Wedding Sneak Peek

Max and his fiance are getting married this July. Last weekend we got our first look at the wedding and reception site beyond just photographs of it buried in snow. It's going to be gorgeous!...quintessential Maine in the summertime...all woods and lakes and pines and ferns and lushness! Here's a sneak peek!

So Proud

We just returned from spending the day in Maine attending Max's fiance's college graduation! SO proud of this girl, who responsibly handles every challenge that comes her way and does so with grace and kindness. She's going to be a physical therapy assistant, and we've no doubt she'll be a blessing to all her patients.

Spring Sandwich Recipes

Spring always brings with it the promise of picnics. And picnics mean sandwiches! It had been on my mind lately to invent some tasty new sandwich recipes...just for spring...and also to test some that we might serve to houseguests around the time of Max's wedding this summer. With that in mind, I set to work concocting three sandwiches that encapsulate the flavors of spring and will pack well in a picnic cooler. Recipes are below. Each makes enough for four sandwiches. Happy picnicking!

The Garlic & Herb Roast Beef Sandwich - with all the goodness of spring garlic and the fresh pop of herbs.

Ingredients:

4 ciabatta rolls, cut in half horizontally

4.8 oz. container of Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin cheese

1 1/4 lb. thinly sliced roast beef

1 large, ripe tomato

thin slices of red onion

baby spinach leaves

Spread Boursin cheese to the very edges of each sliced ciabatta roll. Top with all the fixings. Sandwich together and secure with a tall skewer.

Black Forest Strawberry Croissant Sandwich - a taste of springtime in sandwich form! I love the flavor meld of this sandwich...the creaminess of the cheese, the salty ham, the sweetness of the strawberries, the buttery goodness of the croissant!

Ingredients:

4 croissants, sliced in half horizontally

small container of spreadable Brie cheese

1 1/4 lbs. of Black Forest ham

16 medium-sized strawberries, sliced

fresh lettuce leaves

Allow the Brie to come close to room temperature. Spread Brie on each croissant half. Layer generously with ham. Top with sliced strawberries and fresh lettuce. Sandwich together. Enjoy!

Citrus Marinated Chicken Sandwich - sooo fresh and delicious...like a taste of springtime in every bite!

Ingredients:

1 baguette, sliced into 6" pieces and then in half horizontally

4 slices Muenster cheese

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 T. olive oil

1/4 c. orange juice

2 T. raw honey

1/2 t. dried orange peel

juice from 1/2 a lemon

1 t. fresh lemon thyme leaves

kosher salt

pepper

romaine leaves

Lemon Aioli Recipe (found here), OR use Stonewall Kitchen's Lemon Herb Aioli

To marinate chicken, combine: olive oil, orange juice, honey, dried orange peel, lemon juice, lemon thyme leaves, salt and pepper, and add to a large Ziploc bag with chicken breasts. Allow to marinate, refrigerated, for several hours or overnight. 

Meanwhile, prepare aioli according to recipe and refrigerate. 

Prepare a moderately hot grill and grill chicken until no pink remains. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly.

Spread lemon aioli evenly over baguette slices. Layer sliced chicken, Muenster cheese, and romaine leaves atop baguette. Sandwich together and secure with a tall skewer.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you! We celebrated yesterday with a delicious brunch,

and I got lots of little hugs and "Happy Mother's Day, Marmee" greetings! The best!

We missed Max, who is away at school, but today he called.

And I got a sweet message from my future daughter-in-law.

Feeling very blessed today!

First Sewing Tutorial

The grandkids are here for a few days. And the girls had eagerly asked for me to teach them to sew. I was dubious, as they are just 4 and 5 years old. But then I remembered how I was doing some needlework (even unsupervised) by age 7, and so figured it would be just fine to try.

Today was their first tutorial, and they did great! Thrilled my heart to see them tackle it with such enthusiasm and diligence!