Category: (it's all about the) food

The Cake Fairy

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food

I went to lunch today and when I got back to my cubicle desk there was a cake there! a cake that I am sure was not there before I went to lunch!  this is clear evidence that the Cake Fairy is alive and well and was in Portland, Maine at 12:30PM today!

Is the Fairy and amazing baker? Possibly, but a little research reveals that the cake fairy is actually affiliated with Hannaford Supermarket, as evidenced by the sticker on the bottom of the cake package.

It contained a Chocolate Truffle Bomb. . . and it was the bomb!  I must say that the picture does not do it justice.

What’s your favorite kind of cake?

Paul Parent in Kennebunk

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, gardening
Paul Parent broadcasting live from Estabrooks in Kennebunk

 

This Sunday morning was there was a nice treat for gardeners. Paul Parent, of Paul Parent Garden Club fame, was broadcasting his show live on 5/23/10 from Estabrooks on Route One in Kennebunk. Check out his radio  show on Sunday mornings from 6:00AM-10:00AM for great gardening tips. He even takes phone calls from listeners! 

If you waited to put in your vegetable garden, then you should be in the market for some seedlings this week.  

If you didn’t wait and took the risk of putting your little plants in the ground already, then the obsessive gardeners among you STILL may be in the market for some more this week. 

Reasons to get down to the farm store or nursery buy some more vegetable seedlings: 

  1. You were smart and waited until “all danger of frost has passed” and now have a blank canvas on which to plant.
  2. You planted already but were smart and left some room for future moments of weakness, like the Pineapple Tomato plants that you just couldn’t pass up.
  3. You find black bell pepper seedlings and find that you just couldn’t pass them up either.
  4. You’ve finished planting your garden and have no more room, but your friend is just starting to plant hers. You can vicariously experience the plant-purchasing thrill by watching your friend oufit her garden.
  5. You can split seedling 6 packs with your friend. After all, if those Pineapple Tomatoes really do get to be 2 pounds each, how will you fit (never mind eat) them all?

And of course, there are all those herb plants…many herbs will thrive in the worst conditions you can think of…but beware the invasive mint plants… 

So, what are you planting this year?

Fisherman’s Catch strikes out

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, restaurants

it so happened one evening that the rest of the household had other dinner plans so i was left to my own devices, with only myself to please in terms of what my meal would be. after some thought, i decided that fried whole clams and sweet potato fries was what i wanted, with a lemonade chaser.

now, where i live there are plenty of places to get either of these things just a short drive away. i picked  Fishermans’ Catch in Wells, Maine. I’ve been there plenty of times with my family but never alone. tonight my plan was to pick up the fried clams and sweet potato fries to go, grab a fresh squeezed lemonade, and head down to the Wells Harbor Park with my book and my dinner, and think about how good life is, you know, between bites.

my bubble was soon burst however. i entered the restaurant, was happy to see that there was no line (a rare occurence) and ordered my food. i was told politely by the blonde woman at the counter that i couldn’t have what i wanted. i took a minute to confirm that they had the two items, which they did. and do they sell a clam basket dinner? yes they did. all i wanted to do was substitute sweet potato fries for the regular fries, and i was told once again that i could not have what i wanted.

she helpfully suggested that i purchase a side order of both, which would have cost me approximately $17 (tax, lemonade, and any potential tip not included). now, it’s not that i’m not worth it, but i really just wanted a dinner for one person (me!), the price of which would not make me choke on it.

am i missing something here? they had the clams. they had the sweet potato fries. why was i not allowed to substitute the fries that  i did want for the fries that i did not want? What i thought, but did not say, is that Duffy’s in Kennebunk, just a short trip down route one, gets it. they give me their menu items the way i ask for them. if i want to substitute sweet potato fries for regular fries at Duffy’s, they couldn’t be happier to do it.

so, Fisherman’s Catch lost my business. which is not good business.

here’s a quote to inspire those businesses that are falling short in this area:

If we don’t take care of our customers, someone else will.
UNKNOWN

Have any of you ever left a restaurant that refused to serve you what you were asking for?

plant the “dirty dozen”

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, gardening, health
3 planted raised beds

What is the dirty dozen? they are the most pesticide-ridden foods at the grocery store, according to an article in the Portland Press Herald ‘s food section last week. if you’re a gardener, why not consider this a call to action?

if you have been contemplating planting vegetables, maybe this article will give you the nudge off the fence and into the yard for which you’ve been waiting.

