Coffee Shops… as American as apple pie!

On September 6, 2012December 20, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, THOUGHTS, TRAVELLeave a comment

Places to stop in for a cup of coffee, a snack, some company… to visit or to sit quietly and read a book. I cherish places like this… and I’d like to hear about your favorites… here are a few of mine sprinkled in a few different states…

FUEL AMERICA – Chestnut Hill Ave, Brighton, MA.

Fuel America has left no stone unturned… This cleverly designed coffee house in Brighton, MASS is just what America needs… It is the perfect combination of great coffee, delicious food and healthy options? Their marketing plan…brilliant!

From the tags on the merchandise to the menu board, everything has that retro hard working American feel to it… The classy chairs with chrome, the bookcase that soon will be full of books, the wood on the walls and most importantly… Good coffee AND good food together in one place, now THAT my friends is a rare combination. Combine that with the fact that they have healthier options and you have the PERFECT place!

One of the owners, Jeff Bonasia, a very talented artist and marketing professional took a year off from painting and along with his partners has opened FUEL AMERICA.

This place is tops on my list to visit one day. We met Jeff Bonasia, the managing partner years ago while vacationing in Maine. Jeff was part of a group of very cool artists renting a cottage down the street from ours. It was quite a treat to see their paintings! Hard workers every single one of them.

How lucky the people of Brighton, Mass are! Check out their website (link above) or their Facebook Page!

THE GROVE – Filmore Street, San Francisco, CA

The Grove on Fillmore Street in San Francisco… oooh, haven’t been there in years, but it is firmly etched in my mind. Fabulous homemade granola/bananas/yogurt, soups and salads, a roll-your-eyes-in-the-back-of-your-head macaroni and cheese, a beautiful (yes! beautiful!) chicken pot pie, delicious coffee and TO DIE FOR fruit pies… They don’t have a website that I can find, but I did see a menu on MenuPages.com. We didn’t stay anywhere near this place, yet we made the trek day after day, because the food just couldn’t be beat! The place has atmosphere, and a ton of it! Transit: Filmore St & Pine St

ROCK CITY COFFEE – Rockland, ME

This was a cool coffee shop in Rockland, Maine. What I loved about it was the fact that it was a coffee shop and a second hand book store all in one, so you could read and buy books while drinking your coffee. I will have to check it out this year when we visit… they’ve moved next door and a former employee bought the book portion of the business. It will be a bit different… I will report back! I’m sure it will be good, it was sooo good before!

ZOOT COFFEE – Camden, ME

This is a very neat coffee shop located in Camden, Maine. I remember sitting on a bench outside drinking a fabulous latte! It’s nice they use organic fruit, etc… check them out! Zoot really makes an effort to be part of the neighborhood, not just a bystander in the community.

Catch you back here tomorrow… In the meantime REFUEL… Hee…

A pretty flower and a happy day to you!

On September 2, 2012August 30, 2012 By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS6 Comments

Not sure what this flower is called… but it sure is pretty… it’s always a great time to get out and take some photos! Even if it’s raining, snowing, sleeting or hailing. I love to find unexpected treasures… mainly light and shadows, but hey, you’ve got to work with what you’ve got at the time, right? I love how the flower stands up against the blurred green background… it makes it quite stately (in a weather-beaten sort of way, ha ha) don’t you think?

Remember… tomorrow is a holiday for many folks, if you’re one of them… ENJOY! Time to get out and ride a bike, take a walk, read a good book (just finished an old Nora Roberts book THE SEARCH… holy cow! It was a page turner!).

Have a good day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

A few photos… Nikon Coolpix P510

On August 26, 2012December 9, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

I’ve been playing with the camera that I got for my birthday and I love it! It’s a sweet Nikon Coolpix P510 and it’s got oomph! A 42x zoom comes in handy for getting shots that would otherwise be missed. I’m looking forward to really putting this camera to the test! For now I’ve been playing with it in the house… snapping a few pictures here and there… like my trusty violet that does so well. This was given to us from a neighbor when we lost our dog Reginald. It has done so well. I think he’s helping it along, ha ha… I was trying to see where my limits were as to how close I can shoot…

I love these face forward shots in the sun with all the white, Charlie looks quite angelic doesn’t he? Ha ha… if only you knew…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

You See This Man? He Is The Love Of My Life!

On August 22, 2012December 9, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS11 Comments

You see this man? This man is the love of my life. When I first met him it was love at first sight. I thank God for him every single solitary day. I am so thankful to have met him, I still cannot believe it! Fate had me dog sitting for a friend at her house, when Fred pulled around the corner in his sporty BMW with a big smile on his face. I grabbed the puppy and had him leashed up in no time (didn’t know the dog had NEVER been on a leash, or had never gone for a walk…) and was taking him for a “walk”, that little puppy pulled me right into Fred’s driveway and sat at his feet. If that isn’t a sign… ha ha… That was Easter weekend 1991. I woke up on Easter and walked out to get the newspaper. I saw a large gift bag hanging on the front door. I thought to myself how lucky my friend was to get such a thoughtful gift on Easter. I set it on the dining room table. Walking back to the house after getting the paper I thought, hmmmm, WONDER IF IT COULD BE FOR ME?? Nah… Well?? Check the bag for a card… and there it was… To: BARBARA, whaaaaaat?????? A huge stuffed Easter bunny in the bag so beautifully presented. What a wonderful beginning… we have been together ever since the day we met. I cannot imagine my life without Fred. He’s wonderful in every single way.

Today we’ve been married for 20 (TWENTY!) years. It seems like just yesterday we were planning to meet at the chapel. That we were both nervous and hopeful that all of our planning would work out as we had hoped. Fred was at the church washing windows early that morning. He wanted everything to be perfect. And it was!

We had the best time at our wedding. That was too much fun! We had the best honeymoon ever tucked away in a cabin in the woods. It was magical.

I hope you have found someone who captures your heart and makes you smile. I am so fortunate to have a husband who is truly my best friend AND the absolute love of my life bar none. I consider myself the luckiest woman in the world! I would take this kind of love over any amount of money or any other possible “possession”. Things are things. Things can be replaced. You tire of “things”.

I will never tire of Fred.

He is hands down the sweetest man I have ever met.

August 22, 1991

So thank you for coming into my life Fred, here’s to the next twenty years… and twenty after that! I love you so much… Barbara

Catch you back here tomorrow!

The Art of the Staycation…

On August 20, 2012December 9, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

Charleston was voted #1 City in America by Conde Nast Traveler magazine… It’s been on the list for years, but this year it beat San Francisco! Whoa! I have to say, that’s another place that is near and dear to my heart! But since we live in Charleston, SC, I think a staycation is in order!

You’ve heard of it… a STAYCATION. Taking a vacation and staying at home all in one nice little package. A brilliant idea actually! However, the ART of a staycation may take some practice. It’s tricky to be “on vacation” while you’re at home. There are projects to be done, grass to cut, dishes to wash, and all of lifes everyday moments. BUT, life is short and you have to enjoy it while you can! So if you “take” a staycation, give yourself a break, you’ve worked hard, you need some R&R, no guilt!

A staycation has some nice benefits… No packing, no spending money on flights, no hotels, none of the other headaches that come with traveling. You can still get out and see some sites and still save money! (And what better place than Charleston, SC??) It gives you time to be a tourist in your own city. We don’t seem to get to many of the tourist attractions in Charleston and this is a perfect opportunity. So as of today, we are officially on STAYCATION. I guess I can’t say we’re “going” on staycation… we’re “staying” on staycation!

We have some ideas of places we want to go, for instance to the Gibbe’s Museum of Art to see the Mary Whyte: Working South exhibition! We’ve got so many great restaurants in Charleston, SC, that we’ll have to mull the options over a bit more!

I haven’t decided if I’m going to post photos from each days staycation or have a post scheduled for each day, but I guess you’ll figure it out. I will be posting every day regardless… haven’t missed a day since 1/1/2011, I’m heading into year two and I’m on a roll!

