Category: Very inexpensive or FREE!

  • Edible Boston Summer 2012 Issue is Out!

    Just as I look forward to the local food each new season brings my way, I look forward to the new issue of Edible Boston for each quarter of the year. The new issue is out and is our Friday Link, today.

    Edible summer_0002 - Version 22012-06-02-edible-boston-summer-2012-cover-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    This is your alert to start looking forward to the Summer 2012 issue available at most of the local businesses that support this great publication with their advertising.

    Edible summer_0003 - Version 22012-06-02-edible-boston-summer-2012-seta-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    When my preview issue arrived, the first article I read was "Seta's Rules to Cook By," a feature on Chef Seta Dakessian. Many of you know her from her Seta's Mediterranean Foods stands at farmers' markets around Boston. You'll learn about Seta's background, food philosophy, and some of the rules this farm-to-fork chef sets for herself to achieve the wonderful balance you find in her food.

    Publisher Ilene Bezahler said of this, her 25th issue, "I think it has solidified my transition from a magazine about food to a magazine about people and food. Food is the common denominator, of course, but the exploration into who produces our food, who has access to local food and where to find it seems to be as important as whether it tastes good or, for that matter, is good for us."

    Also in this issue, you'll learn about: "Earth Mothers," a cover story on young female farmers; Everett's Nanobreweries; Feeding Boston, the growth of Boston Organics; and many more features, plus the tasty tidbits supplied by the regular columns.

    How do you say thank you to a publisher like Ilene Bezahler and her remarkably talented team?

    May I suggest that you: let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine, grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. And, if you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, that you write about them, link to them, follow them, retweet their tweets, like them on Facebook, and in general, spread the word about this great asset to our community.

    And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can subscribe over on their website!

    You can also buy the Edible cookbook! Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods

    Details:

    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Boston Hazardous Waste Collection Dates for 2012

    The City of Boston has announced the 2012 Household Hazardous Waste collection dates with June 9, 2012 next on the list. It will be followed by a second collection date on June 30th.

    Hazardous waste 2012

    June 9th, 2012 from 9am to 2pm

    University of Massachusetts-Boston Harbor Campus, Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester (Map)

    Saturday, June 30, 2012 from 9am to 2pm

    West Roxbury Public Works Yard, 315 Gardner Street, West Roxbury (Map)

     

    Here are highlights of the city's published guidelines from their Hazardous Waste page:

    For a complete list of acceptable materials, download the flyer here.

    For Boston residents only. No commercial waste will be accepted. Proof of residency required. The City reserves the right to reject materials. For more information call 617-635-4500.

    TVs & Computer Monitors

    TVs & computer monitors are NOT accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days. Please call 617-635-4500 for home pickup of TVs and computer monitors.

    Latex Paint

    The city says, "*NEW* Latex paint is no longer accepted at drop-off days. Latex paint is not hazardous. Let latex paint dry out completely, then set it out with your regular trash."

    Get rid of the junk, and then don't bring more of it back into your home.

    Clean out under your sink, your cleaning closet, gardening shed, garage, and storage areas. Once your home is free from toxic, flammable, and other dangerous materials, learn how to avoid bringing more of this stuff back into your life.

    Here are three great books to help you change your hazardous ways.

    And, remember, when you start any of your Amazon shopping from here, you support BostonZest and keep information like this flowing your way. 


    Details:

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Screenshot: From City of Boston website

  • We Love June in Boston!

    DSC_4790 - Version 32012-05-20-boston-public-garden-peaceful- june-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    June is often the most gentle and gracious time of year in Boston. I really enjoy being here this month. This valentine to June in our adopted hometown was inspired by a conversation over on Trip Advisor. The crew there were collecting things that were happening during the month. My two cents worth was to let everyone know why Ed and I think June in Boston is so special.

    Most of the graduations are over. Just UMass Boston on June 1st and MIT on the 8th remain. Then, the locals and smartest of visitors have the city to themselves.

    The greenery is glowing. The city seems to take a deep breath and relax. There is just something special about this lull before the July 4th activity that makes it a sweeter place.

    It's a month to picnic and sit and read by the river. The weather is often the most comfortable of the year. Don't get me wrong. I love the rest of the year too, but June is special.

    What's on your June fun-in-Boston shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Pride: 40 Years of Protest & Celebration

    This year's Boston Pride Week (June 1-10, 2012) is the perfect opportunity to visit the art gallery at the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE). On view, right now, is Pride: 40 years of Protest & Celebration.

    Contrast (1)

    (Photo courtesy of the History Project)

    This is a joint project between the (BCAE) and The History Project. Drawn from The History Project’s archive, the exhibition traces the development of Pride in Boston from a sparsely attended protest to a massive celebration drawing hundreds of thousands of participants each June.

    The pieces displayed in the exhibition, showcase the immense cultural and political changes that have affected New England’s LGBTQ communities over the decades. 

    JoelBenjamin Pride 1

    (Photo by Joel Benjamin)

    Accompanying Pride: 40 Years of Protest & Celebration will be Fierce Pride: 1992, an exhibition of portraits taken during the 1992 Pride Celebration by Photographer Joel Benjamin. These never-before-exhibited portraits reflect the rich diversity of LGBTQ communities and the role of Pride in creating a safe space for self-expression.

    IMG_5196 - Version 22012-05-25-Pride, 4o years of pride- bcae-© 2011 Penny Cherubino   DSC_5100 - Version 22012-05-25-Pride, 4o years of pride- bcae-© 2011 Penny Cherubino   IMG_5202 - Version 22012-05-25-Pride, 4o years of pride- bcae-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Click on any image to see a larger version.

    As photographers, we are grateful when organizations like BCAE open their gallery space to photographic art. And, we applaud collections and archives like those compiled by The History Project that save and share the work across time.

