Nutmeg Nuggets 2025

  Given the fact that FDR was President from March, 1933 - April, 1945, there is a lot that could be covered in his presidential library, and there is. The three main themes  are: 1) the New Deal; 2 ) World War II and post war; and 3) programs to benefit everyday Americans.  The New Deal, which was implemented during his first 100 days of office, was a series of programs which created jobs  while building dams to supply electricity to rural areas, building new roads and bridges,  conserving public lands, etc. These jobs put money in peoples’ pockets and food on their tables as well as taught them skills while giving the country a much needed psychological boost, which was badly needed.  After WW II broke out in September, 1939,  FDR played a pivotal role in providing the allies with much needed ships and supplies even though Americans  did not want to get involved. After we entered the war two years later, FDR worked closely with Churchill and Sta...

  As Sunny’s friend Karen was coming to visit her in CT, I decided to spend a few days in Hyde Park, NY, visiting several venues associated with FDR. The first was Springwood, his birthplace and home, which played an important role in his life, especially after becoming president.  He began his  presidency in March, 1933, when the US was deep in the throes of the depression (unemployment rate was 25%) and died in April, 1945, just a month  before the Germans surrendered. There was never a peaceful moment  and he felt more relaxed in this beautiful setting on the banks of  the Hudson River. He would invite world leaders  there as a way to get to know  them better in a less formal setting - Churchill was a frequent visitor. He would often drive his guests around the area ( he had a specialty modified car) at a brisk speed, much to the chagrin of his secret service detail.  He also enjoyed having picnic lunches  on the hill top of his estat...

I recently had lunch with my good friend Bruce at the Sugo Gastrobar in Newton, CT. Bruce used to be my neighbor in FL and he  also has a house in CT, so during the summer we get together, sometimes  just the two of us and other times with the  wives. While Sugo’s is not close to where either of us live in CT, we picked it  because it had great reviews and some interesting items on its menus.  We started off with arancini (Italian rice balls) which were made with prosciutto infused risotto and served in a parmigiano cream sauce. Different from the arancini we had when Bruce and I visited Sicily a few years ago  with some other friends, but absolutely delicious and we used the crunchy Italian bread that came with  our meal to sop up the sauce. Bruce decided to go with the prix fix lunch ( a great deal at $18) and had  soup, chicken parmigiana, and raspberry gelato. I went with the prosciutto de parma pizza as I usually have  pizza when a resta...

  When we bought the condo three years ago, the patio was small, tired, and lacked privacy. After finding a contractor and getting HOA approval, we completely redid the patio last year and not only is it a great place to grill and sit outside, it is where I plant my herbs, vegetables and a few flowers. In spite of the patio being on the north side of the condo, it gets quite a bit of sun as we are an end unit on the east side. In addition to planting the usual herbs - basil, chives, oregano  just to name a few, I also planted tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, and peppers. It was the first year I planted cucumbers in Litchfield as I was afraid they would take  over the patio. However, by putting the container next to  a fence and using poles and string, I got them to grow up, not out. The peppers are banana peppers named so due to their shape and color. They are sweet and tangy, not hot (0-500 Scoville Heat Units) and great for salads, pizza topping or sandwiches. The...