Hope you’ll take a look at my guest post over at Dianne Jacob … will write for food. I wrote about what I’ve learned from writing a blog interview series.
Lisa Johnson
The Chowdah Project
While I’m more of a baker than a cook, and known for my sweet tooth, there’s another side to me. A savory side.
That side especially shows itself when the temperature dips and the winds pick up. Unless I’m outside in the sweltering heat of summer, I’m probably feeling cold.
Growing up in New England, chowder was a staple – especially clam chowder. So when there’s a chill in the air and I’m thinking about food, I think about chowder.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking that I’d like to try the chowder at different restaurants and make a chowder catalog. I decided to set up a separate Twitter account to do this. Because so much of my main Twitter is politics, this will be a dedicated feed of chowder.
My plan is to share chowder recipes, history, trivia and places where you can eat some good chowder.
Since I’m all about creating different fun projects for myself, this one is named The Chowdah Project. A cup of chowder is a great way to begin a meal. A bowl of chowder can be a perfect meal by itself. Both are relatively cheap and a great way to warm yourself up. So welcome to The Chowdah Project!
Why chowdah? Cause that’s how we say it here!
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Yesterday, I visited a new restaurant in Quincy called Brick & Beam. It was my first time trying the restaurant and I was pleased. The ambiance is nice and it’s very close to where I live. The service was good too and I plan to go back for a full meal at some point.
I had a cup of clam chowder for a warm late afternoon snack. It was piping hot and soothing for the soul. The wind was whipping outside and I was glad to escape the chill. The flavor of the chowder was good. But it was a bit thicker than I prefer. Everyone has their own preference when it comes to consistency. For someone else, it would have been just right.
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Brick & Beam ~ N.E. Clam Chowder
Cup: $6.00
Bowl: $8.00
Location: 705 Adams Street, Quincy, MA
Massachusetts Ballot Question 1
It can’t be only me. Many of us must have noticed “that house” in our neighborhoods. Maybe it’s a house on the corner.
The lawn is green, lush and always freshly mowed during the summer. They put out comfy hammocks on the front porch. Clay pots with just the right herbs and plants. Flags for the 4th of July. Pumpkins and colorful yellow and orange flowers for the fall. Seasonal wreaths on the door. Beautiful Christmas lights and decorations. You get the picture. It’s visual perfection. A feast for the eyes.
But then 2016 rolls around.
The house that has always brought about a smile, suddenly has a Trump sign out front. This is what happened to to me. Since I am not a supporter, my feelings about that “beautiful” house changed. Because I started thinking about the beliefs of the people inside.
This picture above is not the actual house in my neighborhood, because I didn’t think it would be fair to them. Ever since that sign went up, I started thinking of it as the Trump house on the corner. And now every sign that goes up on their lawn, I view with skepticism.
In Massachusetts, we have three ballot questions to vote on. Question 1 has been giving me trouble. If passed, it would limit the number of patients assigned to registered nurses in hospitals and other health care facilities.
The nurse staffing issue seemed pretty easy to me when I first heard about it. Of course there should be a limit. I would vote YES. But then I drove by the Trump house on the corner and there was a sign for YES on Question 1.
Huh? Not what I expected. Also, they had a Diehl Senate sign. He’s the Republican running against Elizabeth Warren. So they hadn’t suddenly become Democrats.
So if these people are also supporting Question 1, am I missing something? Maybe it wasn’t as simple as I thought? Could there be unintended consequences? I started to dig a bit deeper into the question.
From what I’ve read, there could be hospital closures and longer waiting times to be seen as a result. WBUR did a segment about the issue, but I still don’t feel good about the question either way. Some nurses support the initiative and others oppose it.
A Boston.com article says that both Senator Warren and Senator Markey support it. The Democrat running for Governor, Jay Gonzalez, supports it as well. Our current Republican Governor, Charlie Baker, appears to not be taking a stand at this point. Not a surprise.
My mom and I have spoken about Question 1 a few times as well. She is not sure either. I was planning to do early voting today, but this question is holding me back at the moment. What do you think?
Now I’m wondering more about the people living in the Trump house on the corner.
Free Yoga Boston (October 2018 – May 2019)
There aren’t as many free yoga classes in the Boston area during the fall, winter and spring. But there are still quite a few!
Since this list covers so many months, it will be updated as I have more information. The current list has classes that are year round and for the winter. Please let me know if you have any corrections and/or tips!
Click the links for details about current dates, etc. The Marathon Sports Sunday classes seem to not happen each week. The lululemon Sunday classes may not be yoga every week.
Many branches of the Boston Public Library have free yoga classes on different days. Take a look at the website for details. The Hands to Heart Center classes listed below are ongoing.
Enjoy!
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MONDAY
Hands to Heart Center/Yoga For The People
(BPL Charlestown Branch, 179 Main Street)
1:30pm – 2:30pm
TUESDAY
Hands to Heart Center/Yoga For The People
(Union Capital Boston, aka UCB Building, 1544 Columbus Avenue, Roxbury)
6pm – 7pm
Yoga Classes at Boston Medical Center
(Moakley Building, 830 Harrison Avenue, Boston)
6pm – 7:15pm
WEDNESDAY
Good Vibes Yoga
(Hyatt Regency Hotel, Downtown Boston)
5:45pm – 6:45pm
THURSDAY
Yoga Classes at Boston Medical Center
(Moakley Building, 830 Harrison Avenue, Boston)
4:30pm – 6pm
Hands to Heart Center/Yoga For The People
(BPL Mattapan Branch, 1350 Blue Hill Avenue)
6:30pm – 7:30pm
FRIDAY
None that I know of at the moment.
SATURDAY
Saturday Seasonal Yoga
(The Liberty Hotel, Charles Street, Beacon Hill, Boston)
10am
Hands to Heart Center/Yoga For The People
(Level Ground, 527 Columbia Road, Uphams Corner, Dorchester)
11am – 12pm
SUNDAY
Yoga at the Pru
lululemon (776 Boylston Street, Space 6B, Boston)
10am – 10:50am
Yoga For Runners Community Class
(Marathon Sports, Norwell)
6:15pm – 7:15pm
