News — Living in Maine

This month- there is a world wide movement- Plastic Free July with the goal of raising awareness and challenging people to do something about single use plastic.  Single use plastic is plastic that is essentially used one time and then discarded.  Straws, coffee cups, lids, take out containers.  Basically anything that is convenient, quick and saves time. 

It's not that plastics are inherently evil.  The Plastic Free July organization has a really interesting perspective on plastics- "Plastics were developed in the early 20th century and were environmentally important, replacing ivory, tortoiseshell, horn and other plant and animal products. By the 1960's plastic had gone from being used in durable items to widespread use including disposable plastic packaging."  When you think about all the plant and animal products that have been saved you realize plastics have a place in our society and often especially with medicine and agriculture the benefits of plastic can make life better.  

The problem is we have too much of a good thing.  We are simply using way, way, way too much plastic- it's everywhere and it's created a host of problems.  "Everypiece of plastic ever produced still remains somewhere in the earth today. In the last half of the 20th century over 1 billion tons of plastic was produced. This figure has already doubled in the first ten years of this century."  One of the biggest culprits is single use plastic, in the USA over 500 million straws are used daily.  

And while many people recycle household plastic, single use plastic is the least likely to be recycled.  We tend to use these plastic products at events, concerts and while traveling.  Often our recycled plastic is sent to a developing country where we can't see it but it's still there.  There may also be health issues related to plastic especially with food stored or cooked in plastic.  And finally just the trash that is filling our land and oceans.  Plastic pollution in the oceans affects all sea creatures.  According to the Ocean Conservancy the biggest source of ocean pollution is plastic beverage containers.  They break down into smaller and smaller pieces and are often mistaken for food by hungry animals.  

The best way to get started on your Plastic Free Journey is to visit Plastic Free July and take the Pesky Plastic Quiz.  Answering the questions will give you a great starting place to make a change in your life.  I guarantee once you get started you won't look back.  

Resources to get you started- 

From the Plastic Free Mermaid a free downloaded e-book Plastic Free July Guidebook

Another resource from Treading My Own Path has Enough is Enough- 18 Ideas for Embracing a Life With Less Waste and Less Stuff.  She also writes great blogs with practical tips, her latest is How to Buy Milk, Yogurt and Cheese Without Plastic. 

Follow Australian writer and activist Anita Horn on Facebook, her page is devoted to Plastic Free Produce.  It's an easy one to start because many of our fruits and vegetables are beautifully packaged by Mother Nature.

If your idea of a good time is sitting outside listening to the birds chirp and watching your garden grow while sipping a fruity, boozy drink then infused vodkas are for you.

I first read about infusing vodkas in the cookbook "How to Be a Domestic Goddess" by Nigella Lawson.  Her rhubarb schnapps recipe caught my eye.  Living in Maine rhubarb is one of the first things to pop up in the garden and this was a new way to preserve it.

I've been tinkering with infused vodkas ever since.  I tend to focus on seasonal fruits but my Finnish friend told me wonderful stories about herbal infused vodkas that pair beautifully with fish.

You need three simple ingredients- fruit, sugar and vodka.

 Plus big glass jars.  I don't recommend plastic.  The easiest jars to repurpose usually contained a vinegar based product so wash quite a few times.  Otherwise you'll end up with this slightly vinegar note that is so disappointing.  

It's a bit of a balancing act and a mystery how much sugar to add.  If you are super serious about the process- keep notes but remember you are working with natural ingredients and there will always be variation due to weather and growing conditions.  In general, I use more sugar because my favorite way to enjoy is to sip from a glass filled with vodka, a slice of citrus and lots and lots of ice.  I found if I skimped on the sugar it has a raw taste.  If the infusion is too sweet I can tone it down by adding seltzer, juice or water to dilute.

Strawberry Rhubarb Liquor

1 lb rhubarb chopped and 1 cup sugar

1 lb strawberries  and 1/2 cup sugar

Combine fruit and sugar in a large bowl and mix to coat fruit evenly with sugar.  Put in glass jar, fill with vodka.  Shake.  Store in cool, dark cupboard for at least 6 weeks.  Strain into a pitcher and pour into a fancy bottle.  Viola- perfect holiday gifts and what a treat it is to sip summer fruit on a snowy winter's night.

If you keep vodka and sugar on hand you are ready for whatever is in season is in season. You don't have to make big batches, have fun experimenting with flavors and combinations in small jars.  

And finally the trash- I composed my rhubarb and strawberry bits, the strawberry baskets I'll see if my local farm can reuse them first or  compost or recycle.  The vodka bottle can be returned for my bottle deposit and the sugar bag will get recycled.  That's not to bad for waste.

Happy infusing!  I'd love to hear about your adventures and combinations.

Here in Maine, spring is sometimes really late coming.  For months now my Facebook feed has been full of flowers and green grass from my friends further south.  But after a week of rain, the sun finally came out and it feels like spring has arrived.  The first daffodils have unfolded, the forsythia is blooming, and the symphony of lawnmowers and chainsaws has begun.

For us, the promise of spring started months and months ago, back when there were still snow drifts on the ground. We grow all the botanicals, flowers and herbs that go into our products but we also grow most of the veggies that we eat all season long and through the winter.  Back in February the first seeds were sown for this summer’s harvest.  Three trays of onions that steadily grew and grew as the days got longer and longer.  Four weeks ago we moved them to the outside greenhouse to make room for the trays of flowers, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs.  Our living room is filled with green, busting at the seams, as the plants grow.  In a few short weeks, once we are sure that the nighttime frost will not return, they will be carefully placed outside and the hard work of summer will begin.

