Apple Picking at Tougas Family Farm

An apple a day ..... Keeps the doctor away or so goes the saying and after the 33lbs of Apples picked at Tougas Family Farm in Northborough I'll be eating at least one a day for a while. Apple picking is one of those must do things in the fall and its always a fun experience.

With the variety of farms in the area we selected Tougas Family Farm because of the variety of apples they grow, the reputation they have, and the proximity to where we live. Its a quick simple ride and right off the highway in Shrewsbury, MA. It was also named one of the Ten Best Apple Orchards in Country by Woman's Day and one of the Ten Best pick your own apples by USA Today.

They have a huge parking lot clearly labeled which is a good thing since the crowd of people we saw when we arrived was shocking since we had arrived early. There were  already significant lines to gain entry into the orchards through their small red barn. We lined up with everyone else and the mood seemed energetic and with the sun shining brightly why not be excited to enjoy the fresh air and some great apples.

At 10:00 sharp the doors opened and the lines seemed to move quickly with each group picking the size back they would fill. There were two options a Peck ~ 10lbs was $25 and allowed up to 4 people into the orchard or a 1/2 Bushel ~ 20lbs for $35 which allowed up to 6 people into the orchard.The idea was that you could pick as many apples that will fit in the bag they gave you. The larger back was significantly bigger then the small and since we planned to make a few pies  we selected the 1/2 bushel. After paying we made our way through the gates to the orchard.

The apples that were ready to be picked were on the far side of the orchard and you had two options to get there. By tractor pulled cart or by foot. Since everyone else was in line to take the tractor we decided to walk. As we made our way to the picking area we walked through row after row of apple trees. Each and every row was labeled with the type of apple being grown. That made it easy for lay people like us to figure out which apples we should pick. Also helpful was the chart on the side of our bag telling us which apples were best for eating and which were best for baking.

There were several types of apples ripe for the choosing and they included Jonagold, Empire, McIntosh, Macoun, Crimson Crisp, Fuji, Gala, Cortland, Mutsu, and Honeycrisp. As we wandered the rows of apples looking for those perfect specimen's to add to our apple pies we sampled as many of the different apples as we could. Some with sweet while others tart. some were juicy and others more dry.  I loved the Honeycrisp's as they were described as explosively juicy. We tried to stick to the guidelines for what apples made good pies while picking and it didn't take long before we had a full bag and full stomachs.

Again we had the option to ride back to the barn by tractor or walk. We stuck to walking and it felt much longer a trip on the way back with a bag about ready to explode with apples. Once we cleared the gate of the orchard we put them in the car and returned to the small village of barns for some home made apple cider doughnuts and fresh apple cider.

 
 
I love apple cider doughnuts and these certainly didn't disappoint. The apple cider was equally as good and refreshing. Once done we walked through the other buildings admiring the pies for sale before heading out ourselves. They also had a complementary apple recipe packet for anyone to take. You can download it here.

 

After a great day picking apples it was time to bake some pies. We purchased 6 ready made pie crusts by Pillsbury and enough sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour as necessary. Once home we began the long process of peeling, cutting, coring our apples. Well it wasn't really that hard since we had the right tool that did it all for us. All we had to do was crank and then cut up the spiral but apples.

Then we combined sugar mix which is a ratio of 1/2 cup flour with 1 tbsp. of flour and 1/2 tbsp. of cinnamon and 1/2 tbsp. of nutmeg. Once thoroughly combined we coated our apples liberally in the mixture. That sugar coated apple combination we then stacked generously into our pie plates creating a nice mountain of apples. Next we rolled the second pie crust on top and using our thumbs and forks we sealed the two crusts together. We also added some vents to the top of the pie to let it breath. In the old days you would use a pie bird to let the steam out.

We placed our three pies in the oven art 350-degrees for about an hour and tested bu putting a knife into our apples they should be tender and soft. That was it we made three pies and had left over apples from that 33lbs bag of local farm grown apples. we couldn't wait to sink our forks into a slide with some vanilla ice cream on the side. They were delicious.

