Last week on Veterans Day, I covered the West Springfield Veterans Day Parade along Kings Highway.   It was very sparsely attended.  Many of those turning out were veterans  who came to salute fellow veterans.   With the pace of life today, many who might have wanted to come out and salute our veterans might have found it difficult to get out and do so.

But the point is, in addition to Veterans Day we can  also say “thank you” to those who served on the 364 other days of the year.    I know a number of times, I have thanked those who are currently serving for what they’re doing to protect us.    It’s easy to offer a simple thank you at any time to any of our veterans.

Almost everyone has a family member who has served.  My father as a young 18 year old served in the Navy.  I think any of our young men and women who are in the military, really don’t know what course their lives will take while they are serving.   But they make the decision to serve, despite the uncertainty.  For that they deserve a thank you.

Since venturing into the business world of cupcakes, I recently took a trip to NYC in search of the city’s best cupcake!

I went to the three of the most popular bake shops.

First I stopped by Buttercup Bake Shop…
(Might I add this bakery was voted best bakery for 2008)

Vanilla frosted cupcake from Buttercup Bakery

Buttercup Bakery cupcakes

The Verdict: The cake was dry (who wants a dry cupcake? lol) and the frosting was thick and disgusting! Oh sure they look colorful and delicious but unless you like snacking on a stick of butter you won’t like this cupcake! Between my brother, his wife and myself we tried three different kinds….and none of us liked them!

Then I stopped by the Cupcakestop.com truck….
(This truck has only been around for about a year, but they’re all the rage in NYC)

Cupcakestop's cupcake truck

The Verdict: Ok so I’ll be honest the reason I went to see the truck was because the concept was cool. But let’s face it you can’t eat the concept! I’ll give the truck props for creative flavors of cupcakes (like oreo crumb and banana chocolate chip)…but I’d rather eat cardboard. Again the frosting’s were not good and these cupcakes tasted more like a muffin then a cupcake…more like a week old muffin! lol Wouldn’t go there again let’s just put it that way.

Finally I ended up over at Magnolia’s Bakery…

The red velvet cupcake and the chocolate cupcake from Magnolia Bakery.

The Verdict: Ah Magnolia…I have loved thee ever since your days spent on the classic television series “Sex and the City.” Magnolia bakery can frost a cupcake like no one else. Oh sure they’re cupcakes are pretty and cute but it’s hard to believe that Charlotte, Miranda, Carrie and Samantha actually ate them! lol I say this because on the show (if you’ve seen it) they eat the vanilla frosted, vanilla cupcakes. (Quick side note the woman who used to work at Magnolia’s is the same woman who opened up the Buttercup Bake Shop…so you can imagine where I’m going with this) Unless you eat cupcakes every day there’s no way you can tell the difference between Magnolia and Buttercups vanilla frosted cupcakes, they’re twins…and I don’t recommend the vanilla. It’s like an accquired taste for butter lol However their red velvet cupcakes have a light and fluffy frosting which is fantastic, and the cake is moist and delicious! If you don’t like red velvet cake then I suggest chocolate cake with the chocolate frosting….the cake is not as dry as the vanilla and the frosting tastes like chocolate instead of vanilla flavored butter!
And the winner is (drumroll please!)…..
The red velvet cupcake from Magnolia! If you don’t like red velvet cupcakes you will after you eat one from Magnolia Bakery.

Next time you’re in NYC and you want a cupcake just remember one name…Magnolia!

For those of you who had Yankees in 6…that pick is still alive…but not without a little trepidation. You only have to look at the starters for game 6 for a little doubt to creep in.
37 year old Andy Pettitte on three days rest for the Yankees…vs. 38 year old Pedro Martinez on full rest for the Phillies.
Just like they did in games 4 and 5…the Yankees are starting a pitcher on 3 days rest. It worked out for them in game 4…even though C.C.Sabathia didn’t get the win.
But A.J. Burnett imploded in game 5 (6 runs in 2 plus innings of work) and it might not be such a great idea after all.
Last night Fox Sports showed a graphic illustrating the risk Yankees Manager Joe Girardi is taking.
Since 1999…when one pitcher starts a playoff game on three days’ rest …against a starter on full rest… the pitchers on short-rest have won 12…and lost 36.
Girardi says he thought it over a long time…consulting with his staff…and his pitchers…and remains convinced this is what they needed to do to win the World Series.
He might still be right.
I think this really comes down to two things: The Phillies offense…vs. the Phillies Bullpen !!! And that’s not a typo!
Can Utley, Werth ,Ibanez, Rollins and Howard (if he ever snaps out of it)…score more runs than the Phillies beleaguered bullpen gives up ??? Can anyone really trust Ryan Madson or Brad Lidge with less than a 10 run lead in the 9th ??? They make Mitch Williams look like Mariano Rivera !!!
If the Phillies somehow win game 6…can’t you see it in game 7…Phillies lead 5-4 in the 9th…with Brad Lidge on the mound…and the Yankees have the top of the order coming up !!!
It’s the ultimate payoff…or let down…and it’s what a lot of Phillies fans have both dreamed about…and anguished over all summer long.

