Chicken wings and pizza are great for Super Bowl Sunday, but Cindy and Benjamin Fox think popcorn should be part of the menu, too. They also think popcorn should be a staple for family video nights or any other occasion for that matter.
The mother and son team owns and operates Popcorn Obsession, the new gourmet popcorn store between Ming Village and the Painters Crossing Dry Cleaners in the Painters Crossing shopping center.
They opened the shop on Jan. 11 and already have daily customers, Ben Fox said. That’s not surprising since they get some subtle, yet free, advertising every time the door opens. The gentle aroma of freshly popped popcorn with a variety of flavors drifts out to the sidewalk.
Ben Fox pours a fresh batch of popcorn onto a table with a screen where small and un-popped kernels can be separated from the good stuff.
There are 70 flavors available ranging from original and movie-theater buttered to cheese, kettle, caramel and chocolate flavored popcorn. There’s also candied popcorn with flavors from banana to watermelon. And let’s not forget the spicy buffalo.
Prices range from $1 for a mini bag — 3 cups — of regular to $120 for an extra large bag — 110 cups — of chocolate. There are even options in the chocolate, regular, dark caramel, white and pretzel.
Ben Fox is the main man in the kitchen. He learned from a man in Dallas, Texas who’s operated a popcorn shop there since the 1970s, but he’s working on a few flavors of his own, like beer, Philly cheese steak, pineapple and hot chocolate.
It’s not his first foray into retail or into a commercial kitchen. Ben Fox has about 10 years of retail experience and was at one time a sushi chef. But the idea to start a popcorn business was actually his parents’ when they lived in Denver, Colo.
Cindy Fox and her husband moved to the Philadelphia area when her husband was transferred 10 years ago, and Benjamin followed five years later.
It may have taken 10 years for the kernel of the idea to pop, but they’re glad it finally did.
“We are having a blast with how well it’s being received by the community,” said Ben Fox. We had high hopes. We expected people to enjoy it and be happy that we’re here, but people have been just ecstatic. We couldn’t be more thankful.”
Cindy Fox couldn’t resist lapsing into the proud mama.
“If you see him make the popcorn, it’s very chef-like. There’s an art to it because you have to have just enough this and not too much of that. It’s very gourmet.”
She also said there was a slight surprise regarding the customer base.
“We initially thought mostly kids, but what we found is that people come in and see the candy we offer and we have an extensive nostalgic candy section. It seems like the adults are as, or more excited than we are.
“The demographic has changed from children to young adults. But who doesn’t like popcorn. With more than 70 flavors somebody can find something that they like.”
Current store hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. They also have a Web site, popcornobsession.com. For more information call 484-840-8475 or send e-mail to info@popcornobsession.com Popcorn Obsession is also on Facebook.
Once again, Martin Luther King Day was a day for service to community in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District. While there were no classes on Jan. 20, it was, as the district calls it, “A day on, not a day off.”
Chadds Ford Elementary School Principal Marc Ransford presents pillows to Kelly O’Leary of Pathways PA. Also shown, from left, are Varsha Godambe-Jain, Ira Tripathi-Zutshi and Seetha Raju from the CFES PTO.
There was activity in most of the schools that morning. Volunteers at Hillendale Elementary School, again, made lunches for several service organizations, while at Chadds Ford Elementary, volunteers made pillows.
The pillows were donated to Mom’s House, Pathways PA and to Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Children’s Hospital, according to Ira Tripathi-Zutshi, of CFES PTO.
According to Pathways Treasurer Kelly O’Leary, Pathways aims to help women and children rebuild economic stability and provide safety and quality of life.
“What’s great is that Chadds Ford Elementary partnered to provide the children at out family center some dolls and pillows,” she said.
Two new things were incorporated into what was going on at Hillendale this year. There was a backpack project in which members of the community donated new or gently used children’s backpacks that the volunteers then filled with folders, notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons and markers. According to Hillendale Principal Steve Dissinger, more than 70 backpacks were filled and donated to La Comunidad Hispaña in Kennett Square.
Also new for this year was that Nature’s Own Corporation donated 25 loaves of bread.
“We are taking the extra bread and we’re putting two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in each lunch bag that we donate to Safe Harbor,” Dissinger said.
Providing lunches is the traditional MLK Day activity at Hillendale.
