Adventures in Local Eating Part 1

For some time now, I've been on what some might call a "local kick."  I think the economy is in shambles, our food system is a wreck, and the world just might be going to hell in a hand basket...as my mother would say;-)  You can't go shopping anywhere without buying something made of plastic, from china, and in poor quality.  Even foods that we have no problems growing here in the US are being imported from places as close as Canada and as far away as New Zealand!!  It just doesn't feel like our country is operating under the values that we were founded.  Everyone is out to make the almighty dollar, and as many as they can...all while sacrificing quality and customer service. 

It's time for a change...and for me, the change started like this:  buy as much as I can in my "local" community.  Now, what is local?  Some define it as their community/town, some as their state, some 100 miles or less, and in some cases an entire region can be described as local.  In New England, we are super fortunate to have lots of smaller states compacted together, and therefore I've considered my local to encompass all of the New England states and parts of New York.  If that doesn't work, I'm at least satisfied with somewhere in the U.S.A.  It's of course easy to do this with food, and during the spring/summer/fall growing seasons.  My shopping trips will become struggles once winter comes I'm sure, but I'm flirting with the idea of canning (stay tuned...I'm sure dysfunction will follow:) and am already researching farms with green houses.

The past few weekends Adam and I have ventured a mere 13 miles from our house in Worcester to the small town of Charlton, MA for some local produce, meat, eggs, and wine.  Charlton Orchards Farm was founded in 1773 and was the first settlement in the South County area.  The 94-acre farm (it once was 300 acres!!) has animals, pick your own fruits, a winery, and a farm stand.  Adam and I are hooked!  The staff is so pleasant and helpful, especially for wine tasting on the weekends.  While the acreage is not the prettiest farm I've encountered, it doesn't matter...it's a working farm so it's functional and efficient! 

Our very first haul:

Handpicked blueberries and raspberries, farm fresh eggs, tomatoes, and wine

Stuff No One Told Me...

But I Learned Anyway.

I stumbled on this blog, Stuff No One Told Me..., by Alex Noriega who describes himself as "an illustrater from Barcelona with poor spelling and grammar skills."  I'm very much in love with his drawings and the lessons that go with each one; it's ok to be different, it's ok to not know what to do with your life, and it's ok to fail...as long as you keep trying.  What do you wish you had known, but found out the hard way??

The Weekend the Woods Tried to Kill Me

I love being outside.  While I'm not the easiest person to be outside with, my husband amuses himself and takes me camping, hiking, biking, etc.  I probably whine more than I should, but in the end I love it, and have the time of my life.  I take pictures, I discover things about nature, (and myself most of the time), I sweat, I push myself, I laugh, I make memories with the man I love and the dogs I cherish.  But this particular weekend I did more than all of the things listed above....this weekend I cried...I vomited...I thought I might die.  I'm pretty sure the woods tried to kill me.  I have a lot of circumstantial evidence to try and prove this crime, but as you will read, any jury would have convicted.  Here's the story:

Friday, June 25: Adam and I load the dogs, the car, and ourselves and start driving north.  Our destination was Northern New Hampshire...quite possibly our favorite place in the world.  We had every intention of making it to Gorham, NH and setting up at the Dolly Copp Campground.  It sits right in the middle of the White Mountain National Forest, and has a wonderful river running through it.  As we neared the Great North Woods we had a sudden change of heart.  We were driving down the Kancamagus Scenic Byway, towards North Conway and we started passing lots and lots of campgrounds.  I had read about many of them in a book we had, so we pulled over and decided on a change of venue.  We found The Covered Bridge Campground which sits right on the Swift River.  We pulled in and fell in love.  We found a spot, paid our fee, and set up our tent.  After picking up some camping chairs from a local EMS, and sandwiches from the Lil Store on the Kanc, we were ready for some fun in the sun down by the river.  We packed a small bag with some delightful beverages and towels, grabbed the dogs, and were off.  It was amazing, and such a great start to our weekend.

Maggie enjoying the water

View from our sun bathing rock

The Covered Bridge in Albany (where our campground got it's name)

See how much fun we're having?!

