All Friends Catering – dosh garn delicious food for your special occasion!

Poached Pork Tenderloin pan seared and sliced, Quinoa with black beans and peppers, mango Steamed Green Beans sauteed with peppers, and a Roasted Tomato and Chipotle Salsa sauce!

A few months ago we discussed Jonathan Abreu’s All Friends Catering and focused on one thing that they do better than anyone in the area: Bar-B-Que – unless of course, it’s your mom’s Bar-B-Que, in which case it’s the best on planet earth. That article, especially the images – pardon the pun – got the juices flowing and let people in greater New Bedford know about their mouth watering offerings.

However, All Friends Catering is so much more than authentic and New England Bar-B-Que. They have ways, tools, and methods to get those salivary glands popping and kick your special event up a notch! More importantly, they have ways to bring it to you, allowing you to divert time and energy away from cook preparation and put it into making that special function a memorable experience. For foodies and partiers like us, that’s great news!

We at New Bedford Guide are promoters and practitioners of the maxim “Buy local!” for reasons explained in an article we published early in April. Abreu re-iterated multiple times how important this was to him personally and it’s locked and loaded into his business model.

All Friends will cater all occasions casual to very formal!

It is not only crucial, but in his mind mandatory, that a chef buys local produce, and the freshest ingredients to offer a superior dining experience. Anything less, and the menu suffers.

The meats, dairy, and produce come from only local farms, like Silverbrook Farm in Acushnet, and suppliers like local icon Giammalvos and the many Fisherman’s markets throughout the waterfront and beyond. He proudly serves Jim’s Organic Coffee as part of my full service menu. This is a man who is passionate about his food and what he lets past his guard to the diners.

All Friends Catering has a large and diverse menu, which allows them to cater to you, your friends and family regardless of restrictions, allergy sensitivity, or preference. They will effortlessly devise a full menu that accommodates those with food allergies, vegetarian or vegan diets. Bar-B-Que? Check. New England Fare? Covered. Are you fanatical like I am about Portuguese food? Well, their Portuguese food rivals any full restaurant in greater New Bedford, Fall River or beyond.

All Friends “traditional” menu offers classics like:

  • Bifanas– Seasoned pork loin, sliced and pan seared and baked with sliced onions. Topped with sliced red peppers.
  • Portuguese Little Necks – Fresh littleneck clams cooked in a garlic white wine sauce with onions, peppers, and ground chourico.
  • Kale Soup – A Portuguese favorite containing Yukon gold potatoes, Cannelloni beans, kale, yellow onions, seasoned beef and slice chourico simmered in a chicken stock with garlic and bay leaves.
  • Chicken or Shrimp Mozambique-Fresh shrimp or sliced chicken breast simmered in a garlic and beer sauce with crushed red peppers, onions, bay leaves, and Goya seasoning.
  • Cacoila– Cubes of pork loin marinated in white wine with garlic, cumin, and bay leaves and slow cooked with crushed red pepper, orange juice, and white wine until fork tender .
  • Pork Alentejana – Cubes of pork loin marinated in white wine, garlic, and bay leaves, pan seared in oil then simmered in a garlic and tomato white wine sauce with sliced onions and fresh littleneck clams. Served with roasted potatoes.”
  • Bacalhau Gomes Sa– Salted codfish seasoned and layered with sliced potatoes and onions. Oven baked and topped with hard boiled eggs, and black olives.

Salivating yet?

Abreu could easily rely on his ethnic credentials and authenticate his Portuguese dishes by saying “Hey…I’m Portuguese. I’m the genuine article.” But he is a “practicing,” proud Portagee! He belongs to to Clube Madeirenese S.S. Sacramento, and All Friends Catering is part of the annual Portuguese Feast, which he has been volunteering for these past 10 years. It’s likely that you’ve eaten his dishes and not even known it! The Portuguese Feast is celebrating their 100th Anniversary, this year and you will find Jonathan on the grill cooking the Carne D’Espeto in the booth right next to the malassadas. Be sure to stop in and say hi!

All friends will cater to vegetarians, vegans, those with allergies, and yes – meat lovers too!

Before the feast arrives you can also get a sample of what All Friends does in the “Taste of South Coast” event in May.

They bring their delicacies to you and treat your special occasion with equal importance, whether it’s something as casual as a backyard cookout, a big game, birthday party, even bachelorette party or something very formal like a wedding or graduation. In essence, it’s like having a fine restaurant come to you in the comfort of your own home, surrounded by only your chosen friends and family.

Family, friends, food, and fine dining – it doesn’t get any better than that, and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who brings it to you better than All Friends Catering.

All Friends Catering

1133 Fisher Rd
North Dartmouth, Massachusetts 02747
*By appointment only!

Phone: 774.628.9735
Email: Jon@allfriendscatering.com
Website: allfriendscatering.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/All-Friends-Catering-BBQ/136699856387438


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Best Healthy Snack Ever: Easy Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Make granola treats that will wow the whole family! (This is a teaser! Healthy recipe inside!)

Granola Bars can be a little tricky to make. I created numerous recipes before I came up with one that I really like and that works well with different ingredients (because I like to play with my food!). Now a self-proclaimed chewy-granola-bar-making-queen, I announce the following to my fellow New Bedford cooks: The three most important things to keep in mind when making granola bars are 1) if you want them to be chewy, never add flour or eggs to granola bars—I don’t care what food guru told you otherwise, 2) if the mixture isn’t slightly wet when you put it into the pan, they will come out crumbly, and 3) never underestimate the power of coconut oil and honey!

Now for the fun talking points about these super yummies (what my husband fondly refers to them as): If you love snack foods yet don’t want to succumb to the fatty, salty, commercially processed kind, these Chewy Granola Bars are super delicious, highly nutritious, and very easy to make! They also pack a powerful protein, fiber, and energy punch, and if you want to get creative, this recipe has plenty of room for variety. Just sweet enough to taste like an indulgence, eat them for breakfast, on the go, or for an after-dinner/during a movie treat!

Mix Time: 5-10 Minutes / Bake Time: 15 Minutes

Servings: ~24 Granola Bars

Ingredients:

1 Cup Peanut Butter (Regular, Natural – With or w/o Nuts)
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar (Dark or Light)
1/2 Cup of Honey
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil, Softened
2 1/2 Cups Oats
2 Cups Dry Goods — Any Combination of the Following: Nuts, Dried Fruit, Seeds, Cereal, Coconut Flakes, etc.

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat an 11X9 rectangular baking pan with coconut oil. (You can also use a cookie sheet, as long as it has at least a half-inch or so of height around the edges.)

Stir Peanut Butter & Brown Sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add Honey & Softened Coconut Oil. Mix well.

Add Oats one cup at a time, while mixing gently.

Fold-in remaining dry ingredients.

Spread granola mixture into pan and press down firmly and evenly with fingers or the back of a large spoon.

Bake for about seven minutes uncovered, then, for best results, cover the top of the granola mixture
with aluminum foil and bake the remaining seven to eight minutes.

Cool completely before eating. Cut into squares or rectangles. You can store your Chewy Granola Bars in a covered dish for about a week unrefrigerated, but don’t plan on them sticking around that long!

Variations:

This recipe is extremely versatile. Just search your cabinet for leftover dried goods and create a masterpiece! For extra healthy bars, add flax seeds, goji berries, dried cranberries, and/or chia seeds. You can also add up to two ripe (or over-ripe) bananas, which makes a moist, dense (and still chewy!) granola bar very similar to Odwalla’s banana bar! Or, if you’re feeling naughty and want something slightly more nutritious than a candy bar, add mini-marshmallows to the recipe!





Edible Arrangements “makes life sweeter” for greater New Bedford residents

Edible Arrangements has two locations to serve the Greater New Bedford and Fall River areas.

Edible Arrangements is a local business that specializes in putting smiles on people’s faces. While the Wikipedia definition of Edible Arrangements states that they “…specialize in fresh fruit arrangements, melding the concept of fruit baskets with design inspired by the floral business.” what they really do is make people happy. quite simply, they’ve taken the idea of gifting someone with flowers and improved upon it. Flowers are nice – you can enjoy their beauty and aroma, but a fresh-fruit arrangement you can also eat!

Edible Arrangements in North Dartmouth and Fall River are two franchises that are owned and operated by the exuberant sisters Isabel Da Silva Levisee and Jessica DaSilva. The inspiration came via a fruit arrangement Isabel had received while pregnant. The New Bedford natives opened their Fall River store in 2006 where an existing Edible Arrangement store was available for purchase and the North Dartmouth location in 2009. It’s no surprise that the chain itself, and these two locations in particular, have enjoyed great success. There’s a reason the Connecticut based company that started in 2001 has become one of the most popular franchises on earth and has been voted first – yes, first – in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 seven years in a row.

Isabel, Jessica and crew have all occasions, big and small, covered!

Why should anyone pay for a fruit arrangement? For the same reasons one would buy a bouquet of flowers: to say “I love you,” to apologize, to say “I’m thinking of you,” get well, happy birthday or congratulate someone for an accomplishment like graduation or just “because.” These aren’t just for mom, girlfriend, wife, daughter, or ill friend, but that guy in your life likes chocolate whether he admits it or not. Besides, with all that steak and potatoes in his life, some fruit would be good for him!

In fact, Isabel and Jessica mentioned that arrangements have been ordered to thank people for plowing a driveway, getting a business promotion, getting out of the “Dog House,” a thank you to nurses for saving a life, ” rubbing in the UConn win w/ fruit in a basketball container,” a wedding centerpiece, and many other reasons. Certainly not just for birthdays!

One of the most common misconceptions that the two sisters encounter is that folks believe that arranged fruit is too expensive. However, a quick glance at the menu will show that just like a bouquet of flowers there are a range of prices depending on what you buy, from $15 on up.

Can you simply buy all the fruit and make it yourself? Sure, you can head to the supermarket, wait in line, come home, chop everything up, arrange it and in 2 hours or more you’ll have something special. I can brew my own coffee. I can easily make my own pizza. I can save money by laying in the sun instead of going to a tanning salon. I could do my own hair and nails, but…oh, wait. I can’t do that!

I think you get the point. It’s an unfair misconception. Regardless, you really can’t put a price on the end result, the smile it creates, the message it sends. You could buy flowers, balloons and a card or purchase a fruit arrangement for the same price.

This is what it feels like to get gifted with a fruit arrangement “just because”!

The other misconception that was important to her to have cleared up: that everything arrives frozen and pre-arranged and Edible Arrangements is simply a re-seller. This is flat out untrue. Each morning a delivery of fresh fruit arrives and the fruit is arranged right there on the premises. In fact, they arrange many ahead of time, so you can call and head right over and pick them up right away! Each is hand-designed by a person, not a machine. I didn’t need to take her word for it, since I could see one being hand arranged nearby.

Each arrangement is made fresh to order from locally sourced farms to what is called Fruit Expert® standards. The brilliance behind Edible Arrangements is even though they retain the “mom and pop” feel because they are independently owned, being a franchise means that each is held to specific, high standards.

All the familiar, favorite fruits are there: aromatic oranges, succulent apple, pear, and banana. Juicy pineapple and strawberries. Honeydew, cantaloupe, kiwi, apples, grapes and more! The coup de grace, if you will is that these can be dipped in chocolate, one can add balloons, card messages, stuffed animals, or a variety of fun containers. There is an astounding variety to what Edible Arrangements offers, which means there will be something for everyone.