I started writing this blog before Game One…now I’m finishing it before Game Two.

If I didn’t have such an emotional investment into who wins the World Series…I think I would really look forward to watching a nail biting winner-take-all game 7. Being a lifelong Phillies fan…I don’t know if I want it to go that far!!! I would prefer not to have to endure what could be a wild rollercoaster ride to the finish.
That being said…it has all the makings of a great match up. The two best teams in baseball this season…going head to head in the best of 7 Fall Classic.
The defending world champs…against the traditional powerhouse. The team with the most last place finishes in baseball history vs. the team with the most world titles.
Both teams are loaded with stars…Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley etc…vs. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera and the rest.
Try comparing them by positions…side by side…and it’s very close.

1st Base…Ryan Howard and Mark Teixiera. Two great sluggers. Howard hit more home runs and had more RBI’s…but Teixiera is better with the glove. Howard has shown the ability to rise to the occasion…and has been a clutch performer for the past three seasons down the stretch. The jury is still out on Teixiera…after a sub-par postseason so far.
Advantage: PHILLIES

2nd Base…Chase Utley and Robinson Cano. Both can hit…but Utley is the Phillies answer to Derek Jeter. He is always in the right place at the right time…and does what it takes to win…with the bat or with his glove. Two home runs off Sabathia in Game 1 says it all (Only Babe Ruth has ever done that before…2 HR’s in a World Series game..by a left-handed batter …against a left-handed pitcher…pretty exclusive company!) Advantage: PHILLIES

Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter. The 2007 NL MVP vs. one of the all time great Yankees who had a resurgence this season with the bat and the glove. Jeter is a winner…and it’s the intangible that cannot be measured. Rollins is better with the glove…and rises to the occasion when the spotlight is on. Close call. Advantage: YANKEES

Third Base: Pedro Feliz and Alex Rodriguez. No debate. A-rod is one of the best players of all time…who was thriving for the first time in October..until Cliff Lee took the mound.
Feliz has an average bat…and a good glove…but he’s not A-rod. Advantage: YANKEES

Leftfield: Raul Ibanez and Johnny Damon. Ibanez has more power…is a better fielder…and Damon’s arm is weak at best. Damon hit the most home runs in his career this year with 24…but so did Ibanez with 34. Advantage: PHILLIES

Centerfield: Shane Victorino and Melky Cabrera. Victorino is another one of those Red Light players that seems to thrive when the pressure is on. He’s also a gold glove centerfielder. Cabrera started the season as a back up to Brett Gardner…but regained the starting job in July and provides some pop at the bottom of the Yankees order. Advantage: PHILLIES

Rightfield: Jayson Werth and Nick Swisher. Werth has come into his own this season…with career highs in home runs (36), RBI’s (99) and games played. He was an All Star for the first time this season…and may have room to get even better. Swisher also hit 29 home runs of his own…usually batting 8th in the Yankees order…but he has really struggled in the postseason.
Advantage: PHILLIES

Catcher: Carlos Ruiz and Jorge Posada. Don’t sell Ruiz short. For the second postseason in a row he has been a rock behind home plate and a clutch performer at the bat. Posada has more power…but he has lost a step behind the plate. Advantage: PHILLIES

Starting Pitching: I think the Yankees have the edge…but it’s a very close call…especially after Game 1. Cliff Lee was incredible…C.C Sabathia was good…but not great. After that…it’s a toss up. Who will be better ….Pedro or A.J ??? And will the real Cole Hamels please stand up ??? Does Andy Pettitte have another big game left in his bag of tricks ??? Before Game 1… I thought the Yankees had the advantage. After Game 1…I say it’s EVEN.

Relief pitching: Mariano Rivera tips this to the Yankees. He’s the best closer of all time…and as usual is the one key player that no other team has. Brad Lidge was brutal during the regular season…shaky but efficient so far in the playoffs. The other relievers …on both teams …are no guarantees. Advantage: YANKEES

Prediction: I made this before I saw Game 1…
Phillies in 5.
Howard, Utley and Rollins are the best players the Phillies have ever had at their respective positions. Sprinkle in Cliff Lee…Shane Victorino…Jayson Werth…and add a little burst of Pedro magic…and the Phillies will repeat.

