Saturday, July 9, 2022

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

My favorite balance of creamy and tart. Recipe from here.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
1⁄2 cup Nellie & Joe's key lime juice
1 9-inch graham cracker crust
Whipped cream

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Beat softened cream cheese until creamy.
  3. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat to incorporate.
  4. Add egg yolks and beat well.
  5. Add lime juice and beat till combined.
  6. Pour mixture into pie crust and spread with spatula until evenly distributed. Place on cookie sheet and then into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the filling begins to set.
  7. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack at room temperature. Then place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Two works better.
  8. Cut into 8 slices and serve with a generous helping of whipped cream.

Friday, July 8, 2022

Brownies

I use Pinterest to organize my recipes, but I have probably a dozen brownie variations saved. This is my go-to brownie recipe, a dense, fudgy base for whatever mix-ins we want. People always like them, probably because there's a stick of butter in there. Also it uses cocoa, so there's no melting of chocolate. One bowl and a spoon, y'all.

Recipe by Cafe Delites <--- check out all their other brownie recipes

The Best Fudgy Cocoa Brownies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and HOT
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 1/8 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose (or plain) flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional add-ins: chocolate chips, white chips, Craisins

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking oil spray. Line with parchment paper and set aside.
  3. Combine hot melted butter, oil and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well for about a minute. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in color (another minute).
  4. Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined (do NOT over-beat as doing so well affect the texture of your brownies).
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly. (OPTIONAL: Top with chocolate chunks or chocolate chips.)
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes (but check at 18), or until the center of the brownies in the pan no longer jiggles and is just set to the touch (the brownies will keep baking in the hot pan out of the oven). If testing with a toothpick, the toothpick should come out dirty for fudge-textured brownies.
  7. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing into 16 brownies.

Monday, February 21, 2022

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Most people like chocolate chip cookies, but not everyone likes the same attributes. I like tall ones that are barely baked. This is the recipe I use, adapted from this one, which is a Levain Bakery copycat. Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions
  1. In a large mixing bowl add the butter and sugars. Using a hand or stand mixer cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy.
  2. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
  3. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined. The dough might seem crumbly.
  4. Pour in the chocolate chips and use your hands or a strong spoon to mix them in. This will bring the dough together. Be gentle though. We don't want to compact the dough too much. We want to keep it as airy as possible.
  5. Chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes. (If you are freezing dough balls* you can skip this step). Preheat the oven to 375 during this time. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  6. Scoop dough using #40 (1½ Tbsp) scoop.
  7. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes. The tops will start showing golden brown. Do not overbake.
  8. Cool on the baking sheet for a minute, then remove to a wire rack to continue cooling. 
*Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Scoop onto a small baking sheet (it's okay for them to touch) and freeze for a few hours, then transfer cookie dough balls to a freezer bag to store. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for 13-14 minutes, no need to thaw.

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Ultimate Chocolate Indulgence Cookies

Rich, chocolatey cookies with a brownie-like crackle on top, available in Wegmans bakeries. You could just buy some (they're $2 each) and I do on my birthday, but I also like figuring out how to make amazing food at home. They're labeled in the store as gluten-free, and after trying several flourless recipes resembling meringue and Swedish kladdkaka, the pandemic hit and I was focused on other things. Then when Wegmans started packaging them in groups with a label (covid) I saw oat flour listed in the ingredients and so I tried a few more recipes that weren't The One either, and got discouraged. I also figured Wegmans probably has its own chocolate plantation and grinds its own nibs, so mere mortals couldn't possibly recreate them at home. (Cocoa butter is also on the ingredients list and that's where I drew the line). Months later I was excited to find this recipe developed by Cookie Madness at the same time as my quest. I tweaked it a bit and doubled the amounts since 6 cookies is not enough for this house, especially with the research suggested in step 6. Now I get 26 cookies with the #40 scoop.

Ingredients 

  • 168g dark chocolate,* coarsely chopped (about a cup) 
  • 56g (2 oz) unsweetened chocolate (half of a Baker's bar), broken up
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder  
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
  • 2/3 cup oat flour**
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 

*Dark chocolate is often sold in 100g bars, so keep that in mind when purchasing. I usually weigh mine out just to be sure, but I bet you could eyeball it if you're good with fractions (1 2/3 bars).

