Show, and show-only tickets available. Time to be announced. Call 978-345-4537.
13 Saturday 7am–11am. Fishing Derby at Barrett Park Pond, 40 Barrett Parkway, Leominster, for ages 14 and younger, sponsored by the Leominster Recreation Department. 
13 Saturday 8:30am–2pm. Spring Town-wide Yard Sale in Ayer. Downtown flea market at Depot Square includes vendors. Free to vendors and free to public. For details, call 978-772-8206 weekdays.
13 Saturday 10am-2pm. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Mount Wachusett Community College is hosting Free College Day, an event on Saturday, April 13 featuring more than 50 free workshops and classes, 50 door prizes, career and academic resources, tours and other activities. 10 am to 2 pm, with fitness classes also offered from 8 a.m. to 12:30.
13 Saturday 1pm. 50th Annual River Rat Race on the Millers River between Athol and Orange, starting at the South Main Street bridge in downtown Athol. Hundreds of hardy paddlers take to the often-icy waters of the Millers River to win fame and a little bit of fortune on this six-mile race. Registration fee for paddlers, no charge to watch the race and cheer them on. The town celebrates with a parade starting at 10 am, a pancake breakfast, road race and other events. Visit www.riverratrace.com or call David flint at 978-249-9038. The excitement continues on Sunday with pro-am kayak races.
13 Saturday 7:30pm. Orchestra of Indian Hill Concert. Maestro Bruce Hangen and the Orchestra offer two symphonic masterpieces: Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 3” with Russian pianist Maxim Mogilevsky, plus Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 2” at Littleton HS Performing Arts Center, 56 King Street (Rte. 495/Exit 30), Littleton. Tickets: $20-48. Call 978-486-9524 x116 or visit www.indianhillmusic.org. 
14 Sunday 10am. River Rat Pro Race on the Millers River, from Orange to Athol, followed by kayak races. On this second day of the annual River Rat canoe race extravaganza, men and women paddlers compete for prize money. Visit www.riverratrace.com or call David Flint 978-249-9038 days.
14 Sunday 8pm. Dala. Bull Run Restaurant Shirley, MA. Doors open at 5 pm for dinner and seating. Tickets, $20 (show only). Duo members Sheila and Amanda make use of their considerable talents on guitar and piano to create a unique brand of acoustic pop. 
16 Tuesday. Westminster Farmers' Market presents Backyard Growing Series: Growing Fruits and Berries. For more information, email hertel@mapleheightsfarm.com.
18 Thursday 6pm. Science Magic, a Boston Museum of Science presentation, at The Gardner Museum, 28 Pearl St., Gardner. Ever wonder how magic tricks really work? This program investigates the science behind the “magic” of several classic magic tricks. Wine and cheese reception from 6-7 pm. Program from 7-8 pm. 
18 Thursday 7pm. Spring Dance Club Shows at Weston Auditorium, Fitchburg State University, Pearl Street, Fitchburg. Admission: $5. The Dance Club — brings a dynamic and diverse show featuring selections from tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop and advanced hip hop, modern, contemporary, theatrical/Broadway, street/urban, contemporary ballet, jazz funk, Irish step, video pop, reggae, techno, African and Latin. Repeats April 20. Box office: 978-665-3347.
18 Thursday 7pm. Fitchburg Public Library. Joana Dos Santos, Director of the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center, will introduce and lead the discussion on Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth (2009). "Papers" is the story of undocumented youth and the challenges they face as they turn 18 without legal status. Approx. 2 million undocumented children were born outside the U.S. and raised in this country. These are young people who were educated in American schools, hold American values, know only the U.S. as home and who, upon high school graduation, find the door to their future slammed shut. 65,000 undocumented students graduate every year from high school without "papers." It is against the law to work or drive. It is difficult, if not impossible in some states, to attend college. They live at risk of arrest, detention and deportation to countries they may not even remember. Currently, there is no path to citizenship for these young people. Get that group experience and a great discussion. You don't have to talk. You can just watch, listen and learn.
