(it's all about the) food – Page 5 – Karen Creamer Author, Coach, Speaker

Birthday club

June 28, 2015June 28, 2015 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, friends, quest for the best, restaurants

I am part of a great group of nurses who all work from home. Once a month we (mostly) all get together for breakfast and to celebrate a birthday, if there is one that month. This month we went to Two Hands Crepe and Juice Bar in Brunswick.

Okay, it’s a hike to Brunswick from Wells, but you can get thay-uh from he-uh, and it was totally worth the trip.

I ordered a sweet: the Strawberry and Nutella Crepe (pictured on the left) and it was EXCELLENT. The birthday girl, Annette, ordered a savory: the egg, ham, and cheese. Annette, who has spent time recently in France (I know, right??), said that her crepe compared favorably to ones she’d had there. So…Two Hands got a hit!

The space itself was sunny and bright. The staff was caring and conscientious. The artwork (paintings of animals) that adorned the walls was compelling. The giraffe Made. My. Day. 🙂

My only regret was that I didn’t have time to go visit the farmers market happening around the corner. It looked fabulous (note to self: plan extra time for the next Friday morning visit).

If you are in Brunswick for breakfast, go check them out.

(Hint: There is no parking lot. Find a space on the street out front.)

Bon appetit!

(I know, predictable! But I couldn’t resist!!)

🙂

Italian birthday cake, 2015

June 7, 2015June 10, 2015 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, baking, family, italian, quest for the best, recipes

My family of origin had some family traditions, but they were few.

One that has made it to the present is the Italian Rum Cake birthday cake tradition. My brother’s birthday and mine are about a month apart. We both love Italian Rum Cakes. My family? His family? Um, not so much.

Okay, they hate it.

As much as I love this cake, it is not fun to have a birthday cake on my birthday that no one but me will eat.

Also, it’s damn hard to find this cake in Maine. Actually, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to find this cake in Maine.

So here’s what my brother and I do now:

We call La Cascia’s Bakery and order the Italian Rum Cake with Strawberries (included) and Peaches (cost extra-pay it! it’s worth it!). You get to choose between whipped cream and buttercream frosting (WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING ROCKS!). You must decide if you want nuts on the outside or not-I can never decide so I order nuts on half of it. 🙂
One of us picks up the cake and drives to the other’s house (we take turns hosting-this year is my brother’s turn).
We split the cake. Literally. We each eat half. In our defense, we order the smallest one (serves 8-10 people in real life) they make.

That’s it. Problem solved! We love the cake! Our relatives are not subjected to it! Plus it’s June (my birthday was in May) and I am still eating birthday cake!

I did find a recipe for it (without the strawberries and peaches) on the Mangia Bene Pasta website, but there are something like a thousand steps in this recipe, so it’s pretty certain that I will never make it. Ever. I’d be too tired to eat it after all that.

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The day I ate whatever I wanted

May 13, 2015May 13, 2015 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, books, Party for one, quest for the best, restaurants, writing

When I read the title of this book by Elizabeth Berg, The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted, I thought, YESSSSS!!!! That’s all I want! To eat whatever I want! So in honor of my birthday month, I did that today. Full disclosure: I was using food to comfort myself because I had to work the day before, on Mother’s Day. You know. Again. Solace eating. I’m on it.

I started with, believe it or not, a bowl of Cheerios and milk, with a banana (the revered food of Minions everywhere!) cut up in it. Hello, childhood. I have been craving this meal lately, for some reason. I’m going with it.

Then I had a chocolate croissant (Him: Do you want me to heat it up? Me: Yes! Yes, Please!) from Starbucks at the mall. This was completely unplanned! I was going to get a Tiramisu Frappuccino, but then I heard the croissants calling my name. How could I let them down?

