Away from the Daily Grind

My vacation week was was a great recharge...
Learning how to unwind takes some practice...  this being our fourth summer doing so for a week in the foothills of the Catskills and Berkshires... I'm getting good at doing just about nothing, although a Zen Buddist wouldn't agree it's nothing, but it's all relative.   I power walk in the early morning to avoid the intense heat of late, eat breakfast, some days make some art, eat lunch, walk or take a drive, socialize, swim in the lake (a real treat), eat dinner, more socializing, walk, eat ice cream, walk and sleep...
One of our 'drive and then eat jaunts' took us to Millerton, NY, a great little town where we've been before, and into the Irving Farm Coffee House where you can eat lunch and savor delicious coffee which is roasted nearby at their farm in Millerton.
We bought some of their roasted beans to take home... I LOVE the packaging too!

  I love the packaging so much I had to photograph it again down the street...

I ate a curried chicken salad sandwich on toasted multigrain bread ... DELICIOUS!

There are so many little towns to explore in this region of rolling green hills including a new spot for us, where we had dinner one night... in Philmont... but that's for tomorrow's blog... stay tuned...

Coke vs. Pepsi

I'm not a soda drinker, but once in a while, say,... on 100 degree days like we've been having this week in NY, I enjoy a cold glass of.................... COKE, sorry PEPSI fans, too sweet (with an after taste too).

My son loves it like his Mom

Of course, we know sugar doesn't really quench ones taste, so for that I stick to water and I do like a good cold beer also, especially with say a 'lobster roll' like the fabulous one I had this July 4th in Mattituck at Love Lane Kitchen!

Menu board at Love Lane Kitchen

July 4th flower arrangement at our table

Are you a COKE or PEPSI fan?

A Different Bagel

I know it's the 4th of July this weekend and I probably should be blogging about something red, white, and blue... maybe something with strawberries... but I can't contain my excitement about a NEW (for me) kind of bagel I've never heard of before this morning...

A Montreal-style BAGEL...

                                                                photo by Wikepedia

Even after having lived on the West Coast for many years, and now back to New York for many more years, my view of life is a New York point of view, and I've nearly forgotten how culinarily obsessed people are, in a GOOD way, on the West Coast!  So here's my long-winded point... there is so much good food everywhere out there from small producers!
I came to a wonderful food blog, The Cookbook Chronicles, and saw this post about the 'Portland Farmer's Market' with these photos...

My mouth watered at the 'Porchetta Sandwich' created by Tastebud

... I had to find out what a Montreal-style Bagel was... Wikipedia gives a history and says,  "it's a distinctive variety, handmade and wood-fired.  In contrast to the New York- style bagel, it's smaller, sweeter and denser with a large hole."

There is life outside of New York and I want to taste it NOW!!!

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I love New York

and Portland now too!

I hope you have a happy July 4th filled with laughter, good company and good eats!

Just Sandwiches

Is it like the phrase 'Just Desserts'?...  meaning: That which is deserved, a reward for what has been done, good or bad.  Well if this is a reward, it's a good one because this website, Scanwiches, is a treat...  but be careful because viewing when hungry may drive you crazy!  All the sandwiches are not photographed and downloaded, but carefully scanned in,  I mean they're placed directly on the scanner, grease and all, that's why they look like one could just reach out and take a bite...

The guy lives in Brooklyn, so if you're not in the neighborhood, where you can frequent these places, and follow this gourmand of sorts, actually he's a graphic designer so he gets off on how they look mostly, then use this site as inspiration for the 'making of a sandwich'...  I believe there is an art to good sandwich making.  My father, a southerner, was good at it, slathering all kinds of things together and they were delicious.  I often make sandwiches for my family for dinner, especially in the heat of summer.

So here's to sandwiches...

Thick...

... and  Thin

and 'Just Desserts' too...

ENJOY!!!