A little taste of home.

I finally got around to making baked beans. Boston Baked Beans, as if there is any other kind. They are pretty yummy, a little bland but perfection takes time. Brian went back for seconds so they can't be half bad.

Now if you don't already know, I'm a total foodie. I love food! I'm particularly fond of the hunt for the best food; restaurants, speciality shops, and organic everything. My beans had a mix of the best stuff  - organic onions, hickory smoked thick-cut bacon, sugar, molasses, navy beans, mustard.

In case you'd like to try them for yourself. I edited the recipie I followed so that yours will turn out more flavorful. If they come out a little bland and lighter colored at first don't worry, they get tastier and darker the next day.

Boston Baked Beans
1 pound beans (navy beans work well)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 pound bacon or salt pork (bacon gives a smoky flavor)
1/2 medium onion (peeled, not cut)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Soak your beans in a bean pot or casserole dish overnight.

In the morning pre-heat oven to 325˚ and fill a dutch oven half full with water and baking soda. Bring to a boil and add beans, cooking for 10 minutes. Strain beans, saving the water they were boiled in. Rinse beans with cold water, set aside.

Line bottom of bean pot with half of your bacon/salt pork. Place your onion in, then cover with beans. Use remainder of bacon/salt pork to cover the top of the beans.

In a bowl mix all other ingredients with 3 cups hot bean water. Stir till combined well, pour over beans. Baked covered for 6 hours checking hourly for moisture. Beans should be moist, but not flooded.

Pleasant Pond Mountain.

Wednesday we decided to hike to the top of Pleasant Pond Mountain. The first tracks up the mountain of the new year. Greg, one of the snowmobile guides/groomers, gave us directions - leaving out one fact that newbies must discover for themselves - turn left at the fork!

With our snowshoes on we hiked in to the sign that said 1.3 miles to the top. Doesn't sound too bad? Except there was two feet of snow on the ground and if you don't know; snowshoes does not mean that you float. We made it to the Appilachian Trail hut where Brian found the sign for the toilet. Then headed around to a logging road following the trail before seeing the sign that said 1.1 miles to go!

Apparently we took the long way up and around the back side of the mountain, which added almost another mile. So up we went -and up and up and up. We stopped halfway up for some crackers and cheese with an incredible view through the trees.

After a snack, off came the snowshoes as we had to climb (me falling every step of the way) up the mountain. Grabbing onto tress and slipping on the snow we made it up the steep embankment only to see the trail kept going. Not long after it was time for lunch.

Thanks to Mom we enjoyed organic tomato soup. All warmed up it was time to head back down which was much easier now that we knew the shortcut.

Over The River.

And through the woods, into the great big snow we go!

Saturday night's storm dropped almost two feet of fresh snow. And today we had a day off so we strapped on the snowshoes. Brian got a good laugh as I attempted to tromp down a path along the Kennebec River. After a mile and 10 stops to catch my breath (a foot of snow on top of your shoe is HEAVY!) we decided that I am the most out of shape skinny person we know.

But we couldn't call it quits; not with all that powder. I rented a sled and Brian hopped on his and off we went. After lunch down at The Hawk's Nest something crazy happened. I actually took Brian up on the offer to ride his Arctic Cat F6 SnoPro. My first reaction, "It's like a magic carpet!" I was whisked away over the bumps and up the trail. I have since apologized and let Brian know that I am sorry, but I can not give his sled back. It is mine now. (He thinks that's the okay for a new sled) Silly boy.