Fly Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

Today is rainy and dreary but last week the temperatures hiked up into the 60's. Christopher and I were completely amazed by the number of butterflies flitting about Essex Woods.

We also found huge chunks of quartz in the forest. I had no idea that it was so abundant around here, but it was a neat find. We even snatched a piece to take home as a souvenir.

How is spring sprouting in your neighborhood?

A Quick Trip to the Sea

This past weekend I attended a lecture series at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine. Rockland is about fifteen minutes away from the popular vacation spot of Camden and roughly a hour and a half from Bangor. The lecture series was about the subject of my thesis, the works of Rev. Jonathan Fisher. He is mostly famous for his gorgeous oil painting, A View of Blue Hill Village (which you can view here). I  was personally more drawn to his books and woodcuts.

After the lecture series, I drove as fast as I could to the nearest beach. I was still wearing my pencil skirt and blazer! The weather was hardly warm, but it was so refreshing to smell the sea air, let the breeze run through my hair and dip my toes in the sand. I have missed the ocean so much.

 Sunday was spent watching Dr. Who and eating way too much junk food with a good friend. How did you spend this gorgeous spring weekend?

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This recipe was delicious and made for great leftovers. It is the perfect in-between season recipe- not too heavy and not too light. Give it a go. You won't regret it. Original recipe from here.

Yields: 2
Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients:

4 ounces of linguine pasta

2 chicken breast halves; cut up

2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning (we added way more than two teaspoons)

2 tablespoons of butter

1 green bell pepper; chopped

1/2 red bell pepper; chopped (we actually used a whole red pepper. Add as many veggies as you like)

1 green onion; minced

1 1/2 cups of heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon of dried basil

1/4 teaspoon of lemon pepper

1/4 teaspoon of Salt

1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon of black pepper

2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese; grated

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes; or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl, and toss to coat.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter until no longer pink and juices run clear, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add green and red bell peppers, sliced mushrooms and green onions; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat, and stir in heavy cream. Season the sauce with basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper, and heat through.
4. In a large bowl, toss linguini with sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

A Weekend in April

There is a saying in Maine- “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” We have literally had everything this week- sunshine, rain, sleet and snow. I would love for the weather to warm up.  I am due for a healthy dose of sunshine and warmth. The pictures below are from several of the walks we have taken in the last three weeks. 

This has been a very busy week for us. I figured out a thesis topic, so I have many books to read and a lot of conferences to attend. The end of the semester is also around the corner (less than a month!) so there are numerous papers I am finishing up. I am so excited for summer break. We are about to start planning our next road trip!

Speaking of summer, Christopher and I ordered invitations and created a wedding website. You can access the website here. Everything is slowly but surely falling into place.

I made this wreath in order to will Spring into existence. Let’s hope that Spring is starting to feel more compliant. 

Stay tuned. Hopefully I will get to start posting pictures about what April and May bring in Maine.

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

I recently got a smartphone and found the app BigOven. It is an app where you can look up and rate recipes, meal plan and make a grocery list. I am kind of in love with it.  I discovered a recipe for cinnamon muffins through this app. I made these muffins on Easter Sunday and they were a big hit! Get the original recipe here.

Yields: 12

Ingredients

3 cups of All-purpose flour

4 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

2/3 cupof vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cup of granulated sugar; divided

1 cup of milk

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 stick of melted butter Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and 1 cup granulated sugar. In a small bowl combine oil, eggs and milk. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined (I would also add at least a teaspoon of cinnamon into the mixture itself as well) Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown While muffins are baking combine 3/4 cup remaining granulated sugar and cinnamon. Place melted butter in a separate small dish and set both aside. When muffins come out of the oven, run a knife around the edges of each muffin cup, invert muffins onto a baking sheet. Brush muffin tops with melted butter and dip immediately into cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday was very mellow this year. Christopher and I made homemade cinnamon muffins, dyed eggs, made Easter baskets for each other and had our dear friend Deanna over for a little dinner party. I have been recovering from a terrible cold, so a relaxing Easter Sunday was perfect for me.

 The weather was absolutely lovely and I could not resist going on a short walk despite my cold. I discovered a new path in my favorite woods and spotted a porcupine taking an afternoon nap.

How did you spend Easter Sunday?