In addition to the 300 lunches for Safe Harbor, 100 quarts of soup were sent to Catholic Social Charities in West Grove.
Some of the students who volunteered made placemats, cards and decorated the lunch bags.
This is the seventh year for the program and, Dissinger said, that between 9 and 11:30 a.m., 200 to 300 volunteers came to help out. He added that some of the volunteers are from outside the school district, from the Wilmington and West Chester areas.
Dissinger added that the MLK day of Service is the culmination of a period in which the Hillendale community donates food. He said they began a food drive right before the winter break. That food was donated to the Kennett Food Cupboard.
• The second grade Brownies from Chadds Ford Elementary School (Troop 4133) sold cookies and mingled with customers at Jimmy John’s on Saturday afternoon. They also collected donations to make cookie care packages for U.S. soldiers. Pictured from left are Jade Boruk, Claire McNease, Christina Koch and Steffanie Jones. (Courtesy photo)
• London Grove Friends is celebrating its 300th anniversary with a covered dish supper and presentation about the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) is the first of 12 monthly events. The anniversary celebration dinner is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 500 W. Street Road in Kennett Square. The presentation follows at 7:15 p.m. The public is invited. Feel free to bring a covered dish to share. The meeting is also accepting donations of nonperishable food items for The Kennett Food Cupboard.
• The Chadds Ford Gallery is turning up the heat Feb. 7 with a new exhibit Energy. The exhibit features the works of almost two dozen artists including Paul Scarborough, Tim Wadsworth, Robert Stack, Billie Basciani Rick Bollenger, John Hannafin, Jacalyn Beam and Len Garon. According to Gallery owner Jackie Winthur, the theme lets the artists do what they usually do, but then give it some oomph, strength and extra creative energy.” Energy runs through Feb. 23.
• The Chadds Ford Historical Society will be hosting its sixth annual Plein Air event on Friday, Feb. 7. Dozens of artists from around the mid-Atlantic region will be setting up their easels in an attempt to capture winter scenes around Chadds Ford. On Feb. 8, the CFHS will host an exclusive preview party for premium ticket holders from 5-6 p.m. followed by a general admission from 6-8 p.m. All guests will have an opportunity to view and buy the artwork. For more information and cost, please call the society at 610-388-7376 or visit their website at www.chaddsfordhistory.org.
• Exploring three floors of galleries featuring three generations of the Wyeth family, American illustration, and works representing the artistic heritage of the Brandywine Valley is more affordable. The Brandywine River Museum is offering free Sunday admissions, between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. through Nov. 23 (except on May 25 during the annual Antiques Show).
• Also at the BRM, art by fifth-grade students at Caln Elementary School in the Coatesville School District will be on view in the “Imagine Brandywine” exhibition space at the Brandywine River Museum from Feb. 9 through April 13. For the “Imagine Brandywine” program, students from community schools visit the museum for a guided tour and then work with their art teachers to create works of art that address a particular subject or theme related to the museum’s renowned collection or the spectacular landscape surrounding it. The Caln students explored landscape themes under the direction of art teacher Barbara Wilson.
Football season is heating up and your grill should be too! It’s time to plan your menu for the big game! One of the most popular game day foods in America is the classic chicken wing. What is it about this simple cut of poultry that satisfies our fidgety fingers and grumbling bellies on game day? Over 100 million pounds of chicken wings will be consumed on Super Bowl Sunday this year. That’s a lot of sticky fingers reaching for the remote! For some wing tips, tricks, and facts, keep reading to make sure your wings are the halftime hit.
Please Pass the Wings…
Chicken has a quiet flavor profile, so strong spices like cinnamon, pepper, ginger, rosemary and basil compliment it well. It pairs particularly well with ingredients such as butter, garlic, chili peppers, sour cream and mayonnaise. So tumbling our wings in a hot sauce and butter mixture, served with creamy dressings makes perfect sense. It is truly a winning combination!
Don’t want the fuss of creating the perfect seasoning on your own? No worries! The Meat House has delicious pre-marinated wings that pack a big punch, with flavors like:
Meat House
Sweet BBQ
Teriyaki
Cajun
So That’s How It’s Done…
Chicken wings are best cooked with a marinade or sauce to accompany them. Wings are awesome hot off the grill, but if you’re not up for dealing with the elements, don’t have a grill or don’t want to miss a big play, baking is a great alternative method.
