January 26, 2012
Frog Cupcakes
Don’t just make cupcakes for your kid’s birthday party, make frog cupcakes!
They will be sure to get a giggle out of your little one when he or she sees them and will be a hit at the party. (Who doesn’t love cute faces on their desserts?) Or have your child help you make them for a fun and edible family activity.
~Ingredients~
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (16 ounce) can prepared vanilla frosting
6 drops green food coloring, or as needed
1/4 cup green decorator sugar
12 large marshmallows
48 semisweet chocolate chips
1 drop red food coloring
~Directions~
Bake cupcakes according to the directions on the package. Allow them to cool completely.
Scoop 2/3 of the frosting into a small bowl and mix with green food coloring. Frost the cupcakes. Sprinkle
some of the green sugar over the tops.
Cut the marshmallows in half to make two circles. Dip half of each marshmallow piece into water and dip into the green sugar to make the eyelids. The remaining white will be the eyes.
Place on the cupcakes. Use a little bit of white icing to glue a chocolate chip into the center of each eye for the pupil.
Mix the remaining frosting with red food coloring to make pink. Use the pink icing to draw smiling mouths and nostrils or even tongues on the frogs.
January 25, 2012
Brea Lu Cafe
Brea Lu’ Cafe offers an amazing selection of breakfast food, prepared to perfection.
Story from the Portland Press Herald by The Features staff of The Portland Press Herald. Find it here.
As a breakfast food fanatic, I’ll take substance over style any time. I’d rather have the restaurant staff focus on attaining perfection with my over-easy fried eggs than spending a lot of energy arranging the artwork on the walls.
However, if I can find a breakfast place with both substance AND style, I’ll gladly take it. And that’s what I’ve found at Brea Lu Cafe.
Located on a busy part of Forest Avenue not far from Oakhurst Dairy in Portland, Brea Lu has been a neighborhood landmark for 20 or more years. But even if you’ve been there before, it’s worth a return visit.
As soon you as walk into the old storefront, which looks sort of Art Deco from the outside, you’re struck by the interior details, including pressed-tin-type ceilings and shelves full of books, knick-knacks and pictures of the city’s past. A back room has exposed brick and a wood stove, making it very cozy in winter.
Despite the cheery disposition of the place, what impressed me most was the dedication to breakfast-food excellence. I like sunny-side up eggs. And I know it’s not easy to get them perfect – yolks full of juice, not overcooked, whites cooked just enough, not runny and not burned. Every time I’ve gotten them at Brea Lu, my sunny-side up eggs have been perfect.
I ordered the homemade corned beef hash with two eggs, home fries and toast ($7.95). I like canned hash just fine, but this was definitely not canned, and that made all the difference. There were tender, meaty pieces of corned beef and big pieces of potato. It was neither greasy nor chewy, but was just right, as were the potatoes. Sometimes diner home fries stay on the grill too long and get a really hard edge to them. But these were lightly fried, and tasted fresh.
One of my dining companions had two scrambled eggs with bacon, home fries and toast ($5.95), and the size of the egg yolks made it seem like there were three or four eggs on the plate.
I also like breakfast places where you don’t have to get huge portions if you don’t want them. We were about to order two blueberry pancakes ($4.75) for a child when our waitress told us one ($3.75) would likely be enough. She also told us we could get it shaped like a teddy bear head, with ears, if we wanted.
Brea Lu is open for breakfast and lunch, hence the name, but the menu is heavy on breakfast. There are burgers, club sandwiches and chili, but most of the menu – and the most creative parts of the menu – are about breakfast foods.
Under the “speciality omelets” section, for instance, there was one with peanut butter, mushrooms and cheddar cheese ($6.95). This is one of the most talked about menu items on Brea Lu’s Facebook page.