for me, this is very motivating. scanning the list, i was happy to see that some of the plants are already in my garden: strawberries, spinach, cherries, grapes, apples. some i am planning to plant: potatoes, spinach, and bell peppers. some recommended vegetable varieties for maine gardens can be found on this website:

http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/2190.htm

a word of warning: we live in maine~wait until after memorial day to plant your seedlings outside. remember that night last week with the frost? you know, the one that came after those 70 degree days?  ‘nuf said.

have any of you gamblers put your seedlings outside already?

summer wish list Top Ten

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, books, family, fitness, gardening, health, restaurants, shopping, tweens

Remember every fall when your new teacher would ask you to write an essay on “what I did on my summer vacation”? and you could never think of a thing? Well, how about getting a jump on things this year by writing “what I am going to do on my summer vacation”!

Inspired by Laura Dolce’s column in the York County Coast Star this past thursday, who was talking about her summer wish list, I decided to put together my own. I actually do this every year, but not usually this early.  see if you can notice any recurrent theme in my list.

First, the pre-to-do list (it’s short):

  1. Read the Tourist News every week. it’s not just for tourists anymore.
  2. Check out the local library for summer programs for your kids. they’re free, and fun!
  3. Get online and google the dates of the annual events

Now, here’s what i want to do this summer (this is the top 10):

  1. Big Daddy’s in Wells for a Kahlua  Browie ice cream cone.
  2. Mini-golf at Wonder Mountain in Wells…although a friend told me about Shaw’s Ridge in Sanford, which we may be checking out instead
  3. The (annual) Strawberry Festival in South Berwick. Every year we mean to go and never make it. this year it’s on saturday 6/26, and it’s been on my calendar for 2 months already.
  4. Scarborough Downs Family Fun Day on sunday august 8.
  5. Congdon’s Doughnuts at least once, for blueberry donuts (me) and blueberry turnovers (my daughter) for breakfast.
  6. Ogunquit Playhouse; there are shows for adults as well as for children all summer. note: please do not bring kids to the evening adult shows…nothing will cramp the style of the actors more than a bright-eyed 12 year old front and center when he is trying to say his risqué lines.
  7. Kennebunkport, to walk and poke around in all the little shops.
  8. Kennebooks…visit the bookstore near me as often as possible!
  9. Go for a trolley ride…
  10. Old Orchard Beach for pier fries.

This is my jumping off point. I will add to it as necessary, and hopefully not have to cross too much off from it!

Do you make a summer vacation ‘to-do’ list?

women of note

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, tweens

my daughter and i went to see Women of Note in Kennebunk on Mother’s Day, as we have for the past several years in a row. we appreciate that this free concert is given year after year, hosted by the Atria and open to the public. The concert lasts about an hour and there are hors d’hoevres provided afterward, to which my eleven year old especially looks forward (because for us, it is so often ‘all about the food’!) :).

her favorite song is “mr sandman” and so far, she has never been disappointed. they perform it every time we’ve seen them. we also love it when they incorporate props into the songs. they tease each other mercilessly which makes the show even more fun to watch.

Women of Note also have performed as part of the Wells Harbor Summer Concert series in recent years at the Wells Harbor Park.

if you ever have the opportunity to see them, go! you’ll be happy that you did! it’s so nice to know that your tween may enjoy listening to music and seeing a show that you will also enjoy! and there isn’t one jonas brother in the bunch!

10 tips for a working mother’s garden

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, gardening, tweens
3 raised beds

10 things you will need to have a vegetable garden if you are a working mother:

  1. something to grow things in. now, it may be a patch of ground, a raised bed (if your lucky, your significant other will build it for you; i’m lucky), or even a half whiskey barrel or window box if that’s what you have time/space for.
  2. you will need a plan. trust me. i always make one. i never follow it, but it will make you feel virtuous that you did at one time have some sense of restraint. or, just some sense.
  3. you will need some time. this might be the hardest part of the list, especially if you leave for work before dawn and return after dark. i have no ideas here. you’re on your own.
  4. you will want some assistance. it may come from books (The Garden Primer, Second Edition by Barbara Damrosch is a great reference), friends who know what they are doing, and maybe your kids? hint: your kids probably are not interested in your garden agenda and will not want to help you. options: pay them; beg them; exclude them completely (reverse psychology).
  5. also, consider miracle grow, compost…take any leg up you can get. i have used this in the past with some success: Neptune’s Harvest Organic Fertilizer.
  6. depending on what you are growing (zucchini, string beans), you will need a dedicated appetite that celebrates monotony.
  7. you will need poisons of some sort. if you plant it, they will come: the invaders that love to search out and destroy what you have planted and (if you had time) lovingly tended. show no mercy; the invaders won’t.
  8. you will need protection of some sort from the mosquitos, black flies, dragon flies, and other insects that are hell-bent on getting in your eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. a bug headnet is worth it’s cost. Cabela’s makes one. i’ll warn you; it’s not pretty, but neither is trying to extract a bug from your nasopharynx. the choice is yours.
  9. be prepared for surprises. the crookneck yellow squash seedling that you purchased just may surprise you and turn out to be just another ordinary green zucchini plant. these things happen.
  10. lose with dignity. if the invaders are winning, sometimes it’s better to sacrifice one plant for the good of the whole garden. rip it out. don’t look back.

