Tag Archives: dinner

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Dodging a Covid bullet.

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It seems our 2021 Thanksgiving dinner might look like this…

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Because I just received a phone call from the host of the celebration we planned to attend. She and her husband…. who were both fully vaccinated but not boosted…. have come down with Covid.

This woman is one of the most careful people I know. She always wears a mask, avoids crowds and washes her hands frequently. But her husband went north last week to visit his son. His son’s family was not vaccinated, and the town where he was staying has an extremely high positivity rate.

So now they’re both quite ill. Fever, chills, splitting headaches, extreme fatigue, body aches, joint stiffness, brain fogginess, coughing, sore throat, loss of taste and smell.

She’s a pretty tough cookie and rarely complains, but I can tell she’s worried. Thankfully they’re not having any breathing issues and are hoping they can ride it out at home.

I’ve offered to bring groceries and drop meals on their porch, but a family member has them covered.

And though I know it’s awful….the thought that keeps popping in my head is if it had been a day or two later? We all would have been exposed and at risk.

My other half had his booster shot 2 weeks ago… and me? I just scheduled one for this afternoon. Yours truly is not taking any chances.

I’m also not eating Thanksgiving dinner from a can… and am now heading to the grocery store to fight the crowds and search for a last minute turkey and fixings to prepare a quiet meal for two.

Minus the green bean casserole of course.

😈

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Holiday cheer…?

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Here’s a little something that might renew your faith in mankind. As seen on my little Maine town’s community Facebook page.

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Proof positive there are still good and decent people in the world.

But if you think I’ve gone off the rails and this is one of those saccharine sweet Hallmark movie posts?

I also have this bit of holiday cheer :

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And if that isn’t disturbing enough for you?

Check out the Christmas selection:

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Apologies to my cringing male readers…. But it’s too good bad not to share.

🤣

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The great goat escape and other random nonsense.

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Most of the time the Facebook ‘memory’ feature annoys me, but last week it flashed back to this day 8 years ago and I had to laugh.

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Because 8 years ago that day our farming neighbor’s goats broke free and headed straight to our house. Have you ever tried to herd goats? As our neighbor will tell you…

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It’s not a one man job. We chased them around our property for quite a while and got nowhere, but with reinforcements we eventually managed to shoo them back home.

In other news, I saw this and had to share.

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Now that’s what I call mother’s revenge.

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Scrabble. Even with letters like that I reigned supreme and won the game.

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We have a dying shrub and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why. We planted it 18 years ago and have never had an issue.

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Then I looked underneath it one day and saw the giant woodchuck burrow. Mystery solved.

😡

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I do.

I really do…

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Dinner in Baileys Island

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It was a lovely drive along the coast…

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And though I would have loved to stop and snap some photos, the husband was hungry… so you’ll have to make do with a few quick shots from the car.

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Here’s the famous Cribstone Bridge.

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And as you’ve probably guessed, lobster reigns supreme.

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This was our destination, Cooks Lobster and Ale House.

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A local landmark built in 1955 on a long spit of land with panoramic water views. Popular with locals and tourists alike (although we locals don’t appreciate the tourist prices) it’s a no fuss, traditionally rustic waterfront restaurant.

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But what it lacks in decor? It makes up in scenic vistas. The view from our table was pretty sweet.

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The cocktails are potent.

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And two Cosmopolitans were all I could handle if I wanted to remain upright.

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Pardon the fuzzy pic, it was taken through a screen.

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The food is simple but delicious. Caesar salad (with the most amazing homemade herb butter croutons evah!) for me, a tasty French onion soup for my other half.

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Perfectly cooked lightly battered fried sea scallops for me….

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And lazy lobster for my rat bastard husband who ate it in front of me without feeling the least bit guilty. (I came up allergic 7 years ago and can no longer consume the delicious crustaceans without becoming seriously ill. 😩)

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Dessert? Of course it was blueberry pie. And as we waddled out to the car… we stopped for a moment to take in the beauty.

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And realized the husband might have backed up a bit too far upon arrival.

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Maine rocks. They’re unforgiving little devils.

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Because sometimes I have a juvenile sense of humor.

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I’m sorry, but these are a hoot and I simply have to share.

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Yeah, you know it’s going to be good.

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Told you!

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Well yes, that’s just good manners.