18 Thursday 8pm. Jon Vezner. Bull Run Restaurant Shirley, MA.
19-21 Friday & Saturday 8pm; Sunday 2pm. Harvey, presented by The New Players Theater Guild at the Center for Performing Arts, 15 Rollstone St., Fitchburg. Elwood P. Dowd is an affable man who claims to have an unseen (and presumably imaginary) friend Harvey — whom Elwood describes as a six-foot, one-and-one-half-inch tall pooka resembling an anthropomorphic rabbit. For ticket information, visit www.nptg.org. 
19 Friday 7pm. Survivor, the Musical at Theater at the Mount. Twenty contestants, two tribes, but only one "Survivor!" Watch your favorite Theatre at the Mount performers compete in this take-off on the popular TV reality show as they try to "out sing, out perform, and out shine" in musical theatre challenges. Singing, dancing, acting, puzzles, trivia, and of course the dreaded "tribal council" will provide a full evening of non-stop fun. Who will be the sole Survivor? Get your tickets now to find out. (Please note 7PM start time for this event).
19 Friday 8pm. Livingston Taylor performs at the Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road (Route 2A), Shirley. Doors open at 6 pm for dinner and seating. Tickets, $35. He toured with major artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Buffet and Jethro Tull, and he maintains a busy concert schedule of over eighty shows a year. Visit www.bullrunrestaurant.com.
20 Saturday 8am-noon. Leominster City Wide Clean Up. Meet at City Hall – contact Mayor’s office for more info 978-534-7500.
20 Saturday 11am-noon. Museum of Russian Icons presents Stories from Siberia: Storytelling Performance with Bonnie Marshall and Kira Van Deusen. Free with Museum admission. No pre-registration required. Storytellers Bonnie Marshall and Kira Van Deusen will present a performance of Siberian stories from their book Far North Tales: Stories from the Peoples of the Arctic Circle. For more information, click here.
20 Saturday 2pm-4:30pm. Second Annual Charity Concert. NEW ENGLAND BRASS, plus 
SONS OF BLARNEY & INTERNATIONAL VETERANS CHORUS. 3 GROUPS, ONE BIG SHOW. “A SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS”. Dukakis Theater, Monty-Tech, Fitchburg Route 2A. TICKETS - ADULTS - $25, CHILDREN –12 & UNDER FREE, SENIORS - $20, ACTIVE MILITARY - FREE. FOR TICKETS- 978-202-5396 ANYTIME. OR text 978-827-5944. To benefit the Bresnahan Scouting and Community Center, Ashburnham.
20 Saturday 3pm. Museum of Russian Icons presents Russian Vodka Gone Global. Tickets: $7 for members, $10 for non-members. $1 off for WOO Card holders.  Advance registration is recommended at (978) 598-5000. Vodka has been the staple drink in Russia for at least six hundred years and some would claim inextricably bound to its culture. This clear but powerful distilled beverage supplied an alcoholic drink not only for celebrations, but also fueled the Russian and Soviet economy. These days, vodka is blamed for Russia’s soaring death rates. So why has North America embraced this fascinating and versatile drink? How did it happen that vodka has overtaken America’s own native drink, bourbon? Why has vodka gone global? The ways in which vodka distillers have packaged and pitched their product, and the corresponding ways by which consumers have come to define themselves through their choice of brands, reveal as much about vodka as it does our own world. However vodka is drunk, whether straight, infused, flavored or mixed, the history of vodka is a story of an old spirit that has become the perfect postmodern drink. Mysterious in its origin, beguiling in its allure, vodka is a rising star. For more information, click here.
20 Saturday 4pm. Spring Dance Club Shows at Weston Auditorium, Fitchburg State University, 160 Pearl Street, Fitchburg. Admission: $5 general public & students.
20 Saturday 7pm. The Fitchburg Armory goes Hawaiian for Joey and Maria’s Hawaiian honeymoon at the beach in a night of murder, mayhem, and madness! It’s a unique night of whodunit fun, partying, and audience participation, Italian style! Tickets at the Fitchburg senior center, 14 Wallace Ave, Fitchburg, or the mayor’s office in City Hall. Cost: $50. Benefits senior programs. Call 978-829-1790.
20 Saturday 8pm. Anna Popovic Band. Bull Run Restaurant Shirley, MA.
23 Tuesday 4pm. OLEANNA by David Mamet. Percival Auditorium Fitchburg State University
