Once Upon A Tide – Page 2 – This Old House 2

Treasures found

Often on Sundays during the winter months we drive down to our little coveside cottage, Stella-by-the-sea, to check on her interior and exterior and the little yard and sea wall and stairs to make sure all is holding up.

I found this photo on a real estate listing site for a home in the area, it’s a lovely shot of our cove, and at the bottom you’ll notice that trail through the wildlife refuge area behind it, a clear waterway trail of which I wasn’t aware, and plan to explore this summer via kayak. In some ways the idea of drones gives me the creeps, but for purposes such as this, they’re awesome.

Whenever we arrive and the tide is low, the first thing I’m inclined to do is walk the rocky waterfront in search of sea glass. If I find two pieces, I consider it a good day. I throw back the pieces that aren’t properly “seasoned”, their edges still sharp – but today the bounty was the biggest I have ever found in one hunt. And.. to add to the joy was a sliver of blue – and although it wasn’t properly seasoned… I could not part with it, as the finding is so rare.

Wishing you all a good week ahead, and thank you for your kind words of support. We’re all in this together, and I’m grateful for the camaraderie. Did I spell that right? I’m too lazy to look it up. Till soon, friends….

Karen

The Lights are on and Everyone’s HOME

When we bought this run down old farm, our goal was to restore it and create a family gathering place for many years to come. With our kids now grown and making their way in the world, tonight I see the bonfire up on the hill with the boy and his cousin and long time friends gathered round the fire once again as they have since their high school days, all college graduates and professionals living near and far. Next door, I see the lights on for the first time, my daughter and her boyfriend’s first night in their new home. I have a husband with vision and tenacity who saw this all through, and I’m grateful for every second of it. ♥

A little tour of the new home…

Wishing my daughter and her partner in life many happy years here!

While the new home owners were unpacking, the Mr. and I went down to Stella by the Sea to sit on her now vacant deck once again and enjoy the early fall breezes. (more like… he enjoyed the breezes and took a nap while I did laundry, picked tomatoes, dusted, vacuumed and packed away bedding for the coming winter months.)

I did manage to stick my feet in the water and absorb a little more Vitamin Sea.

The last of the seaside garden tomatoes… those four plants yielding more fruit than my 10 or so here on the farm – go figure.

I’m too exhausted by all the noise coming out of Washington to dive into it much here… – Bonfire of the Vanities – sums it up, new meaning of course.

Apple Slab Pie with Maple Icing – link HERE.

Till soon –

Goodbyes and hellos

We laid to rest our dear Dane, Ben. At 10.5 years of age, (ancient for a Dane) his hind end gave out. We are lucky to have a very good vet who came to the farm so that there would be no added stress to poor Ben, and he had a peaceful passing. We miss the big guy, he was a horse in the house and there’s a big hole in our hearts and hearth where he once took up space. I don’t know that we’ll bring home another giant dog, they don’t live long enough and their decline is so heartbreaking to watch, although that’s true of any living thing.

New England has experienced many perfect weather days in recent weeks. Fall is unfurling slowly into the morning and evening light, the leaves beginning to change color. Some Autumns are a dud as far as foliage color depending on weather conditions, and some are just glorious. We’ve had many Monarch butterflies in the hay fields and in our Zinnia patch!

We will soon tuck our Stella by the Sea away, as her 2019 season has come to an end. Closing up a summer cottage is a reluctant good bye, thankfully just a temporary one.

In this glorious month of September, my sister’s youngest son was married on their farm. The bride and groom were so clearly happy and in love, and the wedding was a fun event – with fall decor and comfort foods and a great DJ who got the crowd dancing, rocking the house all night. The wedding cake wasn’t a cake at all – it was DONUTS!… a nod, no doubt, to the groom’s profession – a police officer. Wishing Brian and Kate many many happy years.

My kids, my niece and my other kids……

Mom and sister, Sue

I think my most favorite picture of my mom, ever… in my sister’s Sunflower patch on that day…

On the better health front, I’ve lost 10 lbs of my 25 lb weight loss goal so far, and the rest ain’t gonna come off easy. Menopause sucks in some ways, this is one of them. A nutritionist has helped me sort out why I overeat and how I can make changes that are doable for the rest of my life, to keep the weight off. I’m still tweeking, because Lord I Love To Eat. And Cook, And Bake. But… slow and steady wins the race. This below is a good mantra to keep in your arsenal for making positive change in your life.

