Links Today

I don't really have anything to say today, it's been a relatively quiet week in my world. So today I'm just posting some links to things I particularly love, or find interesting. Maybe some of you will too :)

 - I love apples. I'm addicted to them actually. By addicted I mean it's normal for me to eat 3, 4, maybe even 5 apples a day. However, this has proven to be a rather expensive habit because I will not eat apples that are not organic. Reading this though just supports my reasoning.

http://www.organicauthority.com/an-apple-a-day-may-kill-you-controversial-diphenylamine-on-80-pe ircent-of-u-s-apples/


-  This took my Harry Potter nerdness to a whole new level, I was SO excited to discover it!!

http://hogwartsishere.com/


- I heard about this thanks to one of my new favorite podcasts "Dear Book Nerd". It's absolutely adorable, and if I hadn't already wanted to spend all my time in bookstore, this would have done just that!
 
http://jen-campbell.blogspot.com/2014/04/children-say-best-things-in-booksh


- How many of these books have you read? I was pleasantly surprised to find that I've read quite a few, and I think I've discovered a new reading list work off of!

http://mentalfloss.com/article/56377/most-famous-book-set-each-state

Big Bend

Big Bend National Park. An 801,163 acre area of land full of desert vegetation, rivers, mountains and canyons at the south west border of Texas, it it also the place my parents met, the source behind my second middle name (Elena) and my second favorite place in the world. I have been incredibly lucky to have visited the park twice in my life, and both times was simultaneously blown away and drawn in by the stunning sights and magical beauty that permeated the land.
While my dreams of Big Bend have been somewhat overshadowed by the visions of Alaska I have each time I close my eyes, there is not a day I don't think of it, and I do long to go back there again...soon.

However, I definitely did not grow up with this love. As stated earlier, this was where my parents met, and so I grew up hearing stories about it's magnificence. I would compare these stories with the pictures posted around our house and didn't find a match. The pictures were a bunch of rocks - so what? Big deal! There was nothing in them that brought truth to my parents words. And then 2008 came bringing with it my first visit to the park, and my life was changed forever. I did, not only understand my parents love for Big Bend, I lived it. When we came home I tried to find the right words to describe the powerful scenes I had explored and found myself speechless. I showed pictures to my friends trying to get them to see what I had, and was met only with the smiling incomprehension I had held towards my parents only a few days before. I realized that there is nothing one can write, no pictures a camera can take, no videos a person can film, that could truly, accurately and fully capture the true specialness of Big Bend. Until one actually walks the land, they will forever be blind to its beauty.

 I recently started reading "God's Country or Devil's Playground", which is a collection of essays written on the nature, land and history of the area. I do love reading the stories and walking with the authors once more over the rocks and winding with them on the Rio Grande through the canyons. I can close my eyes once again and see the sun setting on the Sierra del Carmen. Many of these authors have put, in words more perfect and eloquent than mine, that it is impossible to describe this land, and to show off her beauty with pictures. So far my favorite has come from Walter Prescott Webb who stated that "men of literature cannot confine on the printed page the essential quality of the land, or convey the sense of unreality and romance that overwhelms the spectator and leaves him with a recurrant nostalgia for a land in which he cannot live...The visitor cannot be critical of those who failed because he feels is own inadequacy in the presence of the spectacle. It is this feeling, perhaps, that lifts him to awe and admiration, that tantalizes him into a desire to stay longer, to travel farther, to see more earnestly that he may be able to comprehend...When he goes, he carries his sense of inadequacy with him and is likely to be constantly haunted by a desire to return...he is by spells homesick for a land that was never his home and can never be his home..." Not only it is nice to read the stories of people who know and understand my love for Big Bend, but also share the frustration I feel of not being able to get others who have not been there to share that love too.

I wish that everyone I know could go there, I hope that one day they all will. As Mary Lasswell put it "The glory of the Big Bend National Park starts at Persimmon Gap, the northernmost entrance to the park, and to my mind, ends only when the beholder dies. Maybe not even then."

