New England Guest Blog from YankeeMagazine.com

New England's Avian Superhighway

rss@ypi.com (Eric Masterson) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0100

The Connecticut River links four of New England's six states along its 410 miles, starting at the northern tip of the New Hampshire/Maine border, from where it flows south between New Hampshire and Vermont, through Massachusetts and Connecticut, finally reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Long Island Sound. Like Interstate 91, its companion for much of the way, the river provides a direct north-south route through New England, but for birds, not people. Birds navigate using a variety of methods. Some species use their sense of smell, others navigate using the earth's magnetic field, yet all use visual cues. The river, even from thousands of feet, provides a clear route north when the weather is fair.

Beginning in late February and early March, the masses of Canada geese, green-winged teal and other waterfowl that crowd New England's coastal marshes during winter heed the call of impending spring and start to head north. Many follow the Atlantic Coastal plain, others the Connecticut River Valley. In April, just as waterfowl migration is winding down, hawks start moving, hunting the valley's fields and fishing the river's waters. By May, bird traffic is at a peak as a multitude of species from Central and South America head north to the Canadian boreal forest. When all is said and done, about 165 species of migrant birds will have graced the river or the adjacent fields and woodlands before the season turns. Some 40 species are strictly in transit, using the river corridor as a highway to points further north. Numerous individuals of other species will stay to nest in the river's marshes, floodplain forests, and myriad of other habitats.

In mid-May I was photographing common terns in Hinsdale for a book I am writing on the birds of NH for University Press. Common terns spend the winter in the Caribbean and along the coast of South America, and in summer nest primarily in coastal areas of North America. They more rarely nest inland, including a couple of spots in Vermont, Maine, and New York. Inland-breeding common tern is a classic migrant of the Connecticut River Valley, following the river strictly as a highway to get to its final destination somewhere to the north. Where any one individual is headed is anyone's guess, except if you get lucky. The common tern I photographed was banded.

I reported the band number # 1322-09499 to the US Fish and Wildlife Service www.reportband.gov and a few days later received an e-mail informing me that the bird was originally banded as a chick on July 11, 2008, six miles west of Massena, in the St. Lawrence River Valley in St. Lawrence County New York, a relatively modest 194 miles northwest of Hinsdale "as the crow flies". It's a bit longer "as the tern flies", though not the 293 mile route recommended by MapQuest.

Someday I hope to be able to find a banded Arctic tern migrating along the river. I have seen non-banded individuals twice. The world champion at long distance migration, Arctic Terns winter in Antarctic waters and the majority breed in the arctic and subarctic regions of the northern hemisphere, almost a pole to pole journey. Until I find that elusive band, I can only guess where the Connecticut River Arctic terns are headed, just like guessing where that car speeding north on I91 is destined. In the meantime I will continue to marvel at a bird's ability to do on a few ounces of fat what it takes us hundreds of gallons of gas to achieve.

You can read more about the birdlife of the Connecticut River Valley and the New England region at my blog, beyondbirding.wordpress.com

What The Heck Is A Garden Hod?

rss@ypi.com (Jim Therriault) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0100

An unusual-looking contraption with an equally odd-sounding name, the origins of the word “hod” are uncertain; however, I think it’s a translation for the term “workhorse.” Not necessarily a prize-winning beauty, but it reliably gets the job done day in, day out.

(I have to admit, upon unpacking my first shipment of garden hods it wasn’t love at first sight. My wife was far less enthusiastic. “Did you order these for the store?” she asked in disbelief. Happily, I can say we both underestimated the appeal of this functional item.)

A little history reveals that a more primitive form of today’s garden hod was used across Europe centuries ago to haul just about anything: bricks, mortar, laundry, fish, you name it. When a modified version of the early hod made its way over to New England, it proved to be the ideal vessel to carry, measure, and wash the mucky sand off of fresh-dug clams and mussels.

Fast forward to 2001, when the humble hod went through a transformation to become what is now a must-have for anyone who gardens. Created by Pike Bartlett, an avid gardener and owner of Maine Garden Products, he often found himself in trouble with his wife for leaving the kitchen sink soiled and gritty with dirt from the garden harvest.

Leave it to Yankee ingenuity to solve the problem. Pike devised a hod out of the same cage-like material that his company uses to make lobster traps. The industrial-strength wire mesh is armored with a super-tough vinyl coating that can withstand the harsh marine environment. This was the perfect solution to his problem. The wire mesh formed a strainer that allowed him to rinse off his produce with the garden hose, keeping the dirt outside where it belongs.

