* Utopian ancestors: the oneida community

Updated on Sun, January 16, 2011 at 11:40 PM by abbyb

You are bound to find some juicy facts the deeper you dig into your family roots. One of my ancestors was supposedly a member of the Oneida Community, researching the history of was quite enlightening. A random handwritten family tree from the box of stuff mentioned my gggg grandfather Josiah J Franks as a member of the Oneida Community. After some digging I found a cousin of my grandmother. He is in his nineties and as luck would have it he was an avid family historian! He sent me a wealth of information and also noted Josiah as a "member of oneida community". In addition he sent a letter dated 1856 between 2 of Josiah's sons: “You ask how do I feel about going to Oneida to live, I can tell you that I would not live among such a set of people for anything at all. Every letter that Father [Josiah] writes to me he says more or less about me going to Oneida to live. He says he is going to send me money for me to come home but on the condition that I must spend a week at Oneida.“ Intrigued I did some research.

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* a definite snow day: the NYC Blizzard of 1888

I LOVE snow storms, but for those living in New York city the recent snow has proven to be quite challenging. There are issues with snow & garbage removal, getting to work, and the worst by far the slush puddles on every street corner, they are impossible to gauge and then your entire foot is soaked. After reading about the great Blizzard of 1888 and it's impact on NYC I thought I would share some pictures and interesting first hand accounts to give us all a little perspective.

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* sightseeing sundays: enjoying Bahama Mamas on Grand Bahama Island

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I know it's a little belated but I've been on a bit of a hiatus during this crazy holiday season and just got back from b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l Grand Bahama Island. My family is definitely a beachy tropical bunch and we love to visit new islands for our annual Wright family trip. We stayed 20 minutes from Downtown Freeport in Taino Beach and it was pure paradise.

A few of my favs:

The Fish Fry at Smith's Point

We heard about this gem almost immediately upon arrival, the Bahamian customs agent told us we had to check it out. The fish fry is only on Wednesday nights and after the thrilling sunset cruise we made our away down the beach from our resort. There are numerous food vendors serving up fresh local seafood and island cuisine. To get a sense of the freshness, you literally watch them take the live fish, give it some Bahamian love, fry it and your dinner was ready. As the night went on the dance floor started up and people from all over the world were dancing under the stars! We met people from all over; Canada, California, Florida, Peru, Philadelphia, and many from Minnesota.

Pier One

Amazing restaurant right in the Port of Freeport perched on the water with amazing sunset and ocean views. We watched 2 cruise ships leave the port while we enjoyed a perfect sunset. The main outdoor dining area is on the 2nd floor and a popular claim to fame is the nightly shark feedings. While you enjoy your dinner they put fish and such right into the water below and sharks come to eat with you! I could not believe how big the sharks were!! Great food, atmosphere, and entertainment like I've never seen- perfect vacation dining experience.

Port Lucaya

Port Lucaya is a small village of restaurants, bars, stores, and a casino. Our hotel provided a water taxi every hour to and from the port ($5 round trip) which made getting around a breeze. Our favorite restaurants here were Agave and Cappuccino's. I also recommend Rum Runners for 2 for $5 coronas, great atmosphere! The people are friendly and everyone is in a Bahama state of mind.

To get in the island mood during this winter season you may want to shake up some Bahama Mama's, a cocktail we sure loved! Just mix together and serve over ice.

• 1/2 fluid ounce rum
• 1/2 fluid ounce coconut-flavored rum
• 1/2 fluid ounce grenadine syrup
• 1 fluid ounce orange juice
• 1 fluid ounce pineapple juice
• 1 cup crushed ice

I would definitely recommend Grand Bahama Island for a laid back tropical experience! For our 2012 trip we are thinking about Aruba, St Kitts, and or St Thomas. Do you have a favorite tropical getaway?

* whipping up some holiday cheer with new recipes!

I LOVE to cook and try out new recipes. Having a few staple recipes for the various holidays works, but who wants to make the same thing every year? 5 New Recipes I tested out this holiday season:

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