Actor and comedian D. L. Hugley  headlined two shows on Friday Oct. 9th  at the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee, MA. He is perhaps best known as the star of the ABC/UPN sitcom The Hughleys, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy. He was the host of CNN’s D. L. Hughley Breaks the News, a short-lived comedy show. He is currently a correspondent for The Jay Leno Show. Hughley was the original host of ComicView, the stand-up comedy program on BET. During 2005, he had a short-lived talk show on Comedy Central called Weekends at the D.L.. He is a member of The Original Kings of Comedy, and has also had roles on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and on NBC’s Scrubs as Turk’s brother.

He was the host of the 2008 BET Awards. Hughley was selected to host and write a comedic news-show on CNN which covers global happenings in politics, entertainment, sports and pop culture, titled D. L. Hughley Breaks the News, which aired its premiere episode on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 10 p.m. EDT on CNN. On March 9, 2009, CNN announced Hughley would be ending the show due to a desire to work in Los Angeles and be closer to his family. He plans to continue his work with CNN as a Los Angeles-based contributor for the network. Recently, Hughley began a career as an on-air radio personality. On July 20, 2009, The D.L. Hughley Morning Show premiered on WRKS (more popularly known as 98.7 Kiss FM), an urban adult contemporary station in New York City. His co-hosts include former BET news correspondent Jacque Reid.

The foliage is colorful and the air is crisp. This Sunday, October 18th at Six Flags New England, 3,000 people will be taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s “Walk to Cure Diabetes.”  This walk has been growing every year for the past 11 years,with more and more walkers.

Every year the walk raises thousands of dollars to help find a cure for diabetes.  JDRF’s focus is on finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, which affects both children and adults. I’ve been involved with JDRF and the Walk for a number of years now and what is so amazing is how much is raised by family teams, who have a child with diabetes. It really is a grassroots effort, with some of the teams raising thousands of dollars just among family and friends.

I’ll be emceeing the pre-walk events and we always have a great time. There’s music and dancing that gets everyone pumped up. This year’s Walk Co-Chairs are UMass Head Football Coach, Kevin Morris and his wife Rebecca Morris. Rebecca has Type 1 diabetes. And they like all the others taking part can’t wait for the day, there’s a cure. 

 Members of the UMass Football team will be on hand to sign autographs after the walk.  And members of the UMass Marching Band will also be taking part.

Another great thing about the Walk.  Anyone raising $50 or more will get free admission to Six Flags following the walk.  

The Walk to Cure Diabetes begins at 10:30  a.m.  Festivities betin at 8:45 a.m.

  To pre-register for the walk, go to walk.jdrf.org

See you there!

I recently did a story on the 30th anniversary of the Windsor Locks tornado. It was really interesting to go back and look at all the old footage. I wish I could remember that day but I only remember hearing about it and not fully understanding what had happened. I think it was shortly after that event that I started to become  interested in weather.

What is really amazing about that tornado was the fact that only 3 people died. The tornado was an F4 and hit a pretty populated area, touching down on the edge of a major airport.

It is also amazing how far technology has advanced from 30 years ago. I remember watching the old radar from the National Weather Service at Bradley International while I was growing up and it was always showing ground clutter. You could never tell if it was really raining or not from that radar. For this area we really had to depend on the radars from Chatham and Albany.

Now  TV stations like ours, have their own radars and the National Weather Service has a network of very powerful and much more sophisticated Doppler Radars and they are working on another more advanced radar system for the future.

On the day of the 30 anniversary of the Windsor Locks tornado a Tornado Warning was actually issued for southern Connecticut.  And as I was watching the Connecticut stations, they were displaying the warning then breaking into programming for nonstop coverage until it expired. That did not happen 30 years ago or even 20 years ago. There was no warning for the Windsor Locks tornado and back then most warnings were not issued until a tornado was actually spotted by someone. Today warnings can actually be issued based on what the radar is showing. Indicating that a tornado could touch down or may be on the ground.

Another interesting fact. The tornado touched down on October 3, 1979 seven days later on October 10th it was snowing. Only in New England.

