Good Things from Maine!

The Maine House has discovered another "good thing" from Maine! Darling and I decided  to drive over to Cumberland for a visit to the indoor Winter Farmers Market. We also had wanted to include a shopping excursion to Mitchell Fernie Vintage Sign Decor! Mitchell's designs are original vintage signs that are hand-lettered and antiqued with a true vintage look. One of our favorite things! This Vintage Sign Decor is certainly reflective of a love of history, woodworking, typography and illustration. Each sign has been finished with marine-grade varnish, signed by the artist and ready to hang in your home. The signs are  interior and exterior heirloom-quality paintings of your favorite memory of Maine (and beyond). Mitchell Fernie had been a practicing Graphic Designer since the mid 80's and always had a great love of type, design and the creative process.

A Maine House Mosaic

"Although the advent of computers has opened up a whole new world of creativity to us all, I found myself missing the hands-on creative aspect. My Vintage Sign Decor employ these aspects. Each piece is handmade by myself at my Cumberland, Maine studio and reclaimed materials are used whenever possible. My work is currently in collections throughout the US, Canada and Europe."  Be certain to visit Cumberland while visiting Maine and don't miss these places of interest!

Estelle's had planned on a few good appetizers to welcome us home

 after our beautiful weekend excursion!

Estelle's Cheesy Pepperoni Dip with Pizza Crust Dippers

2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 cup pizza or spaghetti sauce

1 cup chopped pepperoni

1 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

black pepper to taste

 

Pizza Crust Dippers:

2 13.8-oz cans of refrigerated pizza dough (Pillsbury or similar)

1/2 cup olive oil

4 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Blend cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, and garlic powder until smooth. Spread in a baking dish. Spoon pizza sauce on cream cheese and sprinkle with pepperoni and green pepper. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Roll out pizza dough and cut into triangles; lay each one on an oven crisper sheet. Brush each triangle with olive oil. Combine cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder and sprinkle evenly over each triangle. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

Estelle's Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a small baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the pre-heated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with garlic pita wedges, bagel chips, or crackers.

A Blissful Second Chapter!

The Maine House discovers the story behind "The Lumby Series!"

Looking out on the front yard, you see a placid, moss-colored pond fringed by a lush forest of maple and oak trees. Out of  an elegant little home office, Gail Fraser creates her series of books known as The Lumby Series.




These are endearing stories of small town life as told by eccentric townsfolk!

.

Born and raised in Rye, New York, Gail attended the Rye High School before continuing on to major in English and receive an AA from Colby Sawyer College. Gail then studied at the University of London before returning to Skidmore College where she earned her BA in English Education. She completed her MBA at the University of Connecticut, with graduate work done at Harvard University.


 For more than 20 years, Gail worked as a senior executive strategic consultant, traveling the globe to advise clients on revamping product introduction and fraud management. Her desire was to build a house in Virginia! She hired Art Poulin as her Architect. Art and Gail were married two weeks after he completed her house!


Once they married, she took a chance and leap of faith on her secret passion which was to become a novelist! The creation of her secret dream evolved and... Lumby, USA was born! Gail developed, in her imagination, stories of a  "one-moose" town that is home to the country's oldest apple tree, quirky neighbors and a monastery. Gail's first novel, The Lumby Lines, was published in 2005. So long Corporate World!!!

Gail and Art relocated to upstate New York

 and live on a 40 acre farm which they refer to as "Lazy Goose".

 Art retired from architecture and pursued his life-long dream of painting folk art.

When Art is not painting and Gail is not writing, they take time for their second passion, which is cooking! "The kitchen is the heart of our home...where we make time to be together." As a couple, they create delicious meals such as Tuscan Pork Medallions or Roasted Leg of Lamb with Frangelica-Drizzled Rum Cake!

 Gail is also an avid stoneware potter, gardener and cook and enjoys tending to their orchard and bee hives most every morning.

Tuscan Pork Medallions
3/4 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1-in. slices
1/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 thin slices prosciutto or deli ham, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup chopped plum tomatoes
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese


Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook pork in butter until no longer pink. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, saute prosciutto in the drippings until browned. Add garlic and sage; cook 1 minute longer. Add vinegar, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in the cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add tomatoes and pork; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with basil and cheese.