But it didn't stay this way...oh no, it took a turn for the worst.  Behind us sits a shrub of sorts...it's an Alder Bush...Marsh Alder to be exact.  As it turns out, I'm allergic to this shrub.  I knew that, but thought nothing of it.  It wasn't pollinating or anything, so it really shouldn't matter. We continued with our fun and then headed back to our campsite.  We had hot dogs and s'mores awaiting us...what could possibly go wrong and ruin this perfect moment!  Oh, it suddenly mattered.  First came the chills, which I thought was a result of my light sun burn.  Then came the pressure in my head, nose, and ears...basically my entire face was about to explode.  Next I couldn't hear out of one ear, which followed agonizing pain from that same ear.  By the time I went to bed (just about 6 hours after the river fun) my throat was on fire.  Making everything much worst was the fact that the only bathroom was a pit toilet...no running water at all.  Normally this wouldn't bother me, but when you're sick, downing fluids and using the pit toilet every 30 mins, you want to wash your hands...and hand sanitizer is NOT the same as good old soap and water!!!

Saturday, June 26:  Adam tried to take care of me, but when you're in the middle of the woods, nothing helps.  He took me to get allergy medicine, and a fleece.  He let me sleep while he hiked with the dogs.  He made me stuffing, which I couldn't end up eating.  And for what it's worth, I tried to pretend I was ok.  We stayed Saturday night hoping that maybe I'd awake and feel better, then we could get in some hiking.  That night I threw up every last fluid in my body.

This is me trying to have fun:(

At least I'm smiling, right?!

Sunday, June 27: As soon as the sun was up, we were headed home.  Usually we linger at the sight for a while, do some hiking and shopping at the outlets.  Not this time....I didn't even look for Moose.  I'm not so sure I would have noticed one if it ran out in front of me.  I drank orange juice and tried sleeping.  When we arrived home I immediately took a shower and proceeded to throw up again.  A check of my vitals showed a very high fever and swollen glands and throat.  I slept most of the day, and prepared for a trip to the Urgent Care for Monday.

Monday, June 28: A visit to a Dr. produces these results: Sinus Infection, Ear Infection, and Strep Throat.  Here's some serious meds, take a few days off and get better. 

And that my friends, is a recap of the most horrific outdoor weekend I've ever had.  Ever.

The Adventures Begin Again

Oh the time just seems to fly when the weather starts to warm!!  Where have I been for the past 2 months you ask??  Not blogging apparently!!  Well the excuse is that I just wasn't really able to find the time, or make the time.  Adam was working CRAZY overtime hours, so I was picking up a lot of slack around the house.  Then I got sick and was making up a lot of time at work, then I got sick again (more of that to come in a later post!), and then I started rethinking what I wanted out of this blog...out of life in general.  And then I realized how much I miss my blog and blog world and all of the people in it!!!  And so I'm back, and ready to let all of you in on my latest Adventures in Life!

And the winner is....ME!!

I was one of 10 winners of this amazing piece of bling from Jack E Oh's for Good Karma Friday!  The amazing owner of Jack E Oh's, Bernie is one of my former parents from my school in NYC.  Bernie and her jewels are simply amazing!  I cannot wait to wear this out on the town!!  Happy Friday Everyone!!

picture credit: Jack E Ohs NYC

April 22

Celebrate Earth...Celebrate Life

Happy Earth Day 2010

It's my birthday...we're gonna party like it's my birthday!

My 29th bday was Thursday this week, and yes, I know...it's the same day as Tax Day.  It was an awesome day.  My students made me a card, one of the mom's made cupcakes, and my friends in the older Pre class sang "Happy Birthday" by the Beatles.  Then on Friday night I went out with friends to a new Cambridge Restaurant called Lord Hobo.  The next day Adam and I enjoyed Cupcakes from Sweet in Worcester.  It's a fairly new desert bar, and it looks like it would be a great way to end a dinner date, or a girls night out.  The service wasn't great, but the cupcakes were huge, and besides dropping one of the cupcakes on the floor while trying to pose with it, they were delicious!

Chocolate with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate with Raspberry Frosting

After I dropped the Raspberry one on the floor 

(thankfully it was salvageable after some dog hair removal!)

