Gluten-Free Food That Actually Tastes Good

Good morning, Tolland County! Today is Monday, 1/13, and that means it’s National Clean Off Your Desk Day! This is a perfect opportunity to get rid of all your clutter by shoving everything in the drawers and calling it “cleaning.” Or you could be a responsible adult and find places for everything (but where’s the fun in that)? I don’t suggest following the “Does it bring you joy?” mantra, otherwise you’ll probably end up throwing away that bill that needs to be paid. Anyway, let’s see what’s going on in Tolland County this week.

In Today’s Tolland County Buzz:

• A Gnome Made Craft 🎨

• Mystical Moments 🔮

• Bingo 🐶

Let’s dive in!

-Tyler DiGiovanni

BRIEF BITES

• Bankruptcy - Prospect Medical Holdings, which owns three struggling hospitals in Waterbury, Manchester, and Vernon, filed for bankruptcy protection late Saturday night. This move comes as the company faces ongoing financial challenges. The future of these Connecticut hospitals remains uncertain.

• Milk - On Friday, Mountain Dairy in Storrs celebrated National Milk Day a day early with a milk toast, honoring the farm’s 150+ year legacy. Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz joined local farmers and the Connecticut Milk Promotion Board to highlight the importance of dairy farming and sustainable practices.

• Farming Award - Oakridge Dairy in Ellington, Connecticut was recently recognized with the national FARM Workforce Development award. It grew from a small family farm to a 2,600-cow operation, serving 15,000 direct-to-consumer customers. This success is driven by a people-first approach, ensuring the right employees are in the right positions to care for the cows and sustain the business.

• Cooking Competition - UCONN will hold its 24th annual Culinary Olympics on January 14, 2025, at Connecticut Dining Hall in Storrs. The event kicks off with a morning Recipe Contest, followed by an exciting "Chopped"-style competition in the afternoon. Free and open to the public, this event showcases UCONN Dining’s talented chefs and pastry artists in action!

• Fundraising - The Friends of Hall Memorial Library in Ellington are raising funds to renovate the Book Cellar, which has been struggling with moisture issues. Through their "Cellar to Stellar" campaign, they aim to improve storage, update signage, and create a more efficient space for book donations and sales. With a fundraising goal of $25,000 to $30,000, they’re seeking donations to continue supporting the library and its programs.

A Gnome-Made Craft 🎨

Stafford Cidery (68 Main St, Stafford) is hosting a festive pottery painting night on Thursday 1/16 at 6pm. This is a beginner-friendly class, and all you need to bring is a good attitude and an ID (we’ll get to that). While this involves pottery, it’s already premade, so no channeling your inner Demi Moore in Ghost.

During this class, you’ll receive a gnome hugging a snowman to paint (adorable), painting materials, and a drink from the bar included (perhaps one of their Warm n’ Fuzzy ciders). Don’t worry, you’re not completely on your own; there will be some instruction provided, but you are welcome to get creative. After you paint your masterpiece, it will take about a week to be ready for pick-up at The Firestone Art Studio + Cafe (1115 Main St, Manchester). They’ll get your number during the evening and will shoot out a text when they’re all set.

The pottery paint doesn’t usually stain, but it’s recommended to wear something you don’t mind getting a little messy. Tickets are $42 each and must be purchased ahead of time, which you can do here.

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Mystical Moments 🔮

Do you feel like someone or something out there is trying to tell you something? Voices of Enlightenment (19 Pinney St, Ellington) is holding a Reiki and Psychic fair on Saturday 1/18, from 10am-5pm. Have a Tarot, Oracle, Reiki, past-life, Aura, mediumship, Angel, or animal connection reading done. If that looks like a lot of things, that’s because it is, and those duties will be taken on by three different women.

Marion Kraenzle will perform Tarot, Aura, Oracle, and Mediumship readings, as well as will be available for Reiki. Arianna Munson will be available for Tarot, Oracle, past life, animal connections, & Mediumship readings, as well as Reiki sessions. JoAnna Vaughn will be doing Angel, Oracle, Tarot, and birth chart readings.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, you can call/text Kathi (413) 885-0038 or Arianna (860) 207-5001 to schedule out your services. Sessions are 20 minutes long and cost $25 per person. Readings can be done online, but Reiki sessions are required to be in person.

