Can Am International Sled Dog Race in Fort Kent, Maine!

Fort Kent is a town in Aroostook County Maine. Fort Kent is home to an Olympic biathlete training center, an annual CAN-AM dogsled race .The town is economically and culturally linked to the Canadian towns of Clair and Saint-François-de-Madawaska, both in Madawaska County, New Brunswick, directly across the St. John River. Most children on the Canadian side attend French-speaking school while their American counterparts are taught mainly in English.




Sixty-two percent of the residents of Fort Kent are habitual speakers of French. The variety of French spoken in Fort Kent and most of the St. John River Valley closely resembles the French spoken in Quebec and New Brunswick. It is referred to as "Valley French" or "Brayon". Many residents also have American-Canadian dual citizenship.

After experiencing this wintertime day....come warm up with this amazing weekend comforting soup!

Estelle's Brown Sugar Ham and Navy Bean Soup
lb navy beans, soaked overnight
1 meaty ham bone
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup half-n-half cream
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ginger powder
1 cup brown sugar

Place navy beans and ham bone in crock pot and fill with enough water to cover beans and most of ham bone. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add remaining ingredients and cook an additional 2-4 hours. Take bone out and shred remaining meat off bone and add to soup. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and a salad. You will make this often..it is that good!

Estelle's Best Yeast Dinner Rolls
2 c. warm water
2/3 c. nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
2 Tb yeast
¼ c. sugar
2 tsp salt
1/3 c. butter
1 egg
5 to 5 ½ c. all purpose or bread flour

Combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand.) Add about ½ c. flour and mix again, by hand or mixer. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff. (A soft dough will produce a lighter roll. Add only enough flour to make a manageable dough.) Place dough in a greased bowl; turn to coat. Cover and let rise until double in size. Turn dough over on floured surface so that it is floured on both sides. Gently flatten to 1 inch thick, then roll into a 18x8 inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. Cut dough in half the long way, to make two 4 inch strips. Cut dough every two inches to make 18 rectangles of dough, about 2 inches x 4 inches each. ( you should cut the dough into rectangles roughly 2x4 inches.) Starting with the short 2 inch end, roll the dough up and place on greased baking pans with the short end down. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Bake at 375° for 15 to 18 minutes or until browned. Brush with melted butter while hot. Makes 1 to 1 ½ dozen rolls.