Another rainy Friday, but at least we had several days of fine weather this week. High summer is here, and I’m hoping for a lot more of that fine weather. In the meantime, today will be a good day to make cinnamon pie knots for a friend who fell while hiking. She’s recovering from surgery, and we both agreed that those pie knots would be just the thing to cheer her up.

From the Bangor Daily News: How Skowhegan became Maine’s breadbasket.

From the New York Times: Too much rain in the South means a very poor crop of fruits and vegetables. This is bad news for all of us who live in the eastern United States.

From the Portland Press Herald: Brunch is one of my favorite meals, and French toast is one of my favorite brunch items. Brooke Dojny gives a recipe not only for Maple French Toast but also for a Mostly Summer Fruit Compote. I could eat both right now.

From NPR’s the salt: Workers at fast food restaurants went on strike last week. Their demands? That they be paid a living wage of $15 an hour. Good luck to them! Every working adult deserves a living wage.

From the blog Craftivist in the Kitchen: Shari might be “from away,” as we Mainers call those who live in Maine but aren’t born here, but her fish chowder is fast becoming legendary in the Brunswick area.