There is an omelet with potato, cheddar, sour cream and bacon for $8.95, which I’d like to try. There’s also a chili-filled omelet for $7.50 and a Hawaiian omelet with pineapple, ham, sour cream and cheddar for $7.95. Other omelet varieties include a Greek, a Mexican, a Western and a Mediterranean. You can pick your own ingredients as well.
Brea Lu’s is a must if you have a taste for breakfast foods or if you like cute cafe’s with super friendly staff. The Portland Press Herald gives it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
WHERE: 428 Forest Ave., Portland; 772-9202
HOURS: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily
CHEAPEST GRUB: One pancake, $3.25; cup of chili, $2.95
Photos by John Patriquin//Staff Photographer, 2nd photo features Server Debbie Thibodeau.
October 29, 2011
Paper Plate Jack-O’-Lantern
Little kids will love this crafts they can do on their own or with mommy an daddy. They may not be able to carve their own Jack-O-Lanterns with the big kids but now they can still decorate one. One made out of a paper plate!
This cute pumpkin is really easy to make and is a great decoration for your door or window. Make several with different faces and hang all over the entrance to greet trick or treaters!
What you’ll need:
- Mini paper plate
- Orange acrylic craft paint
- Yellow craft foam
- Green craft foam
- Brown craft foam
- Scissors
- Glue
How to make it:
- Place the paper plate upside down on your work surface and paint it orange. Set aside to dry and repeat with a second coat if needed.
- Cut out facial shapes (triangles for eyes and a mouth with a few missing teeth) and glue to the plate.
- Use scissors to trim the plate into a pumpkin-like shape. Do this by cutting a dip in the top where the stem would be and trim the bottom to flatten it a bit.
- Cut two simple oval-shaped leaves from green craft foam and glue to back of the plate at the top of the pumpkin.
- Cut a simple rectangular stem from brown craft foam and glue to the back of the plate, between the leaves.
Festiva Resorts is paying attention to what makes people happy this fall and every season. That’s why Festiva Resorts wants you to make an appointment and come visit our Portland office today so you can learn more about what we already know regarding fantastic vacation getaways right here in Maine and all over the world. For more information call us at 888-695-0200.
October 28, 2011
Juice Box Mummy
What’s any holiday without arts and crafts?!
Here is a fun craft you can do with your little one to celebrate Halloween and you can use up all of those juice boxes instead of throwing them out. It is a Juice Box Mummy. It is recommended for ages 5 and up, but if mommy or daddy helps with the hard parts, this craft could be fun for younger kids too.
What you’ll need:
- Empty cardboard juice box container
- 2 tablespoons rice
- Fold top sandwich bag
- Tape
- Black and white construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- 2 medium wiggle eyes
- White craft glue
How to make it:
- Cut open the top of the juice box container, rinse and dry thoroughly. (See photo.)
- Place rice inside sandwich bag. Roll up the bag and secure with tape. Place bag of rice inside juice box and tape the top closed.
- Cut a piece of black construction paper, large enough to cover the top half of the front of the juice box. Glue it in place. (See photo.)
- Tear white construction paper into strips and glue them around the box, leaving a small section of the black paper visible for the eyes. (See photo.)
- Use white craft glue to attach two wiggle eyes to the black paper. (See photo.)
Tips:
- Instead of rice, use sand or pebbles, enough to add some weight to the box so that it does not fall over.
- Construction paper is available in large packages at your local discount department store.
- A glue stick works better than white craft glue for a smooth, flat finish.
This craft was brought to you by Amanda Formaro at kaboose.com
October 26, 2011
Halloween Harvest at Raitt Farm Museum
Come to Halloween Harvest on the Farm at Raitt Farm Museum in Eliot, ME.
There will be costume contests, a scarecrow contest( kits available), lots of games including the fun filled and challenging bean hole toss, one free barrel tractor ride with paid entry, hay wagon rides, yummy food and more. Bring your own pumpkin for the decorating contest!
