a weekend with my girl... and home again.

How inspiring it was to be with my girl...how beautiful it was that my girl and my boy were immediately in sync. How perfect the lazy weekend was in North Carolina. Oh, how HOT it was!!

Good thing we had a fan and Andy... (who the gentleman in the back is I can't quite remember). As always it was like we had been together all along. We sat and chatted over coffee about the near future, just like old times. It went by all to fast, as usual but she is taking the trek up here next month with a great new addition Suze!

Returning home, however wasn't too shabby... we returned to the warm weather of spring in Maine, to this house:

With a sign out front to tell us:

(Chard in fridge...just in case you can't see)

Which came from the garden/farm that is booming in Andy's back yard (thank you Nate):

oh... and lets not forget the peonies that are blooming:

and blooming:Then off to Andy's family camp today to enjoy our day off... which has a view like this:
and peaks over rose bushes for that spectacular view:
oh and a little skipping of rocks (which, I might add...Andy is pretty amazing at...if there were a rock skipping competition today, he would have won). Good job Andy. Turns out the dog thought the rocks were a blast to chase and we actually had a moment of swimming (panicked as it may have been, all four paws were off the ground).
The boys played so so hard, they both fell asleep in the car while driving home. (Yes, I took this while driving...but eyes were on the road, I promise.)

So this is what we have been up to. So busy playing, I've hardly had time to write. Hope you enjoyed the update in pictures... Till next time!

life is pretty damn good...AhhhhASAh

aaahhh, things are a bloomin'! I spent yesterday making the cottage a little homier... I haven't had many weekends here and it was beginning to show. I planted the window boxes with a mixture of edibles and non-edibles which felt really nice since I don't have my own garden this summer. Between my landlord Jon and Andy's near farm I think they could feed a small country. That and I was really curious if I would have the time I would need to dedicate to it. So I have planted the basic kitchen herbs and I will help Jon out whenever he needs me (we have all had fresh lettuce for over a month now!). Speaking of which, I am off to make a salad for dinner. Hope everyone is having a happy spring and enjoying this beautiful weather!

happy dog?!

Finn and I mixed things up this weekend and went exploring new beaches on another island not too far away...sooooo fun.... clearly!

Sweetgrass Farm Winery and Distillery

On Sunday, Andy and I motivated and drove the ten minutes down the road to go scrounge up some Back River Gin from Sweetgrass Farm Winery. I am really not much of a fan of gin, however, one night I was handed a glass of chilled Back River Gin and man... it was really quite amazing! Upon arrival I learned they made much more than gin... there were homemade bitters, wines, ports, apple brandy, vermouth, rum and pure vanilla extract.

Turns out, their gin was named one of the top 50 spirits of 2008 by Wine Enthusiast!

Check out their site using the link above (just click on their name)...oh.. and bonus, on the site, you can watch a lamb video ... (for real Anna, check it out :) ).

And if you happen to be in the area, make sure to stop by. It's a not very well know must see!

Eating these......

is starting to catch up with me. Yup, you heard it.... I am officially at a place in life where I can not just eat all the sweets and carbs I want ... I never thought this day would happen, it will be a day of mourning for me. April 16th, 2010 - the day Jess Shepard realized she can't eat whatever she wants. Soooo, I will enjoy the pictures and the wonderful scent of fresh hot danish coming from the oven and love them for what they are.

my weekend "retreat"

Sooo, when I spend my weekends at Andy's my mother calls it my "weekend retreat"... and here are a couple reasons why....

Finn and I had our morning walk to this sweet sweet pond, it was a drizzly morning and the grey was so beautiful and serene... just a perfect walk...
the beginning stages of an enormous garden... I can't wait to see everything in bloom!
and the greenhouse... ohhh the greenhouse. We are already eating spinach, cilantro, arugula, mustard greens, and I think there is kale and a few other greens coming up as well...

Cheers to the weekend retreat.

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend planting, hiking, biking, canoeing, reading, or just enjoying the sun when it poked out from behind the clouds!

ahhhh.... it's 7p.m.

The day has finally slowed and I am sitting down with a glass of wine (for those winos out there check out Louis Latour 2008 Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir... pretty damn good)...and The Bread Builders book. I just went to Rankins (the local local (I meant to say that twice) hardware store) and did some pricing of all the materials of the oven that we need. We have Andy's fantastic cousin Josh in on the job to scrape a pad for the foundation and we will be set to go. But for now, I am sitting and reading and relaxing, waiting for my pound cake to bake for a get together tomorrow.

