Summer Bucket List

My birthday was yesterday. I always think Summer does not start until my birthday. I know some people think the unofficial start of Summer is Memorial Day but for me it is June 15th.

After reading the Summer 100 list at Pop and Circumstance's blog. I got to thinking about my own Summer bucket list. I would love to have 100 items on it but I only get two weeks vacation this year so that would be too time consuming and a bit unrealistic.

So I came up with 25 things I would like to do this Summer.  Here's the list:

1.       Attend Waterfire in Providence - Done!

2.       Photograph koala bears at Stone Zoo- Done!

3.       See a concert at Shen Liu Center in Rockport

4.       Have a german iced coffee at Sugar n Ice in Exeter

5.       Walk the Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine

6.       Take the ferry from Boston to Provincetown

7.       Eat lobster BLTs at Stonewall Kitchens, York, Maine

8.       Go to the Lantern Festival in Jamaica Plain

9.       Eat a farm to table dinner at Whim, Smolak Farms, North Andover

10.   Attend the Vintage Bazaar at Pettengill Farm, Newburyport

11.   See a play at the Ogunquit Playhouse
 

 

12.       Sit on the deck at Helmut’s Strudel Shop with an iced coffee and a hot apple strudel - Done!

13.       Have afternoon tea  at Fancy That, Walpole

14.       Visit Hammond Castle for the Abbey by the Sea Renaissance Festival

15.       Photograph and ride the carousel at Paragon Park, Nantasket

16.       Take a photographic workshop

 

 

 

17.   Have an illumination themed Summer party in August- Done!

18.   Take a lighthouse sunset cruise in Portsmouth

19.   Take a mini sister’s vacation- Done!

20.   Visit SOWA market

21.   Go fleaing at Todd Farm, Rowley

22.   Take a North End market tour

23.   Daytrip to Nubble Light/York area of Maine

24.   Have breakfast at Sugar Magnolias, Gloucester
25.  Visit farmer's markets where I haven't been

I am sorry about the weird format of this post. Tried to fix it but nothing worked.

Anyway, what are your Summer plans? Do you have a Summer bucket list?

 

 

 

 

 

Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School, York, Maine

The rain held off long enough for my sister, our friend Mary and I to take a trip up to Maine for a cooking class this afternoon. We were celebrating Mary's birthday and the cooking class was her gift. Mary loves Maine, loves Stonewall Kitchens, and loves cooking so we thought this would be the perfect gift.



Today's class was all about British High Tea and the instructor was Ruth Kramer. Ruth endeared her audience with her wonderful British accent and humorous storytelling.

The cooking school can accomodate many students. The chef wore a microphone and there were two big screen TVs so even those sitting in the back row (like ourselves) could see and hear what was going on at the front of the room.



I asked permission to take photos and Richard from the cooking school happily agreed to it. We later found out he's from my hometown and I graduated with his sister!



The first dish Ruth made was scotch eggs. A medium cooked boiled egg was surrounded by meat and browned in a skillet then it was baked in the oven. At cooking school, you watch the chef prepare the dish and then the class gets to eat whatever was demonstrated. We all enjoyed our scotch eggs. We took home recipes for all the dishes too!




Ruth made some tea sandwiches. One with watercress, one with ham, one was a wrap. She made mini tarts with Stonewall Kitchen jams.




She showed us how to make scones and she made some with raisins but we could really use any dried fruit. British scones are usually small, American scones are large. Yum! The scones were delicious!




Ruth personally gave everyone a dollop of creme fraiche to top their scones. The Brits use clotted cream but it's hard to find in the states and it is expensive. I will stick with the mock devonshire cream my sister and I make for tea parties.



When class was finished there was time to shop at the cooking school shop and everything was discounted 10%. I got some lovely smelling hand soap called Coastal Breeze, Meyers Lemon hand sanitizer, and Key Lime Curd.

I took a few shots of the fabulous kitchen. I love a white kitchen. I was told by a staff member that the cooking school kitchen was modeled after one of Stonewall's owner's kitchens.



What a kitchen. I would love to see the owner's kitchen, was it Jim or Jonathan? I can't remember now.



Don't all the hanging pots look great? I want a little pot rack for my kitchen at home.



These cabinets are cool too. I am really loving that white. So clean, so cheery. Even on a dreary day.



After class, we went to the Main store where they had a larger selection of goods. I had had only one cup of coffee all day so I was in need of a little caffeination. We went to the cafe in the store and I had a mocha latte and my sister and Mary had hot chocolate. Don't the hot chocolates look tempting?

We had a wonderful day and a great time at the cooking school. We are already looking forward to taking another class, maybe in the Summer. When it might actually be warm and sunny.