Scallops, Bread and weight loss resolutions

It is New Years once again and this year I will join the many thousands who vow to lose weight.  Although I have dieted many times in my life before, this time the doctor has ordered it with the hopes that it will lower my cholesterol without having to increase my dosage of medication.  Instead of waiting for the ball to drop in order to start, I am starting now.  Armed with a new journal where I will keep track of what I eat, I am prepared to start the Weight Watchers online and I am investigating websites with good recipes. I do not want this diet to control my life or make me think of food all the time so I am going to make a weekly menu, hope to buy only those ingredients and stay away from the store in between to control my impulse purchases.

Last night I made Pan Seared Scallops with Baby Greens and Citrus Mojo Vinaigrette   This is a great recipe that does not taste at all diet, but is a 4 point weight watcher recipe.  The dressing is tangy and citrus laden and is a keeper.  The scallops were fresh diver scallops given as a gift from my son.  I also sliced two small potatoes and sprayed them with cooking spray and cooked in the oven at 400 degrees until brown resulting in unfried potato chips. 

A cookbook that contains many excellent low calorie recipes that I have used since the early 90's is Vegetarian Spa Cuisine from Rancho La Puerta and Deborah Szekely.  The cover states that it contains "live younger/longer recipes."  I can't vouch for that, but the Tecante Ranch Whole Wheat Bread recipe is a definite winner.  


The ingredients are:
3 cups of warm water
1/4 cup wild sage honey
1 packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup cold pressed safflower or sunflower oil
8 1/2 - 9 1/2 stone ground whole wheat flour
1 cup Miller's wheat bran flakes
1 tbsp. poppy or sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg white beaten (for glaze)

I used rapid rise yeast, so I put all ingredients (approx 8 cups of flour) but the egg white in the stand kitchen mixer and when incorporated and not too sticky anymore (if the dough is sticky add flour in 1/4 cup amounts until it isn't sticky) I use the dough hook and let the machine knead the bread for 4 - 5 minutes.  When risen I divide the dough and put it into a bread pan that has been sprayed, cover with a towel until risen again and cook for 35 to 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  The result is a wonderful fiber filled bread that will freeze for up to 2 months. If you cut each loaf into 25 slices, or a total of 50 slices, each slice is 107 calories, 2.4 protein grams, 17.9 carbs, 2.6 fat, 0 cholesterol and 60 mg. sodium.

Happy New Year to all of you and I hope that whatever resolutions you make will work out for you.  I wish me lots of luck on my resolution and hope that it lasts until the goal is achieved.

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Home - Welcome to Meandering Maine. Meandering Maine provides information and resources about Maine to the people who love Maine, live in Maine, or want to visit Maine. Love Maine!

Happy Holidays

We still have snow on the ground, the packages are wrapped and we are ready for Christmas.  Paul and I will load the car this morning so that I can finish up packing our clothes and getting ready for tonight.  We will have a chowder I prepared with two pounds of lobster claw and knuckle meat, one pound of shrimp and roasted corn.  Steven is bringing biscuits from Robin Hood Meeting House.  I haven't tasted them yet, but hear they are wonderful.  Susan and Judi are making appetizers and Marcia and Karen are bringing desserts.  On Christmas day we will be having 5 cheese lasagna, soup, antipasto and dessert before Paul and I head down to the Cape to spend a few days with his 90 year old Mom.  

 
On Monday, Karen, Megan and I spent an overnight in Boston while Megan investigated a couple of art schools.  We had use of a wonderful condo on Commonwealth Avenue and went to the North End for a good Italian meal and cannoli. 


The stores in Boston are very festively decorated and there is no shortage of Christmas lights.


We wish you and your families a wonderful holiday and a new year filled with love, good health,  peace and a good amount of bliss.

Cranberries and Dynamite

While searching the web for some interesting new additions to party food, I ran across the Sparkling Cranberry recipe on www.101cookbooks.com .   Those little darlings do sparkle and taste fantastic.  Described differently by guests the other night, I found them to be totally addictive and recommend them highly as a different touch to cocktail party food and they are so very easy to prepare.