$7 General Admission. A special one-day event! This April, come see Central Connecticut State University's traveling production of David Mamet's terrifying exploration of gender and power in the modern classroom. All proceeds go to support Fitchburg Theater Company. For more information, visit www.fitchburgtheatercompany.org.
26 Friday 8pm. JAY UNGER & MOLLY MASON. Bull Run Restaurant Shirley, MA.
27 Saturday 8am-10:30am.  Breakfast at the Finnish Center at Saima Park, 61 Scott Rd., Fitchburg. Finnish oven pancake, bacon, sausage, fruit, juice, coffee, Finnish coffee bread. $6. For more information call Maija 978-582-7717 or email ldsulin@verizon.net.
27 Saturday 9:30am. Barry Van Dusen Workshop at Fruitlands. This two class workshop is taught by former Artist-in-Residence, Barry Van Dusen. Second class is Saturday, May 4 - 9:30AM - 1PM. Over the last thirty years, nature artist Barry Van Dusen has filled more than seventy field sketchbooks with thousands of drawings of birds, plants, mammals, landscapes and other nature subjects. Field sketching is Barry’s way of exploring the natural world, and his primary tool for developing his skills as a naturalist and an artist. In this two-part workshop, Barry will discuss the basic tools for field sketching, including drawing and color mediums as well as optical aids. We’ll explore various drawing approaches – schematic, contour, gesture and tonal drawing. You’ll learn how written notes are best for exploring certain types of information, and how your sketchbooks can become a personal nature diary, useful for future reference. You’ll see how your sketchbooks can function as “science lab” – enhancing your knowledge of botany, comparative zoology and more. We’ll also delve into artistic concerns such as developing “touch” and a personal visual vocabulary. You’ll learn how the sketchbook is the perfect place for artistic experimentation and invention, and a great place to learn about pictorial editing and design. A good portion of the workshop will be indoors, but hopefully the weather will allow us to put our skills to work outdoors as well! For more information, visit fruitlands.org.
27 Saturday 10am–3pm. Earth Day celebration on the town common, Routes 110 and 13, Townsend.  Rain date, Sunday, April 28, noon – 4 pm. Music, crafts, environmental organizations, food and fun as the Townsend Recreation Department and Recycling Committee feature “The B’s: Bats, Bees, Birds and Butterflies.”  Visit www.townsend.ma.us.
27 Saturday 11am-12:30pm. Ready, Set Russian! at the Museum of Russian Icons, 203 Union St., Clinton. Join us for a 90-minute workshop with instructor Larissa Dyan that focuses on Russian language basics and conversation. This drop-in class will introduce students to the Russian alphabet, some conversation starters, icon-related terms and useful phrases. Space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. No advance reservation is required.
27 Saturday 7:30pm–10pm. Contra Dance at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Gardner, 66 Elm St., Gardner. Contra dances are traditional social dances where people dance in long lines. Partners are encouraged to switch throughout the evening, and you will dance with everyone in the line (and probably everyone attending the dance) before the night is over. Live music by The No Name Band. Fiddles, flutes, piano, guitar, mandolin are some of the beautiful instruments used in contra. Contra dance lesson offered at 7:15 pm. Suggested donation $7 adults; $5 students; under 12 free.
27 Saturday 8pm. Centerstage at Fitchburg State University Preents AMERICAN IDOL STARS IN CONCERT CELEBRATE BROADWAY!. Broadway presented as only American Idol can! Will it be Frenchie from Season 2 or Matt Giraud from Season 8? Four stars from the past seasons of American Idol will take the Weston stage—accompanied by a live band—belt out solos, duets and ensemble numbers from Mamma Mia!, Wicked, Jersey Boys and more. Broadway never sounded so good! Leading up to the performance is a talent shows for Fitchburg State students. Check out the winners as they perform with American Idol stars! TICKETS: $30/$30/$15 For more information, click here.
27 Saturday 8pm. All-Star Comedy Night. Bull Run Restaurant Shirley, MA.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Spiced Banana Cake

