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The Piano Guys Play One Piano

January 21, 2017 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

With all of the electronic enhancement that is available and (in my very humble opinion) overused in music production, I am so impressed by the Piano Guys’ ability to be musically creative without relying on anything but a single instrument. When you think about how a piano is made, you realize that the keys are actually connecting to strings. So is a piano a stringed instrument? Well, yeah, in a way. And can’t you “thump” the wood that holds those strings taut? So now it can be in the percussion section, too, right? See an example of them here and let me know what you think. If you like Christmas music, their version of Angels We Have Heard on High is hard to beat.

Jen LeBow’s Dinner Biscuits

January 18, 2017 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

These are really good and there’s no yeast and no rise time required!

Jen LeBow’s Dinner Biscuits

This is a great, quick recipe for those nights when you decide at 5:00 pm that you want some biscuits with dinner–no yeast that has to rise, no refrigeration of dough required. You just mix up the few simple ingredients, roll out the dough (I don’t even bother with a rolling pin; I just flatten it with my hands) and grab a biscuit cutter and stamp these out. They bake in around 15 minutes and are very flakey and great with butter or jam.

Preheat to 400 degrees.

In food processor, combine:

2 cups flour

1 T sugar

2 t baking powder

¼ t salt

Cut in and mix til coarse crumbs form:

11 T butter

Add and combine:

½ cup buttermilk

Note: if you don’t want to buy buttermilk, just reduce the amount of milk by 1 ½ t (1/2 T) and replace that same amount of liquid with white vinegar. Voila: buttermilk!

Roll out dough to around ¼” thickness and use biscuit cutter (or just a sharp knife to shape biscuits). Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees around 12-14 minutes. Makes around 10, depending on size of biscuits.

Eat-in Kitchen Trends

January 14, 2017 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

Rethinking the eat-in kitchen — See some creative ways of incorporating the kitchen island into your eat-in kitchen.

Unless space is in very high demand, you’d be hard pressed to find a kitchen being designed today that is not of the “eat-in” variety. For many families, the kitchen is the heart of the home and the stigma of eating in the kitchen as being too informal is long-gone. Of course, lots of people have a table and chairs in their kitchens, and plenty of people have some kind of counter that allows for stools , but there are some really creative, attractive ideas for eat-in kitchens that are a sort of crossbreed or hybrid of those two styles. See the gallery for some great inspiration…

How Facebook Can Make Your Move Easier

January 11, 2017 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

philadelphia main line relocation — How leveraging Facebook can help you find people, groups and resources in your new location and make your move easier.

Lo, those many years ago (pre-social media), if you were moving, your best bet to learn about your new area was to contact the Chamber of Commerce. They would send you a “Welcome Packet” with static information, provided from a very “P.C.” perspective–not necessarily all that helpful. Fast forward to today: Facebook can be one of your greatest friends.

Search Facebook for groups that have the town/region you’re moving to in the name. You can further narrow the search by putting in more specific modifiers like “babysitting” or “parents” or “foodies” or “transplants”.
Once you find a general or more focused group that seems like it might have people with similar lifestyles/concerns, join the group (often, you need to request permission). For example, one of the local groups serving my area is the Lower Merion Community Network page.
Announce yourself! Introduce yourself, explain where you’re moving from, what your family situation is (if you would like to share that) and ask advice about something you’d genuinely like to know about–e.g. “What pre-schools in the area accept kids in diapers?”, or “Can someone recommend a dentist with Saturday hours?” or “What is your favorite moderately priced B.Y.O.B. ?” People will respond and you can private message anyone you would like to establish more of a relationship with. You’d be amazed how useful candid information can be and these on-line connections often lead to real-life friendships, with locals as well as with other transplants.
Ask for links to other pertinent Facebook pages as well as other resources. The best references for resources are people who actually use them.
Use keyword searches on these pages. Most have a search function and you could, for example, look up “best playground” or “maternity clothes” to find postings that connect you to people who can help make your move and settling-in process easier.

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973

The Revolving Door was Invented in Philadelphia

December 29, 2016 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

Invention of the Revolving Door — Did you know the revolving door was invented in Philadelphia?

In the late 1880s, skyscrapers were becoming the most prevalent form of new non-residential construction. With so many people going in and out, though, drafts threatened the temperature control of those large buildings. A Philadelphian, Theolphilus van Kannel, tackled this issue along with his invention of the revolving door. Interestingly, the development of this staple of large buildings, was also spurred by a supposed dislike of chivalry. Stories indicate that van Kannel disliked vying for points on the social etiquette scoreboard by not only holding the door for other gentlemen, but for ladies as well. As a matter of fact, part of its allure for him was that, due to the need to put it in motion, he postulated that a man should actually precede a lady through a revolving door. (Interesting fact:At the Philadelphia airport, the large revolving doors that have sections big enough to accommodate luggage don’t require a push; they revolve continuously.)