Everyone deserves to know that passion.

A Poem I Love

This came to me via my daily Poem of the Day e-mail. It's almost scary how truly and accurately this describes me. With the exception of the age (I am thankfully only almost 27), and the words "red wine" (which could easily be substituted with with word "chocolate", it's almost as though I wrote it...


At Twenty-Eight
by Amy Fleury

It seems I get by on more luck than sense,
not the kind brought on by knuckle to wood,
breath on dice, or pennies found in the mud.
I shimmy and slip by on pure fool chance.
At turns charmed and cursed, a girl knows romance
as coffee, red wine, and books; solitude
she counts as daylight virtue and muted
evenings, the inventory of absence.
But this is no sorry spinster story,
just the way days string together a life.
Sometimes I eat soup right out of the pan.
Sometimes I don't care if I will marry.
I dance in my kitchen on Friday nights,
singing like only a lucky girl can.

Chocolate Lovers' Fling a Chocolate Lovers' Delight!

This last Sunday I volunteered at the 28th Annual Chocolate Lovers' Fling. As the name implies, it is an annual event that supports the Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine (SARSSM). And as the name implies, it is focused on chocolate - one of my greatest loves. I had wanted to attend last year but couldn't justify the cost of a ticket with my budget, so I volunteered. I figured I was helping to support a very good cause by volunteering just as much as attending as a guest, and either way would get me some amazing incredible chocolate. I was not wrong; I had a wonderful fun time, and ate an insane amount of chocolate that totally dazzled my taste buds.This year when SARSSM asked if I wanted to volunteer again and I immediately said yes.

The event was held at the Holiday Inn in Portland. I showed up at 9:00, and after checking in made my way to the Chocolate prep room. This is a magical room, where the creators of the chocolate bring all the samples of their treats. My job was to make sure they were all plated and labeled properly, that there were the right number of plates, and to get them ready for the servers during the event itself. The Chocolatiers had been told to bring samples of each chocolate for 450 guests. There were 18 different chocolate treats at the event. This meant that I was in a room of 8,100 pieces of gourmet chocolate. The words pure heaven are the only thing that comes remotely close to meeting the reality of that moment. All of the Chocolatiers were from Maine, and they take a lot of pride in creating unique chocolates and desserts that represent the Maine spirit. Chocolate Stout Truffles, Death by Chocolate Cheesecake, Moose Mint Brownies, Dulce de Yesse Cake were just a few of the delights I got to enjoy. I had a lot of fun, and left with my box of samples, the happy feeling of a day well spent, and looking forward to next to year.

Peanut Butter Breakfast Heaven and a Preference for Colder Hiking

I wrote this yesterday - Sunday - but didn't have access to the internet until today...


Many of you who know me know that I have a deep love of all things peanut butter. My habit is so bad that I actually do not allow myself to have open jars of peanut butter in my apartment unless I have a specific baking idea in mind. For me there is no such thing as having 'just a spoonful', it's more like 'just 1 jar'. If I am baking something as soon as said dish has been created the jar of peanut butter is then whisked off to my friends house where I can enjoy it there on my weekly dinners.

In the past, whenever I have finished the last of peanut butter in the jar I have always looked sadly at the small remnants of that delicious treat that I was not able to scrape out before throwing the jar away. This has now changed!. Thanks to the mass number of food blogs online I have discovered a way to turn this jar into a wonderful and amazing peanut butter breakfast. For all of you out there like me here is what to do: before going to bed take your jar and fill it it with a half cup of oats, a sliced banana and chopped nuts of your choice, sprinkle on some cinnamon (and maybe a little cocoa powder), screw on the lid and place it in the refrigerator. The next morning pour in a little of your favorite milk (I personally love the unsweetened vanilla almond milk from Whole Foods) and viola! A delicious breakfast will follow. You could also add some other items such as chocolate chips, maple syrup, toasted coconut...basically whatever you love it's your breakfast! I at this deliciousness for breakfast this morning along with sliced grapefruit and maple coffee. I curled up in bed with Synge next to me and read the time away. It was the perfect Sunday morning, especially for a rainy one like today.

