How many times have you heard how envious I was of London and Maddie’s Munchkin tennis classes with Coach Pavan?  Well, I have no more excuses… now Pavan’s Tennis Training Acadmey is offering a Ladies Spring Tennis Camp from Tuesday, June 1st through Friday, June 4th from 10am until Noon at the Flanders Valley Tennis Club.

The cost is $200 for the four-day camp with the following schedule:

10:00am-10:30am:  Live Ball Warm-Up & Drills

10:30am-11:00am:  Stroke of the Day

11:00am-11:30am:  Doubles Strategy

11:30am-12:00 noon: Doubles Round Robin

Pavan Patel as well as Marc Massaad, Maja Zivcicova, and Len Fass will be the pros for the camp.  Call (973) 479-1329 or sign up online and be sure to let Pavan know that Roxy sent you!

On and off for the past four years, London and Maddie have taken tennis lessons with Pavan Patel through Pavan’s Tennis Academy at Fox Chase Tennis Club in Chester, NJ, and Pavan also runs an awesome summer tennis camp for kids of all ages (kindergarten through high school). Pavan Patel was one of the first United States tennis instructors to introduce “Quick Start Tennis,” popular in Europe, to his lessons and clinics here in New Jersey. Last summer, London and Maddie spent three hours a day with Pavan for one week in August and both girls dramatically improved their strokes and presence on the tennis court.

So I was disappointed (because Flanders is too far to drive for after school tennis lessons and my girls don’t want to play at Fox Chase without Pavan) to receive the following email from Pavan in mid-February:

As many of you know, I have resigned and ended my tenure at Fox Chase Tennis Club effective May 22, 2010. However, I am very pleased to announce that as of May 23, 2010 I will commence training and coaching as a joint partner & shareholder of the Flanders Valley Tennis Club. In this new and exciting venture I will expand Pavan’s Tennis Training Center (formerly Pavan’s Tennis Academy) at Flanders Valley Tennis Club. This exciting change will allow me and my talented staff to offer an elite level of coaching service and development for junior and adult players of all levels.

I also want to take this opportunity and thank Greg for allowing me to coach at Fox Chase Tennis Club. During the last six years at Fox Chase I have made more friends than I could have ever hoped for. It has been a privilege to work with and share my teachings with the men, women, and children at Fox Chase and I shall cherish each and every memory. To all of you who have supported me and Pavan’s Tennis Academy over the last six years, thank you.

My tennis philosophy is not only to instill in adults and children a love of the game but also to provide a sport that will allow recreational players to keep fit and healthy for the rest of their lives.

Competitive players, on the other hand, will be challenged by me and my professional staff to reach the heights of elite tennis whether they wish to compete in USTA events, play for their high school team or play at the collegiate level.

To fully explain our programs and to tour the club, I intend to hold a number of open houses at the end of March and later in the first week of May. Further information about the summer camps will be sent to you in the next few weeks.

From my new home at Flanders Valley Tennis Club I look forward to offering you my expanded service that will include:

• Junior tennis development programs from beginner to elite levels
• Personalized coaching programs for adults and juniors of all levels; to include competitive players
• Tailored coaching programs for groups
• Cardio tennis
• Round robins for all levels
• USTA Tournament
• Personalized strength training program

The changes don’t stop there! Flanders Valley Tennis Club will undergo extensive refurbishment over the next few months in preparation for our new advanced operations. Our new modernized club will offer upgraded facilities to make your visit to Flanders Valley Tennis Club an enjoyable one. Special emphasis will be placed on your child’s development with homework centers, incorporating iMac computers, being an integral feature of the new club. Upgraded facilities will include:

• iMac equipped homework center for the kids
• Lounge, incorporating one 52″ and two 42″ TV’s
• New carpeting
• Gas fireplace
• Upgraded bathrooms and changing facilities
• Six (6) resurfaced indoor tennis courts
• New court nets
• New court dividers
• Four (4) outdoor tennis courts
• Outdoor swimming pool and much, much more…..