 

 



  



2014 Doug Flutie 5K Training (Week 10)

D o u g   F l u t i e   5 K  T r a i n i n g

S t a t u s   R e p o r t

 

Training is on-going. So far to day I have run 29.66 total miles since I started training with only 1.42 miles this week. My average/mi this week was 9:23. For more information visit the Doug Flutie Foundation, or Doug Flutie 5k Info and Sign-up page.

 

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
7/20	Off	Off	Bravo	Off	Bravo	1.42mi	Off
7/27	1.42mi	Off	Bravo+.87mi	1.41mi	Bravo+.87mi	1.42mi	Off
8/3	1.49mi	Off	400R+.50mi	1.50mi	400R+.50mi	Off	1.50mi
8/10	1.44mi	Off	Bravo	1.75mi	Bravo	Skip	Off
8/17	Skip	Off	Bravo+1.2mi	1.80mi	Bravo+1.2mi	Skip	Off
8/24	Skip	Off	Bravo+1mi	Skip	Bravo+1.4mi	Skip	Off
8/31	1.44mi	Off	Cancelled	Skip	Cancelled	Skip	Off
9/7	Skip	Bravo	Bravo	Skip	Bravo+2.41	Skip	Off
9/14	Skip	Off	Bravo	1.41mi	Skip	3.2mi	Off
9/21	1.42mi	Off	Bravo	Skip	Skip	Skip	Off
9/28	RUN	Off	Bravo	RUN	Bravo	Off	Off
D o u g   F l u t i e   5 K  R a c e   D a y  O c t o b e r   5 t h ,   2 0 1 4

9/21: Ran 1.42 miles in 13:20. Avg/Mi 9:23. It was a good run. After running 3.2miles on Friday I didn't want to push its too hard.

9/23: Bravo Workout: 12 stations, 2 cycles. 30s work and 20s rest x2 per cycle. Arm Extensions, Box Jumps, KB Swings, Chest Press, AirDyne Bike, Lat Pulls, Planks, Push Press, Leg Press, Situps w/MB, Wall Balls & Side Planks. It was a good workout but I shouldn't have gone for the big Box Jump. My knee felt tender but I pushed on and it is really sore now.

9/24: Woke up and my knee was very tight and hurt to put a lot of weight on it. Walked with a limp all day so I opted to not even attempt a run. It sucks getting older.

9/25: With my knee still tender but feeling much better I opted not to participate in the Bravo workout.  I might run tomorrow although plans are to go to the Big E which will mean a lot of walking so I might push my run to Saturday.

9/26: My knee is still really bothering me so I decided not to run today either. If I feel better tomorrow I will run. I did go to the Big E and that meant a lot of walking.

Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Race Day

The Big E 2014 (Eastern States Exposition)

I made my annual pilgrimage to the Big E again this year for the 98th Annual Eastern States Exposition. To avoid the record crowds I always opt to visit during the week and this year I took  the day off work to attend. The weekend prior the Big E broke its daily attendance record 170,612  people passing through the turnstiles.

As is customary the first stop of our day was at the Big E Circus Spectacular where we Ty McFarlan returned as Ring Master. Shows are held three times a day at 1, 4, and 7pm and this year include a full cast of performers.

Tomas Aguilar, Mexico’s master juggler extraordinaire dazzeled the audience with his juggling skills. He juggled not just with his hands but with his mouth everything from balls to candlepins and even hats. The speed of his juggling was the most amazing part.

The Minnestrelli Canines, first time in America, from Russia, amazing & delightful doggies performed a series of well choreographed routines and acrobatic flips. These playful pups being new meaning to well trained and energetic partners.

After the Dogs we were treated to the upside-down, topsy-turvy acrobatic stars known as the The Risley Brothers. George and Miles performed a series of acrobatic feats known as Risley which is the art of juggling people instead of props. While they are not actual brothers they must have the trust and strength of that type of relationship to perform the show.

