'Tis The Season   

This 110-year-old train terminal welcomes hundreds of thousands people daily. But how many stop to take in this world-class landmark? This 2-hour walking tour will give you reason to stop and admire this magnificent Beaux Arts building like never before.

This exploration of the Grand Central Terminal will include these, and more:

• A brief history of the Vanderbilt family behind the NY Central Railroad and the two Grand Centrals that came before the 1913 Terminal.
• A quick primer on what “Beaux Arts” architecture is and how to identify it.
• Vintage photos of the terminal’s construction, sculptures, and inaccessible areas.
• The incredible story of how the Terminal escaped the wrecking ball.
• The colossal mistake of the Terminal’s Grand Concourse ceiling.
• A trip to the Terminal’s hidden, landmarked cocktail bar that was once a private office.
• A peek into the window catwalks.
• An opportunity to tell secrets across the elliptical Guastavino “Whispering Gallery.”

After the tour, get some holiday shopping done at the annual Grand Central Holiday Market!

Life in the Middle Ages was never easy, but how did people--especially those in northern regions--survive the season of ice and snow? What did they do during dark winter days and nights in extreme temperatures? This lecture will examine the realities of wintry life, including a discussion of new research techniques involving ice cores to understand the medieval climate, and how the Little Ice Age impacted global climates.

Please be sure to register by the day before the class at the latest. You will receive an invitation email with a link to join the Zoom meeting.

Gluten-free cookies don’t have to be dry, overly sweet, or have an odd aftertaste. Learn to make gluten-free cookies that were simply born to be gluten-free. No weird substitutes. Just quality all-natural ingredients that happen to be gluten-free and lend themselves to tender, melt-in-your-mouth, noteworthy cookies.

In this class, you will learn how to make almond paste from scratch and how to use a double boiler to melt smooth and shiny chocolate. We will define “creaming” and “tempering,” and you will learn to choose the right baking equipment. You’ll also understand how the temperature of ingredients impacts baking results and why chilling dough is critical. Get your gluten-free baking questions answered.

This class will be a demonstration, discussion, and some hands-on. Students will take home a sampling of the cookies we bake in class.

You will enjoy and learn to make:

• Almond Horns, aka Mandelhoernchen
• Triple Dark Chocolate Sea Salted Truffle Cookies
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

These are Chef Laura’s favorites, and we will also discuss countless other naturally gluten-free cookies you can bake on your own!

Take a look at some pictures from Laura Scheck's past classes here.

This workshop will cover basic color drawing and painting techniques, exploring the beauty of creating your own personal greeting cards for friends and family, for holidays, birthdays, and/or special occasions. Together, with demonstration and instruction, we will paint a variety of subjects, such as still lifes, animals, flowers, and more. Students will work at their own pace, and over the course of the session, they can expect to complete approximately 3-4 cards. Whether you are a beginner or a more experienced artist, come get colorful and creative! We hope you leave each class with the feeling that “art inspires wellness.”