FEASTer

I love dying Easter eggs. I'm not sure why. It doesn't rank anywhere near carving pumpkins on the scale of using a childish activity to release some stress. Anyway, it's hard to get Noe psyched up for an afternoon of egg dying, so I have taken to foisting my enthusiasm for this Easter tradition onto my friends' children. Dr. Scott's children Fia and Colm (our companions on recent journeys to Fred's Shanty and the Mystic Seaport) were more than game to indulge my egg dying impulses.

 My egg coloring companions

Although I admire crafty things and people, I did not go to the Martha Stewart school of egg decorating. I - and Noe and Scott - am a staunch egg coloring traditionalist, insisting on the PAAS egg coloring kit. (As we dissolved our color tablets in vinegar, we surmised that the colors are much more vibrant than they were when we were younger - advancements in color tablet technology?)

 Noe experiments with the crayon -

and the vibrant yellow dye

Fia made me a monogrammed egg

Experiments involving dunking the egg in every single cup of dye were conducted in the name of creativity. (This ALWAYS results in gray.) By the end of the experience, we had two cartons of rainbow-hued eggs ready to be consumed.

 Colm's experimental color

Colm wanted to dip pretty much everything in blue

 

Carton number two

 

We celebrated our egg coloring accomplishments with a trip to the best ice cream shop in Southeaster Connecticut, Michael's Dairy, and then returned home for some Guitar Hero and a traditional (for all of us midwesterners) Easter dinner of ham, green beans, and rolls - and Kraft macaroni and cheese for Colm (you can't win them all). We termed our new holiday tradition "FEASTer."

 Scott and Fia learning Guitar hero

 Our Easter feast!

How did you spend Easter?

Basket Case

Every once in awhile, I get a mysterious package from "Kevin" at Southwest Brake & Parts.

These boxes are actually shipped by my dad, Jack, from southwest, where he works (Kevin must be a coworker). Usually I know they are coming and therefore know what to expect - for example, we received several boxes right after Christmas with gifts that we couldn't bring on the plane. Dad surprises me every once in awhile, though - like when he shipped me three bags of my very favorite coffee that he bought while on vacation in the upper peninsula.

When a box arrived today, I honestly had NO idea what was in it. I wasn't expecting anything, hadn't left anything behind on my last trip...I was mystified. Imagine my surprise and delight when I opened it and found that it contained...

...an Easter basket, chock full of candy, some cute dish towels, a pair of sunglasses, a hat for the Buns, and even a couple McDonald's gift cards for Noe. How great is that?!

Bonus: the cats got a gift, too - they adore boxes.

Thanks, mom and dad!

Wine down

Some of the wines I have sampled over the past few weeks. Have you tried any of these and, if so, what are your thoughts?

Famous since 1972

My friend Liz once said to me, "Amy, are you sure you aren't a New Englander? You like antique stores, and pubs, and seafood shacks...are you sure you're from the Midwest?"

I could argue that a lot of people like antique stores - and my favorite one is Indiana - and I have not met a person yet who dislikes pubs. But if there is one thing that everyone on the planet SHOULD like, it is seafood shacks. 

Fred's Shanty

(photo courtesy of fredsshanty.com)

 Noe, Scott, and Colm at Fred's (which is also kid-friendly)

I've blogged about the gloriousness that is Captain Scott's Lobster Dock before. The problem with Captain Scott's is that it opens later in the year. Also, it is NOT down the street from our house. Therefore, we sometimes turn to Fred's Shanty. 

Fred's - famous since 1972 (according to the sign) - is within walking distance of the Wiseman/Erasga residence, making it a convenient option on warm, sunny days. It's a little more fast food-y than Captain Scott's. However, if what you are craving are friend clam strips and salty, skinny fries, Fred's is the place for you.

 Fried clams, fried fries, fried chicken strips

If seafood is not your bag, fear not: Fred's has an excellent long dog, served on the ubiquitous hot dog roll (see the Captain Scott's post for the difference between the hot dog roll and the hot dog bun).

