Beginning Saturday, when off-peak round-trip rail discounts are discontinued and NJ Transit fare hikes go into effect system-wide, an off-peak round trip from Long Branch to New York Penn Station goes from $20.50 to $30.
A quicker way to soften brown sugar is to put a moist paper towel in a plastic bag with the sugar and microwave it for 20 seconds. If you are leery about microwaving plastic, you could also put the sugar in a glass or ceramic bowl with a moist paper towel and cover it with a lid or plate.
Brown sugar does not spoil because it does not promote the growth of microbes; however, brown sugar that dries out becomes too hard to use for cooking and baking. Brown sugar consists of granulated sugar and molasses.