Author: louisaenright

I am passionate about whole, nutrient-dense foods, developing local markets, and strengthening communities.

The Grinder

Turkey Tracks: July 14, 2022

The Grinder

These guys went on a quick trip to visit the grinder last Tuesday morning.

They make that visit about every 6 to 9 months—and this time the scissors with the blue handles triggered the trip—which isn’t far at all, only about 15 minutes or so to the south. The small scissors were dull to the tip, and they are the ones I keep by my sewing machine so they need to be sharp. If you have scissors with some serrated edges on one side (some of the Karen Kay Buckley scissors), ask the grinder NOT to sharpen on those edges.

The knife on the far right came, via a Japanese neighbor back in Falls Church, VA, many years ago. When sharpened it is…dead sharp. And very thin and light, too. I use these wider knives like paddles, too, to carry chopped bits to a pan.

Once sharpened, I can keep the knives pretty sharp for many months with frequent passes on the metal sharpening tool (a honing steel) that came with my good knife set.

Local peeps: the grinder is on Route 90 going south, on the left, just beyond Kelsey’s. Call before stopping by to make sure that the grinder is in and can sharpen what you have (594-7007). The business, Acute Grinding, is now owned by Food Prep Solutions, so here is the sign for which you will be looking. The grinder charged me $20 for these 6 pieces.

Some of the raspberries are ripening now. I got this many yesterday. Delicious!

On the last night Bryan’s family was here I made a big “fried rice” dish with what was left of the leg of lamb we roasted, some eggs I fried first (beef tallow) and added back in at the end, and tons of veggies—some leftovers already cooked and some cut for the dish and pan sautéed after removing the fried eggs—and the leftover rice. (Bryan and Corinne had lobsters that night, and the granddaughters had some hot dogs with their fried rice.)

I had LOTS left over, so I packaged it up in two large silicon bags and froze them. The other day I pulled out of the freezer some frozen broth, a package of ground lamb, and one of the packages of fried rice.

Instant soup—after I sautéed the ground lamb. I also added more herbs, salt, and more water.

It was delicious and provided two days of dinner and supper meals—AND time for me to do other things than cooking.

A Treasure at the Belfast Coop

Turkey Tracks: July 10, 2022

A Treasure at the Belfast Coop

A few weeks ago, while shopping for the recent family visit at the Belfast Coop (the neighboring town to the north), I saw, in the freezer section, frozen sliced OKRA.

I LOVE OKRA.

And most here in Maine have no idea what okra is, nevermind how to cook it.

I bought two packages and couldn’t wait to get home to cook some. It was as delicious as I recalled.

Imagine my surprise (not) when I was there yesterday, and there was a sale sign on the frozen okra packages. I bought four more packages and probably should have taken all that was left.

Again, I came right home to cook some for my dinner (in the middle of the day).

I also came home with a spaghetti squash—so I halved it, seeded it, and roasted it cut side down on a flat pan lined with parchment paper—using the convection oven to increase the cooking time—set at 350 degrees. I added my leftover chicken drumsticks during the last 10 minutes and turned off the convection. If you have not cooked spaghetti squash before, when it is soft/tender, turn it over and take a spoon and scoop out the squash meat, which breaks into the strands you see in the above picture. (Some use this squash like a spaghetti and top it with savory tomato sauce.)

Meanwhile, the okra only needed to be reheated in water. Stop when the water simmers to a boil, drain, and butter and salt.

Look at that pretty okra—so green, with its soft white seeds in the middle.

Now is when I should tell you that my Georgia grandfather did NOT like okra. He said he didn’t want to eat anything that swallowed before he was ready to swallow. Okra is soft and is slippery. I like it best just cooked until tender (I’d leave it whole) and after draining, topped with butter and salt/pepper. My grandmother on my father’s side, who lived in Oklahoma, used to pan fry her okra after dredging it in cornmeal. That’s good, too, but way more work. Okra is often stewed with fresh tomatoes—and is often present in gumbo. Okra and tomato is a lovely combo.

Today after digging up a whole bed of daffodils that need dividing as they are no longer robustly blooming, my mind turned to my leftover okra.

First, here’s the garden project, so you can see I worked up an appetite. The earth is very dry as we need rain. And I’m not finished, but it’s hot now and I was hungry.

And by the way, the lettuce needs to be pulled and shared with friends as the heat is bringing on its bolting. I’ve been eating out of this cold frame daily since April. I’ll replant with Masai filet bush beans which when they get rolling will give me tiny, sweet filet beans until a frost kills them.

Here’s my dinner at noon: reheated spaghetti squash and the okra, a fresh salad that includes a neighbor’s gift of sugar snap peas (delicious raw), and two grilled lamb chops. (The remaining two will be eaten with salad I already made for supper.)

I’ll read a little now and make a coffee, rest a bit, and will again tackle the daffodil project when shade hits the front yard.

The reward will be finishing a job I’ve wanted to avoid, a shower, and a little sewing time—with supper and hand-sewing all organized to enjoy while watching some tv.

