Zu "Queen" ni Bread

Have you noticed that the nights are getting slightly shorter and a little chillier? Although I am not happy about either one thing I do enjoy is the fruits and vegetables of the season, and the wonderful recipes that can be made with them. 

• Yesterday when I stopped by my mother's house I took a walk through her garden. I was amazed at how tall the corn had gotten, how nicely the pumpkins were growing, how colorful the squash were, and how big the zucchinis were. 
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• Among the beautiful green leaves, I found this lovely zucchini. It made me want to come home and cook a zucchini bread. Have you ever made one? To be honest I haven't because my mom is the  Zu "Queen" ni bread maker. I'm not sure where she got her recipe but it is really yummy especially with cream cheese on it. Maybe this will be the year that I cook me up a batch of bread........nahh, I wouldn't want to steal her crown!
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• Here is her recipe - Enjoy:

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• Zucchini Bread

  3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cups grated zucchini
• 2 cups of raisins

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and raisins until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Honestly, How Can You Resist!

Several years ago when my BFF was living on Martha's Vineyard I had the opportunity to visit her many times. I love everything about the Vineyard. The  landscape, people, beaches, quaint shops, and unexpected surprises. One of those unexpected surprises was a colorful array of cut flowers-roadside. Often times when we were visiting a friend or relative for dinner we'd make a stop to purchase a bouquet of these beauties. This was one of my favorite stops because these flowers were from a person's home, cut fresh that day, and placed into  bundles ready to be sold - on the honor system of course. Love that!!


When we moved about six years ago to our home, I was thrilled when I was driving down the road and found a similar unexpected surprise.  A roadside explosion of color. I immediately stopped.


DeJager's is a local landscaping company that also sells imported Holland bulbs. During the summer months they place a table outside of their building and they sell cut flowers. Depending on the time of year they may have a variety of Gladiolus, Tulips, or Zinnias, but by far my favorite is when they are selling the Dahlias. The first time that I saw them I was blown away. Honestly, how can you resist a 10" round bright yellow Dahlia?


Dahlia's come in a blast of different colors, shapes and sizes, and can reach six feet in height! If you need a little color on your table, or a beautiful bouquet to brighten someone's day be sure to make this one of your stops.  DeJager's offers a stunning variety, your choice 3 for $5, honor system of course. Love that!! 


DeJager's is located at:
188 Asbury Street, Hamilton, MA (978) 468-1117 

The Traveling Watermelon That Kills

Last week when my cousins visited us from Canada we had several dinners with them. One day at my dad’s house, one day at my sister’s house, one day at my house, so on and so forth. The evening that we had them over at my house we prepared a simple barbeque medley finished off by an array of yummy desserts. My father in law brought a beautiful whole watermelon; but because there was way too many desserts to choose from we decided to hold off on cutting the watermelon. Since we were getting together the following night at my sister’s house I told her I’d bring the watermelon over to her house, which I did.

The next evening as we finished a feast at my sister’s we started to bring out the desserts. Again there were so many to choose from so the watermelon got left behind. “That’s ok, I said, I’ll bring it to Maine for our vacation next week.” We laughed at how the watermelon kept traveling.

That's me wearing  the traveling dress

It reminded me of a dress that I had that would travel every summer from my house and then to my friend’s house. We got a lot of use out of that dress; hopefully the watermelon won’t be around from year to year. I’m pretty certain that it won’t because in many Portuguese circles the older generation believes that watermelon kills.

What? Watermelon Kills, you say?      

It’s actually quite hysterical because as the story goes apparently my dad’s brother’s girlfriend’s sister’s aunt’s nephew’s brother’s daughter’s friend’s uncle’s grandfather’s grandmother’s niece’s friend died after they drank wine, brushed their  teeth, picked their nose, and ate watermelon. Bizarre right? Of course it is, because it NEVER happened but it’s a funny ongoing thing because during any Portuguese get together you always hear the older generation telling a tale about the watermelon that killed so and so.

