Best Chocolate Chip Cookie in Connecticut Contest

Who doesn't love a great Chocolate Chip Cookie?

Think you have what it takes to make the best chocolate chip cookie?

Then this contest just might be for you!

Attendees of the Emmanuel Church's Family Fair on September 17th 2016 are all invited to enter the ever popular, “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie in Connecticut” contest --  with a panel of local judges, including Katy Piazza, Emmanuel’s Priest-In-Charge, The Weston Forum Editor Patty Gay, Weston Women’s League President, Margaret Krauss, Weston Middle School Principal, Daniel Doak, and other Weston organization members.

Photo Source Foodista

Prizes will be awarded for First, Second and Third Place. Bakers of all ages are encouraged to enter at no charge. Bring one dozen, homemade chocolate chip cookies, a list of ingredients (required for entry) and your name and contact information to the contest table by 12:00 noon, the day of the fair. Creativity is welcomed -- the only rule is that the cookies include chocolate chips. Guidelines can be found on the church website (www.emmanuelweston.org).

When: Saturday, September 17 from 10:00 - 4:00 (Contest check in at NOON)
Where: Emmanuel Church,  285 Lyons Plain Rd., Weston.
Cost: Admission is free and all are invited.
Additional Details:  visit www.emmanuelweston.org.  

About the Emmanuel Church Family Fair

Fun will abound at Emmanuel Church’s popular 110th Family Fair on Saturday, September 17 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, on the parish grounds, 285 Lyons Plain Road, Weston. Fairfield County residents and beyond are invited to attend this family-friendly event, that will take place rain or shine.

Photo (Left to right) Kit Hamilton, Mallory Rogers and Patti Stuebe
 head up children’s games at last year’s Emmanuel Family Fair.
Photo by Andrew Dominick

The festivities planned are many and varied. Fair goers will be entertained by St. Luke’s Steel Band between 11:30 - 2:00. Traditional carnival fare including hamburgers and hotdogs will be on tap as will ice cream, popcorn and other snacks. In addition, kids will relish pony rides, face painting, an inflatable obstacle course and a variety of children’s games.

Shoppers will delight in the selection of treasures sold via booths of every sort to include toys, collectibles, furniture, jewelry, baked goods (at Emmanuel’s popular “Country Kitchen”),  art and autumn plants. Great finds are sure to be discovered throughout the Family Fair. Cash and credit cards accepted; no checks please.

Additionally, the younger set is invited to Story Time in the church from 10:30 - 11:30 with Hurlbutt Elementary Principal and Emmanuel parishioner, Laura Kaddis and Rev. Katy Piazza.

 All can bid on a Silent Auction sporting a vast array of items donated from community businesses, vendors, artisans and the like. Attractive items include Mets tickets, a round of golf and lunch at Country Club of Fairfield, a Westport-Weston YMCA birthday party, original art-work and more. Themed gift baskets and other sought-after surprises will also grace the auction.

 “I look forward to our 110th Family Fair with great enthusiasm. It’s a time honored tradi-tion that promotes fellowship among our congregation and beyond parish borders. It’s also a day of relaxed fun for people of all ages -- and the perfect vehicle through which to extend Emmanu-el’s hospitality. The Family Fair exemplifies the true meaning of community,” said Katy Piazza, Emmanuel’s Priest-In-Charge.

Fair Committee Chair, Kit Hamilton, also commented.  “Having worked on Emmanuel’s Fair several years running, I can say with sincerity, it’s a memorable happening. Families flock from all across the state to enjoy the children’s activities, great deals and entertainment. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest is also always a big draw. I’m thrilled to lead our team as we plan and put on this year’s event.”

110 years old, the Emmanuel Family Fair proudly fosters a home-grown atmosphere and promotes a true sense of community -- a sure-fire, winning combination. Additional details can be found at www.emmanuelweston.org or by calling the church office at (203) 227-8565.

The family-friendly event takes place on Saturday, September 17 from 10:00 - 4:00, on the Emmanuel Church grounds, 285 Lyons Plain Rd., Weston. Admission is free and all are invited. For details, visit www.emmanuelweston.org.

The New Red Bee Honey Barn in Weston CT

Social Media Promotion: Sponsored

Back in March of this year I started following the progress of Red Bee apiary's new honey barn and loved seeing Marina's dream and vision for the Red Bee Honey Barn come to fruition. Marina is the owner, operator, chief beekeeper and honey-maker/taster at Red Bee Honey. In other words, she's the Queen Bee!

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when Marina and her right hand bee associate, Kristine, extended an invitation to a small group from our local Connecticut Bloggers group to be the FIRST to attend a honey tasting and lunch in the Red Bee Honey Barn!

The Red Bee Honey Barn
#RedBeeHoneyBarn

Marina has been beekeeping since 2000, when visiting a neighbor's apiary and realizing her true passion in life. She is now a best selling author, sought after speaker, and frequent television talk show guest on the subject of bees, beekeeping, and honey. In addition, Marina is the founder and president of the American Honey Tasting Society.

We arrived in the early afternoon and Marina gave our group a tour of her farm and apiary and explained the origin of honeybees to the states and the importance of bees to the ecosystem. It is because of the pollination work of those busy bees that we benefit with the production of green vegetation, juicy fruits and vegetables, as well as seeds, nuts, and berries. And in addition to the benefits those foods provide to us, think of all the wildlife that is dependent on that vegetation and food for survival.

Yes, bees are important!

Some members of our group were brave souls and were willing to don bee keeping suits in order to get up close and personal.

While other members acted as chicken whisperers.

After our outside tour, we descended on the new Red Bee Honey Barn for a tour and tasting. The first floor of the barn acts as the storefront and office, and also has a cozy seating area available for intimate tastings.