Pavan’s Tennis Academy will expand under a new name, Pavan’s Tennis Training Center. The training center will offer you and your children expert and elite tennis by our highly qualified coaching staff, Pavan Patel, Marc Massaad and Maja Zivcicova.

I am also very excited to announce a new summer program for intermediate, advanced intermediate, USTA, JV and varsity levels at Flanders Valley Tennis Club from June 21, 2010 through August 23, 2010, 9:00am-3:00pm. This will be the first time that our summer program will include tennis, swimming, and round robin.

Approximate times for Summer Camp:

9am -3pm (High Performance, USTA Level, High School JV, Varsity Tennis, Swimming and Round Robin)
9am -12 noon (Beginner & Low Intermediate Tennis only)
9am -1pm (Beginner & Low Intermediate, Intermediate and swimming)
10am -12 noon (Beginner & Low Intermediate Tennis only)
9am-10am (Quick Start Tennis only Age 4-7)
9am -12 noon (Quick Start, Arts & Craft & Swimming Age 6-8)

Please visit Pavan’s Tennis Training Center for more information

PAVAN’S TENNIS TRAINING CENTER’S STAFF

Pavan Patel

• 22 years coaching experience
• Specializes in a player’s development program
• PTR and USPTA certified
• Was 2000 PTR national Tester of the year
• Was 2001 PTR Pro of the year
• Worked with the world’s best such as Amanda Coetzer, who reached world ranking #3
• Was a ranked player in India (Top 3)
• 1986 Compete in Indian tennis circuit and Ranked #3 in India Under 18
• 1987-1990 played ITF Satellite and challenger tournaments
• 1986-87 Played Junior Davis Cup

Marc Massaad

• PTR Certified Tennis Teaching Professional
• 2003 PTR New Jersey Professional Tennis Teacher of the Year Award
• 2005 Humanitarian Award through the PTR
• 2005 Volunteer of the Year Award through the PTR
• Former Director of (Tennis Sparta Tennis Club) Sparta, NJ.
• Director at Panther Valley Racquet Club, Summer Season

Maja Zivcicova

• PTR Certified Tennis Teaching Professional
• 2006 - 2008 St. John’s University Women’s Tennis Team Division I (Captain) Played position #1 in singles and doubles
• ITF Juniors (World Ranking) Career High Singles #149, Doubles #114
• ITF junior ranking in 1999 was higher than currently world No. 1 Danara Safina (WTA)
• Trained with former Professional Czech tennis player Hana Mandlikova (Winner of 1985 US Open and 1987 Austrian Open)
• Staff Teaching Professional at Sport Time, Harbor Island, NY

As you can see I am truly excited about the new opportunities at Flanders Valley Tennis Club and extend an invitation to all of you to share it with me and Pavan’s Tennis Training Center.

If you have any questions or wish to speak with me personally regarding a specialized tennis program for you or your child e-mail me at ptatennis at mac dot com or please call me at (973) 479-1329

I am always available to discuss your recreational or competitive needs.

Sincerely,

Pavan Patel

Hi Roxy,

I was browsing your site (it is terrific!) and wanted to let you know that we are hosting a fall festival and benefit with a horse and farm life theme on October 17th from 1 to 4pm at Center Line Farm in Tewksbury, NJ.

The festival will benefit two very worthy local organizations. The first is Animeals which helps seniors on the Meals on Wheels program to maintain their pets at home by providing food and litter to them. They found that the seniors were feeding their pets before feeding themselves with the Meals on Wheels provisions. The second beneficiary is a small handicapped riding program: Freedom Horse, based in Long Valley, New Jersey, which is dedicated to Hippotherapy.  Freedom Horse also provides horse rescue and rehabilitation.

The day’s activities will include pony rides for the kids, adult trail rides on Clysdale horses, a tractor pull hay ride, a bouncey-bounce, armchair massages, pumpkin and face painting, a walk about petting “zoo” of miniature farm animals, music and food as well as five demonstrations. Enjoy Center Line Farm’s own precision drill team riding to music, and watch a roping demonstration, a lady farrier (blacksmith who puts shoes on horses), a horse chiropractor adjusting a horse, and a dog agility demo run through their paces.

