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Archive for the ‘Good Eats’ Category

My Other Blog!

Posted in Environmental Consciousness, Good Eats, Locavore Resources, My portfolio, New Hampshire, Our personal history, Social Consciousness, tagged , , , on March 9, 2013 | 2 Comments »

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Have you been wondering where I’ve been?

Truth is – and I hate to admit this – that I’ve been cheating on you, blog. That’s right…I’ve been blogging elsewhere. Actually, this fall (right when I stopped posting here) I started building a new blog from scratch. The timing was serendipitous for me as I was starting to feel a little stagnant in this venue, and a rebirth was necessary, but I didn’t know where to go. Then fortune smiled upon me and gave me a job that I love. Four years after graduating college with a degree I didn’t really care for, and spending a lot of money to get it, I have finally found something that feels like it’s right for me. I was hired as the Media Specialist for a very small, independent health food store here in my home region.

Not only is it wonderful to be doing something that I love for a living (blogging, social media, design), but I am also doing it for a company that I truly believe in. As you probably know, Ryan and I have been vegetarians for many years, tested out a locavore diet on two different occasions, and we really work hard to spend our dollar votes wisely. This job encourages and engages all of my many interests, from upcycling to reading to eating – no easy task. So my disappearance from this corner of the internet didn’t mean I was disappearing entirely; instead, I’ve been dreaming up, designing, and building this website during my working hours (and also a little in my off time – shhh, don’t tell the boss!). They say that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. It’s my sincere hope that you all have or find this happiness, too.

I would love for you to follow me there, even if you live out of state. We will be sharing all sorts of eco-friendly tidbits and healthy recipes. I’m going to be doing most of the blogging, but there are several other ladies involved right now and we are working on expanding our blogging team even further. Oh, yes, and I’m still writing for Goodwill International, too!

Anyway, I don’t want to call this goodbye, but it might be goodbye. There’s a chance I’ll come back, completely redo this blog and take off in a different direction, but for now I want it to just stay the way it is while I work on other things. Thanks for all of your support and encouragement over the many years that I’ve been writing here. I do hope we can stay in touch!

xx.

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How does your garden grow?

Posted in Good Eats, My portfolio, Our personal history, tagged , , , , , , on July 16, 2012 | 4 Comments »

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Where yesterday our plate was empty…

…today it overflows. We made a trip to our garden this afternoon and came home with loads of fresh veggies. I had helped my parents in the garden a little growing up, but this year we’ve done it almost entirely on our own, and it’s such an amazing feeling to bite into something we planted as a seed.On top of the radishes, kale, and two varieties of lettuce that we brought home, we also feasted on wild raspberries that line one side of our garden at the edge of the woods, and some sugar snap peas that were just ready to be picked. Fresh local, organic produce – it doesn’t get better than this.

I’ve got to say that the summertime {if I haven’t said this a hundred times before} is my most favourite time of the year. Sunshine, fresh air, crisp veggies, and sandy feet.

What’s in your garden?

xx.

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Today is for…

Posted in Good Eats, Music, Today is for..., tagged , , , , , , on June 20, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

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Today is for Hall + Oates…

…sun tea, updating the bedroom to feel a little more like us, throwing the windows open, and peanut butter, honey, + blueberry sandwiches. Don’t you just love days off in the summer? Now if only we could be at Camp swimming + reading in the sun. Maybe tomorrow.

I hope you’re staying cool today!

xx.

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Photobooth Friday – No. 38

Posted in Environmental Consciousness, Free Giveaways, Good Eats, New Hampshire, Photobooth Friday, Style, tagged , , , on May 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

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Our week in snapshots:

| highlights |

We can finally smell the first sweet breezes of summer! Although today is a bit dreary, the last week or so has for the most part been gorgeous. Ryan + I have started running again, and are really excited to explore some of the woodland trails that snake between a quiet stream and some rusty old railroad tracks just outside of town. I love running under bright green leaves, and it’s even better when there’s clean, clear water running next to us.

