Dunkin' Donuts

As many of you know, I hate Dunkin' Donuts. It's one of the few things in this world that I truly cannot stand. This is mostly based on things that all coffee providers share: styrofoam waste, stupid advertising, ubiquitous storefronts, and subpar products. But DD irks me, regardless of the fact that Starbucks is also ubiquitous and gas station coffee providers are basically clones of DD. You know what really kills me? The cold cups inside a styrofoam cup. You really can't stand the condensation on the outside of the cup? Really?!

But, I was still interested in trying the Dunkin' Pumpkin coffee. I figured I'd give it a shot, expecting the worst but fearing that it would be so yummy I'd have to continue purchasing cup after cup. So on Tuesday I stopped at one of the many DD stores on my way to work and picked up a small Pumpkin hot coffee for $1.50. I asked for just cream, whatever that means. I was shocked by my first sip - so sweet! I was pretty sure I asked for only cream but it tasted like a heaping spoon of sugar had been mixed in. The coffee tasted like a cheap candy bar. We all know the cheap chocolates you can get during the holidays: cheap chocolate coins, little figures like snowmen and presents made of chocolate. That waxy, not flavorful chocolate that you eat only because it's there. The coffee had a cheap-tasting flavoring and was super sweet, way overboard for what I expected. And where did that sugar come from???

I checked the website. Turns out, the following are the ingredients for my Pumpkin coffee: Brewed 100% Arabica Coffee, Pumpkin Spice Syrup [Skim Milk, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Brown Sugar, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Salt], Light Cream [Milk, Cream, Disodium Phosphate (Stabilizer), Sodium Citrate (Stabilizer)]. I thought I was getting coffee with cream! I didn't realize they put a shot of pumpkin syrup in with the coffee. (I figured it was pumpkin flavored beans...) In a small there are 160 calories and 18% of my daily dose of saturated fat. GEEZ.

So sure, it tastes like a candy bar. It was good, for all intents and purposes. But I'd never want that kind of supersweet drink every morning. There's a reason I take my coffee with milk only, no sugar.

Fall Wedding #2: Garry and Beth

This post should also be titled "Beach Plum Extravaganza III" because I will unveil a photo of the final jam jar count. But first, the wedding.

Garry works with me at The Crane Estate. We were both hired last spring, I as a Naturalist and he as the Field Educator. (He's the lucky one since his position is full-time year-round.) We've been working together on Estate programs for the past two seasons - he deals with the summer camp and I deal with the beach.

A co-worker's wedding is an entirely different beast. I don't know any of the couple's friends or family and to be honest I've only spent time with Garry, outside of work, a handful of times. But through working at the same place and sharing the same interests we've developed a friendship and the few times I've gotten to hang out with Beth have been wonderful. I've also gotten to meet Garry's mom and dad because they've helped out with the overnight camp two years in a row.

But still, going into it I was a little nervous purely because I only knew four people well: the bride and groom and my other co-worker Megan and her husband. Luckily everyone he knows is very outgoing and I had a great time!

The wedding took place at work, with the ceremony on a lawn overlooking the beautiful marsh and the reception in the barn.

I've never seen the barn look so good! Normally it's filled with summer camp stuff and lots of kids. Or it has a bunch of stuff stacked everywhere in storage. Megan and I oohed and aahed at the beautiful stone work and wooden beams that we never look at because we're always distracted by kids!

And the main attraction was, of course, my plum jam! Each jar was both a favor and a place card so when I got to the table there were already a few missing. I made a total of 95 four ounce jars and three 8 ounce jars over the course of a a few weeks and I'm very glad to be finished.

I enjoyed the wedding very much and met some great new people. It's too bad this Friday is my last day at work and anything could happen while I'm in the off-season. Perhaps I'll be back but so much hangs in the balance.

And finally, I'm going to give the photographers a shout out because they were awesome and the engagement photos were gorgeous! I highly recommend Kristen and Matt Scott :).

Single Stream Recycling!

What could be more exciting than the introduction of single stream recycling city-wide in Somerville? Certainly not the beginning of fall, not the upcoming weekend full of weddings and events, or even baking multiple pumpkin pies last week. (Well, honestly I am kind of excited for fall and this weekend's wedding.)

For those not in "the know", single stream recycling means no more sorting at home. All recyclables are thrown into the same bin! This makes the consumer's life extremely easy so long as he or she can remember that dirty containers and things like wooden clementine boxes or metal pots are not recyclable. I read in our dear little community magazine that single stream recycling was on it's way, and then checked Somerville's website for the start date (our bin was delivered this past weekend).