The kids are invited to come in costume and participate in a Halloween parade with or without their dog. Prizes will be awarded in four categories.

Parking is $10 and the demos are free. Chits can be purchased for all of the activities. Food will be available for purchase as well. Come out and enjoy the horse and farm activities and help our two worthy causes. If you would like to bring a bag of dog or cat food or kitty litter for our needy canine and feline friends, that would be greatly appreciated. There is something for everyone and is guaranteed to be fun for the entire family

Center Line farm is located on Route 517 in Tewksbury, just one half mile north of the Fairmount light or three miles south of the center of Long Valley.Visit Center Line farm’s website (www.clfarm.com) for more information or call (908) 832-9448.

Marilyn

Dear Marilyn,

While I have not yet established a Roxy’s Best Of… Hunterdon County or Tewksbury site, I’m happy to include your event as part of Roxy’s Best Of… Chester, NJ.

Sounds like great fun for a couple of great causes.

Roxy

Experience a wide variety of hand made items including traditional craft, fine art and country crafts at Chester’s 36th annual Fall Craft Show. The event returns to Chester, New Jersey, next weekend: Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th from 10:00am until 5:00pm, rain or shine. Chester’s Fall Craft Show was featured in Sunshine Artist Magazine’s Top 200 Craft Shows and is one of the largest in New Jersey, showcasing over 250 unique exhibitors. Artists and craftspeople from around the country will be showing off their hand-made work. If you’re one of those people who has started their holiday shopping, you’ll find unique gifts for everyone on your list as well as beautiful handcrafted furnishings for your home. $5 admission, though you’ll find postcards around town with a coupon for $1 off single admission. For more information call 973-377-6600.

Our friends over at Fox Chase Tennis Club are having an End of Summer Tennis Festival on Saturday, August 15th from 3:00 to 5:00pm.  Only one problem… I don’t intend to even think about the end of summer until Labor Day! Open to “juniors” of all ages and levels, the event will include tennis games, drills, match play, prizes, snacks and drinks… only $40 for lots of fun. Sign up at the front desk or call (908) 879-5231 or (973) 479-1329.
Fox Chase Tennis Club
581 E Main St, Chester, NJ 07930

I just received an email from Pavan Patel over at Pavan’s Tennis Academy at Fox Chase Tennis with some great news for our family… Due to an overwhelming demand, Fox Chase Tennis Club will have an extended week of summer camp.  This is great news for London on Maddie, since they’re just finishing up at Annie’s Playhouse Summer Stars in Far Hills, NJ, with the big show this Friday, August 7th, and will be able to fit a little tennis into their busy summer schedule after all.  That way, depending on how hard they work at Pavan’s summer tennis camp, both of my girls may be able to start their weekly lessons in September at a more advanced level.

The schedule for the extra week of Pavan’s Tennis Academy summer camp will run Monday, August 24th through Friday, August 28th from 11am to 2pm, at a cost of $330.  Call (908) 879-5231 or (973) 479-1329 to sign up.

Pavan’s Tennis Academy
Fox Chase Tennis Club
581 East Main Street
Chester, NJ 07930
(908) 879-5231 or (973) 479-1329

This morning, as I searched for the phone number for Toys with Love in Chester, NJ, I was surprised to find that I hadn’t posted about the wonderful local toy store here on Roxy’s Best Of… we’ve been going to Toys with Love to find the perfect birthday and Christmas presents since we moved out to the Roxiticus Valley in October 2003, and they have never disappointed us.  One year, Stacy of Toys with Love even built and delivered a huge dollhouse for Maddie’s birthday.  Today, London and Maddie are off with their nanny to pick up three Quiddler card games… two for upcoming birthday parties, and one for our family to enjoy.

Toys with Love is located at 95 West Main Street, Chester, New Jersey 07930
Telephone: 908-879-1380

We were over at Fox Chase Tennis Club in Chester, NJ, on Saturday morning for London’s make-up lesson in Pavan’s Tennis Academy. Pavan handed me his brand new brochure for QuickStart Team Tennis, starting in January.