Get dressed up in your costumes and bring the family for an evening of fun and games. Prizes for the best costume, scarecrow and pumpkin decorating contests, trick or treat game booths, kids donut contest, yummy treats, homemade chicken corn soup and pies, and more.
The Raitt Homestead Farm was built in 1896 by Charles A. Raitt on State Road in Eliot, Maine. When Charles passed away, his son Roland took over the farm. When the apple orchard was destroyed by winter kill, Roland turned to dairy farming. The milk was sold to Badger Farms Dairy of Portsmouth, NH. Roland passed away in 1962 and his son Gerald took over the farm. He purchased the adjacent Anderson Apple Orchard in 1967 to restore the apple business to the farm. The farm was truly a family business; Gerald’s brothers worked at the farm and even nieces and nephews helped with the apple orchards and sold the apples at his farm stand on the front lawn. Gerald retired from the dairy business in 1983 but he continued to raise chickens and sell eggs until 2004.
Price is $3 for entry, children age one and under get in free. One free barrel tractor ride with each paid entry. Event happens October 29th from 4pm to 7pm
Volunteers are needed to help during the event. Please email eatea@comcast.net if you are interested in helping during the Halloween Harvest fundraiser for the Farm Museum.
Love affordable family events? Come down to Festiva Adventure Club located at 190 Riverside St in Portland. View a short 120 minute presentation and learn how much fun you can have for less money. Festiva Adventure Club has been around for over 10 years and has the experience you can trust. Festiva knows how to provide your family with more, better vacations for less. Call 1(888)695-0200 to set up a reservation today!
October 19, 2011
Go Apple picking!
‘Tis the season for apple picking and we have just the spot!
When stepping into Hansel’s Orchard in North Yarmouth, Maine, you will quickly realize that this is a truly unique orchard. Their apple trees are trees that stories and songs are written about because they are large and wide. These are trees that the entire family can sit under and enjoy a picnic.
Hansel’s Orchard is a family run ‘Pick-Your-Own’ orchard that features McIntosh, Cortland and Macoun apple varieties. In September, the McIntosh apples are ripe for the picking. The Cortland and Macoun apples
are ready in late September through October.
When you arrive, you pick your basket size according to your needs. They have plenty of bushel, half-bushel, peck, half-peck and quarter-peck baskets available. Later in the season, they offer picking poles to reach those desirable apples high in the trees. If you don’t want to pick from the tree, they have freshly picked apples so you can pick from an apple box.
Open the Saturday after Labor Day through October, Sat & Sun from 10-5 and Wed afternoons from 1-5. Tuner and Margie Hansel Telephone 207-829-6136
Love affordable family events? Come down to Festiva Adventure Club located at 190 Riverside St in Portland. View a short 120 minute presentation and learn how much fun you can have for less. Festiva Adventure Club has been around for over 10 years and has the experience you can trust. Festiva knows how to provide your family with more, better vacations for less. Call 1(888)695-0200 to set up a reservation today!
October 15, 2011
New England in Autumn is great
Apple picking season is coming to an end around Halloween, but there are plenty of delicious things you can make with this season’s apple harvest. Sweet, sour or tart, but always colorful, you can keep your family’s palate happy long into the cold winter months. Try making homemade apple sauce, apple crisp or apple pie just to name a few. Speaking of sweet and savory apple delights, let’s not forget a New England favorite, Apple Cider Donuts!
Have you ever had the pleasure or opportunity to spend time at the orchard on a cool crisp autumn day surrounded by trees that are heavy with ruby and golden colored treasures? Then, with rosy cheeks and a tingling nose, lungs full of fresh air and tummy growling, have you sipped a cup of hot apple cider and nibbled a sweet cider donut hot off the tray? Maybe you’ve never heard of this kind of deliciously decadent day trip? Or maybe you prefer to delight your family’s taste buds in the comfort of your own home? In that case, Festiva Adventure Club thinks you might like this recipe for homemade apple cider donuts.