Throughout the show we were entertained by Rob Torres who I had seen before. He was the clown at the Big Apple Circus I saw for my birthday. I didn't think he was as polished here as he was there. Many of his tricks seemed to have complications and as a seasoned performer he just kept going but they were noticed.

Next up was Mayya Panfilova with her adorable performing housecats. I have seen many other animals perform at the circus but housecats I had not seen before. I think of house cats as independent self absorbed creatures who never do what you want when you want but instead when it suits them. Mayya proved us wrong as her cats performed  a variety or acts from jumping through loops, high wire, climbing ladders and even jumping from heights.
   
The Original Dancing Gauchos described as a whirlwind display of South American fury perform a fanciful display with drums and flaming whips. Their energetic performance definitely keep the energy in the tent high.

The last performance was by the Sensational Cybertrons. Their performance included the mid-air motorcycle and aerial acrobatic skills of Galaxy Girl & Johnny Rockett. Galaxy Girl hung from her teeth and from only her feat as she was twirled around by Johnny Rockett's motorcycle. Even he took flight at one point and spun on his bike.

While it was an entertaining show as a whole it wasn't as fantastic as years past.  I felt a good portion of the performances were what I would call safe rather then being a true spectacular. The clown while historically funny fell flat and the Dancing Goucho's  didn't wow me with their loud performance. I enjoyed the Juggler, Risley Brothers, the animals both cat and dog since I am a complete animal lover but the two final acts were a let down.
After the circus we were all hungry and made our way towards the many food vendors. I picked up my usual traditional greek Gyro while Dan went for a corn dog, Part of going to any fair for me is the delicious food and the Big E is no exception. After finishing lunch we picked up a Famous Big E Cream Puff and headed to the Avenue of States.

Where else can you visit every state in less then an hour. The Big E is the only fair in the country that has participation from multiple states.  Each state has a replica of its state building built to a smaller scale. The Avenue of States is an opportunity for each state to showcase themselves through vendors, food and other ways.  You can also purchase lotto tickets from each state.  I picked up a blueberry pie in Maine and and enough cheese in Vermont to tide me over for hours. I also picked up a Del's Lemonade Christmas ornament I think will pair nicely with my food theme'd Christmas tree.

After finishing all the states we walked across the street to Storrowton Village where we picked up a Sam Adams from the pub. I picked a Cherry Wheat which is one of my favorites. Next we headed back to the Better Living Building to explore the many as seen on tv style items you can buy. There is lots of cool stuff and many worthless things to be found but I did manage to pick up a new heat/cold pad with an activator button that I used that night on my knee.

With most things done and having been walking around all day we opted to call it a day and head home. It was another great year at the Big E/

2014 Doug Flutie 5K Training (Week 9)

D o u g   F l u t i e   5 K  T r a i n i n g

S t a t u s   R e p o r t

 

Training is on-going. So far to day I have run 28.24 total miles since I started training with only 4.61 miles this week. My average/mi this week was 8:49. For more information visit the Doug Flutie Foundation, or Doug Flutie 5k Info and Sign-up page.

Only 15 more days left until the race. That jis ust over 2 weeks so I really need to stay focused on my training.

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
7/20	Off	Off	Bravo	Off	Bravo	1.42mi	Off
7/27	1.42mi	Off	Bravo+.87mi	1.41mi	Bravo+.87mi	1.42mi	Off
8/3	1.49mi	Off	400R+.50mi	1.50mi	400R+.50mi	Off	1.50mi
8/10	1.44mi	Off	Bravo	1.75mi	Bravo	Skip	Off
8/17	Skip	Off	Bravo+1.2mi	1.80mi	Bravo+1.2mi	Skip	Off
8/24	Skip	Off	Bravo+1mi	Skip	Bravo+1.4mi	Skip	Off
8/31	1.44mi	Off	Cancelled	Skip	Cancelled	Skip	Off
9/7	Skip	Bravo	Bravo	Skip	Bravo+2.41	Skip	Off
9/14	Skip	Off	Bravo	1.41mi	Skip	3.2mi	Off
9/21	RUN	Off	Bravo	RUN	Bravo	RUN	Off
9/28	RUN	Off	Bravo	RUN	Bravo	Off	Off
D o u g   F l u t i e   5 K  R a c e   D a y  O c t o b e r   5 t h ,   2 0 1 4