The goal of the QuickStart tennis format is to get kids playing as soon as possible – including friendly matches, team play and tournaments. The QuickStart Tennis format works by getting kids into the game immediately. Within the first hour of stepping onto the court, they are actually playing the game, rallying with one another, moving around and having fun. Scaling the game down to their size helps make the learning process easier and a lot more fun.

The majority of youth sports have followed this formula for years. Baseball begins with smaller bats and smaller fields, and progresses from tee ball to coach pitch to player pitch. Basketball and soccer employ similar methods, including shortened playing surfaces and appropriate sized equipment. The shorter and narrower courts used in QuickStart Tennis give kids the confidence and ability to cover the entire court. Kids have trouble controlling full-sized racquets because they are too long, too heavy and the grips are too large. Junior racquets are proportionate in length and weight and have grips that fit smaller hands, making them easier to control. The QuickStart Tennis approach uses balls that bounce at a height equal to kids’ playing abilities, allowing for better and longer rallies and building up to all-court games.

Team Tennis is about turning an individual sport into a team sport. All you have to do is look around at other youth sports to see that kids love playing sports with their friends. Not only is it fun and social, it’s also practical. Team practices keep kids learning, and team matches give them a place to apply the things they’ve learned. So while they’re learning, they’re also having a great time with their friends. Which means they’ll keep coming back.

The cost for Pavan’s QuickStart Team Tennis program is $250 for 8 weeks, with teams for 8 to 10 year olds playing on the following days/times:

• Monday from 4 to 5pm
• Wednesday from 5 to 6pm
• Thursday from 4 to 5pm
• Friday from 4 to 5pm
• Saturday from 12 noon to 1pm

QuickStart Tennis… the new way to play tennis for kids 10 and under… Sign up now and join the team!

Pavan’s Tennis Academy at Fox Chase Tennis Club, Chester, NJ. Phone: (908) 879-5231.

Although Rex does almost all of the cooking in our family, and my older sisters like to joke that I’m helpless in the kitchen, the truth is that I just don’t enjoy cooking on a regular basis.  I do have a few favorite recipes that I make from time to time.  One of them is passed along by my mom, who makes the best Italian meat sauce for pasta, but I’ve made enough adjustments to her recipe over the years to call it my own.  I should add that my hairdresser and good friend Madeline confused me for years by referring to Italian meat sauce for pasta as “gravy.”

After a perfect New Year’s Eve at home, including four live Maine lobsters and two bottles of bubbly, Rex and I decided to spend New Year’s Day together in the kitchen. He made two of my favorites for dinner tonight: Rosemary Meat Loaf and Macaroni and Cheese. I’ll be posting those recipes over the next day or so.  With a little help from Rex and Maddie, I made a big pot of…

Grandmom’s Italian Meat Sauce for Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound hot sausage
• 1 pound sweet sausage
• 7 - 8 cloves garlic
• 3 - 5 onions (3 large or 5 medium)
• 2 - 4 tablespoons olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of your skillet)
• Three (3) 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes (I like Muir Glen’s Fire Roasted Organic Crushed Tomatoes as well as Red Pack)
• One 28-ounce can of tomato sauce, plus two 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce
• One 6-ounce can of tomato paste
• One packet Lawry’s Extra Rich & Thick Spaghetti Sauce Spices & Seasonings (This is my mother’s secret ingredient; she always made her sauce with Spatini, but they don’t make it any more and Lawry’s is the next best thing.  If you can’t find it in your local store, it’s basically a mix of salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and garlic powder)
• One packet Lawry’s Original Style Spaghetti Sauce Spices & Seasonings
• Oregano to taste (I use several teaspoons)
• Basil to taste (I use several teaspoons)
• Black pepper to taste (I use about one teaspoon)

To Make the Italian Meat Sauce for Pasta:

