Brooks & Crowley January 2019

Brooks & Crowley January 2019

Review Brooks & Crowley

January 2019

781-277-7321

www.brooksandcrowley.com

439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026

*Services Throughout Massachusetts

By the time we get to the last home, it's pretty late and almost time for the ball to drop. This final destination is usually the dance party house, where everyone gets together to dance or just chat with each other in anticipation of the new year. Our place is generally the last stop, which is a lot of fun because people stay as long as they want, which is never too late. We all enjoy watching the ball drop and everyone likes to yell, cheer, and toast to the new year. Once New Year’s Day arrives, we have a large breakfast and spend the day relaxing or skiing. Every year we’ve gone, it's been a ton of fun, and the weather and snow are just about perfect each time. Skiing is always an exhilarating way to start off the year, but none of us wake up early on New Year’s Day, because we agree to sleep in as much as possible. When we first started this tradition, I enjoyed helping my daughters learn how to ski. It was always exciting to give them a few pointers and spend the day together. Now, at 16 and 14, it’s tough to keep up with them because they’re so fast. And forget my nieces — I couldn’t catch them if I tried. We do ski together though, sometimes in a pack of 10. We all have a blast going up and down the mountain and from one house to another as we celebrate New Year's with family and neighbors. Whatever your traditions are, we wish you a very happy new year! –Neil Crowley "Everyone bundles up and heads out into the snow to walk from house to house, none of which are far apart, to enjoy the celebrations at each person's home."

A ROTATING PARTY Why Have Only One Celebration?

person's home. Every house provides their own style of food, drink, and game so that all feature something a little different than the host before. Luckily, my sister and brother-in-law let us join in on the fun. To start the night off, we head to one of the neighbor’s and stay there for an hour or two, enjoying whatever entertainment they’ve come up with. One game that is pretty popular with this group is called Left, Right, Center. It involves three dice, which are passed around, and each person has three chips. On your turn, you roll the special dice that have the letters L, C, and R, on them. The letters you roll dictate where each of your three chips is going to go — either to the person on your left, right, or to the middle of the table. It's a great game, and we can usually get about 35 people sitting around a table to play comfortably. It’s a simple enough game, but it gets competitive, and it's the type of game that has sudden changes; you are never really out until the end.

I’ve always liked New Year’s Eve. I think of a new year as a fresh beginning, and I’ve always enjoyed sending off the last one with a bang before starting over. My family and I usually go away to ski for New Year’s Eve. My brother-in-law has a place in North Conway, New Hampshire, which is a stone’s throw from Cranmore Mountain, and we are lucky enough to be invited up there to spend New Year’s with him and his family. We go skiing, spend some time together, and share pretty big meals. Everyone has a lovely time. We have a bit of a family tradition that we all participate in while we’re up there, too. Since they go up there every weekend and their daughters are on ski teams, they have a bunch of friends they ski with who live close by. Every year, they get together and coordinate what they call a “rotating party” for New Year's Eve. Everyone bundles up and heads out into the snow to walk from house to house, none of which are far apart, to enjoy the celebrations at each

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Shoveling, Scraping, and Shivering 3 Ways the Winter Weather Helps You Burn Calories

3. SHIVERING Your body works hard to maintain a healthy temperature, and when that freezing wind rolls in, you’ll likely notice your body start to shiver. Shivering is a physiological response that produces heat through small, rapid muscle movements. It also assists with weight loss; you can burn up to 100 calories in 15 minutes of shivering. Of course, you should never purposefully make yourself chilly just to shed a few pounds, but if you have to be outside for a prolonged period of time this winter, know that your body is helping you out in more ways than one.

Winter can make it hard to stay physically fit. Between the aversion to stepping outside onto your ice-covered porch and the urge to drink that third cup of hot chocolate, these winter months can lead to unwanted weight gain. Nowadays, people will try almost anything to get rid of those extra pounds — yoga with goats, hula hoop fitness routines, and even underwater spinning classes. Believe it or not, you’re already working harder than you think this time of year. Here are three ways the winter weather helps you burn calories.

2. SCRAPING In addition to shoveling snow, you can also get a workout by scraping those layers of ice off your windshield. In fact, you can burn up to 56 calories during a 15-minute scrape session. What’s more, you can’t slack off and skip this activity; it’s a necessary part of your morning routine.

1. SHOVELING Love it or hate it, if you live in an area with a lot of snowfall, shoveling is a necessary chore every time it snows. While the repetition associated with this task bothers a lot of people, according to a Harvard study, you actually burn approximately 230 calories for every 30 minutes you shovel.

Putting the ‘Pain’ in Champagne Spontaneously Ejecting Cork Causes Lawsuit

improperly. The case was argued by both sides for two years, but eventually, Murray won. Almaden Vineyards now prints the following on its bottles: “Warning: This bottle is under pressure. The stopper will eject soon after the wire hood removal. To protect against injury to face and eyes, point away from self and others when opening.” When it comes to bubble-induced mayhem, the greatest potential trouble lies in the eye of the beholder —

Blancs Champagne and struck him in the left eye. He was preparing to serve the bubbly wine to a party of 40 people, so he placed 12 bottles on a rolling cart and removed the foil and wire retainer from three or four bottles — including the one that eventually injured him. Once he started to roll the cart toward the guests, the cork shot out of the bottle all on its own. Due to the severity of his injury, Murray sued Almaden Vineyards, Inc., National Distillers and Chemical Corporation, and Carbo, Inc., alleging that they were responsible because they failed to include a proper warning label on the bottle. The defendants, however, argued that the cork stopper did not and could not spontaneously eject unless Murray had handled the bottle

