She Cooked on Vacation

I am not a cook.  I know that this sounds odd as I am an American female, a wife, and a mother, but the truth is that I am not a cook.  I, however, do like to eat.

Last month, I went on a vacation during which I had a few days to myself.  In preparation for my time alone without a car and with shopping more than a mile in either direction, I went to Trader Joe’s and bought the staples that one needs for a few days alone.

My Shopping List

• 3 bananas
• 3 apples
• 3 nectarines
• 1 red pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 lb chicken breasts
• 1 bottle Italian dressing
• 1 box pasta
• 1 lb asiago/romano/parmesan grated cheese

My days looked very much the same as the one before.

Breakfast: banana and apple

Snack: nectarine

Lunch or Supper is pictured above.

When I arrived at the condo on the first night, I had already eaten supper (by the way, it was a delicious fried shrimp plate at Ellen’s Harborside in Rockport, MA. Yes – I would go back again in a heartbeat!).

I put all of the chicken breasts into a container, dumped the entire bottle of Italian dressing in to the container, and put it in the fridge.  I also cut up the peppers.  Then each day – for supper or lunch depending on if I ate out (ie – walked to The Lobster Pool…click here to read about my lobster friend who I then ate.) for the other or not – I made up a plate that looks like this.  I baked the chicken in the oven at 450, flipped it every 10 minutes or so, for about half an hour.  For the last five minutes, I broiled it after covering the chicken with the grated cheese.  I baked the peppers in the oven for those last few minutes as well.

I ate well on my own – even without Chef Huz along.

What have you been cooking lately?  What do you like to eat when you go on vacation?

So Glad That They Share

In a post last week, I detailed an experience that I had with signs that kept me out of a place that I thought I really wanted to see.

No trespassing.

Private.

These are signs to keep others out when we think we have something to protect.

What if we had something really great, and we chose to share it?  Not 200 feet from a sign that kept me out were two signs, though hidden initially from my view by foliage, that welcomed me in and took me somewhere that I longed to see and that I loved to experience.

The word “public” comes from the Latin word meaning of the people.  “Public” places do not exclude for any reason…they are open to all.

I could not have dreamed that anyone, given the choice, would choose to share what I saw on this public foot path!  I am not sure if I would have shared, but I am glad that they did.  When others share, we need to respect and care for what is theirs so that we honor them for sharing what they have no need to share.  This is pure kindness.

The view in the photo above is the house protected by the “private” sign from the previous post.  Although I am sure that the view from that home is amazing, this view is also amazing.  There is actually little difference, and this is just the beginning of the marvelous along the public foot path.

There is beauty when we share.

I climbed over these rocks for hours.  I saw few people, and I had a great time.

The smell and sound of the Atlantic Ocean cannot be replicated anywhere else.

For me – they are sanity, comfort, and healing.

And there is a whole lot of fun when we share.  I really am as close to the water as this photo suggests. Behind me is a beautiful home of someone who has chosen to share.

If by weird chance someone who owns a home along this footpath is reading this post, I thank you.  Though words will never express what a gift this is, I thank you.

As I think about how impactful the “simple” act of sharing by these people was on me, I have to ask myself what I should share with others.  I doubt that I will ever have a view such as this to share with others, but – as I learned – I do have.

And what I have, I should share.

Salt Water Taffy–Yum!

I love one flavor of salt water taffy: peppermint.

I tolerate another: vanilla.

I believe that all other salt water taffy has been created equally: nasty.

While on my personal vacation in Rockport, MA, I happened upon Tuck’s Candies (where they make their own salt water taffy) and thought that I should check out my salt water taffy beliefs to ensure that they still held true.

They do, but I must say that Tuck’s has some of the finest peppermint salt water taffy that I have ever tasted (and that is saying a lot!!).  Yum and thank you, Tuck’s!

I also was thrilled to see that they have a window view of their salt water taffy making process.  I think that more candy shops should do this as we all want to know how they make the candy.

I realize that the photo is a bit flawed, but you get the point!

Would I buy their salt water taffy again?  Indeed – and I did go back for round two.

In case you are wondering, they do have an online store and will ship just about anywhere.  Click here to get to their website.

Happy taffy-ing!

Lobsta!

On my recent trip to the east coast, I had some time to myself for rest and refreshment.  One of the things that I did each day was walk a mile or two in one direction until I found something interesting.  In preparation for the trip, I had looked at a few maps to see what would be within walking distance.

Interrupting myself: I think that I can safely say that traveling without a car was good for me on this trip.  I had to rely on others for transportation on some parts of the trip, and I had to get in some exercise on other parts.  This is the first time since we lived in Edinburgh that I traveled this way to this extent, and I really enjoyed both the freedom and the limitations of the experience.  And many thanks to those who lent me their wheels.

The Lobster Pool, located on Folly Cove in Rockport, MA, proved to be an excellent find both in taste and in location.  Within walking distance (just over a mile) from where I stayed, this restaurant welcomed me with open arms.  Between the views and the menu, this restaurant delivered a huge bang for my buck.  It’s a seafood place, so that is what you will find on the menu!  I think that they may harvest their own lobsters as there were lobster buoys in the cove.  I have no confirmation of that, so no one should use me as a source for a Wikipedia source.

When I arrived, I was not terribly hungry.  That did no matter, though, because there is plenty of seating outside (including an adirondak [?] chair of which I do not have a photo because I sat in it as I took photos).

I sat outside for a good hour and a half taking in the sights and sounds of the cove.

They apparently encourage guests to play these instruments.  Unfortunately, no one did while I was there.  I know of a few people who would have found this super fun!

You cannot go to a place with “lobster” in its name without eating lobster (at least I can’t!).

Pictured above is my dinner.  Do not worry – he (or she???) is not alive in this picture. In fact, below the rock is the serving dish from which I removed the lobster in order to take this picture. The lobster was actually steaming hot!

I made quite a few other customers laugh as I positioned, re-positioned, and still re-positioned the lobster into the perfect pose for this picture.  One of them even offered to take my picture with the lobster!  I declined and explained that the picture was for my blog; therefore, I do not need to be in the picture.

Would I go back to The Lobster Pool?  In a heartbeat.

Would I order lobster again?  Sure – but I might also want to try their shrimp (my favorite!).

What would I try next time?  Their onion rings!  They only come in one size for $6.95, and that seemed like a lot for one person.  This is the (one) down-side of spending part of your vacation alone: no one with whom to share an order of onion rings.

Do you like lobster?  If not, what about it makes you dislike it?  If yes, where have you had the best lobster?  I am of the opinion that the only way to eat lobster is recently caught, near the place it was caught, and with alive-to-dead and on my plate time within minutes.