Back to the homestead

I took a vacation day yesterday, packed up Otis in the car, and drove to my folk's place in Manchester, NY, for a long overdue visit. We met at one of my favorite places, Sauders, a genuine Mennonite country store that sells fresh produce, an array of spices and pickled concoctions (hard boiled eggs in beet juice anyone?), baking supplies, homemade beef jerky, and more. The prices are right and the shopkeepers are helpful, hardworking and genuine. It's a touch of "real country" you can't find in Boston.

Dad took Otis home while Mom and and I swung by the Waterloo Premium Outlets for an abbreviated shopping expedition. After getting home and enjoying a delicious glass of hard cider, we took Otis for a run at a local park where he, of course, made a beeline for the nearby creek, where the swift current carried away the tennis ball he dropped in the water. To his credit (and my surprise), he waded/swam/floated downstream and recaptured his ball right before it hit a series of "mini rapids" that would have signaled "game over".

Friday night in this part of the state means "fish fry" -- so it was to off to The Depot, a converted train station that serves up delicious and huge portions of deep-fried fish. We had a great dinner and lots of laughs, and afterwards drove out to nearby Newark for a look at my Mom's parent's old farmhouse and the graveyard where both of my grandparents are buried.

Back home, Mom and I busied ourselves in the kitchen, making two lemon meringue pies and a loaf of honey bread with raisins. Photos and recipes to come!