So has a garden hod found its way into my house, you ask? Yes, I am happy to report that the Misses has taking a liking to this “man basket,” as she likes to call it. We actually have two of them, the Original Garden Hod (the larger size) and the Lil Garden Hod. We use the big one for outside chores. I like it for holding pulled weeds; a few good shakes and the root dirt falls through to the ground.

Our smaller hod is put to work all around the house. It started out as the catchall for incoming mail to prevent clutter from engulfing one end of the kitchen counter. It held a shipment of oranges we received from friends who escaped to Florida last winter (lucky them!). Most recently it’s been serving as a tray for plants we started from seeds. It makes it easy to carry them outside on warm sunny days and allows excess water to drain right through the bottom onto the deck.

Buy a Pike's Original Garden Hod

Steamed Brown Bread in a Can

rss@ypi.com (Aimee Seavey) — Thu, 26 May 2011 04:00:00 +0100

New England may be small in size, but as we all know, it lacks for nothing in significance. I love that I am always learning something new about our six states — through the beauty of the landscape, lessons from the landmarks, and stories from the many people that have called it home. We certainly have a lot to celebrate.

One of the easiest ways to connect past with present is in the kitchen. New England lays claim to dozens of delicious dishes and ingredients with far-flung fame and recognition. Tackling a "classic" recipe is a wonderful and tasty way to enjoy a regional tradition.

I spent a recent Saturday afternoon determined to produce a loaf of Boston Brown Bread. Before I began, the only thing I knew for sure about the bread was that it was made in a metal coffee can, which is quickly becoming a piece of history itself. Even with the benefit of a modernized recipe, courtesy of Yankee's current Best New England Recipes, I found myself crossing my fingers more than once that I would end up with something edible. Fortunately, I find that to be part of the fun.

Boston Brown Bread is an old recipe. Early Puritan settlers missed the wheat they were accustomed to in England, but finding it in short supply, they made do with bread made from a mixture of wheat, rye, and cornmeal. Later, during the mid to late nineteenth century, brown bread came back into culinary fashion as sweet, steamed bread using the same flour trio but adding in buttermilk, molasses and raisins.

The recipe has evolved over the decades to accommodate modern ingredients and kitchen tools. Some recipes still call for buttermilk while others (like Yankee's) call for sour cream. Some call for smaller individual molds, and others allow for the loaf to be baked instead of steamed.

I will admit I was a bit apprehensive as I surveyed my assembled ingredients, stockpot, and collection of tin cans on baking day, but I put my trust in tradition. Once the batter was ready, I poured it into a greased coffee can, covered the opening with aluminum foil, and secured it with a string. Meanwhile, I filled a large stockpot with two inches of boiling water. When the batter-filled coffee can was ready, I took the two smaller cans and placed them into the pot. The coffee can was then balanced on top of the smaller cans, which served to keep the larger can above the water level.

The stockpot lid was put in place, and then the steam from the water went to work on cooking the bread. I won't lie. . .it was a little strange to glance over at a stockpot on my stove and think, "I am making bread in there," but it was also exciting to think that I was making something my grandmother made, and most likely her mother before her.

I checked the water periodically, adding a bit more when necessary to keep it at two inches. Two and a half hours after it began steaming, I held my breath and lifted the aluminum foil, skewer poised to test for doneness, and saw that I did indeed have a very edible-looking loaf of brown bread.

Once it was unmolded from the can in one piece (phew!), and the sweet aroma of molasses and cornmeal filled my kitchen, I knew I had a success. After a generous slathering of butter, I also had the perfect afternoon snack.

The texture and flavor of the bread is similar to a lightly sweetened wholegrain muffin, and would also taste wonderful topped with cream cheese. Tradition dictates that Boston Brown Bread is expertly accompanied by a helping of Boston Baked Beans, another regional classic for another day.

I am looking forward to exploring my next New England tradition, and sharing it with you!