**I used my food processor to pulverize rolled oats the first time, but even after several minutes there were chunks. I have used store-bought oat flour since that, and like the results. Next time I'm substituting all-purpose flour since we eat gluten.

Instructions 

  1. In a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup, melt the dark chocolate, unsweetened chocolate and butter together by microwaving on high and stirring every 15-30 seconds. Set aside to cool.
  2. With an electric mixer combine the eggs, espresso, and vanilla. Add sugar and beat for about two minutes. Mix in the cooled melted chocolate mixture.
  3. In a small bowl mix together the oat flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix this into the chocolate mixture on low until just combined.
  4. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand. Chill dough for 30 minutes***, then preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 
  5. Using a medium cookie scoop (1.5T/size 40), portion out dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Check off your arm workout for today. Rawr!  ***If you plan to freeze the unbaked dough you can skip the chill time and scoop right away onto a small cookie sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer dough balls to a zipper bag and return to freezer until ready to bake.
  6. Bake chilled dough for 10-12 minutes, frozen dough a few minutes longer. Do not overbake. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. I love eating freshly baked cookies, but I also love the crunch of the chocolate chips when they're fully cooled. Do your own research on that though.
Update:
I tried another recipe that was so good, but I haven't had a chance to do a side-by-side comparison in the name of research. I used Special Dark cocoa, some 80% dark chocolate for melting, Kroger chunks, a 2T scoop and baked for 10 minutes.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped (She used 60%; the darker the chocolate, the more intense the cookies will be)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces
2 large eggs at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, about 2 cups
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon or Fleur de Sel (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate in microwave on 15-30 second intervals until it melts completely and looks smooth and shiny. Let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until they are pale and foamy. Beat in the vanilla.
Scrape down the bowl, then reduce the speed to low and add the cooled chocolate mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
Scrape down the bowl again. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing just until the dry ingredients disappear into the batter.
The batter will be thick and shiny and brownie batter-like.
By hand with a rubber spatula, gently stir in the chocolate chips.
For small cookies (2-inch) cookies, drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between the mounds of dough. For larger (3-inch) cookies, drop into mounds that are 2 inches across (you'll need about 2 tablespoons of dough). Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a pinch of flaky salt.

Bake the cookies for 9 minutes (if smaller) or 10 minutes (if larger). The tops of the cookies will appear slightly dry and the inside will be soft. Let rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then gently transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature (or as long as you can stand).
Repeat with the remaining dough, baking only one sheet of cookies at a time in the center of the oven. If you are reusing the same baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Oregon

Our kids are at an age where they are independent but still want to hang out with the family. We love beautiful scenery and I had seen cool pictures of Oregon tidepools, so we booked a trip there last year. 2020... pandemic, rioting in Portland, etc. so we postponed our trip until the following August. School doesn't start until after Labor Day here, so going somewhere cool and rainy was a good way to spend the dog days of summer.

We're a year into the pandemic and many business are struggling to rebound, especially in the travel and hospitality industries. We decided to take our chances since many of our desired destinations were outdoors. Our first night, after arriving in Portland and waiting (and waiting) for the hotel shuttle, calling repeatedly with no answer, and finally Ubering to our hotel 5 minutes away, we found out that their phone and internet were out, and they didn't update their services to reflect the lack of shuttle service or complimentary breakfast. First thing the next morning Steve walked to pick up our rental car and we stocked up on nonperishable foods just in case this happened again. 

Day 2 after stocking up we set out for the coast, but first drove up through Vancouver, just over the border into Washington (not Canada) so the kids could check that state off their list. We drove through Astoria, Oregon and on to our first view of the coast and goodies from a bakery in Gearhart. 

We hiked Clatsop Loop trail (2.8mi loop) from Indian Beach in Ecola State Park to see the offshore Tillamook Rock lighthouse. The inland part of the loop was full of huge moss-covered evergreens (redwoods?) and ferns, and we joked that we wouldn't be surprised to see a dinosaur. We got to the viewpoint at the top and were looking into a cloud, but the coastal side of the loop on the way down gave us peeks of the lighthouse.


Next up was Cannon Beach. It was Saturday and very popular, so our parking spot was miles away from the Haystack but we ended up seeing a lot of the town, full of shops and restaurants. And FLOWERS! Oh, the window boxes and the B&B gardens with fuchsia bushes and dahlias and sweet peas! After a hot, dry summer of watering my garden in Virginia it was so sweet to see happy plants. Haystack Rock was amazing, bigger than I expected. We would have liked to have spent more time in Cannon Beach on a weekday with fewer people and a great kite.


