We jumped very quickly this week from late winter to spring to summer. It happens in New England. No nice gentle transition from one season to the next. We watched the snow melt in the driveway as we sat in the sun eating our lunch, the pile of snow between the house and garage that we were sure was here to stay is almost gone now (much to Wyke’ immense sadness) and the flowers that were just peaking through the snow a couple of weeks ago are now in bloom. We went from 40 to 90 in a heartbeat.
A Week of Interesting Happenings
It was dominated by walking in the outdoors after many months of only an occasional outdoor walk. The dogs and I took to the rail trail on Monday, heading out from Proctor as we delivered a left behind computer to Libby. It was a lovely day, typical spring, and still quite a bit of snow on the trail in certain spots. We hadn’t walked that way in over a year so it was good to see how things were. The dogs had their first swim of the season as the ice is long gone from the ponds. They were both very happy.
Tuesday we walked the Potter Place to Proctor route and went around the loop that crosses the Blackwater and goes by the ski hill. The water was not flooding the area so it was a pretty good walk. More of the snow had melted in the spots that don’t get as much sun but it was still somewhat hazardous in spots.
Wednesday the big winds came. I admit it, I am chicken when the winds get going at gusts of 25mph or more and walking in the woods is not high on my list of things to do. On the next street over a huge tree came down so I went over to watch the tree company cut it up. Our postman said he spent the day avoiding roads with downed trees. He couldn’t deliver the mail in many spots. It was a good day to not walk so we didn’t.
Thursday the heat was turned up. The flooding out by Proctor was way too deep for us to go across the field and around by the lower road. Instead we walked up on the ski hill itself which was still covered by snow but I had my boots on and two poles so we were fine. The dogs went in the water every chance they could get. It was 90 degrees on the thermometer in the car.
Friday was the day that was even more glorious so we set out to do another five mile hike knowing we couldn’t go where the flooding was so we just went out two and half miles and then returned. The dogs and I were both super hot. I stopped one last time to take them for a swim at a spot we have stopped at many times. I was throwing sticks in the water and rocks and guess who else went for a swim. I slipped on the rocks and took a head first dive into the Blackwater River. I shared the video on Facebook. I was very lucky there was a pole from the kayak lanes that I could grab onto and pull myself out of the river. Also lucky the only thing I hit was my shin on the rock as I went in. By the way, the water actually felt good. It was again 90 degrees and sunny so I didn’t even get a chill and my phone was fine. Turns out my new backpack is waterproof as my wallet and other essentials that were in it were completely dry, unlike the rest of me. Also was very glad that I was only a mile from my car. What an experience it was.
So that was walking this week!
Cooking This Week
Two experiments this past week. One was really, really good and the other was too much work for too little reward. Both recipes were from Half-Baked Harvest. The chicken one is pretty easy to make (after all I did cook it). The shrimp one was too many steps but it did taste delicious. Here’s the chicken recipe.
Coconut Chicken Fingers with Bang Bang Sauce
Ingredients
▢2 cups cornflakes
▢1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
▢1 teaspoon paprika
▢1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
▢1/2 teaspoon onion powder
▢1/4 cup sesame seeds
▢2 eggs, beaten
▢2 tablespoons hot sauce or tamari (use preferred taste)
▢2 pounds boneless chicken tenders
▢extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
BANG BANG SAUCE
▢1/2 cup mayo
▢1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
▢2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or tamari soy sauce)
▢1 tablespoon hot sauce
▢1 tablespoon rice viengar
▢1 small clove garlic, grated
▢2 teaspoons lime zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, combine the coconut, cornflakes, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until you have fine crumbs. Mix in the sesame seeds. Dump the crumbs into a shallow bowl.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the hot sauce. Add the chicken and toss well to coat.
- Dredge the chicken through the crumbs, covering fully. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp all around.
- To make the sauce: combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve the chicken with limes, green onions, and bang bang sauce for dipping. Add extra chili sauce mixed with a couple tablespoons of ketchup for a little double-dip action. Enjoy!
Traffic Jam on the Way to Walking
The turkeys were everywhere this week with the males really working hard to get the females to notice them. I ran into this group twice, one time they were right in the middle of the road. Nothing to do but stop and take a picture.