Festiva Resorts is paying attention to what makes people happy this fall and every season. That’s why Festiva Resorts wants you to make an appointment and come visit our Portland office today so you can learn more about what we already know regarding fantastic vacation getaways right here in Maine and all over the world. For more information call us at 888-695-0200.
October 10, 2011
Harvestfest
Looking for something fun to bring the kids to? Why not try Harvestfest? Harvestfest is a part of Maine Oktoberfest which will be taking place for the month of October. Harvestfest is a great festival for people of all ages. Harvestfest will kick off Saturday October 15 and run through Sunday October 16. Activities on Saturday will run from 10am to 8pm and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Kidsfest will be running the same time as Harvestfest but with more kid specific activities. There is no admission fee to get into Harvestfest or Kidsfest, so bring the whole family! All activities will take place on York Beach. There will be over 200 vendors including food, crafts and much more! There will also be an ox roast and even live entertainment! There will be hayrides and a POW WOW, even competitions such as the corn toss challenge. Kidsfest will include activities such as kids games and entertainment, arts and crafts, even a pumpkin stroll that will be taking place Saturday night. So come down to Harvestfest to enjoy a free weekend of family fun!
Love affordable family events? Come down to Festiva Adventure Club located at 190 Riverside St in Portland. View a short 120 minute presentation and learn how much fun you can have for less. Festiva Adventure Club has been around for over 10 years and has the experience you can trust. Festiva knows how to provide your family with more, better vacations for less. Call 1(888)695-0200 to set up a reservation today!
October 8, 2011
How about them apples?
Come pick apples, learn about them, then eat them!
Celebrate the History, Flavor
and Tradition of Maine Apples
Sunday October 23, 2011
12 noon- 4pm Rain or Shine
Location: Common Ground Education Center, 294 Crosby Brook Rd, Unity Maine
Admission: $4, $2 for members of MOFGA & Maine Pomological Society
There will be…
Local Products
* Apples, apple products, home-made goodies, cheeses, honey, wine, and other local products.
Educational Workshops & Talks
* apple art
* Maine’s rich apple history
* cider making
See & Taste Rare & Heirloom Apples
* bring your own varieties to show and taste *
Identifying your Mystery Variety
* Our Dream Team of Maine Apple Identifiers will help you identify your apples
Sponsored by MOFGA, Fedco, and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension
September 27, 2011
Maine Marathon Race
Are you a runner? Come down and watch or participate in this years Maine Marathon Race. The marathon will take place on Sunday October 2. The race will kick off at 7:45am at Baxter Boulevard in Portland. There will be an early start time at 6am. Early start participants are not eligible for awards. Interested? but not exactly a marathon runner? Why not take part in the half marathon? There is some serious prize money available in you are a serious runner. The first male and female to finish the marathon will be awarded 500$, the second place male and female will be awarded 250$, third place male and female will be awarded 100$. If you’re really looking to boost your wallet you might want to start training now. The first male to finish under 2:25 will receive 1,000$. The first female to finish under 2:38 will also receive 1,000$. Again not a marathon runner? Don’t worry half marathon runners can also make their wallet fatter, if they’re motivated enough. The first place male and female of the half marathon will be awarded 200$. The second place male and female will receive 100$, and the third place male and female will receive 50$ each. If you’re running the half marathon and are the first to complete it under 1:07 for males, and 1:17 for females you will receive a 500$ bonus. The Maine marathon and half marathon may seem like a perfect way to enhance your wallet if you’re a runner but it also contributes to many different charities. Over the years millions have been raised to different charities. For a list click here. So If you want to do a little running for a great cause and to benefit your self in more way than one sign up today!
Love great events? Wish you had more family time to really appreciate each other? While you’re in Portland why not stop by Festiva Adventure Club and learn how much you can save on vacations. Festiva has been around for over 10 years and has the experience you can trust. View a 120 minute presentation and learn how Festiva can make your vacations a real experience. Call 1(888)695-0200 today to set up a reservation!