Cooking your chicken wings at a low temperature will prevent sauces and marinades from splattering or burning. Follow our simple cooking instructions for fumble free wings every time!
Grilling:
Pre-heat grill to medium
Place chicken wings on grill and rotate every 3-4 minutes for 15-20 minutes
After 20 min., remove one wing and cut open to make sure there is no pink meat and juices run clear
If test wing looks good, remove all wings and serve immediately with your favorite dips, sauces and sides!
Baking:
Pre-heat oven to 375
Place wings on a non-stick cookie sheet in a single layer
Place tray in center of oven
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is well done and sauce is caramelized. Check one wing for doneness (no pink meat)
If chicken starts to burn, reduce heat and cover with foil
If test wing looks good, remove all wings and serve immediately with your favorite dips, sauces and sides!
Who would have guessed
Ever wonder who came up with this amazing concept of smothering wings in a peppery sauce, dipping them in a creamy dressing and calling it dinner? The idea was born in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Co-owner Teressa Bellissimo tried cooking leftover wings in hot sauce as a late-night snack for her son and his friends. The boys liked the idea so much it was put on the menu the next day and grew from there. After that, people started adding different marinades and sauces to their wings, and serving them as appetizers.
So the next time you’re savoring a tasty chicken wing just as your team scores the winning touchdown, remember that it is all thanks to some hungry teenage boys in 1964. Well at least the wings are…the rest is just football.
Can you believe Rosie has been with the CCSPCA for more than three months? Anyone that knows her can’t. Rosie gets along with dogs and should be fine with cats given a proper introduction. However, even more than that, she loves other animals, she loves to snuggle and be pet by her friends at the CCSPCA. She loves kids and is extremely gentle at taking treats. She’s come a long way from being a stray found left in a field to fend for herself. Now she is back to perfect health and is ready to share a lifetime of love with her new family. Please visit Rosie at the CCSPCA, 1212 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester, or go to our Web site at www.ccspca.org. Rosie will be waiting.
• An argument escalated into a physical assault in a Concord Township apartment late in the night of Jan. 16. A state police report said Joshua Farrell, 39, of Aston, got into an argument with an unidentified female in an apartment at 735 Baltimore Pike, but then struck her in the face causing a bloody nose.
• Someone entered an unlocked truck in the Painters Crossing Condominium parking lot and stole various plumbing tools and electronics sometime between 5 p.m. on Jan. 10 and 8 a.m. on Jan. 12.
• Nothing was stolen, but two men did try to rob the Goodwill Store on Route 202 on Jan. 15. A report said one man distracted the manager while his cohort entered the office and tried, but failed, to open the safe. He then checked under desks, but found nothing and left the office. The manager learned what happened after viewing the surveillance tape.
• State police say a truck driver failed to yield the right of way in connection with an accident on Naamans Creek Road just west of Route 202 on Dec. 20. According to a report, the truck driver improperly pulled out into traffic and was struck by an oncoming car. No injuries were reported.
• A 47-year-old Kennett man is accused of $7,000 worth of check fraud. Police said the suspect used 12 fraudulent checks from Oct. 30 through Nov. 4 to buy merchandise at the Costco store in Concord Township.
• A motorist who was not named in a police report was charged with following too closely following a Jan. 20 accident in Concord Township. According to the report, the driver of a 2008 Saturn Outlook struck another vehicle from behind on Conchester Road at Spring Valley Road.
In the world of professional organizing, January is known as “GO” month, that is, Get Organized month.
During this month, the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and its chapters around the country make a concerted effort to educate the public about the benefits and habits of being organized.
Here in the Greater Philadelphia area, professional organizers are present at Home Shows throughout the month giving “How-to” presentations, answering questions and handing out free organizing products and information.
It is funny therefore that, while we are encouraging others to set aside time to organize, make plans and manage their time, we ourselves are being organizationally challenged by all the extra activity that GO month demands. Between Home Shows, membership drives, products expos and my own clients, my January couldn’t be more full.
So I am going to fill you in on how, as an organizing and productivity professional, I am able to manage it all – my home, family, businesses, NAPO-GPC chapter… the works!
