Range Pond State Park

After all the rainy weather we have had the last few weeks, today's amazing weather was a welcome relief and a perfect opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.  My younger son and I went to Range Pond State Park in Poland this afternoon for a hike.  We were not the only ones with the idea of going to Range Pond today however.  There were dozens of teens and other crazy Mainers soaking up the sun and playing in the water.  I kinda wished that I had thought to bring our swim suits and sand toys, but our hike was amazing just the same.  Check out the photos I took at Range to see the beautiful blue sky and puffy clouds against the water.  What an amazing Spring day!  

Baked Eggs

Recently a friend from Australia raved about eating "Baked Eggs" for brunch.  I thought it sounded yummy but had no clue what "Baked Eggs" were.  So last night  I did some research online and was intrigued by two baked egg dishes, one combines tomato sauce and chili powder and the other incorporates meatballs.   Essentially each dish has sauce on the bottom and an egg on the top which gets baked in the oven.  Bread is also served alongside the dish for sopping up the sauce.

This morning I decided to try out my own Italian Inspired Baked Egg recipe for breakfast.....

Italian Inspired Baked Eggs
1/2 cup Spaghetti Sauce
1/4-1/2 of one Italian Sausage link, cooked and crumbled
1/8-1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1 Egg

Preheat oven to 375F.  Spray a small ramekin (a small oven proof bowl) with cooking spray.  Pour sauce into the bottom of the ramekin.  Add cooked sausage pieces to the sauce then layer on the mozzarella cheese. Crack one egg over the top of the cheese, being careful not to break the yolk.  Cook until the egg has set about 12-20 minutes (depending on how you like your eggs).  Let cool for 5 minutes or so.  Then enjoy with toast and or your favorite bread.    Printable Recipe

* Notes: I overcooked my eggs a little so my yolk was not runny.  If you prefer a more runny yolk stick to the lower end of the time.  I never set a timer so this is just a guesstimate.

I enjoyed my Baked Eggs dish with buttered French Bread and some Earl Grey Tea.  Let me just say that I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast!  It was so much more satisfying than a bowl of cereal and milk or plain old scrambled eggs!  I will definitely be making more baked eggs in the future!

Have you ever made Baked Eggs before?

A Walk In the Woods

I really needed some time to myself today. So this afternoon I decided to take advantage of the warm weather and took a walk in the woods behind my home. I had fun snapping pictures of all the Spring greenery and other interesting things I found along the way. I purposely wore my rubber boots on my walk so that I could squish about in the mud and puddles. I felt like a little kid exploring the wild woods. Here is a slideshow of the things I snapped along the way...

My walk was so good for my soul. What have you done lately that lifted your spirits?

Locally Made Sausage

After 4-H yesterday we stopped by Maurice Bonneau's Sausage Kitchen, a small-family owned business that sells locally made, all-natural sausage.  I bought a package of Smoked Chorizo and a package of Italian Sausage with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Black Olives.  This morning I made some scrambled eggs with  Smoked Chorizo and cheese curds. It was so filling and delicious!

Scrambled Eggs w/ Mushrooms, Chorizo and Cheese Curds
2 1/4 cups sliced mushrooms
2 eggs
1/3 cup Chorizo diced (skins removed)
1/3 cup Cheese Curds
Kale, ripped up (optional)
Fresh Parsley for garnish

Spray a skillet with cooking spray.  In a bowl scramble the eggs.  Cook the mushrooms in the skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, stirring often.  Add the scrambled eggs, the Chorizo, Kale (optional) and the fresh cheese curds.  Scramble the mixture until the eggs are cooked through.  Remove to a plate and garnish with fresh parsley.  Makes 1-2 servings.
Printable Recipe

The Snow Cave

We have had quite a few snow storms this winter and it has really accumulated in our yard.  What do you do with all that snow besides shovel or snow blow it?  You build a snow cave!  The boys love to play inside, outside and on the cave every chance they get.  I snapped a few pictures of Ehric playing in the cave before his bus came this morning.  He is going to miss that cave when the snow melts!

A view from outside the cave.

 Ehric sitting inside the cave.

Standing outside the cave.

Chipper Date Brownies

While looking for a cookie recipe I ran across a cake-like brownie recipe that incorporated dates.  I have had dates in my fridge for the last month that have been calling for me to use them.  Today was the day! My family just enjoyed at least two pieces each (the boys begged for more) with a glass of milk. These were uber chocolately and good!

Chipper Date Brownies
Source: Better Homes and Gardens: Cookies and Candies (C) 1966

Wet ingredients:
1 8oz package (1 1/2 cups) pitted dates, chopped
1 cup boiling water
1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/2-1 cup chopped Walnuts
1 6oz pkg (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Combine chopped dates and boiling water; cool to room temperature.  Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla; stir in date mixture.  Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture.  Pour mixture into the pan.  Sprinkle nuts and chocolate chips evenly over the top.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or till done.  Cool for 10 minutes or so.  Cut into squares.

Notes: I greased the pan with Wilton Cake Release. My boys are not fans of nuts so I only made half with walnuts (see picture above).  But to my surprise Ehric asked for a piece with nuts and liked them.  Go figure!  Also, I cooked these for a lot longer than the recommended time.  They seemed a little too moist at 25-30 minutes, just check them every few minutes.

Printable Recipe

Pineland Farms Market

Since I've started to read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, I've been thinking a lot about incorporating more local foods into my family's diet. We already eat our own farm-fresh eggs and we drink milk from the farm down the road but we could be doing a lot more. So this morning I ventured over to  Pineland Farms Market  and came away with all of the following local fare:

Grandy Oats-Maine Grown Rolled Oats

Little Lad's- Original Granola

New Gloucester Village Store Bakery-Honey Wheat Bread

Olivia's Garden, New Gloucester- Fresh Basil & Spring Mix

Pineland Farms- Chicken Salad & Harvest Salsa

Pineland Farms Creamery- Cheddar & Fresh Cheese Curds

Pineland Farms Natural Meats- Boneless Shoulder Steak & Ground Beef

The Farmer's Eight Daughters-No Bake Cookies

I love that all of the items are made locally, have minimal packaging, and didn't break my food budget.  I love that I was the only shopper in the store and could shop at my own pace.  Also, as I drove the 6-8 minutes back to my house, I realized that this market (filled with local foods) is closer to my home than the grocery store (filled with food from who knows where) which is 20 minutes away.  So I saved gas to boot!   I am feeling so much more inspired now!