All posts by Clif Graves

People

Earth Day, Birthday

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img_5569Our daughter Shannon’s birthday is today. Happy birthday, Earth Day girl! What a cool day to have a birthday.

Because of everyone’s schedule, we celebrated Shannon’s birthday on Sunday, which turned out to be such a warm, lovely day that we were actually able to have appetizers on the patio. The first patio gathering of the season and a great way to kick off what I hope will be a long string of patio days.

The yard is certainly not at its best. There is much clean-up to do, and there are no flowers in the garden. Only green shoots. But it didn’t matter. As we ate, drank, and talked in the warm sunshine, the dogs ran and sniffed around the yard. Chickadees and nuthatches and tufted titmice came to the feeder. The red buds of the maple tree were in crisp outline against the deep blue sky. So what if the mud by the gate had to be barricaded with a pallet, a wheel barrow, and two trashcans so that the dogs wouldn’t be a muddy mess? We didn’t need hats and mittens to be comfortable outside. Welcome, welcome, spring!

Cheers on the patio
Cheers on the patio

For the meal, we had grilled steak—one of Shannon’s favorites—as well as tortellini tossed with roasted garlic and olive oil; glazed carrots; and homemade cornbread. There were presents, cake, and ice cream. Shannon also loves our homemade peanut butter balls, so the previous day, Clif and I made a half-batch to give her, and we recycled a Valentine’s Day box for the chocolates.

A special meal
A special meal

Shannon is keen on playing games, and she brought a rather complex board game—The Eldritch Horror—for us to play. After cake and ice cream, we cleared the dining room table and spread the many pieces out. At first we all just moved randomly around the board, but gradually we dimly understood how to find clues and stop the monsters, and we moved with more purpose. One of the things I really like about this game is that rather than stress competition, where player is pitted against player, this game encourages cooperation, where to win against the monsters, the players must help one another. Because the game is complex, there is nothing cheesy about the cooperation. I have never played a board game like this, and it was a good change from the usual knock the other players off the board kind of game.

All in all, a good day with fine weather, a birthday celebration, and an interesting new game that we  agreed could be played on the patio when the day stays warm into the evening.

Community, News

The Library Expansion Begins

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And the walls come tumbling down...
And the walls come tumbling down…

For the past few years, a dedicated group of volunteers—full disclosure: I am one of them—has been working on raising money to build an addition for our town’s library. Our goal is to raise 1 million dollars, a lot of money for a little town comprising mainly middle-class people. The plan included tearing down an old Masonic hall adjacent to the library, with the new addition being built on the footprint of the old building. (The library expansion committee looked into refurbishing the Masonic building, but it simply wasn’t strong enough to support the weight of all the books. However, the woodwork has been salvaged to use in the new addition.)

The goal of the expansion campaign was to take down the Masonic building when over 70 percent of the money had been raised for the addition. Well, glory be, we finally reached that mark, and yesterday the Masonic building was torn down.

I rode Blue Beauty—my first bike ride of the season—to the library and took photos of the demolition. I must admit I had mixed feelings as I watched the building come down. On the one hand, I was excited that we are finally beginning the project that so many of us have worked so hard on for so many years. On the other hand, as the building was being torn apart, the wood cracked and groaned, and I really felt as though I was watching the death of something old that had once been beautiful. So sad!

I stood next to a man who had gone to meetings in the Masonic building, and he seemed philosophical about the building’s demise. “The Masons don’t have the membership they used to have,” he told me. “And that building was in tough shape.”

Yes, it was. And now the Masonic building is gone. From its “ashes” will rise a new building, one that will expand the library, which is bursting at the seams. When the expansion is built, the library will be able to breathe freely and more easily fill its vital role in our community.

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People

Snow in April and a Birthday Celebration

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This morning, when I looked out the window, this is what I saw in my backyard.

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Never mind! Yesterday, I went to Portland, where I had lunch with Shannon and Kate to celebrate Shannon’s birthday. We had a long, long lunch and a great chat. After eating, we took one of our famous selfies.

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Although we had a wonderful time, it was also a bittersweet get-together. Kate has moved from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania, and if her house in New Hampshire sells soon, this will likely be our last birthday gathering. Another “fellowship” has broken up. We have been meeting to celebrate birthdays for quite a few years—I can’t remember exactly how many—and we have had such good times, not to mention terrific food.

Well, life is like that. People move away, for excellent reasons, and although we miss them terribly, we also know it is best for them.

Shannon and I have decided to continue meeting for lunch for our birthdays, but it won’t be the same without Kate.

Community, People

A Fun Fundraiser with Sweet Tooth Fudge

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Oh, fudge!
Oh, fudge!

Yesterday afternoon, 84 boxes of fudge were delivered to the little house in the big woods. Fortunately, most of that fudge is going to other people and will not be staying here long. Karen and Jeff Toothaker, of Winthrop’s very own Sweet Tooth Fudge, had volunteered to make fudge for a fundraiser for the town library—we will soon be building an expansion—and I volunteered to coordinate this fundraiser. Hence the 84 boxes of fudge delivered to our home.

To say that I have “a sweet tooth” is an understatement. I have never met a dessert that is too sweet for me, and my favorite foods include chocolate, donuts, pies, and, as it happens, fudge. In truth, I am a sucker for fudge, and Sweet Tooth Fudge—smooth and oh-so creamy—is among the best I have ever eaten. (Top honors must go to my mother’s fudge, of course.)

Is Sweet Tooth Fudge the best in central Maine? I certainly think it is. I haven’t tasted any fudge that is better, and most of what I have eaten isn’t even half as good. Sweet Tooth Fudge definitely gets the Good Eater seal of approval.

And what a sweet fundraiser this was! The Toothakers are wonderful to work with, and the fudge practically sells itself. Clif brought a sign-up sheet to work, and Kelly, one of his co-workers, asked who was making the fudge. When Clif told Kelly it was Sweet Tooth Fudge, she immediately signed up to buy 2 boxes.

Because this was a fundraiser for the library, Karen came up with clever literary names to describe the fudge. I especially liked Come Spring by Ben Ames Williams, “inspired by our driveway in spring! A layer of vanilla fudge spread with Jif peanut butter topped with puddles of chocolate fudge.” And I also really liked Talking Walls: Discover Your World by Margy Burns Knight: “Chocolate was first discovered in the tropical rainforest of the Americas. It is now enjoyed everywhere. You choose—pure chocolate or chocolate walnut.”

When Jeff dropped off the fudge, we chatted a little about the fudge-making business. Jeff estimated that he and Karen spend 1,000 hours a year on fudge—14 weekends in which they sell the fudge, and 3 evenings before each weekend to make the fudge. A lot of work, but fun work, Jeff said.

I also had the opportunity to visit Karen and Jeff’s fudge-making facility at their home. One whole room is devoted solely to fudge making, and with its shelves and double sink, the room is neat, orderly, and spic and span. January, February, and March are Sweet Tooth’s slow times, but during busy months when they have lots of fudge on hand, Karen told me I could come to their house to buy fudge directly from them. As I have a brother who is very keen on chocolate fudge and have other family members and friends who like fudge, I expect I will be buying fudge from the Toothakers on a semi-regular basis.

Naturally, I might slide in a box for myself as well. After all, the fudge keeps for 3 weeks, and I can have a thin slice every day for dessert. This will allow me to stay within the parameters of my perpetual diet and yet finish the fudge before it becomes hard and dry. Of course, Clif would help me, too, so there is little chance that a half-pound of fudge would languish in the cupboard.

Anyway, many, many thanks to Jeff and Karen Toothaker for doing this fundraiser for the library. One sweet step at a time, we are getting closer to our goal of raising money for the expansion.

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Recipes

What a Difference A Week Can Make

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Last week, the little house in the big woods was snowbound, with only the barest hint of bare ground in the backyard. While the front yard still has plenty of snow, the backyard has made real progress and now has more bare ground than snow. And all in one week!

Not anyone's idea of beauty, but to me it looks just grand
Not anyone’s idea of beauty, but to me it looks just grand

Yesterday morning, I hung clothes on the line for the first time this season, and there was a thin layer of packed ice around the clothes line. It was so slippery that I wished I had worn my grippers. I didn’t fall, but I had to be very careful as I hung the laundry. But in the afternoon, when I took in the laundry, the ice had completely melted. It almost felt like time-lapse photography in real time.

One of my favorite signs of spring---laundry on the line
One of my favorite signs of spring—laundry on the line

There is much to do in the backyard, but it is still too mucky for a real clean-up. I love this time of year—working outside in the warm sun. It beats anything I can do inside, and that includes cooking or writing and most certainly cleaning.

I've had this sage plant for 3 years. Will I get another year out if it?
I’ve had this sage plant for 3 years. Will I get another year out if it?
Brave little irises
Brave little irises

Even though it is much warmer now than it has been since, say, October, it is still cool enough for soup and probably will be until June. This is Maine, after all. And soup—tomato chickpea—is what we will have for supper tonight.

From the four Cornish hen carcasses left over from our anniversary meal, I made a stock in the usual way—with water, onion, garlic, peppercorns, and salt. After the stock had simmered for several hours, I let it cool overnight in the refrigerator so that I could skim off the fat. In addition, I soaked 2 cups of dried chickpeas overnight and cooked them in the morning. Into the slow-cooker went the stock, the chickpeas, and a 28-ounce can of tomato puree. Since I had a lot of the tomato stock, I coarsely chopped 6 carrots and 4 ribs of celery and sauteed them with olive oil, adding 3 cloves of garlic for the last minute or so. After the vegetables were soft, I added them to the slow-cooker and let everything bubble for four hours.

Because the Cornish hens had been so wonderfully spiced, I did not need to use additional spicing in the soup. Otherwise, I would have added some rosemary and perhaps some oregano. Tonight, I’ll  cook some pasta, which we can add to the bottom of our soup bowls. We have found that pasta put directly into the soup swells and swells until the pasta is quite unappealing. So now we add pasta directly to our bowls and ladle hot soup on top.

This made a huge batch of soup. Clif and I will eat it for several nights, and I’ll freeze the rest for that happy, busy day when there’s too much going on outside to fuss in the kitchen.

And just for something a little extra, here’s a spring song, courtesy of Sesame Street.

News

An Anniversary Meal—Cornish Hens, Baked Potatoes, Corn, and a Dessert that Must Not Be Named

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CDs—the dessert that must not be named

In our family, whenever there is a special event, the tradition is to cook a special meal. We all love to celebrate with food—no surprise there—and by cooking at home, we can have something especially tasty yet still be frugal. Our anniversary was last month, but because of the various schedules, Shannon and Mike couldn’t get together with us until yesterday.

We had planned to go to Shannon and Mike’s home in South Portland, but for our anniversary they bought us a special gift—a new rug for our living room—that needed to be transported in their larger car. Our little Honda Fit can hold quite a bit, but there was no way it could haul that rug along with a driver, one passenger, and a dog.

Now, Clif and I are a very thrifty couple. When we buy something, either new or second hand, we squeeze every bit of use out of that item. So it was with our living room rug, which we bought thirty years ago at Sears. I loved that red rug with its oriental design, and it was incredibly sturdy, withstanding kids, pets, and lots of company over the years. But all things have a lifespan, and so it was with this rug, which had become frayed, worn, and thin in many spots.

On Saturday, we rolled up the rug and brought it to the transfer station, and it was a bittersweet moment. I was sorry to see this old friend go, but I have to admit I was excited to be getting a new rug. (So excited that I forgot about a special dessert Shannon was bringing. Very uncharacteristic of me, and more about this later.) When you don’t get many new things, you really appreciate it when you do. And that’s the way it way should be. Between mindless consumerism and the life of of a monk there is a balance.

The new rug—shades of tan with a dark, almost Celtic border—looks oh so nice in our living room. Today, Clif and I have periodically taken a break from our work to admire it. We will have this rug for many, many years, and if it wears as well as the previous rug, it could possibly be our last living room rug. (Funny to think that way, but Clif and I have reached an age where this might be the case.)

For our anniversary meal, Shannon prepared one of the the dishes I love best—Cornish hens with a lemon, herb, and butter mixture tucked under the skin. The hens were moist and flavorful and because they were small, all of the meat was suffused with the herb butter mixture. We had baked potatoes, corn, and sour dough bread to accompany the hens.

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Then there was dessert, which Shannon bought from Little Bigs in South Portland. The pastries are called CDs, short for “Cease and Desist,” and they are fried croissants dusted with cinnamon and sugar and cut into squares. The CDs have a hole, and they bear a striking resemblance to an insanely popular New York dessert that apparently must not be named. Hence “Cease and Desist.”  The CDs were crisp on the outside, flaky but not dry, and we promptly munched them down. Good as the CDs were—and they were very good indeed—I must admit that I remain loyal to donuts, one of my favorite desserts. But what fun to try something new that has become a craze in New York City and is now a craze in Portland. CDs have become so popular that Shannon had to order them three or four weeks in advance.

A visit from the kids, a new rug, Cornish hens, and CDs. All in all, a terrific day.

 

 

Animals - especially dogs, Nature

Spring is Coming…

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Yesterday, as I was returning from a walk with the dog, my neighbor, who was walking her own dogs, stopped to talk to me at the end of my driveway.

“I think you have the coldest yard on this road,” she said, looking at all the snow.

I couldn’t deny it. Here is a picture—taken this morning—of our yard:

img_5491By the end of the month, the snow should be gone, but it has a long way to go.

Never mind! Yesterday, I took an absolutely delightful walk. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I needed neither hat nor gloves. I walked in a sort of a bliss, letting the dog lead the way. He took me down Highland Avenue and around Highland Heights. Blue sky, blue sky, blue sky with the sun warm on my face.

Here are some pictures I took, proof that after this long, hard winter, spring really is coming.

Rushing water by the side of the road
Rushing water by the side of the road
Tree starting to bud
Tree starting to bud
Robin on a lawn. (Not our yard!)
Robin on a lawn. (Not our yard!)

This last picture is not particularly a sign of spring, but I’ll include it anyway.

Shadow Dog
Shadow Dog
Recipes

The Curious Case of the Disappearing Quiche

img_5467A week or so ago, as I was rereading volume 3 of the Tightwad Gazette, I came across a “recipe” for quiche. Actually, it was more like a guideline, and I expect beginning cooks would be flustered by the inexact measurements listed—1 or 2 cups of milk, 3 or 4 eggs, that sort of thing. The piece put me in the mood for quiche, and especially interesting was a reader suggestion for an alternative crust made from grated potatoes mixed with a bit of oil.

Now, it must be said that I love making pie crust as well as eating pie crust, and I am not at all intimidated by the process of rolling dough. However, pie crusts are, ahem, a little on the fattening side, and as Clif and I are constantly trying to lose weight—sometimes successfully, sometimes not—a quiche for a weekday meal seemed a bit excessive.

But, I reasoned, what if I used a grated potato crust rather than a traditional pie crust? What if I used milk rather than cream as the base for the quiche? And what if broccoli were the primary ingredient? Might quiche be an acceptable weeknight meal? And with just the two of us, we’d have enough leftover for 2 or maybe even 3 meals.

So using the Tightwad Gazette as my guide, I set about making the crust with shredded potatoes. Then I improvised with the filling, adding leftover breakfast sausage as well as broccoli. I also had some leftover sour cream, and as suggested in the Tightwad Gazette, I added that to the milk. I didn’t add any spicing—herbs or garlic—I just wanted to see how the basic quiche would turn out.

Not too bad, as my Yankee husband put it. We both liked the potato crust, but agreed that it might be worth fiddling with this. The instructions were to bake the potato crust in a pie plate 15 minutes or until the crust was just beginning to brown. Then the quiche mixture was added and the whole thing was baked for about 50 minutes. By doing this, when the quiche was finished, the edges of the crust were crisp and delicious while the underneath was pale and soft. While the underneath was good enough, Clif and I wondered if it would be possible to have the entire crust brown by lining the edges with foil, removing the foil after about 20 minutes, and baking the crust until the whole thing was golden brown. And maybe mixing a little roasted garlic into the shredded potato before pressing it into the pie plate.

An experiment for another time.

In the meantime, we had quiche for our supper, and Clif and I contentedly ate. And ate. By the time we were done, there were only 2 pieces left, hardly enough for another meal for 1 night never mind for 2 nights.

I had had 2 pieces, one more than I should have eaten, but this meant that Clif had had 4 pieces.

“That’s right,” he said when I pointed this out. “Make me the butt of another one of your blog jokes.”

“You did have 4 pieces,” I said. “I wouldn’t be lying.”

“I really like quiche,” Clif admitted. “And we haven’t had it for a while.”

No, we haven’t. And potato crust or not, I think perhaps we should save quiche for the weekend, when we allow ourselves to have treats. That way, it wouldn’t matter how many pieces were left.

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News

The Last Day of March: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Mess

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To borrow from the meteorologist Lou McNally—also known as Altitude Lou—March came in like a lion and went out like a mess. At the little house in the big woods, it is sleeting outside. The road is thick with slush, and there is a layer of ice on our car. What a trickster March is, and it couldn’t resist one last icy prank before giving way to April, which I hope will bring better weather. After all, the snow in our yard is bound to melt sometime before July.

Here is what our yard looks like this morning:

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There will be plenty of scraping if I do errands, as planned, this afternoon.

In the interest of being fair to March, that long, long, temperamental month, I have to admit it does have its moments of beauty, if you know where to look. The following pictures were taken a few days ago, when the sun was shining, and it was relatively warm, say 45 or so.

An ice shack on the Upper Narrows Pond
An ice shack on the Upper Narrows Pond
Open water on the Lower Narrows Pond
Open water on the Lower Narrows Pond
In the woods
In the woods
Leaves and snow
Leaves and snow

Nevertheless, I am certainly ready for April.

Recipes

A Sideswipe of a Storm and a Good Day to Make Blueberry Muffins

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img_5437Yesterday, central Maine got lucky. The big storm that swept up the Eastern Seaboard brought us wind but not much else. We didn’t even lose our power. “The storm was a sideswipe,”Paul Fitzsimmons, a forecaster from Caribou, said. “Maine was on the western fringes of the storm.”

For that we must be grateful, even though the weather is still brisk, and the little house in the big woods is still surrounded by snow. To celebrate being sideswiped by what would have been a major and destructive storm had it hit us head on, I decided to make sour-cream blueberry muffins with a brown sugar topping. Of course, any day would be a good day to make blueberry muffins.

But a warm muffin and a cup of tea is a fine thing to have the day after being sideswiped by a storm, when the days are getting longer and the birds are singing. And with tea in hand, I stood in my bright dining room and saluted spring. Come, spring. Take the cold weather away. We are ready.

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