Our radishes have sprouted up so quickly! And our peas are not far behind. It feels like we’ll be eating from our garden sooner than we had thought. All of this rain sure has been great for one thing – waking the Earth up from its long winter slumber. With our ingredients sorting themselves out as I type, Ryan + I are getting more excited for the debut of our cooking blog in June! It’ll be a seasonal-ish vegetarian recipe blog using as much of our own garden as is possible. We’ve done locavore summers twice {2010, 2011} and will still be eating mostly within New England, but our focus is going to be sharing some of our favourite foods with you! I’ll keep you updated as things progress.

Oh, yes! I’ve also made my first shop sales! The very first came in the week I reopened, but since then I’ve had three more – two of which were orders including multiple listings! I’ve got high hopes for this shop of mine. I’m also really excited this week because I’ll be hosting a giveaway for Shabby Apple right here on the blog! Incredible, no? You may want to head to their website now to find your favourite things, then make sure you’re here on Tuesday to officially enter the contest! I’d hate for you to miss out on this – they have such cute stuff {and, they donate a portion of their profit to help women worldwide}!

Good day, my dears!

xx.

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West End Deli | Favourite Portland Haunts

Posted in Favourite Portland Haunts, Good Eats, Locavore Resources, Portland, tagged , , , , , , on April 22, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

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I can’t tell you how many times we’ve run over to the Deli for a late night snack.

The fact that this little corner store is located pretty much right outside our front door is both a blessing and a curse. When we accidentally run out of milk or eggs, I am so thankful for it. But then milk and eggs turns into milk, eggs, a bottle of wine, and two of their amazing Cat sandwiches {colby cheese, craisins, apple slices, sprouts, baby spinach, carrots & cranberry vinaigrette on a baguette!}, and then we don’t go grocery shopping for another week because we can just run next door instead. It’s a little too convenient, if you know what I mean.

Still, most of the employees know us by name, and that’s a very comforting feeling. We don’t mind sharing our money with a cute little shop that has so nicely stocked a little bit of everything we might possibly need. Seriously, they have everything. A huge selection of beers, wines, and mead, made close to home as well as imported. They have cheeses, of course, to accompany your drink of choice and plenty of other little snacks {like ice cream}. There’s a deli counter in the back where you can order delicious soups, salads, and sandwiches, and up front they have everything from cat food to bandaids with a little station for hot coffee as well.

It’s amazing that they can cram so very much into such a tiny space and still host beer and wine tastings and have a live musician playing on certain nights. Plus, the table space inside and outside comes in super handy when you need to get out of the house for a bit. It seems like we give them about half of our paychecks, so I hope they don’t take too much of a hit when we move away! Perhaps now that you know about it you can take our place in supporting this fantastic little shop?

Sunday is for soups + sandwiches!

xx.

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Coffee By Design | Favourite Portland Haunts

Posted in Environmental Consciousness, Favourite Portland Haunts, Good Eats, Locavore Resources, Portland, Social Consciousness, tagged , , , , on April 19, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

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How many of you saw this one coming?

When I thought of the idea of sharing my favourite local spots with you, CBD was one of the first places to pop into my head. To me, Coffee By Design embodies what it is to live in Portland. It’s a comfortable, friendly environment with patrons and baristas alike who believe in the power of the local economy.

Their blends are handcrafted and micro roasted here in Portland, which proves that this company is all about keeping things as local as possible because the heart of a community lies in its small businesses. They believe that “bigger is not better” and pay careful attention to the details that go into each batch of coffee so that coffee snobs and the regular joe will both appreciate and enjoy the end product.

Coffee By Design offers organic and fair trade options as well as seasonal flavours and old favourites. You can purchase their coffees by the pound {and get a free cup of coffee if you do} or just get one cup and spend time sitting in their window right on Congress Street watching the city pass by. With free-wifi, this place is an excellent spot to kill a couple of hours, but the well-trained baristas make it easy to swing in for a drink on the go, too, by attending to customers quickly and patiently.