I knew when I searched for single stream recycling I would find some kind of debate amongst the inter webs. Apparently, broken glass and other shards of stuff end up in the fiber recycling factories and mess up the process of making new paper. This is a big concern for those factories, and also a safety concern for the collection workers (in relation to the broken glass). But on the positive side, single stream greatly increases the amount that consumers recycle! In some cities the amount of stuff that should be recycled can increase to 75 percent! (Here and here are articles briefly discussing the pros and cons.)

So congratulations, Somervillians! You are now the proud residents of a city with awesome recycling! I hope we can increase our recycling rate by bunches and make this world a better place!

WEGMANS

Wegmans is a beautiful place. It is where low prices are combined with excellent foods and the best food shopping experience I've had that I can actually afford.

I've been to my fair share of Wegmans grocery stores through the years after living in Rochester NY for five years (through college and my "super senior" year). Not every store is great (especially "Ghetto" Wegs off of East Ave, or the store in Henrietta). I've also been to the flagship store ("Super" Wegs) in Pittsford many times and basked in all of its glory. For those who have never visited a Wegmans, it's like Whole Foods but affordable. They have Wegmans-brand foods that are good if not better than the originals, they often have a delicious prepared foods sections where they serve everything from sushi to tandoor chicken to pizza, and the deli is always reliable.

After moving to the Boston area and transitioning to Stop & Shop and Shaws, I have come to yearn for a Wegmans store. Trader Joe's is completely awesome, don't get me wrong, but it lacks the huge selection of a large grocery store. Wegmans is the awesome product of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's: inexpensive and delicious. Both TJs and Wegmans will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Which leads me to today, the opening of the new and enormous Wegmans store in Northborough, MA. It is 138,000 square feet of food joy and it was swarming with people...

I brought two great ladies with me, Katie and Deirdra, and we steeled ourselves for the crush we knew would come within the store walls. I'm sure thousands of people planned to attend the opening and the parking lot was chock full of people. We found an excellent space, they signed up for Shoppers Club cards (I, of course, have a card that I got in my freshman year of college), and grabbed some carts.

Boy was it packed in there but we persevered (can you find Katie?)...

...and here is my pile of treasures! I've got recipes all lined up: lemon risotto, a pasta dish with cherry tomatoes, bacon and chicken, and a hearty soup with artichoke hearts and cannellini beans. Yay! I recommend that everyone make the trip out to Wegmans - you'll get the warm and fuzzies :).

And for all you Parks & Rec fans out there...

Dramatic Weather

I finally convinced enough friends to take a trip out to my workplace for some kayaking. Ten of us all together attempted to paddle the typically calm waters of Essex Bay. However, very few of us survived...

Well, I should say that the wind was really incredible and made it nearly impossible to paddle anywhere at all. So about half of us had to turn around and return to base, while the other half valiantly continued on, crossing the open water to Round Island and disembarking for a few minutes.

Here we are, awaiting the return of our fellow paddlers...

This all made me rather nervous, as I was in the first group that didn't make it past the marsh grass. Since I was 100% liable for any accidents or injuries, and for a time wasn't entirely sure what the other group intended to do, I started to run through all the terrible scenarios in my mind (at least I have only two weeks left of work so if I got fired it wouldn't rain on too much of the parade).

I am happy to report that everyone made it back to shore, soaking wet from the flying salt spray but in one piece. Then we ventured to Russell Orchard for apple cider donuts, cookies, hot apple cider, and pumpkins. Finally, we chowed on burgers at the Choate Bridge Pub in Ipswich. A North Shore experience for all!

 Fall has definitely arrived :).

Beach Plum Extravaganza II

More photographic evidence of my never-ending canning sessions...

Fall Where Are You?

What happened to fall? It peeked through my window today, but I want full-blown fall weather to move in! I did not enjoy sweating this weekend - I thought I was done feeling gross all day, working in the hot sun at the beach and making my tan lines even worse (the sandal tan was finally beginning to fade!).

I really enjoy snuggling under the down comforter, leaving the window open a crack so that my room is chilly in the morning when I get up. I can't snuggle if my room stays 75 degrees! In fact, I had to remove the comforter and replace it with a light blanket so I could sleep through the last week or so of this crazy weather.

The week before, when the high was 60 degrees, I busted out my down vest, fall jackets, jeans, and sweaters. I got to wear layers to work. I didn't have to worry about sunscreen so much. I could take a walk down the beach in a sweatshirt and still feel a chill. And then this weekend the masses came out from under their rocks, drove to the beach, packed our parking lot, and wanted to know why the concession stand was closed! (Duh, our summer help is back in school.)

Anyway, I just wanted to remind Mother Nature that fall, the most beautiful and enjoyable season of the year, is greatly missed by me. Send some cooler weather my way!

Beach Plum Extravaganza

My colleague at the Crane Estate, Garry, is getting married on October 22nd. He and his fiance Beth invited me to the wedding. The wedding is at Crane, with the ceremony happening on the lawn at the Inn and the reception in the barn. It's going to be a lovely wedding in a beautiful setting that I never, ever, get tired of looking at - I'm excited!

So Garry and I were talking one day and he mentioned wanting to make beach plum jam to give as favors (and serve as place cards). This was in early July when we really didn't know what kind of plum season it was going to be. I offered to make the jam as my gift to them since neither he nor Beth have ever canned anything before.

As it turned out, very few plums grew on the bushes at work and the season was a bust. We even had to change the theme of the canning workshop (that I ran) from beach plum jam to rose hip jelly! And Garry and Beth were super bummed. So I went out in search of plums and found some sneaky little fruits hidden away in a more remote part of the property.

After many days of picking, Garry and Beth collected somewhere around 37 cups of beach plums in the hope that I could make about 90 four-ounce jars of jam. This was stretching it but I said I'd see what I could do!

At this point, you may be asking, what is a beach plum?

 

Beach plums are about the size of a giant blueberry, dark purple in color, and with a rather large pit. They grow at the beach, usually on the landward side of the first set of dunes (protected from most salt spray and weather). It's a pretty tart fruit but a nice little treat if you can lay your hands on one.


The canning process if fairly simple: using either fresh or frozen plums, pit them and chop them up, then add the chopped plums and sugar (using a 1:1 ratio) to a large, heavy bottomed pot and bring to a hard boil for one minute. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Pour into jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

For a nice article on beach plums and a more thorough recipe, click here. My recipe comes from a book called Plum Crazy, published in the early 1970s.

I am making the jam in batches of 5 cups plums and 5 cups sugar, and I'm recruiting help from those I know who love to can! Kesley and Lena helped me this evening, pitting and ladling and processing soooo many jars.

Once the whole process is over I will hopefully remember to write an update!

Weekend Activities

I had a weekend FULL of activities, with good friends and lovely (although summery) weather. Because of this, I have neglected my blog and therefore must make it up with an extremely long post full of photos :).

Activity #1 Kayaking in Essex Bay

I work in one of the most beautiful places on Earth and love to share it with others. Luckily Joe visited over a great weekend, with the weather in the mid-70s and a bright sun shining over us. We set off from the boat dock at Crane and paddled around Round Island, between Long Island and Choate Island, and then back to the boat dock. Then we relaxed on the beach (with swimsuits!) and had lunch.

Activity #2 Fried Clams in Essex

As you may know, I don't like seafood. But fried clams are such a North Shore/New England experience that I had to take Joe to the "inventor" of the fried clam, Woodman's. Now they weren't bad, but I really don't need to eat fried clams too many more times in my life. They mostly tasted like the fried batter but did have a weird chewy texture (I layered on the tartar sauce).

Activity #3 Boston Local Food Festival

I attended the BLFF last year and had a great time until I tried to get into the Craft Beer, Wine and Mead Tasting. Then the festival took a turn for the worse when the Tasting was chock full of people and half the vendors had run out of alcohol. So this year, in an act of proactive-ness, I bought tickets in advance and chose the mid-afternoon session. It worked! The event was much more pleasant, I got to try each vendor's offerings, and there was a decent amount of elbow room. I highly recommend the BLFF - it's super fun, there are a ton of different foods to try and booths to check out, and then you can attend the beer, wine and mead tasting!

Activity #4 Harpoon Octoberfest

Last year I really wanted to attend Harpoon's Octoberfest but for some reason I had to miss it. About two months ago I joined the Friend of Harpoon program with the hope that I would get a sweet deal for the supposedly awesome beer festival. In the end, I got VIP access to the event but no other discount. Sorta lame if you ask me (although if you go on Friday you do get half off). Anyway, it turns out Harpoon Octoberfest is just a clusterf&*# of young people who are all waiting in line to get a beer. They fill an entire parking lot with people and provide mostly just beer, with a few musical acts mixed in. At least I got a cup!

Here is the swag I received from BLFF and Octoberfest:

Activity #5 Davis Square Octoberfest, Harvard Square Octoberfest, and the Honk Festival

Of course there had to be more drinking so on Sunday we went to the Davis Square Octoberfest, then moved on to the Harvard Square Octoberfest and while there we overheard some bands participating in the Honk Festival. We had a beer at Charlie's Kitchen, then listened in to some of the fun (yet slightly smelly) bands who are parading around Cambridge and Somerville this weekend.

And finally...

Activity #6 Breakfast

To begin each morning we made a delicious breakfast complete with bacon, pumpkin pancakes (with peach and apple butters), eggs, mini cinnamon buns, hash browns, coffee, and juice. On Saturday we had a large group for yummy food and on Sunday a more intimate gathering of three.  Breakfast really made the weekend for me :).

Overall, what a fantastic three days full of fun and good friends. I loved seeing everyone and hope to have another great weekend soon!  For now, I have to take the week to recover!