Spiced Banana Cake


Spiced Banana Cake with Cinnamon and Walnut Topping

A nice change from banana bread, this spiced banana cake is light and delicious. The walnut topping and glaze add a touch of elegance.

1/3 cup butter, softened
1 -1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup water

2 large bananas, mashed

1- 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves

1 Tb. cinnamon sugar
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup confectionery sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 Tb. milk (more if necessary)

Beat together first four ingredients until mixture is nicely blended. Stir in the bananas. Combine the next 6 ingredients. Stir gently into batter. Spread batter into a greased 10-inch tube pan and sprinkle top with the cinnamon sugar and walnuts. Press the walnuts lightly into the batter. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cake cool for 10-15 mins. Meanwhile, combine glaze ingredients until smooth, adding more milk if necessary. Drizzle over cake. Cool completely then remove from pan. Serves 10.  ~ Adapted from recipe by Renny Darling


Thursday, March 14, 2013

Gardner Area League of Artists

At Home in Wachusett Meadow by Lori MacDonald
Limited Edition Print
Gardner Area League of Artists (GALA) will hold their Spring 2013 Art Show on March 22, 23, and 24 at the Polish American Club, 171 Kendall Pond Rd. West., Gardner MA. Live music performances all weekend, fine art auctions, art raffle, silent auction, artist demonstrations, and popular choice voting. Friday 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free but there is a suggested admission donation of $3.00. Call 978-630-2340 for more details.

Friday, March 1, 2013

When Irish Eyes are Smiling

Shamus Pender
Time to get those Irish eyes smiling! Don't miss the chance to see Shamus Pender perform during the Merry Month of March. Here is his schedule: 

Friday, March 8, 9 p.m. to 1 a..m., Fiddler's Green Pub, The Worcester Hibernian Cultural Centre, 19 Temple St., Worcester MA 508-792-3700

Saturday, March 9, 6 p.m. to midnight,  Rock Your Irish Concert, Town Hall, Church St., Clinton MA 978-270-2457 or 978-368-1099

Sunday, March 10,  2-6 p.m., McNally's Pub and Grille, 88 Sargent Rd., Westminster MA 978-874-1444

Friday, March 15, 7-11 p.m., Owen & Ollie's Pub and Restaurant, 91 Mill St., Dracut MA, 978-957-4400

Sunday, March 17,  2-7 p.m. , Waxy O'Connor's Pub, 410 Winchester St., Keene NH 603-357-9299

Monday, February 4, 2013

Valentine's Month


All you need is Love…
and Chocolates…
and Wine…
and Roses…
and a beautiful night at the Maguire House where you'll receive all that and more...

Saturday, February 2, 2013

February is Black History Month

Entrance sign for the African Meeting House in Boston
Photo by Max A. van Balgooy

Take a trip to the Museum of Afro American History in Boston. The current exhibit The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Signs of Freedom runs now through the end of February, 2013. This new installation celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. King and other heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. Poignant scenes captured by Memphis photographer Ernest Withers include protest signs from the Civil Rights era and powerful broadsides from the Abolitionist Movement that recall incredible campaigns for human liberty. These visible signs are reminders of organized peaceful resistance, including sit-ins, freedom rides, strikes, boycotts, marches and other actions to acquire citizenship rights.

Signs of Freedom is a prelude to Freedom Rising, a yearlong exhibit and programming commemorating the Sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation and of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, the first black soldiers from the north to serve in the Civil War. 
Dr. King asserted that two documents are essential to the nation, American identity and this democracy. The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, provided the foundation for freedom from Great Britain and national ideals. The Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863, declared all persons enslaved in states in rebellion free.