In keeping with their appreciation of all things Maine, they feature art from local artists, carry GrandyOats {an organic grown in Maine oatmeal}, Mr. Bagel bagels, and Little Lads popcorn – so good. Plus, they’ve got the buy-a-certain-number-of-coffees-get-one-free deal that no good coffee shop is complete without!

Oh, yes, and how could I forget all of their little gifts. They have tons of coffee accessories – mugs, french presses, grinders, as well as cheeky “Much Ado About Nothings” Shakespearean sticky notes and gifts of that ilk. Plus, granola bars, pastries, and juices if you need a little something to keep your coffee company. Stop by soon to enjoy the local flavour.

Perhaps I’ll see you there!

xx.

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Otto | Favourite Portland Haunts

Posted in Favourite Portland Haunts, Good Eats, Portland, tagged , , , , , , , on April 4, 2012 | 6 Comments »

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Next stop: Otto!

Ready for the most brilliant business idea in the world? Specialty pizza by the slice open until a ridiculous hour. I must admit that we frequent this establishment {as do most of our friends} on our way home from dancing whenever we go out. Most of the time Ryan + I stay in, but when we do join the gang on the dance floor, Otto becomes an immediate necessity. However, even during the day we sometimes find its draw irresistible.

With reasonable prices, two convenient locations, and the option for delivery by bike, Otto really makes it easy to indulge in their pies. They always have eight different pizzas ready and waiting to be eaten, and the combinations are brilliant. My two favourites: cranberry, squash, and ricotta pizza {perfect for a taste of Thanksgiving any time throughout the year}, and tortellini pizza. That’s right; tortellini pizza. Oh, yes, they did.

Here’s the other beautiful thing: with a bar {Enzo} attached, you can order your pizza at the Otto counter, then shuffle on over to Enzo and wash that beauty down with a locally brewed beer. There’s seating here at the bar and at tables, as well as on the Otto side right by the window for some more great people watching, and on beautiful days like today, there are tables waiting outside!

We’ll miss Otto when we’re gone, but we’re happy to have enjoyed it as much as we have over the past couple of years. I am very picky about pizza, but this passes the test. It’s the only pizza I’ve ever craved, so that’s gotta say something. If you haven’t been here yet, you simply must visit their Congress Street at Forest Ave. location or their slightly larger spot on the East End about halfway up Munjoy Hill.

Have a slice for me!

xx.

P.s. Today is my best friend’s birthday! Happy birthday {again}, JC!

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Public Market House | Favourite Portland Haunts

Posted in Favourite Portland Haunts, Good Eats, Our personal history, Portland, tagged , , , , , , on April 2, 2012 | 6 Comments »

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In honor of Portland, and our upcoming move, I’m starting a new feature.

Documenting my Favourite Local Haunts will be so bittersweet for me! We’ve lived in this city for four years, and in that time we’ve found some great little places. The Public Market House is definitely one of the best. Located right in the hub of town, Monument Square, this place is pretty much equidistant from everywhere else on the peninsula. Thus, it’s the perfect meeting spot for lunches, coffee dates, and it’s a great place to bum around on days off.

This place has two-floors worth of great resources. Downstairs, there’s a cheese counter with amazing imported choices, a section with fresh produce, the best selection of local microbrewed beers, fantastic wines, and meads. There’s also a station for Big Sky Bakery where you can take home some fresh bread. And the back section of the Market House offers one of the best little grocery areas within walking distance!

Upstairs, several local businesses have cafeteria-style booths and tables. There’s a coffee shop, a pizza place, a burrito spot, and even a quirky little soup joint {Kamasouptra!}, all of which pass my taste test! The mismatched tables and chairs lend a cozy Central Perk vibe to the establishment, and the view of Monument Square from the second floor makes for some excellent people watching. Although, I do miss giggling at Peanut Butter Jelly Time, a cereal + sandwich shop that used to be up there. What a brilliant idea for a business. I’m sad it didn’t stay longer!

