Freshly Squeezed Lemonade at Echo

While the lemons aren't being squeezed in echo's storefront, they could be squeezed at your house! Super cute, wooden lemonade stand and ice-cream cone set on sake now at echo boutique.

'e ko logic is Upstate New York's Most Individual Designer

'e ko logic has been on my radar for quite some time now (was it from Daily Candy a really long time ago?), and now that we moved up to Beacon from Manhattan, I'm even closer to them! Working from their studio in Troy, NY, 'e ko logic has been ahead of the green movement, and will always be desirable because of their resourceful, delightful, and creative designs of dresses, hats, fingerless gloves, and whatever else they want to make into something wearable and extremely funky.


'e ko logic designs high quality clothing out of recycled clothing, but not just any clothing: fine fabric clothing. Cashmere, cotton, everything you want in something against your skin. I have a two-tone dress from them that made it through my maternity stage, and then just the other day in this hot weather, atop a little jersey skirt from echo boutique.

Get on their mailing list, because sometimes they have sales, like today, where select accessories are 30% off (like their cashmere hats!! who cares that it's a heat wave! i buy all of my winter items in spring/summer). You can buy from their store, and now they have an Etsy store where they sell cotton and cashmere scraps! And some clothing.

Prize Bag for the "Where Is This in Beacon?" Picture Contest

Winners of the "Where Is This in Beacon?" picture contest can win one of these lucky local prizes! Each Wednesday, we post an obscure picture of some little corner of Beacon you have most likely seen several times. The first person to identify in the Comment section of that blog post wins the designated prize that is described there! If a winning answer is not given by the following Wednesday, the contest remains open and more clues will be given. This is the prize bag so that you can see all of the participating stores. To include your store or service in this list, or to learn the rules of the contest, please see below.

	ECHO BOUTIQUE Echo is a delightful boutique for women and a toy store for kids on the east end of Main Street. Owner Karen is known for her keen eye and fills the store with exactly what you desire, from wallets to shirts to dresses to notebooks to shoes to Melissa & Doug galore. Prize: 20% off any purchase good for one week after winning the contest. www.echobeacon.com
	BLACKBIRD ATTIC Blackbird Attic is Beacon's vintage consignment store on the east end of Main Street, with a little bit of fashion for everyone. Known for their jeans selections, vintage Penguin collection, and extremely affordable consignment prices on designer labels and quality clothing. Prize: 20% off any purchase, good for one month after winning the contest. www.blackbirdattic.com
	THE BEACON BAGEL The Beacon Bagel is your source for bagel sandwiches, lox, buttered bagels, and most any bagel combo you could want. Prize: One dozen plain bagels with 1lb of cream cheese. The Beacon Bagel 466 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508 www.thebeaconbagel.com UTENSIL Utensil is a practical, affordable kitchenware shop that has classic style and a modern sensibility. Find what you need from pots & pans to french presses. Prize: Jar of Jeni's fudge sauce Utensil 480 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508 http://www.utensilkitchenware.com/ SALLYEANDER SOAPS SallyeAnder is a family owned and operated soap company located here in Beacon. Every product is always homemade, using natural, uncompromising, quality products, and always made with care. Prize: Summer Basket of goodies, including Sallye Sunshine Soap, Gardener's Hand Soap, No Bite Me Cream, No Bite Me Bar, and Lakeshore Soap SallyeAnder 18 West Main Street Beacon, NY 12508 http://www.sallyeander.com/

RULES
- If you are a winner, you can redeem the prize that was assigned on that particular contest. You will be sent directions via email as to how to redeem.
- Sorry, no trade-ins at this time. You need to stick with the prize you won (if it's too girly for you, maybe buy your lady friend a present!).
- You must redeem your prize within the stated deadline from each store, otherwise, you will forfeit it.

TO OFFER A PRIZE
Contact Katie at katie@alittlebeaconblog.com to submit a prize suggestion. Click here to see which businesses are in the Prize Bag now.

SPONSOR THE CONTEST
Your business can sponsor the entire contest. This gets your logo linked to your website on the contest page you sponsor, where people will see it as they search the archives. Click here to book your spot.

Sweet Mamas is Soul Food in the Raw

Sweet Mama's serves raw, vegan and organic living desserts and savories to NYC and the Hudson Valley. Their non-dairy, gluten-free cheesecakes, brownies, pies, lasagnas, pizzas and other edibles are made with the finest ingredients and attention to the principles of raw food preparation. You can find the woman behind Sweet Mama's, Katherine Key, walking around Beacon, usually going to or from her friend, Marla's Kale Kitchen, on Verplank (the house you see with the garden of a variety of luscious leaves growing in front).

I'm on Sweet Mama's email list, which means I get tempted with her affordable raw meals at least once a week. I'm not a vegan, and prefer butter whenever possible, and am a total carnivore, but these raw meals sound too good to resist! And are very affordable.


