Weekly Wrap Up: Maine Road Trip
Posted on | July 30, 2009 | 8 Comments
I’m wrapping up my Maine posts for the week. I have two more trips to Maine this summer so don’t worry if I’ve missed your favorite spots. Look forward to a whole series of finds from Portland, Maine. I made a list of all my stops I’ve covered so far below (some are from prior trips). They’re organized from North to South. I know a lot of your are planning trips so I thought it would be helpful for them to be all in one spot. Below the links are a few photos I took on my road trip that didn’t seem to fit anywhere but here. Enjoy!
Acadia National Park: Bar Harbor, Maine
Swans Island Blankets Studio In Northport, Maine
Windsor Chairmakers in Lincolnville, Maine
The High Tide Inn: Camden, Maine
Maine State Prison Shop in Rockport, Maine
Andrew Wyeth & Olsen House in Cushing, Maine
Moody’s Diner: Waldoboro, Maine
Wiscasset, Maine: Elliott Healy Books & Prints
Wiscasset, Maine: The Marston House & Treats
Portland, Maine: Folly 101 & Blanche and Mimi Home
Portland, Maine: Angela Adams, Ferdinand, Two Fat Cats Bakery
Avolli: Scandinavian Antique Furniture Scarbourgh, Maine (by appointment)
Snug Harbor Farm in Kennebunk, Maine
Old House Parts in Kennebunk, Maine
Discount Fabric at Marden’s
York, Maine: Withington Antiques
Recipe: Real Maine Whoopie Pies
Acadia National Park, Maine
Posted on | July 30, 2009 | 4 Comments
As we drove further north on our road trip we heard predictions of heavy downpours and rain the following days. We decided to shorten the trip by a day and drive straight to Acadia in Bar Harbor. I was getting kinda burnt out on shopping and wanted to get outside anyway.
Acadia National Park is completely gorgeous. Pay $20 for the day and take your time driving around Mount Desert Island. Every overlook will take your breath away. I was anticipating the breathtaking views from Cadillac Mountain. The drive up the mountain (large hill) was a bit treacherous. My mom is afraid of heights (she was driving) and I’ve developed the fear of cars crashing into ravines somewhere between my 27-30th year of life. This is probably due to the fact I almost drove us off into a ravine in the middle of the winter on the Kangamangus highway in New Hampshire. So we crept our way up the large hill as I gasped at the overlooks while my mom kept her eyes concentrated on the middle of the road. It was a bit hysterical, laughing helped. At the very top the ocean surrounds you in every direction.
I would love to come back with Greg and do some hiking and spend a few days camping. If only it wasn’t so far away. Acadia is 4 hours north of Portland, Maine. When we were driving out of Bar Harbor I counted 12 very large private jets at the small airport. If I only had a jet I would come every weekend! I took a ton of photos. Above and below are my favorites.
Recipe: Real Maine Whoopie Pies
Posted on | July 30, 2009 | 71 Comments
While I was in Maine I spent one rainy afternoon making whoopie Pies with my Grammy Elliott and my cousin’s grandmother, Rita. Watching them bicker and laugh while sipping some cold Pinot Grigio with Judge Judy blaring in the background was a hoot. Rita calls herself the, Whoopie Pie Queen and frankly after tasting her creations I can’t deny that claim. Store bought whoopie pies are just too thick and have way too much filling. More is not necessarily better when it comes to whoopies.
Maybe I should back up and explain what a whoopie pie is. Two devil’s food cakes with a creamy filling made of egg whites, confectionery sugar, fluff, and basically Crisco. Whoopie pies as far as I know are a Maine thing. The amish have their own version. You’ll spot whoopies wrapped in cellophane at gas stations, sub shops, and gourmet stores all over Maine. Some claim to be the best but honestly nothing compares to homemade. Above and below photos from a fun afternoon.
Below the recipe both grandmother’s having been making for years adapted from Marjorie Standish book, “Cooking Down East
Ingredients for Cakes:
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
5 tablespoons of cocoa (rita uses 4)
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon each: baking powder, baking soda, salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
The sugar and shortening are creamed together, the beaten egg yolks added. The dry ingredients are sifted together, and added alternatively with the milk and vanilla. Drop the batter in equal spoonfulls onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving room for them to spread. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degrees oven for 7-10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool. When completely cool, mix filling (recipe below), spreading half the cakes with this mixture. Put them together like a sandwich.
Filling: With an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cups shortening, 2 cups confectioners sugar, 2 egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons fluff.
p.s. I’ve come across recipes that cook the egg whites. The grandmothers never have and nobody has ever gotten sick.
Related Posts:
Recipe: Peanut Butter Jelly Bars
Recipe: Homemade Baked Beans
Recipe: How to Make Popovers
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A journal about new england life, decorating inspiration, and renovating a 262-year-old house in Marblehead, Massachusetts. read more...
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