Lists. One of the best organizing tools I know of is list-making. But, before you begin writing on your napkin, let me give you a couple of tips.
– To capture and update your to-do lists, keep one physical notebook or online task planner to which you can refer.
– Divide your list into the different areas of your life that you are responsible for: Kids, Work, Household, etc. I use one Master list, divided into 4 sections (personal, All Right Organizing, All Right Moves, NAPO-GPC) that I check-in with at least twice a day.
– Tackle the list by addressing activities by type: phone calls, writing tasks, bill paying, etc. You may be able to cross items off of the Work list and the Kids list by making all phone calls during the same time period.
Schedules. Managing a schedule is easier when there are certain repetitive tasks that are completed on a consistent day of the week or month. Managing a home and a business is a challenge. It’s easier for me to keep up with my responsibilities when I know that I have a certain day of the week to do laundry, pay bills, change sheets, etc. Because those regular tasks are assigned to specific days, I tend not to let them fall behind.
Calendar. Embrace one calendar. There are so many calendar options flying around lately. And some of them enter our homes uninvited. We have wall calendars, pocket calendars, paper planners, computer-based calendars (such as Outlook) and cloud-based calendars (such as iCal or Google Calendar). With all of this, it is easy to lose track of where you’ve written which appointment and for what! In my family, we stick to one calendar and that one happens to be cloud-based. It offers each of us the ability to keep personal appointments private and to share schedules with each other that need sharing. It also allows for booking and updating appointments on the go. I also like the fact that there is more space to include the details of each appointment that a paper calendar allows – addresses, phone numbers, attendees and other pertinent facts about each appointment are right there on my calendar.
Team Work. We are all busy these days. It is sometimes hard to ask someone else for help and much easier to think that everything and every aspect of every thing is up to me alone. Well, that’s one way to handle things. But I find that asking for advice and for help is another, healthier way. The times that I spend listening to and working together with others are the times that add the fullness of rich relationships to my life. Offering help to others and loosening my controlling grip enough to receive help is what keeps my organized life balanced and worth it.
I invite any of my readers to stop by the Philly Home Show XFinity Experience stage between 3:30 and 5:30pm on Friday, January 24th. I would be delighted to meet you.
First Person Singular: Integrity or ‘authoritah’ for Stonebridge
In about a month we should know how the Chadds Ford Zoning Hearing Board decided in the matter of Stonebridge Mansion, the 25-room home on 5 acres on the southwest corner of Webb Road and Route 1.
The owners — Drew and Nicole Barnabei — want to host catered events, weddings and such, for a fee. They would rent use of the first two floors of the house and of the grounds. But Chadds Ford Township says they can’t because the house is in a residential zoning district where commercial use is prohibited. Stonebridge Mansion is permitted to operate as a bed and breakfast, however, but nothing more.
The township has fought the Barnabeis through a county level injunction hearing in June, then through five township zoning hearings from July through November. The township has fought them to a cost to Chadds Ford taxpayers of at least $23,000.
During a public comment period in the supervisors’ December meeting, I asked how much the proceedings had cost the township. I will say that the room grew quiet, very quiet, and the faces at the head table were less than joyful. After the pregnant pause, I was told to file a Right To Know Request.
When I filed that request a week later, I was told that I wouldn’t be getting all the information. Any extra money paid to the township manager, secretary or code enforcement officer related to the hearings would not be included, nor would any extra compensation for the zoning board solicitor.
Based on the RTK material received a month later, between the township solicitor, the township engineer and money paid to the fire marshal and court reporter — along with transcript copying — the township spent $20,000. Other documents obtained show the zoning solicitor’s office being paid $3,000 between the end of July and the end of November.
That’s $23K and the figure could go higher if either side appeals the zoning board’s decision to the court in Media, and could go even higher if that decision is appealed to Commonwealth Court.
The Barnabeis are paying big bucks too, to stand up for what they think is their right, the right to use their property as they see fit.
It all seems pretty cut and dried against them, though. The house is in a residential district where no commercial use is allowed. No contest. No can do.
But things aren’t that simple.
The Brandywine River Museum, Chadds Ford Historical Society, Brandywine Battlefield Park, the Chadds Ford Plaza — the little strip mall at Heyburn Road with the dry cleaners, a head lice removal business and a caterer with onsite dining — and the adjacent Chadds Ford Tavern are all in a residential district and they all conduct commerce.