 Noe with the long dog

Fred's location on Pequot Avenue (along the river, overlooking Pfizer) does not quite have the charm of Captain Scott's boatyard/downtown locale. However, the views are good and the service is actually faster and friendlier, even when packed (which it often is).

 Scott and calamari 

Me with my glorious clams

All in all, Fred's is a good value and a good experience - and a fairly dangerous place to have within walking distance. If you're over by Mitchell College or on your way to Ocean Beach and a fried clam craving hits, I would highly recommend it. It may not be gourmet, but it sure does hit the spot.

When Irish eyes are smiling

I grew up in an area rich in St. Patrick's Day tradition. That tradition was going to one of the crappiest of local bars, the Wooden Nickel, at approximately 6:00 AM to get in line for green beer that would go up in price every hour starting at 7:00 AM.

Sad - or glad? - to say, I never actually participated in the Nickel tradition (I am probably the ONE EMU student that didn't), although I did spend many a St. Patty's day drinking beer on the balcony of someone's crappy apartment (sometimes my own crappy apartment).

Since moving to Connecticut, we have usually celebrated St. Patrick's Day at Hanafin's, our local Irish pub. However, Noe and I usually opt for a fairly early celebration, ending up home by 8:00 or so. This year, Noe stayed home - he didn't feel like dealing with the crowd - and I met up with Scott and Caitlin for my yearly Guinness followed up by a Jameson at Dev's. Then I went home for our own Irish feast.

Outside Hanafin's with Kristina, Max, Caitlin, Scott, and Kevin Lester

Me, Miss Murphy, and the Guinness

For the first time ever, I attempted corned beef and cabbage. I did it in the crockpot, knowing that I wouldn't be able to totally resist the pull of Hanafin's after work on St. Patrick's Day. I chopped all the veggies on Tuesday night and baked a loaf of soda bread in anticipation of sopping up all those delicious meat juices.

 Soda bread - yummm

The meal itself was not fancy: I threw the corned beef brisket and some potatoes, celery, carrots, and onions in the crockpot, sprinkled with the pickling spice that came with the meat, put in enough water to just cover everything, and let it cook for nine hours.

 Chopped celery and carrots

Potatoes

When I got home, I removed the meat and veggies and cooked some cabbage wedges in the cooking liquid for about 25 minutes. I also boiled down about 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid until it was reduced by half and mixed with equal amounts sour cream and prepared horseradish to make a sauce.

 Meat and veggies resting while I finish the cabbage and sauce

Dinner was simple, hearty, and good. Corned beef isn't my favorite thing in the world, but once a year it tastes pretty awesome. The leftover meat and the soda bread (delicious - dense and chewy with a nice hard crust) will make amazing sandwiches (topped off with a smidgen of horseradish sauce). I'll probably just eat a bowl of veggies for lunch tomorrow.

 The feast...mmmmmmm!

How did you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Stuff I Like Sunday

My object of the week: monogrammed tea cup from Anthropologie. If I have to drink tea instead of coffee (Lent, *sigh*) at least I get to drink it out of this ladylike vessel.

Shabby Chic

When one of our editors at work received a press release from a company touting "modest" clothing, I was not inclined to browse the company's website. It sounded lame (and quite frankly, we get a lot of lame press releases around my office).

However, I for whatever reason opened the forwarded email and clicked on the link...and immediately fell in love with Shabby Apple's vintage-inspired dresses.

I ordered my first one last summer and found it to be very well-made. The second one I ordered had an imperfection; I emailed the company and received a response within two hours offering me an exchange, with my shipping costs to send the dress back reimbursed.

My first Shabby Apple purchase -

the "Bon Voyage"

I haven't ordered anything in awhile (due to finances) but when I saw the new Baja line, I couldn't resist. I immediately ordered two dresses. Imagine my disappointment the next morning (not even ten hours later) when I received an email promotion for free shipping. Once again, I emailed the company, and once again, had a great experience - the shipping on my previous night's order was refunded.

New spring dresses!

My new dresses arrived today and I can not WAIT to wear them! They immediately put me in a "spring" frame of mind.I highly recommend checking out Shabby Apple - beautiful clothes, good quality, and a great customer experience.