SAMPLE SWEET MAMA'S RAW MEAL PLAN
Soup:  Vegetable Bisque.......$3/8oz
Lunch: Pest or Marinara Pizza with sprouted buckwheat crust, walnut cheese, red peppers, onions and black olives..........$6
Salad: Sprouted Quinoa Mixed Greens Salad with Critrus Vinaigrette...........$4
Dinner: Ginger "Stir Fry" with Cauliflower Almond "Fried Rice".............$8
Snack: Sour Cream n Onion Kale Chips........$5
Dessert: Cran-Rasberry Cheesecake (dairy free)...............$4


WHERE TO FIND SWEET MAMA'S:
(this list does not include all of her locations, and she does deliver)

• The Juice Spot @ 33 Garden St carries Sweet Mama's savories & cakes and their own house-made specials.
• Poughkeepsie Farmer's Market! It's at the entrance to the Walkway Over the Hudson, Fridays 3-7pm. Sweet Mama's will be there each week selling slices of raw & vegan Fruit-Topped Cheesecakes, Walnut & Sprouted Lentil Burgers, Sweet Root Rosemary Flax Crackers, Fruit Leather and MORE!
• Integral Yoga Natural Foods, Live Live and Life Thyme in NYC is carrying Sweet Mama's raw organic desserts, cookies, crackers and more.

Contact Katherine at Sweet Mama for details, to order a delivery, or to get her newsletter: sweetmamasny@gmail.com.

Alphabet Letters at Paper Presence

And they are really cute. Magnets for your fridge, these alphabet letters have patterns on them for a modern, funky, yet brightly colored look. Available at Paper Presence on the West End of Main Street.

Vest Sale: Marmot and Patagonia Plaid at Mountain Tops

Spotted on the sidewalk! Select Winter vests, 50% off at Mountain Tops. Plaid Patagonia and fur lined Marmot.

Bi-Polar Explorer on Display in my Chronogram Magazine

So this worly eyed guy has been staring at me this week from the Ikea butcher block island in our kitchen as I feed Ruby one of several meals and snacks. I don't read much anymore because 1. I'm a 'preneur so am consumed with working on my business, and 2. I'm a new mom, so can barely shower.

Tonight, we're having date night at home, so hubby cooks steaks (I whisked a lemon sauce for asperigas), and I've got the radio on WFUV. Yes, the radio, because I really do love it more than iPods on shuffle or repeat sometimes.

Before date night started, hubby took a walk while I put Ruby to bed, so when I came down, I had a few quiet moments to drink a beer, wipe down the highchair, and fall into a Saturday night place I haven't been in a while. In my single days, I'd listen to Garrison Keillor in my apartment, followed by TV of British comedies on Thirteen, followed by my music while I worked on projects, any project. Drawing for an FIT assignment, blogging for my old blog, cleaning, anything. It was awesome.

So I checked my email quick to email my business partners (didn't have business partners or a baby or a husband in those days), and picked up the Chronogram to finish reading about the home-based bread baker with an awesome kitchen. But I've gotten so far as to learning about who this man is on the cover: he's a misfit explorer from the early 20th-century, who "never got anywhere or found anything." He is now part of a photography exhibit by Allison Leach titled Bi-Polar Explorer, and it's on display at Davis Orton Gallery in Hudson through July 31, 2011. Allison did something neat with the negative and Polaroid.

And now my steak is done, date night has started. Let's all go to the exhibit!

Popsicle Molds Galore at Play

Get your fresh fruit Popsicle making skills on with Popsicle molds at Play! They have about four varieties that I could see from my window shopping. Purple grape, yum!

Kids Eat Free in Beacon: Summer Meals

This just in from some people trying to spread the word about a lunch program that feeds any child in Beacon, and doesn't seem to ask for paperwork. All kids & teens 18 and younger can receive a nutritious lunch for free during the summer! Lunch time is an hour, so you need to get there and be prompt!

• It’s Free: Kids eat free meals and families save money.
• It’s Easy: No residency or citizenship rules, no registration, and no forms to fill out!
• Any kid can receive a free meal this summer.
• It’s Fun: There will be occasional events and activities at the lunch site.
• It’s Good Food: A nutritious meal is served.

Meals served at:
Beacon Community Center
23 West Center Street
Beacon, NY 12508
Lunch (11:30am – 12:30pm)

Springfield Baptist Church
8 Church Street
Beacon, NY 12508
Lunch (11:30am – 12:30pm)

Efforts for this program are brought to you by the Nutrition Advisory Committee of Dutchess County. For more info information visit Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County at www.ccedutchess.org or call 677-8223.

CCEDC provides equal programs and employment opportunities. The program provided by this agency is partially funded by monies received from the County of Dutchess.