The Pickity Place is one of my favorite places in the world. It’s a restaurant, gift shop, greenhouse and garden all rolled into one. Situated far out in the woods of New Hampshire, the little red house has been around for hundreds of years, and was famously drawn into the story of Little Red Riding Hood as Grandma’s house. A room is permanently set up with a wolf wearing a nightgown and a bonnet, pretending to sleep in a four poster bed….
The Boston Statehouse – a Tour in Photos
My friend Tilden visited this week. She’s from Seattle, but has been to Boston more times than either of us could count. This trip was different because her mom came along, and she had never really explored Boston, so we got to play tourist in our own city.
Our tour began at the State House, and, thanks to a friend who may or may not work there, we were able to go past all those velveteen ropes that hold regular tourists back (suckers!). We saw where both the Senate and the House meet, got to know the Sacred Cod and the Holy Mackerel, and stood on the balcony where Governor Patrick said his last “goodbye” before leaving office.
Here are some photos from our exclusive tour.
Just Get Away
I find myself yelling at strangers a lot, but only from the safety of my car with the windows rolled up. I feel like people are so much more inconsiderate and selfish than they used to be. No more please, thank you, or excuse me. They text and drive. Eat and drive. Talk on the phone and drive. They walk right into you at the grocery store like you’re not even there, and somehow it was your fault, even though they had their head down, looking at their phone.
Last weekend my dearest friend Jaki invited me to stay with her in a barn in the middle of the woods for a night. I was happy to accept, since I don’t get to spend nearly as much time with her as I’d like. I had an amazing time scooting around the barn on a Razor scooter, playing basketball (I’m terrible), and teaching myself to juggle. There was a swing on the inside of the barn with a peace sign on it, a reminder of what we probably need more of in our day-to-day.
While Jaki got ready in the morning, I went outside and took some nature photos. And then just stood still, realizing that I was alone for the first time in I don’t even know how long. And it hit me that maybe I need this. Maybe just getting away once it a while and being truly alone will help me to be a better person when I’m with others. A little more tolerant. A little more relaxed.
Jaki and I will be back at that barn in the fall.
Yoga Series #3 – Downward Dog Pose
My friend Lauren is a pretty good yoga model and a super fast runner. She spearheads a run club through her company, Lauren Leonard Health, which I attended for the first time last night. With the weather we had this past winter in Boston, I chose not to run outdoors much for fear of being hit by a plow. All the sidewalks were either sheets of packed down snow-turned-ice or were covered in a 9 foot-tall hardened snow wall. It was the first time in years that I didn’t run multiple times per week, which had a huge impact on my running fitness level.
FUN FACT – the last of the snow in Boston melted today. TODAY. That’s right, July 15th. …
Grass Fed Burgers with Blue Cheese & Bacon
Fourth of July has already come and gone. How did this happen? It seems like just yesterday I was trying to find my car under all that snow.
One of the other things that disappeared this past winter was our precious grill. Since we don’t have a lot of yard space, the grill slowly took on snow, like a sinking ship, until we could no longer see it under all that white. Sometimes I would look out the kitchen window longingly for the day that the weather would warm and the grill would peek out at me again. Thank God that day arrived.
If you’re like me, you spend pretty much every summer evening grilling (read making my husband grill). Everything just seems to taste better on the grill, the clean-up is easy, and your house won’t get all swampy from using the oven or stove. We cook everything on there, from veggies to pizza, and, of course, BURGERS.
This recipe is one of my husband’s all-time favorite burger combinations. Every time we go out to a restaurant and he orders a burger, you better bet there will be blue cheese and bacon. I added a few veggies on top to up the nutrient content, add some color, and give it a little extra crunch. The bun is brioche toasted with butter – crispy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside, and HUGE. It’s the perfect wrapper for this meat on cheese on meat combination.
What is your favorite burger topping? I want to know! Leave me a comment to share.
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Grass Fed Burgers with Blue Cheese & Bacon
2015-07-08 08:04:20
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
- 1 lb organic, grass-fed beef
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 8 pieces thick-cut bacon, cooked
- 8 tbsp blue cheese crumbles
- 4 brioche buns
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- Sliced tomatoes for garnish
- Bean sprouts for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, ground flax seed and garlic powder.
- Separate meat into 4 equal-sized patties - set aside.
- Brush the insides of brioche buns with melted butter - set aside.
- On a pre-heated grill, place buns on top rack (butter side down), and burgers on bottom rack.
- When buns are browned, remove from grill.
- Cook burgers to desired level of doneness.
- Assemble burgers using 2 tbsp blue cheese and 2 strips of bacon for each, topping with tomatoes, sprouts, and other condiments as desired.
The Holistic Grail https://www.theholisticgrail.com/
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