We’ve had a lot of laughs that evening about the watermelon that kills, maybe that’s why it keeps travelling with us and not getting eaten.

In The Weeds

Did you know that seaweed is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals? And when compared with plants that grow on land, seaweed or sea vegetables from the ocean, are 20 times more nutrient-dense.

Wow- I'm glad that I like seaweed.

Last week when my cousins were visiting from Canada one of my stops took me to the shoreline of Magnolia, MA to collect seaweed for a family feast. As a child I remember waiting for low tide, climbing the rocks, and collecting seaweed off the rocks.  When we’d get home my mother would prepare the seaweed and we would eat it.

At the time I didn’t know that it had so many healthy benefits, I just knew that it was a delicious treat, and whenever we ate it meant that we had guests from out of town that didn’t live near the ocean. Thanks to my cousin's visit I was able to relive days gone by.

My mother and I picked for about an hour. We laughed as we contemplated whether or not we had enough. We screeched as we slipped on the rocks. We enjoyed the moment and reminisced about the past. It was a beautiful evening, one that I will treasure.
After we finished we sat and looked out at the ocean. I felt blessed to live in such a breathtaking area. I felt blessed to have a mom that is a true friend; a kind, humble and giving women.

Thank you  Canadian cousins- for deciding  to visit us on your vacation. You could have gone anywhere in the world but you chose us. If you hadn't come to visit I may not have made this stop with mom. I love you & the time we spent together.....but happy you're gone because the extremely late nights/early mornings were killing me. Kisses!


Do you want to try making seaweed? It's easy.
1- Pick the brown seaweed (the soft one not bumpy) off the rocks by simply pulling it
2- Pick through and cut any long pieces
3- Marinate it overnight in a little red wine, garlic, and red pepper(Goya)
4- Put a little oil in a pan and put in the seaweed. Cook for apx. 20 minutes stir occasionally
5- Consume with tons of Portuguese corn bread and a glass of red wine. YUMMY!!

Manchester Arts Festival - #2

Today I continue my walk through the Manchester Arts Festival with Eugene Quinn. 

http://www.eugenejquinn.com/

As paddle surfing has grown in popularity here in the North Shore, when I saw this painting of a surfer on the beach it really caught my eye. Eugene's use of color is magnificent, and sets the mood for all of his oil paintings. You must make his studio in Rockport, MA one of your stops, I promise that you won't be disappointed.  

http://www.etsy.com/people/OrabelleBaby

These colorful little ladies created by artist and mom Shayne Ostrowski caught my eye as I walked the festival. Shayne started Orabelle Baby after having her first child. Frustrated at not being able to find clothes she liked she decided to create her own line. If you are looking for modern clothing for your little lovely Orabelle Baby has colorful dresses, skirts, shirts, and much more. 

www.artfeltcreations.com

A I continued my walk I stopped to watch artist Susan Kenna in the ancient art of needle-felting. Each bead that she creates is individually designed and made of 100% wool. The process is really fun to watch, and the end product is really beautiful to wear. 

patrickehorgan@yahoo.com

Artist Patrick Horgan uses the ancient art of Gyotaku to create his art. Gyotaku is a Japanese word that literally means “hand-rubbed fish impression” and involves brushing a thin coating of ink on the surface of a fish, and making an impression of the inked fish on a thin sheet of paper. Who would have known that fish are not only delicious on the grill but also look amazing on rice paper?!

Have a great weekend. I'm off to Maine next week so stay tuned for fun stops to share when I return.

Manchester Arts Festival - #1

I love being around creative people. As a creative person myself, it helps me look at things differently and inspires me to be artistic in everything that I do; whether it’s re-purposing a chair, making a special card for a friend, wrapping a gift, or simply getting dressed in the morning.  