I spent 2 hours one afternoon with co-owner Isabel, asking her about the two locations and the motivation the two sisters had. She finds it an incredibly rewarding experience. She knows the effect that receiving a gift from Edible Arrangements has on people. She hears the anecdotes, since she has a large regular customer base. Once a person sees for themselves its effect, they return for each special occasion.

Each fruit arrangement can be customized with a container, balloons, and more!

This was evident to me, once the shop had opened and the customer’s began to flow in. Each customer that came in she knew on a first name basis and some conversed with her in Portuguese – which she speaks fluently. She mentioned how rewarding the entire concept is, and wasn’t embarrassed in the least to admit that everyone that works at Edible Arrangements, from the worker to the driver to owners Isabel and Jessica, has shed tears. Isabel says it best: “We’ve cried with customers who’ve lost spouses and came in looking for a thank you arrangement to send to the nursing staff who cared so diligently before he passed, a friend who doesn’t know what to say when she finds out her best girlfriend has breast cancer so she sends our cancer awareness basket, the apologetic tearful neighbor who didn’t see the dog, the sympathy basket for the woman who meant so much to so many and how will we make it without her, the doctor who saved my life after so many treated me like a number, or the baskets we’re asked to send after tragic car accidents involving children…”

Franchise headquarters are affiliated with and donate to the National Breast Cancer Research Foundation and during the month of September and October 2010, 10% of the purchase price from the Awareness Celebration, Breast Cancer Awareness Bouquet and Heels for Healing BouquetTM are be donated to National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.(“NBCF”). Isabel and Jessica go a step further and are actively and voluntarily involved in numerous local charities as a way to give back, i.e. school fundraisers, St. Vincent’s, and one that is a personal and dear to them both is Cerebral Palsy through United Cerebral Palsy Boston. This is a personal choice they have made.

So, if you want to put a smile on someone’s face, say congratulations, thank you or happy birthday; if you want to wish someone good luck, happy anniversary, get well or for no reason at all – there is something better than flowers to give: a fruit arrangement, dipped in chocolate (in my opinion), with some balloons and a creative container. It’s fun, it’s healthy, it’s something out of the ordinary. What Isabel has at her two stores is extra-ordinarily good – deliciously so!


Edible Arrangements (North Dartmouth)
85B Faunce Corner Rd
Phone: 508-858-5450
Fax: 508-858-5453
Website: ediblearrangements.com/stores/dartmouth
Instagram: instagram.com/ediblearrangements

Monday-Friday: 8:00 AM-7:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM-3:00 PM

Edible Arrangements (Fall River)
Executive Plaza, 101 President Ave
Phone: 508-730-3410
Fax: 508-730-3413
Website: ediblearrangements.com/stores/fallriver
Instagram: instagram.com/ediblearrangements

Monday-Friday: 8:00 AM-7:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM-3:00 PM


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New Bedford Based Novex Seeks Migraine Sufferers for Clinical Trial

Novex prides itself in providing exceptional service to patients.

Do you suffer from migraines?

You can participate in a clinical trial that will give you access to new research treatments before they become readily available and you will help migraine sufferers across the nation, right here in New Bedford!

Help find treatment for yourself and other migraine sufferers!

For this particular clinical trial, they are seeking local migraine suffers who qualify to participate. As with all clinical trials there is certain criteria that must be met to determine eligibility. If people did not volunteer in medical research studies, like this one, new medications simply wouldn’t make it to the market.

Primarily they are looking for those who have migraines defined as “…headaches with intense throbbing in one area of the head that is sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.” In addition, if you suffer more than 8 headaches a month at least within the last 3 months and are at least 18–65 years of age, you may qualify. Compensation for time and travel is provided to qualified participants. No insurance is required.

Novex Clinical Research, located on Field Street, is a leader in the field of clinical trials. They also conduct trials for a variety of conditions in additional to Migraines, such as Constipation, Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, High Cholesterol, Multiple Sclerosis, Osteoarthritis, and others.

If you are interested in learning more about clinical research, you can read Novex Clinical Research’s  FAQ, visit their website, Facebook, or contact them through e-mail or phone. You can also get directions via their website.


Novex Clinical Research
222 Field Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: 508.990.9555
Fax: 508.990.9556
Email: Info@NovexClinical.com
Website: novexclinical.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/NovexClinicalResearchLlc


Informational Slides:


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Music Together brings music and movement to kids across the South Coast

South Coast Music Together – A Step (and a Song!) in the Right Direction!

Music is one thing that perhaps every human being can agree on. All communities benefit from it. It touches us all at a primal level. We fill our media players, create playlists, and stream. It is multi-faceted in that it unites or divides, relaxes or excites. It compliments the visual, like film, or the kinesthetic, like dance.

In a bad mood? Put on music. Going to clean the house? There’s a playlist for that. Want to make the atmosphere romantic? There’s an artist for that. Going to run, lift weights, or do yoga? There’s a specific set of music that caters to those environments.

There is hardly an aspect of life that music doesn’t relate to. One area that it benefits monumentally, yet is often overlooked, is in personal growth. Particularly in infants and children. Programs that immerse children, as young as newly born, in music and movement have benefits that last an entire lifetime.

Kids naturally gravitate to music at the earliest of ages!

It kick-starts learning, boosts confidence in social environments, exercises the parts of the brain that are responsible for emotional development and academic learning. Humming and singing in particular, help with forming basic, fundamental speech patterns. It teaches one to focus and concentrate.

When it comes to learning a musical instrument – the body included – one may encounter stress or frustration, and learn to develop the patience and creativity it takes to outlast and persevere. Important character traits!

Movement aspects are important since it is the first method of communication, via gestures and facial expressions, infants learn before they develop language skills. It helps form a deeper connection with their bodies, creates more neural connections and stimulates brain development. Furthermore, spatial awareness heightens as a child learns to navigate about others.

These are fundamental concepts that South Coast native, Rhonda Matson, feels that individuals and the community will immensely benefit from. She is a living example of a lifetime involved with music and movement and would love nothing more than to see others enjoy similar benefits. Benefits that I couldn’t agree more with after several decades of similar experience.