Besides...I was WAY more excited about the PB one anyway

April Donations

On April 19th, (Patriot's Day here in Massachusetts), the 114th Boston Marathon will take place.  A friend of mine is running it for her 5th, and final time, as a member of the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge team.  The Marathon team of over 400 amazing runners raised $4 million last year alone!  All of the money -100% of it - goes to the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research.  I chose my April Donation to go to Deana's Fifth and Final Boston Marathon, in memory of 2 very good friends lost to this horrible disease.  Deana has now raised over $5,000, and she still has 9 days to go!  You can learn more about her challenge, and if you wish, donate by clicking here.

The Dana Farber Cancer Institute was founded in 1947 and is "committed to providing cancer patients with the best treatment available today while developing tomorrow's cures through cutting-edge research."  The DFMC has been apart of the Boston Marathon since 1990 and has raised over $43 million in it's 20 years.  That's a lot of money for a great cause.  As the years pass, we are all affected in one way or another by cancer.  If you would like to know more about Dana Farber, the Marathon team, or the Boston Marathon, visit these links:

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Dana Farber Marathon Challenge

B.A.A Boston Marathon

In the moment

When I find something I love, I tend to love it a whole lot for as long as I can...until I find something else to love.  This does not hold true for people, or my pets, but more for stuff and products that I use.  On this overcast Sunday, I'm going to share my loves of the moment.

Song of the moment: Timbaland and Katy Perry- If we ever meet again.

Book of the moment: Plenty by Alisa Smith and JB Mackinnon

 

Beauty Product of the moment: L'Occitane Verbana Line

Trend of the moment: Ruffles from JCrew

Drink of the moment: Sam Adam's Summer Ale

Photo Credits:
www.rap-up.com
 www.amazon.com 
www.loccitane.com 
www.jcrew.com 
www.flickr.com

Sports Weekend Post 2

It's just a typical Sunday around here,....Adam's making coffee, The Boston Channel 5 News is on, I'm blogging, and oh ya, and it's Opening Day for the Red Sox!!!  The weather is going to be gorgeous, and the game should be good...why you ask?  Well, we are taking on the MFYankees!  It's one of the best rivalries in sports, and for these 2 teams to play on Opening Day is nothing short of awesome!!  Adam and I have tickets to their second series in May, fulfilling one of my life list goals.  If the Sox win tonight, it will be a great end to a fantastic sports weekend for this ultimate fan right here!!

Let's Go Sox!!!

Sports Weekend Post 1

Most of this past NCAA Basketball season was spent talking about 2 teams, Kentucky and Kansas.  Both teams were hard pressed to find anyone who could beat them, though it did happen once or twice.  My favorite team, The Duke Blue Devils, were also very good, but just not as dominating as the other teams.  Syracuse was also a force to be reckoned with, and West Virginia seemed to be on everyone's radars.

Then came March Madness and Selection Sunday.  It was a given that Kentucky, Kansas, and Syracuse would get 3 of the 4 number one seeds.  But who would get the fourth?  The obvious choice, to everyone I guess was West Virginia...they were so good they all said, but Duke was ranked #4 in the nation and WVU #5...certainly that means something, right?  Well that day Duke was handed the 4th -1 Seed and everyone was so sad for WVU, because apparently the whole US hates Duke**. 

Now the tournament is almost over, the Final Four has been played and the last two teams standing are: Butler and Duke.  Kansas went out fairly early, by Northern Iowa.  Syracuse was rocked by Butler, the little team that could and can.  And Kentucky was beat by West Virginia.  So as Duke took on West Virginia last night for a spot in the Championship game, I was scared...they had to be good...right?  Everyone said they were, and they beat the Basketball Kings of Kentucky. 

What the hell was I scared of?  Duke dominated MOST if not all of the game.  And it was clean, the calls didn't go all one way, or all the other.  It was beautiful to watch, if you're a Duke fan.  It goes like this: 3's are better than 2's and Duke's specialty is shooting the 3.  Now we're on to Butler, the little team that is amazing, and it's safe to say that I am scared...because they've found a way to win 25 in a row.  Can they make it 26...as a Duke fan, I sure hope not!!

**How can anyone hate a college basketball team and their coach!?  I may cheer for and against certain teams, but I don't hate any of them.  These kids go to college and they play basketball well, for nothing more than the love of the game, and of their college, oh ya, and to be successful.  They aren't selfish NBA players doing it all for the almighty dollar.  The kids at Duke are attending one of the best colleges in the US and will most likely continue with a profession other than basketball when it's all said and done.  And Coach K is teaching them more than just basketball...he's teaching them to be leaders, to work hard, to work together for a goal.  So hate them if you want, but they're after success and if achieving it means being hated...then we must all be hated, because we all want to be successful in something.

Earth Hour

It's already began across the Pacific in New Zealand.  At 8:30pm, major cities and small towns across the world will be shutting their lights off for one hour in support of Earth Hour and the WWF.  Last year 80 million Americans alone turned out the lights and helped raise awareness of climate change.  It's easy and it works. 

Adam and I have participated since the beginning.  It's only an hour out of our day, and honestly, it's nice to sit in the peace and quiet for a change.  As a society we are so plugged in and turned on, and many people can't or don't know how to switch off for 5 mins, let alone 60.  We usually take it a step further and turn off everything....TV, Computer, etc. and we unplug anything that isn't being used.  We light a ton of candles and play games, or have dinner.  And we're not the only ones: This year 2, 510 cities and towns across every continent (including Antarctica!!) have pledged to support this cause.  The Sydney Opera House, Eiffle Tower, The Empire State Building, The Golden Gate Bridge, and many other landmarks (1, 387 give or take a few:) will be participating.  A Panda is even getting in on the act...kicking off the festivities in China by walking across a special platform in her enclosure causing the lights in the breeding center to turn off.  If a Panda can do it, so can you!!  For once,  it's good to be left out in the dark!!

My Favorite Organizations

Donating to The MS Society today got me thinking about the organizations that I want to continue supporting this year.  It's one of my Life List goals to donate annually to my favorite causes and to volunteer monthly.  So far I have donated to one cause, but not done anything with volunteering.  To learn more about these organizations, click on the links!  One person can make a difference, especially if that person inspires others to do the same.

Donations:
MS Society - done:)
Dana Farber Cancer Institute -done:)
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
National Parks Foundation
Sierra Club
The Jimmy Fund
St. Judes Children's Hospital
AMC
American Cancer Society
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation

Volunteer/Participate:
Jimmy Fund Walk (26.2 mile route of the Boston Marathon)
Save a Dog
Worcester County Food Bank
Red Sox Home Base Program

"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver." -Maya Angelou

Feel Good Friday

If feels good to do something good!  I just donated to one friend who is participating in the MS Walk this year, in honor of a good friend just diagnosed with MS, who is also doing the MS Walk.  One is walking in Ohio, my home, and the other is walking in NYC, my other home.  I'm surrounded by amazing people on this journey through life, and I love when the different roads meet and I can make a difference for both of them.  Think about donating to or participating in something that you feel passionate about. 
It really will make you feel good on this Friday:)

Rafting Adventures

Adam and I went for a spontaneous and fantastic adventure yesterday: White Water Rafting!  The Natchaug River in Connecticut was only at a II and for our first time, that was fine by us.  The weather was perfect and the company was great.  

Picture Credit: Ryan, Owner of N.E.C and Hush Fishing Co.

Our Crew

**For great fishing or rafting trips in New England check out: N.E.C River Guides and Hush Fishing Company.

Patio Inspirations

These warm days are getting my garden wheels turning.  I know I can't go out and start planting right now...I'm sure a rogue snow storm will strike between now and the end of April allowing winter to keep it's ugly grip on us for just a little longer.  So my gardening ideas are really just in the beginning stages, the planning and landscaping part.  Last year we moved in right as a 40 day rain storm was hitting....therefore I was not gardening.  This year, if of course we plan on staying in our apt, which I'm 90% sure we are, I want to do something special and fun!  Our patio is shaded 75% of the time, making vegetable growing almost impossible, but I've been researching shade loving plants and trees, and I'm hoping to add some furniture and feeders for the birds.  I've gathered some pics of apartment patio inspirations to help me with my planning.

  

Hate the furniture; LOVE the plants

While I can't plant in the ground, I was hoping to have Adam build a large planter box.

A trellis could be a little overkill for our patio, but I love it nonetheless!

Ok, so not for my particular patio, but isn't it gorgeous?!

Picture Credits:

1. www.hgtv.com

2. holiday-rentals.co.uk
3. www.vacationapartmentslondon.com
4. chintz-of-darkness.blogspot.com

Happy Puppy Day

My dogs are not city dogs.  Maggie and Libbey are outdoor, run in a field, dig up the dirt kind of dogs.  Our apartment doesn't really allow for them to just hang outside in the lawn, but on days like this, I love to open the patio door and let them sit on a blanket, watching the comings and goings of Plantation Ridge.  Maggie sniffs the air, and sometimes barks to say hello.  Libbey, watches the birds flit by, hoping that one day she'll get to "play" with one.  I know the weather won't stay this way for the entire month of March, but we're pretty happy that at least for today, it's perfect.

(Almost) 1 complete

It's not much, but it's something!  A week or so after creating my Life List, I am scratching off half of one item.  Adam and I have officially paid off my Subaru Forester (#6)!  Suuby Suub (as we call her:) has been the best car.  She has hauled our dogs, our camping gear, and sometimes almost everything we own halfway across the US, and Canada.  She has taken us to 2 homes in 2 different states, and traveled with us through 10 others. She has climbed to the top of Mt. Washington, and driven the streets of New York City.  She has done everything we've asked of her and much more.  And now she's all ours:)   

LOVE: It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru!

Life List: #90

It may not look like I've done much with my Life List, but I'm on track to complete at least part of #6 this week, and six more by the first week of May!  I was looking over my list today, just sort of thinking about what some of them mean to me, and how attainable some of them really are.  A few of them are difficult to measure what will make it "complete."  For example: #7 Continue to support my local economy...it's something that I try and do every day.  If I can purchase something from a local business, handmade, or unique to New England, I will.  I hope to continue doing this for my entire life, no matter where I live.  Therefore, it's always going to be on the list, and never actually marked as complete, but I'll know it's "done" every day.

However, one on the list is a little easier to measure - #90: Visit my favorite New England Breweries.  I am very much in love with beer, and both Adam and I are quite interested in how it's made.  Some of my favorite beers are brewed right here in New England, and these are the breweries I hope to visit at some point:

Allagash - Portland, ME
Sam Adams (Boston Beer Company) - Boston, MA
Long Trail - Bridgewater Corners, VT
Magic Hat - Burlington, VT
Peak Organic - Burlington, MA
Wachusett Brewing Co. - Westminster, MA
Rock Art Brewery, LLC. - Morrisville, VT
Shipyard Brewing Co. - Kennebunk, ME
Otter Creek Brewing Co. - Middlebury, VT

Picture credit: www.joesixpack.net

Wedding Revisited

In August Adam and I will celebrate 4 years of marriage.  With 2 of my good friends getting married this fall, and the fact that I follow a blue million wedding blogs, I was thinking the other day, if I had to do it all over again, would I and how would I do it? 

The easy answer is of course, YES...I would do it all over again with the same wonderful man of course!  Would I do it the same...not exactly.  My wedding was perfect in every chaotic way and at the end of the day I was married and that was what REALLY mattered.  But I did let my head get too big at the end.  Example: my bouquet started as a small gathering of wildflowers and gerbers...and later warped into 15 gerbers and roses in pinks with a white ribbon....I could have beat someone with that mass of foliage and done real damage!!  The point is, my ideals have changed since then and I would put more efforts in different places (a photographer by chance since mine was AWFUL) and had a more natural, simpler event.

Here is a collection of what I might want if I was getting married now:

First off, I probably would have changed my colors...navy and white with yellow details.

Same dress, different color with yellow shoes

solid embossed loreli dress

For the bride and the bridesmaids (but switched..white for the girls, blue for me...so the navy blues won't clash:)

simple clutches from mollusa

Simple centerpieces with lots of wildflowers, mason jars, and candles

lavender and lillies blog

Khaki suit for the guys, minus the jacket, and with a navy tie

 J Crew

A new photographer in E.C. Campbell Photography

picture from flickr.com

 A few details from JL Designs: flowers and table decor

New ceremony location, under a gorgeous tree in honor of Adam's 2nd love

www.jonathancampbell.com

 And an outdoor reception location

www.thedailygreen.com

Invites with a little flair

 Meanttobesent at Etsy

I would also utilize Etsy for gorgeous handmade details...and honestly (get ready for the not so simple part I would add!)...Adam and I watched fireworks the first night we met ...I would totally end the night with a small fireworks display!!

  www.thebostonherald.com