The Reed Brook Falls trail and Jericho Steps in a very cool natural area located in Kingfield, Maine (just south of Carrabassett Valley). If you’re looking for an easy hike that’s only about .6 miles long and something that can be handled well by children, you may want to give this one a try. The trail was created and is maintained by a fellow called Carrabassett Jack and is super fun because of all its signage and bridges. The falls at the end of the trail are an extra special treat. If you hike on a day after some rain or during a wetter time of year, you’ll see quite the show. Be sure to respect all the hard work that’s gone into creating the atmosphere, as it obviously took a long time to complete. During our visit, Laura and I were surprised at all the enjoyment this short excursion provided. Click through to read about our adventure and to see lots of pictures of the trail and falls, from bottom to top. Continue reading…
Center Hill Nature Trail, Mount Blue State Park, Maine
Mount Blue State Park is huge. It covers 7,489 acres and is located in Weld, Maine, which is in Franklin County. There’s a lot to do in the park, from swimming and boating in Webb Lake to camping and hiking in designated areas. What’s interesting about the park is that it isn’t contiguous, but rather bifurcated. Part of the park includes Mount Blue itself and land to the west of it, but it also includes a section of land that touches the western shore of the lake. These two sections don’t touch one another and it’s in the smaller area along the lake that the primary campground can be found. There are many different areas to hike within the park and I’m sure we’ll get to all of them at some point. In this post, I share the story of how Laura and I hiked the Center Hill Nature Trail, which is only a half mile long. It’s got some great western views though, so if you plan on making this trip, you might want to consider watching the sunset from the cliff. It’s a beautiful area and one that we’ll surely return to. Continue reading…
Sweet Potato Cakes Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty
What a great idea – sweet potato cakes. I love the fact that it’s so easy to prepare a quick snack, starter, or side dish so quickly. As far as this recipe goes, I have to say it’s a winner. The sauce is wonderfully tasty and so simple to put together. Just a few minutes for that. As far as the cakes go, yes, they take a few moment longer to prepare, but they’re almost just as straightforward. Once everything is done, you’ll be enjoying a satisfying treat in no time. All thanks to Yotam Ottolenghi and his cookbook titled “Plenty.” Click through to take a peek at the recipe. Continue reading…
Leek Fritters Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty
I love fritters and apparently many other folks around the world do too. This post is one of my most popular. I pulled the recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook, called “Plenty.” Yotam has some incredible recipes in the book and I’m glad I bought it. As for this dish, it’s wonderful. Fritters are fun because they’re so versatile. While this recipe calls for onions, leeks, yogurt, spices, and lots of herbs, there really are no rules when it comes to preparing them. As long as you use the correct proportions of eggs, flour, and other binding ingredients, you should be fine. Really though, as a beginner, you should definitely click through to check this recipe out. It’s one of my favorites and it’s one that plenty of people around the world have taken advantage of over the years. Continue reading…
Toasted Orzo Salad with Grape Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives & Basil Recipe by America’s Test Kitchen
These are some of my favorite types of salads. I’ve probably written this dozens of times, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less true. The freshness of this orzo salad is what comes to mind when I think of it – honestly, it just looks so good. Chopped fresh spinach, grape tomatoes, toasted pecans, kalamata olives – along with a tasty vinaigrette – it doesn’t get much better. This salad works well as a light snack on a warm summer’s day or to share with friends while grilling out. It’s perfect in so many ways. Continue reading…
Steamed Littleneck Clams with Pearl Couscous, Leeks, & Tomatoes Recipe by America’s Test Kitchen
What a cool dish to try. As I explain in the post, I’ve never eaten littleneck clams before and boy was I in for a treat. They’ve very good. The clams, combined with an incredible broth and some tasty leeks and garlic were just about all I could ask for. If you’re a seafood person, I think you’ll enjoy this recipe. The dish it prepares is more than some simple clams on a plate. It’s much more of a filling meal. Give it a shot. Continue reading…
Red Potato Salad with Pub Style Mustard & Vermouth Dressing Recipe by Dr. Andrew Weil
What a nice little potato salad recipe. It’s not so traditional because it calls for red potatoes and a mustard dressing, but I’m not sure that doesn’t make it better than the traditional. I like red potatoes because they’re healthier and somewhat more firm than the typical russet and I like the dressing because it’s more sophisticated than mayo, salt, and pepper. This dressing uses mustard, vermouth, white wine vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil. Yes, that’s better than mayo. Everything works well together in this recipe. The potatoes work well with the sweet onion, celery pieces, capers, and parsley. The dressing works well with everything. It’s a nearly perfect recipe. Continue reading…
Tamara’s Ratatouille Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty
This is one of those incredible recipes that needs to be taken advantage of at just the right time at the end of the growing season. That’s usually the end of the summer in most areas. Ratatouille is a hearty vegetable dish that’s won the world over. Everyone who’s anyone knows about Ratatouille and the more veggies used, the better. I had no idea this dish even existed before I put it together for this post, but boy was I glad I discovered it. It’s probably one of the best vegetable dishes I’ve ever tasted. And it’s not even tough to prepare. Simple, rustic, and delicious. Just the way I like it. Click through to check it out. Continue reading…
Salmon with Zucchini Salad & Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette Recipe by Curtis Stone
Salmon is one of my favorite seafoods and pan frying is my favorite method for cooking it. There’s something tasty and interesting about the salty and crispy skin that just does it for me. Yes, the pink part of the salmon is wonderful as well, but I’m a huge fan of the skin. I found this recipe in Curtis Stone’s cookbook titled “What’s for Dinner?” He’s got many delicious dishes in the book and if memory serves, this one was actually meant to use chicken. I substituted fresh Maine caught salmon in its place and was quite pleased with the result. This is the perfect recipe to take advantage of for a romantic occasion, such as Valentine’s Day or a birthday. It’s elegant, tasty, and relatively simple to put together and cook. Click through for the full show. Continue reading…
Cayford Orchards, Skowhegan, Maine
Cayford Orchards in Skowhegan, Maine is a beautiful little apple orchard that’s quite local and easy to get to. So many times we’re forced to drive miles and miles to visit a lovely orchard. With Cayford, one is practically in our back yard. Cayford offers a good variety of apples and they’re all in excellent condition. We’ve only visited this orchard once so far and it was a quick walk-through, just to pick up some apples, so we’ll definitely need to go back. But from what I saw, it’s well kept and very pretty. Click through to view some photos. Continue reading…