Saturday, October 24, 2009

Celiac Disease





Today is rainy,windy and all around, Yuck. It is also the start of the last week we are opened. We stayed pretty busy all last week but still have some rooms open for this coming week and weekend.

You all know that we go out of our way to cater to any food allergies guest may have. This Season I have seen an unbelievable amount of people that have Celiac Disease and need to eat Gluten Free. This would be one thing if the Dr. told me I needed to do I may just say shoot me now because I am not giving up pasta and bread. After researching this Summer I did find out that so many stores and Restaurants are aware of the need to be Gluten Free that they really have amended their inventory. Just this week a guest told me that Cooks Lobster House has a Gluten Free Menu and I know the Great Impasta in Brunswick does as well. I went shopping at "Wildflower" a Gluten Free Store that opened in Brunswick this year. I was quite surprised and delighted to see everything they carried, from pizza crusts to donuts, cookies, pasta, etc. So now I am thinking this is something I could try and see if it would help me sleep any better. If you have any food requests let us know. Like tonight I am making Filet Mignon with Crabmeat Bernaise Sauce again because Doreen missed it last time.

Now on to another wierd food item...There is a company called Ocean Approved that is starting the first Kelp Farm in the Untied States right here in Casco Bay. They are just planting the seedlings now and say by Spring the plants will be 6-8ft long. If all goes according to plan the kelp will then be turned into noodles,kelp salad and kelp slaw. They have a big following with places that serve Asian Style Food, esp seaweed salads. Believe it or not kelp is a $7 Billion a year industry World Wide. Not that I am going to be putting Kelp on the menu right away but I am sure you may start seeing it in some Maine Restaurants.

I was busy in the Kitchen, that seems to happen when it is raining out. I made a carrot cake with carrots from the Farmers Market, Spiced Apple Crisp from hand picked apples, Zucchini Bread from the neighbors garden and Blue Cheese Burgers for my, Sue and Laura's lunch.

My Mom took the kids to an interesting place in Lisbon Falls. Bear with me on this one. It is called the Maine Glass Art Studio- Butterfly and Insect Museum. It is located in Lisbon Falls about 35 min from the Inn. It is in an old Church and they have a Beautiful Gift Shop obviously for the parents. The kids talked all night about the glow in the dark spiders and beautiful (live and dead) butterflies. My Mom must have been impressed as she went back again this week with one of her girlfriends. www. maineartglass.com

I typically do not like to give the poll question as something you folks can look up on the Internet but I did like the question. At first I posted the question with none of the answers as the right one. The largest rotating Globe is at the Delorme Map Company in Yarmouth, Maine. The best record so far 75% got it right. You can see it from Rt 295 as you pass by Yarmouth into Freeport. It is even lit at night. Next Saturday will be the last blog I write from the Inn but do not worry it will not be the last blog. The photo above you should recognize as Mackerel Cove right here on Bailey Island.

Alicia