Red's Eats

On our trip to Maine last week, we headed for Red's Eats in Wiscasset, touted as serving the best lobster roll in the U.S.A.


There is always a lineup at this place. We waited for almost an hour to get up to the ordering window.


But bless them, the good folks at Red's Eats hand out umbrellas to shelter you from the sweltering sunshine. (Yes, it was HOT in Maine last week!)


Richard (always the rebel) ordered clam cakes.


I went with the "lobstah" roll. It had two tails and three claws..a lobster and a half. Very much worth it!


Happy!

Big Things: Boot and Indian

After a week in New England, I've eaten my fair share or lobstah and clams but best of all I found TWO big things for my collection. This one, a giant indian in Freeport, Maine...


...and this big boot also in Freeport, at L. L. Bean's flagship store.

Menagerie

Another lunchtime visit to my local feed store that also sells animals. This time there were kittens...


...and very silly puppies who were all very interested in a friendly rat!.


A rat?! Yes, he is the cutest critter. Wish he had a different tail. He'd be easier to love, no?


This guy had tons of personality. Seriously, isn't he cute or have I lost it?

Pretty Bad and Pretty Good

Pretty and bad!


Pretty and good!

Bye Bye Birdie

As the days get shorter and cooler, the birds start flying south. Like clockwork, this little house wren shows up somewhere between May 4-6 every year and announces himself with the most lovely song. He usually hangs out for most of the summer and has two broods. By now, he and his kin are on their way to warmer climes. See ya next year my little birdie buddy.

Lemon-Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies

Here's a recipe from Martha Stewart -- another way to use up some extra garden zucchini. They turned out great. The only change I'd make would be to halve the amount of salt. I found them too salty. And I wouldn't use coarse salt...I kept biting into mouthfuls of salt! Otherwise, they were pretty yummy. I used yellow zukes so it's hard to see the flecks amongst the cornmeal.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon packed finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1 medium zucchini, grated on small holes of a box grater (about 1 cup)
Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy. Stir in vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Add flour and cornmeal and mix until mixture is crumbly. Add zucchini and stir until a thick dough forms.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are light golden brown at edges, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on wire racks.

Zukes Galore!

A few years back, I put together a book for the Glengarry Pioneer Museum entitled Zukes Galore!


And this year I certainly had zukes aplenty. I made bottles of zucchini relish and zuke pickles.


I used them in salads...


...and stir-fries.


I baked 'em (this was a zucchini-corn casserole, recipe courtesy of Zukes Galore!)...


...grilled 'em on the bbq...


...and sauteed them with peppers and tomatoes.


Yesterday I tried lemon-zucchini cornmeal cookies, recipe from Martha Stewart. Really yummy. I'll post the recipe tomorrow.

As fall is moving in, the production of zucchini in my garden is waning. I'll miss 'em.

Baby Update!

I had been concerned since I evicted three baby squirrels from my house last week. They were sweet and friendly...a little too friendly. My biggest concern was if they found their mum or not. Well, I saw one of the little guys yesterday. He hung around 4 feet from me and curled up in a tin can under the barbecue. We shooed him away gently and off he ran into the barn. A few moments later I saw his mum (I think it was her) running on the roof toward the barn with an acorn in her mouth. I think the family is together again. Phew!

Cream of Celery Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup or more chopped celery with leaves
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots (optional)
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Melt the butter. Add the celery, onion and carrots and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the veggies get soft. Add cornstarch to milk till disolved and stir gradually into the hot soup. Remove pot from stove and use immersion blender till the veggies are all mushed together. Re-heat and serve, garnished with chopped parsley.
Note: I enjoyed the soup as above but decided that I didn't like the stringiness of the celery, so I strained the soup and now have a very smooth soup. Your choice!

Makes 4 cups.

Scenes from a Party

My cousin's son Matthew had his bar mitzvah last Saturday in Ottawa. After the ceremony, we all headed to the great outdoors to say the prayer on the wine and the bread.


We had lots of time outside to shmooze while the inside of the synagogue was being prepared for lunch. Here's me and Richard...


...and my cousin Len from New York state.


The cousins together: me, my sis Marci and Kathryn.


The grandmother of the bar mitzvah boy, 93-year-old Aunt Sylvia.


And 93-year-old Aunt Bert.


Here's a nice shot of my sister and brother-in-law Barry.


After lunch a few of us headed to the National Art Gallery to see the Caravaggio show.


At night, we partied! My sister and me doing our best Rockettes number.


It was nice to see my cousin Jane, all the way from Tennessee, with Aunt Syl.


My Uncle Morris, who has been very sick for the last few months, got out of the hospital for the evening...


...and was feeling well enough to cut the rug with me.


Richard and I danced a bit too.


My brother Larry in the beige jacket, his wife Maureen in white and my cousin Saul on the far left. It's so nice for the family to be all together.

Make Way For Ducklings

We visited Natalie and Gordon's newest brood on the weekend. Ducklings!


So sweet...


...and soft and fluffy.


The drakes kind of marched around and didn't really care much for the babies.


Some of the ducklings hung out in the food dish.


Mama was watching over this baby thinking about going for his first swim in a paint tray.


I guess the water dish looked more tempting for a swim.


I finally got to meet Ronna the duck. She's a lovely critter and we have the same blue eyes!

Cuteness Alert!

About five minutes before my brother, sister and their spouses were to arrive for brunch, I discovered three baby squirrels had gotten into my house.


Luckily, Richard opened the screens and windows and my neighbour Peggi came running over with some have-a-heart traps.


All three little devils left the house within ten minutes and were terribly tame. One of them even ventured into the cat cage (oh my gawd!) but neither cat gave a fig for the critter.


Finally, two of them settled onto the roof of the cat cage and had a snooze.


Cute or what? I hope their mama found them because we haven't seen hide nor hair of them since...