Bingo! 🐶

Despite the emoji, this really doesn’t have anything to do with the famous farmer’s dog (it was the only thing I could think of that went with Bingo, so just roll with it). The Rocking Horse Bar & Grill (57 Hartford Tpke, Vernon) is holding an evening of Bingo, trivia, name that tune, and more on Wednesday 1/15 from 7-9pm.

DJ Nicky D is going to be emceeing the event, and this week’s theme is Twilight (yep, werewolves and glittery vampires), next week (1/22) is Harry Potter and 1/29 will be about the TV show New Girl (it’s also the grand prize night for trivia).

The best part about this? It’s all free! Grab a few friends and head down for a good night of trivia, tunes, and calling numbers.

BEE LINE EVENTS

1/13

Ellington | Grief Support Group | 3:30-6:30pm - Ellington Senior Center (40 Maple St) is continuing their 8-week grief support group for those who have lost loved ones. This is a tough time of year for a lot of people, and if you are looking for a welcoming place, I highly suggest making a trip.

1/15

Tolland | Author TJ Klune | 7-8pm - Tolland Public Library (21 Tolland Grn) is offering a chance to sit in (online) on a conversation with NY Times and USA Today bestselling TJ Klune, author of the Cerulean Chronicles. If you’re interested, you can register here.

1/16

Coventry | Historic Coventry Images | 7pm - Join the Coventry Historical Society in an evening of learning about Charles G. Coombs, a carriage maker and late 19th century photographer. CHS has recently acquired glass plate images that have been in storage for over 100 years! This will take place at the Second Congregational Church Community House (1746 Boston Tpke Rt. 44).

Ellington | Fall Prevention | 1-2pm - Ellington Senior Center (40 Maple St) is holding a talk on how to reduce the risk of falls in your home. Home safety, strength and balance exercises, awareness, med side effects, footwear, eyecare, and more will be covered. Sign up in advance by calling (860) 870-3133, in person, or on MyActiveCenter.

Hebron | Meet Author Amanda Foody | 6-7pm - This is your friendly reminder about this event. For more details, you can check out our Hive Pick in our last newsletter. You can register for this event here (which you should definitely do).

Willington | Poetry Night | 6:30-8:30pm - Get ready for an evening of beautiful words and imagery. The Packing House (156 River Rd) is holding a hybrid open-mic/featured reader poetry night. There will be two open-mic segments (30 mins each) at the beginning and end of the evening. Each reader will get 5 minutes for time, and will be called up by sign-up sheet. For more information, you can click here.

THE HIVE’S PICK

Rejoice gluten-free (and non gluten-free) people! Charhause Cookie (299 Bolton Tpke, Bolton) is open and serving delicious gluten-free food. Now, I know, I know, you hear gluten-free and you automatically think, this is either going to be a dense or super dry and crumbly experience. Good news, Charhause is here to shatter that reputation.

Honestly, if no one told you it was gluten-free, you wouldn’t be able to tell. I got a Fluffanuttah roll (and I can’t wait to go back and get another one), a breakfast sandwich on a GF English muffin, and a house-made chai tea. My mother (who has Celiac and needs to be GF) got an English muffin sandwich as well, and commented on how delicious it was. Their selection of pastries looked mouth-watering, and don’t get me started on the macarons (also for clarification, macarons are the almond flour ones, macaroons are the coconut ones)!

They did a great job transforming the space into an inviting place (the macaron stools are really neat), where you want to relax, read a book, or have a nice conversation with someone (I ran into one of my favorite elementary school teachers that I haven’t seen in 30 years, which was an amazing surprise. Shout out to Mrs. Croteau!).

This place is worth making a trip to, gluten-free or not! Let’s show a little love to a new Tolland County business!

@TollandCountyBuzz

📸focus_with_matt | Heron Cove Park, Tolland CT

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UCONN SPORTS

1/15 - Women’s Basketball @ St. John’s | 7pm

That’s it for today’s Tolland County Buzz! Thanks for reading, and if you got something out of it, please share it with someone who loves flavored seltzer.

Talk soon,

Tyler

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