Lousy weather however was not bad enough to keep me away from the hiking trails of Bradbury Mountain. I love the outdoors, and hiking through the woods is one my all time favorite ways to live. Since I spend my days during the week sitting or standing behind a desk and in front of a computer, I try really hard to make sure I make it out to the trails both days each weekend. I went out there yesterday and enjoyed a really nice hike in the 50+ degree weather with the sun shinning down. Today was quite a bit cooler and drizzling rain with a fairly strong breeze thrown into the mix. About halfway through my hike I realized that I much preferred todays hike to yesterday. The cold fresh wind was a great way to wake up and rejuvinate my mind, and the rain was light enough to be enjoyable. Hiking up the hills, on ice, with my hair blowing all around was the most delicious contrast to the warm laziness I'd been living earlier, and while cold, the air smelled of spring and the promise of summer. Cool, pure white snow still blanketed the ground, but the trees had shed their winter coats resulting in a greener world, with hints of burnt orange leaves that had hung on throughout winter. Other than my Focus, the parking lot was empty, I had the whole park to myself and loved the quiet solitude and knowledge that I wouldn't happen upon another person. It was perfect.

To finish this wonderful Sunday, I tried a new “cooking experiment” with a recipe I found on my all time favorite cooking blog “The Petite Kitchen”. I love her emphasis on creating dishes centered around whole unprocessed nutritious foods. Tonight's adventure was “Garlic and Lemon Zest Peas Smashed with Avocado” I've loved every recipe I've tried from this blog but this one just might be my all time favorite. For those of you interested the link is below. I used a red onion instead of a brown one, used a little more garlic (I love garlic) and left out the parsley since I'm not really a fan of the stuff. The recipe doesn't actually say what to do with the onion, but I cooked it along with the peas and garlic. I added fresh roasted garlic, rosemary and honey sweet potatos to the completed dish and a little grilled chicken - Absolutely spectacular! I will definitely be making this again :)

http://www.petite-kitchen.com/2013/05/garlic-and-lemon-zest-peas-smashed-with.html

An attempt at Creativity

Last year I asked my Facebook friends to help out with a writing project by commenting on my status with a word - any word they wanted. I frequently ask random questions, and while some truly are random, others do have a reason behind them. In this case I wanted random words to help write a poem. In an attempt to exercise my creative skill I wanted to write something with words chosen for me. I got quite a few responses and below are the results. I actually wrote two poems. The first is one where I used all the words in the order that they were posted on my Facebook request. The second poem also has all the words, but with no particular order in when I used them. Neither one is titled; since my friends and family had such a hand in writing them, I'll let them do that too!

Untitled 1

The pale moon rises, glowing its authenticity.
The stars sparkle and laugh - feisty in their knowledge of life,
The glow of their light inspiring the Earth below, reminding us of the origin of goodness.
The orange caramel sunrise shines,
benevolent on dewdrops and pines,
It whispers to us "appreciate everything"
A gentle wind brings us a child's laughter,
It's purity and richness endearing,
It's innocence a delight.
"Oui!" she yells, and collapses giggling
Onto tall grass and the moist soil below.

How efficacious this lazy Sunday,
Filled with fresh air, coffee, loved ones, and
A breakfast of pancakes - hot with syrup swirling joyful and jubilant,
A top berries and chocolate chips.
Maple sausage and warm buttermilk biscuits,
Saturate the senses and welcome one home.

While far away, dolphins leap and sing their happiness,
Bringing peace and love to the oceans vastness.
I am grateful for it all - grateful for this world.
Mountains blanketed in snow,
Fire leaves floating in autumn air,
Sweet peas blooming in early spring.
I see serenity in space, feel it in the desert,
Taste it in nutmeg ice cream.
This planet can be wicked,
But it carries more love than a mothers arms.

