10 Random Things I've Discovered While Living Here....

I've discovered a few new things while living here....There are things here that are very New England (obviously). Unique to this area - you'd never find them anywhere else. There are things that aren't particularly New England at all: in fact you may already know about them, but I have discovered them while living here. 

FOOD
1.  You can put lobster in ANYTHING! I was used to the lobster tail and the lobster ravioli that appeared in the nicer restaurants in Texas.  But here they put lobster in anything you can think of.  You can make lobster omelettes, lobster benedict, lobster fondue, lobster grilled cheese or lobster mac & cheese, lobster mashed potatoes, lobster salad on hotdog rolls, hamburger buns and subway-type bread loaves. You can buy it in the fanciest restaurants and the cheapest looking stands.  In Bar Harbor, Maine they even make lobster ice cream!

2.  It was in Glastonbury, CT that I discovered by far the best Starbucks drink I have ever had:  A Grande Black-Eye with Cream.  Have you heard of this?  It's two shots of espresso in a large cup of coffee with a little half and half.....talk about a pick me up!  I'm hooked!  If you like it stronger,  order a  Short.  If that sounds too strong, order a Grande Red-Eye (only one shot of espresso).  They are so good....I could use one right now!

 VOCABULARY

  3. They have Grinders here instead of subs or hoagies: Tag Sales instead of garage sales or yard sales.  They have Fluff. It's a brand here.  It's jarred like our Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme. Check out this recipe.  Could anything be yummier! Coconut, chocolate and marshmallow! 

Harvard Squares (Magic Bars with Marshmallow!)

• 1/3 c. butter or margarine


• 1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs


• 1 Jar (7 1/2oz) Marshmallow Fluff


• 1 can (5.33 oz) Evaporated Milk


• 16-oz. package semisweet-chocolate pieces


• 1 3 1/2-oz. can flaked coconut


• 1 c. chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 F. In 13" x 9" baking pan, melt butter or margarine. Sprinkle crumbs over butter. In small saucepan, over low heat, combine Fluff and milk, stirring until smooth. Pour over crumbs. Top evenly with remaining ingredients; press down gently. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely; cut into 2-inch squares. Makes 2 dozen.

4. They say "Hamburg" here for ground hamburger.  Even on the radio advertising for a grocery store, the lady says, she only buys her "hamburg" at Big Y.  (a regional store here)  Odd.

 5. Package Store (or Packie's) - this is what they call liquor stores.  They don't ever sell beer/liquor in gas stations like we are used to seeing at home and you can't find it in most grocery stores. They have "Package Stores" for that sort of thing.

6. Wicked  - kind of like the word "very" or "really".  You don't say "That's a wicked sandwich", you say "wicked good"....."wicked long"....etc.  For example, those sandwiches are wicked good.  David says that's more "Boston" than anything...but I've heard and seen it around here quite a bit!

OTHER
7. Congregational Churches are the prominent denomination up here. I had never heard of them before (coming from the land of Methodist vs. Baptist).  The old, tall, white steeples always make of think of the pilgrims and their pursuit of religious freedom every time. I never get tired of seeing a new white church building.

8. School Zones - They don't slow down for school zones around here.  I go through one every day on the way to work.  The blinking lights are flashing (30mph here) and cars don't even tap their brakes.  They just keep roaring through.  Being used to cops watching and higher fines, I hit my brakes every time without thinking about it.  Inevitably the car behind me ends up on my bumper - usually annoyed that I have slowed down. Happened again today.

9. Red Barns. There are red barns everywhere up here.  (Especially near where I live).  My real estate teacher said that they are red because they had two things back in the day in surplus......milk and animal blood.  You do the math.......they stained the barns with the mixture.  The barns around here have come a long way, but I always think about that when I see one now.

10. They celebrate their fruit here! I've never seen a place so proud of their produce.  There are farmer's markets and small orchards all over.  It's commonplace to drive down the road and find signs for pumpkin patches, apple orchards, fruit and veggie stands....They even have a berry farm where people stand in line for hours to eat waffles and pancakes covered in the precious fruit. If you google "New England Food Festivals", you wouldn't believe how many there are!  Pumpkin, apple, corn, blueberry, egg, potato blossoms, grapes (winery), cranberry, tomato, zucchini, garlic....there's even a "Vegetarian Food Festival" in Boston to cover any produce that may not have been given a special day!