In closing, I’ll give you a sneak peak of our daughter’s new home, right next door to this old house on the farm. By September 30th, they’ll be in!

Till soon, friends…

Fresh Salt

My gardens this year have been a bit of a mystery.

For one thing, the combination of some really intense rainstorms and some really humid days throughout the summer have produced an abundance of flowers and growth on all the perennials. I’ve also noticed the wild flowers/blooming weeds all along the roadsides seem to have multiplied tremendously, Queen Ann’s Lace and what I call black eyed susans in particular.

As for the vegetable gardens… well, despite my fortification attempts in the two large raised beds here on the farm…. all my tender care and raising from seedlings the tomato, eggplant, yellow squash, onion and yellow beans….they were a miserable lot. Having produced only a pathetic yield, I cannot tell you why. The only plants that were marginally happy in my farm garden this year were parsley and basil, zinnia and new-to-me Dahlia.

The SEASIDE cottage garden, however…. Stella’s little 1′ x 5 ‘ raised garden bed crammed up against the side of the house? The one we did almost NOTHING to coax? … has triple the yield, go figure. I’m thinking it must be the fresh salt air, the moisture off the water, and the fact that for hundreds of years, before the “island” became a 140 summer cottage retreat, it was a New England seaside cow farm. Lots and lots of old fertilizer makes really rich soil.

Despite that wicked heat and thunder storms, we’ve had some beautiful weather this summer. The family has been enjoying our little Stella by the Sea in between work and volunteer and farm obligations, and that brings me great joy.

As does a really good pound cake -Like this one found on the internet I’ll share below. I hope you’re having a good summer! I’m trying to look away from the ugly and look for more of the good. It is out there, we need to underline it, highlight it… celebrate what is beautiful, choose kindness and spread that shit like fairy dust wherever we can.

Old School Butter Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c cake flour

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

3 stick butter, unsalted (softened at room temp)

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

3 1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp salt

6 large eggs

Directions

1. Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until mixture comes together.

2. Add sugar and extracts; beat until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, alternating with flours 1/2 cup at a time until all eggs and flours are used.

4. Transfer to a buttered, oiled and floured, 10-cup shaped pan such as bundt pan.

5. Place in cold oven. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until an inserted tester comes out clean about 1 1/2 hours.

6. Remove cake from pan. Let cool on wire rack.

Daily Grind

Through my life’s journey my daily grind has varied greatly – the early years consisted of giving pony and cart rides at the zoo, waitressing at a jewish synagogue catering hall , scrapping soap at a factory and loading customers trucks with feed sacks, shavings bags and bales of hay while attending college locally. Then I sat at a desk managing real estate papers in a law firm, and for a while I had a windowless office in the export division of a large company that shall not be named. The windowless thing was torturous for this outdoors loving girl. When my kids were older I had an artisan shop with a partner for a few years and that was a big learning experience as well as a lot of fun and creativity. All those jobs had some good qualities and I learned valuable skills, worked with good people. Nothing was more fulfilling than my stay-at-home-mom years, though, and with this empty nest we now live in, I’ve pondered going back to work in some capacity full time. With a hearing impairment, my options are limited.

Truth be told, I’m finding this mostly home part time editorial position nudged in among my farm/home/garden chores suits me just fine. I’m not longing to go back to a daily grind that is not my manure hauling gator ride to the back field after mucking stalls. I’m liking my morning commute , sometimes in my Pajama pants, from the porch to the chicken coop to the barn to the garden and back in to clean up and get on with the rest of the day. For a while I toyed with the notion that I might be missing out big time by not pursuing -the next big thing-. I felt guilty that I had the option to not pursue it. I believe I’ve decided.. the next big thing is the very thing I’m in the middle of, enjoying at this very moment… and there’s not a darn thing wrong with that. You know that song by The Eagles, Don Henley – Learn to be Still -? I’ve always felt a connection to it, like it was explaining something I needed to figure out.