Granny's Steamed Brown Bread Recipe

Adapted from Yankee Magazine's Best New England Recipes

Ingredients for Brown Bread Recipe

1 cup graham flour (or whole-wheat flour, which is what I used)
1 cup rye flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup molasses
2 cups sour cream
1 cup sultanas or other raisins (optional, I omitted them)
Unsalted butter

You will also need

12 quart covered stockpot
1 23-ounce empty coffee can
2 8-ounce empty tin cans
Aluminum foil
Kitchen string

Fill a 12 quart stockpot with 2 inches of water and bring the water to a rapid boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and raisins, if you are using them, and stir to form a smooth batter.
Butter the mold generously and add batter. Cover the can or mold with buttered foil and tie it in place with a string.
Place the two empty 8-ounce tin cans into the boiling water, then set the 23-ounce can or mold on top of the smaller cans. You will need to add water periodically while it is cooking to keep the water level at 2 inches.
Cover the stockpot and the cook for 2 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Can't find a can but want to whip up another New England Tradition? Bake a loaf of anadama bread

But Wait, There's More...

rss@ypi.com (Jim Therriault) — Wed, 18 May 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Environmentally-conscious Way Out Wax isn’t only for buggy outside situations; Way Out Wax’s Clean Air product line for indoors does an equally excellent job – naturally. Using a scientifically proven technology, Clean Air really lives up to its name. It doesn’t mask offensive odors; it destroys them – fast. Don’t ask me to explain exactly how it does this. All I can say is from first-hand experience, it works like magic…

Back in January a burnt bag of microwave popcorn filled the house with that unmistakable acrid odor. It was too cold outside (of course) to open the windows and air out the house. One Clean Air candle to the rescue! I lit it and within an hour the smell was all but gone.

I also use the Clean Air candle and the room spray in my store whenever I detect the unpleasant aroma of a dead mouse in the wall. (Indoor-outdoor mice…just another one of the things I love about living in New England!) With summer heat and humidity on the way, Way Out Wax’s Clean Air is must-have to eliminate any “ripe” odors that seem to come out of nowhere.

Buy Way Out Wax natural products here.

A "Way Out" solution to black flies and more...

rss@ypi.com (Jim Therriault) — Wed, 18 May 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Finally! It’s spring (sort of) in our neck of the woods. And let’s face it, after what seemed like an endless winter here in New England, we all want to spend as much time outside as we can. Unfortunately, sharing the great outdoors with a bumper crop of blood-thirsty black flies and mosquitoes is the price we must pay for warmer weather.

You can’t bite back, but you can fend off those pesky insects with safe, non-toxic, DEET-free repellents from a super-eco-friendly Vermont company, Way Out Wax. Their highly effective line of all-natural “Bug Out” products allows you to enjoy the environment without harming it.

Since 1992, Way Out Wax has been making soy-wax candles with pure essential oils and cotton wicks, minimally packaged in reusable/recyclable containers. Unlike unrefined paraffin, which is a dirty petroleum-based product, wax made from renewable soybeans burns cleanly – Way Out Wax candles emit virtually no black soot. And because nearly all the wax is consumed by the flame, these candles have very long burn times, which make them a really good value, too!

Formulated with pure, plant-based active ingredients (lemongrass, rosemary, peppermint, thyme, cedarwood, geranium, and wintergreen to name a few), Bug Out’s fragrances are pleasing to humans – and noxious to insects. The water-based Bug Out Spray in a recyclable plastic pump bottle is totally chemical-free yet creates a powerful bug barrier on your clothing and exposed skin. Definitely an outdoor essential to prevent being eaten alive!

So whether you’re relaxing on the patio or camping in the deep woods, you can take in all the beauty of nature that surrounds you and not be bothered by swarms of biting bugs.

Buy Bug Out! all natural deet-free insect repellants here.

Exploring Somerville's Union Square

rss@ypi.com (Aimee Seavey) — Thu, 05 May 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Boston is often considered "a city of neighborhoods," each with its own personality and attractions. The North End is where you go for pasta and cannoli, Beacon Hill for brownstones and swan boats, and Kenmore Square for Fenway Franks and the Citgo sign.

These Boston meccas are worthy of their immediate recognition, but they are by no means all that the city has to offer. Lesser-known, but no less deserving, are the smaller neighborhoods just slightly outside the destination giants. One of my favorites is Somerville's Union Square, between Cambridge's Inman Square, and Somerville's Davis Square.

Located at the intersection of Somerville Ave and Washington Street, Union Square takes a bit of extra work to get to, but if you go hungry or in search of a little history, your efforts will be rewarded. At the heart of the square is a brick-paved pavilion, which hosts the weekly Farmers' Market from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, as well as other special events during the year, such as the annual Fluff Fest in September. Fluff was invented in Union Square in 1917, and if you like the sweet sticky stuff you won't want to miss this day-long celebration of all things Fluff, including Fluff-infused menus at local restaurants, and a Fluff bake-off.