Camille

And if life does imitate art, it is at Lazy Goose, where real world angst and intrusions give way to humor and gentleness, where any soul brave enough to risk life and limb on “the driveway” will escape into the fictional provinces created within Fraser’s novels and Poulin’s folk art canvases.
"Lumby is a state of mind, not just a fictitious town.
 It's a story of hope and faith....and of integrity always winning out."

Summer Vegetable Garden at Lazy Goose

Shepherding, Shearing and Spinning!

The Maine House is hosting Afternoon Tea as we learn  how a passion from a young girl,  grew and developed into a vibrant resource!

I, myself,  have always had a passion for sheep. My aunt and uncle in Ohio raised sheep for a short time and perhaps this is what first gave me an awareness of their beauty. From time to time, I research sheep and have framed beautiful pictures of sheep throughout my home. Recently, I came across someone else who seemed to have a love for sheep and thought how interesting it was to learn about the manner in which her passion became .....

"Esther's Place!"

Natasha Lehrer's  inspiration came from the legacy of the agrarian lifestyle (1.pro-farmer: promoting the interests of farmers, especially by seeking a more equitable basis of land ownership 2. of rural life: dominated by or relating to farming or rural life 3. of land: relating to land, especially its ownership and cultivation)
 surrounding her home on the Midwestern prairie.  Natasha had moved with her parents as a teenager from Chicago to the small village of Big Rock, Illinois. Although not anticipating the awakening of her entrepreneurial spirit, she settled into rural life and after a while,  she considered raising sheep. One kind soul gave her a spinning wheel and fatefully the Lehrer house, recently purchased, came with a loom. Natasha taught herself the trade of shepherding after purchasing one mother ewe and a lamb.

In the fall of 2005, at the age of 19, Natasha won a USDA grant for single-use agriculture. She then purchased a large and rambling Victorian home and "Esther's Place" was born! Natasha connected the two worlds of farming and fiber arts and began teaching weaving and spinning classes, as her sheep grazed the pastures surrounding her new home!

Natasha has created a life of shearing, spinning and shepherding to produce man-made fibers from her shop and retreat center.


We pay tribute to Natasha Lehrer,  as she strives to preserve the process of her passion; raising Cheviot sheep and supporting local farmers. This is a house where Natasha's vision rings true...a place where all are warmly welcomed to learn, laugh, linger and be inspired.

Blissful Vanilla Bean Cake

3 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 whole vanilla bean, split
2 sticks, plus 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cup milk
5 egg whites
1 Tbsp vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom of 3 8" pans. Line each with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the mixer on low speed, blend well. With the tip of a small knife, scrape out the seeds from inside the vanilla bean into the bowl. Add the butter and 1 cup of milk and mix to blend. Raise the mixer speed to medium and beat until batter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with the vanilla extract and the remaining 1/3 cup of milk. Add this to the batter in 2 to 3 additions, scraping down the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate. Divide among your pans. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks. Remove the paper and cool completely, about an hour.

Blissful White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 cup butter, softened (Do Not Substitute)
2 cups confectioners' sugar
6 ounces white chocolate , melted and cooled
3 to 5 tablespoons whipping cream

In a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners sugar at low speed until fluffy. Add in melted and cooled white chocolate and whipping cream (start with 3 tablespoons and add in more to achieve desired consistency). Beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes, scraping the bowl with a spatula.

Estelle's Friendship Tea (from my original Bell's Best)
1 18- ounce jar of Tang
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup of Lemonade Mix
1/2 cup instant tea
1 3- ounce package of Apricot Jello
2 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
Boiling water

Combine first 7 ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir very well. Pour and store in an air tight container. To serve, place 1 1/2 tablespoon of mix into a teacup and add 1 cup of boiling water.

"Winter...A lingering season,

is a time to gather golden moments,

 embark on a sentimental journey

and enjoy every idle hour."

 John Boswell