And you know? I think I’ve finally figured it out – where I belong is where I am right now, doing what I’m doing, with the people I love most. What a glorious feeling, to be grounded and satisfied in the here and now. I hope you are in that same place wherever your life path has taken you, or are on your way there.

My GOT Flock (Arya, Sansa, Summer, Snow, Daeynerys, Cersei, Melisandra) have all been set free into the older flock and all is well. Amazing how fast they grow, isn’t it? You can tell the new from the old, as the GOT girls are slightly smaller. The coop yard has gotten a new layer of fresh clean sand, too.

We’ve begun haying the fields – allergies be damned! And Damn – they’re awful. Is it me or is this a bad year for allergy sufferers?

After coop and barn chores were done this morning I ran errands around town and then drove down to Stella to mow her lawn. That’s where the pollen caught up to me and I’ve felt like a slug ever since.

Every rose has it’s thorn, right? Small price to pay for a daily grind I love.

Completely different subject to leave you with – have you given a listen to Pete Buttigieg yet? I am really encouraged by what he has to say. Gives me hope for this country.

Till soon –

Scategories

So much to cover here! But first, an observation. I love having my own blog, meaning I truly own it, and it can’t disappear someday when Google decides to get rid of blogger. The downside is, it appears many friends who used to stop in regularly either haven’t found the space or are no longer interested in reading it. While it’s never been my goal to accumulate a large number of readers, more a journal for me to keep, I have truly enjoyed getting to know the folks who stop in here. It sort of feels like some good neighbors have moved away and didn’t keep in touch.

So, we’ve been busy around here! And… I haven’t paid much attention to the goings on in Washington, it’s been blissful! Although oddly, it also feels irresponsible, which of course it isn’t.

My daughter K and I were at a horse show for a few days, and she and Miss Leah had a great show! She grabbed her first Blue Ribbon in Western Pleasure with Leah and two 2nd’s. At the risk of embarassing her here, I’m so proud of K for her courage and determination. She shows me every day what it means to tackle and overcome some of the hard things life can throw at you, and these pictures are the proof.

I think they should bring back the Tired Grooms class, just sayin. That morning I was truly running on Dunkin.

The farm this show was held on is beautiful – looks like it goes on for miles.

We spent Sunday and Monday at the cottage, had a cookout with family and the weather was glorious! I got my first paddle in around the cove, even brought my co-pilot.

This little “island” community of approximately 140 cottages sits on a 360-ish acre shorefront farm owned by the same family since the 1600’s. They still farm a portion of that property, and often we are greeted by the cows as we drive down the narrow lane to the waterfront. These cows also have lush fields not visible in the picture, but they often wander down into the marsh to cool off.

Lilacs here on the farm and on island are just about done, Iris are in full bloom and the poppies are gorgeous – I need to plant more of those, they are so cheery, uplifting , a real splash of bold color. My vegetable gardens are planted, too – a tiny one at Stella and two raised beds of a good size in the backyard. My seedlings looked anemic this year, I’m hoping now that they’re in the ground they’ll flourish. The Phlox are gorgeous!

My Spring Chicks are almost as big as the grown girls – notice the mesh that separates them from the adults – soon they’ll be big enough to incorporate into the flock and I can take down this make-shift nursery, which they are indeed outgrowing rapidly.

I mentioned my blog neighbors above, well the best news of all is we’re getting new neighbors right next door. When we bought this old house and farm and resurrected her, we also had the idea in our heads that if the children chose to live in this area once they graduated and started their adult lives, they could have a lot on the farm and build a house for themselves if it worked for them. I’m very very happy to report that both have decided to do just that, and have been saving their hard earned money while living in apartments with their significant others (who we also love.) Yesterday we poured the footings for K’s house foundation – So… once again here on this blog you can follow along on a house build. She’s chosen a charming cape style house that will blend with the old homes in this neighborhood as if it’s been here for 200 years, just like our “Grace”. The upstairs will remain unfinished to keep the mortgage down, until they have a need for the two bedrooms and bath that will eventually go upstairs. The master will be on the first floor. Stay tuned!

Last night we took Mom out for a Birthday celebration Lobster dinner, the food was divine and the laughter around the table priceless. Happy Birthday, Mom – we all love you very much. May we celebrate many more birthdays together, and may the laughter and love continue to flow around the table as easily as it did last night.

