Tag Archives: food

So, maybe.

September 17, 2019 Rivergirl 37 Comments

Just maybe…

I should clean out my cupboards a bit more often.

We have a tall skinny cabinet in our kitchen. It’s not very wide, which constantly leads to items being pushed to the back to make room for new.

Sometimes they get pushed really far back. Really, really far back…

Like a solid mile and a half back.

For example, this container of chicken broth…

Fat free!

Kudos to me for being healthy, right?

Well, I should have realized this wasn’t going to be good when I saw the label. The last time I bought fat free was when I was dieting……

In 2014.

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Because you never know what you’ll see…

September 13, 2019 Rivergirl 37 Comments

I woke up this morning to fog.

Hanging over everything like a gentle blanket of white…

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In some places there was a sharp delineation.

As if it cut by a knife.

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But as it started to lift…

I looked way out into the back yard by the woods and saw…

A piner!!

I did!

And in the 17 years we’ve lived here?

Not one single porcupine sighting… until now.

There’s elusive creatures, solitary by nature. Shy, quiet and slow… but apparently willing to high five in Philly.

(I totally need to visit Philly now, damn it.)

Sadly, while we see plenty of them dead on the side of the road…. we’ve never seen one at our house since the majority of our property is open lawn or field and they prefer the wooded areas.

So… a piner!!

I was thrilled… and attempted to creep across the back lawn to get a better picture. Naturally, I don’t creep well and he spotted me….. and shimmied down the tree before I could get close.

But I saw a piner on our property and have blurry photos to prove it.

Yay me!

Here’s a piner eating corn on the cob.

Note to self – buy corn on the cob.

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I think this has to be a new series.

September 12, 2019 Rivergirl 39 Comments

I read an article the other day that was so good it might need to become a blog series.

It’s about words.

Stop that.

It’s going to be great, I promise.

English is a funny language and apparently if it’s not your mother tongue, can be quite difficult to learn. So naturally it stands to reason there would be a large collection of foreign words with no direct English equivalent.

Let’s explore that.

Kummerspeck (German)

Excess weight gained from emotional overeating.

Literally, grief bacon.

Grief bacon!

It’s official.

Kummerspeck is now my new favorite word.

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Do I like bacon?

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Indeed I do.

Do I care that it’s bad for you?

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No. I do not.

2. Mencolek (Indonesian)

The old trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them.

Where was this word when I was young?

I totally slayed Mencolek in the 3rd grade.

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3. Seigneur-terraces (French)

Coffee shop dwellers who sit at tables a long time, but spend very little money.

Funny….

In English we just call them cheap.

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4. Slampadato (Italian)

Someone addicted to the UV glow of tanning salons.

I think we all know one of those.

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And finally..

5. Pana Po’o (Hawaiian)

To scratch your head in order to help you remember something you’ve forgotten.

This is not a technique I’m familiar with, but then I’ve never been to Hawaii so what do I know?

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But to hell with remembering where the keys are …

This is pure brilliance.

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Hurricane humor….

September 5, 2019 Rivergirl 29 Comments

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve experienced many terrible storms over the years. When we lived down south we had trees come through the windows and parts of our roof ripped off. The destruction is real and nothing to be taken lightly…..

That being said, we also had a sense of humor.

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We had to.

And while my heart breaks for the people of the Bahamas suffering the devastation of Dorian, I’m twisted enough to laugh along with my friends in Florida who were spared the worst of her.

Their FB page had this the other day…

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A very useful thing when you’re living on canned goods and snacks because there’s no electricity.

They also posted this pic of their local grocery store.

Now really… how bad does your bread have to be to be the only brand left on the shelf during a hurricane?

And finally, this news blurb I saw on my phone.

Phil? I have two words for you –

Spell check.

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Pepper’s Landing

September 1, 2019 Rivergirl 34 Comments

A restaurant review in which we make cocks out of mocks.

I’ll explain later…

Pepper’s Landing is a new seafood place we’d been wanting to try.

It follows the latest trend of slightly industrial looking spaces, with exposed duct work and open rafters.

Being Maine, naturally there’s a live lobster tank.

And being allergic, naturally they sat me right next to it. Cruel and unusual punishment to be sure.

There was also this handy technical breakdown for the lobsterly challenged among us.

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I got a huge kick out of this as no Mainer worth their salt would ever eat the body (carapace). Of course no Mainer would ever call it a carapace either.

Though “Do not eat head” is always sound advice in a restaurant.

But call me crazy, I don’t think advertising your lobster as “stringy” and “gamey” is going to win many converts.

Moving on…

I opted for a blueberry martini, which was delightfully potent… but my girlfriend chose the Blue Atlantic mocktail….

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And then added two shots of Grey Goose.

Putting the cock in her mock.

Fresh blueberries, fresh basil…. it was fabulous! And what we drank from then on.

We saw some massive bar pretzels going by, but opted for blueberry bbq wings…

And crab quesadillas instead.

Wings? Quite good.

Quesadillas? Not nearly enough crab.