9/14: Skipped running today. I can't keep doing this or I'll never be ready for October 5th

9/16: Bravo Workout: 12 stations, 2 cycles. 30s work and 20s rest x2 per cycle. Bicep Curls, Tricep Pushdowns, Burpees, KB 1/2 Swing, Side Planks, Air Dyne Bike, Seated press, Leg Extensions, Pushups with Wall Ball, Walking Lunges, Scissor Kicks, Wall Balls.

9/17:  Ran 1.41 miles in 11:51. Avg/Mi 8:23. It was a good run. I felt good never stopped running I just really need to work on my endurance now. Not too many days left until the race. I have to really push hard now.

9/18: Had to Skip my Bravo class for an all day Training Class for Oracle Learn. Oracle Learn Training was more painful. 

9/19: Ran 3.2 miles in 29.35. Avg/Mi 9:15. It was my longest run since I started training. I really needed to step up my distance and after a second loop and at 2.88 miles I pushed on to complete a 5k. If I run that pace on October 5th I will beat my 2012 time by 1minute 37 seconds. I also beat my pace by 48 seconds per mile. While it was a great run I need to keep it up since as you can see from the pace my speed dropped dramatically after mile 2. Mile 3 killed me with an average pace of 10:19.

Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Race Day

Sam Adams Brewery Morning Mash In Tour

Sam Adams Brewery Tours usually start at 10:00am and go until 3:00pm but if getting up early isn’t a big deal you can join them for what they call their Morning Mash Tour. They occur on Saturday mornings at 9:40AM and are by RSVP only and feature a special tour experience that includes a specialty tasting.

That sounded right up my alley so I registered a small group of us for the first Saturday I could get tickets for. There was a 5 week waiting time for tickets. When we arrived they were preparing for Octoberfest and we learned that our tour was the only tour that day. Our tour guide Eric handed out bottle labels which would serve as our tickets and he explained that later in the tour he would tell us how those labels could get us each a free beer glass.

While we waited for the remainder of the ticket holders to arrive we explored their showroom where banners for the Best Beer in America hung for many of their different brews. They also had all kinds of other interesting things like the anatomy of a beer can & the anatomy of a barrel. 

It was a very cool space and all it was missing was a bartender to pour us a pint or two while we waited.  One of the coolest things was the wall of a bottle beer. Each bottle represented their different brews that make up the Sam Adams Beer Family. It included everything from you IPA’s, Pale Ales, Rye Beers to your Wheat Beers, Stouts, & Porters. 

 

 

As all the other tour participants arrived he rounded us up at the mouth of a vintage glass-lined tank used in the “Bad Old Days’ of brewing. That vintage tank was the portal into the Brewery. As we were lead into the brewery Eric apologized for the Octoberfest preparations going on and explained that the tour would be abbreviated slightly as a result but that he would make sure we learned everything we needed to know.

Eric went on to explain that the brewery opened in 1989 and before it there were only 44 breweries operating in the United States who made nothing more thing light beers. Sam Adams opened in response and operated obeyed a German purity law that there were only four ingredients in beer. Today there are more craft breweries in the US than anywhere else in the world.

There are only four ingredients in Sam Adams’ Flagship brew; Boston Lager. Those ingredients are malted barley, hops, water and yeast. Eric then explained that the malted barley give the body, texture, color & sweetness of the beer. The hops give the beer its spice, aromatics & bitterness. The water gives it liquidity and the yeast makes it alcoholic.