These are the reasons she started up South Coast Music Together, now with four satellites, New Bedford (Wamsutta Club), Tiverton (Sandywoods Farm), Padanaram (St. Peter’s Episcopal Church), and Marion (The Yoga Loft).

Music Together is a music and movement program for early childhood development, from infant to Kindergarten and in between. Even earlier, through the “First Sounds” class, whereby the parent(s) learn to hum, sing or play instruments to form early bonds with their unborn child. In fact, much research shows that by the sixteenth week of gestation, sounds are heard.

Form bonds with your child that will last a lifetime!

Parents participate with their children and further strengthen bonds. Both get to interact with good, local folks and your child gets to further develop his or her social skills through modelling. This is not a new program, but one begun and the late 1980s and one that was so effective and successful that it is now found all over the world.

One of the fundamental tenets of Music Together, and one revisited time and again during my conversation with Rhonda, is that all people have an intrinsic, natural enthusiasm for music. It is so basic to who we are, that the thought of life, completely devoid of music, is horrifying. Imagine, if you could never listen to music again!

In addition, to the primary program that caters to infants through Kindergarten, there is a Children’s Singing Circle for those aged five to nine.

Typical classes are 45 minutes (one hour for the Children’s Singing Circle) in length and “…presented as informal, non-performance-oriented musical experiences.” Groups are between 8-12 people in size, so each parent and child receives plenty of attention and feedback. Parents also get to bring home a special DVD, two CDs and an illustrated songbook for home or auto.

To get an idea of a typical class, I’ve included a video at the bottom of the article, but you can also visit for a FREE demonstration, which is scheduled periodically. Visit the website or Facebook page to keep updated. In addition, the website has testimonials, a Parents Perspective blog, a place to book South Coast Music Together for a special Birthday Party, how to register for a class, images and much, much more.

Would you like your child to have a leg up on learning? Social skills? Confidence? Want an activity that forms a lasting bond with your child? You can’t find a better place or way to do that than South Coast Music Together. You won’t find a more caring, friendly, inspirational instructor than Rhonda Matson.



South Coast Music Together
PO Box 382
Westport, Massachusetts 02791
Phone: 508-636-7426, 508-493-0355
E-mail: Rkhowarth1@yahoo.com or southcoastmt@verizon.net
Website: southcoastmt.com
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/South-Coast-Music-Together/59709212336


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South Coast Music Together has 4 great locations making them easily accessible!






CrossFit New Bedford – Exercise for everyone from the athlete to the family

CrossFit New Bedford, 140 Rogers Street, Dartmouth, Massachusetts (774) 202-3110!

What the heck is CrossFit? It’s a place where freakish athletes, born with tons of natural ability, drink protein shakes, and ramp up on vast amounts of steroids gather to pick things up and put them down, right?

This is what I thought and boy, was I wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

As someone who has been in athletics for three decades, and coaching for a dozen, I’ve seen my share of new health or fitness fads come and go. The mere mention of the latest one is guaranteed to get an eye roll. It’s now a default response for many of us. We’re burnt out on guerilla marketing, in your face promotion, and promises to have a new you with only 90 seconds a day- just get that credit card out.

While the name CrossFit is something new, the concepts and principles are ancient. Many of the methods, exercises and tools are ones that have been used for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Call it a resurgence, if you will.

CrossFit is an activity that the family can do together.

I stopped by owner and head coach Brad Cardoza’s facility – or box as it is called in CrossFit lexicon – in South Dartmouth to gain some more insight. I have about 20 friends who train here and they are fanatical. Heck, I’ll just put it out there: they are pains in the arses about getting me to stop in!

What was to be a 15 minute visit turned into two and a half hours, demonstrating Brad’s passion. What he has here is something special. Not only is Brad an interesting, storied figure, but CrossFit New Bedford has all the right things in all the right places.

Throughout our discussion, Brad revisited the same things over and again. What he felt was incredibly important to convey: CrossFit is an “everyman’s or everywoman’s” activity – in fact, it is ideally suited for families. Is it for the elite athlete, or serious competitor? You bet it is, but that is a small portion of the membership at the Rogers Street facility. In fact, the majority of his members are women and children. Approximately 65% of his members are women alone!

Brad has been in the exercise business for decades. He has seen day in and day out, the benefits of what he coaches – improved health, physical strength, self-confidence, well-being – and wants to spread this positive service to the community. In fact, he’s pretty darn passionate about these three things: health, fitness and community. When he discusses it, there is a fire in his eyes. His posture changes. He’s 100% present. He’s not in the CrossFit business – he’s in the life-changing business.

So, what exactly is CrossFit?
Here is the Wikipedia definition: “CrossFit incorporates high-intensity interval training, olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, gymnastics, strongman exercises and other disciplines. The exercise program is practiced by members of approximately 7,000 affiliated gyms…” The term is a compound of CROSS-training FITness.

An action-packed box!!

What Brad was wary about, is that people may think that each “box” teaches the same things. He felt it crucial that, people understand that each box, its coaches, its atmosphere, team, and instruction differ in terms of curriculum, methodology, technique and quality. Unfortunately, this means that there is no standard and that many folks open a box after a only few months of experience and dropping money over the course of a weekend to get a piece of paper that declares you an “expert.”

This has become an all too common trend. Being an inexperienced coach teaching a group of people to throw heavy weights around in close proximity is a recipe for disaster. There is substitute for experience – three decades in Brad’s case – no matter how fancy the piece of paper in its fancy frame hanging on the wall. The difference is not only night and day, but the difference between injury and none.