(early!) on sunday mornings, Paul Parent has a radio talk show where you can call in and ask questions. check out his website for more information.

and remember: give yourself a break. we can’t control everything.

if things turn out well, share the wealth! maybe your neighbor or friend had good luck growing tomatoes this year, and you had good luck with string beans. share; everyone benefits.

and remember, in the real world, the working mother’s garden may turn out to be a Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter and a Chia Pet herb garden!

the 80/20 rule

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, health, italian

who invented this? well, one source credits an italian with is inception. being of italian descent myself, i am of course predisposed to be enamoured with this idea.  ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle fmi). i have always heard of this rule in regard to food and dieting: follow your diet plan 80% of the time and then eat what you want (within reason) 20% of the time and you won’t gain weight. i had an epiphany today when  it occurred to me that this rule may likely apply to exercise too! as in, exercise (do SOMETHING) 80% of the time, then be the lump on the couch (fondly known far and wide as the “couch potato”) if you want for the other 20%. i was very surprised to learn that the rule is actually was originally referencing land ownership in italy. well, since food comes from the land (well, some of it anyway), i guess it is not too far a reach to apply the pareto concept to eating habits.

does the 80/20 rule work for any of you in regard to eating and/or exercise and weight management? if not, what DOES work?

this is what worked (and is still working) for me: http://www.weightwatchers.com/Index.aspx

new(ish) old port restaurant

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, restaurants

in an effort to support food security as well as to give gifts of consumables (or books!), i took my friend to lunch as part of her going away (from old job to new one) present. she’d been wanting to get a lobster roll for weeks at linda bean’s in the old port. http://www.lindabeansperfectmaine.com/

here’s the menu: http://www.lindabeansperfectmaine.com/menus/Maine-Portland/Menu-Maine-Portland-Old_Port.html

her choice? lobster roll on whole wheat bun. i’m not even a big lobster fan but this lobster roll was a thing of beauty; coworkers stopped at our lunch table to oooh and aaah over it. for dessert there was a last minute impulse buy of  mini whoopie pies (maple filled oatmeal? lemon filled gingerbread? raspberry filled chocolate? they demanded to be bought!). the chocolate raspberry filled one was good, but was really more of a brownie than a whoopie. the maple oatmeal? i have no idea; she squirreled it away for surreptitious eating later in the day. okay, so that’s what i did too. 🙂

there are not many non-fish offerings on the menu. i played it safe with a hot dog; red relish and mustard, with sea salt potato chips (i had to eat them. they were mandatory). both sandwiches came with a very simple cabbage only slaw that was surprising good; very little mayonnaise on it, which is my preference but which i rarely find.

overall, it was good food (if a little pricey) and fast service.

where do you go for the best lobster rolls in maine?

parting is such…(insert oxymoronic phrase)

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, baking, books, good grief, recipes

my best work friend is moving on to greener pastures in the workforce…happy for her, sad for me.  of course,we plan to stay in touch and have even gone so far as to devise ways to accomplish this (we don’t live near each other), but it is still happy/sad. In The Happiness Project (http://www.happiness-project.com/), author Gretchen Rubin talks about this feeling (she calls it ‘happy/unhappy’ in her book), when the thing that makes you happy also makes you unhappy…one of her examples is eating more than one cupcake…i can relate to that.

how to officially say goodbye? usually at my company we offer up a cake of some sort (although more often than not, my departing friend is the cake baker/procurer) and a gift certificate to a local business.

her favorite cake is chocolate cake with chocolate frosting; guess i’d better get a-bakin’~http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Deep-Dark-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx seems like as good a place to start as any.

how do you say goodbye to (favorite) work colleagues?

what are some favorite goodbye gifts that you have given (or received) under similar circumstances?

here is a link to some goodbye poems (may also be useful  in case any of you are cardmakers or scrapbookers ): http://www.poem-poetry.com/goodbye-poems.html