A couple of  weeks ago I stopped by the Manchester Arts Festival which took place in Manchester-by-the-Sea. This year’s festival featured  fine art, sculpture, textiles, pottery, jewelry, apparel & accessories, garden ornaments, photography, paintings, and more!

These photos should give you a glimpse of the day, and hopefully these artists will inspire you to create.

Here are some that caught my eye during my stop.

Kreative by km KreativebyKM@gmail.com

Just like Kristen, her creations are colorful, sweet, and adorable. At the festival Kristen displayed many key fobs, handbags, camera straps, baby one-seez, and small clutches. 
  

Agnesmagnolia.etsy.com

I'm a sucker for nautical, screen printed items, and little pooches so when I ran into Agnes Magnolia I had to stop. Three friends / artists form Agnes Magnolia. They handcraft and hand screen print their items using organic materials when they can. For their story about how they got their name, and their pooch mascot, visit their Etsy shop.

Snowbound Pottery www.snowboundpottery.com

Potter Anna Kasabian creates these little lovelies by hand, in her hands, not on a wheel. They are so delicate and beautifully glazed; a must have in any room of a home.

JennSherrDesigns.com

Back in the early 90's I remember making decoupage purse and jewelry with my friends Tracey and Cathy so when I saw Jenn Sherr's booth I had to stop. Her decoupage bracelets and handbags have been featured in many newspapers and magazines, and have made their way into the "clutches" of celebrities. 

That's it for today, I'm going to shuffle through my pictures and show you some you more tomorrow. Need a gift? Support and artist!

Small Spaces, Big Ideas

Have you ever seen a double decker bus transformed into a vintage dress shop? How about an old train car gone chic? Here are two ladies that had a big idea for their small spaces.

Photo by Leela Cyd

In Portland, Oregon Erin Sutherland transformed a 1965 double decker British bus into a vintage dress shop called Lodekka. The bus is a 1965 Bristol Lodekka. “Lodekka” is a made-up word to indicate that the bus is low to the ground and has a “low deck.” 

Lodekka carries vintage clothing and accessories for women, shirts, shoes and furnishings for men, knick-knacks and ephemera. If I'm ever in Portland, Oregon you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be hopping that bus.

In Essex, MA Lily Ellis transformed an old train car into a fabulous chic shop called Etta Place.  Etta Place was a companion to the American outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Although Lily is no outlaw (at least I don't think she is), she certainly has an adorable train car to hide out in if she is. 

From the moment you walk in you feel as if you are in your own home surrounded by many "pretty things". Jewelry, handbags,toys,linens,antiques and grandma's juice glasses; oh, and don't let me forget the yummy treats in the penny candy nook. 

If you're in the area you must make Etta Place one of your stops, I think you'll agree that Lily has a big idea for her small space. 

Ding, Ding, Ding, We Have A Winner

It's been a fun filled weekend, tons of wonderful stops to share tomorrow, but for today ..."Ding Ding Ding" We have a Winner!


Thank you all for submitting your special family traditions. From making pies, canning strawberries, running for a cause, to yearly family gatherings I thoroughly enjoyed reading your submissions and now have some great ideas for traditions that would be fun to start with my family. Thanks! 

Congratulations Christine Cohen
Christine Cohen wrote: "A family tradition we have is heading up to Ogunquit, Maine. We always do the same thing...lobster rolls at Barnacle Billy's, ice cream and sea-glass hunting in the cove, then a walk on Marginal Way. I have pictures of me with my German grandfather at age 1 in a carriage there. So this has been a 40 year tradition for me...just writing this makes my heart sing!


Enjoy your Vapur water bottle; and Keep Hydrated this summer!

I Loved It, So I Hung It

Remember last month when my sister gifted me with Sam, the designer that transformed my living room into a more functional space? Well, one of the projects that has been lingering since his visit is a photo / art montage for the back of  my couch. That's quite a project that requires, time and patience. Both of which I do not have. So this past week I was on the hunt for something temporary to put behind the couch until I could tackle the picture project. 