Some Garden Fun

Turkey Tracks: July 9, 2022

Some Garden Fun

The plants along the wood side of my house have bothered me for YEARS. Some were too big for that area and were taking over the windows, especially my kitchen window. I spent way too much time each year whacking them back. And for about 4 years now the viburnum got some sort of deadly disease that reappeared after being cut back to about a foot. Then there was the gorgeous white rhododendrum that the deer attack each winter—going so far this past winter to rip off the protective burlap and to eat all the leaves and buds back to the stems.

My wonderful lawn crew came to mulch two weeks ago, and on our ”walk-around,” I asked it they had the equipment to take out those plants. Leslie didn’t comment really. But I had to run an errand, and when I came back, the plants were all out—using manpower and shovels!!! The rhodo was carefully wrapped in a tarp, and I promptly gave it to Leslie for her garden.

It gets even better. Leslie told me that if I bought plants, they would plant them when they came to finish up with the yearly mulch. This was a Friday, so on Saturday morning I went to Moose Crossing and bought all the plants. Son Bryan and family came on Sunday, and Leslie and crew came back early Monday morning.

And here’s that long bed now.

It’s GORGEOUS! And all filled with deer-resistant plants that will tolerate more shade and will stay below window height.

This hydrangea is new to our area and was pioneered in Japan. The color is gorgeous, but can change with soil acidity. I’ll have to read up on what to add to keep this pretty color. (Hydrangeas do really well in my garden.)

I am still chuckling as I didn’t really want lace-cap hydrangeas—and it was like getting doggie AC Slater as I didn’t want a male or a puppy when I saw his picture online.

The house is all back to ”normal” now, whatever that is—with all the sheets washed, beds remade, and some sturdy cleaning accomplished. Yesterday I mowed, and I stopped to admire the line of cheerful day-lilies along the front porch as they are in full bloom now.

I love that moment when the mowing is done, and the gardens all look so pretty.

I have no container pots this year (except for the oak barrels on the driveway with red geraniums) and only one hanging basket on the upper front deck. It’s dry again, so not having to water so much has provided a lot of freedom to do other things.

Pretty Flowers

Turkey Tracks: July 8, 2022

Pretty Flowers

Today I’ll finish ”catching up” with the house washing/cleaning and will mow.

I took a break yesterday to put together some flowers for the dining alcove table—in honor of granddaughter Ailey who loves flowers.

Annabelle hydrangeas, day-lilies, Ladies Mantle, smoke tree foliage, some purple spikes from a perennial whose name isn’t springing to mind, and a few white gooseneck (invasive) loosestrife (which are not showing here).

And that’s it for today.

They Came: They Left Yesterday

Turkey Tracks: July 7, 2022

They Came: They Left Yesterday

And now all the toothbrushes are packed up and are flying home—where for them this idyllic summer will continue with special events.

Last text from DIL Corinne put them on time in Philly and racing for the next flight—which is at the gate and on time.

It was a wonderful visit, a wonderful time to catch up with this awesome family—after two years of not seeing them. Each one in this family is really good.

Three girls—two years apart from 7 to rising 12 years. They ALL sewed with me. Every day was packed with hikes, swimming, sight-seeing, collecting sand dollars and sea glass, picking flowers for vases in the house and for drying in a press, reading, playing cards, and cooking/eating our wonderful Maine food.

Marshall Point lighthouse in Port Clyde.

Hiking—on the way down.

At home.

At the Camden harbor.

At the LLBean boot on the way back to Portland:

I miss them all ready. Of course I do.

And I’m well on the way today to having the house cleaned and all back ”in order.”

We had such pretty days when they were here. It was a gift.

Astonishing Secondary Patterns in ”Wyoming Stars” Blocks

Turkey Tracks: June 25, 2022

Astonishing Secondary Patterns in ”Wyoming Stars” Blocks

I totally didn’t foresee these astonishing secondary patterns forming in the ”Wyoming Stars” quilt blocks I’m now making from the leftover 3-inch strips I cut for the Churn Dash blocks—out of the Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society stash I had. (This traditional block is just 1/2-square triangles and 3-inch squares at the corners—but I’m calling it ”Wyoming Stars” as this quilt is going eventually to a great-nephew who lives in Wyoming.)

I went back and forth with whether ot make the block’s center dark or light—and so it is very fun to see the larger star in the secondary patterns with a light center. And what about those dark strips that are forming? My goodness! I’m loving this project.

I’m out of pinks and oranges now, so I rooted in my regular stash to find some that will work with the Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society color ranges—which have remained consistent over the years.

Son Bryan and family are coming tomorrow—so postings may be a bit light for the next two weeks.

I have not seen most of my two Charleston, SC, families in TWO YEARS! So I am very excited about tomorrow’s reunion.

Beautiful Eggs

Turkey Tracks: June 22, 2022

Beautiful Eggs

A local friend who has chickens sent me a picture of her beautiful eggs the other day.

I thought you might like to see how different they are from what one sees in the grocery store.

Mother Nature likes to wield a paintbrush.

Commercial, industrial eggs are…such a loss. Nutritionally and artistically, they are just…sad.