Surrounding the pavilion is a cluster of niche food markets, restaurants, and bars. If you want to eat out there are options spanning all price points and appetites. On the lighter side, you'll find stylish cafes serving up scones, soups, and sandwiches. For dinner you'll have your pick of several bars and restaurants serving up heartier options like charcoal chicken, burgers, burritos and Thai tapas--some with live music or outdoor seating during the warmer months.

If you are eating in, you can fill your bag with groceries from one of Union Square's numerous food markets. There are shops specializing in everything from Asian, Brazilian, Salvadoran, Indian, and Italian foods, to one shop that features only locally produced items.

The residential streets northeast of the square and up the hill towards Highland Ave are full of lovely old Victorian homes, many dressed in bright colors with peaked gabled roofs and wide porches. On Munroe Street you'll find Prospect Hill Park and its replica tower. Both were built in 1903 to commemorate the site where General George Washington ordered one of the first raisings of the new "Grand Union" flag on January 1, 1776. Its presence was met with wild approval and gun salutes from the 4,000 Revolutionary War Continental Army troops encamped on the hill beneath it.

Today you can visit Prospect Hill Park and climb the steps of the tower to take in sweeping views of the Boston skyline. The site and its place in history are also celebrated with a larger-than-life mural in the square itself.

Union Square might not make it to the pages of the average Boston guidebook, but a true "city of neighborhoods" is the sum of all its parts, both large and small. Especially now with the MBTA plans to expand the green line through Medford by the end of 2014, Somerville's Union Square will have its own stop . . . and be one to watch!

For even more information on Union Square you can visit http://unionsquaremain.org

Aimee Seavey is a proud lifelong New Englander with a passion for history, food, and the way the two are connected through regional and family traditions. She lives in Boston and spends most of her free time exploring the city's many cultural, historical, and culinary offerings. She cannot resist vintage cookbooks, kitchen tools, or a good story about a New England dish or a family recipe. To make a suggestion or read more visit her blog, The Apron Archives at www.theapronarchives.com..

Starving off the Land: Figuring out first-hand food

rss@ypi.com (Tamar Haspel) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 04:00:00 +0100

I always thought of myself as a city mouse, but it wasn't until I left Manhattan for a very rural part of Cape Cod that I realized I didn't know jack about mice.

Three years ago my husband Kevin and I traded in our Upper West Side condo for two wooded lakeside acres and a house that puts the 'shack' in ramshackle. When we moved in, we discovered that we had insects taking up residence in our floor joists. We had woodpeckers bent on turning our siding into Swiss cheese. And, naturally, we had mice.

But we also had land. Land!

I've been a food writer for nigh-on two decades but, until we moved to the country, just about everything that I cooked, ate, and wrote about had passed through someone else's hands. But having land meant we could put an end to all that. Land means food!

We can grow it, we can raise it, we can fish for it in our back yard! We'll garden, we'll compost, we'll can! We'll hunt, we'll gather! Primitive peoples have been doing it since time began —how hard can it be?

The answer, of course, is really bloody hard. You have to get up early, and spend your days doing dirty, difficult jobs. You have to battle the elements and the insects. You have to know things like whether your soil is acidic or alkaline and what kinds of bugs trout eat in April and which mushrooms have "death" in their name. The spirit was willing but the skill set was weak.

What I needed was a goal. A reasonable, achievable goal to give my efforts some structure. Just such a goal occurred to me, coincidentally, on New Year's Day of 2009. I thought it was a pretty good idea, so I ran it by my husband. "Honey," I said, "do you think we can go the whole year and eat one thing every day that we grow or fish or hunt or gather?"

Kevin is always supportive of me and my work, likes the idea of living off the land, and is possessed of an irrepressible can-do attitude. "Not a chance," he said.

Not a chance?

"What are we going to eat all winter?"

He had a point, and those first few months are still referred to in our house as the Winter of Clams — shellfish being just about the only food available for harvest on Cape Cod in February. As spring approached, though, our efforts widened, and so did our horizons.

Beginning on that first day of January, 2009, we have eaten something we've procured first-hand every single day, and I've been chronicling our efforts at my blog, Starving off the Land. We've built a chicken coop and raised a flock of hens. We've installed two beehives in our backyard. We've taken heroic measures to amend the sand that passes for soil in our part of the world so we can grow things to eat. We've raised our own Thanksgiving turkey. We haven't shot a deer yet, but we're trying. We fish, we shellfish, we lobster, and we're Cape Cod's newest oyster farmers.