What is a CrossFit N.B. class like?
People are always curious about what a class consists of. There is a lot that is familiar to all of us: bodyweight exercises like chin-ups or pull-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks or crunches. There are medicine balls, Swiss balls, rope climbs, dumbbells. There are gymnast rings, tires of various sizes to flip, barbells and kettlebells. But it’s not these things that make CrossFit N.B. what it is, but the “how” – the order, amount of time, repetitions – that matters.

Each workout changes from day to day and is carefully crafted by Brad and his team of expert coaches to maximize results. This spontaneity keeps one’s interest and fends off boredom.

You don’t have to take my word for it, or Brad’s. There are 3,200 fans and 200 reviews on his Facebook timeline alone, he has a 4 1/2 out of 5 star rating in a world full of cynics, and there are hundreds of pictures of satisfied people from all walks of life – including young children and pregnant women.

CrossFit is an excellent strength building activity for teens too!

There is a buzz, an excitement, about Brad’s facility, instruction, and curriculum that is contagious. The images showcasing the results bolster this idea and speak louder than anything I could say. There is a reason he is the premiere CrossFit box in New England, perhaps planet Earth.

Whether you are an individual or a family, an athlete or overweight, young old, male or female you have a home at CrossFit N.B. The genius behind Brad’s curriculum is that it integrates and fits anyone regardless of objectives. You compete with YOURSELF and others, not against yourself and others. Brad is laser-beam focused on integrating your objectives and goals in a carefully calculated and crafted progression – not pushing you into the deep end of the pool and telling you to kick your feet.

CrossFit New Bedford offers group classes, one-on-one personal training, CrossFit Kid’s Classes, Sport Specific Strength & Conditioning for teens and collegiate athletes. You get unlimited access to the classes for just $95 per month in an industry that typically charges $150 a month. For less than $25 a week you can have a life changing health & fitness experience with world class instruction in a friendly environment.

Training alongside people who are out-of-shape, pregnant or 8 years old will remove the intimidation factor and let you drop any barriers you may have had. Training alongside super athletes will spur you on and motivate you. More importantly, the group of genuine good folks will welcome you with open arms and treat like one of their own from the moment that you walk in, as Brad did with me.

In a nutshell, if you are looking to lose weight, improve your overall health and fitness levels, develop more strength and athleticism, or improve your performance in your chosen sport(s), there is a facility in greater New Bedford that offers world class instruction for affordable rates: CrossFit New Bedford.

Come see why CrossFit New Bedford is the #1 CrossFit facility in the Greater New Bedford area!


CrossFit New Bedford
140 Rogers Street,
Dartmouth, Massachusetts 02748
Phone: (774) 202-3110
Email: info@pinnaclestrength.com

Facebook: facebook.com/CrossFitNewBedford
Website:crossfitnewbedford.com/


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Crescent Moon Holistic Therapy Shoppe – A Haven of Relaxation and Calm

Moon Holistic Therapy Shoppe

Hidden away on a side street one almost ne’er travels, is a gem of a shop called Crescent Moon Holistic Therapy Shoppe. Head towards St. Luke’s, go down Allen Street and take a right at the pizza shop, and the shoppe is nestled in on your right.

With “Crescent Moon” owner Annabelle Williams has carefully crafted a haven of relaxation and calm. No, this isn’t new-age mumbo-jumbo, but the genuine article. You’ll see what I mean… Walking into the shoppe is actually like walking into someone’s living room – quite comfortable and has a homey, welcoming ambience. The entrance leads to a large, open central room. There are smiling Buddhas gesturing mudras, creatively placed knick-knacks, an inviting couch loaded with a score of pillows that screams for your company, and diverse items adorn the walls.

A maddening blend of unfamiliar, but pleasant aromas wafts your way. Annabelle welcomed me with a soothing voice, that furthers pushes you into calm and offered me some tea or coffee. Sights, smells, and sound weave a spell. I swear, I felt my shoulder tension ease up!

Indeed, it’s the intention and objective of Crescent Moon; you’re to leave the worries, woes and concerns of the world behind during your visit. A respite, never long enough.

16 Brigham Street, New Bedford, MA

But this isn’t the rub of Crescent Moon, just the preparation. It’s what the shoppe offers in terms of services that set it miles above others in the South Coast: healing, massage, meditation, and metaphysical instruction. Annabelle made it abundantly clear frequently throughout visits, that she is passionate about the shoppe being a place for people to slough off the world, even if you just came, grabbed a book off the library shelf and sipped a cup of tea.

You see, Annabelle wants this. Some people are born motherly and nurturing and upon your visit, you’ll quickly get it. While surely she wants to run a proper business, her primary objective is to heal, soothe and calm. She sums it up best: “Assisting you with your personal journey to wellness and spiritual development.” One thing Western Medicine does not supply – this is no slight on it – are services like those offered, or the atmosphere, vibe, energy or whatever you wish to call it. Cynics can call it placebo, it doesn’t matter. The end result does.

Before I went into any depth of conversation with Annabelle, she showed me a vast wall of herbs and concoctions which could be used for those into magick, Wicca, paganism or simply as tea. She was vocal about supplanting a well-known tea company, and offer what they offer, but with a larger variety…and fresher. If you are the type that owns a tea ball, you are going to go bananas. Two massive shelves with scores of glass jars revealing contents, higher than my head. To give you an idea, I’m 6′ tall….OK, I’m 5’11” and 31/32. If she doesn’t have it or have a particular blend, she will eagerly find it or create it for you. Imagine your favorite tea, but you’d like a little more of a certain herb – you can have it your way.

Sea Salt from Israel, vanilla sugar, echinacea, lemon ginger, catnip (which she said you can smoke!), juniper, chamomile, Cat’s Claw, roses, anise, cinnamon, sarsaparilla, mint and a hundred more. Whatever use you want it for. You know when you go to the candle store and pick up 30 candles and whiff them? Yeah, that will be you!

After this, she brought me past a display case/counter and into a “living room” or lounging area.

Come sit on the couch with a book and some tea or coffee!