Now, when I say hunt I mean "let's go into the back yard " and see if there are any relics that need excavating. Since I live in the woods I always seem to find things buried in the dirt. Apparently years ago people buried their trash, and now I'm finding it. Kind of fun. So off I went, gloves in one hand, and shovel in the other to see what treasure I'd find......and then there it was. The flat steel rim of a wagon wheel. I had some leftover garland that I had made out of sweaters so I started to wrap it around the wheel, and suddenly it became ART! I know that art is  subjective, so if you don't see beauty in this it's ok, but  I loved it, so I hung it.


If you need a designer to help you hang your art, here's Sam's information
617-791-5953


If you need an excavator to find your art you can always contact me ;-)

You Know Its Meant To Be When...

I'm not the kind of person that likes a project to remain unfinished for long. Typically if I'm needing something in particular I start my hunt with positive " I Will Find It" attitude, and I usually do. Although this seems to work about 95% of the it didn't happen when I was searching for a lamp for my side table. I searched for quite some time but came up empty handed. 


This past weekend I decided to make a stop at a local second hand store. I had a good feeling about this stop, I felt I was going to find the lamp I was looking for. As I browsed around I looked at several lamps, but none said "I'm yours". As I was leaving my eye caught a glimpse of this beauty, a Pocahontas Water Bottle that had been converted into a lamp.

Now here's the crazy thing; Pocahontas Spring Water Co. was originally started by The Smith family in 1901. In 1963 the LeColst family purchased Pocahontas Spring Water Co. Today Donny LeColst, and his family still bottle water from the same natural spring that was discovered in 1901 by the Smith family. Donny is not only an acquaintance of mine, but has been delivering water to our office for over ten years. When I saw this lamp I knew it was meant to be. It had all of the qualities that I was looking for; it was unique, an antique, and had a story to go along with it. 


Now it wouldn't be right to finish the post without giving you a little nugget. Pocahontas's water is the best water that you'll ever taste. They pride themselves on having 100% pure All-Natural spring water, with absolutely no additives. At their facility, which is located in Peabody, you can see the source first hand. You can also bring empty water bottles and fill them - ONLY 25 cents for a gallon jug. That's crazy! What a savings, and I can assure you that you will enjoy the experience because Donny & his brothers are quite the characters.


Pocahontas Spring Water Co.
Pocahontas Spring Water
163 Rear Lowell Street
Lynnfield, MA 978-265-5910
The Self Serve is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm.

_________
*DON'T FORGET*
This is the last week to enter the Vapur water bottle contest. Leave a comment  OR go to I Stopped Along the Way's Facebook page and tell me What Your Favorite Family Tradition Is. Good Luck!

Set Sail

Several months ago, when the weather was much chillier than it is today, I made a stop in Essex, MA at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum. Originally what caught my eye was a 83 foot schooner called the Evelina M. Goulart; because this is my mom's maiden name I had to stop to find out more about it. 


The Evelina M. Goulart was built in 1927 by Arthur D. Story in the Story Shipyard(now the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum). She is one of seven surviving Essex-built fishing schooners and the only one to be virtually unchanged from its original configuration. 

As I poked around the museum's shipyard I looked across the way to H.A. Burnham's shipyard. H.A. Burnham has been building boats since 1635. Harold Burnham, a 28th Burnham, master boat designer, shipwright and sailmaker now carries on this craft using modern day technology, and age old techiniques that were handed down from generation to generation.

At the time of my original stop they were in the process of building The Ardelle, a 50' schooner. When I saw its frame it reminded me of a whale's ribcage. I wondered if that's how the original shipwrights got their inspiration, from a whale. 



Photo by Dan Tobyne




Photo by Dan Tobyne

This past Saturday, June 9th, H.A.Burnham launched the Ardelle. Although I was unable to be there I understand that aproximately 2,000 spectators gathered to watch. Here is a must watch video of the launch. I can imagine the excitement that Harold Burnham and his crew must have felt seeing The Ardelle finally take center stage in the Essex River. 