Baku’s African Restaurant

197 N Pleasant St
Amherst, MA 01002

During my years in college I spent time studying in London. While I was there I made friends with many African students at the University College London. Forming these relationships exposed me to a new world of culinary delights that I was unaware of growing up in the States.  Many of my closest friends I met while studying abroad hailed from West Africa. Countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and even Togo became very familiar to me through the eyes of my good buddies. Feeling slightly home sick in a land far from their foundation, many of my Nigerian and Ghanaian female friends would often prepare their traditional dishes for me. I gained an appreciation for their savory hearty cooking style. Many of the dishes consisted of rich stews and aromatic sweet plantains served over a bed of traditional jolof rice. Although we may have come from different cultural backgrounds, their homey foods made me feel right at home and comforted, despite being so far away from the familiar.

Now years later, I’ve come across a restaurant that brings me back to the fond memories of my African friends’ cooking. Baku’s African Restaurant located in Amherst holds the reputation of being the only West African restaurant in Western Massachusetts. The restaurant owner, Pat Baku grew up on the sea coast of Nigeria and moved to Amherst to attend college. As a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Baku told Dishin’ It  that although the area was relatively open she noticed there wasn’t a strong African presence at the school or in the town. During a multi-cultural fair at U Mass, Baku decided to prepare some of her regional dishes for the student body and faculty. Baku said people loved the unique savory flavors of her food.  She was encouraged by many of her peers to do some event catering around the school. Her success in catering is what sparked her interest in cooking professionally. But, when she decided to open her own restaurant in Amherst she was met with rejection and intolerance from some landlords who didn’t want her type of cuisine in their buildings. Fortunately, she stayed determined and in 2005 she eventually found a cozy nook on Pleasant Street in Amherst, where she could live out her dream of having her own restaurant.

The menu at Baku’s features authentic Nigerian cuisine from her sea coast region. Many of the dishes are both gluten and lactose free–which means vegans this a great spot for you. One of the staple dishes at Baku’s is Foo Foo or pounded yam, considered the ultimate comfort food in Nigeria. Another traditional dish is Akara, black-eyed pea fritters with a taste similar to potato latkes and a consistency that is vaguely reminiscent of hush puppies. The stewed black-eyed peas also come in an entrée dish featuring collard greens and jolof rice smothered with a rich tomato sauce. The tomato sauce, with hints of onion, garlic, and ginger, was so delicious my friends and I couldn’t stop dipping, slurping, and lapping it up on top of every item we tasted. Her rich stewed sauce has become so popular that Baku is working on selling and distributing containers of her homemade sauce in Whole Foods Grocery store. 

Baku’s African restaurant also offers some yummy meat dishes. Since organic chicken tends to be expensive in Nigeria, many of the traditional meals use goat meat and seafood. Both fresh grilled salmon and shrimp can be found on the menu as well as curry chicken. Baku says she uses her own special curry powder on the chicken to give it an authentic flare. You can specify how spicy you want your entrée to be; ranging from mild to medium to super spicy.  If you’re kind of daring and want a bit of heat, I’d say pick regular spicy, cause it will give you a nice kick in the mouth without having to urgently reach for that glass of water. When looking for a beverage to pair with your delightful Nigerian meal, Baku encourages her customers to try her signature mango juice. A favorite among Baku’s children, the mango juice goes down ridiculously smooth and silky, leaving a buttery sweet after taste in your mouth. It’s almost like a desert in itself.

The food and ambiance at Baku’s African restaurant makes you feel like your being transported to the warm sea coast of Nigeria. Baku had a mural painted on the wall of her establishment depicting the scenery from where she grew up. You can also groove to the tunes of some modern African music while enjoying your meal. Baku helps support African artists by playing their CDs in her restaurant. A warm and endearing spirit, Pat Baku brings life and inspiration to the Amherst community through her respected restaurant. I definitely think you should take the time to check out this lovely African treat.

Written by Alexis Miller

As the leaves turn…and the days get shorter…and colder…the calendar clicks over to October 1st.
I think of two things when I see that date…and they both have to do with the Phillies.

October 1, 1950: The Whiz Kids Win It!