I've learned a lot since I left New York. I know how to drive a boat, how to handle a shotgun, how to break a broody hen. I can split wood, slaughter turkeys, use power tools. Along the way, I've talked to other fishermen, hunters, and gardeners, and the thread that runs through all their efforts is the profound satisfaction of harvesting food first-hand. If you catch it, grow it, find it, or shoot it yourself, it's more than just dinner; it's an accomplishment.

We tend to put food acquisition in distinct categories. Gardening is different from beekeeping, raising chickens is different from catching bluefish. But the life-long hunter has something important in common with the first-time gardener, and it's that moment when you put the fruits of your labors on the table.

Do you know that feeling? The satisfaction of knowing that you coaxed that food out of the soil, or the sea, or the woods, that you spent time outdoors getting wholesome, healthful food to feed yourself and your family? That's what's at the heart of first-hand food, and it's a feeling I never knew as a city-dweller.

I think I'll stay for a while.

The Legend behind Anadama Bread

rss@ypi.com (Aimee Seavey) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:00:00 +0100

New England has bragging rights to a whole dinner party's worth of dishes. Some, like New England Clam Chowder, Boston Baked Beans, and Boston Cream Pie need no explanation. Others, like Indian Pudding, Parker House Rolls, and Johnnycakes may not be immediately familiar, but are no less deserving of their place at the table.

In my effort to fully appreciate (and by appreciate, I mean taste) all that the traditional New England kitchen has to offer, I've been tackling a few of these dishes with the help of my trusty collection of Yankee cookbooks. My most recent adventure was with the most classic of New England loaves — Anadama Bread.

Anadama Bread has it all — regional origins, amazing taste, and an interesting back story. The name "Anadama Bread" first appeared in print in 1915, but it was undoubtedly baked in many New England hearths before then. What distinguishes Anadama from other breads is the inclusion of cornmeal and molasses. Both were common ingredients in Northeast cooking, but they truly shine in this bread.

So what does "Anadama" mean? Local legend overwhelmingly credits a Gloucester fisherman with coining the term as a not-so-loving tribute to his wife, Anna. It seems Anna wasn't blessed with talent in the kitchen, and after numerous bowls of molasses and cornmeal porridge for supper, the fisherman angrily tossed in some flour and yeast one evening and threw the mixture into the oven. While it baked he sat muttering, "Anna, Damn her!", and the name was born.

Fortunately, so was this delicious bread. The molasses and cornmeal make for a sweet and nutty aroma while it bakes, which carries over into the flavor.

Whether you enjoy Anadama bread warm from oven, toasted with butter with your morning tea, or as a sweet alternative to your everyday sandwich bread, you can be sure that with every bite you are eating like a true New Englander.

Anadama Bread Recipe

The Yankee Magazine Cookbook, 1981.

Ingredients for Anadama Bread Recipe

2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2/3 cup molasses
2 cups water or milk, or 1 cup of each (I used milk)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. shortening
1 cup cornmeal
7 – 8 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine molasses, water or milk, shortening, cornmeal, and 3 cups of flour.
Add the yeast and mix until you have a smooth dough.
Continue to add remaining flour until the dough becomes stiff is and no longer sticky.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, around 10 minutes.
Place the dough into a greased bowl, turning it once to grease the top, then cover it and allow it to rise until doubled in bulk — around 1 1/2 hours.
Gently punch the dough down then let it rest for 10 minutes.
Shape the dough into 3 loaves, then place them into 3 greased 9x5 in loaf pans.
Let them rise until just about doubled, then bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 45 minutes.
Invert loaves to cool onto a wire rack, then enjoy a slice warm!

Trash the Trash

rss@ypi.com (Jeff Court) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:00:00 +0100

My fiancée Samantha Smith and I recently became one of three finalist couples for Clay Hill Farm's Green Wedding Giveaway. This yearly event provides a complete wedding package to a couple that demonstrates commitment to sustainability and the environment as well as inspiring others to explore their own shade of green. The winner is chosen based on public voting and a community giveback campaign. The main idea of the contest is to spread the message that "you don't have to sacrifice your dream to make a difference."

Part of our community giveback is a campaign to minimize the waste we create. We have been documenting our journey and adventures to eliminate trash from our home life and making suggestions for the small changes others can make to have a big impact. We discuss what we already do to reduce our trash, areas for easy improvement, and areas where we find it takes a bit more work to reduce waste.

On the night of March 6th we kicked off the campaign. We created the website and documented our trash that had accumulated in the prior week. Our typical waste for two people was about half of a bag each week. The bulk of our trash turned out to be food packaging, paper towels, and bathroom waste. Trash collection was the next day, so we had a clean slate to start with.