There was a shelf filled with books on many topics, lounge chairs, an Ottoman, and a coffee table. She showed me a side room that had a large, cushioned massage table for private sessions, then led me into the back room that served as a kitchen for preparing teas or coffee. It was in the kitchen that we discussed some of the services that she specializes in, like the Usui Reiki and massages for individuals, athletes, couples, and businesses, Shamballa healing, guided meditations, and more. I nao falo Portugues, but Annabelle does! So all services are available in either language, if you have a preference.

If some of this is unfamiliar territory for you, here is a short, easy to understand guide:

Variety of Massages
Massage is good for the body, mind and soul. Store all of your stress in your shoulders? Temples? Back? Sit and have the chair massage or foot massage or go for the “Pamper Me” Swedish, which is a gentle massage that will not only relax you, but help you release tension. Suffer like me from dry or cracked skin? Have eczema or psoriasis? The “Warm Candle” massage will leave your skin smooth and replenished. Do you play a lot of sports? Have some nagging injuries? Try the deep tissue massage for injured or tight muscles, or the sports massage which is perfect for those of us that have a fitness lifestyle.

The last two massages are the signature massage which combines the “Swedish” and the deep tissue massage with crystals, and the most popular one she offers: the “Tandem,” which is a couples massage. A superlative way to begin a special night, whether an anniversary, wedding, or just a date. These massages start as low as $15 – that’s not a misprint – and last from 15 minutes to an hour and a half.

Spiritual Healing through Reiki and Shamballa
You have probably heard the word “Reiki” before and may have wondered what it is. The most concise explanation is from reiki.org: “…a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing” primarily through light touching. In lay terms, one could say it is the removal of bad energy and replacing it with good energy. It is a stress reduction technique and we all know that stress often leads to poor health.

The “living room” or lounge area.

While the massage sessions primarily address the body and indirectly the mind, Reiki is more subtle, addresses the spiritual, mental and emotional aspects – but the effects can be as profound, if not more. The Reiki sessions are available on their own or you can supplement one of the massages, thereby extending the length of the session, for a nominal fee.

Shamballa Healing is an extension of the Reiki that “…assists in reconnecting you to the full expression of your being, so that you can experience fulfillment in every aspect of your life.” I would certainly do it a disservice, if I were to explain the subject, so I won’t pretend I am knowledgeable on the topic. While you can read more about it on the her page dedicated to it, you will certainly be far better off, visiting in person.

Stress Reduction with Meditation
We’ve all heard the benefits of meditation; it promotes calm, focus, relaxation and is an effective stress reducer. Annabelle offers group sessions, which you can watch the calendar for, and the one on one meditation session, which is by appointment only. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to meditate properly, now there is a source of quality instruction very close by!

Classes and Instruction
Annabelle offers instruction in virtually all the services at the shoppe and then some. You can learn the couples massage, the Shamballa Healing, and Reiki (3 levels), but you can also attend an Intro to Herbalism or Aromatherapy class, get certified in Tarot interpretation, learn Celtic divination, Cauldron or Money Magick, Scrying with Crystals and more! Learn to blend your own teas or healing ointments, rekindle your relationship with a massage or even tap into your more mysterious side.


The one thing that stands out about all these services at Crescent Moon Holistic Therapy Shoppe are the rates. As a person who has had massages in the past, I was actually shocked when she told me how long the sessions were and how much they cost. She makes easily available regular healing – whether physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual – with these affordable rates that don’t bust the wallet, or purse. This is what people who follow the maxim “People first.” do. She has a genuine passion as a healer, and wants to be doing what she loves. She fills a void left empty by modernity – that of the spiritual healer, Shaman or mystic. Her shoppe is appropriately located one street from St. Luke’s hospital allowing you to have the best of both worlds.

Annabelle’s website contains plenty of detail, a calendar and a FAQ. She has a regular Facebook presence as well. However, as I mentioned above, this is all no substitute for the real deal: stop in for a visit and tell her NBG sent you!


Crescent Moon Holistic Therapy Shoppe
16 Brigham Street
New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740
Mon – Tue: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Thu – Sat: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Street Parking
Phone: (774) 328-8763
Email: crescentmoonhts@yahoo.com
Facebook: facebook.com/crescentmoonhts
Website: crescentmoonhts.com/


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Boutique Fitness – The area’s preeminent health and fitness facility with a strong, dash of girl power!

World class fitness and health instruction, right here in New Bedford!

One of the most difficult endeavors a person can undertake these days, is to lose weight or take up a fitness program. There is a mass of incoming information -often conflicting- that can be overwhelming. Books, websites, social media, radio, TV all bombard us with the latest trend or fad; telling us one day that something is good for you and the next that it’s not! It’s tough to get into to mindset and motivation to exercise, when you are deep in the sea of lacking them!

Beyond trends, fads, and the glut of information, the single most common thread among success stories that I have personally seen in almost 30 years of exercising -half of that coaching- is ATMOSPHERE. It’s not enough to be knowledgeable and qualified – though that is mandatory. People will gravitate towards and stick with a trainer or facility full of positive, motivating, energetic, magnetic coaches. Using logic as the stick or carrot, simply won’t work.

Being in the exercise business myself, I’m always trying to keep current on sports science & psychology, new facilities, coaches, and anecdotes. There are a fair number of world class facilities in the area, and New Bedford Guide wants to promote a healthy lifestyle – exercise, dietary habits, and more – so we plan on bringing a number of them to our readers in the coming weeks and months!

I have had a number of friends in the past year, who have whipped themselves into shape. When I asked about the source of the change, I heard over and again “Boutique,” meaning Boutique Fitness. They are located in the Coffin Building on 516 Pleasant Street, across from the Bristol County Probate Court. Co-owners Lara Harrington (ISSA*, ACSM*, Head trainer) and Angela Corrieri-Johnson (ISSA, PN*) have made waves in the region’s health and fitness world in their short 2 year existence. That’s astounding, to say the least.

