It was snowing again when I went to cover this month’s night shift, and because I was headed to Eastern Maine Medical Center’s labor and delivery floor, I had hoped that would mean a lot of babies would be born. According to the old wives’ tale, more babies make their entrance during full moons and […]

With Valentine’s Day looming, here’s an elegant entree that any basic cook can execute with ease. I’m talking about duck breasts with a five-ingredient sauce, the making of which requires all of 15 minutes of hands-on time. But first, let’s address a few common misconceptions about duck. Pekin duck — the kind of duck called […]

FAIRLEE, Vt. Ice skating on Vermont’s Lake Morey is far more than circling around a makeshift rink. It’s an expedition — a 4.5-mile one, around the frozen lake’s perimeter. It’s said to be the longest Nordic skating trail in the United States, offering wintertime entertainment and exercise through a sport that originated in Europe and […]

The person who coined the phrase “saving for a rainy day” must have been a property owner with home drainage problems. The financial costs of poor drainage can be substantial, and the human health costs significant too. Prevention is important, and many clues exist for predicting trouble, says Ryan Larsen, a civil engineer with NDS […]

Leftovers! Some folks love them, others happily scrape them into the trash. Me, I’m on the love team. Leftovers speak to me. I’d always rather start a meal with a fridge full of tasty bits of this and that than have to confront a blank canvas of raw ingredients. This recipe tackles one particular challenge: […]

Did you notice browned areas on your evergreens at the end of last winter? You may still be able to do something to prevent a repeat performance of this condition, winter burn, which happens when evergreen leaves lose too much water in winter. No need to worry about deciduous trees and shrubs in winter because, […]

Today I get to write solely about my middle son, Owen. This hasn’t happened in a long time — specifically, since 2011. That’s when I wrote a column about frozen waffles, and Owen seemingly fell off the radar. You might remember that the country was in the middle of a crisis. An Eggo factory had […]

When the Pantone Color Institute recently announced its color of the year for 2018, the vibrant “Ultra Violet,” it might have seemed a natural fit for fashion and cosmetics. “Ultra Violet is a color that’s almost like a neutral in fashion now,” says New York-based interior designer Brett Beldock. “Every newscaster you see is wearing […]

People new to Maine and winter in general confirmed this week what I already knew: my previous column — about roof rakes, endless snow and pajamas before 5 p.m. — was ominous. Although, I would argue that my tips were not nearly as ominous as the actual weather we have been experiencing for two solid […]

Dan Dan Noodles are a classic Chinese dish originating in the Sichuan province. Noodles have been part of Chinese cuisine for more than 4,000 years, and long strands symbolize longevity, one of the nicest things you can wish for on the Lunar New Year (on Feb. 16 this year). Dan Dan Noodles are essentially long […]