Warwick local to bake off on TV

Photo, Live Well Network
Vreeland tackles the grill to create a winning dessert while host Chef Ryan Scott watches.

BY ALEXIS TARRAZI (www.WarwickAdvertiser.com)

WARWICK — A home baker for seven years, Warwickian Laura Vreeland is getting her 15 minutes of fame as she bakes off in a dessert showdown in California.

The Live Well Network will premiere a special three-episode cook-off series called “Home Chef Showdown.” Vreeland — owner of Laura’s Sweets Specialty Bake Shoppe in Sugar Loaf — will compete against three other chefs for the best summer dessert.

The series will air Sunday, June 22 at 8 p.m., and continues on Monday, June 23 at 8:30 p.m. and Tuesday, June 24 at 8:30 p.m.

Beer, BBQ and beats: Locals partake in Beer & Food Festival

Photos by Alexis Tarrazi
Portions of pork butt were smoked at the festival for 17 hours and then shredded for pulled pork sandwiches.

BY ALEXIS TARRAZI (Straus News)

HAMBURG — More than 1,200 beer enthusiasts descended onto Crystal Springs Resort to sample more than 120 varieties of beer from 40-plus breweries.

The Sixth Annual NJ Beer & Food Festival was held on Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14 in Hamburg.

An ode to fathers: Stay at home dads on the rise

BY ALEXIS TARRAZI (Straus News)

Joe’s “patented rain system,” which he invented so he could do farm work with Kai without her getting wet.

The number of stay at home fathers is on the rise. In fact the number has nearly doubled since 1989 when 1.1 million were at home compared to 2010 when the number sky rocketed to 2.2 million, according to a study just released by Pew Research Center.

The largest contributor to the increase can be linked to the recession and fathers unable to find work.

“Roughly a quarter of these stay-at-home fathers (23 percent) report that they are home mainly because they cannot find a job,” according to the study. “Nearly as many (21 percent) say the main reason they are home is to care for their home or family. This represents a fourfold increase from 1989, when only 5 percent of stay-at-home fathers said they were home primarily to care for family.”

Although the main reason for the increase is linked to the economy, there are still many fathers choosing to stay home. Or just working from home as is the case with local fathers in Warwick, N.Y. and Andover, N.J.

Scott Stapp – Voice of Creed – shares highs, lows of his journey

BY ALEXIS TARRAZI (Straus News)

Scott Stapp.

NEWTON — Scott Stapp, the voice of Creed, will bare his soul through music when he performs at Newton Theatre on Monday, June 16.

“New Jersey has always been very good to me,” Stapp said. “Shows have been great and the fans are very passionate and just diehard. They stuck with me through every roller coaste

r of my career and just been amazing.”

Stapp will be performing Creed classics such as “Higher,” “What If,” “My Sacrifice” and Grammy-winner “With Arms Wide Open.” He will also perform songs from his 2013 solo album, “Proof of Life” — which tells the story of Stapp’s journey.