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.
4. Lay the wet paper towel over the lump of brown sugar so it is fully covered. Microwave for 45 seconds on med-low heat. Remove from microwave, flip over and repeat. Remove from microwave and use a fork to scrape off the softened brown sugar that will be on the outer edges. 5.