The easiest adjustment that had a huge impact was eliminating paper towels. A roll of paper towels had always been in reach in the kitchen, so whenever there was a need to dry or clean something, habit dictated reaching for them. Shortly after replacing the paper towels with a cloth towel, that habit was broken and trash saved from the wastebasket.

Another large impact came from minimizing food-packaging waste. During our next trip to the market, we focused on purchasing foods that had as little packaging as possible, or just packaging that was entirely recyclable. We also started to bring our own reusable containers for purchasing meat, fish, and deli items. Typically, these items all come in a plastic bag or styrofoam dish that just ends up in the wastebasket, often creating a foul smell. Many fish and deli packaging also suggests transferring the food from the deli packaging when you get home. So we figured; why not put the food in a reusable container straight from the deli? An unexpected benefit to purchasing food with minimal packaging was that we started eating healthier. We purchased more loose fruits and vegetables. Instead of shopping at chain supermarkets, we bought more food from smaller markets that tend to carry more food from local farmers.

The bathroom has been a difficult area to minimize waste. Tissues, cotton balls, Q-tips, and a few other common bathroom trash items are difficult to eliminate from daily use. However, many of these items can be composted if one has adequate space at home. There are still areas for potential waste savings in the bathroom, such as using a straight razor instead of a safety razor and using a bar based lather instead of shaving cream from a can.

This project has allowed us to take a step back and evaluate our way of life. Small adjustments and self-evaluation have shown us that small changes allow us to be a bit greener. Most of the things that we have done are very easy and do not take a lot of effort. Nearly everyone can make these simple changes in their own home. After three weeks, the total trash accumulated can fit into a potato chip bag. You can follow our TrashingTheTrash project online. We welcome all comments and suggestions readers may have as well as any tips and tricks that should be shared with others.

Public voting for Clay Hill Farm's Green Wedding Giveaway ends April 2nd with the winner announced April 8th.

Running of the Brides

rss@ypi.com (Amy Bidder) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Amy Bidder shares her first-hand experience at The Running of the Brides event—a unique, annual bridal sale held in Boston by Filene's Basement.

My fiance and I will be taking flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica, with our closest family members and friends for a destination wedding on July 8th. Our travel plans have us on a tight budget, so I made it my mission to find the perfect dress on a dime. This led me to experience a unique Boston tradition—The Running of the Brides. This huge annual bridal sale was started by Filene's Basement in 1947, and is presently held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

My team consisted of my sister, future sister-in-law, and two best friends. We arrived at the Hynes Convention Center at 5:30 am to make sure we could get a spot near the front of the line for the 8am opening. In prior weeks, I had heard stories of brides camping out overnight with lawn chairs and sleeping bags. I was hoping that we wouldn't have as much competition at the door because of the bad weather, but the line snaked around the corner before the sun was even up. Thousands of women stood in the rain with signs, balloons and matching t-shirt showing their dress size and allegiance to their bride. Video crews patrolled the line to get a shot for the morning news and marketers gave out freebies while the crowd waited. The company sponsoring the event had a contest to create the best dress possible out of toilet paper with a time-limit of 3 minutes as the on-lookers whooped and cheered. The winning designers got to move to the front of the line.

As the time grew closer, the excited buzz grew and when the doors finally opened it was a mad rush into the convention hall. Within a few seconds every dress was off the rack, and it became a game of bartering and trading for the right size and style. The daring brides, including myself, stood in our underwear while waiting to try on each gown. A cameraman from a local new station had his camera trained on me while I tried on my first dress. We devised a strategy of standing next to another bride with the same size and our two groups banded together to find as many gowns as we could and trade them back and forth. My team spread out across the sales floor looking for anything that would fit. It was a negotiation process for every dress I tried on. Every time a lucky bride found her dream dress, the victory was announced over the loud speaker, and everyone would cheer. The rest of us were assured that that there were plenty of dresses left and and encouraged to keep on searching.

My advice for brides-to-be going to this event is: get there extremely early; wear good sneakers; and bring lots of snacks for the line. Also, realize that it's not for the timid. Think of it as a fun event to do with your bridal party, and don't take it too seriously. Although, there were thousands of dresses available many of them were being horded by the first ladies through the door making it difficult to find the right size and style without a little luck and a lot of patience.

The trip to this infamous event was bittersweet. Though I didn't find the dress I was hoping for, my friends and I had a great time socializing with the other bridal parties, watching silly contests and seeing the spectacle that is the Running of the Brides.