There are days when one needs to step back, breathe deeply and focus on the present. I needed a reminder recently and found myself in Maine one weekend at a stunningly beautiful place. The folks are friendly, the sights are breathtakingly beautiful and the local fish market was the place to go for the best seafood in town. The catch of this day? Fresh halibut. Continue reading “Inhale. Exhale. Breathe.” »
Week 15 brought with it some extraordinary things.
Bacon dusted fries from Nosh in Portland, Maine. If you want a sandwich, try the falafel with sweet potato curry. SO good!
A working lunch that went downhill.
The perfect tree.
Remember to look up before you look down…you may find a treasure.
Friday night celebrations ended with catching up on Mad Men. Hmm…
At the ‘gate’ in LaGuardia
Fallen magnolia blossoms
I finally found Spring. Happiness.
Stay tuned for more!
I stepped through the door to a vaguely familiar space. Suddenly memories from an older time came flooding back. But this time things were different. It was a time to discover the new in an old new place.
…Edith Piaf, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, Gillian Welsh accompanied warm evenings and sunny mornings where talk turned to the beauty of Marilynn Robinson’s Gilead, or Rachel Carson describing sand. I came home refreshed and started reading about Rachel Carson.
“It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility. ”
Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
I was present and seeing the old familiar images in a new light. So beautiful. So grateful.
One morning I found a cookbook, Dishing Up Maine by Brook Dojny on the bookshelf. Late in the afternoon, after walks on trails in the woods, visiting 3 familiar shops (with the same 3 cashiers), Sweet Z and I called it a complete day. I set out to make the Best ‘Bangor’ Brownies.
Walnuts are toasted
Butter and chocolate are melted
More ingredients
And then this happened
Sweet Z and I did what any couple might do on a Saturday night. Brownies with candied ginger ice cream appeared, a warm fire blazed from the woodstove and we settled in to watch a film noir movie. A recent movie genre I was happy to stumble upon.
Ingredients
Instructions
Thank you for reading!
There are days when I must force myself to slow down. I remove myself from the everyday…the chores around the house, the emails waiting a response, the dishes in the sink. I step outside and cross the yard. With my camera carefully in tow I make my way towards the voices of the birds. The canadian geese are calling and my feet cannot move fast enough as I quickly step on the grass. But the ground tries to slow my footsteps, a gentle reminder to slow down and have a look around. The soft earth beneath my feet is just barely starting to thaw, allowing the grass to awaken from its winter slumber. The herons have returned to stake out which nest they will claim as their own to raise their family. With a renewed sense of calm and a soul filled with joy I went back to the house and started making biscuits. Simple drop biscuits was the latest recipe to try out with my Sundays with Joy Baking Group. Continue reading “Whole Wheat Maple & Goat Cheese Biscuits” »
I quickly opened the door and rushed inside as the next gust of wind tried to carry me away. Not like Mary Poppins but Dorothy in Kansas. Inside, the house was warmed by the fire in the woodstove and the delicious smell of stroganoff that was waiting for me. Nineteen years ago I was eating dinner with my Dad rattling on and on about the concert I had just conducted. There was talk of the jazz greats, jazz theory and what an impact it has had on the current day. It was a good evening full of warmth, cheer and connection. Nineteen years later these memories came flooding back to me as I was chopping mushrooms and trying to create this meatless dish in my current kitchen making a bourguignon sauce. I wanted a rich, comforting dinner without the heavy sour cream sauce or beef on this particular night.
Continue reading “Mushroom Bourguignon” »
Because it is Week 13…because I may be slightly superstitious… I shall let you comment on my Everyday: Week 13. Take it away!
Cheers to a new week ahead! Thanks for reading!
Have you ever found yourself wanting a signature cocktail? Every spring I go through a phase of wanting to have a signature cocktail to offer when the need arises. In preparation each spring I taste test new creations. This pomegranate mango cocktail was a welcome sight at the end of a long day. 
Continue reading “Pomegranate Mango Martini” »
It was one of those days. That day that despite the sun shining, there was a fresh layer of snow on the ground to greet me in the morning. That day in which hours of carefully planned out ideas were presented…and quickly dismissed. Or the wrong order arrives, a moment of dread steps in, then calm quickly arrives and we get to work…and rework things to just make it work with 22 different people, with 22 different sizes. Yes. We need cookies on a day like this. Want to make some cookies?
Continue reading “Vegan Mocha Cherry Chip Oat Cookies” »
Who would ever think to put carrots in pancakes?! Joy the Baker did in her cookbook, this is who! The Sundays with Joy Baking Group tackled all things carrot cake this week. Joy the Baker created this recipe and I must say it was a fabulous idea. If you like carrot cake and like pancakes I say this is a win-win! Lets go! Continue reading “Carrot Cake Pancakes” »
