This week was filled with renewing friendships with friends from over 40 years ago. We caught up with them in bits and pieces. Back in the 70’s we lived on the coast of Maine. we had two little girls 2 and 41/2. We met one couple through work at Berwick Academy and the other couple through pre-school. ultimately all of us became very good friends. Our children were great friends especially Margot, Sam and Trip. We spent time at the beach and babysat for each other. We scattered to different places, kept in touch for a few years then we went on with our lives. The children grew up and got married and had their own families. Ten years ago in the bathroom at St. John The Devine I heard a voice I recognized, Libby was there as her son Sam was graduating from Columbia, as was Margot, from the same program. Who could have imagined. Then last year we were contacted by the other couple who had seen our name in the local paper regarding a building permit request. They wondered if we were the same Moses from Cape Neddick. Yes we were and just this week we got the three couples together for the first time in 45 years. We did not run out of things to talk about. Old friends are the best

Update On Jenny Lane

Finally we had a meeting with the glass man regarding the glass enclosure for our shower. We made it in time to meet with him but it is going to take close to two months to get the glass and have it installed. John has rigged up a temporary shower curtain rod so we can use the shower in the meantime.

The laundry room is really coming along too. The coffee bar area is all closed in now and looks great Talk about a creative use of left over materials. Just waiting on the rest of the counter and then the sink and we should be good to go.

Vegetable Garden

The vegetable garden has yielded some produce despite being mostly ignored. Lots of squash and now carrots. Lovely basil and in the spring great lettuce. Otherwise lots of weeds and some beautiful dahlias. The blueberry bushes have given so many delicious berries that Katie has frozen. We can’t take them across the border. I’ll be making muffins when we return from Canada for the fall.

A Recipe That is Delicious

Katie made the best dinner for us this weekend from Half Baked Harvest

Spicy-garlic-lemon-butter-shrimp/

Ingredients

Parmesan Corn Polenta 

• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 3 ears corn – kernels removed from the cob
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup dry polenta
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• kosher salt and black pepper

Shrimp 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

Instructions

• 1. To make the polenta. In a medium pot, melt together the butter and corn. Cook 5-8 minutes, until the butter browns around the corn. Add 2 cups water and the milk. Bring to a low boil, then whisk in the polenta, stirring until the polenta is soft and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat off, cover the pot, and let the polenta sit 5 minutes.2. Meanwhile, make the shrimp. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, shrimp, cajun seasonings, and a big pinch of pepper. Cook on both sides until seared, about 2-3 minutes per side. Stir in the garlic and thyme and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and basil. 3. Spoon the polenta into bowls, then spoon the shrimp and sauce over the polenta. Eat and enjoy.