Next I had Maple Roasted Butternut Squash soup from Kamasouptra. With the tag line: Steamy. Hot. Soup. Really? The best thing about Kamasouptra Soup is the (steamy, hot) roll that comes with it. Once you’ve had it, you’ll want it again. And again. Hey, maybe that could be another (racy)slogan for them..? 🙂

Mid-afternoon, I got hungry again (I know, right?). On my way to get a healthy snack (an apple) from the fridge, I remembered that I picked up a whole wheat wild blueberry muffin from New Morning Natural Foods new-ish Kennebunk Deli earlier in the day. If you get one, here’s a tip: zap it for 20-30 seconds in the microwave before you eat it. You’re welcome.

Finally, I picked my daughter up from track, and she asked that question that daughters everywhere have been asking their mothers for centuries. “Mom, what’s for supper?”

I had no idea.
She noticed my hesitation and knew an opportunity when she saw it. “Let’s get Chinese! Like you wanted to yesterday! For Mother’s Day!” Okay, so you know.

She had me at Mother’s Day.

We went to Maple Leaves. I forgot to take a picture of our food, but I did take a (blurry) picture of my fortune.

My daughter was all over this, because I’m getting ready to either a) find an agent to sell my book or b) publish it myself.

Hey, any and all signs are welcome here.

🙂

Reiki, baby

March 20, 2015March 20, 2015 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, Meditation, my one word, no fear, Reiki, SoulCollage

I have just completed my Reiki II class and I loved it! Chris Ann from Wells was my teacher. Truly, there is nothing like spending a day with like-minded individuals to make the time fly by. At no point did I even feel the urge to see what time it was. I didn’t even think about eating lunch until Chris mentioned that it was about 12:30 and asked when did we want to eat. Please note: I never am not thinking about food! Except when I am fully absorbed in what I am doing. Like when I am spending time with family or friends, or working on my SoulCollage cards, or reading, or writing…now I can add practicing Reiki to the list.

What I didn’t expect was that the class would incorporate so many of my favorite things!

I am a member of the ‘First do no harm’ branch of health care (yes, we are a small group…small but growing), and Reiki is perfectly aligned with my philosophy.
We can use crystals in Reiki healing (I. Love. Rocks.) I am a collector of rocks and crystals. They are all over my house. In the pockets of most of my clothing. On nearly every window sill. Scattered on my desk. Edging my bookcase. I have a heart rock garden. No plants…just heart shaped rocks. 🙂
Meditation is part of the process. Mediation is my new BFF.
Did I mention being with like-minded individuals is awesome?
Aromatherapy can be incorporated into Reiki healing sessions. I have studied and used Aromatherapy for more than twenty years. Lavender, Tea Tree, and Peppermint are part of my daily life. A bottle of Lavender Essential Oil shares the windowsill (with the rocks) in my kitchen (you know, near the stove?) and is my go-to remedy for burns. Okay, so I have two bottles in the kitchen. Better safe than sorry.

Those are just some of the great bonuses I received along with my attunement Sunday. The biggest bonus, however, is this: I am stepping out of my comfort zone this year. I am being brave and taking chances. I am remembering “My One Word” this year for more than just the first month.
🙂

Meditation 101

March 15, 2015March 15, 2015 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, health, Meditate

I started meditating a few months ago as part of giveit100.com I put in my 100 days and then guess what! I didn’t stop. I kept on going. I meditate every day now (sometimes more than once).

I am a meditator.

What was different about this time? I got out of my own way. I stopped defining ‘meditation’ and surrounding it with rules. I just practiced it.

Everything is hard before it is easy (paraphrased from a Jack Canfield book The Success Principles).

What do you need? Just to practice it.

I have recently decided that it’s okay to sip coffee in meditation. No one is looking. Or cares.

I love meditation because you already have everything you need: body? Check! Breath? Check! Coffee? YES! Sometimes!

SoulCollage Intro Class

March 7, 2015March 7, 2015 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, friends, local fun, SoulCollage

Last weekend I finally was able to take the SoulCollage Intro Class at Bean Tree Place that I’ve been wanting to take for over a year. The planets aligned (and my daughter’s cheering schedule ended) and it finally happened.