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Boutique Fitness owners Lara and Angela make fitness fun yet rewarding.

There’s a reason for that: the energetic, positive atmosphere that I mentioned, practical, tangible results, and world class instruction. The ladies specialize in private and small group fitness training. There’s no getting assigned a number and being lost in a massive group, relegated to anonymity. The more intimate, private and small group instruction, means an integral and effective element is always present: perpetual feedback. They get to not only know your name, goals, and objectives, but create a prescription, customized program combining a variety of specific health and fitness methodologies that work best for you, and only you. On your first day, you will go through a fitness assessment and movement analysis, so they know EXACTLY what will be most effective for you. They then follow up with retests every 6-8 weeks, to maintain that all-important feedback.

It’s not a shotgun or cookie cutter approach. This takes more time and effort from the coach, but has significant, speedy results.

The ladies of Boutique Fitness -assisted by trainers Niki Harrington (ISSA) and Erin Carr (ISSA, TRX*, TWF*)- combine a multi-pronged, balanced approach of strength & conditioning exercises, stretches, diet counseling, nutritional coaching in 2-3 times per week, 30 minute long sessions. Kettlebells, Swiss ball, dumbbells, bodyweight exercises, cables, and Plyometrics are just some of the methods and tools you may encounter. This variety keeps you on your toes and you never have a dull workout. While the exercises will become familiar, their cadence, combination, and spontaneity in execution, will keep you motivated and your interest piqued – which promotes constant progress!

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“A life changing experience inside and out! They have helped me transform my life to a healthier, positive lifestyle! They truly care about their clients. It’s true what they say, they have you in their corner!” – Lisa Oliveira

The pros at Boutique have not only helped a number of my friends (Hi Sandi!), but they have helped hundreds of others in the area kick butt! You don’t have to take my word for it, as you can visit their testimonials page, which is comprised of textual and photo testimonials – including “before and afters.”

Having said all that, you don’t have to be someone that needs to get in shape to enjoy what they have to offer. If you are already in shape and a more serious athlete, who is looking to add another element to your routine you will, find a happy home there. If you are interested in seeing more of what the pros at Boutique do, you can browse their YouTube Page, or better yet, contact them and book your complimentary consultation.

Boutique Fitness uses all the major social media outlets (regularly updated), maintains a web page, a bunch of recipes, rates, photos, videos, a stellar blog and more. They are open Monday through Friday: 5:30 am – 7:30 pm, and Saturday from 6:00 am – 12:00 pm. Whether you want to be able to squeeze into an old pair of jeans, t-shirt or bikini or looking to seriously challenge yourself athletically, you’ll find world class coaches and instruction, in a world-class environment!


Boutique Fitness
516 Pleasant St. #104
New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740
Phone: (774) 202-4688
Email: fitness@boutiquefitness.com
Facebook: facebook.com/boutiquefitnessnb
Twitter: twitter.com/boutiquefitnb
Website: boutiquefitnessnb.com


*Credentials Guide
ISSA=International Sports Science Association
ACSM=American College of Sports Medicine
PN=Precision Nutrition
TRX=Suspension Training Bodyweight Exercise Certification
TWF=True Warrior Fitness

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Winter Cooking in New Bedford: Fried Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Wow the family with some mouth-watering Eggplant Parmesan! (Flickr.com user “Blue Lotus”)

by Jennifer Hollie Bowles

My cooking mentor in the South was my mom’s boss lady, Mrs. Dominick. She owned a Kennel, where I got to play with everything from standard poodles and Siamese cats to peacocks and pet squirrels. She threw me in the kitchen at about age 9 and had me cook lunch for everyone, which was about five or six people, depending on the day.

Mrs. Dominick would tell me to cook something specific like lasagna or country fried steak and gravy, but that’s all she should say—no advice, ingredients, temperature settings, nothing! If I had trouble, she flew in like a whirlwind and finished-up. I learned a lot by watching, yet always felt that I had the freedom to be creative in the kitchen. She never used a recipe, and I still don’t unless I’m making my own! I think of cooking to be a sort of alchemy, where I alter ingredients into ultimate yumminess!

Since moving to New Bedford, I’ve found that Price Rite has the most economical prices on most foods, as well as a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. The past few weeks they’ve had an excellent selection of eggplant. Eggplant is one of my favorite foods ever, and I’ve even converted my meat-loving husband to have a veggie night with this recipe, which is a unique combination of multi-cultural flare!

Fried Eggplant Parmesan

Preparation Time: ~1 Hour

Ingredients:

  • 1 Eggplant
  • 1 Jar Plain Spaghetti Sauce (preferably homemade, but store bought will do)
  • 1 lb. Spaghetti (wheat spaghetti works great!)
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 Green Pepper
  • ½ Cup Vodka (for the sauce!)
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ Cup Bread Crumbs
  • 3 Eggs
  • Olive Oil
  • ½ Cup Mozzarella
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Basil, Minced Garlic, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Turmeric

Step 1: Slice-up the onion and green pepper. Put the slices in a big pan with one or two tablespoons of minced garlic. Saute them in olive oil (on medium-low heat) for a couple of minutes, until onion is golden. Add oregano and basil: don’t be shy! Add the spaghetti sauce. Cook on medium/medium-high heat.

Step 2: Put flour in a medium sized bowl. Add bread crumbs. Mix in spices—about ½ teaspoon per spice (a little less with the turmeric), but get creative and add more of the spices you love most! Beat three eggs in another medium sized bowl (I like to add garlic and oregano to the egg mixture as well!). These will be used for dipping your eggplant slices.

Step 3: Put water in a big pot for your spaghetti. Turn on high.

Step 4: Cut the eggplant in slices (thicker for extra density and flavor, smaller for crispier).