We also served Dynamite sandwiches at the party (although I have no final pictures).  My husband has been talking up these monster sandwiches up since I met him and finally I procured the recipe to make them.  Based on research I did, these sandwiches are French Canadian blue collar food.  In the proportion of 15 pounds of peppers and onions to 5 pounds of hamburg, they make quite a massive amount and you need a rather large pan.  With the addition of tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and some seasonings, it is recommended that you make this at least one day in advance to make sure the flavors blend and intensify.  You serve this on "hoagie" rolls and accompany it by potato chips.  A real man sandwich. 

It was a fun party with lots of appetizers brought by the guests and a gift exchange that brought lots of laughs.  I just love the holiday season and it is not the food or the gifts that define the season to me, it is the joy and outpouring of generosity and fun.

Trees Down

For over 100 years, three maple trees have edged the property of our home. They have shielded us from the sun and protected this home from the road. They all came down yesterday before they fell down due to disease spreading through them that has caused several branches to fall already. It is amazing how exposed we felt last night. It surprised us at how open the property feels. We will have to appraise the situation and figure out how to provide some privacy either with fencing, shrubbery or more trees. We will surely have to do something and although we discussed how we would feel, we are amazed that our reaction is so intense.

Also amazing is the fact that people will climb into these sick trees and risk their life and limb to cut them down.

Snow and Pork Shoulder

Partially listening and sometimes watching a foodnetwork program last Friday, while cooking dinner, Chef Anne was preparing a pork shoulder roast. From what I saw, she butterflied the roast and coated the inside with 30 cloves of garlic sliced on a mandolin mixed with chopped fresh herbs and olive oil. After she slathered this mixture on the inside, she tied tied the roast and that is where I totally lost track of the program. I have checked on www.foodnetwork.com for any similar recipe and searched under the name of Ann Burnell recipes and I could not come up with the exact recipe.  And, since Hannaford's had pork shoulder roasts for $.99 a pound, I ventured forth to sort of recreate what I saw.

Since the weather was pretty foul yesterday with snow, wind and rain, I stayed in, cooked the pork and invited 5 unsuspecting guests to sample the test dinner.  We were very fortunate, the power didn't go out until 1/2 hour after everyone left, but more so because the pork roast was easy to do, smelled marvelous and everyone agreed that it was great.  Top off those reasons with one really big one, and that is because it was very cheap to prepare.  Served with roasted brussels sprouts, potato lynonnaise and a salad with pomegranate and dressed with French Vinaigrette, the meal was an inexpensive success.

I need to remember to take pictures when foods are completed and to work on my photos.  

 

Snow and Stew

The first snow of the season fell last night and it is truly beautiful.  Kind of puts you into the spirit of the season. 

Yesterday we first visited the Christmas Fair at the Episcopal Church in Thomaston, where they were serving up some of the best lobster stew I have had in a long time.  They had a jazz accompaniment to the meal.   Then we toured the Thomaston Historical Society's Home for the Holidays.  For me, it was a disappointment.  Although the house had some wonderful historical details, the decorating for the season was all faux and the decorating of the home seemed a bit out of touch with the history of the house.  But it was fun to see, but not as nice as the Knox Mansion, which was totally done up for their open house.  Dinner at Lily Bistro rounded out the day.

The End of Thanksgiving Dinner

Yesterday was a great soup day, it was cold and raw outside and I needed to clean out the frig from the decadent food and leftovers from Thanksgiving. 

A few years ago we were invited to an outside party in the Hart's Neck area and since it was chilly that night, among other wonderful foods, there was a big pot of turkey soup, some of the best I thought I had ever had.  Perhaps it was a cool night air, but when I recreated it yesterday, I loved it just as much.  The original recipe came from Leslie, a neighbor, but of course I had to adjust for what I had on hand and what I love.  The turkey carcass was put in a pot with a couple of onions and a head of garlic that had been sliced in half, two carrots and several pieces of celery.  I filled the pot with water and let it come to a boil and simmer for several hours.  Then I strained the stock and reduced it by 1/3rd and added 1 cup of leftover stuffing, 2 cups of chopped cooked turkey, four carrots sliced, two stalks of celery sliced, and one can of cream of chicken soup.  After it had cooked for a while, I added a large handful of egg noodles and cooked the soup until the noodles were done.  Season to taste.  I did not need to add any salt and used a "healthy" low sodium soup.