Till soon, friends – thank you for stopping by –

Birds of a Feather

Allow me to introduce you to purple finch mama and papa bird, and their three little eggs – all sitting about five feet from me on the lantern right outside my office window as I type this post. If I have the species wrong, feel free to correct me. They come back every year, a sure sign that Spring has arrived, regardless of whether the weather concurs.

Meanwhile.. out on the back porch – the chicks look more like chickens now… and will soon be moved out to a sectioned off part of the coop I’ve arranged for them until they are full grown and can be turned out with the rest of the flock. They are quickly growing out of their two-box condo.

This past weekend we also put our first Horse show of the season in the books – It was a cold and mostly wet windy rainy weekend but K and Miss Leah did very well with their trail patterns which are no easy feat to memorize, let alone complete, and although they didn’t place in their other classes, they completed them without major errors and Leah was so well behaved, I just love this good minded mare. Proud of K for learning a new discipline so quickly and enjoying the process and her horse regardless of the placing. That’s what it’s all about.

One of the four days we saw the sun and with it, smiles everywhere…

Yesterday I brought the dogs down to Stella to plant some Zinnia in the tiny cottage garden and put the trash out for pick-up. Grass cutting didn’t happen, too wet. After chores we went for a long walk exploring the “island”. Although the skies were grey, there was plenty of Spring color…

Frasier is always the first of the season to go for a swim.

Meanwhile – back at Winterfell (if you’re a GOT fan but haven’t seen it yet, turn away)…. Holy cow – Season 8 Episode 3 – Winter finally arrived! And what a murky, epic battle – what we could see of it anyway. All my favorites are still standing (Sigh of relief!) and still so many questions – and more to come. All I want to say about that.. is this…

More grey skies for the coming week – not sure we’ve ever seen so many rainy days strung together in a row. The following picture is of our senior boys, Max 1 and Max 2, out grazing in the pasture this morning. Time to go bring them back in.

I hope all is well in your world – and thank you for stopping in …

What’s cookin

Do you have plans for Easter weekend? We’ve been so busy we haven’t given it much thought. Because I’m more of a spiritual soul, this weekend isn’t typically about a religious celebration here at this old house. For me it’s a time to celebrate the renewal that comes with Spring, and spoil my now-adult kids with a basket full of “stuff” – They will still find the big chocolate bunny and a few fluffy marshmallow peeps – and some summer clothing items and a kitchen gadget or two for their apartments, and something fun to remind them they were once my littles.

Speaking of my littles – my littlest – just celebrated his 23rd birthday – how.. did that happen? How time flies…

Me and my guys….

My favorite “peeps” in all the world right here….

For this weekend’s family gathering I’ll cook a meal for whomever in the family doesn’t have other places they need to be. On the menu for sure are a spiral ham, my very popular Martha’s Vineyard Scalloped Potatoes, given that name because we discovered the magnificently rich smokey flavor while at The Atlantic restaurant in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard. I asked the chef to please tell me the secret to these most divine scalloped potatoes – and the answer was quick – a little chicken broth, smoked gouda and gruyere cheese, heavy cream. Slice the potatoes super thin. I incorporated all those tips into a basic recipe and it’s been a staple on our Easter dinner table ever since. The rest of my meal for this weekend has yet to be sorted out.

Two recipes I’ve tried in recent weeks were a big hit, so I’ll share them here with you. Now that I’m on a no sugar no dairy diet, not eating some of what I cook for this weekend is going to be a real challenge. I’m not big in the Willpower department, tis just my truth.

French Onion Chicken Meatballs – these sound weird, but trust me…. they are THE BOMB. Give them a go – fun to make, not complicated, and so freak’n delicious. The recipe has been shared on many sites, I’m not sure who the original is to be acknowledged.

**I double the recipe, they’re good enough that you’ll wish you did too. This is also my photo – I served them as a dinner with no extras, they’re hearty enough. Greens of your choice on the side would be perfect. You can of course serve wtih bread, pasta, or tuck them in a roll for a delicious meatball sandwich.