Day 3 started with exploring sea caves & tidepools at Hug Point State Recreation Site and then Short Sand Beach at Oswald West State Park. I had never seen bright green sea anemones in the wild before. I would have liked to hike NeahKahNie trail and see the Cape Meares lighthouse & tidepools, but it was overcast/foggy and we needed to move along. Tillamook Creamery has a free self-guided factory tour and a café, so lunch that day was fried cheese curds and ice cream. Because vacation.

We played on the beach at Cape Lookout State Park to give Steve a break from driving, then we continued on to Pacific City, grabbed a parking spot and pack of hazy at Pelican. I sat in the welcome sun and watched the surfers while Steve and the kids climbed the sand mountain at Cape Kiwanda. 


Day 4 started with an impulse stop at Boiler Bay viewpoint. The view to the north ended up being one of my favorites, and on the south side of the point we saw gray whales surfacing pretty close to shore. It was magical! Taking Otter Crest Loop to the Ben Jones bridge viewpoint (and the house with the cool deck next door) is worth it, as was Devils Punch Bowl (natural arch) even at low tide. If you have a national parks pass you can get in free at Yaquina Head lighthouse. Park and take the stairs down to Cobble beach, which is uniquely covered in polished black rocks and has one of the best spots we found for tidepools. Bright purple sea urchins were the highlight for me.


We visited the Hatfield Marine Science Center where the kids got to recreate tidal waves and pilot a ship via simulator. I loved their resident bright orange octopus and knowledgeable volunteers. Newport's Bay Boulevard has cute shops and restaurants. Chowder, sea lions, saltwater taffy, handworks, and then dinner at one of the Rogue brewery restaurants.

Day 5: low tide 8:44am, high tide 3:16pm


Cape Perpetua is chock full of natural wonders. We started out in the marine garden near Thor's Well, which was the other really great tidepool spot that we saw. You have to go at low tide and walk way out to where the mussels cover the rocks. Because sea stars (starfish) eat mussels. The sea stars were big and fat, orange and dark purple, and there were green anemones and purple urchins there as well. It was like looking into a tropical aquarium, so magical. We spent almost all day at Cape Perpetua, chilling and watching the tide come in which made Thor's Well and Spouting Horn that much more interesting. Then we checked in to our room at the Adobe Resort in Yachats and enjoyed their indoor pool. One of my favorite dinners of the trip was halibut fish & chips at Luna Sea Fish House. Then we watched the sun setting over the Pacific right from bed.  

Day 6 Wed 8/25 

More time in the car today (the southern half of the coast) but there was less I wanted to see in this part of the coast. We opted for the viewpoint of Heceta Lighthouse (instead of driving out to it) and had to miss the Bay Street shops in Florence because we passed through before they opened. But we filled a box of goodies at Bandon Baking Company (cookie dough cupcake, sailor jacks, raspberry bear claw, several types of cookies) and shared a big cinnamon roll at a table by the water. Then tried the sipping chocolate and caramel at Coastal Mist chocolate shop. Because vacation. 

Highlights from the rest of the Oregon Coast... 

Sisters Rock State Park


Mack Arch view from Crook Point (pictured)

Boardman State Scenic Corridor

  Arch Rock

  Secret Beach

  Natural Bridges – can hike down but trail is not safe

Harris Beach tidepools


When we got to California we drove to a place my aunt Suzy had recommended. She grew up in northern California and knows our kids are Star Wars fans, so we drove to Endor, a.k.a. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. You can park at the visitor’s center and take footbridge across the river to Stout Grove Loop, or you can drive around and park at the loop like we did.

We made it to Grants Pass, Oregon for a forgettable dinner and nice chill time before bed. We stayed at Riverside Inn, which had super views by the river and a good breakfast buffet.


Day 7 Thur 8/26 (I'm losing my steam here, so here are my notes in brief form)


Crater Lake – definitely worth seeing, park at Rim Village, go down to Sinnott observation point, stop at Watchman viewpoint

Explored Bend

   Jackson's Corner, Drake Park, Pizza Mondo by the slice (yum!), Wooden Jewel, Dudley’s Bookshop (so good)

Stayed in Bend - (such a cool town)


Day 8 Fri 8/27

Take 35 around the east side of Mount Hood so you’ll see the Columbia River Gorge

Stop at Horsetail Falls 

(Oneonta Gorge trails were closed due to fires/mudslides)

Multnomah Falls – may need reservation, park in highway median lot and walk through tunnel, total distance to the top of the falls and back is 2.4 miles, bridge is 0.2mi

-Portland 


  Int’l Rose Test garden and Secret garden (Japanese garden is $$$)

  Powell's City of Books

Yes, there are homeless camps around the outskirts of town and in certain parts of the city. We just steered clear and had no issues.