Ryan + I first fell in love with the Public Market House a couple of years ago during NaNoWriMo. We needed a place to escape where we got a great wifi connection, had plenty of access to coffee, but weren’t distracted like we were at home. The Market House was the perfect place. We’d go here on our days off, split a french press, and type away at our novels until our fingers bled { I’m only exaggerating a little here }. The bevy of interesting people down below us made for great inspiration, but keeping a safe distance from it all in our cozy little nook upstairs made just the right environment. If you’re in the area, I hope you stop by for a visit from time to time to take our place in supporting this great local establishment.

We’ll miss it when we’re gone!

xx.

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Blackberry // Rosemary // Honey Cocktail | DIY How-To

Posted in Good Eats, Tuesday How-Tos, tagged , , , , , , , on March 11, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

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We call it Berry Picking In The Woods.

It’s a cocktail our friend Kaylon developed for my mid-century camping themed ModSwap last month, and it was such a crowd pleaser then that I’ve decided to make it again to share with you! Try it out for your next hosting event, or just for a Friday night at home. Here’s what you’ll need:

We used 2 bags of frozen blackberries, two generous squirts of honey, plain soda water, and four sprigs of rosemary in the original recipe. Kaylon suggests Beefeater gin because of its especially pine-y taste, but we’ve just got Gordon’s here and it’s quite tasty. Make sure you have a medium sized pot, a fine strainer, a stirring spoon, a shaker { we just used a mason jar }, gin, and some ice, as well. Now you’re ready to get started!

You’re done with the cooking part! The rest is easy - ha! After transferring your berry syrup into a container of some sort, you may begin mixing the drink to enjoy.

A mason jar will work just perfectly in place of a real drink shaker. We haven’t got one, so we just make do, but it’s great to have tools + utensils that serve a dual purpose anyway. One day we’re storing soup in our mason jar, the next day we’re mixing drinks in it!

We didn’t have any soda water tonight, so Ryan + I just had the berry syrup and gin. He thought it was actually even better because the flavours were more pronounced! Play around with it to see how you like it, and any time you’re in Portland look up my friend Kaylon { the creator of the cocktail } who cooks at 555!

Thanks for stopping by!

xx.

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The Perfect Cup of Cocoa | How-To

Posted in Good Eats, Tuesday How-Tos, tagged , , , , , , , on March 1, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

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It’s been snowing madly in New England for almost 24 hours.

I couldn’t be happier! Maybe it’s because I don’t have to shovel or maybe it’s because I don’t have to drive. But while others grump + groan about our winter weather, I simply adore it. It’s so beautiful to look outside and see swirls of white dancing about in the air, and the hermit in me secretly loves the fact that I will be discouraged to leave the house today. So, in celebration of this weather, I thought I’d share with you our recipe for the most perfect cup of cocoa you will ever enjoy. It’s super easy! Gather your plain cocoa powder, milk, honey, vanilla extract, and even a dash of salt, and get ready to warm up from the inside out.

Also, marshmallows are always a good idea. I’ve been vegetarian for four years, but I still occasionally find myself eating marshmallows. They’re my only animal-product weakness! Usually I’m alright in the winter { except for when I have hot cocoa }, but once summer campfires roll around I just have to give in!

While it’s warming, add just a dash of salt to bring out all of the flavours. You don’t have to heat it for very long, and I always make sure that it doesn’t come to a boil. Just bring it up to temperature by watching for it to steam. If you’re not sure whether it’s warm enough, dip in a spoon to find out!

I just know that Dumbledore would be proud. I also firmly believe that the quality of your finished product depends heavily on the quality of your ingredients. Enjoy this cup of cocoa knowing that you have put only whole/simple ingredients into it and that you’re not getting any “fillers” or preservatives that would be included in many store bought mixes.

Let me know what you think!

xx.

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