August 2013
In addition to sharing in a really special moment, a wedding often provides a chance to experience a place in a unique and very personal way. This is how I came to experience Maine for the first time. I arrived ready to help a wedding come together, and I left ready to return as soon as possible!
I couldn’t have asked for bluer skies or more perfect days. I couldn’t have asked for better hosts and all around hospitality from the wedding family. I befriended Mainers, breathed fresh air, swam in a lake, and ate local specialties (including lobster rolls!).
The wedding meal was as local as local can be. Chickens were butchered , and roots were unearthed just a day prior to the ceremony. The meal could have been from a revered local restaurant, but instead, we were eating and celebrating, in an historical barn, as two newlyweds twirled and danced in love. It was all perfect!
One of the many personal touches to the wedding was the flower design. The seeds were a gift from the bride’s sister, and her mom grew, picked and arranged all the flowers for the wedding.
While I was away enjoying flowers, food and friends far from home, my little Julep went about her normal routines. She slept in her own bed and walked the same hills all thanks to a helpful friend with a big place in his heart for my little one. As a thank you to him, I set the table Maine style.
August in Maine is a time for blueberries and corn, and of course, it’s a time for lobster!
My Maine meal featured an avocado and lobster salad and the oddly named Blueberry Schlumpf. I wonder where my next wanderings will take me and what the next puppy-watching payback meal will feature?
These Maine inspired recipes will follow in subsequent posts.
Stay tuned!
ps: Being welcomed home by a puppy is one of the best feelings in the world!
