On My Mind Today

A week of vacation goes by far too quickly. Especially when you live with someone who tries to fit into a week what should take two. Having said this, it has been a great week filled with fun. Our road trip began with an adventure into Maine. We traveled along the coast in the northeastern part of the state. The first stop was on the Schoodic Peninsula in the fishing village of Corea, which is within the Down East town of Gouldsboro, Maine near Acadia National Park. A very quaint cove filled with lobster and fishing boats - exactly what you would envision when you think of coastal Maine.  Next was the Ruggles House Museum in Columbia Falls, which is a classic example of Adamesque style Federal architecture. Most of the home has been restored to its original condition with beautifully carved woodwork, an impressive central staircase in the entry, and many of the original furnishings that have been returned to the house by family members. The back section of the home, wh...

On a recent road trip we stopped for lunch at The Seven Barrel Brewery in West Lebanon, NH. Not only do they have a wonderful selection of their own craft beers, but they also have a nice luncheon menu. I chose their Madras Chicken Pita, and loved it so much I asked for the yogurt dressing ingredients, which they were kind enough to share. Needless to say, I had to come home and add this to my collection of recipes, and it was easy to recreate. It's absolutely delicious, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Madras Chicken Pita   2 - 9 ounce packages cooked roasted chicken, shredded 1-2 Tablespoons Curry (to taste) 1/4 cup Reduced Sugar Dried Cranberries 1 - 6 ounce plain Greek non-fat yogurt 1/4 cup finely diced seedless cucumber 1 teaspoon dried dill 1-2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard (to taste) Mixed baby greens 1 package pitas butter for grilling pitas   Makes 4 servings   1. Combine chicken with curry and d...

Both here in America, and around the world, there is more political, religious and racial division than I ever remember in my lifetime. Any political party, religion or ethnic group that teaches intolerance or hate for those who do not believe what they do, or look like them, are responsible for creating this toxic environment. They are the ones preaching and protesting the loudest - spreading hate and creating sometimes violent confrontations. Globally, the first thing that needs to happen is for the conversation to change. Perhaps a vocabulary lesson for all adults to share with the children of the world is a good place to begin. Below are words that we should start with: Human Being : A member of any of the races of Homo Sapiens; person, man, woman, child. Community : A group of people living in the same locality with sharing, participation and fellowship. Compassion : Deep awareness of the suffering of another accompanied by a wish to relive it. Empath...

I'm sure many of you love sweet breakfast treats occasionally as much as I do. With everyone trying to eat healthy, it's nice to find a recipe that keeps this in mind. From the Better Homes and Garden kitchen, this apple cinnamon bread is not only delicious, but also low calorie. Enjoy and don't feel too guilty about this one. Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread   7-1/2 ounce package (10) refrigerated reduced-fat home-style biscuits 4 teaspoons ground flax seeds 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 of medium apple, cored and thinly sliced 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese, softened 2 teaspoons orange juice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8x4x2 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Cut biscuits in half crosswise. In a small bowl combine ground flax se...

Much to my dismay, I have had little or no time to tend to my vegetable garden. Seems like this summer has been even busier than last year which has kept me from something I love. In spite of the neglect this wonderful garden has somehow nurtured itself. I was finally able to spend some time there over the past week, and found surprises. On Mother's Day my youngest granddaughter gave me frog and mushroom figurines for the garden. When she was visiting recently she hid them in the plants, and I found them peering out at me as I was cleaning up the garden. It brought a smile to my face and warmed my heart. As I started weeding and dead heading the flowering herbs, I was pleasantly surprised to find green peppers ready to pick, tomatoes well on their way, and cucumbers starting to appear. Some of the garlic planted last year appeared this spring and is thriving. Right now we are enjoying fresh chives, basil and peppers in our salad, but look forward to the tomatoes and cucumb...

If you're a fan of candy bars with chocolate, nuts and caramel, then this pie will become one of your summer favorites. From the makers of Cool Whip it is quick, easy and delicious. It will be hard to have just one piece! Candy Bar Pie   1 pint vanilla ice cream (2 cups), softened 1 prepared chocolate flavor crumb crust (6 ounces) 1/2 cup caramel sauce or dessert topping 1/2 cup chopped peanuts 1 tub (8 ounces) Cool Whip Chocolate Whipped Topping, thawed   1. Spread ice cream evenly in bottom of crust. Freeze until ice cream is firm.   2. Spread caramel sauce over ice cream; sprinkle with peanuts. Cover with whipped topping.   3. Freeze 4 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes or until pie can be cut easily. Store leftover pie in freezer.     

Over three years ago I made the decision to write children's story books based on my grandchildren. There were two reasons for this: 1. I wanted to create something very special for each of them. 2. I have always loved to write and felt this would be a great way to start. The ideas for the stories and writing them was the easiest part of this journey. From there it has been a struggle to see things come together. My first obstacle was finding an illustrator who would portray these stories as I saw them, and also one I could afford. Along the way I talked with several, and most were good, but did not quite create what I envisioned. Several were also out of reach financially ($5,000-$10,000 per book). Then a very good friend introduced me to an illustrator, Elizabeth Moisan. Her illustrations were exactly what I had been looking for - something that reminded me of children's books from years ago. What she has helped me create has even gone beyond what I had imagined. Th...