1. Get the sausage out of its casing and separate sausage and ground beef into small pieces.  Maddie likes to roll it into balls, as shown in the photo above.
2. Mince garlic (Rex did this for me, since he’s much more patient than I am with prep work)
3. Chop onions (I did this myself, trying to imitate the way my father taught me to chop rapidly, without losing a finger along the way)
4. Heat olive oil in skillet; add onions and garlic, saute until soft and golden brown.  Many recipes call for browning the meat at the same time as the garlic and onions, but then you’ll lose all the olive oil when you drain off the excess fat from the meat, so I do it in two steps.  Pour the olive oil, onions and garlic into a large stock pot.
5. Brown ground beef, hot sausage and sweet sausage in skillet.  Pour off excess fat.  Do not pour excess fat down your kitchen sink… see Reissmann Plumbing to the Rescue.  Pour the meat into the large stock pot with the onions and garlic.  Move stock pot onto low heat.
6. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Lawry’s seasoning packets, oregano, basil, and pepper.  Simmer for 45 minutes or more, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened to sauce consistency.  I keep the lid on the pot most of the time, then take it off for a while to let some of the liquid evaporate if the sauce is too thin.
7. Enjoy!  Eat some now and save some for a rainy day… or, in my case, a night when Rex is out of town on business.  Pour over hot pasta, use in lasagna.

Yield:  A lot.  Enough to freeze and serve for months.

If you’re lucky enough to live in Chester, New Jersey, or the greater Roxiticus Valley (Mendham, Bernardsville, Far Hills, Randolph, Chester, Somerset or Morris County, NJ), you can count on Louie at the Chester Meat Market for your sausage and ground beef. It’s true that you can get the meat at your local Shop Rite, but Louie’s is a lot more fun. Chester Meat Market is located at 27 West Main Street, Chester, NJ. Phone: (908) 879-7523. Please don’t forget to tell Louie and the gang that Roxy sent you!

As my loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives and Roxy’s Best Of… readers know, our family always celebrates the holidays twice… one Christmas at my mom’s house, and one Christmas Saturday with Rex’s family gathered here with us in the Roxiticus Valley. Yesterday Rex’s family joined us to celebrate Christmas with a “roasted fresh ham for a crowd” of fifteen guests. Rex found the recipe by Matt Lee and Ted Lee in the New York Times back in April 2006.  If you’re looking for a great holiday meal for New Year’s Eve/Day, I’ve posted the recipe, along with before and after photos, and recommend that you call Louie at the Chester Meat Market right away to order your fresh ham for your upcoming feast.

Roasted Fresh Ham for a Crowd:

Ingredients:

• 1 16-to-18-pound fresh ham from Chester Meat Market
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (from 14 to 16 stems)
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1/4 cup half-and-half

To Make the Fresh Ham (Pork Roast):

1. Place a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees.  Trim skin and excess fat from ham, leaving a layer of fat.  Score ham all over in a diamond pattern of 1/2-inch-deep cuts about 1 1/2 inches apart.
2. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and thyme, pinching and sifting mixture until thyme becomes fragrant.  Pat mixture all over ham and into crevices.
3. Place ham fat-side up on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast uncovered for half an hour.  Turn heat down to 350 degrees, pour 2 cups wine and 1/2 cup water into pan and loosely tent with aluminum foil.  Continue to roast, basting every hour.  Add water to pan, if necessary, to keep pan juices from scorching; bake until a meat thermometer pressed into thickest part of ham reads 155 degrees, about 3 1/2 hours.
4. Let ham stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving.  Pour pan juices and remaining 2 tablespoons wine into a small saucepan and simmer about 2 minutes.  Turn off flame, add half-and-half, and serve with ham.

Yield:  12 to 14 servings.

If you’re lucky enough to live in Chester, New Jersey, or the greater Roxiticus Valley (Mendham, Bernardsville, Far Hills, Randolph, Chester, Somerset or Morris County), you can count on Louie at the Chester Meat Market for your fresh ham. Chester Meat Market is located at 27 West Main Street, Chester, NJ. Phone: (908) 879-7523. Please don’t forget to tell Louie and the gang that Roxy sent you!