My sister Dottie was married when I was just a wee thing. Dottie is a wonderful person and a lovely sister who means the world to me. Everything that Dottie does, everything she's interested in, and everything she has seems to me to be the best! When I was in my early teens, I spent a lot of time at Dottie's house and even rode my bike many, many miles just to see her and her husband, Ken. Ken has always made me feel welcome and what's more, he's been known to do a fantastic Donald Duck voice!
Ken is a very good artist and has done fabulous pieces with very fine, detailed brushwork. He's always enjoyed the outdoors - especially gardening and bird watching - so his paintings focus on nature scenes. The thing about Ken is that he always keeps a conversation going. He's interested in everything you have to say, and has such a gentle, calm way about him. He makes you feel special. He is completely absorbed in whatever you're talking about, well-rounded in literally every subject, understands your feelings, and knows just the right thing to say. He's sensitive without being mushy and has always made me feel welcome in his home. I've always enjoyed being with him.
Being at Dottie and Ken's house IS like being home only better. It's extremely comfortable, there are always pretty things to see, interesting magazines to read, funny poems and photos on the refrigerator to spark your interest, and tasty treats in fancy glass dishes set on Dottie's crocheted doilies that adorn the coffee table. Without a doubt, there's always a nice meal in store for me even if I just happened to stop by! Dottie and I have always shared recipes and she is well aware of my Gus-fixation. Ken is quite a good cook himself. He's of Lithuanian descent and turned me on to some black bread that he and Dottie bought in a little out-of-the-way place in the Lithuanian village of a small nearby city. I ventured off many times to this special store just to buy these slices of black bread goodness.
I have so many special memories of dining with Dottie, Ken and my husband, Mike, in the most glorious place in the world, the Center Lovell Inn in Center Lovell, Maine. During the years that we dined there, the Center Lovell Inn featured Northern Italian cuisine. We would sit on the porch that overlooked the mountains, watch the sunset, enjoy wonderful meals and relax in this quaint, old inn. Before the meal, they always featured a small dish of cottage cheese with an assortment of crackers, along with their signature dish of marinated chickpeas. I came up with this simple recipe that's very similar to what we enjoyed while we were anticipating even more good things to come in our main meal.
Here is a little taste of heaven, Center Lovell Inn-style, from the 1980's era.
Ken is a very good artist and has done fabulous pieces with very fine, detailed brushwork. He's always enjoyed the outdoors - especially gardening and bird watching - so his paintings focus on nature scenes. The thing about Ken is that he always keeps a conversation going. He's interested in everything you have to say, and has such a gentle, calm way about him. He makes you feel special. He is completely absorbed in whatever you're talking about, well-rounded in literally every subject, understands your feelings, and knows just the right thing to say. He's sensitive without being mushy and has always made me feel welcome in his home. I've always enjoyed being with him.
Being at Dottie and Ken's house IS like being home only better. It's extremely comfortable, there are always pretty things to see, interesting magazines to read, funny poems and photos on the refrigerator to spark your interest, and tasty treats in fancy glass dishes set on Dottie's crocheted doilies that adorn the coffee table. Without a doubt, there's always a nice meal in store for me even if I just happened to stop by! Dottie and I have always shared recipes and she is well aware of my Gus-fixation. Ken is quite a good cook himself. He's of Lithuanian descent and turned me on to some black bread that he and Dottie bought in a little out-of-the-way place in the Lithuanian village of a small nearby city. I ventured off many times to this special store just to buy these slices of black bread goodness.
I have so many special memories of dining with Dottie, Ken and my husband, Mike, in the most glorious place in the world, the Center Lovell Inn in Center Lovell, Maine. During the years that we dined there, the Center Lovell Inn featured Northern Italian cuisine. We would sit on the porch that overlooked the mountains, watch the sunset, enjoy wonderful meals and relax in this quaint, old inn. Before the meal, they always featured a small dish of cottage cheese with an assortment of crackers, along with their signature dish of marinated chickpeas. I came up with this simple recipe that's very similar to what we enjoyed while we were anticipating even more good things to come in our main meal.
Here is a little taste of heaven, Center Lovell Inn-style, from the 1980's era.
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1 20-oz. can chickpeas, drained
2 TB chopped onion
4 TB lemon juice
6 TB olive oil
1 TB fresh basil, chopped
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and marinate at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with a dish of cottage cheese and crackers before your meal.
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