So when the sadness brings a melancholy so deep you might break,
Find inspiration in your dreams,
Feel the heartbeat of the universe,
and be Free.


Untitled 2
I love syrup swirled atop a jubilous stack
of chocolate chip pancakes,
A cup of nutmeg spiced coffee hot in my hands.
I enjoy them, as joyful as dolphins leaping
into an orange sunrise.

Next to me my cat sleeps. Lost
in dreams she stretches, purrs
endearing as her pre-dawn attack
on the faeries hiding in my bed sheets.
A feisty tigress, she'll always protect her home!

I am grateful for the peace and serenity
of the early morning quiet,
when the world still sleeps
and I'm alone to enjoy it.

The empty street is benevolent,
sweet peas are smiling, and
the air rings with the authenticity of
life’s promise.

The sun will rise soon.
It's rays bringing forth the wicked ways, melancholy thoughts, and desperate longings,
of lost souls.
Yes there will be joy, but also pain.
This clam will disappear.

But for now everyone dreams.
My skin moist is moist with steam from my cup.
I look to my street, drawing inspiration from
the shadowed trees and chirping birds,
I feel complete in my solitude.

But Oui!
A car comes, tires singing through the rain soaked streets, shattering my illusion.
That's ok though.

It's important to know we
are never truly alone.
That we have friends to laugh with,
a mother's should to cry on,
a random strangers kindness to find our smile...

Still, as the tail lights vanish
and the world stills again
I appreciate the silence even more.
I see the beginnings of sunrise
peaking through the clouds
inspiring me to write, to dream, to breathe.

So efficacious this time is for me,
a blissful silence leading to life's answers.
Without it I would be so lost,
Like the Big Dipper without the Northern Star.

Maple Syrup Awesomeness

One of the things I have consistently remarked on since moving to Maine, is how amazing, incredible, spectacular and delicious the food is. There are many reasons why this is the case, one of them being the large number of farms located here leading to an abundance of fresh foods (and fresh food always tastes better!). One type of farm that is (thankfully) common is maple syrup farms and sugarhouses!

Every year on the fourth Saturday in March, Maine celebrates their maple syrup tradition with “Maine Maple Sunday”. Syrup producers all over the state offer visitors a range of activities and food to enjoy and celebrate with family and friends. I decided this year not to go anywhere special to celebrate, but would instead bring maple syrup delight into my apartment.

I started it off with my normal Sunday morning tradition of adding a little syrup to my morning coffee. I’ve being doing this for a few months now, and love the subtle sweetness it brings to my favorite drink. Of course, a day like Maine Maple Sunday calls for something a little more substantial than simple syrup in coffee…

Last year a co-worker spent her honeymoon fishing in Alaska. She very generously had provided me with some salmon from that trip and I had just enough left for one more cooking dish. I had been looking for a special slightly unique recipe to use it for and knew I had discovered it the instant I saw a recipe for Maple Cardamom Glazed Salmon. The recipe looked really really good, but of course the taste hinged on me not screwing it up. I am thrilled to report that my attempt was overwhelmingly successful and that this combination of syrup and spices is an excellent way to enjoy one of the best fish out there! To complete my dinner I cooked up some peas and roasted a butternut squash with garlic and rosemary (side note: the combination of smells from cooking salmon and roasting squash is in and of itself incredible). For some added spice I ground up some red pepper over it all, and dug in!

I finished off the holiday with one of my favorite healthy treats – sliced banana bites with maple almond butter and cinnamon sprinkled on top! Overall, a very successful day of cooking and enjoying delicious some delicious food all in honor of one of America’s favorite treats.

If anyone is interested in the recipe I used here is the link to it: http://food52.com/recipes/16655-maple-cardamom-glazed-salmon