And, as was brought up in testimony at the hearings, Stonebridge Mansion was used as an event site under previous ownership. Events for the Chadds Ford Republican Party held were there, so let’s not pretend the supervisors didn’t know about them.
There was also a month-long event for the Oxford Art Alliance in 2011 during which more than 4,500 people traipsed in and out of the property. The supervisors even allowed extra signage. And there were no accidents caused by all that extra traffic.
The Barnabeis want to limit the number of guests at Stonebridge to no more than 150.
And people are permitted to have weddings at their homes. There was a wedding with a tent and outdoor music two properties north of the mansion in August. No permission needed and no hassle from the township.
Weddings are also OK at the Brandywine Battlefield Park. Its Web site — http://brandywinebattlefield.org/?page_id=17 — specifically says: “Weddings and wedding photography use must pay a fee of $50.”
As reported this summer, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission said the park’s friends group had been negotiating with a private company for a wedding tent, and Supervisor George Thorpe, in that same report, said there have been weddings at the park for years.
A former chairman of the Chadds Ford Zoning Hearing Board once said the purpose of that board is “to protect the integrity of the township’s [zoning] ordinances.”
That’s a great idea, but the ordinances need some integrity to begin with. Selective enforcement doesn’t lend itself to respect. If some properties in residential districts can be used for commerce — and the museum, park and historical society do have gift shops and the plaza is in a residential district — then the law is not being uniformly applied. That a previous owner could have events, but the current owner can’t, then there’s an inconsistency that erodes the presumed integrity.
The township brought out that the Chadds Ford Historical Society does have events where admission is charged, and that there is a gift shop, but that’s deemed OK, they say, because the historical society is a non-profit organization.
When did profit become evil? When did a Republican Party-run township board of supervisors decide to outlaw profit?
Part of the township’s case did focus on safety. It was argued that the driveway entrances on Webb Road and Route 1 are too narrow to accommodate fire trucks. However, the previous owner testified that the fire company was called out on two different occasions and had no problem getting onto the property. That testimony was not disputed.
Even the judge at the June injunction hearing said that if the property was too dangerous to have events because the driveways are too narrow for fire trucks when there are guests, those driveways are also too narrow when the Barnabeis are home alone.
People from outside Chadds Ford have said they don’t understand why the township is fighting the request — people within the Republican Party.
When one person asked why the township was fighting the request, I flashed on the Comedy Central TV show “South Park,” in which the character of Eric Cartman (see image) has at times donned a pair of mirrored sunglasses, hopped on a tricycle, pulled motorists over, smacked them in the shins with a nightstick and demand that they respect his “authoritah.”
This zoning battle makes the township look bad. Everything could have been worked out without rancor or costly contest to the Barnabeis and the taxpayers.
It’s a matter of property rights. Not just for the Barnabeis, but for their neighbors as well. Since parties and weddings on private residential property are allowed, then the Barnabeis should be allowed to do so — even for profit — as long as the activity does not interfere with the property rights of their neighbors.
As long as the events don’t cause any type of trespass onto neighboring properties, no physical trespass of guests, no noise or light pollution — since they are also forms of trespass — and as long as everyone is safe, then let them be.
Make it a matter of conditional use, if need be. Put some restrictions on such as limiting the time of day, day of the week, number of guests even the time of year if absolutely necessary, but there’s no need to be so obstructionist as to say they can’t do anything just because they want to earn some extra cash.
The township code zoning is out of date. Most everyone in the township knows that. Business owners sure know that and even members of the ZHB have said the code needs an update. What could be good is that the supervisors are looking for volunteers to help revise that code.
Update the ordinances. Yes, definitely. It’s better for the township to guide from a position of integrity, than to rule by demanding obedience to ‘authoritah.”
Carmela T. Torello, 92, of West Grove, passed died Jan 21, at Pocopson Home in West Chester.
A celebration of her life Service will be held on Feb. 20, at 10: a.m. at The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, 300 State RD, West Grove, Pa. 19390.
All family members and close friends are welcome. There will be a gathering for attendees immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Assumption BVM Church 105 W. Evergreen St. West Grove, PA 19390.