The Black Heritage Trail® is a walking tour that explores the history of Boston's 19th century African American community.
Guided walking tours are offered by the National Park Service daily, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, and other times by special request. A self-guided walking tour map and guide is also available. For more information on the tour, please contact the museum.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Vermont Artisan Design

Perfume bottles by Mary Angus

If you are looking for a great way to spend an afternoon visit the Vermont Artisan Design in Brattleboro, Vermont.  Located just 1 hour from here the drive to Brattleboro along the Ashuelot River is a beautiful trip in and of itself. There are great restaurants and other specialty shops to explore as well right in downtown Brattleboro. 

Vermont Artisan Design- Something for Everyone

You'll find both functional and decorative work from well-established and emerging artisans: paintings, ranging from landscapes to still life to abstract; sculpture in bronze, wood, paper, wire, mixed media, stone, steel; colorful and clear blown glass; a great selection of pottery; beautiful hand-painted silk, as well as woven chenille and velvet, scarves; carefully turned salad bowls; exquisitely finished furniture including a rocker that you will swear was made just for you; a great selection of Judaica featuring a wonderful collection of menorahs; entrancing kaleidoscopes; subtle sounding chimes; photographs that capture the essence of Vermont; lamps to accent your home or office; and other wonderful items for you to discover.


Friday, January 4, 2013

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
These are about as basic as you can get. Just 5 ingredients and a chocolate kiss to top it off. Nothing could be easier, and they taste delicious. Perfect when looking for a quick treat.

2 cups peanut butter (I use Jiff extra crunchy)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
Hershey's chocolate kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine peanut butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs. Drop by tablespoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool slightly then lightly press kiss on top. Cool completely.

Makes approx. 2 doz.




Monday, December 10, 2012

Gift Certificate


Who needs another scarf or tie? Looking for that perfect Christmas gift? Why not give that special someone what they really want, a Maguire House Gift Certificate. Choose a particular room or pick a dollar amount towards a stay. Call us at 
978-827-5053 or email us at maguirehouse@earthlink.net and let us take care of everything. 

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Christmas Season





Strand Theatre, Clinton MA

Hands down, my favorite movie of all time. Seeing it on the big screen in black and white at the Strand Theatre was a magical experience. Nothing like a little Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed to put one in the Christmas spirit. Hee Haw!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving



A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.~ Cicero

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Autumn in New England

The fall season in New England is too short, but wow, is it beautiful! 

Monday, October 1, 2012

The Road Not Taken



Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.
~ Robert Frost

With the fall foliage expected to be spectacular this year get off the beaten path and instead follow a beautiful country road from Ashburnham to Derry NH to Robert Frost's family farm.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Apple Picking



The year I turned 12 we moved to Ashburnham. My parents bought a beautiful old farmhouse on 33 acres of land next to an apple orchard. That fall was the first time I picked (ok stole) an apple right from the tree. The memory of biting into that tart, crisp macintosh was unforgettable! I don’t think I tasted anything as good up to that point.

We did get permission to pick a basket of apples and my Mom made the best apple crumb pie in the world. It’s still my favorite.

Although that orchard is now gone there are many great ones still around here. Take time to walk through a beautiful orchard on a warm September day and pick your own apple. It’s good for the heart and soul.


Friday, August 31, 2012

Art in the Park, Keene NH

 Vermont Flower Farm by Gill Truslow



Keene’s 54th annual Art in the Park returns Labor Day weekend
by Nicole S. Colson