Day 9 Saturday 8/28

Flight 11am PDT PDX-Chicago-Richmond

Unexpected layover (weather delay, refeuling stop in Rockford, IL, rebooked on next day's flight), stayed in Chicago, spent our time at Museum of Science and Industry which we loved.


Oregon Coast Tips: 

Bathrooms can be scarce so go when you can, and bring hand wipes because some are pit toilets (no plumbing).

Oregon travel tip: Cell coverage was spotty in a lot of areas, so download your Google Maps for offline use before you go.

Check the tide schedule before you go. The fun stuff in tidepools can be found down toward the water where you see mussels on top of the rocks (starfish eat them), and is only safe/visible at low tide. Wear shoes with good tread that can get wet.

Pack a Neat Sheet (or just a flat sheet) for using as a pillow in the car or a blanket/towel at the beach. You don't need to bring all the creature comforts of home.

In August 2021 some restaurants had reduced hours because of staffing, and hotel breakfasts were hit or miss. Be prepared. When we got to Portland we bought bread/almond butter/honey, power bars, and dried fruit so we could also eat lunch on the go.

Travel tip: Tailgate lunches were a big time- and money-saver on circuit trips where we're in a different hotel each night. We brought a table knife and bought a loaf of bread, PB&J, fruit, trail mix, PB crackers, mozzarella sticks, pepperoni, granola bars, bottled water. And candy, because vacation.

Travel tip: When you're renting a car and still need a booster seat (the height cutoff is 4'9" and the safety belt needs to stay off the neck and over the shoulder), airlines charge if you bring your own, and car rental companies charge you to rent one. In Utah we bought one when we got there for way less than either of those options, and in Oregon we packed an extra one inside a suitcase, then donated it before flying home. 


Thursday, July 29, 2021

Tomato Pie





It's late July and we’ve moved into the hot, praying-for-rain, beetles-eating-roses part of the year. There are precious few things I love about summer, so I did make a list to remind myself...
Picking strawberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, figs Floating in the river Turning off the alarm clock for a couple months Hammock & book Baking with berries
BLTs with fresh tomatoes Fireworks
Drought-tolerant perennials Lightning bugs Corn on the cob Sunsets at the river Warm peaches Lilly Pulitzer prints
Watermelon Homemade ice cream Zinnias Docktails Picking steamed crabs
Paddleboarding Hiking in the mountains Tomato Pie

Wait. Tomato... pie? Like a dessert? No, ma'am. (I'm southern enough to use ma'am but not southern enough to grow up eating tomato pie. (My mom is from Oklahoma and my hometown in Virginia changed hands over 70 times during the Civil War). If you don't like tomatoes you may move right along because you probably won't like tomato pie, but if you do like summer-ripe tomatoes and cheese and fresh basil then consider making this.

Tomato Pie

(In typical Anne fashion I am philosophically somewhere in the middle... this time between Paula and Bobby Deen).

Ingredients 1 frozen deep-dish pie crust 1/2 cup mozzarella or Italian blend shredded cheese
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup light mayonnaise 2-4 shakes hot sauce 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line crust with foil and cover bottom with pie weights or dried beans. Bake crust until edges are lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Remove foil and weights. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Sprinkle 1/4 cup mozzarella evenly on the bottom of the cooled crust; top with the tomato slices, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the salt and top with the basil. Combine the mayo, hot sauce and the remaining cheese in a medium bowl until blended; spread over the tomatoes, almost to the crust. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the filling is hot and the top is browned and bubbly, 30-35 minutes. Serve warm.

Hope you're embracing summer!

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Maine

When our kids were little our parents would sometimes watch them while Steve and I had a getaway, and a few years ago our Week of Freedom was offered in August. Bleh. Where could we go that is wonderful then? Alaska? Banff? Maine, it was decided, and it was incredible. But that Summer of 6 and 9 was when I realized that we had turned a corner and our kids were fun to travel with (and still enjoyed being with us). When we got to Maine with all the wonderful hikes and rock scrambling we immediately said we needed to bring the kids back. 

