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Spring Cleaning—right in the gut

A few weeks ago, I attempted to spread some rumors about a Shake Shack coming to Forest Hills. To date, no call or e-mail from Danny Meyer, but no matter. I make excellent, healthful shakes several times a week in my home, and so can you because it’s so simple.

Here’s my basic recipe:

1. Throw 1 banana of any size into your blender. You need a banana to give the shake thickness and because it mixes so well with any other fruit you might think of.
2. Toss in any other fruit you might think of. I’ve usually got a mango lying around, as well as a handful of grapes, a kiwi, a green apple, maybe some pineapple slices that are almost borderline. I also keep a few bags of organic berries in the freezer (Trader Joe’s, the Natural, the organic stores all have these) for this purpose.
3. Add in a few heaping spoonfuls of nonfat plain yogurt. Figure you want around 1.5 cups. More is okay too.
4. Add some orange juice or other fruit juice you have in the refrigerator. Orange-mango works nicely here.
5. Finally, throw in 2-3 ice cubes and pour in some flax seed oil—maybe 1/8 of a cup. By now my blender could be three-quarters of the way full, so I just tilt the plastic bottle of flax seed oil and give a couple of squeezes. As you might suspect, there’s no real cooking science or art to this—just an attempt to load it up with foods that pack a nutritional punch.
6. Blend till smooth. Drink up and store the remainder for the next morning.

This is also great on top of cereal, instead of milk, or if you add wheat germ, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, or whatever else you might want to put into it.

If all of this is too time-consuming and bothersome to you, Tierra Sana serves some very healthy “smoothies.” I had one, the Queen Bee, last week. The ingredients in it were maca, almond butter, coconut butter, orange juice, orange zest, oatmeal milk, vanilla, bee pollen, and royal jelly. It was delicious, super smooth, and there’s no way I can replicate the particular chemistry of it at home. I am tempted, though, to start sprinkling some maca into my DIY shakes because, among its many benefits, it’s an aphrodisiac. After this long winter, I’m game for a little spring fever.

So there you have it. Feel free to share your shake secrets too.

Council OKs Cong. $ing

It’s all over the news (this is what I get for going out to dinner on the eve of such a critical event), so by now you all know that the city council approved legislation pricing by 30–20.

More to follow on this good news, but for now, it’s heading up to Albany. Let’s hope Sheldon Silver can get over himself long enough to do the right thing.

Vote at 3:30

The City Council is voting at 3:30 today on congestion pricing. After this vote, if CP is passed, it goes to the state legislature, where supporters await. Over the weekend:

Gov. David A. Paterson, who supports the plan, amended legislation to give breaks to low-income drivers and to allow commuters who cross the Hudson River from New Jersey to pay only tolls — not an additional congestion charge — if the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agrees to make a substantial contribution to the M.T.A. capital budget.

There is already some resistance to the “free pass” being given commuters from New Jersey via its bailout by the PA.

And Streetsblog has a great post today on how CP affects Queens. Required reading if you’re following this story. Photo below (from Streesblog) from Friday’s anti-CP rally staged at the bottom of the Feeling Groovy Bridge, Queens side—

According to our sources, of the council members slated to attend–Avella, Leroy Comrie, Melinda Katz, David Weprin “and other possible members of the Queens Delegation”–only Avella and Weprin showed up. Pro-pricing folks who came to either counter-protest or just express support for pricing, including those from Queens, were reportedly yelled at and accused of being “undemocratic” by Avella. Environmental Defense was on hand to measure air quality and found that “contaminants were sky high.”

Queens residents crash Friday’s anti-pricing rally

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Spring Cleaning—Stretch Your Wings

One of Forest Hills’ best-kept secrets is the Pilates instructor at the Central Queens Y, Robin Budnetz. I really don’t understand why the Y doesn’t do a better job of advertising its greatest assets, of which Robin is one of just a few. She actually trained with Joseph Pilates himself, and when you’re in one of Robin’s classes, be it Pilates, stretching, yoga, or dance-movement, you definitely feel like you’re in the hands of a master. No matter what your age or what shape you’re in.

Her classes cycle between gentle and intense, and movements feel intuitive not merely within themselves but also within the progression of the class. A long time ago I used to dance, and in all my years of dabbling in and observing other workout forms, Pilates—and specifically, the way Robin leads it—is the one organized exercise venue that makes sense to me. I’m not alone in this assessment, as whenever I show up for a class (and I admit to being routinely hamstrung in this regard by the demands of parenting and work), I’m happy to spot faces I’ve seen in her classes for several years.

Unfortunately, the Y has yet to make its abysmal Web site a tool users can actually use, but trust me, bypass this sign of organizational dysfunction and go straight to Robin. A series of classes just started; if there’s room, you might be able to get in at a prorated price.

Central Queens Y
67-09 108 Street
718-268-5011, fitness department

Lots of Clicks

The gist is that the Upper East and West Sides are still blazingly hot real estate markets, but you can’t miss the plugs for Forest Hills in this NY Post article.

Prospective home buyers are checking out Manhattan’s Upper East and West Sides more than all other New York City neighborhoods.

A Post analysis of data from the Real Estate Board of New York’s Web site also found that traditional middle-class neighborhoods, such as Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge and Forest Hills, Queens, are hot markets for potential buyers—even attracting greater interest than pricier areas like Brooklyn Heights.

A review of user searches on the board’s site, ResidentialNYC.com, since Jan. 1 reveals that…

• In Queens, Forest Hills is king, followed by Jackson Heights, Rego Park, Astoria, and Douglaston/Little Neck.