It was the last Sunday of the regular season in 1950…and for the first time in 35 years…the Phillies had a chance to win the National League pennant. They were known as the “Whiz Kids” because most of the players were home grown from the Phillies fledging minor league system…and their average age was about 26 years old.
They were the youngest team in baseball…led by future Hall of Famers Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn…and helped along by fan favorites like Del Ennis, Andy Seminick and Willie “Puddin’ Head” Jones.
Maybe most important of all…was the flash of brilliance turned in by relief pitcher Jim Konstanty. He was 33…he wasn’t young…and he wasn’t imposing to look at…but he was the grizzled veteran that held the young team together.
Konstanty made 74 appearances, which set a new National League record. He also won 16 games, all in relief…and racked up a National League best 22 saves. Konstanty was the first relief pitcher in baseball history to win the MVP award.
On October 1st…the Phillies were desperately clinging to a one game lead. The Brooklyn Dodgers were breathing down their necks. The defending National League champions had already taken the first two games of this season ending series at Ebbets Field…and they needed just one more win to force a one game playoff. Robin Roberts and Don Newcombe hooked up in a pitcher’s duel…both righthanders were looking for their 20th win of the season. The Dodgers almost won it in the bottom of the 9th…but Richie Ashburn fielded a single in center and threw a strike to home to nab Cal Abrams at the plate and send the game into extra innings.
Then in the top of the 10th…Dick Sisler hit a two out three run homer…the biggest home run in Phillies history …to give the Whiz kids a 4-1 lead! 35 years of frustrations wiped away by one swing !!! Despite Konstanty’s dominant season as the “closer”…it was Roberts who got the last three outs to end it. The Phillies …the Whiz Kids…had finally won the pennant!!!

October 1, 1970: Farewell Connie Mack

That was the night they finally closed down Connie Mack Stadium…home of the Phillies for 32 seasons…and original home of the Philadelphia Athletics…and I was there.
Built in 1909 as Shibe Park…it was America’s first concrete and steel ballpark. Located at 21st and Lehigh in Philadelphia… it was home to Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s…the premier franchise of the American League for the first three decades of the 20th Century. The Phillies began sharing the old ballpark in 1938…and became sole occupants when the A’s left for Kansas City in 1954. Known for it’s French Renaissance exterior…and the dome that graced the main entrance…Shibe Park was a green diamond in the slowly deteriorating North Philadelphia neighborhood.
Renamed Connie Mack Stadium…it was considered antiquated by the 1960’s…and Phillies waited to move into a modern ballpark. That would happen with the opening of Veteran’s Stadium in 1971.
But before they did…they held that last game…October 1st 1970.
My father loaded our  family into the station wagon and we headed into North Philly to see the Phillies play the Montreal Expos in the final game of the season…the final game at Connie Mack.
It was quite a show…the old stadium was packed to the rafters. And a lot of fans didn’t come to say good bye…they came to take something home. They started to literally pull the old ballpark apart…seat by seat and brick by brick. I remember sitting in the upper deck along the first base line…and the familiar sounds of a ballgame were replaced by the din of hammers…and wrenches and bare hands ripping seats from their foundations…and the signs off the walls. I still remember the feeling…when the upper deck started to sway as the demolition continued. My father quickly led us back downstairs…because he thought the whole place was going to come down !!
But it was a really good game (!) …so we stayed to watch the end…from the lower stands along the third baseline. The Phillies won it 2-1 in the bottom of the 10th…when Oscar Gamble singled in Tim McCarver with the game winning run. And that’s when the fans stormed the field…and started ripping the beautiful green grass up…and tearing down the outfield walls. It was total bedlam…and very sad. I was only 9 years old…but I could see the look in my father’s eye that this was a heartbreaking way to say farewell to an old friend.
About a year later my dad took my brother and I back into the now vacant ballpark. It was scary and fun all at the same time. The field was overgrown with weeds and debris. Part of the upper deck on the third base side had been heavily damaged by fire in August 1971…and it was now just a conglomeration of twisted metal and charred remains. Rows and rows of stadium seats were actually lined up where the infield used to be. The big Ballantine Beer scoreboard in right was still there…but it was full of holes and missing tiles.
But standing there with my dad and brother …in what was now desolate and quiet…you could imagine that you were Jim Bunning standing on the mound…or Tony Taylor digging in at home plate.
You could almost hear the crack of the bat…and the roar of the crowd from long ago.
My brother and I ran the bases…at least what we figured where the bases once were…and we laughed…and shouted…and tried to make it home….with my dad cheering us on.
For one brief moment…it was a ballpark again.
Before we left…my dad noticed three complete seats…still joined together…along the rows laying in the infield. The three of us carried them out…and took them home…for a final souvenir.
39 years later…I still have those seats…and the memories of Connie Mack Stadium…safe at home.

There are only so many ways to sugar coat a less than perfect forecast.  Sunday shower will, no doubt, dampen some outdoor plans.

It’s the last Sunday of September, a Big E weekend…  Rain is the last thing a meteorologist wants to forecast on a day like today.  But, it’s here and it’s going to stick around.

The steadiest rain fell this morning.  Scattered showers and drizzle should be expected this afternoon.

Now, don’t be upset with me for saying this… We’re due!  We had two full weeks of dry weather.  Average September rainfall for the Springfield area is about 3.5”, and less than .5” has fallen in Chicopee so far this month.

A little rain is just what Mother Nature ordered.