It was worth the wait.

It was a just-big-enough class of four students plus the facilitator, Nancy. Nancy had done a lot of prepping for us, including laying out some snack-y foods (hello? Standard Bakery Scones? LOVE! And my go-to chocolate, Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Kisses…but I digress) in her bright, sunny kitchen. After the introductions, we got to work.

I made four cards, and after the class I made another four. This is one of my favorite ones that I made in the class:

Any other people new to SoulCollage out there?

A welcoming place

January 18, 2015 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, my one word, teens

I had the great pleasure of attending the Bean Tree Open House today with my daughter, Izzy. Their Facebook page describes Bean Tree as “a studio for creativity and growth”.

Sign me up for that.

When we entered the house through (after much discussion) the middle of three doors, we found ourselves in bright, cheerful kitchen. Nancy Carroll introduced herself and offered us the option of having some tea or to poke around the studio a bit first. We decided to poke.

Everywhere we looked there was something beautiful to see: a silver angel on a key ring, colorful mosaics hanging on the walls, lovely pottery pieces of all kinds. The energy in the rooms was warm and inviting. The pottery studio is on the left side of the house, and the collage studio is on the right. The kitchen is a central area where the aforementioned tea was brewing, and (nice surprise!) some plates of small baked goods were available: cookies and sweet rolls and scones, oh my! 🙂

The collage room drew me because I am interested in one of the upcoming Intro to SoulCollage (registered trademark keyboard symbol…where are you?) workshops Nancy has planned. There were tables of images available and a poster board on an easel so that today’s guests could contribute to a community collage for the Open House. Izzy and I took our time choosing our images. I found one that shrieked ‘brave!’ at me and after taking Nancy’s advice to trim it a bit, made my contribution. You can see it there on the left. Guess which images were from Izzy!

And then I ate a cookie (note to self: ask for the recipe-so good!).

Was that wrong?

There is another class mentioned on the website that I am interested in finding out more about: The Power of Home: An Art Journal Workshop. Yay! So much to look forward to!

What about you? How are you staying creative these days? Add your comment below.

Also, please consider helping me achieve my goal of reaching 1000 followers by clicking on the ‘sign me up!” button on the upper right corner of my blog. If you are already a follower, thank you so much! Here is a virtual cookie to show my appreciation!

My one word 2015

December 30, 2014December 30, 2014 by Karen, posted in movies, my one word, NaNoWriMo2014, no fear, quest for the best, The write words at the write time, writing

I have written about My One Word (MOW) in the past. The premise is this: you pick just one word to inspire you all year long.

If you are a writer, the appeal of only writing ONE WORD in a writing session is seductive.

It is, however, also deceiving. It’s harder to choose just one word to write down than you might think. There’s actually an entire website devoted to this topic, with a section devoted to just choosing your word.

When you can only choose one, you want it to be the best word ever.

The contenders this year for me are, in no particular order:

Write Meditate Breathe Focus Declutter

I thought I had a good list from which to choose when I made the mistake of visiting the MOW website’s ‘Pick your word’ section and another word, a bright and shiny new and different word, popped out at me: BRAVE. This word, this BRAVE word, showed me that I had unconsciously been thinking that MOW must be a verb. Every word that I thought of was a verb.

But Brave? Brave can be an adjective or a verb! Or even a noun! And Brave is a big, important word. There’s an entire Disney Movie about that word! I have written other blog posts that contain that word!

Oh, I just thought of yet another (verb) word: Decide.

I think maybe I just did. 🙂

What do you think about choosing One Word versus making New Year’s Resolutions?
What would YOW (Your One Word) be?

If you are BRAVE, please comment below with your choice!

Thanksgiving dinner for one

November 23, 2014 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, Holidays, Karen's Kitchen, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo2014, Party for one, writing

It so happens that I will be working Thanksgiving (as is the majority of my family) and therefore I will be a Party of One for Thanksgiving Dinner.