This weekend we celebrated spring by transplanting or potting up the majority of our vegetables and flowers.  We cleared off the picnic table, mixed batches and batches of potting soil and rooted through the shed to find the right size pots for our precious babies.  As we worked together the barbecue was going in the background with the promise of an amazing dinner once the work was done.  One person worked, gently uprooting the small plant, while the other prepared its new home.  Once the plant was snugly tucked into its new abode we gently watered them before bringing them back inside.  Its still too cold here in Maine for some of tender plants that we grow to live outside…just yet.

It’s a labor of love to grow these plants from seed all the way through till the end.  It would be much easier to just buy the tomatoes, the onions, the lavender, the thyme.  But that is not what we believe in here at Dulse & Rugosa.  We know that the tomatoes that you grow will taste better than any other.  In the depths of winter when we reach into the root cellar and pull out our onions, potatoes, and squash something magical happens.  Even though its winter a glimmer of summer shows through.  The same magic happens each time I go to make our shower shots or our seaweed shampoo bars.  I open the glass jar filled with rugosa rose petals and I am back on Gotts Island, next to the ocean reaching for the petals, avoiding the thorns, and breathing in the heavy scents of roses, salt, and the summer sun.

 

There is a magic in growing plants.  And each spring as the small, hard, dry seeds magically turn into bountiful flowers, succulent fruits and verdant vegetables I am reminded of how lucky I am to a part of this process.  I cherish spring for its power, magic and most of all the return of GREEN.  Spring has finally sprung here in Maine and we are sooo excited. 

Maine blueberries are extraordinary and these great qualities provide us with some valuable life advice.  

Embrace Diversity- Maine blueberries are genetically diverse, a mix of colors from a medium blue to a purple almost black.  This mix makes for a rich, sweet vibrant flavor.  We need diversity in our lives.  Diversity is easy to find by mixing it up, changing some habits, taking a class, smiling at strangers, traveling or trying a new food.  If you want to try a healthy new drink check out this blog about making Kombucha.  You could even make a blueberry Kombucha.  

Bigger is not Always Better- Maine blueberries are not big but they are mighty.  Maine blueberries can have up to 2X the nutritional benefits of cultivated berries and yet they are tiny.  So, no matter your size, shape or height- embrace and love yourself.  Learn more about finding your best self at La Dolce Vita Lifestyle.

We’re Better in Bunches- It takes a lot of Maine blueberries to make a pie.  That’s OK because we are better in bunches.  We need each other to reach our goals.  Here’s a great blog about empowerment.

Be a Bit Wild-  Maine blueberries are wild, they are not cultivated.  They are cared for and tended but remain wild.  Being wild is OK for us humans too.  Of course with everything moderation is the key but kick back with a Maine inspired cocktail.

After the Wild Comes the Sweet- Maine blueberries have an intense sweet flavor.  They are perfect for pancakes, muffins, coffee cakes and pies.  Here are recipes for cooking just about anything with sweet Maine blueberries.

Made in Maine- Maine blueberries are America’s finest.  And Maine Made, products made right here in Maine are America’s best  You’ll find a wide variety of high quality crafts at the Maine Made site.

I hope you're inspired to live life to the fullest and to eat more blueberries.

Yesterday at sunset, walking out the door of the Samoset, I overheard a little girl “from away” say to her dad, “Wow, I think I’m in heaven.”  The sun was just setting and it was gorgeous- so lovely social media posts were filled with shots of the red mingling to pink sky.  The family continued to talk about how you just don’t get views like this back home.

They are right, there is a reason Maine is known as vacationland and I consider myself lucky to live here.  Here are my top six reasons why I love Maine.

Beauty

Maine is just so beautiful.  I drive to work and marvel at my views.  I have roads I love to take because of ocean, mountain, sky.  The colors in fall especially as the sun hits the tress and shimmers in lovely blue light makes me wish I was a poet.

The Ocean

I see the ocean everyday and make a point to appreciate the changing seasons and moods reflected in the water.  Our local dog park is water friendly and I love to end my afternoons breathing in the salt air and watching dogs swim and fetch sticks.  Going to the beach with your dog is fun, here's a list of dog friendly Maine beaches.

Lobsters

We’re famous for lobsters here in Maine.  Coming home from Farm Markets there is always a traffic jam in Wiscasset- people are lined up for Red’s Eats famous lobster rolls.  Then there is the boiled lobster dipped in butter, lobster mac and cheese and even lobster sausage.  The Maine Lobster Festival happens every year in Rockland and this is an opportunity to celebrate all things lobsters.

Blueberries

Blueberry season starts the end of July.  Maine blueberries are tiny and sweet- full of flavor.  They are harder to pick than the highbush varieties but worth the effort.  The berries are “wild” and grow by bee pollination.  Blueberry pancakes, blueberry pie and more recipes can be found at Wyman's Blueberries.

Seaweed

Maine is number one in the country for seaweed harvesting and the cold mineral rich waters in Maine make our seaweeds valued worldwide.  Seaweeds are divided into three categories, green like sea lettuce, reds like nori and the browns like kelp.  Adding Maine seaweeds to your diet is a great way to get trace minerals and vitamins as well as a delicious umami flavor sensation.  Visit the Maine Seaweed Council for more details on amazing Maine seaweeds.

Farmer’s Markets

We are proud to be a Maine farm.  In Maine the slogan is “Get Real-Get Maine”.  Anytime you purchase from a farm be it vegetables, value added products like jams or skincare you are helping to grow the economy and protect our fragile environment.