Are You Drinking Enough?

Ok, so when I decided to post two days a week versus five I thought it would be a breeze. What I am finding out is that the routine of posting daily is actually easier. With the beautiful weather we're having I am thoroughly enjoying my days and evenings; so much that I am loosing track of what day it is.


Tonight we celebrated (a little late) "the last day of school, and the beginning of summer". It's an event that my sister started a few years ago. We all meet at a local beach, eat tons of pizza, take a bunch of pictures, swim, and  laugh a ton. Tonight was no exception, we had a really great evening. 


As I got into the car I noticed that it was almost 10 pm and I still had to write my blog post. Although I'm making daily stops here and there it still takes me some time to get it all together, and seriously who can get much together at 10pm after a day in the sun and an evening at the beach? Not me! So here's what I came up with, A GIVEAWAY! 

Now we all know that we should drink plenty of water. Some people say 8 glasses, others say 10, some say it depends on your age, your gender, your height, weight, blah , blah, blah. I'm not going to get tied up in the details, all I know is that water is a must, I know it and you know it too. Without it we can experience headaches, weakness, and even crankiness. No Thanks! To avoid dehydration I think its important to always carry water with you during these summer days, so my giveaway will help you do this.


VAPUR Water Bottles! 
I have four of them, two my best friend gave me and two I purchased on my own. I love them!!, and here's why:


1. Extremely Compact & Portable
2. 16 0z. Refillable Design
3. Eco Friendly
4. Cool Color & Design
5. Dishwasher Safe
6. Freezable


How can you WIN one? Easy! Leave a comment  OR go to I Stopped Along the Way's Facebook page and tell me What Your Favorite Family Tradition Is. 


I will randomly pick one reader to win 2 VAPUR Water Bottle.


Good Luck & Keep Hydrated! Compliments of VAPUR!

Oh, What's A Buck?

What can $1 dollar get you? A whole lot of fun that’s what!

The other day I stopped your local dollar store. As I browsed isles of …“oh what’s a buck isles” I spotted these colorful water squirters.

I picked up 4 (ok so it’s slightly more than my buck theory) along with a few bright pink “oh what’s a buck” flamingos, and a couple  “oh what’s a buck” water noodles and I was ready for some summer fun.

I happily placed the pink flamingos on my lawn, and cut the water noodles into sea anemones  (for one of my under the ocean summer craft projects). The squirters got placed in the shed….until Sunday when I was relaxing in my hammock. It was really hot and I got a light bulb idea. WATER SUIRTER FUN! So I rounded up the troops, filled a bucket of water, and gave each of us a squirter. Minutes later we were deep in battle rounding the house, hiding in bushes, and running for our lives. We had tons of fun.

So that’s what $1 can get you, well actually just a bit more unless  you want to just squirt yourself, or want to terrorize everyone but yourself.

I'm Open Uncle Billy

I hope you all enjoyed the long holiday weekend while consuming mouthfuls of hot dogs, hamburgers and other wonderfulness on the grill. It was nice to have a few days off, to visit with friends, and to have friends stop by. I always think that I'm going to get tons done during these long weekends, and then I find myself just laying in a hammock reading a book, or taking a stroll on the beach. 


On Sunday that's exactly what I did, I went to the beach and took in the all the sights, smells, and sounds. As my lovely took a dip into the water, I couldn't help but notice a group of boys shouting "I'm open uncle Billy". As I watched it was clear that they were playing a game football Frisbee. I really enjoyed this scene, it was the epitome of summer, of independence, of family, of fun! Uncle Billy ruled the beach that day, making each child feel like a champ. What a day, what a memory they'll have!


How about you? Did you have a day that will go down in the books? A memory that will make you smile for years to come?