April Craft Fair

Saturday, April 26 11–5 p.m.

Sunday, April 27, 2-5 p.m.

First Presbyterian Church of Forest Hills
70-35 112th Street in Forest Hills. (718) 268-4036
The event is to raise fund for World Vision

If you would like to find out about selling your crafts or other homemade items, or you would like some more information in general, contact Lydia.Tems@Gmail.com

Spring Cleaning…

Next week Splitting Hairs will have a series of posts on this subject, all conceived to get readers psyched for warmer weather and feeling less blah-y about things, be it in our bodies, in our homes, or on the streets of Forest Hills.

For Parents of Incoming K Students

There is an informational meeting scheduled for all incoming kindergarten parents at PSs 196 and 3. At this meeting, the selection process for kindergarten at both elementary schools will be discussed. See, too, post on this blog re: PS 3 and the reallocation of K seats in Forest Hills, north side of the Boulevard.

April 14, 9 a.m. at PS 196. (718) 263-9770.

Congestion $ing Update

There is a lot going on, so I’m encapsulating some highlights in a bulleted list. The barrage of news on this subject can be a turnoff if you haven’t been following it so far, but—and at the risk of sounding like a broken record (scratched CD doesn’t work)—it’s really important to be aware of the basics surrounding CP because there’s a good chance it, and residential parking permits, will happen.

• On Monday there was an all-day hearing on congestion pricing (CP) before the City Council State and Federal Legislation Committee at City Hall. Read about it here and here, but of local (Forest Hills) interest: “In response to a question from Quinn about mitigating the park-and-ride effect, [Janette] Sadik-Khan [Transportation Commissioner] said, ‘We don’t anticipate that this will be a problem. Parking is already at 98% capacity in these neighborhoods [adjacent to the zone]. We think it’s unlikely that people will drive to these neighborhoods just to park and get on the subway, but we are mindful of those concerns, so we proposed RPP so that residents have priority to park in those neighborhoods’.” Doubtful that this will assuage opponents of CP.
• Christine Quinn had one of the quotes of the day: “The benefits so far outweigh any of the negatives, the concept of inaction is simply, in my opinion, not an option. We have to seize this moment to create a sustainable revenue source for mass transit.” Amen to that but also to the principle of reducing pollutants.
• Monday was also the day when we found out that the MTA’s recent fare hikes are going to result in reduced service. This will probably be a spur for advocates of CP, the profits of which will be directed back to the MTA (in a locked box). Of local interest: the disgusting E line will probably remain disgusting.
• Good News: Sheldon Silver “agreed to introduce a bill that has the backing of Gov. Paterson and Senate GOP leader Joe Bruno.” Bad News: “Some Democratic lawmakers told the Daily News that a chorus of boos erupted at a closed-door meeting of Assembly Democrats when Silver announced his decision to introduce the bill.” [NY Daily News] Too bad we have to pretend that Albany is politically relevant right now.
• Today, Barak Obama come out in favor of congestion pricing on WNYC’s All Things Considered. (He was also seen within 10 feet of Michael Bloomberg, setting off a media frenzy about an Obama-Bloomberg ticket; the beast was fed).
• To cap the week off will be this bizarre photo op: “Tony Avella, Leroy Comrie, Melinda Katz, David Weprin /and other possible members of the Queens Delegation’ are holding an anti-congestion pricing rally tomorrow morning at 8:00 on the Queens side of the 59th Street Bridge, according to an e-mail from the Queens Civic Congress.” [Streetsblog] One suggestion: wear a respiratory mask. The air is filthy and poisonous over there.

Image: Ming the Merciless on New York City Daily Photo

Earth Hour—3/29 at 8 p.m.

On March 31 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming – coal-fired electricity – by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the attention of the world.

In 2008, 24 global cities will participate in Earth Hour at 8pm on March 29. Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.

What Is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour, run by WWF, the conservation organisation, is a global climate change initiative which calls on individuals and businesses around the world, to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday March 29 2008 between 8 pm and 9pm.

The aim of the campaign is to express that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better.

The event itself will clearly demonstrate in participating cities, the connection between energy usage and climate change, showing that we as broader community can address the biggest threat our planet has ever faced.

What do I need to do on the night?

The most important thing to do on the night is turn off your lights between 8pm and 9pm. There will also be events held on the night, check back later for event updates.

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Does this mean I have to turn of everything in my home and use absolutely no electricity?

Not at all. The main point of this campaign is to show people and companies how easy it is to take action to avoid global warming. This does not mean you have to turn off your fridge, but we do encourage you to join us by switching off your lights and make a statement, as well as changing your habits in the long term.

Participating Cities

Aarhus Adelaide Atlanta Bangkok Brisbane Canberra Chicago Christchurch Copenhagen Dublin Manila Melbourne Montreal Odense Ottawa Perth Phoenix San Francisco Suva and Lautoka Sydney Tel Aviv Toronto Vancouver*

This is being sponsored in part by the World Wildlife Federation International. The rest of the worth-reading FAQs can be found here. One Q I have, rhetorical, is why on earth isn’t New York on this list? Not that we in Forest Hills can’t go ahead on our own and participate anyway—everyone, anywhere, can and should; what’s one hour? You can sign up on the site or just do it. But I’m suprised that NYC is sitting this one out, with all her lights brightly shining.

*See, too, Wikipedia entry on this, which includes a more updated list of cities and what have been the criticisms of Earth Hour.