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A footlong doesn’t require a blessing… it requires an exorcism.

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Family. It’s so important.

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When an eggplant just won’t do.

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Admit it, you’re snorting with laughter too.

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CSA Week 3 and 4… because I forgot and you probably don’t care anyway.

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Our half share of the 3rd CSA from our neighbor was a lovely assortment.

 

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Swiss chard, white radishes, green leaf lettuce, carrots, mesclun mix, spinach, cucumber, basil and ….

 

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What I thought was parsley.

 

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But turned out to be chervil. If nothing else, I’m learning a lot about green things this summer.

With those fresh ingredients, it was spinach salad with apples, radish, mushroom and purple onion for dinner.

 

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Yes, I like a little parm on top as well.

 

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A bright berry mixed green salad was dinner the next night.

 

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Week 4 saw the family we split with out of town, so we received the entire share.

 

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And that’s a big bag of veg.

 

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Zucchini, turnip, cucumber, mustard greens, parsley, carrots, mesclun mix, parsnip, spinach, lemon basil, butterhead lettuce and cilantro.

 

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Not being fennel fans, we passed that and the dreaded cilantro off to a friend.

But ooh la la!

 

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Fresh aromatic lemon basil meant from scratch marinade…

 

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For delicious grilled chicken breasts that night.

 

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Recipe below if anyone is interested.

 

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It ain’t what it used to be.

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Going out for a seafood dinner certainly has changed in recent months.

Gone are the charming restaurants with lovely oceanfront views. Gone are the meticulously crafted cocktails and professional wait staff.

These days?

 

 

It’s a long line of cars idling at the curb waiting to cue up to a traveling roach coach.

 

 

While this would normally not be the least bit appealing, I was quite sick of cooking last week and one of the husband’s friends swore this seafood was good, plentiful and reasonably priced.

 

 

From the size of the crowds you’d think the circus had come to town.

People be desperate.

We waited 20 minutes in the car parade, 10 minutes for a girl to take our order, and another 20 minutes for the food.

50 minutes without a martini?

Is not my idea of dinner out.

 

 

To say I should have known it would be bad is trite…. but oh, so true.

For slightly over $30?

 

 

I received 2 absolutely disgusting and totally inedible crab cakes…. while the husband frantically tried to find a section of fish in the foot thick batter.

Disappointing doesn’t begin to describe that rancid grease drenched mess.

Bad seafood is always bad.

But this?

 

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Celebrating 36 years of not killing each other…..

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Yes, there’s that as well.

This was the very first picture of us ever taken ….

 

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Back in 1984, on that awful chair at his mother’s house…… right before we got married. I may look twelve, but no worries. I’d just turned 20. (As for the husband’s hair… I have no idea what was going on there.)

We knew each other for 6 days.

Yes, you read that correctly…. 6 days. And to be honest, 3 of those were the required waiting period for the marriage license.

People thought we were crazy.  (We knew we weren’t.)

 

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People said it would never last.  (It’s been 36 years.)

 

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The Grateful Dead had it right…..

What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been!

 

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But I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.

Anyway…. this year on our anniversary?

 

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A seriously beautiful bouquet from my other half….

 

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That got better every day as all the blooms opened up.

 

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The rose colors were gorgeous.

Then it was off to our favorite restaurant in Boothbay Harbor…. before their doors were shut due to the virus.  The decor is nothing to write home about, and the menu is smaller in winter….. but the food is still fabulous.

 

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As were the seasonal cocktails.

I started with a Ciderberry.

 

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And moved on to a few Sugar Plums made with this.

OMG!!

If you’ve never payed attention to any of my advice before?

Start now… and buy a bottle.

 

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It doesn’t matter if you’re not a fig fan. I actually hate the things.

But this was like nothing I’d ever tasted before. A very unique flavor. I read they also make a Golden Apricot ….. and I’ll be looking for that as well.

 

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Can’t remember what they called my appetizer but it was delicious, with just the right amount of spice.

Husband went with his usual French Onion soup and a light main dish of broiled haddock and asparagus.

 

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I, on the other hand….

 

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Dove into the richest, creamiest most delightful Parmesan risotto you’ll find this side of Italy. It’s one of their specialties and I can never resist…. paired here with pan seared scallops, mushrooms, arugula and a citrus balsamic glaze.

I don’t care how many pounds I gained…

It was worth it!