Classic Almond Pound Cake:

1 lb. butter

1 lb. sugar

1 lb. eggs

1 lb. flour

1-2 tsp. almond extract.

Use the creaming method (cream butter and sugar together, add eggs one at a time, then extract, and flour). Bake 350 until done (check after an hour with a toothpick... bake more if still gooey).

It's that simple folks... and I must say, damn good when glazed with a sweet bourbon sauce right outta the oven. :)

Hope everyone is enjoying the sun...more beautiful days to come!

Round II .... Phase I

Alright folks...here we go again... it's oven building time! And this time, there is actually a serious plan (see photo to left). Andy spent the better half of Saturday drawing up some plans for our brick oven. Using "The Bread Builders" book guidelines, we went out and staked the area we want to build, established dimensions that work and Andy set to putting in on paper (well...on computer). It really felt nice to establish a plan of attack, it is going to be beautiful! (I am really quite excited about the timber frame and slate roof...yup...slate). As you can see in the photo it will be completely sheltered as well as the two tables that will be on either side of the oven (one for makin' the pizza, one for slicing the baked pizza...of course). Next step... laying the foundation. It looks like Friday night pizza nights are really going to happen. YAY!

I am sooooo in love!.... with yoga :)

Practicing on my mat today I had an amazing moment of complete gratitude for the life I have (as a side note: this may be coming from the last of the high I have been on from the 75 degree day we had yesterday.... look what a little pink on my cheeks does to me!!). Sitting in my beautiful cozy cottage where there are down comforters on my bed to keep me warm, yummy food in my cupboards, hot tea in my mug, a sweet sweet dog napping on my couch and yoga mats rolled up in the corner, I truly couldn't be more content right now. Not needing or wanting anything else and realizing that all things will come in time. Looking forward to longer, warmer days (Happy Vernal Equinox by the way!) and many more sweet moments in the cottage. Would love to hear what you all are grateful for!!

Is it March???!!

What? Where has February gone?? And what about the first of March? Days have just been floating by here with warm sun and so much to do...hiking, yoga, and just lounging with great people...of course, what gets neglected? Squash Blossom, I know, I know I apologize too much for the lack of posts so I won't, I will just celebrate a full life (and a very demanding dog!) :)

With all the yoga and lifestyle changes, I think tonight I will share with you an Ayurvedic recipe for spicy oil (which, to all those who just gasped at the though of me using spicy oil, is NOT so spicy)... It is quite delicious and good for you in so many ways (and for those who are familiar with the doshas..it's good for all of 'em!). I use this to saute up my veg. for beans and rice nights. It is really delicious....

1 cup canola oil (I use sunflower)

1 Tbsp. cumin seeds

1 1/2 Tbs Hing (asafetida, from an Indian store)

2 Tbsp. mustard seed

1 Tbsp. turmeric

Heat oil in a pan. Add 2-3 mustard seeds in while while it is heating. They will start popping once the oil is hot. Remove the pan from heat and add the remaining mustard seeds and cover the pot. After the seeds stop popping, add cumin seeds, hing, and turmeric. Allow the oil to cool down for 5 min. and then pour in a thick glass jar and store at room temperature.

It is really versatile I hope some of you give it a try!

p.s. turmeric is also called the "poor woman's saffron," for it does many of the same things that its more expensive cousin can do.!

an old standby

Three hours before we were supposed to be at a birthday party, Andy informs me it's a potluck (why is it that boys are never on top of that stuff??). So I returned to the old standby. My landlord Jon had a secret stash of fresh rosemary hidden somewhere and gave me the most gorgeous bouquet of it. This recipe is one of my favorites and it is due time that I share it with you all! Taken from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop it has never failed to be a crowd pleaser.. I hope you enjoy.

Rosemary Crust:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter

4-5 tablespoons ice water

Tomato-Goat Cheese Filling:

6 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

3 medium tomatoes cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick and blotted dry with paper towels

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

For the crust: Place flour, salt and rosemary in food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse until pea sized. Gradually add the water adn pulse briefly after each addition. Process until dough just comes together. *DO NOT OVER PROCESS!!*

Flatten into disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

oven - 375

Unwrap dough and roll into a 12-inch circle. Lat it over a 10 inch tart pan fitting it into the bottom and up the sides. Roll the rolling pin over top to cut off excess dough.

