Tag: pie

The honeymoon is over

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, fitness, health, local fun

Well, the vacation may have just started but….the party? It’s definitely over. What am I talking about?

I got off the scale a minute ago. It wasn’t pretty.

After I got over being mad at myself (you know, for getting on it in the first place) I decided to (try to) get real. I did a quick review of what I ate yesterday (vacation day 1; ice cream twice?? And one of those times I used it to dress up an enormous and amazingly good piece of strawberry rhubarb pie).

Pie a la mode

Steps:

  1. Start counting (ugh) Weight Watchers points again. I never did pony up the cash to re-join so that I could learn the new Points Plus system, so either I rejoin (joining fee is no longer being waived, of course) or use the old system as best as I can remember it from 4 years ago. UPDATE: Just saw an ad in the WW magazine that starting 8/28 they will be waiving that $29.95  joining fee again (for Weight Watchers Online, at least)…guess I got a week’s reprieve!
  2. Go back to getting up early and walking for 30 minutes every morning (maybe I’ll wait till after my vacation to start this one, since I’ll already be up early every day at 5:45AM when school resumes August 30). I stopped doing this after a particularly vicious horse fly attack.
  3. Stop wearing my cupcake necklace for a while . Hmmmm…I wonder if they make a carrot stick necklace?? Just in case there’s something to “the power of suggestion”.
  4. Drink more water, yada yada.

Note: It’s going to be a bumpy road; I still have 2/3 1/3 of that pie left.

Pumpkins in the Old Port

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, baking, local fun, raising chickens

Love pumpkins? There are lots of options for getting your pumpkin fix here in the Old Port. 

First, Coastal Maine Popcorn Company has a seasonal flavor called Pumpkin Spice. Now, popcorn is not something that immediately springs to mind (like muffins!) when I think of pumpkin, but maybe hereafter it will. Head over to the tasting bar and try some for yourself; see what you think. I’d tell you what I think of it except that the day I went to try it, they were sold out of it. Maybe that means that it’s good? 

Pumpkin Pie from Bam Bam Bakery

Next, you can indulge your pumpkin and your chocolate cravings at once with some pumpkin chocolate swirl fudge from the Old Port Candy Company. They will give you a free sample if you want to “try before you buy”. Fair warning: it will be hard to walk away without it once you’ve tried it. 

At The Farmers Market in Monument Square on Wednesdays, you can pick up a personal-sized, gluten-free pumpkin pie from Bam Bam Bakery’s table. Be focused though, because they also have lemon bars to die for. Get your little pie, hand over your $5, then walk away. 

Pumpkin Whoopie from Two Fat Cats Bakery

Finally, there are amazing pumpkin whoopie pies made at the Two Fat Cats Bakery on India Street.  Their recipe is in the Making Whoopies: The Official Whoopie Pie Book by Nancy Griffin. They were featured recently on America’s Best Sweets on the Food Network and touted as having the best whoopie pie not only in Portland, but in America. I have had the pumpkin version and I totally agree. 

On another note: don’t forget about how much chickens love to eat real pumpkins, and feel free to save any post-Halloween for consumption by the local chickens of your choice. Especially mine. 

🙂