Been a while since I've posted, but for a good reason: the family and I were up in Machias, Maine for three weeks. We had a fantastic time, even though the weather was mostly rainy. Rain only meant more mushrooms for Igor to gather, but I'm getting ahead of myself...
As the title of this post suggests, we lived on wild blueberries and wild mushrooms. I got Igor a blueberry rake last Christmas, and I have mixed feelings on whether it was a good gift. He loves it because it only takes 10 minutes to fill up a basket with blueberries. But then, it takes a few (wo)man hours to separate the berries from the accompanying grass, leaves, and unripe berries. Most of the berries was made into jam (I would say a couple of gallons worth). Some were left fresh for breakfast and ice-cream. Some actually went into baked desserts. I made a blueberry-molasses coffeecake, which was fantastic. At least to me and Ivan; the others weren't crazy about the molasses. The more successful dessert was a perfect blueberry pie, for which I picked nearly all 6 cups myself. Cook's Illustrated July 2008 was the source of the recipe, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
And then there were the mushrooms. Igor found great boletus, honey mushrooms, chanterelles, and what he calls "under the birch" and "under the aspen". When they weren't fried or made into soups, the mushrooms were frozen or dried - about a few gallons each. We actually bought a food dehydrator while in Maine because the freezer was getting filled with mushrooms, and I pointed out to Igor that our freezer at home was about the same size, and not empty. On the last day, Igor, Nikita, and Galina went for a last gathering; they collected over 4 gallons of chanterelles.
Even though we got back Saturday, Igor is still processing them. Last night, he tried pickling a bunch for variety.
Even though we got back Saturday, Igor is still processing them. Last night, he tried pickling a bunch for variety.
In addition to the hiking/gathering, we did the usual treks to Calais for Marden's shopping and Gifford's ice-cream (in particular, Maine Black Bear - vanilla ice-cream with raspberry swirl and chocolate-covered raspberries). But we also did some new activities, all involving water. We found a fantastic lake for swimming, which was great because the ocean is much too cold up there. Igor and I also brought along our sea kayak (yes, the car was packed), and we paddled a few times in the bay; Nikita sometimes came along for the ride. Finally, my parents came up to visit for a couple of days, and took Nikita fishing for the first time. They were hoping to catch some mackerel, but apparently, they are late again this year. Next year, I hope to visit East Quoddy Light House during low tide so that we can explore the tidepools.
Nikita and Ivan had a fabulous time, particularly around the house. Since the house is on a hill and a bit isolated, the boys were able to play outside without limit. The air is clean (indeed, my nose cleared up within a couple of days up there), and they found a bunch of berries - raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. After a few days, Nikita said that he wanted to live in Maine. And Ivan would bring me his sandals at 7 am because he wanted to go outside.
A few milestones for Ivan while we were up in Maine. He amused everyone by swinging his arms from side to side while running. He also figured out how to go downstairs forward, since one of the staircases had a rail low enough for him. He would take a step, sit on his butt, then repeat. The more hair-raising activity was his learning to crawl onto a chair by himself. If we didn't move the chairs, the next minute, Ivan would be precariously perched on the edge of a chair, reaching for some blueberries in the middle of the table. Nikita definitely did not do this at his age, but then again, he wasn't as motivated as Ivan to get food!
Nikita was a real helper this year. While gathering mushrooms, he sometimes cut them and surprisingly found ones that Igor missed. He also liked helping me bake - putting in ingredients, mixing, and of course, eating the batter. It was fun trying to explain why he added certain things as we went along.
Like last year, I didn't take any knitting with me, but that was only because my Knit Picks order didn't arrive in time (I'm currently knitting a swatch for a Lotus-Blossom Tank). I did, however, read a ton, thanks to the local public library. Finished David Copperfield; started and finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Gabriela, Clove, and Cinnamon, and How to Read and Why. My favorites? David Copperfield and Gabriela. The latter was a joy to read, but Dickens' masterpiece answers my question of why modern novels over 500 pages are rarely worth reading: the characters are not nearly so engaging or developed. I think I'll just read a new Dickens novel everytime we're up in Maine, especially since the library seems to have all the Oxford Illustrated editions. Yes, pictures are nice.
