Welcome and thank you for visiting my blog. I approach this blog as a journal. Sharing places, people, and things I find inspiring. Some people do not understand the concept of blogging, or more why I would prefer to spend time writing than watching tv or sleeping. I do not see blogging as working, I see it as a method of living. It has added to my life in many ways, helping me appreciate moments and small things and introducing me to some of the most amazing individuals. I see blogging as a community I am grateful to be a part of and a part of my life that is as second nature as a cup of warmth on a cold Maine day.

I live with my dog Paige and cat Kirkland (both rescues) and work in public relations in Southern Maine. I grew up outside Washington, D.C., with childhood summers spent in Magnolia, Arkansas. My father, who raised me, passed away in 2006. He taught me the importance of trying different kinds of food, good manners, books, photography and history. My amazing friends, some of whom have always been more like family, are my center of gravity.

Please feel free to contact me at kitchens.sharon at gmail.com if you have a question or just want to ramble on.

Random, but important, questions:

Advertising spots. I do offer them on a semi-regular basis. Please email me for more information.

Will you write about an event, restaurant or product?

I am not a professional critic, I just love to eat good sustainable fare. It does not hurt to email me with information and I promise to let you know if I am able to attend or if I will do a giveaway or write about the product.

May I use one of the photos on your blog?

Not all of the photos on my blog are mine. If it is a photo I took, you are welcome to use it, but please link back to my blog. If it is not my photo, I (and am sure the artist) would appreciate if you gave credit to the artist and where you found it.

May we swap links on our blogs?

Send me your link and if I begin reading it frequently I may well add it to my list. Please do not be offended if I do not right away, I am trying to keep the list manageable. Some of my favorite blogs have turned out to be from individuals who wrote to me.

I am coming to Maine, where should I go?

Please Google these locations for more information, and when looking for the professional opinion on where to eat in Portland ask Samantha or Don at Rabelais Books 207.774.1044. Their shop is one of my favorite places to hang out and learn about food, land, and agriculture. An amazing resource for anyone who loves food!

Pastries, breads, bagels – Standard Baking (Portland), Scratch Baking Co. (South Portland), Atlantic Baking Company (Rockland), Little Notch (Southwest Harbor), Morning Glory (Bar Harbor)

Coffee – Any of the above and Arabica (Portland), Rock City Coffee (Rockland), The Maine Grind (Ellsworth)

Breakfast – Hot Suppa (Portland), Home Kitchen Cafe (Rockland), Boynton-McKay (Camden), Café This Way (Bar Harbor)

Cocktails – Five Fifty-Five or Local 188 (Portland – though for the best view go to Top of the East in the Eastland Park Hotel), El Rayo Taqueria (Portland - get the house margarita during happy hour 4 – 6:00), In Good Company (Rockland – solid wine list), Havana (Bar Harbor - best Mojito in New England).

Eat at Duck Fat or Fore Street (Portland), Frontier Café (Brunswick), Dunton’s Doghouse (Boothbay Harbor - this roadside shack is where you will find the best lobster roll), Shepherd’s Pie (Rockport), Hartstone Inn (Camden), Chases’s Daily (Belfast), Lily’s Cafe (Stonington), Inn at Isle au Haut (Isle au Haut), River Drivers’ Restaurant (New England Outdoor Center Millinocket), McKays Public House (Bar Harbor), any farmers’ market (see MOGFA).

Pack a picnic – Rosemont Market (Portland), Treats (Wiscasset), Sweets & Meats Market (Rockland), Megunticook Market (Camden). For best locations check with your innkeeper or the local chamber of commerce.

Best way to see the coast of Maine – Schooner J. & E. Riggin (a perfect way to stretch your legs on gorgeous Maine islands and see lighthouses) for an overnight or for a couple hours one of the day sailers out of Camden or Rockland.

Sustainable way to take it with you (not the plant life!) – Sea Bags or L.L. Bean’s totes

Treat yourself – see Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (Boothbay Harbor), visit Eric Hopkins Gallery and the Farnsworth Art Museum (Rockland), watch a movie at The Strand Theatre (Rockland), get a massage or facial at Rheal Day Spa (Rockland), pick up lotions and oils from 2 Note Perfumery (Portland), spend a night on Monhegan (at The Island Inn), catch the ferry from Stonington to Isle au Haut where you can hike and indulge in cakes and chocolates at Black Dinah Cafe, take a class or catch an evening slideshow at the Maine Media Workshops (Rockland), stay at a historic inn, walk in the woods or by the sea anywhere in Maine, listen to the quiet, say hello to a complete stranger, take your time.

Shop – Exchange Street Portland (don’t miss Rogues Gallery on Wharf Street near Exchange), Munjoy HIll (Portland) - Eli Phant and KnitWit Yarn Shop, Rock Paper Scissors (Wiscasset), Main Street Rockland (don’t miss Archipelago - The Island Institute store and fourTWELVE), Jo Ellen Designs (Camden), Renys (any location).

Best way to have Maine delivered to your doorstep – Black Dinah Chocolates, Maine Gold, Etsy Shop “Portland General Store,” Hancock Gourmet Lobster and Glidden Point Oyster Sea Farm.