While the second floor is large and roomy and can accommodate a large group.

We sat at the beautifully set table and proceeded with the tasting. Much like wine, we learned how pairing different foods with honeys brings out the flavor sensations and profiles.

Marina led us through a wide spectrum of honey pairings, from a light Linden Honey partnered with goat cheese and lemon zest, to a deep dark Buckwheat Honey accompanied by a fire-roasted tomato.

Red Bee Honey Tasting

Below is a delicious Red Berry Honey paired with some earthy Bleu Cheese and a sweet date.

Red Bee Honey Tasting

Just like with a wine tasting, Marina walked us through the sensory as well as flavor profiles.

After our tasting Marina provided our group with a true "Farm to Table" luncheon, with a delightful salad made with fresh lettuce picked right from the garden, egg salad made with eggs from her free range chickens, and a delicious cucumber sandwich, again, made with cucumbers right out of the garden. Of course, the salad was accompanied by a flavorful honey dressing!

Farm to Table Salad and Sandwiches

My lunch! Delicious!

And after lunch we sampled a delicious dessert, made from chocolate covered honeycombs. Yes, honeycombs are edible!

Chocolate covered honeycomb

Be sure to check out Red Bee Honey and if you have the opportunity you simply must attend one of her upcoming honey tastings (see upcoming events ==> HERE). Look for Red Bee Honey in local stores in Fairfield county and I know that in the Hartford area Hartford Prints! carries her honey. Don't see it in your favorite CT store? Tell them to contact Marina!

And you can always purchase her honey and line of skin care products online at http://www.redbee.com/red-bee-single-origin-honey/

Red Bee Honey Apiary and Honey Barn

http://www.redbee.com/

Follow Red Bee Honey on social media!

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redbee
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RedBee
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redbee/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/redbee/

Big thanks to Marina, Kristine, and Andrea for being the consummate hosts to our group and for providing us with an educational and rewarding experience!

For more pictures of this event visit the 

Home Place facebook page HERE

and while you're there - don't forget to "like" us!

You can check out my fellow Connecticut blogger's experiences at:

• Jessie from AltCtrl==> #BeeTheScene: A Visit to Red Bee Honey
• 
  
• Kate from Kate in CT==> Red Bee Honey
• 
  
• Andrew from Real Food Dudes CT ==> Busy as a Blogger at Red Bee Honey
• 
  
• Anne from Fueling for the Long Run ==> Check out the Buzz at the Red Bee Apiary

Disclaimer: Our group was invited to this complimentary honey tasting by the Red Bee's management and marketing team, however, all opinions are our own.


© Home Place 2016

The Red Bee Farm and Honey Tasting Workshop in Weston CT

Media Sampling

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the Red Bee Apiary in Weston CT to attend a Mini Honey Tasting Workshop. Yes, that's right. You read that correctly, not only did we have a mini sampling tasting, but we also had the opportunity to learn about the different flavors and varieties of honey, and have an educational workshop on the hives, honey production, and honey bees.

The Red Bee Apiary Farm in Weston CT

Red Bee Farm is flanked by a classic New England  Boundary Rock Fence

Red Bee Farm is owned and operated by the lovely Marina Marchese, the queen bee of all things honey in Connecticut. All joking aside, Marina truly is the authority on single origin honey, having trained both in Italy and in the States, and is the author of two books on honey, The Honey Connoisseur and  Honeybee Lessons from The Accidental Beekeeper. In addition to her work running the Red Bee Apiary Farm, Marina is the founder of Marina’s Honey Sommelier™ a consulting service for restaurants as well as food and beverage industry professionals to guide them on selecting and pairing honey with food and drink. Marina's tastings and workshops are wonderful ways to educate groups on the background of honey and honeybees.

The passionate Marina explains the origins of her honey to our group

The Mini-Tasting I attended led us through a rainbow of different honeys, alfalfa, thistle, wildflower, red currant, blueberry, and buckwheat. As you can see, the honeybee's diet, greatly affects the shade of their honey production. In addition, it impacts the honey's flavor. The honey colors ranged from a pale golden to a rich dark caramel color.

Sensory Tasting and Pairing

Marina led us though a sensory workshop, instructing us to experience the honey through smell, memory, and taste. In addition, she paired each individual honey with a variety of foods, fruits, cheeses, and chocolate.

With Marina's expert recommendations we paired spicy butterscotch-like thistle honey over a pungent aged cheese, red currant honey drizzled over a rich cheese filled date, and more. The highlight was breaking open a virgin-honeycomb and pairing the freshest honey possible with a rich dark chocolate and bread.

Yes, you can eat the wax from a honeycomb!

Red Bee Hives

Red Bee Honey

Of course, I purchased my very favorite of the day, the Red Currant Honey, and every time I sit at the computer to write this post or edit the pictures, I crave a little taste. I've learned from my Red Bee Tasting to pair it with various foods, and now use my honey frequently as a condiment or dip to bring out the flavors in other foods I'm eating. I've always known about the medicinal purposes for honey. When I have a sore throat or feel a cold coming on I up my intake of organic honey. Now the Red Bee workshop has enhanced my knowledge of honey use and challenged me to pair honey with more and more foods!

You can purchase Red Bee Honey online HERE.

I loved visiting with Marina on her rustic farm in scenic Weston Connecticut. She is a down to earth businesswoman, astute and knowledgeable about her art and craft, and committed to her passion of promoting a natural and eco-friendly way of life, and, of course, beekeeping.

Take an opportunity to participate in one of her informational workshops. See her calendar of events HERE.

Red Bee Apiary

Weston, CT

For more pictures of my visit to Red Bee Apiary visit the Home Place facebook page HERE

Disclaimer: I was invited to the Red Bee Honey Tasting Event, however, the views and opinions expressed herein are my own.