Yum

Ocean View Grange Yuletide Fair

Today was the day for the Annual Yuletide Fair in the Town of St. George. By all accounts it was a very large success. The first chili contest took place this year. Four members of the Ocean View Grange made a chili in hopes of winning, not only popularity for their culinary skills, but also for the gift basket prize. The winning chili was made by Jolene Wilson. Unfortunately, Jolene did not attend the affair, so she did not have the opportunity to win the coveted prize in person. The chili recipes were given amusing names and were labeled by color and each chili was put into their assigned colored cup. It was the first year for this event, but it went very smoothly. Stephanie Davis donated two fabulous chocolate cakes and several fruit galettes that could be topped with whipped cream. Ok, the food was not a diet delight, but two days after Thanksgiving the body is in shock from intake anyway. All of the proceeds from the luncheon went directly to the Ocean View Grange Fuel Assistance Fund which helps residents of our community with fuel assistance through our long and cold Maine winters.

Two of my granddaughters bought several Christmas gifts at the fair and they actually want to rent a table next year. That may not happen, but it shows that it was a fun event, even for the little ones.

We are waiting for the final tally for fuel assistance funds.  But as a warning to those of you who live in this town, we are going to have to have a lot of bean suppers to get this fuel assistance fund up to where it needs to be for our upcoming cold winter.  Requests have already been made and it has been unseasonably warm so far this year.

Thanksgiving Prep.

This year I am not in the stressed situation I usually find myself on the day before Thanksgiving each year.  All of the appetizers and most of the desserts are being made by other family members.  The stuffing, potatoes, cream sauces are made ahead of time for the first time.  The turkey is in its brine and two of the three tables are in the midst of being set.  I am making a Southern Nut Pie, a pie I first made in 1962 and have made almost every year since.  In 1962 when I was first married, I received a Fanny Farmer cookbook and made three pies out of it, including Southern Nut to take to my aunt and uncle's house.  These were the first pies I ever made.  Two were a great success and one I, where substituted evaporated milk for condensed milk in a lemon pie, was a dismal failure.  I have since learned the difference between evaporated milk and condensed. 

SOUTHERN NUT PIE

line a 9 inch pie pan with pastry
chill, set the oven at 450 degrees and
cream together
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Add
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt.
Mix well, beat in one at a time,

3 eggs.
Stir in
1 cup dark corn syrup
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Mix well, pour into the pie pan, bake 10 minutes and reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until firm (about 50 minutes)
Serves 8

I want to wish everyone a fabulous Thanksgiving.  We have a lot to be thankful for this year.

ArtFull Gifts at Point Lookout

This is one of the gorgeous pillows being sold at the show at Point Lookout in Lincolnville today.  Looks great on our couch.  This pillow, by Elizabeth Stoyko  www.lizstoyko.com is made with wool on Belgian Linen.  Her items can be seen at her website.  There was also a great amount of fabulous jewelry, stone buttons and other stone work by Obadiah Buell, hand painted silk scarves and wonderful art.  It really was a show worth going to, not the usual Christmas Fair .  Cinderella's glass shoe was also a fantastic piece of artwork.

We had lunch at Blue Sky Cantina in Camden following the show, then picked up our Christmas wreaths.  Let the season begin.

St. Bernard's Soup Kitchen in Rockland, Maine

I thoroughly enjoy working at St. Bernard's  soup kitchen in Rockland.  There are so many wonderful people donating their time and energy to serve people who are at the soup kitchen for various personal reasons.  This summer and fall the attendance has been between 75 and 100 people every day.  Volunteers are always needed and if you are interested, contact Rich Norman at 594-5428.  

 

The workers, along with Father Mark Reinhardt, eat a lunch before they start serving the hungry.

Below are the Friday kitchen workers struggling to be creative with the produce provided.  Today, it was roasted garlic in the mashed potatoes.  Yummy.

 

Time to get the wood in.

In preparation for the holiday fair, I went out today to get some birch logs to make centerpieces with.  It is another beautiful day on the peninsula with temps in the high 50's.  This is very unusual and very much appreciated by all of us.  Jon and Josh were clearing, slashing and burning in the woods across from Deep Cove and they graciously allowed me to take some of their prized wood.

Firewood on the wharf is also waiting to be dispatched to Monhegan Island. 