For many people, preparing for the New Year’s countdown is the most exhilarating part of the holiday season. You tune your TV to the Times Square ball drop, hand out party hats, confetti, and noisemakers, and meticulously line up some champagne flutes. What’s left to do? Pop open the champagne! There are many partiers who pop the cork with enthusiastic and careless abandon, while others point the bottle away from their faces and anxiously twist the cork until they hear those bubbles surge to the surface. Turns out, while the latter practice may be slightly less fun, it’s certainly the safer approach. On April 8, 1978, Charles J. Murray was injured when a natural cork stopper spontaneously ejected from a bottle of previously unopened Almaden Blanc de

literally. With an estimated velocity of 60 miles per hour, uncontrolled corks do in fact fly faster than the blink of an eye. To avoid having to explain a not-so-fashionable eye patch at work on Monday, handle those fizzy drinks with care.

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‘The Score Takes Care of Itself’ Bill Walsh on What It Means to Be a Leader

of your team. You need to have the courage to let them know you believe in them. Using simple but earnest positive reinforcement, this legendary coach turned the 49ers into an incredible team, and the benefits show. Segments of the book contain anecdotes and reflections from players such as Joe Montana and Randy Cross, whose deep admiration for their former leader speak volumes. “The Score Takes Care of Itself” was published posthumously. Walsh’s son, Craig, did much of the legwork to piece this definitive portrait together. What we are left with is a truly insightful read from one of the most innovative, inspiring minds in sports history. It will be a long time before a book like this comes around again.

experience into a comprehensive guide that can be used by coaches and CEOs alike.

The term “game changer” gets tossed around so much these days that it no longer seems to hold enough weight to describe

One theme throughout the book is the idea that sound fundamentals trump instincts. As Walsh aptly puts it, “Hearing someone described as being able to ‘fly by the seat of his pants’ always suggests to me a leader who hasn’t prepared properly and whose pants may soon fall down.” For long-term success, you have to have a game plan. For Walsh, preparation for leadership begins by bracing yourself for the worst. A mantra repeated throughout the book is “expect defeat.” In business and in football, losses are just a fact of life; how you prepare for and respond to these crises will determine your team’s success.

a legendary coach like Bill Walsh. But how do you describe someone who quite literally changed the way football is played on the highest level? It takes incredible willpower to defy conventional wisdom and turn a struggling team into a powerhouse. In Walsh’s memoir on leadership, “The Score Takes Care of Itself,” he explores the philosophy that guided him through his coaching career and led him to success. Working with award-winning author Steve Jamison, the two distill Walsh’s decades of

But the most valuable element of leadership in Walsh’s eyes is how you treat the members

Laugh Out Loud

20 Minute Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

Instructions

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1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed 1 medium onion, diced 5 garlic cloves, minced 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth

1. Add sausage to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Break up sausage with a wooden spoon while it cooks. 2. After 2 minutes, add onion and continue cooking until sausage is browned. Stir in garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds until fragrant. 3. Add chicken broth, water, and undrained tomatoes and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Add tortellini. Cook until tender, about 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add spinach and Italian seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional Italian seasoning if desired. This soup reheats well with additional liquid added (either chicken broth or water) because the tortellini will continue to absorb liquid as it sits.

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1 3/4 cups water 1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes, diced

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1 package (10 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini 6 ounces baby spinach

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1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Inspired by Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026 Inside This Issue

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Skiing and New Year’s Eve

3 Ways the Winter Weather Helps You Burn Calories Watch Out for Rogue Champagne Corks This Year

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The Philosophy of Bill Walsh

20 Minute Sausage and Tortellini Soup

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Local Events

Food, Comedy, and Something Sweet Events in the Boston Area

HOPSTERS GRAND SPIRITS TASTING When: Saturday, Feb. 9; 4–5:30 p.m. Where: The Boston Public Market Admission: $9–$15 Website: BostonPublicMarket. org/kitchen If you’re looking to enjoy an evening filled with spirit tasting, you’re in for a treat. You can sip on locally made spirits that will warm you up from your fingers to your toes while you learn about local distilleries throughout the state. Attendees will have the chance to sample spirits from 10 or more of these distilleries.

SWEET AS CANDY When: Saturday, Feb. 9; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Elks Lodge, 40 Old Ferry Road, Lowell Admission: Free! With Valentine's Day just around the corner, this is a golden chance to find that perfect gift. Sweet as Candy is coming back for its third year, bringing with it more than 60 vendors. You can peruse through each of their offerings to find a unique gift for your sweetheart.

The new year has begun! If you’re looking for a way to start off 2019 right, here are the perfect events to do the trick.

COMEDY PARTYAT OSAKA! When: Every Thursday; 8 p.m. Where: Osaka Japanese Sushi & Steakhouse, Brookline Admission: $5 Get a taste of Japanese cuisine and watch a comedy show every Thursday evening at your local sushi and steak restaurant. Don’t miss a chance to sit back and enjoy yourself as comedians who have appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Comedy Central, and Funny or Die hit the stage. Doors open at 7:30, and the show starts at 8. Don’t miss out on your weekly dose of comedy!

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN When: Every other Saturday; 10–11 a.m. Where: The Boston Public Market Admission: $9–$15 Website: BostonPublicMarket. org/kitchen In this series of cooking classes, we’ll teach your children, ages 6–12, how food travels from a farm to their dinner table. After local Boston vendors explain how they get their ingredients, kids will get a hands-on course to create a signature dish. This is an excellent opportunity to get your kids thrilled about making delectable meals by themselves.

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