I also plan to continue my NaNoWriMo efforts and so will have very little time for cooking and such. I do, however, love food. And, you know, eating.

So, here’s my plan for a traditional-ish Thanksgiving Dinner for one:

MENU:

Rotisserie turkey breast. Okay, full disclosure: I am buying it (precooked) on Wednesday (they are cheaper if you get them cold vs hot at Hannaford’s). It takes 6 minutes in the microwave but if you have a crock pot you can stick it in there on low 2 or more hours ahead of time and it will be ready (and moist! NOT DRIED OUT AT ALL!) when you want to eat it.
Instant mashed potatoes: the Idahoan brand Buttery Homestyle is the best! Very fast: 3 minutes and 30 seconds in the microwave. Hint: put 1 3/4 cup of water rather than 2. You’re welcome.
Quick turkey gravy: I think the McCormick Turkey Gravy packets are pretty darn good. You can pour the drippings from your turkey breast container (if there are any) into gravy. Ready in 5 minutes or less.
Stove Top Turkey Stuffing. I forget how long this takes. I might make it the day before.

Now, everyone has their one thing that they must have on the table or it’s not Thanksgiving-Butternut Squash is mine. This will need to be made ahead of time: roast or boil a small squash (I always get it prepeeled and also precubed if I am really feeling lazy) until soft, mash with a potato masher, add 1-2 tablespoons each of butter and brown sugar, sea salt to taste.

Interesting Trivia: I’ve heard (I think it was from Clinton Kelly on The Chew last week) that the general rule of thumb for the number of Thanksgiving side dishes is this: you must have one side dish for every person coming to dinner. Right. So. That would be one. And done. 🙂

I made bread dough (recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Herzberg and Zoe Francois) today and put it in the fridge so now I just have to bake it off that morning. I can make a roll or two or a whole loaf and-OH! I almost forgot the cranberry sauce!!!

Which reminds me of and is a nice segueway to that song Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses:

“I’m spending this one alone,” he said
“Need a break, this year’s been crazy”
I said, “Me too, but why are you?
You mean you forgot cranberries too?“

ENJOY!!!!

Mental health break

November 21, 2014November 21, 2014 by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, italian, Marriage, NaNoWriMo, restaurants, writing

I took a two-day break from Nano writing and went away overnight to celebrate my husband’s birthday (and, you know, to take a break from sitting! At the computer! Writing! OMG! I haven’t been able to feel two of the fingers on my left hand for a week!). We had supper at Nolita, a new-ish Italian restaurant in York that we like.

I felt a little bad that he hadn’t had a cake on his birthday and gotten to hear the sweet strains of the “Happy Birthday to You” song wafting toward his ears on his day, but so be it. We wanted to have the cake with the entire family, and that couldn’t happen until the following day.

When we arrived at the restaurant, my husband had to run back to the car to get his reading glasses (he is so not into my rendition of “This is what’s on the menu” that he’d rather run back out into the 27 degree cold dark night that to listen to it).

That’s when the waitress came over and I mentioned it was my husband’s birthday. She said, “Does he like tiramisu? We give a free tiramisu for someone’s birthday.”

Now, Bill does not like tiramisu, but oh my God! I love it! But, it was his birthday after all, so I asked if there were other dessert options and she said they have gelato. As (my) luck would have it, I’m pretty sure the only thing he dislikes more than tiramisu is gelato.

“Yes, he does like tiramisu! Bring that!” I said, conscience clear.

What I hadn’t realized (and in fairness to me, I was halfway through my Italia Margarita at the time) was that said tiramisu would be accompanied by, um, fanfare. And I’m pretty sure that if there is one thing Bill dislikes more than gelato and tiramisu, it’s fanfare. In our 26 or more (we can’t agree on this) years together, he has never, ever seen a cake coming toward him with a gaggle of servers singing the birthday song to him.

And yet, I lived to tell the tale, so it’s all good.

Also, that tiramisu rocked!