But I’m also a pastor, and I’ve found some of the most discriminating palates are those possessed by my fellow brothers and sisters of the cloth. Despite an often-pious demeanor, these folks enjoy a good time just like anybody else.

And, as a secret insight beneath the collars we wear, the quickest way to a clergy’s heart is through our stomachs, as we love to eat. Which is why a few of us have been gathering each year at a couple of down home, African American-owned eateries in Philadelphia as an annual tradition for great food, good times and warm fellowship.

We started our tradition at North by Northwest, a great restaurant/music venue on historic Germantown Avenue where the Low Country Jambalaya is as hot as the Salsa music featured on select weeknights (complete with impromptu dance lessons for those of us brave enough to take a twirl). This year, we tried Sadiki’s on Ogontz Avenue in Northwest Philly for a feast that started with their signature spicy corn chowder, fried catfish, smoked turkey collards and finished with a healthy helping of peach-blueberry cobbler. As all of us are veterans of one fried chicken dinner too many, the culinary paradise that we found can make anybody shout “hallelujah!”

I’ve lived in this area for 28 years now (I just celebrated my birthday on Friday), and I’m amazed how many things there are to do in Lehigh Valley that I didn’t know about. So my final resolution for 2009 is to experience five new things to do in Lehigh Valley.

1. Watch college football in 3D- On January 8, Rave Motion Pictures is broadcasting the FedEx BCS National Championship Game live in 3D! I’ll be just like being at the game, but for a fraction of the cost.

2. Make a glass flower- I’m not an artist, but the “Make Your Own” glass classes at the Banana Factory sound so easy, I thought it’d be worth a shot. It’s only $30, and I’ll get something pretty for my office.

3. Go to a AAA baseball game- I’ve been to Coca-Cola Park three times in 2008, but I’ve never seen the Lehigh Valley IronPigs play. With 72 home games scheduled for 2009, this is going to be the year I see them play.

4. Take a factory tour- I don’t know how to play the guitar, but with a big name like Martin Guitar Co. in my backyard, how could I not go and see how they’re made. Plus, tours are free!

5. Climb a wall- I enjoy climbing. I don’t get to do it often because the place we go is so far away. But this year I discovered North Summit Climbing Gym, which is much closer to home. On belay!

So those are my resolutions for 2009. And since I put them out for all of you to see, I have to keep them. Stay tuned to Lehigh Valley InSite throughout the year as I share my experiences for each resolution.

Snowshoes are less expensive than skis and very easy to learn to use.  They come in a variety of models with different features, ranging from the traditional wooden models with leather lacing to the highly engineered mountaineering models made totally of high tech metals and plastics.  The main thing to keep in mind is to strap them securely to your feet, starting at the toes first and working towards the heel, and to position your foot so the toe can move freely into the hole in the snowshoe, which allows your foot to pivot.  Then, you walk.  The snowshoes keep you from sinking in more than a few inches in most conditions, making walking in the winter wonderland fun and easy.

Last week, I took my children out snowshoeing to try out my new pair that I got for Christmas, and they reminded me of just how easy it is to pick up snowshoeing.  Within minutes, they were traipsing effortlessly across the snow, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Snowshoes can be purchased online from a variety of suppliers, but I’d recommend buying or renting them from a local outfitter who can explain the differences and fit you with the correct gear.  In Wellsboro, Wild Asaph Outfitters carries a variety of snowshoes and has some for rent as well.  Nature Quest offers guided snowshoe hikes into the Pennsylvania Wilds to see some of the special places this area has to offer.

The scent of chocolate wafting through the store when you walk in is intoxicating. They don’t just sell chocolates and other types of candy at this store. No; they make them there. You name it, they probably make it. After grabbing a small basket to carry along with me to hold my collection of delicacies, It took three loops around the store before finally making my final selections. Would it be dark chocolate nonpareils or chocolate-covered raisins? Mint meltaways or a pound of roasted nuts?

And as luck would have it, I turned around and walking through the door was my mother! Ironically she was there to pick up a two-pound box of assorted chocolates to bring with her to Christmas Day dinner at my house. Small world! Looks like I learned my chocolate-gift-giving habit from her. When you think about it, it’s kind of amazing that the foil-wrapped holiday candy I bought has actually made it into the stockings on the mantle for which it was intended and not into my belly. At least not yet!

The show was over by ten, which left time for Primanti Bros. in market Square!  While in that area, I was able to look at the display of Gingerbread houses that PPG has on display.  There were quite a few fascinating ones created by various groups such as local elementary schools and the honors program at the University of Pittsburgh.  After watching ice skaters in the rink adjacent to the Gingerbread display for a while, it was closing time and a sign to go home.

Pittsburgh is a great place to visit for the Holidays.  There is always something going on, and if you are not one for participating in the festivities, you can still observe and appreciate the atmosphere!  If you have loved ones in for the Holidays, think of the possibilities that will come of attending a show in the Cultural Trust!

Want to know what else Webster’s offers? Read my book or check out my site!

I can’t cook a decent meal if my life depended on it, so my boyfriend and I go out to eat at least once a week. So my second New Year’s resolution is to go to five Lehigh Valley restaurants that I’ve never been to before in 2009.

1. Blue grillhouse & wine bar in Bethlehem - Three words: Swiss Alps martini. Made with my all-time favorite spirit, Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka, and vanilla vodka, I will absolutely go to a restaurant just for a martini.

2. Glasbern in Fogelsville - What appeals to me about this restaurant is it takes “farm” food and makes it fancy. “Hendricks Farms” Artisan Cheese Plate, Potato-Gorgonzola Soup and Pan Roasted Day Boat Halibut all sound way better than cubed cheese, potato soup and fried fish.

3. King George Inn in Allentown - I’ve heard people talk about this restaurant for years. It earned a spot on my list when I found out that not only is it a national historic site, they have Cheese and Fresh Herb Ravioli (yummy!) on the menu.

4. Stoned Crab in Macungie - I rarely eat “exotic” things, but when I saw Sesame Fried Steak Strips with wasabi sour cream on their menu, I thought it sounded like something worth trying. But it was the Dry Aged New York Strip Steak in a bourbon sauce that secured Stoned Crab a spot on my list.

5. Magnolia’s in Orefield - The fact that this restaurant is only 15 minutes away from my home appealed to me enough to put it on my list. Well, that and dining on Hearty Beef Short Ribs with Smoked Maple Mashed Potatoes in a “moody, jazzy atmosphere.”

Next week is the final installment in my resolution series … you don’t want to miss it.

PA is one of the top Christmas tree-producing states in the country, so there’s never a shortage during the Holidays. “Gotta 9-foot tree? Great! (Even though my ceiling’s 8 feet.)” This year our tree comes courtesy of Ogden Fire Company in Boothwyn, PA. I’m not up for dogging my paint job just yet, so we have to graduate to the tradition of cutting down our tree from Indian Orchards, or Linvilla Orchards—great Christmas tree farms close to home and places we often visit for seasonal wares. Next year, though, it goes up a few notches; I’m going to lumberjack our own tree and haul it home on my back (which will surely lead to the tradition of the Holiday hospital visit, but it’s Christmas, right?).

Still, Ogden Fire Company’s trees are nothing to sneeze at; their huge trees come from way up in Potter County, PA, and are available as soon as the tryptophan wears off. We get to huddle around a barrel fire as we deliberate on Douglas v. Fraser and, best of all, support our firemen in the process. How perfect is that?

Allentown Symphony Hall, Allentown
Benedum Center, Pittsburgh
Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg