Category Archives: Food

Celebrate, Food

When Pigs Fly and a Blogging Break

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On Saturday, Dee, Clif, and I piled into our EV and headed south to Kittery, the banana belt of Maine, as we like to call it. The occasion? Dee’s birthday. Shannon and Mike, who live in Massachusetts, joined us for a meal at a restaurant called When Pigs Fly. Pizza baked in a wood-fired oven is one of their specialties, and Dee is a pizza hound extraordinaire.

But first we had appetizers and drinks: a pumpkin martini for Dee, a beer for Clif, and iced tea for me. (Shannon and Mike were stuck in traffic and joined us later. Ah, Boston!) The fries and the pretzel sticks were mighty tasty.

When Shannon and Mike joined us, we had a nice little feast.

Pizza for the birthday girl and Clif,

soup and sandwiches for Shannon and Mike,

and tangy sweet and sour tofu for me. It was so good that I could have some right now.

Was there room for dessert? Yes, Indeed. The birthday girl and Shannon had ice cream, and Clif had a brownie sundae. However, I only had eyes for one thing —an order of cannoli that Mike and I shared.

The cannoli were everything they should be: crisp and sweet but not too sweet. Mike and I agreed that a soggy cannoli is a crime against nature and should not be allowed.

I had been to When Pigs Fly before and knew how crowded it could get. When Clif, Dee, and I arrived at 11:30, there were plenty of seats. By the time we left around 2:00, not only was the place packed, but there was also a waiting line.

So off we went to Starbucks for tea, coffee, and presents. None of us are huge Starbucks fans, but it was nearby, and we don’t know the area all that well.

That might change. The Kittery/York/Kennebunk area is a good halfway point for us to meet, and we plan on getting together once a month or so, even when there isn’t a birthday to celebrate.

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It is time for another blogging break.

I have finished writing my children’s novel, Darcy Dansereau, a slice-of-life fantasy set in Waterville, Maine, in the 1970s. Some readers might recall The Dog Angel, a short story I wrote a few Christmases ago and shared online for free. In The Dog Angel, Darcy and her mother, Janine, were kicked out of their apartment because Janine had hurt herself while cleaning houses and couldn’t pay the rent. Help comes to them from an unexpected source that changes Darcy’s and Janine’s lives.

In Darcy Dansereau, I have expanded The Dog Angel to a longer story, where Darcy not only encounters more magic but must also deal with the prejudice that comes from being poor and belonging to a second-class ethnic group.

The story is written. Now it is time for editing — picky, time-consuming work that takes all of my little brain cells. Hence the need for a break.

I’m not sure how long the break will be, but I think it will be at least a month, perhaps a little longer.

I’ll catch you all on the flip side!

 

 

 

Food, summer

Is It All Right if I Kiss Your Cheek?

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On Friday, Shannon, Mike, and Holly came to Maine for a visit. For Father’s Day, Shannon and Mike bought Clif a ticket to the Kennebec River Brewfest in Augusta, Maine. Since beer isn’t my thing, Mike agreed to accompany Clif to the Brewfest, which was held on Saturday, August 2.

Neither Dee nor Shannon like beer, so while Clif and Mike were at the Beerfest, we went to Thai With Us, a restaurant in Augusta, where we had some delicious Thai food.  We all agreed it was a restaurant to visit again.

As we were eating, some adults and children were seated at a long table next to us. Since my back was to them, I couldn’t see the adults and children unless I twisted around to look.

But I didn’t need to look when I heard an adorable exchange, a piping voice asking an adult, “Is it all right if I kiss your cheek?”

How we smiled as we listened to that child, and after Dee, Shannon, and I left, we all agreed that the answer to that question would be yes, always yes.

After the Brewfest ended, we all headed home where we sat in the screen house in the backyard. As we talked about movies and the problems of the world, dusk settled over us.

Crickets sang. The solar lights came on. And in the trees at the edge of the woods, we heard  curious calls, which we eventually figured out were barred owl fledglings.

Holly the dog, comfortable on her dog bed, ignored the fledglings. As I listened, I marveled at how much life there is in the woods. The trees not only provide shade and absorb carbon dioxide, but they are also provide food and shelter for many animals. This might sound fanciful, but I can’t help but think that trees are the guardians of life as they rise tall and mysterious above us.

No wonder trees were worshiped in past ages.

 

 

Celebrate, Food

All about Clif

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In the United States, June 15 was Father’s Day, but we decided to celebrate it a week later on June 21. Our daughter Shannon, who lives in Boston with her husband Mike and their dog Holly, took some time off from work to come midweek. (Mike, who recently started a new job, couldn’t join us until Friday.)

A mini-vacation, with much eating and some drinking, ensued. (Because of the merriment, I couldn’t keep up with reading blogs and then commenting. My apologies! This week will be better.)

On a cool, misty Thursday morning, Shannon, Clif, Holly, and I went to nearby Hallowell to sit by the river. By gum, the sturgeon were jumping, but unfortunately I wasn’t fast enough to get a picture.

Clif with coffee
Holly waits for a treat

The next day there was a trip to Newcastle, a lovely little town by the Damariscotta river in Midcoast Maine. We got sandwiches at Salt and Pepper, a vegan cafè overlooking the river. Because we brought Holly, we decided to go to what must be one of the prettiest picnic areas in Maine, one that overlooks a salt marsh.

We all enjoyed our sandwiches, but the winner was Clif’s beet pastrami on foccacia. We liked it so much that I’m going to try to replicate it at home.

Then came Mike, on Friday night, and on Saturday, the beer boys were ready for a brew at Cushnoc in Augusta. (Shannon, Dee, and I are more cocktail girls.)

This was followed by a pizza palooza. (Don’t worry. We took some home for our Sunday night supper.)

On Saturday evening, stuffed with good food and drink, we sat in the screen house as dusk came to our home by the edge of the woods.

As well as being treated to delicious pizza and beer, Clif got some lovely presents, but as he noted, the best present of all was everybody getting together.

That’s the way of things, isn’t it?

 

 

 

 

Food, Snow-Gauge Clif, Winter

No Escape

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Dreary March has come to central Maine. We are in a no-man’s land between winter and spring, a time of dirty snow, fog, and gray skies.

On the other hand, northern Maine, the land of my ancestors, is still in winter’s firm grip. Last weekend, they got a foot of snow, and the drifting was so bad some roads had to be closed. Ah, winter! However, in a few weeks, March will come for them, too. In Maine there is no escape.

Behold the end of our driveway and across the road, both of which scream March.

Dirty snow or not, Snow-Gauge Clif must do his job.

In the front yard, the snow measured 17 inches, only 1 inch down from last week. The front yard is very shaded, and the snow melts slowly.

On the other hand, the sunnier backyard measured 7 inches, 5 inches down from last week.  More sun, quicker melt.

To cheer myself up from the March blahs, last Wednesday I headed to the little town of Wayne—population 1,189 and named after Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne—to A Small Town Bakery. On Wednesdays, a group of women meets to discuss matters big and small, and it’s so nice to get together with like-minded folks. Plus, I seem to be addicted to the bakery’s blueberry muffins. (Sorry, no picture! Next time.)

The bakery has a funky, mismatched, comfortable look that reminds me of bakeries in the 1970s. It’s a look that I’m fond of and brings back memories of my teenage years.

And I absolute love these chickens.

If my house didn’t already have an—ahem—abundance of ornaments, those chickens would be coming home with me. I can almost hear them clucking to each other.

But fear not. I didn’t come home empty handed. I brought back a loaf of the bakery’s utterly delicious anadama bread, a New England specialty. I could have a slice right now. Toasted, of course.

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Last week also brought something not quite as pleasant as bread and blueberry muffins. I had my annual sinus infection that for some odd reason usually arrives in March. It’s as though my body is mourning the end of winter and the beginning of purgatory. The infection begins gradually with the aching of teeth and then progresses to a painful throbbing that comes and goes in waves. No fun, but as it always goes away by itself in a week or so, I don’t bother with antibiotics. Don’t want to overuse them.

I mention this because I inadvertently found a method to relieve the pain, and I thought I would share it here with those who might not know about this method. (Took me sixty-seven years to figure it out.)

One night, when the wave of pain was bad enough so that I could not fall asleep, I decided to to do some deep breathing to focus on something else. To my astonishment, the pain went away. When the pain came back five or so minutes later, I did some more deep breathing. Again, the pain went away.  I did this off and on until I finally fell asleep.

The next day, I thought, what the heck. Is deep breathing really a solution to the pain brought on by sinus infections? To Google I went, and sure enough, it is. Also, headaches, too, which fortunately I seldom have.

So there you have it. An easy and natural remedy for sinus infection pain. Obviously, some infections must be treated by antibiotics, and it’s up to individuals to decide if treatment is necessary. But for me, who has a history of sinus infections and know that they go away on their own, the deep breathing method is a godsend. I only wish I had known about it sooner.

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Listening

What better way to say a sad farewell to winter than with Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”? (Remember, I’m a child of the 70s and a huge Led Zeppelin fan.)

I come from the lands of the ice and snow…where the harsh winds blow.

 

 

Food, Movies, Snow-Gauge Clif

A Weekend of Drinks, Food, and Movies, and the Return of Snow-Gauge Clif

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For some reason, last weekend turned out to be a flurry of having friends over and eating out.

Our merriment started on Friday afternoon when we invited our friends Dawna and Jim over for wine and appetizers.

We tried to solve the problems of the world as we sat around the dining room table, sipped wine, and nibbled on appetizers, but of course we didn’t have much luck.

As we talked, our jade plant glowed in the sun. Clearly, Jade was on our side. She, too, wonders what the heck is going on in this country.

On Saturday morning, we headed to Waterville to the Maine Film Center for the Nigerian movie Mami Wata, the final movie in the wintertime film series Cinema Explorations.

This wonderful movie is set in a remote African village where the water deity Mami Wata is revered even though she is mostly absent. When a stranger is washed up on the shores, the power balance shifts, leading to conflict and death. This fable of a movie was filmed in an impressionistic way, which adds to the power of the story. What a fine way to end the film series!

To celebrate the successful film series, our friend Joel, who coordinates Cinema Explorations, joined us for brunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Front and Main.

I had some delicious ployes, Acadian buckwheat pancakes popular in northern Maine. Front and Main makes ployes a little thicker than is traditional. but my, my, they were tasty.

Then, on Sunday, to kick off the Academy Awards ceremony, we went to Tj’s Place in Winthrop for drinks, snacks, and pizza.

I had a pomegranate martini, and it was excellent.

Clif ordered onion rings, which he said were properly cooked and delicious. (Dee and I aren’t fans of onion rings.)

We also had pizza.

Afterwards, full of food and drink, we headed home to await the start of the Academy Awards ceremony. Two of our favorite movies—Flow (go Latvia!) and I‘m Still Here (go, Brazil!)—garnered awards. Best picture of the year went to Anora, a film about an exotic dancer. It was not our favorite movie of the year. We all felt that it lacked nuance and focused too much on the explicit sex. Granted, the subject lends itself to this treatment, but didn’t Anora have any other qualities or interests that didn’t involve sex? Say, model trains or mahjong? It seems not. Ah, well…we were apparently in a minority about this movie.

Still, all in all, it was a good night for independent films, small movies with relatively small budgets, and we are always in for those kind of movies.

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And Now the Moment You’ve All Been Waiting for…the Return of Snow-Gauge Clif

Longtime readers of this blog always look forward to the first Monday in March, which brings the return of Snow-Gauge Clif (aka my husband, Clif). Each Monday, Snow-Gauge Clif will grab his trusty red yardstick to head outside and measure the depth of the snow. He’ll continue to do so until all the snow is melted, usually sometime in April.

Here he is, on March 3, this first Monday in March, in the front yard.

Snow measurement: 18 inches

And here he is in the backyard, which gets more sun than the front yard.

Measurement: 12 inches

Will the snow be gone by the beginning of April, or will it be gone by the end? We never know the answer to this nail-biting question. Each year is different. So stay tuned for the Monday adventures of Snow-Gauge Clif.

Food, Music, Winter

A Weekend of Weather Extremes

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Last weekend was a weekend of extremes. On Saturday, the weather was sunny and clear, which meant we could head to Waterville for a movie (A Light Never Goes Out, a sweet film about loss) and then afterwards a trip to Buen Apetito for lunch with our friend Joel.

We were lucky enough get a seat on the glassed-in porch, and I was struck by how the sunlight hit Joel’s pomegranate margarita.

Clif and I ordered our favorite, potato flautases. We had read online that the menu at Buen Apetito would be changing soon, and we asked our server about potato flautuses. Would they still be there?

“Oh, don’t worry,” she assured us. “They are staying on the menu. Besides, they’re my favorite, too, and I would fight to keep them on.”

Nodding, we smiled and left her a very good tip.

Sunday was a stormy day. The original forecast was for a foot-and-a-half of snow, and that, my friends, is a lot of snow even for a Mainer. Fortunately, we only got about six or seven inches, well within our comfort zone for cleaning the driveway and paths.

Here are some snowy-day scenes.

Pushing through the snow to open the door.

A shovel, ready and waiting.

The view from the front deck.

Our little red Fit under the trees.

Clif with Sno-Joe, our electric snow-thrower.

Dee and I cleaned the cars and shoveled the walkways, and I’m pleased to report that even with creaky knees, I did just fine. Somehow, I remain unfazed by the prospect of shoveling snow. I suppose it’s because I’ve done so much of it.

Afterwards, we had soggy hats and gloves. In our dining room, we have a handy place to dry some of them. (The overflow goes on racks down cellar.)

Long-time readers friends will be happy to learn that there is plenty of snow for snow-gauge Clif to measure come March.  In January, we weren’t so sure, but February has put that fear to rest.

Onward to the next storm!

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Listening

Northern Attitude: Noah Kahan with Hozier

Right about now, this song seems pretty appropriate. Noah Kahan is from Vermont, which, like Maine, knows a thing or two about winter and long dark days.

Flowers, Food, Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday: Begonias, Cards, Plant-Based Chocolate

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This post is part of a series called Thankful Thursday, where I list some things to feel thankful for. To some extent, focusing on what is wrong appears to come naturally to most people, who often complain, complain, complain when they get together with family and friends. (I’m no exception, that’s for sure.) So focusing on things to feel thankful for seems like good spiritual practice, a way to counterbalance the tendency toward negative thinking.

Begonias

Confession time: When I first started gardening, begonias were not my favorite annuals. Instead, I was drawn to flashier flowers such as cornflowers, cosmos, and dianthus. Ignoring my shady yard, I planted these bright beauties, and I got a very poor showing. After a few years of throwing my money away, I finally turned to begonias, an unassuming yet lovely flower. And I haven’t looked back.

In my back garden, I plant a begonia border the end of May, and those sturdy little flowers bloom nonstop until the first frost gets them. Time was, that would be late September in. Now it is mid-October, and we have yet to have a killing frost. Times certainly have changed.

Begonias don’t get leggy, and they hardly need any dead heading. Who could ask for anything more?

Begonias, I salute you, and I’m sorry I ever snubbed you.

Cards from Blogging Friends

Every once in a while, I get a card from a blogging friend, and this always makes me smile.

Last week I got one from Carol Ann from Fashioned for Joy. How I smiled when I saw that sweet panda. Thanks so much, Carol Ann!

The card on the right is one I received from from my blogging friend Alys from Gardening Nirvana. Alys is a crafter extraordinaire, and knowing that chickadees are Maine’s state bird, she made that card for me. Many thanks, Alys.

Both cards will go on the metal bulletin board I have by my desk, where I can look at them whenever I want. And smile as I reflect on how grateful I am to have blogging friends.

Plant-Based Chocolate in Target

Clif, Dee, and I are all vegetarians, and the majority of our diet is plant based. We try to live as lightly as possible and to do as little harm as possible. As I mentioned in a previous post, we are far from perfect. We occasionally eat dairy—not too often as Clif and I are lactose intolerant—and sometimes eat eggs. I know I should be shopping at thrift stores rather than ordering online, but with creaky knees, I all too often give in to the temptation of online shopping.

Another confession: I absolutely love chocolate, but I am not a fan of dark chocolate. The texture always seems chalky to me, and I am not one who enjoys bitter food. (Brassicas, I’m looking at you.) For someone who wants to adhere to a plant-based diet, milk chocolate is problematic.

But glory be, things change and sometimes for the better. Hershey now makes plant-based chocolate that is available at Target. I have had other plant-based chocolate, but never Hershey and never from Target.

So yesterday, Clif and I made our way to Target to pick up some of that chocolate—almond mini-bars and peanut butter cups—along with a few other things. While the store had plenty of the almond mini-bars, they were out of the peanut butter cups. Although I was disappointed, I was also happy that the plant-based peanut butter cups were sold out. People are buying them! In Augusta, Maine, no less. There are some hip places in Maine, but Augusta is not one of them.

And how are the almond mini-bars? Readers, I am happy to report they are delicious. They are, however, a little pricey, but that might not be such a bad thing as it will encourage me to use some, ahem, restraint.

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Thankful Posts and Simple Pleasures from Other Blogging Friends

Cimple from A Curious Introvert’s Musings & about Life

Debbie from Musings by an ND Domer’s Mom

Jane from Robby Robin’s Journey

Barbara from Thistles and Kiwis

From Suzanne’s Mom’s Blog

Jill from Wiggins Words and Images

 

 

 

 

 

Food, Music, Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday: Bouquet Garni, Absolem Cider Company, and Music by Alicia Keys

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This post is part of a series called Thankful Thursday, where I list some things to feel thankful for. To some extent, focusing on what is wrong appears to come naturally to most people, who often complain, complain, complain when they get together with family and friends. (I’m no exception, that’s for sure.) So focusing on things to feel thankful for seems like good spiritual practice, a way to counterbalance the tendency toward negative thinking.

Bouquet Garni

A few years ago, it occurred to me that when I used herbs in a soup or stew, I did not have to go through the bother of chopping them. (For some reason I hate chopping herbs.) Instead, in a nod to my French heritage, I could bundle them together with thread and make a bouquet garni. I have learned that the bouquet needs to be big for enough flavors to seep from the herbs into the stew. This  year my herbs have grown incredibly well, which means a big bouquet is not a problem.

After tying the stems with thread, I put the herbs into a slow cooker filled with tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt, a bit of cayenne pepper, broth, white beans, and green beans. Later, mushrooms would be added. With a big slotted spoon, I pushed the herbs into the mix. As the slow cooker heats, the herbs sink and infuse their lovely essence into the soup. When we are ready to eat, the bouquet garni is removed with the slotted spoon.

Such a lovely warm dish for a fall night.

Meeting Friends at Absolem Cider Company

Long time readers have heard me enthuse about Absolem Cider Company, which is about five miles from where we live. Absolem comprises a beautifully restored barn converted to a tasting room, a large deck, a few acres of lawn where chickens roam, and beyond that, woods. Along with their homemade cider, they serve beer, cocktails, and soft drinks. Parked along the walkway, there is often a food truck. There are  also snacks for sale in the tasting room, but customers are welcome to bring their own food.

This is exactly what we did when we met our friends Dawna and Jim last Sunday afternoon at Absolem. Although the afternoon was chilly, it was warm enough for us hardy Mainers to sit on the deck. Dawna and I are both Franco-Americans, and we were raised to believe that while it might not be a mortal sin to have a skimpy amount of food at a get-together, it is certainly a venial sin.

Behold our spread.

Was there dessert? Of course there was. Dawn brought pumpkin whoopie pies with a maple cream filling. As we Mainers would say, they were wicked good.

While we ate, we enjoyed the lovely view from the deck.

And a beautiful young rooster came to visit.

A finest kind of evening.

Music: Underdog by Alicia Keys

I am a huge fan of Alicia Keys and her music, which spans R & B, soul, pop, and hip-hop and gives rise to a unique sound that is both stirring and heartfelt.

As a Franco-American in Maine, I grew up as part of an underclass. Because of this, “Underdog”  really speaks to me as it celebrates those who are either overlooked or scorned.

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Thankful Posts and Simple Pleasures from Other Blogging Friends

Xenia from Tranature writes about a walk to lovely seaside village. What makes this unusual is that the village is only accessible when the tide is out.

Dawn from Change Is Hard features a guided walk through a nearby park.

Another delightful week of small pleasures from Barbara of Thistles and Kiwis.

Rupali from Mazeepuran shares a picture of magnificent scenery. Really, being there in person would make you want to burst into song.

Maria of Green Dreams celebrates her allotment. Her kale(?) is nothing short of magnificent. And, oh, that bike! Makes me think there might be hope for the world.

Judy of NewEnglandGardenAndThread welcomes October, surely the most beautiful month in northern New England.

Food, Movies

The End of September and a Mini-vacation: Movies, Movies, Movies

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This year, Clif’s birthday fell on a Friday, and our daughter Dee, who lives with us, decided to take it off so that we could have a three-day weekend. A mini-vacation, of sorts.

Longtime readers, knowing that we are all movie buffs, can probably guess what we did on those three days—go to the movies, of course. We each have a Regal Pass ($22  per month) that allows us to see any movie we want at no extra charge. Two movies a month pays for the pass, and we usually see at least four.

Friday, Clif’s birthday, was as fine a September day as anyone could ask for—sunny but not hot. Our movie that day was The Wild Robot, a lovely animated movie about a sentient robot named Roz who is shipwrecked on an island with no people. However, the island is home to many animals, whom Roz eventually learns to communicate with.  Equipped with an emergency beacon, Roz’s first impulse is to return home, but then she comes across an orphaned gosling. Reluctantly, Roz decides to stay on the island  until the gosling becomes a goose who can migrate south with the other geese. 

This heartfelt movie never veers too far into sentimentality. Even so,  I cried more than once. If you have young children in your life, take them to see The Wild Robot. If you don’t have young children in your life, go see it yourself. The Wild Robot, beautifully animated, will no doubt be nominated for an Academy Award. And it just might win.

After the movie, it was off the Red Barn for a big order of fried food. There was a misunderstanding at the Red Barn about the order, and we ended up with an extra helping of onion rings, free of charge. While we are enthusiastic eaters, there is a limit, and we brought home enough for another meal.

On Saturday, we picked up our friend Joel and headed to Maine Film Center in Waterville to see Megalopolis, written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Alas, I wish I could praise this movie as highly as I have The Wild Robot. Unfortunately, I cannot. On Rotten Tomatoes, Megalopolis is described as “A Roman Epic set in an imagined Modern America.” Accordingly, the theme of the film is of empires crumbling—with the comparison being between the U.S. and ancient Rome—and what might be done to stop the crumbling to make a good society for everyone.

So far, so good. But Coppola did not tell the story in a compelling way. Instead, he has characters declaim and pontificate. There is far too much telling and not nearly enough showing. The characters are flat and one dimensional, and by the end of this long movie, my only feeling was relief. There was no crying.

Still, as someone who  loves movie, I am not sorry I saw it. Francis Ford Coppola is one of the major film directors of our times. But for readers who don’t like movies as much as we do, I would advise a pass on this one.

After the movie, we went to Buen Apetito for Mexican Food and lively movie talk. We were all in agreement about Megalopolis.

Sunday brought us back to Regal Cinema for the animated movie Transformers One, a Transformer origin story. Even though it was loaded with action scenes, Transformers One was moving in its own way as two Transformers struggle with a corrupt society, a leader who lies to them, and the unraveling of their friendship. Surprisingly deep for a Transformers movie.

We capped the evening with drinks in our screen house on the patio. As the darkness came, we listened to crickets sing and barred owls call to each other. The solar lights blinked on, and we all reflected on what a good time we had had.

 

 

 

 

Books, Food, Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday: Tomatoes, Chickpeas, and Music

50 Comments

This post is part of a series called Thankful Thursday, where I list some things to feel thankful for. To some extent, focusing on what is wrong appears to come naturally to most people, who often complain, complain, complain when they get together with family and friends. (I’m no exception, that’s for sure.) So focusing on things to feel thankful for seems like good spiritual practice, a way to counterbalance the tendency toward negative thinking.

Still Life with Tomatoes

In my garden, my four little tomato plants are at the end of their production, and soon I will be pulling them. However, our own Farmer Kev’s tomatoes are still going strong, and this week I got a wonderful selection from our farm-share box. I like the way they look lined up on the kitchen window sill. Also, with this picture you can see how our yard sits on the edge of the woods.

Chickpeas, Chickpeas, Chickpeas

Clif, Dee, and I are huge fans of the the humble chickpea aka garbanzo beans. They are delicious, economical, and good for you. What more can  you ask for? I buy them dried, in 16-oz bags, soak them overnight, and then cook them in the morning.

One of the ways I like them best is mashed up in a food processor with thyme, salt, and pepper. Clif uses two cups of chickpeas, 1 tablespoon of dried thyme and salt and pepper to taste. After which he scoops the mash into a bowl and adds a few tablespoons of mayonnaise. I know this comparison is overused, but the chickpea salad really does taste a little like chicken.

This is a wonderfully versatile salad. For those who like a little zing, onion or garlic could be used. Don’t want the Mediterranean flavor? Add curry. Or smoked paprika. Or whatever pleases you.

I scooped some of the chickpea salad onto one of Farmer Kev’s fresh tomatoes. Wicked good as we say in Maine.

Music

From—where else?—NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts—featuring Jenny and the Mexicats. If they don’t pep you up, nothing will.

Thankful Posts and Simple Pleasures from Other Blogging Friends

Derrick of Derrick J. Knight describes how he and his wife Jackie brought garden refuse to a recycling center, came back with some treasures for their garden, which, in turn, will be recycled when their time has passed.  Yay, Derrick and Jackie!

Kate from The Cozy Burrow shares her October Reading list. I’ve already requested two of them—Moon Tiger and The Ministry of Time—through my library.

Barbara from Thistles and Kiwis celebrates her twentieth wedding anniversary with her husband Karl. Happy, happy and cheers to twenty years!

Dorothy from The New Vintage Kitchen features a mouth-watering pasta dish using autumn’s bounty. I could have some right now.

Ju-Lyn of Touring My Backyard finds beauty and serenity at Round Pond in Kensington Gardens in London.  How lovely to find such a place in a big city.

Cimple from The Curious Introvert praises the world of books and reading. Her own words say it best: “This week I’m grateful for a lifelong love of reading and books. A day doesn’t go by without reading or adding new books to my want to read list.” Hear, hear!