Elm Leaves

A Valentine’s Day dinner your family will love

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:56:01 -0600

Warm, gooey pizza is the perfect Valentine’s Day treat. Keep the good times rolling with this sweet dessert: Strawberry Sushi.

Elmwood Park / River Grove Community Calendar, Feb. 9

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:17:28 -0600

Elm Leaves, with news of River Grove, welcomes items for the Community Calendar as well as items for Business Briefs, Campus News, Community Briefs, School Digest and Your Page. Items must be received a minimum of 14 days prior to publication, but earlier is better. E-mail items to oakpark@pioneerlocal.com; fax to (708) 383-3678; or mail to Pioneer Press, 1010 Lake St., Suite 104, Oak Park IL 60301. For a complete listing of events go to: www.pioneerlocal.com. Benefits “B-flat Breakfast”: 7:30-11:30 a.m. Feb. 11 at 7970 W. Lake St., (corner of Lake Street and Thatcher Avenue) in River Forest. Have some …

How digital culture changed dating

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:06:03 -0600

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Pet of the Week

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:51:22 -0600

Name: Fluff and Pilar Species: Cats Breed: Domestic Shorthair Color: Fluff is Black; Pilar is Orange Gender: Male Age: Adults The newest ACL Pet of the Week is actually a pair of cats, “Fluff and Pilar”. Not quite “The Odd Couple” or even “Starsky & Hutch”, Fluff and Pilar are just a couple of guys who like to hang out. Whether racing around on the floor in main Cat Room or taking a quiet moment to relax and just watch the world go by, Fluff and Pilar are an amusing pair. Pilar is the sensitive quiet type and he’s found …

Chocolate for your wardrobe

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:00:03 -0600

Chocolate has powers. It’s been a magical food flavor for millennia. It’s been a holy substance for religious rites, as well as payment for taxes and goods. In modern times, the sweet delight most often serves as an offering to attract the attention — or procure the forgiveness — of the object of one’s affections. So it’s quite reasonable that several local chefs have combined their love of chocolate and their passion for helping others pursue culinary career ambitions in a tasty project to promote a worthy cause. Chocolate event Because sugar is the livelihood of most of these creative …

Get heart smart and get healthy

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:16:53 -0600

February is known to be about hearts, but not just the kind Cupid aims for. It’s National Heart Month, and a great time to learn about taking the best care of your body’s most important muscle. Here are some important facts from USA.gov that you may not know, and tips you can use to keep your heart healthy: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Over time it can cause a heart attack and many people are unaware of the warning signs — which can be rather mild. Chest pain or discomfort, pressure or squeezing, …

Forest Preserve begins renovations on historic buildings

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:16:49 -0600

In winter 2012, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County will begin renovations on three historic buildings: Eggers Grove Comfort Station (112th Street and Avenue E in Chicago), Dan Ryan Woods Warming Shelter (84th and Western in Chicago) and Thatcher Woods Pavilion (Thatcher and Chicago avenues in River Forest). All three structures were originally constructed in the early 1930s and are representative of the historical grandeur of the District. Eggers Grove Comfort Station was built to serve the picnickers at Eggers Grove. The scope of the work is to rehabilitate the structure and re-open the facility to the public. Work …

Score big with these Super Bowl sliders

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:58:00 -0600

The National Restaurant Association predicts that a whopping 48 million people will order take out on Super Bowl Sunday this year. When the New England Patriots battle the New York Giants for the NFL Championship on Feb. 5, most folks will feast on pizza, wings, nachos, potato skins, chips and dips in between watching fumbles and funny commercials. Sure, most of these menu items are just a phone call away, but why not throw caution to the wind and whip up some home-cooked gluttonous goodies for the big game? Game day fare offers even the most heath conscious cook the …

Teacher brings Yiddish music, stories into kids’ lives

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:14:57 -0600

They were playful songs she used to sing to her children in the car or at home, anywhere where she could put a smile on their faces. And anywhere where she could continue to teach them Yiddish. Dr. Khane-Faygl Turtletaub of Skokie always sang her made-up songs to her kids in Yiddish, a language she wanted to pass down to them. A Yiddish teacher at Northwestern University, Turtletaub is now trying to pass down her treasured language to other children as well. Her songs make up a vibrant new book/CD, “Yiddish Songs For Children.” “The first words my children ever …

Elmwood Park / River Grove Community Calendar, Feb. 2

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:32:00 -0600

Shadow dancing

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:59:13 -0600

It’s party time in Punxsutawney. On Feb. 2, Phil, the world’s most beloved groundhog, will let us know the prognosis for spring. If he sees his shadow when he ventures out of his hibernation burrow for the day, it’s cold and snow for six more weeks. If he doesn’t see it and stays to party, spring, everyone hopes, comes sooner. But no matter what Phil does, the folks of Punxsutawney, Pa. — and their tens of thousands of guests — will raise a glass to the prophetic critter. The Punxsutawney Area School District takes the day off, and this year …

Pet of the Week

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:58:17 -0600

Name: Rocky Species: Dog Breed: Border Collie/Retriever Color: Black and White Gender: Male Age: 1 year, 1 month Rocky is a well-loved family dog whose owners returned him to the Animal Care League after they lost their home. He has a good start on his obedience. He knows sit and down. Staff and volunteers are working on his leash walking every day. True to his breed mix (we’re thinking maybe Border Collie and German Shepherd), this guy is full of energy and will need 2 to 3 hours of off-leash exercise a day. He would make a great running partner …

Sendak world comes alive at library

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:24:12 -0600

It’s hard for families to get past the east side lobby of the Skokie Public Library these days. That’s where they’re greeted by the world of renowned illustrator Maurice Sendak. The national traveling exhibition, “The Worlds of Maurice Sendak,” will remain there through Feb. 26. Sendak illustrated more than 100 picture books including famous titles such as “Where the Wild Things Are” and “In the Night Kitchen.” In addition to displays of murals and books and most noticeably, an eye-catching “life-size” Wild Thing, the exhibition explores the history of this legendary creative force. As a child, he became fascinated with …

Enter Oscars contest through Feb. 25 at Lake Theatre

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:18:14 -0600

Classic Cinemas is sponsoring a “Predict the Oscars Contest,” through Saturday, Feb. 25. Moviegoers will have their pick from some of the most memorable movies of the year and entering is free. The Grand Prize Winner will receive free movies for two for an entire year at any Classic Cinemas theater location along with a gift card valued at $200, good at any of the 21 Chicagoland Francesca Restaurants. Patrons can complete and deposit their ballot in the lobby of any of the 13 Classic Cinemas theaters. Two nearby Classic Cinemas are: North Riverside Mall Theatre, 7501 W. Cermak Road, …

Freezin’ for a reason — Special Olympics on Feb. 25

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:38:27 -0600

It’s not every day that people are willing to “go jump in a lake” — particularly in the winter — let alone do so with thousands of other people, including members of the law enforcement community. But that’s exactly what will happen on various weekends in February and March as part of the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Illinois presented by GEICO. The event has grown from one location in 1999 to 20 locations across the state (see list below) this year. The Polar Plunge series will kick off with a Super Plunge — …

Art Institute of Chicago plans to increase docents

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:11:17 -0600

For the first time in three years, the Art Institute of Chicago is looking to add to its volunteer docent corps, part of a plan to increase the number of school groups visiting the museum.