Black Olive Salsa

Salsa and chips with tomatoes

Black Olive Salsa Black Olive Salsa is a great impromptu salsa that only takes a few minutes to prepare. Because it is one of our favorite appetizers, I always try to keep the ingredients on hand. At Mead Meadow, this is lovingly known as “Dana’s Salsa”.  Our dear friend and neighbor, Dana, introduced us to this…

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Anna’s Banana Bread

Sliced banana bread with knife and flower

Our very special Granddaughter, Anna, is visiting us at Mead Meadow. Anna loves banana bread and we wanted to make one of her favorite things together. We chose banana bread because everyone calls her Anna Banana. She told me to tell everyone she really doesn’t like bananas, but, there is one exception and that is…

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Kittery Clam Dip

Snack platter with chips and dip

Kittery Clam Dip We have a tradition of going to Cape Cod every fall, it is kind of our version of the Big Chill weekend. I have made Kittery Clam Dip for so many years that I thought everyone would be tired of it by now. Not the case, I asked if I should bring something else…

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Basil Pesto

Homemade pesto on wooden tray

Basil Pesto Pesto has so many uses and it is so easy to make, I love to have it on hand. I frequently buy a little extra basil so I can make pesto and freeze it. This recipe is another great one from my dear friend Joan. Many years ago, Joan gave me this recipe…

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Small Chocolate Whoopie Pie

Dessert on decorative plate

I first tasted Whoopie Pies a few weeks ago, and soon thereafter learned that they are Maine’s official “state treat”.   I liked them but I thought I would like them even more if I made them myself.  I studied various recipes and this combination is my favorite. It is not as cake-like as others I…

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Tuscan Shrimp with White Beans

Seafood dish with herbs and beans

This recipe combines beans with shrimp, instead of pasta.  Our dear friends Sue and Jeff made this for us while we were visiting in Connecticut, and we had to share it with you. The flavor is great, it makes a beautiful presentation, and it is so quick and easy to make. You can use serrano…

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Toffee Bars

Sweet treats on plate with milk

This is a family favorite. My grandfather’s sister,  Jo, was one of my favorite people. When I was the head cook at the local nursing home in college, Great Aunt Jo lived there and I would stop and see her every day before I went home.   I grew up on a farm in the midwest…

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Spring Cocktail with Lillet Rosé

Grapefruit cocktail with Lillet bottle

Lillet is a French aperitif wine made in Podensac, a small village south of Bordeaux. It is a blend of Bordeaux grapes and citrus liqueurs.  The mixture is blended in oak vats and aged as a Bordeaux wine.  It is nicely balanced, not too sweet and not too bitter.  We love it mixed with grapefruit…

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Granola with Nuts and Fruit

Healthy breakfast granola bowl

Store bought granola often has preservatives, artificial flavors, excessive vegetable oil and loads of sugar.  Also, most companies add sulfuric acid or sulfur dioxide to help preserve the dried fruit’s vibrant color.  We prefer to use unsulfured, unsweetened dried fruit; cranberries are an exception to the unsweetened rule as they are bitter without being sweetened.  Homemade granola is one of our…

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Lamb Stew with Vegetables

Delicious homemade beef stew bowl

This stew is made with lamb, carrots, potatoes, green beans and turnips.  We first made this stew  in Paris when our youngest son Brian was on the track team.  We had three young men from the Netherlands team staying with us for a track meet.  I tripled this recipe thinking that there would be enough for Peter…

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