Last time we flew into Boston and explored Gloucester and Rockport, MA on the way up. This time we drove the whole way, staying overnight along the way in order to stretch our legs and explore places like... 

  • Downtown Portsmouth, NH - we got French pastries at La Maison Navarre
  • Nubble light
  • Kennebunkport - Sea Glass is a well-curated jewelry shop
  • traffic detour through adorable Ogunquit, which we wouldn't have seen otherwise
  • Portland Head lighthouse
  • Boothbay Harbor and Ocean Point Walk - would love to spend more time here, stayed only long enough to enjoyed interesting hot dogs, waffles, and ice cream at Wannawaf, and our first lobster roll (warm and buttery "naked," not lobster salad) from Shannon's Unshelled
  • Bath Iron Works - got a peek at ships being built from a dog park along the river 
  • Rockland - wonderful main street - it was Sunday this time and many places were closed, but we did go see the lighthouse on the breakwater 
  • Sea Dog Brewery, which overlooks the harbor in Camden - ate here on our previous trip  

Steve and I found sea glass, too. 
Last time Steve and I stayed at the wonderfully cheap Robbins Motel on Mount Desert Island and just walked to the nearby restaurants for several of our meals. MDI has an interesting mix of the Vineyard Vines vacationers in Bar Harbor right alongside the hikers fresh off the trails of Acadia National Park. For this trip we rented an adorable cottage where we'd have a kitchen and separate bedrooms. It had access to the shoreline as well, and the kids spent hours playing with rocks. Stacking, skipping, trying to break them, etc. It was about half an hour past the turn for Schoodic Peninsula, so that was the first place we ventured after a day playing Risk and reading books at the cottage. 

Schoodic Point is part of Acadia, a huge rocky shoreline to climb on with tidepools at low tide and crashing waves to watch. After that we headed to the smaller-scale Grindstone Point for more rock scrambling and "pinballing." It was foggy that day, but we could just make out the silhouette of the Beehive over on MDI (foreshadowing).

New day... time for Acadia! Beehive Trail goes straight up from Sand Beach parking area, and is clearly a crowd favorite as the parking lot is full by 8:30 in season. It took us under half an hour to get to the top and another hour to hike down the back way, past The Bowl. Beehive has some spots with iron rungs to help people grip the rocks, which can feel a little dicey, but our kids (now 9 and 12) were champs and this ranks up there as one of our favorite hikes anywhere.

At low tide you can walk out on the sandbar to Bar Island from Bar Harbor, but this time we didn't time it right and just sat on the green for a picnic lunch with a view of the boats. Then we got ice cream (blueberry, of course) and fudge and tshirts, as one does in Bar Harbor. My son picked a shirt with a drawing of Bass Harbor light, so we decided to check that out next. Southwest Harbor is a sweet little village, and this time we got flavored tea and lemonade from Sips and a lobster roll from Beal's. I'm not a big shopper, but I enjoy handmade things, so I like visiting Island Artisans in BH and Southwest Harbor Artisans.

Cobblestone bridge over Jordan Pond Stream
We went back to Acadia the next day because the forecast looked the best of those remaining. Not wanting to fight crowds, we took the shuttle from the visitor's center to Jordan Pond House. We wanted to see some of the carriage roads, so we hiked along Jordan Pond Stream (pretty trail) to this cobblestone bridge, then we wanted to do a hike with a view so we took Spring Trail, hiked up Penobscot Mountain, down Deer Brook, enjoyed the breeze off Jordan Pond, then finished with Jordan Pond Path along the lake, back to JP House. I would love to explore more of the central mountain area of Acadia. Last time Steve and I did the St. Saveur & Acadia Mountain loop with incredible views of Somes Sound. Acadia NP has so many great views because it has mountains right next to the ocean.

Looking back on the way up Penobscot


The next day was rainy, so we hiked up Pigeon Hill near our cottage, and hung out in Winter Harbor, including seeing Prospect Point light and eating at J.M. Gerrish Cafe, where one can get blueberry pancakes and a lobster roll. We also got a doormat made from lobster rope at the 5 & 10. Then it was time to pack up and head home, but we did stop along the way at Maine Beer Company and the LL Bean outlet and flagship stores in Freeport.

We're already talking about next time!