Rural Intelligence (Page 630)

Food

Seasonal Sweetheart: Gingerbread Uncut

Berkshire native Alana Chernila, local politician, mother of two, and author of the new cookbook, The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying & Start Making (Clarkson Potter), dispenses change and cooking ideas to readers and friends. She shares her peak-of-the-season recipes with Rural Intelligence to

By Editor

Community

Christmas (Etc.) In Connecticut

This time of year, you can’t throw a snowball (if there was any of the white stuff to throw) without hitting a holiday bazaar. But Litchfield county’s well-crafted festive collaborations — their winter strolls and lighting ceremonies — will shine especially bright this month. Sorry Fox News, but none

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Wellness

Looking Good, Locally

It’s one the paradoxes of life that the busy social calendar of the holiday season coincides with formidable beauty opponents such as pasty skin, dry winter winds, and the skin-dulling effects of too little fresh air and too much online shopping. But thanks to our area’s diverse

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Arts

Not Just a Fluke: Sheffield Shop Perfects the Ukulele

The Stradivari family has the violin. The Gibsons have the guitar. For the Webb family in Sheffield, while the family business has yet to hit the 20-year mark, it seems they have cornered the fast-growing ukulele market, which is beginning to enjoy celebrity status thanks to the likes

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Parties

The Way to the Feast

Rachel Louchen reports from Lenox.On Saturday, December 1, the second annual Voices of Hope gala was held at the festively decorated Seven Hills Inn. The holiday event benefitted Berkshire United Way, the community organization which supports programs for employment, education, and emergency preparation. Dancing took place before the gourmet

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Parties

Berkshire Botanical Garden's Holiday Marketplace Shines

Silka Glanzman reports from Stockbridge.More than 100 guests gathered in Stockbridge on Friday, November 30, for a festive preview of the Holiday Marketplace at the Berkshire Botanical Garden — a jubilant kick-off to the holiday season. The Garden’s glittering Education Center was decked with sumptuous swags and greens,

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Arts

At the Clark Museum: Giselle's New World

On a free admission day at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute a couple of weeks ago, 11-year-old Giselle Ciulla seems like just one of the many other well-behaved kids hanging out with their parents on a day's cultural excursion. Upbeat and bubbly, she

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Food

Prairie Whale

An exceptionally popular eatery by star restaurateur Mark Firth

By Lisa Green

Style

Holiday Gift Guide: Fifty Stores With Under $150 Wonders

Libations, Desserts, and Artisanal Goods Shirecity Fire Cider, Pittsfield Locally made tonic of raw apple cider vinegar and honey, sold in amber glass bottles (16 oz/ $29). Hillrock Estate Distillery, Ancram Field-to-glass handcrafted whiskey distilled on-site from estate-grown grain ($80). 408 Pooles Hill Road (518) 329-

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Wellness

At Sruti, Strength Training for Body and Serenity for Mind

Between eggnog-fueled family feuds, latke hangovers, and strangely competitive Secret Santa exchanges, peace of body and soul can be in short supply during the holiday season. But take heart, weary reindeer. Chances are that Sruti Berkshire Yoga Center in Great Barrington—part fitness mecca, part spiritual hub, part community

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Food

One Smart Cookie: Lisa Newmann's Snack Revolution

Photo by Ginny Hussey In September, food entrepreneur Lisa Newmann of Housatonic was called upon to give a speech in Palm Springs, California. The topic, while not addressing global climate change or the gritty situation in Gaza, was an important one, one that has quickly become Newmann's life

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Food

Potato Celery Root Skillet Cake

Berkshire native Alana Chernila, local politician, mother of two, and author of the new cookbook, The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying & Start Making (Clarkson Potter), dispenses change and cooking ideas to readers and friends. She shares her peak-of-the-season recipes with Rural Intelligence to

By Editor