    What's on your summer fun shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:

    Boston Center for Adult Education 
    122 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116 (map)
    Phone: (617) 267-4430 

    www.bcae.org

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © Courtesy of BCAE 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Boston Street Food App: Food Truck Tracking

    Back in March, Toby left a comment on one of our Food Trucks/Street Food posts. He wrote, "Hi Penny & Ed, I think you might like my iPhone app for finding the Boston trucks: Street Food Boston. It's updated daily with the latest hours, closures, etc. Enjoy! Toby"

    Street food apps

    We downloaded this free app to our phones, tested it out, watched it grow, and now we are recommending it as our Friday link today. As you can see in the screengrab above, they also have apps for some of our Canadian readers and for Bostonians headed for Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. 

    This app lets you find food trucks on a map with red or green pins signaling who is open and who is not. Or, you can switch to a list to look for a particular truck. Once you have a truck in mind, you can swipe to see a screen telling you about the food and giving you the current schedule and links to their homepage, twitter, and email. 

    You can sort trucks by those nearby you, a-z list, popular, or your own favorites. If you love food trucks, give this app a try and let us know what you think.

    But, remember, for in depth information on the Boston food truck scene, photos of the food, and tales of the food truck community, always come back to the BostonZest Food Truck/Street Food collection.

    What's on your exploring Boston shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Screenshot: courtesy of Tatlow Park Sofware, Inc.    

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Dot by Dot: Recent Work by Artist Bob Oppenheim

    Bob Oppenheim Dot by dot

    Tonight, a show of recent work by our friend, Bob Oppenheim opens at the Trustman Art Gallery at Simmons College. This is a great opportuntiy to not only see some of Bob's work but also to add another venue for exploring art to your leisure time list. The gallery exhibits the work of professional artists and has a yearly exhibition of student work.

    Dot by Dot

    April 30-June1, 2012

    Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m

    Gallery reception, Tuesday May 1, 5pm-7pm

    Closed May 18th

    Trustman Art Gallery
    Main College Building, Fourth Floor
    300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115-5898 (map)

    What's on your Mother's Day shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Jazz Week 2012, April 27 to May 6: Our Friday Link

    The sound of Jazz will be in the air around Greater Boston for the next ten days as we celebrate Jazz Week 2012. In addition to many ticketed events, you'll find lots of opportunites to enjoy free or low cost events.

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    Boston resident and Jazz musican David Bond on sax (above) says, “Boston is such a vibrant community because of the students, and because of the concerts, and Jazz Week is a perfect way of promoting it."

    Jazzweek

    JazzBoston says, "In observance of UNESCO's November 10 decision to proclaim April 30 of each year as International Jazz Day, JazzBoston has adopted an international theme for its 6th annual presentation of Jazz Week throughout the Greater Boston area this spring. For 10 days from April 27 to May 6, Jazz Week '12 International will put the spotlight on the cultural diversity that gives the Greater Boston jazz scene its unique flavor. Hundreds of talented musicians, both home grown and from around the world, will perform in over 90 venues in and around the city, and special cross-cultural collaborations will highlight the power of jazz to create unity from diversity."

    What's on your Jazz shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photo: courtesy of David Bond
    Screen Shot: courtesy of JazzBoston

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Don’t Wait for Lilac Sunday, Plan an Arboretum Visit This Week

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    Walking around the city last weekend, we noticed the scent of lilacs in the air. We enjoyed seeing some wonderful, old bushes at Titus Sparrow Park. And, a recent post by A Proper Bostonian also featured lilacs.

    If you look forward to Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum each year, we suggest you schedule two visits this spring. One this week or weekend to see the lilacs, and one on May 13th to enjoy the events planned for Lilac Sunday– also the only day of the year when you can have a picnic at the Arboretum.

    Related Posts:

    Lilac Sunday- So Many Good Reasons for An Arboretum Visit

    Lilac Weekend at the Arboretum

    Here's a link to a book on Boston's Gardens and Greenspaces from one of our favorite publishers, Union Park Press. Plus, The First Fifty Years of the Arnold Arboretum.

       

    Details:
    Arnold Arboretum

    125 Arborway, Boston, MA‎ (map & reviews)

    617-524-1718

    www.arboretum.harvard.edu

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: © 2010 Penny Cherubino

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Thanks to Faithful Trustees

    PMC_0476 - Version 32012-04-07-commonwealth-avenue-boston-garden-architecture-© 2011 Penny Cherubino
    In big ways and small they preserve our heritage by caring for historic properties.

    "These old buildings do not belong to us only, they belong to our forefathers and they will belong to our descendants unless we play them false. They are not in any sense our own property to do with as we like with them. We are only trustees for those that come after us."  William Morris

    What's on your  Boston historic tour shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 Penny  Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Edible Boston Spring 2012 Issue

    Have you picked up your copy of the Spring 2012 Issue of Edible Boston yet? 

    Edible Boston spring2012

    I look forward to each new issue of this quarterly collection of great writing, wonderful photography, locavore lessons, and down-to-earth philosophy. I learn something from every article.

    This time, publisher Ilene Bezahler and her team have shined their spotlight on those who produce our local food and on those who want to be our next generation of farmers but need the land to do it.

    Describing this issue, Ilene says, "… you will read about a young generation who wants to farm, wants to help provide us with local produce but are struggling with how to afford to do it. And about dairy farmers who are committed to keeping their farms full service dairies in their families’ tradition."

    You can also read the magazine at their website. If you do that, I suggest you filp through the full print edition so you will see one of the tastiest group of advertisers around. Please support these people who make it possible for us to have this great publication. 

    We are a small local business too. So, if you do have to shop for something online, remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Screenshot: Courtesy of Edible Boston   

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.