Ingredients

For the Carmelized Onions

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 white onions (about 2 pounds), sliced 1/4″ thick
1/4 dry white wine

For the Meatballs

1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
1 pound ground chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Caramelize the Onions

Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions (the pan will be very full). Cook the onions, stirring them occasionally, for about an hour or until they have turned a light golden-blonde colored. At this point, turn the heat to medium-low and keep cooking them, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and a deep golden brown in color, approximately 30 to 40 minutes longer.
Turn the heat back to medium and pour the wine into the pan with the onions. As it simmers, scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Once the wine has cooked away transfer the onions to a clean plate.

Make the Meatballs

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, herbs, salt, pepper, and egg. Add the ground chicken and, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix it with the breadcrumb and egg mixture just until combined.
Scoop approximately one ounce of the mixture to form the meatballs. You should be able to make 16 meatballs.
Once the onions are ready and you’ve removed them from the pan, add the olive oil to that same pan. Heat it over medium heat. Place the meatballs in a single layer and cook them until they are browned on all sides. Transfer them to a clean plate.

Make the Sauce

In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk it with the butter until combined. Add about a 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and, whisking continuously, combine it with the butter and flour. As you whisk you should be scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
Whisking continuously, add the rest of the chicken stock. Bring the pan to a boil and cook the sauce for about five minutes, or until it starts to thicken. Add the caramelized onions and stir to combine. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Add the meatballs to the sauce and continue cooking the sauce until it’s glossy and thickened about five to ten minutes.
At this point, you can sprinkle the cheese over the meatballs and either cover the pan to melt the cheese or stick the pan under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Garnish the meatballs with parsley, if using.

These lemon brownies are so lemony good – a perfect dessert selection for any Easter table. *this is not my photo – again internet grab.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE LEMON BROWNIES:

1/2 cup salted butter (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

FOR THE GLAZE:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare an 8 x 8 pan by spraying with cooking spray or lining with foil, and set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the lemon juice. Add the flour and baking powder, and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean. Let lemon brownies cool for 10-15 minutes.
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then pour over the brownies, spreading evenly to coat. Let lemon blondies cool completely before slicing and serving.

I hope you have an enjoyable Easter weekend celebrating in the way that has most meaning for you – I’m off to market once I’ve settled on the menu for the coming weekend.

Till soon –

Spring Cleaning

The water has been turned on at the cottage, septic pumped, yard manicured, gutters installed, and Spring cleaning accomplished yesterday with the help of my mom and a pizza brought by the kids. We’re ready for the cottage season at the shore! If only the grey days would diminish and let the sun shine in. Alas, this morning as I type… still fog, more rain in the forecast.

My guys have been reworking the bluestone patio, topsoil, seed and hay added in the yard, a mini vegetable garden plot has been added under the windows and new crushed shells added to the parking spot street side.

One of my favorite things about Stella is her little 1935 kitchen. Much is as it was except for the new range and a few cabinets next to it. The sink in particular is my favorite feature. 84 years of so many dishes cleaned up in that sink after meals shared with family friends , how many babies were bathed in it, I wonder.

In the cabinet are some real treasures, at least to me. Jadeite Fire King pieces, Corningware from days gone by – all with their own stories. BEautiful turquoise hewed glasses and stonewear my kids gifted me when we acquired Stella.

The island is waking up, too – the daffodils are in bloom in the gardens of the cottages that planted them –

And the egrets and canada geese have returned to the marshes.

(pardon the crappy phone pics)

Now all we need is some warmer sunny weather. This morning on the farm I gave the mini horses a clipping – my clipper blades were miserable, hence a pretty poor job and only two half-horses done – BUT.. they will be more comfortable with less of that heavy, heavy winter coat. There’s that! I hope it’s consolation for them. It wouldn’t be for me.

Coady says – Are ya kidding, mom?!

Perhaps I should rename him Half-n-half.

Lacey suffered the same affliction.

On the health front, I’ve seen a nutrionist whom I really like – she didn’t sell me a pill or a bunch of supplements. She has me on an anti inflammatory diet – especially no sugar, no dairy , no processed foods or very little at least- and lots of greens, salmon, cherries, blueberries, broccoli and cauliflour, organic beef, olive oils, garlic, coconut water, etc. It’s been four days and I have less fibro pain and lost two pounds already. No kidding. It’s a good start.

Wishing you well on this misty Spring morning – thank you for stopping in.