Step 5: Cover a big frying pan in olive oil and place on the stove at medium heat. Your spaghetti sauce should be boiling at this point. Slowly add the vodka to the sauce, stirring well. Turn the temperature to simmer and cover with a lid.

Step 6: Take a slice of eggplant and dip it into the egg mixture. Coat well, but let the excess drip off. Then put the slice into the flour/bread crumb mixture. Coat well on both sides. Place eggplant slice into the frying pan. Continue until the pan is full. Let each side of the eggplant cook about two to three minutes, until brown and crispy but not too brown! Place fried eggplant slices on a towel-covered plate and sprinkle a little Parmesan Cheese on them. You may have to fill the pan with eggplant several times! The spaghetti water should be boiling about half-way through this process, and when it does, add your spaghetti!

Step 7: By the time you drain your spaghetti, your last round of eggplant slices should be almost done. I like to add extra Parmesan cheese directly to the spaghetti. To serve, generously top spaghetti and lightly top eggplant with your wonderful homemade vodka sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese and a good helping of shredded mozzarella cheese. To make sure the cheese is good and melted and the dish is popping hot, stick in the microwave for about thirty seconds just prior to eating!





All Friends Catering Places Greater New Bedford on the BBQ Map!

Yes. This is an actual picture of Littlenecks made by All Friends Catering!

How does a business -in this case, a caterer- go from unknown to have everyone in the greater New Bedford area talking about it in a three year period? How does one get their business to be highly in demand? By offering mouth watering food and backing it with world-class service, that’s how.

Since the economic downturn in 2008, the South Coast region -or the nation for that matter- hasn’t exactly been the best environment to get a business started and survive. There’s plenty of competition too. So, when a business does survive past its first year, it can’t be simply chalked up to luck or chance. You have to do something right and do that something right better than most.

Down South isn’t the only place you can get authentic BBQ!

That’s exactly the case with New Bedford native Jonathan Abreu’s “All Friends Catering,” which serves the greater New Bedford area and beyond, specializing in a BBQ (which is unique to the area) that has a Portuguese and New England twist. While there is no doubt that his training at Johnson and Wales University in the field of Culinary Arts and Food Service Management, and 15+ years in the food service industry and local restaurants helped – that’s indubitably not enough. You have to make damn good food, to put it simply.

Chances are you’ve heard some word of mouth, read some testimonials, or seen some of the drool-inducing images on his website or Facebook. If you haven’t, the previous sentence contains links. If you are a fan of “drool-inducing” images, don’t fret – there will be plenty in the article and in an album at the end.

This area seriously lacks in the BBQ department, so I’m overjoyed that “All Friends” is around – especially since I’m a foodie! What makes Abreu’s BBQ so darn good? The flavored woods, like hickory, peach, pecan, cherry and apple are a factor. A delectable homemade BBQ sauce, a sweet coleslaw, and all the side dishes as well.

The fact that he buys local -supporting farms like Silverbrook Farm of Acushnet in the process- is a HUGE part of it. Using local foods, as opposed to shipped in produce, means it isn’t picked before it’s ripened and shipped on a truck for 4-5 days. You get the freshest fruits, vegetables and meat that are harvested when they are perfectly ready. There is a taste difference that goes far beyond the subtle. In fact, top chefs the world over know this and the vast majority incorporate the idea.

AFC caters for weddings, backyards, corporate functions, and other special dates

The idea that there is a New England and Portuguese twist to the BBQ, just tickles me pink. What is a Portuguese and New England twist? Imagine all the traditional BBQ offerings like hand-pulled, tender pork, or dry rubbed, smoked to perfection brisket, or the juiciest chicken tossed with their signature BBQ sauce and topped with pickles. Yes, there’s all this tradition and much more.

Add to these a Portuguese Cheeseburger: “seasoned ground beef blended with fresh ground chourico, onions, and peppers. Topped with Cheddar cheese,” a Black Bean Burger: “seasoned black beans blended with garlic, onions, peppers, and bread crumbs,” and Apple Cider & Cranberry Turkey: “whole turkey in an apple cider brine seasoned with a special cranberry and herb blend and smoked over pecan wood.”

Oh, man.

There are plenty of fixings too. BBQ beans, potato salad, cornbread -with or without jalapeño- grilled veggies, Mac-n-cheese and more. Full BBQ menu can be seen here: allfriendscatering.com/bbq-menu/

Lest you think that they only do BBQ, check out their traditonal menu, packed with salads, burgers, Hors d’oeuvres, soups, entrees, a carving station and, yes even vegetarian options. As expected, there are Portuguese favorites like bifanas, bacalhau, pork Alentejana, chicken or shrimp Mozambique, cacoila, an Kale soup.

photo
New Bedford’s own Jonathan Abreu.

But if you think a BBQ, may not be fancy enough for your formal gathering, a quick look at their menu will show some “upscale” entrees like braised pork belly with a sweet cabbage roll, butternut Squash Risotto with peas topped with fresh herbs and a freshly toasted Parmesan chip, and pan-seared hybrid bass with a fresh clam, greens, and a spinach infused sauce to name but a few.

What launches “All Friends” into the stratosphere of salivation is that they will either drop it off or bring this BBQ – and more – to you. They will show up with their trailer, smoker and 6 burner gas grills and make it happen. Have a special day coming? Whether a wedding reception, birthday, anniversary, Baptisms, corporate or just because it’s Saturday and sunny, they will save you precious time, fill bellies, and put smiling, blissful faces on every one of your guests. All at an affordable rate to boot, which you can get online using the Request a Quote feature, or by calling Jonathan at 774.628.9735.

You don’t have to head down south, to have authentic, world-class BBQ. You can have it right here in greater New Bedford. Sure, there will be BBQ snobs, who say, “You have to head to St. Louis or Texas to get authentic BBQ,” but there’s only one place on planet earth that you can get authentic BBQ with a Portuguese and New England twist, All Friends Catering.


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