When they were introduced, their advantages in both preventing heat loss from the building as well as enabling a person with packages not to need a free hand to open a door, were emphasized and appreciated. However, not everybody is a fan. After a Boston fire in 1942 that left many dead because a revolving door was the only exit available, most buildings have traditional hinged doors adjacent to their revolving ones. Interestingly, an MIT study showed that only about 25% of people use a revolving door when a hinged one is available. Some people cite a feeling of claustrophobia or the potential awkwardness of having to share a space within the door with a stranger.

In any case, the history of the revolving door’s creation reminds us that while necessity may be the mother of invention, it can be interesting to discover what some people deem necessary.

Top 10 B.Y.O.B. Restaurants on the Main Line

December 27, 2016 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

philadlephia main line relocation — Looking for a great B.Y.O.B.? Try one of these!

Top 10 B.Y.O.B. Restaurants on the Main Line

Due to the high price of Pennsylvania’s liquor licenses, a large number of our restaurants are B.Y.O. B. Based on a recent poll of locals, these are the top 10 favorites. If you don’t mind parking in Philadelphia, there are many others to be found within the city limits, but the ones listed below are all on the Main Line.

A La Maison (Ardmore) http://www.alamaisonbistro.com/

Alfredo (Berwyn) http://www.alfredobyo.com/#alfredobyo

Blackfish (Conshohocken) http://blackfishrestaurant.com/

Cottoletta (Belmont Hills/Bala Cynwyd) http://cotoletta.net/

Restaurant Cerise (Bryn Mawr) http://restaurantcerise.com/index.html

Nais Cuisine (Havertown) http://www.naiscuisinepa.com/

Pescatore (Bala Cynwyd) http://www.pescatorebyob.com/#about

Positano Ristorante & Bar (Ardmore) http://www.positanoristorante.com/

Restaurant Cerise (Bryn Mawr) http://restaurantcerise.com/index.html

Spring Mill Café (Conshohocken) http://www.springmill.com/

How Student Debt Affects A Home Purchase

December 19, 2016 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

It’s not news that jobs are hard to come by, particularly for people without a college degree. It’s also not news that the cost of college has skyrocketed in the last decade. The combination of those factors translates to more people than ever going to college, but more people than ever needing student loans in order to attend. Currently, student debt in this country exceeds $1.2 trillion. This debt plays an important role in a mortgage company’s decision to lend money for a home purchase. First of all, if someone with a student loan has missed any monthly payments, it will negatively affect his or her credit score, which influences the rate the lender will offer. Second, if that student loan payment reduces the amount of money available for a down payment to less than 20% of the purchase price, there will be mortgage insurance on the mortgage loan, which means an even higher monthly payment.

While there are some loans available specifically to physicians how have lots of debt but are expected to start earning high incomes to offset that debt (these loans do NOT carry the mortgage insurance and have different guidelines), they are specific to doctors. While we may start to see other programs in the future that give more leeway to people in other, usually high-earning fields, right now, people with significant student debt may find themselves unable to qualify for a loan that enables them to buy a home in the price range they’ve identified. What is the result? We are seeing a lot more people continue to rent well into their thirties, as opposed to buying their first homes in their late twenties. How this trend will change the housing landscape remains to be seen, but the reality demands some kind of response in terms of how and where people live. Will more people rent out their homes instead of selling them? Will we see more apartments built? We have already seen more graduates returning to live with their extended families (parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.). I also wonder if there might be more of the small, pre-fab “pod”-type or “tiny” houses manufactured to meet the growing demand of more affordable housing.

Merion Cricket Club: History and Lore

December 14, 2016 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

The Merion Cricket Club is one of the most fabled golf courses in the country, and has boasting rights as having hosted more USGA championships than any other club. Founded in 1865, the current clubhouse (as well as the last four) was designed by revered Philadelphia architect, Frank Furness. While many clubs work hard to remain “modern” and keep up with expected updates, Merion’s focus is in a decidedly different direction: MCC prides itself on its history and traditions, many of which harken back to more genteel times and some of which are just plain quirky.

For example, the course, designed to be difficult with few flat landing areas, misaligned teeing grounds, “false front” grounds and high contrast sandy bunkers (very visually distracting) does not allow golf carts. Caddies carry the clubs and everybody walks. No yardage markers or electronic distance measuring devices are allowed either. These “nods” to earlier days (when there were no motorized carts or GPS navigation) are taken very seriously. Similarly, unlike almost all other courses, there are no flag markers; MCC uses wicker baskets. While a couple of different reasons for this choice have been suggested, the club does not acknowledge any single one and just continues the tradition. Additionally, there are rules regarding the gentlemanly nature of the game: there is a strict dress code not which not includes a firm “no hats indoors” policy. In the same vein, in order to prevent crowding (and flaring tempers), 18 holes must be played within a four hour time limit. For more about this historic Main Line golf club, click here.

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