The Best Advice I Ever Got By Katie Couric

I borrowed this book from the library and found it to be an inspirational read.  At first I thought that I would skim through and read perhaps just the pages by people whom I recognized.  I found it to not only be a quick read but one with many hidden golden nuggets of thoughtful advice.

One of my favorites, in it's entirety is Martha Stewarts advice to Gather the Good Things:

So the pie isn't perfect? Cut it into wedges. When faced with a challenge, evaluate or assess the situation, gather the good things in sight, abandon the bad, clear your mind, and move on.  Focus on the positive. Stay in control, and never panic. 


I did not know anything about Katie Couric before I read this book and although it is not about her- there are snippets of her own life story which is both insightful and sad.

Lobster

 Clearwater is the largest lobster harvesting and storage plant in Canada.  It is also the inventor and operator of the worlds only ‘Dryland Pound Storage System’. Clearwater prides itself on harvesting the best lobsters from the waters of the Canadian North Atlantic. 

Generally lobsters are at their plumpest - the ‘meat’ fills the whole shell- during the months of January through July.  By storing them in ice cold water and slowing down their metabolisms- Clearwater is able to supply their consumers with prime lobster all year round.  

 

 Using a computer and laser system to accurately measure the weight of each lobster as they make their way down a conveyor belt they are also checked for any damage as well blood protein levels.  By determining how high the blood levels are biologist are able to establish the longest time they can be stored without loosing their ‘meatiness’.  

The innovative storage system is designed to create a minimum stress environment for the lobsters and allows them to be stored when their blood proteins are at the highest. 

Gerald gave us a tour of the Clearwater in Arichat, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

This lobster is approximately 30 years old and weights about six pounds

Compartments which mimic a lobster’s natural habitat pump over five million liters of sea water through the ‘lobster hotels’ every hour- thus enabling Clearwater lobsters to maintain their health and weight.  Clearwater ships all over the world with a large consumer base in China and Japan as well as North America. 

This is a female with eggs


Clearwater does not accept small (baby) lobsters, damaged/ harmed lobsters or female lobsters with eggs.  Females keep their eggs attached to their hair like hairs under their bellies.  In the uncommon scenario that a female with eggs is brought in such as this one they are stored in a separate holding area and released.  

This is the batch we got

 We were lucky enough to take our lobster 'home' and cook it a few hours later- Delicious! 

Greeting from Cape Breton!

this moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~soulemama

Forts

My monkeys like to make forts

I found that great vintage sheet while thrifting 

My monkeys get very disappointed when their cardboard creations are recycled- but such is cycle of life

Can you picture the forts you used to build as a kid? 

The bed fort photos were originally featured at Vintage Is For Lovers

Berry Syrup

To make:

cook down about three cups of berries- I used raspberries, blue berries and strawberries.

add half a cup of water and half a cup of white sugar-

strain through metal mesh

I like to add the syrup to snow cones, water and ice cream

It keeps well for a few months in the fridge

I saved the leftover seeds in a separate jar and added white vinegar- in about a month I will strain the seeds out and use the vinegar for salad dressings. 

Squash Flower A Potchky To Make

I saw these for sale at the Farmers Market- I was told they are the male flower of squash and that they have a slight squashy flavor. 

I bought them and brought them home

Not sure how to cook them I decided to stuff them

Spinach, onions and nuts

folded the petals over

fried them

and ate them with scallops (and a floret of broccoli) 

We didn't really taste the squash flavor- a bit of a potchky* to make. 

*potchky: Yiddish for lots of work for small return 

Take a look at our non-kosher scallops though- those were amazing- Dr. J invented a sauce using fresh herbs from our garden: sage and oregano, shallots, olive oil, butter and lime as well as lime zest. 

Do you ever make something and think 'well that was hardly worth the effort'?

Have you ever cooked squash flowers?