The last weekend of August and, in effect, the last weekend of summer. My husband, Clif, and I are going to get as much out of this weekend as the weather allows, and we hope to do plenty of bike riding. On Saturday, our daughter Shannon and her husband, Mike, are coming over for an anniversary meal. They have been married 3 years. Time flies, as the saying goes. We will be having a mostly Maine feast with steak from Wholesome Holmstead; Maine lobster for lobster rolls; corn on the cob from the farmers market; and new red potatoes from our own Farmer Kev. Dessert? Homemade chocolate ice cream pie. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for good weather. A happy Labor Day weekend to all of you.

From the New York Times: Mark Bittman brings his lunch to work, and he makes the case as to why you should, too. Plus, he gives some great lunch suggestions.

From the AlterNet: Fast food workers go on strike again. Their demands? A living wage, paid sick days, and the right to unionize. Other low-paid retail workers are joining them. Go, workers!

From another feather blogspot: Beautiful photos from a baking workshop.

From the Portland Press Herald: Two of Brooke Djony’s mouth-watering recipes using the fleeting bounty of late summer.

From NPR’s the salt: It seems that foodies have a long, long history. According to Michaeleen Doucleff, spices were used 6,000 years ago.