To fill and bake: Scatter crumbled goat cheese evenly over bottom of tart then arrange the tomatoes over the cheese. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the crust pulls away from pan and is golden brown 45-50 minutes.

Allow tart to cool a bit before serving.

Enjoy!

it might be a bit premature...but I think it's for real

While Andy was taking a big snooze this afternoon on the couch I was surfing away on the Internet (and in dreamland) as I sometimes do about food. As usual I got a bit carried away by the strong waves of passion I feel about wood fired ovens and upon awaking Andy got an ear full of a grand new scheme in the works about said wood fired oven that, I must add, we had already planned on building come Spring. Well this oven began as a simple clay ordeal and quickly turned into a full scale (once again the "full scale" is part of my dreamland) oven with timber frame and slate roof...(turns out Andy is quite the dreamer as well...thank god).

That being said I was looking at some Portland, OR inspiration as I sometimes do and realized that here in the mid-coast I have experienced nothing that even comes close to the pizza I have been a part of at the bakery in Flat Rock, NC or at Tastebud in Portland, Oregon and I think amongst the crew that I am beginning to meet it would be quite a hit. Sooooo, Andy got in on the scheme... wood fired pizza here in Union once or twice a week, maybe some music by friends (okay...dreamin' again)...but really, amazing pizza and simple desserts out of the oven. How magical!!

Really.... who's with me??!!

(it might be a bit premature, but I couldn't help myself...it's mid February in Maine and the fire is a bit low, this was just the thing I needed tonight!)

......................... dreaming of wood....ovens....fire...and really yummy pizza

savory onion and mushroom scones....

oh man....oh man....

We had a bunch of mushrooms at work that needed using up...so I found this recipe in La Brea Pastries. The mushrooms are sauteed in olive oil then dry sherry is added and reduced. Toss in some fresh thyme at the end and let cool. Saute the onions in the same pan in 1/4 cup of oil (it is recommend to keep the onions held together in their concentric circles..that was a challenge) with a lid on the pan until soft but not colored. Remove from the pan (intact if possible) and set on a sheet pan.
For the dough:

2 1/4 c all purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat

1/2 t salt

1 T plus 1t baking powder

4 T. plus 1 1/2 t butter

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup heavy cream

process everything except heavy cream until it looks like dry meal

dump into a bowl, toss in the mushrooms. Make a well and add the cream.

Mix together until just combined.

Roll or pat onto lightly floured surface until 1/2" thick (or a little more)...

cut out 2" circles

brush top with a little heavy cream

gently press the onion rings on top.

bake at 350 until firm to the touch and nicely browned about 30-40 minutes

and voi la!

enjoy!

post 100!

Just so you all know...I am on post 100....it has been over a year and a half since I began posting... this must be the longest commitment I have ever made to anything!! Deserved a shout out I thought.

This is just another post about another beautiful weekend spent here in Midcoast Maine...you may start to get sick of it, if you do, no hard feelings, but I will miss having you read my blog!

Saturday afternoon was spent snowshoeing Mt. Pleasant, the sun was out, the snow was perfect, and we were the only ones out enjoying the scene...it is so breathtaking out there the views are just magical!

The beast thoroughly enjoyed the deep snow, so deep in fact I actually captured him taking a rest half way up! (The other magical bit was that he slept for the rest of the evening... did I mention magical?!)
I also got a chance to do some cooking and had to snap a photo of the 1920's oven that I am leaning to bake out of. Yup, she's a beast... temperature gauge? What temperature gauge?

Dinner was a spinach and cheese strata...the recipe I pulled off Smitten Kitchen (click here for recipe) which was sooo yummy and fed us for a few days (still good cold right out of the fridge..those are the best kind!).

There was also homemade vanilla bean ice cream for desert that was quite divine oh, and did I mention an Ani DiFranco concert?
WHAT A WEEKEND!!

Hope everyone enjoyed theirs just as much..have a beautiful and happy week!

oh the beauty!!

It is still snowing, but I took these yesterday....so imagine this...then add a foot or two? :)