When we brew beer there are special steps that Sam Adams does that most other breweries don’t do because of cost and time. All of the barley, and make a grist and put it in a mash ton where the water activates the enzymes and breaks down the starches and simple sugars creating mash. One of those special steps is next. They take extra barley and put it in the mash kettle where they boil it where the more complex sugars are unlocked which are left over by the yeast at the end giving the beer more body, texture, viscosity & ultimately flavor. Both are then blended together and filter them in the lauter tun where it’s filtered producing wort. 

That filtered wort is what they brew into a beer. They boil the wort for roughly 90 minutes in a copper vessel where the wort is purified. They add the second ingredient called hops at this stage. It gives the wort its spice and bitterness. Its filtered, fermented and then its bottled, canned, and kegged.

In the fermentation tanks its fermented once. Then we pour 20% more malt/wort on the then dormant yeast which revitalizes yeast and a secondary fermentation occurs and then they crash the tank to leave more sugar. That creates a beer with more layers and complexity. It is for that reason that Sam Adams has won more awards than any other brewery.

Next we headed to the tasting room where they handed each of us a tasting glass as we entered the room. The tasting room was a large room with cafeteria style tables. We found a spot we liked and got ourselves settled in for the 4 different brews we would taste.

The first beer we tasted was the award winning Boston Lager. It started the craft beer revolution and is the most award winning beer on the planet. It is brewed in pre prohibition style. They handed out pitchers to fill our sample glasses. Before handing those out he asked us to wait until he explained what to look, smell and taste for. 

Eric went on to explain that before beer is distribute they check every beer for a few things. First is visual. It should have a nice caramel and amber color. Next you check for clarity. It should be clear. All Boston Lager is filtered. Aroma is the third thing they check for. You should be smelling the pine/citrus smell from the hops. If you smell the hops that means its fresh. Fours is taste. It should have an even flavor with a nice viscosity. Boston Lager is a medium beer and should be a perfect balance of bitter and sweet.

Octoberfest was our second sample brew. It is heavier on the malt and less on the Hops making it a sweeter beer. The style was born in Germany 204 years ago at a wedding party for the crown prince of bravaria. The village people brought their beer and drank for 14 days. The following year they celebrated the wedding and repeated it the following year. It became a tradition and is known as Octoberfest in Munich Germany.

Every year a competition is held in Germany to decide what brewery makes the best Octoberfest Beer. In 2010 Sam Adam’s entered and won. It’s a little heavier in body and a little sweeter and has 5 varieties of malt including a Munich malt which gives it its distinctive Octoberfest taste.

Next Eric explained the unique perfect pint glass. In 2008 Jim Cook was in Germany to select hops and while there he stopped in a pub and picked an obscure style but the bartender wouldn’t pour one because he didn’t have the proper glass for that beer. Jim decided that he wanted to develop the perfect pint glass. It took 2 years. It features a specific design.

A bulbous shape called the hop aroma catcher. It bels back in at the top where it creates a ledge that holds the head. The head helps give off the proper aroma. That ledge helps suspend the head at the top of the glass. The inside lip of top is called the turbulator. It creates turbulence when you take a sip of the beer. The next feature allows the beer to stay cooler longer. It does this because the glass tapers in at the bottom and the glass is thicker. It’s double thick and reduces heat transfer. The final design element is at the bottom of the glass. It is there they create a nucleation site. That intentional imperfection is where carbonation bubbles will burst. Putting on at the bottom of the glass causes the beer to rotate and maintain the perfect amount of head.

He went on to explain that the beer label he handed out earlier if brought to Doyles where Sam Adams was first carried on draft. They will let you keep the glass if you order a beer if you provide the beer label.

Our third sample was Harvest Saison. It’s a French flavor/style of beer full of aroma. It has a distinctive clove taste and has a very malty aroma with a golden amber color. It was my least favorite one.

