Maine Maple Sunday

Newburgh, Maine is a pretty average New England town. Besides being the hometown of Nascar legend Ricky "Crash" Craven, the town does not have a lot to offer. Once a year on the fourth Sunday of March however, Nutkin Knoll Farm in Newburgh transforms into a Maine Maple Sunday hotspot.

Maine Maple Sunday is hosted by the Maine Maple Producers Associations. Sugarhouses throughout the state offer free maple syrup samples and tours. Some farms even host mini festivals.

Christopher and I had a lovely time meandering through the farm.We explored the barn, hiked part of the 47 mile snowmobile trails, raced through the Christmas tree lots and examined all the maple syrup equipment.

Nutkin Knoll Farm did not have much in the way of offerings besides a free sample of ice cream with maple syrup, but I have heard rumors that a farm in Dover-Foxcroft serves an insane pancake breakfast. Maybe I will have to put that on next year's bucket list.

If you want to learn more about how to make maple syrup, I would definitely check this webpage out!

When Life Gives You Bananas...

 

....make banana bread! There were two overripe bananas in our kitchen, staring me down, challenging me to make something sweet and satisfying. I knew there was only one way to defeat these menacing bananas and the result was the perfect combo of bananas and chocolate.

My recipe was  adapted from the Food Network. Feel free to add more chocolate chips, nuts or whatever your heart desires. As usual, my additions will be in a different color font.

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas (I only had two bananas, but it still worked)
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of chocolate chips (preferably Ghirardelli)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
2. Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears. Mix in the chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Dust the bread with a mixture of butter and brown sugar. Trust me on this one. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!

Spring Break Already

It is hard to believe that Spring Break has already come and gone. While I would love to still be on vacation, I am looking forward to finishing up the semester and experiencing warmer weather.

During my Spring Break I spent about a week at home with my family. My mom and baby brother picked me up from San Diego International Airport and surprised me with a little visit to Coronado Island. It is not secret that Coronado is one of my favorite places.

Later that week we went and saw West Side Story at the Fox Theater in Riverside.

We ended my trip with some pretty intense duck-feeding at Harveston Lake in Temecula.

In other news, Christopher and I picked up our wedding bands. Isn't it a beauty?