And to remind: chickens are omnivores. They are NOT vegetarians. Mine used to LOVE getting some fresh meat.

The “Wyoming Bear Paws” Quilt Top is Done

Turkey Tracks: June 20, 2022

The “Wyoming Bear Paws” Quilt Top is Done

Yesterday was a rainy day. I diddled away the morning with this or that, ate the last of the chicken salad for lunch (and had enough to make my salad dinner which got topped also with a fried egg), had a nice coffee visit with Giovanna McCarthy, and then finished the pieced backing for ”Wyoming Bear Paws” and have begun the process of putting it on the longarm and basting it.

While I’ve made many quilts over the years using only Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star fabrics, this top is the 8th from this winter’s project of cutting up and using my apparently considerable stash of these fabrics. I will be able to get one more lap-size top for sure—“Wyoming Stars”—and maybe random Churn Dash blocks from the strips I cut for that purpose. All the big pieces that could be used for backings are now gone. There are, however, two big shoebox sized bins of cut 3 1/2 inch squares. Maybe more of the “Pot-Pourri” series? And I now have lots of smaller squares all cut to use in something (2 1/2, 2, and 1 1/2)—which is the way cutting quilting fabrics rolls.

You know, it takes a deep stash to have so many fabric offerings in one scrappy quilt.

While these scrappy quilts are going to family children, I’m keeping the last Churn Dash quilt for my grandchildren down the road. Right now it is living in the downstairs big room folded over a chair back.

“Eye Candy 4” is Done

Turkey Tracks: June 19, 2022

“Eye Candy 4” is Done

I have had such a good time with this Churn Dash series of quilts I made starting last winter. I love seeing these Churn Dash blocks butted up next to each other—as the secondary patterns that form are very pleasing I think. I used sashing between blocks on the first 3 quilts.

Again, all the fabrics are from the Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society fabrics I had in my stash.

Here’s a close-up of the mostly ”fussy cut” block centers.

I quilted with a slightly darker grey and used the pantograph ”Bayside.” And I had enough of the clear red fabric to make this lively and perfect binding.

The back is pieced with some of the larger pieces from my Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society fabric stash.

The larger pieces are seriously depleted now—but there are at least two more planned quilts to be made yet—and two bins of cut 3 1/2-inch blocks to be used for, maybe, the ”Pot-Pourri” quilt series. I can easily use other fabrics from my regular stash to piece backs.

A Very Special Gift

Turkey Tracks: June 18, 2022

A Very Special Gift

Jan Corson came yesterday with this little gift for me—which she made using a photo of AC Slater. Jan is a very talented maker of needle punch felting.

This special, special gift is one of the most thoughtful and cherished I have ever been given. Look! Jan even got AC’s orange collar and the little medallion inscribed with his name and my telephone number. And all his markings are accurate.

Right now, felted AC Slater is guarding the dining room table and listening for squirrels to chase outside.

I’ve done a little research on ”feist” dogs these past few weeks. I suppose as a way to understand and reach out to my little lost dog.

Look at this picture that popped up on the Rescue Me rescue site. You would think AC posed for it. And note that feist dogs can look very, very different from AC Slater—depending on their particular blends of terrier and hounds.

Up here in Maine, I am a very long way from where feist dogs and rat terriers are more prevalent. And I don’t know that I would try to get another feist—as they do require daily heavy exercise and want to be doing things with their human many times during any one day. Feists are…connected…to their humans, body and soul.

AC was a one-off “homemade” accident feist doggie, which is the best kind. There is no way that I could ever just replace him with another feist. And I’m not sure I want to replace him anyway. Perhaps at 77 years, a big personality dog with lots of energy is not the best idea. But maybe a doggie that serves as my ears (I am really deaf without my hearing aids) and warns me when people come on the property is a good idea.

But I am so not ready yet to get another dog. And I think it will be like another friend said one day after AC died: ”one day another nose will poke at you and the magic will happen again.”

Feists developed in the rural South and are a mixture of terriers and other breeds, among them formally beagles, whippets, and Italian greyhounds—but many other hounds can be involved, which I think was true for AC doggie.  The “mountain feists” are highly prized in the Southern Appalachian mountains, and puppies can sell for as much as $3000+.  Some are trying to get these dogs declared a recognized breed.  

Feists are trackers—not retrievers. They like to tree animals and hold them there until their hunting companion, a human, comes.  They will bark at the base of a tree until the other half of the team arrives.  Otherwise, they are not overly “barky.” They are death on four feet for rodents of all kinds if they trap them on the ground.  They shake a caught prey, which kills it quickly.  They have really soft, thick short coats; have webbed feet for swimming; need some challenging exercise EVERY DAY; are great with people and are not overly aggressive; insist on lots of daily “play” with their human; are really smart and easily trained; and will do destructive things in a house if left alone!!!!  And they can be prone to allergies—which did happen with AC if you recall the years I made him fish dinners as he couldn’t eat any other kind of meat protein.

Yep!  AC doggie fits that description to a “t.”

And I still miss him, but I am moving on and developing different daily life patterns.

AC was a gift, lent to me for only a short period of time.