Red Onion Soup with Goat Cheese Toasts

This morning I found a bag of red onions, a little neglected in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator, and remembered a soup that everyone loves from “The Inspired Vegetarian” cookbook , published in 1992 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Inc. and written by Louise Pickford. The soup is Red Onion Soup with Goat Cheese Toasts. The onions need to be sautéed for a very long time to allow their flavor to develop. I usually end up cooking it a lot longer than the recipe suggests. You will need to have the following:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

2 pounds of red onions thinly sliced (I do mine in the food processor)

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon sugar

½ cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons port wine

3 ¾ cups Vegetable Stock

Salt and pepper to taste.

For the topping

8 ½ inch slices of French bread

2 ounces soft goat cheese

Melt butter in saucepan and sate the onions over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until well browned. Do not allow the onions to burn or they will become bitter.

Add the garlic, thyme and sugar, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the wines and cook over high heat to reduce the liquid to 4 tablespoons. Add the stock, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the topping, preheat the broiler and toast the bread lightly on both sides, cool slightly and spread one side of each toast with the goat cheese.

Pour the soup into heatproof bowls, place 2 toasts in each bowl and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve immediately.

Picture is taken from the cookbook.

Christmas Fair

Gillie, Gena and I set up to sell at the Samoset Resort last Saturday.  There were tons of people, however, sales were not brisk.  We barely made enough to pay for lunch following the sale.  But, our hopes are high for the Ocean View Grange Fair here in Martinsville on November 28th.

The weather today is fantastic and allowing me time to clean up one more flower bed and get my bulbs in before Winter descends on us.  Also want to pick up some butternut squash to make a Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage and Sage Pasta for company tomorrow night, I just love squash this time of year.

CLOSED FOR THE SEASON

Signs of the season, "closed for the season" and bright, clear, waterfront spots cleared out of tourists. 

After I realized it was around 38 degrees and before I walked my little buddy down to the lighthouse today, I made a pot of Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup so that when I walked back into the house it smelled very, very comforting and at only 21 calories a serving, I can eat all I want.

Sad news today that the voters in Maine decided to vote against marriage equality.  But, something tells me this is not the end of the subject and we will end up voting again and hopefully equality will be successful.

Locally interesting news is that our Port Clyde General Store will be curtailing their hours for the winter season and will not open the deli and the store will close from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m each day.  This means that during those hours, if we need gasoline, we will have to drive 15 miles up the peninsula in order to get it.  It also means we will have to cook more meals at home, something I love to do anyway.  But, there will be no big meals prepared here tonight as it is the last Marine Painting art class of the session. The class started out with about 16 people, dwindled to about 10 and last week there were 7 of us there.  The painting that we are supposed to accomplish seems to be out of reach for most of us, but it is a fun learning experience.  Below is the picture of what we should be painting.

 

 It will be very interesting to compare our art at the end of class tonight.

PEAK HAS PASSED

The wonderful colors of Fall are dwindling and the air is crisp and with that crispness is the knowledge that before we realize it, winter will soon be upon us.  This morning as the sun was rising, it shone on a lovely yellow tree out back and it appeared to glow.

Last evening after the boat emptying and the cocktail party,  the hubs and I sat down to a wonderful beef vegetable soup and the sourdough bread I had made in the morning.

The soup, made with chin bone, carrots, onions and mushrooms was extremely tasty and satisfying and the bread had a wonderful crust but lacked the sourdough taste I have been striving for in the last couple of months.  I had added some whole wheat flour to the starter and have read that it would be a good idea to add Rye flour to the starter.  I am going to give it a try very soon.

The Boat Yard Blues

Putting The Boat to Sleep

It is the time of year to put the boat to bed here in Maine.  We tried to eke as much time as possible on the water this year, but it just was not meant to be.  In July we set rain records and never got on the boat once during that month.  We did cruise for the first two weeks of August and it was absolutely heavenly.  But now is the time to empty out the cupboards, take down the curtains, radar and other things that might get moldy during the long winter months, set up the frame and have her shrink wrapped until spring.  So I went over the boatyard and we filled up the van on this fabulous fall day.  Didn't do that until I made a couple of loaves of sourdough bread using the Rustic Sourdough Bread recipe at King Arthur Flour and they turned out fabulous.  I also made Sally's Pumpkin Dip from Maine Food and Lifestyle blog for a ladies cocktail hour I was invited to tonight.