It’s time once again to gather under the tents along the Ashuelot River, where artists from far and wide converge to show off their latest projects. The 54th annual Art in the Park happens over Labor Day weekend, opening Saturday, Sept. 1 (the same day as the Keene Music Festival downtown) and continuing Sunday, Sept. 2, at Ashuelot River Park on West Street in Keene.
As has been the case for the past handful of years, spaces filled quickly this year, meaning there will be more than 85 artists displaying and selling work spanning a variety of media. On the list are watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastel, sculpture, mixed media and photography. The event, hosted by the Monadnock Area Artists Association, will feature a dozen brand-new artists.
Among them is William C. Turner, a realist oil painter. He refers to his latest series as “anthropomorphic vehicle portraits, bringing new life to old, forgotten relics of the past.”
Turner’s vivid works make rust, dents, broken glass and peeling paint on snowplows, dump trucks and tractor cabs look beautiful.
Painter Linda Mahoney will be showing the color woodblock prints she began creating four years ago. She employs a Japanese watercolor woodblock printmaking technique to translate her ideas, born from her hobbies — her favorites include hiking, kayaking, skiing and bird watching — into art.
Another new face at Art in the Park this year will be Cheryl Z. Miller, whose fabric collages are inspired by her love of quilting and her interest in land preservation and supporting local organic farms.
One of the many artists returning to the event this year will be Kathrine Piper of Keene. She normally works in acrylic paint, using an interesting technique mapping out her images using a grid. This year, she has been experimenting with different media. In some of her new eye-catching and colorful pieces, she uses unusual materials, including magazine cutouts, tissue paper, thread and buttons depicting slogans and graphics from her childhood collection.
u The Monadnock Area Artists Association will present the 54th annual Art in the Park Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 1 and 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ashuelot River Park, West Street, Keene. Refreshments will be available.
Artists’ work will be judged in five different categories. Musical performances will take place Saturday at the park gazebo as part of the Keene Music Festival. Visitors can enter a raffle to win prizes, with the grand prize being an original work of art of their choice. The grand prize winner will be announced Sunday at 2 p.m. Proceeds from this raffle fund the artist association’s scholarship awarded each year to an art student from Keene High School and Monadnock Regional High School.
For more information, visit monadnockareaartists.org

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Lemon Mousse with Fresh Berries

Lemon Mousse with Fresh Raspberries


I found this recipe on Epicurious.com and served it at a luncheon here. It is so light and refreshing. Plan on making the lemon curd at least one day ahead.

Lemon Mousse with Fresh Berries - Serves 8

1 cup plus 2 Tb. sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1-1/2 Tb. grated lemon peel

4  half-pint berries of choice ( strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

2 cups heavy cream

Fresh mint leaves (optional)

Combine 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks, whole eggs, and grated lemon peel in the top of a double boiler. Whisk until smooth. Set pan over simmering water (do not allow top pan to touch water). Whisk until mixture thickens and thermometer inserted into mixture reaches 160 degrees. This is now lemon curd. Immediately pour lemon curd through a sieve into another bowl. Chill until cool, whisking occasionally. 

Using an electric mixer, beat 1-1/2 cups heavy cream in a medium bowl until medium-firm peaks form. Fold 1/3 of whipped cream into lemon curd to lighten, then fold in remaining whipped cream. Chill until ready to serve.

Just before serving beat remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream with 2 Tb. sugar until stiff peaks form. 

Divide mousse into 8 dessert bowls or wine glasses. Top with berries and whipped cream. Garnish with fresh mint.









Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Fireworks this weekend in Jaffrey NH

Jaffrey Fireworks
On Saturday August 18th, the 23rd Annual Jaffrey Festival of Fireworks will be held at the Jaffrey Airport.  New Hampshire is lucky to be the home of Atlas Fireworks, one of the country’s leading designers of fireworks displays.  They are well-known for their colorful pyrotechnic productions in cities throughout the U.S., including Boston and Washington, DC, and even in far-flung places like Shanghai!


Every August in Jaffrey, Atlas Fireworks produces a 30-minute themed fireworks display choreographed with music.  Upwards of 30,000 people come to watch.  If you’re an aficionado of pyrotechnics, plan to come early – doors open at 4 – and the best viewing spots get taken quickly.  To while away the time until the main show, there are typical fair amusements and food stands, and even a skydiving show.   Many attendees bring picnic supplies and camp out on the tarmac.

The theme for this year’s show will be Rock the Stars! It will no doubt be a very memorable program.  Tickets are on sale now; several categories of tickets are available for all sizes of vehicles as well as for walk-ins.  For details on the festival, or to purchase your tickets in advance, see the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce website