Wanderlust...

Wanderlust:  (noun) ˈwän-dər-ˌləst -  a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world

I was born with it. An insatiable amount of it. I can't get rid of it and I don't want to. I love it! I love that God has blessed me with such a strong desire to explore and learn about the intriguing world he has created.

                                       Our Halloween trip to Salem, Ma in 2006

I didn't know what it was called when I was a kid. I just knew that I had this feeling inside of me that made me want to see places. The places I was learning about in geography class. The places I could see on the globe I got one year for Christmas. I used to close my eyes, spin the globe really fast, stop it by touching my finger to a spot, open my eyes and discover where I had just "traveled" to.

This is kind of what my globe looked like:

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It's was colorful, bright and had so many countries, cities and other places labeled on it - all places that were much more exotic than where I came from (at least in my mind)

Now that I am an adult, I can indulge my wanderlust as much as I want. Well, a much as my budget and time allow for anyway. I have gradually passed on the wanderlust bug to my husband - I say a "bug" because I do believe wanderlust can be contagious.

I truly believe "not all who wander are lost"

I do realize travel is not for everyone. I know people that have never ventured further that 2 hours away from my hometown. heck, I know people whose definition of travelling is hauling their camper 20  miles away from home and spending the week. Ah well, to each their own.

Some would argue that you can see new discoveries whether it's 20 miles from home or 2,000 miles from home. While I agree with that to an extent, I do believe one needs to travel a distance away from home more often than  not. I just think we can learn so much about ourselves from the exposure we have to other foods, cultures, arts. and, of course, people!

Our Disneyworld trip in 2007

Where have you traveled? Where do you dream of travelling?  Do you even desire to travel?

Sargent Drive, Northeast Harbor, Maine

                                                       Star Point, Salisbury Cove, Maine

(one of our very favorite places)

Middleton Place - Charleston, South Carolina

photo courtesy www.theinnatmiddletonplace.com

So, I hope I have passed on a least a little bit of the wanderlust bug to you. Have I? I bet you've already ordered plane tickets for that vacation you've been saying is not really necessary. It is necessary! For your health, wellness, mind & body!

So get out there, roam the planet,you might just learn a little about other people and a lot about yourself!

May you have fair winds and following seas!

Terrific Terrariums!

At this stage of the game, I am certain you have heard of Etsy. What, you haven't!? Are you serious!? How can that be!?

Etsy is this wonderful, creative land in cyberspace that you can visit and enjoy all things handmade. It is chock full of uniqueness, creativity and just plain lovely creations that all sorts of folks have dreamed up.

I like to travel to Etsy land on occasion to see what I can see. Today, I have gardening on my mind. Unfortunately, it is still the middle of winter, here in coastal Maine, so I still have a bit of time before I will be able to do much gardening. Although, a great way to bring a bit of the outdoors in is to create a terrarium.

 I remember my ,mom having a terrarium when I was a little girl. I always loved peeking inside, I don't know what I thought I was going to discover but it was just interesting to me. So, I thought I would see what some of the talented Etsians have come up with for their own terrariums.

I found some really fun ones! Wanna see? Okay!

              Professor Alexander's Botanical Vasculum - Steamed 300 watt Moss Terrarium

Gypsy Raku

                                        Light Bulb Terrariums

                                     Steampunk Air Plant and Moss Terrarium

There you have it, some pretty great examples of terrariums. Of course, these examples are just a drop in the bucket, when speaking of the number of terrarium listings that can be found on Etsy.

You can even score some reasonable priced supplies to help creat your very own fab terrarium!

                                              Check out The Terrarium Shop


  Be sure to visit www.Etsy.com and find some fabulous creations to enrich your life. Support handmade!

The Law of Attraction

Just a simple thought for a Saturday...and everyday!

My Delightful Home

Hi friends! I've been thinking about starting a blog for sometime now - years, to be exact - and now I've finally taken the plunge. Now, my next goal is to be diligent in posting and sharing my life with you. I can't make any promises that I will succeed  but I can promise that I will try my best.

What is my blog going to be about? Well, probably a bunch of stuff!
1. Food (because I like to eat)
2. Innkeeping (because it's what I do)
3. Crafting (because I like to create)
4. Interior Decorating ( because it's my passion!)
5. Laundry (because I do lots of it - see #2)
6. Lily & Otis ( our 2 crazy! cats)
7. ...and whatever else I think might interest you and feel like sharing

Ok. I know, you're probably already thinking, yeah yeah, we've seen it all before. Well, truthfully, probably some of it you will have seen before. Ultimately, it's ALL part of my ever unfolding life!

Makin' Maine Whoopie...Pies that is!

It always amazes me just how many folks have never heard of Whoopie Pies. "Whoopie what!?" they say. "Whoopie Pies!" we say! (I think it's the word 'whoopie' that makes everyone giggle...lol!) Cakey chocolate cookies and delicious white frosting put together to make a sandwich, of sorts.

There seems to be a neverending back and forth disagreement as to where they first got their start - some say Maine, some say Amish Country in Pennsylvania. Who really knows? Who really cares as long as we get to eat them!?

I want to share with you the best Whoopie Pie recipe I've ever come across. there are MANY versions out there but I find this one to be the best. It is a recipe belonging to Maine chef Sandy Oliver. This is the only WP recipe we use at our bed and breakfast. Our guests always give two-thumbs-up!

Some recipes have the cookie being quite moist while others are on the drier side. I tend to like mine a bit drier. Some recipes have the frosting made with marshmallow fluff and others with egg whites, confectioner's sugar and shortening. I tend to prefer the latter. Just be careful not to overdo the shortening because you can end up with a bit of a greasy texture on your palate. The fluff recipe is just to sweet for me!

If you have ever visited any diner-style restaurants in Maine, it's likely you have witnessed just how ginormous some people make thier whoopie pies. Please do not do this. I repeat, please do not do this!
Size is, of course, a personal preference. I just find the WP is much more pleasing when  kept to a modest, tasteful size. The whoopies in the photo above are about 2 1/2" across, give or take. They are easier to eat, not so messy, taste better and are just plain cute!

The trouble I have with the gimundo (yes, that is a word) is that I lose interest after a couple of bites and the frosting oozes everywhere - and who wants to waste frosting!?

Now, without further adieu, here is the recipe. Our motto at our bed & breakfast happens to be "Indulge", so go ahead!


Sandy Oliver’s Whoopie Pie

Makes about 14 to 16 3-inch whoopie pies

2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375 F. Sift together dry ingredients. Cream together shortening and sugar, beat in the egg and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients and milk alternately. You will have a fairly stiff cake batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving room for them to spread somewhat. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing them to a rack.

Whoopie Pie Filling
2 egg whites
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat the egg whites until they are fluffy, gradually adding 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar. Then spoonful by spoonful add the shortening and the rest of the sugar to the egg white mixture until it is smooth and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla. When the cookies are cool enough to handle, make pairs of similarly sized ones and spread the filling on one half and top with the other half. Wrap in plastic wrap or put into an airtight container.