So stick with me! Have you been staycationing? Where do you go? What do you do? I was reading an article, it said when you staycation, you should do things differently, turn off your phone (eek), turn off your computer (double eek), plan different places to go (yay), etc. So we’re going to play it by ear. Maybe just cut down on computer time? Hee hee…

Catch you back here tomorrow… promise!

CHARLESTON image via CNTraveler.com

STAYCATION definition via Merriam-Webster.com

Birthday candles, AARP and a Colonoscopy!

On August 19, 2012August 8, 2012 By Barbara StroudIn HEALTH, THOUGHTS8 Comments

You guessed it… Today I am 50! Hard to believe, because I don’t think I act like I’m 50. Actually to say “fifty” out loud sounds so foreign to me, it actually makes me laugh, which is better than crying, ha ha… Hey, I look forward to the future, 50 is the new 30 (and all you young people reading this that just rolled your eyes… Just wait, you go from 30 to 50 in the blink of an eye, time accelerates as you get older, I’m sure you’ve heard your parents, grandparents or any random older person say that at one time or another. I’m here to say. IT’S TRUE! So be happy for every day you have on earth…)!

Yep, FIFTY birthday candles… enough to start a fire! Need a fire extinguisher nearby! Trying to think on the bright side… AARP. I can be a member now! Woohoo! Hey, I am excited about senior discounts now! If ya can’t beat ’em, join ’em, right? Did you know at age 55 you can get a free coffee from Dunkin Donuts? Get outta here! At 50 you can get a discount at Banana Republic (maybe because they know very few 50 year old women can fit in their clothes?)!

And oh yeah… the biggest birthday gift that you can give yourself… a colonoscopy! Help me out, I’m trying to think positive here… A good way to lose weight? I have a “consultation” soon.. Yippeeeee… I’ve read enough about it, am a tad worried I may starve to death, and NO MILK OR CREAM the day before, oh heavy sigh…. I can handle no food, but no cream means no coffee. That my friends, isn’t going to be pretty! I guess if that’s all I have to worry about, I’m doing great!

I know it’s going to be a fabulous birthday, Fred always makes sure of that. I love my birthday present, a Nikon Coolpix p510 with a 42x zoom, can’t wait to get it to Maine! WOOHOO!

Have a happy day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!!

I bought my shoes at the grocery store…

On August 16, 2012December 21, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS4 Comments

You read that right… I bought my shoes at the grocery store… well, not any grocery store, an upscale, healthy grocery store called WHOLE FOODS, ha ha, who happens to carry a limited supply of Tom’s shoes. I’ve never bought a pair of Tom’s. To me they look seriously uncomfortable, too flat. But one day we were in WF and I walked by this Kilim pattern and WHOA, had to try them on. Hoped they would look hideous on me, they did not. They looked fabulous! I was transformed (ha ha)… seriously, they have an ARCH SUPPORT! Who knew? Between the great look, the comfortability and that fact that when you buy a pair of Tom’s they give a new pair of shoes to a child… I LOVE that philosophy! You can buy Tom’s all over the place, from Whole Foods to Nordstrom. I thought these would be great for Monhegan, nice and light to pack, looks good with khakis or jeans… SOLD!

From the Tom’s website… Way to go!

Do you need a new pair of shoes? These just might be the ones! They come in all patterns, men/women (and of course children!)… check them out!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

(Image via Toms.com)

Every Celebration Deserves a Great Cake! Italian Cream Cake from Cooking Light magazine!

On August 9, 2012November 19, 2019 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

Don’t you agree? Every celebration deserves a great cake! Well let me tell you from experience, this one is a doozy! I originally made this many many years ago when we had a surprise birthday party for our next door neighbor. She was surprised and delighted with the cake. And owie, that cream cheese frosting is too good! This recipe received rave reviews. We have also had this cake on a cruise that we took out of Charleston on the Norwegian Cruise Line… it’s nice that they offered Cooking Light options that were heavenly! I have subscribed to Cooking Light magazine shortly after they first came on the market… Great recipes! If you need a new magazine to check out, I love this one! (Cooking Light recipes may be found on the MyRecipes.com website). Now… for the recipe… then a special Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary message at the end…!

From the MyRecipes.com website:

Italian Cream Cake

This layered Italian Cream Cake is the perfect dessert for a birthday or dinner party because it is moist and full of flavor from the chopped pecans and cream cheese frosting. The stunning 5-star dessert continues to get rave reviews every time!

Cake Ingredients

Cream Cheese Icing

Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light butter
2 egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon butter extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 egg whites (at room temperature)
Sugared kumquats (optional)
Orange rind strips (optional)
Kumquat leaves (optional)

Preparation

Prepare Cream Cheese Icing; cover and chill.
Coat bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans); line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray, and dust with flour; set aside.
Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine 2 cups flour and baking soda; stir well. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in pecans and extracts.
Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake layers from sides of pans using a narrow metal spatula, and turn out onto wire racks. Peel off wax paper, and let cool completely.
Place 1 cake layer on a plate, and spread with 2/3 cup Cream Cheese Icing; top with another cake layer. Repeat with 2/3 cup icing and remaining layer, ending with cake. Spread remaining icing over cake. Garnish with kumquats, orange rind, and kumquat leaves, if desired.
Note: To make sugared kumquats, dip kumquats into lightly beaten egg whites, and drain; roll in sugar.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

1 tablespoon light butter

1 (8-ounce) package Neufchâtel cheese
1 (1-pound) package powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Cream butter and cheese at high speed of a mixer until fluffy. Add sugar; beat at low speed until well-blended. Add vanilla; beat well.

Cooking Light
NOVEMBER 1995

Recipe and photo from MyRecipes.com website; Photo by: HOWARD L. PUCKETT

*********************************************************************************************

There are several celebrations happening today … My parents 54th wedding anniversary, my sister Bridget and brother-in-law, Bill both had birthdays (a day apart) over the past few days… ! The place has GOT to be festive!

Mom and dad, you are the best and I wish you another 54 happy years together!

Bridget and Bill… H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y ! Hope it’s the best ever! I have no doubt that you will all celebrate well! Love you! xoxo me

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Photo: Ahhh, the way life should be! Relax and enjoy!

On July 29, 2012January 8, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS, TRAVEL2 Comments

Now don’t you think this is the way life should be? Like a nice summer vacation. Where there is time for sitting and reading, or sitting by the river and watching all there is to see (it can be more entertaining than television, that’s for sure!). My parents live on the St. Clair River in Algonac, MI… the views are amazing… the sunsets are out of this world! My dad made these adirondack chairs, they have nice fluffy cushions, and it makes a great place to sit.

Wouldn’t you like to be sitting in that chair right now? Me too! These chairs remind me of the Island Inn on Monhegan (Maine). Nothing like sitting and reading or watching the water!

Monhegan Island, Maine – Island Inn Adirondack chairs… Fred reading while he waits for me…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

A beasty birthday!

On July 26, 2012December 9, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS5 Comments

The birthday boy, Charlie!

H A P P Y 3 R D B I R T H D A Y C H A R L I E !

It’s Charlie’s 3rd birthday today, boy how time flies! If you would like to be entertained by a funny blog accounting for the first year of LIFE WITH CHARLIE, click the link). Initially I created this blog because the only time Charlie would sleep is when I was sitting in my desk chair at the computer. He would curl up behind me and fall into a deep peaceful (for me) sleep… so I created a blog to ~~vent~~ entertain myself, then Charlie started getting people who wanted to know what was going on each day, it was a hoot… after a year he calmed down and I stopped the blog, but it was a great year!

Preparation for Charlie’s birthday hat photo shoot!

Charlie is going to have (another) good day! He’s been so much fun these past several years, here’s to many many more Charlie! May your birthday candles never blow out : )
Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Purity… you just may not have found the right one yet…

On July 5, 2012June 29, 2012 By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS1 Comment

Philosophy PURITY MADE SIMPLE

Image: Nordstrom

If you don’t absolutely LOVE your facial cleanser have I got news for you! A while back I bought the small sample size cleanser by Philosophy called PURITY. I had read a lot of great things about it, it consistently got 4.5-5 stars on every site I checked. How could that many people be wrong? They weren’t, and that’s why I’m a big fan of researching things before I buy. I read the reviews and if they seem pretty consistent I’ll give it a shot, and am I glad I ever did!

Here’s a blip about the cleanser from the Philosophy website:

our award-winning daily facial skin cleanser is formulated to gently cleanse, tone and melt away all face and eye makeup in one simple step, while lightly hydrating the skin.

features & benefits

deep cleans pores and eliminates makeup build-up
natural oil extracts help condition skin
fragrance-free formula

I have to agree, it removes makeup effortlessly and when you’re done your face doesn’t feel tight or dry. It’s perfect! It says fragrance free formula, but there are natural oil extracts that have a clean fresh smell that I absolutely love. Also… you only need a small amount, so it will last a while! Share this with anyone you know of who may not be too happy with their current product. This stuff is awesome. If you don’t have a store close by, you can order from Nordstrom.com and it’s FREE shipping… you just can’t beat that!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: Charlie… in his happy place!

On June 30, 2012December 9, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS8 Comments

Charlie has his own sofa. We moved it near the window when he was a puppy so he could see down the street. Fred and I like to move furniture. Actually move entire rooms (i.e. the dining room is the study and the living room is the dining room, yep, see what I mean, just try to keep up with us)… well, we DID move entire rooms. Now we’re stuck in a situation. WE CAN’T MOVE THE SOFA! Ahhhh, there are worse things that could happen… Charlie is so content staring out the window during the day (half the time with his eyes closed) that we just can’t change it.

Ahhh, what we do for our pets, huh? Have a great weekend and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Its going to be a long day… do you know why?

On June 21, 2012December 13, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS2 Comments

Charlie at Folly Beach…

Last night at 7:09PM the sun reached the farthest point north of the equator… “Really” you say… ok, in English… IT’S OFFICIALLY SUMMER!

I grew up in Michigan… so after a long winter and a wet spring IT’S OFFICIALLY SUMMER would have gotten a WOOT WOOT out of me… however, after moving to Charleston, SC in 1989 (just in time for hurricane Hugo, yay (omg, a future post for sure!) and trying to “get used” to the most hot humid air imaginable I no longer say WOOT WOOT… Many of us here dread summer as northern folks dread a long winter. We know we’ll be closed up in our houses for months at a time, unless we can escape to a beach, pool or anywhere with A/C! I’m not complaining, you can’t have it nice all the time or you wouldn’t be able to afford to live there… so we take the good with the bad… as I write this (6/19) look what I see…

Do you realize what that is? It’s an OPEN window in Charleston, SC MID JUNE! To that I say WOOT WOOT!

Today is the longest day of the year… To read some interesting facts about Summer, check out the Almanac’s website… then head out to the pool or the beach…! Enjoy your summer! Hey, speaking of summer and beaches, what good beach books are you reading this summer? Let me know!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

How to brighten up the front of your house for only $29.98!

On June 19, 2012December 9, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS4 Comments

American Flag Kit from LOWE’S.… ($29.98)

I’m always talking about how I love an American flag in a painting… makes it pop. Makes it, uh… as American as apple pie… So as I peruse art websites via my computer I am always delighted to find a painting that I love that includes a flag… then I thought… WHY DON’T WE HAVE A FLAG? That same flag that makes the houses “pop” in paintings could do the same for ours… so we headed to Lowe’s (why Lowe’s? Because LOWE’S KNOWS VALUE… hee, couldn’t resist that)! We headed to the flag display, and picked out one that is sewn and not just printed. Nothing wrong with printed, I just like the look of the sewn ones better and they seem to be a little thicker, therefore they should hold up a little longer.

This is the house before the flag…

Recently I mentioned that we installed a gas lantern, well to put the lantern where we wanted it we had to move the enamel house numbers to a different spot… Now that we want to hang a flag, guess where I really wanted it…? Where the numbers were… SO… the numbers got moved yet again so that the flag had it’s own spot. Whew! That was fun!

And this is the TA-DA… house after the flag…

So if you want to brighten up the front of your house and have a few bucks to spare, head to your neighborhood hardware store and pick up an American flag!