Perhaps they fought back in the kitchen…

I chose the seafood pasta, which was basically scampi…

And though it looked bland…. it was fresh, perfectly cooked and with just the right amount of garlic.

Husband went with baked haddock in sherried butter and lobster cream sauce with asparagus.

Pardon the blurred photo, I think the Grey Goose was kicking in.

Dessert was cheesecake for the husband.

And a traditional Maine Whoopie Pie for me.

Slightly disappointing as it had been frozen and hadn’t thawed out properly. One should not risk breaking a tooth when one eats a Whoopie.

Rating?

B – , but worth trying again.

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Say it isn’t so…..

August 28, 2019 Rivergirl 33 Comments

Autumn is closing in.

And it’s my favorite time of the year.

The air is crisp, the trees are full of apples….

And if you’re lucky enough to live in Maine like I do?

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Mother Nature puts on a glorious show of turning leaves.

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(Yes, those are my photos. And yes, those are my apple trees.)

But this year?

There’s something I’m not looking forward to.

The annual Pumpkin Spice’d ~~every damn thing but condoms~~ invasion will be rolling out shortly, and while that’s annoying enough….

This year?

There’s a new kid on the pumpkin spiced block.

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It’s true… as well as disgusting.

Yes.

Pumpkin Spiced Spam.

Forget changing leaves and brisk breezes — pumpkin spice is the official harbinger of fall. And, for better or worse, Spam is entering the flavor fray.

Starting September 23, lovers of all things autumn can purchase limited-edition Spam Pumpkin Spice on Walmart and Spam’s online stores, a spokesperson for Hormel Foods told CNN.

There’s no pumpkin in this pork: It’s mixed with cinnamon, clove, allspice and nutmeg, according to the spokesperson.

What could a sweet mystery meat possibly pair well with? Spam recommends topping waffles with it, adding it to a fall vegetable hash or baking it into a cornbread muffin.

Honestly, waking up to a warm stack of Spam-and-waffles on a chilly fall morning sounds kinda nice.

Could this sweet SPAM be the tipping point for pumpkin spice fatigue? It’s not likely–people go crazy for the flavor, and it’s rooted in neurology: Sugar and pumpkin spice are an addictive combination that the brain learns to crave.

And with seasonal marketing from pumpkin spice pushers like Starbucks, brains and bodies begin to associate autumn and comfort with the flavor.

So if you’re into pumpkin spiced Spam, don’t be ashamed.

You’re just wired that way.

While there’s no amount of money that could convince me try it and report back….

If one of you would, I’d appreciate a first hand account of how truly awful it is.

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False advertising.

August 27, 2019 Rivergirl 29 Comments

If you see this on your grocer’s shelf?

Keep walking.

I taste tested it for you and it’s horrible.

Oh sure, it’s pretty.

But it tastes neither like Bourbon nor Vanilla.

Very disappointing.

Take my advice. Stick to the original….

bourbon

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Just in time for Halloween.

August 25, 2019 Rivergirl 35 Comments

I like candy.

candy

You probably like candy.

I imagine everyone likes some kind of candy….

I dare you to like this candy.

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Yes….. Zombie Skittles are coming to a store near you.

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Hidden rotten flavored pieces?

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So let me get this straight…. I chew all the normal fruity flavors with stupid new names and then bam!

I swallow one that tastes like a zombie….

What the hell does a zombie taste like?

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Okay, thanks.

That certainly clears it up.

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Gettin’ my beer on…..

August 14, 2019 Rivergirl 39 Comments

Beer.

We love it, and seek it out on a regular basis.

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So when we find a new craft brewery?

Apparently Brickyard Hollow has been open for almost a year and how we never noticed it is a mystery.

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Perhaps because the building used to be a 7-11?

Whatever the reason, I’m glad we know now.

There’s a rustic modern decor… which includes those horribly uncomfortable metal chairs that are popping up everywhere.

For the rounded hipped among us? This is not good.

Uncomfortable outdoor seating as well.

But the appropriate vintage photographs provide a relaxing atmosphere…

And then there’s the beer.

Bring on the flights!

We tried the Belgian, the Trestle, the Blueberry and the Amber and they were all lovely. After ordering some full size glasses, I discovered the cocktail menu.

Which had a boozy Lime Rickey.

Of course Yarmouth is a town famous for it’s annual Clam Festival. And when you’re at the Clam Festival? You have to meet the Clam…

And have a freshly squeezed non alcoholic Lime Rickey… they’re delicious.

But a boozy version?

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It’s simple, crisp, refreshing…. and filled with gin.

What more could you want?

Happy as the proverbial clam, I moved on to the food.

Rich creamy clam chowder with just the right amount of everything.

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Husband went for Blueberry Moonshine wings while I chose a Black and Blue burger and country fries.

While the burger was too thin for my taste, and slightly overcooked…. it did have a fabulous charbroiled flavor and potent Gorgonzola. The fries were dusted with some kind of slightly spicy rub which I could easily have munched on all day.

So…

Brickyard Hollow rates a solid B.