The Morning Mash In Tours gets one more sample. It’s a special beer called Fat Jack which is an Imperial Double Pumpkin Ale. He explained that it takes 28lbs of pumpkins to brew one barrel. I would describe the taste as sweet with a good deal of spice and a smokiness.

Before leaving Paul who I would guess is the manager got up and explained that as an apology for an abbreviated tour everyone would get a 2014 Octoberfest Beer Steins on the way out. With 28 ounces of craft beer consumed we made our way for the gift shop and picked up our complimentary beer stein. They graciously provided paper to warp our new glasses.

Typically this tour included a more in-depth explanation of the brewing process. Since it was cut short or more accurately accelerated to move us through so they could prep the brewery for the day’s festivities we got the opportunity to drink more beer in the tasting room. No one complained and it was a great experience. Eric our guide was both knowledgeable and very funny. His comedic delivery of the information created a light and playful mood that easily made every participant want to join him at the bar for another round. I don’t think the accelerated speed of the tour affected his delivery of the information. He was eager to interact with the guest and able to answer every question sent his way.

2014 Doug Flutie 5K Training (Week 8)

D o u g   F l u t i e   5 K  T r a i n i n g

S t a t u s   R e p o r t

 

Training is on-going. So far to day I have run 23.63 total miles since I started training with only 2.41 miles this week. My average/mi this week was 9:33. For more information visit the Doug Flutie Foundation, or Doug Flutie 5k Info and Sign-up page.

Only 27 more days until the race. I got to keep going and keep training. 

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
7/20	Off	Off	Bravo	Off	Bravo	1.42mi	Off
7/27	1.42mi	Off	Bravo+.87mi	1.41mi	Bravo+.87mi	1.42mi	Off
8/3	1.49mi	Off	400R+.50mi	1.50mi	400R+.50mi	Off	1.50mi
8/10	1.44mi	Off	Bravo	1.75mi	Bravo	Skip	Off
8/17	Skip	Off	Bravo+1.2mi	1.80mi	Bravo+1.2mi	Skip	Off
8/24	Skip	Off	Bravo+1mi	Skip	Bravo+1.4mi	Skip	Off
8/31	1.44mi	Off	Cancelled	Skip	Cancelled	Skip	Off
9/7	Skip	Bravo	Bravo	Skip	Bravo+2.41	Skip	Off
9/14	RUN	Off	Bravo	RUN	Bravo	RUN	Off
9/21	RUN	Off	Bravo	RUN	Bravo	RUN	Off
9/28	RUN	Off	Bravo	Off	RUN	Off	Off
D o u g   F l u t i e   5 K  R a c e   D a y  O c t o b e r   5 t h ,   2 0 1 4

9/7: Spending all day walking around King Richard's Faire was enough to tire us all out so there was no running

9/8: I participated in a  special session of Bravo Ignite to celebrate the opening of our new gym/showroom. Bravo Workout: 12 stations, 2 cycles. 30s work and 20s rest x2 per cycle. It included Burpees, Upright Row, Chest Press, KB Squats, Overhead Press, Lat Row, Air Dyne Bike, Dead Lifts, Hurdles, Pushups, Planks, & Wall Balls.

9/9:  Bravo Workout: 12 stations, 2 cycles. 30s work and 20s rest x2 per cycle. It included Burpees, Upright Row, Chest Press, KB Squats, Overhead Press, Lat Row, Air Dyne Bike, Dead Lifts, Hurdles, Pushups, Planks, & Wall Balls.

9/10: I skipped my run today because I was just too tired. I will try to make up for it tomorrow after work.

9/11:Crossfit Style AMRAP. 20 Minutes AMRAP 10 Wall Balls, 10 Sit Ups, 10 Air Squats, 10 Pushups & 200m Run. I completed 8 complete rounds in the 20 minutes and had about 3seconds left at the end. To make up for yesterday I ran 1.41 miles in 13:27. Avg/Mi 9:33 after work. It shows I haven't been running. This was a painful run.

Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Race Day