12 Wild Days of Blue: 5 Golden…Retrievers? Don’t Forget the Dog

Have you ever arrived at Aunt Florence’s door at Christmas only to realize you neglected to include a gift for her beloved rat terrier? Not this year. Dogs are human, too. Or, at least we like to think they are. And that means good nutrition is important for fighting disease and staying healthy for them just as it is for us.

A dog’s genetic makeup is like a wolf’s – historically, they got their food from the wild by eating berries, just like early man. Antioxidants and whole ingredients are important for preserving good health, and healthy treats show Aunt Florence that you care about her beloved fuzzball.

Day 5: Healthy Wild Blueberry Dog Treats 

For healthy organic treats for the dog this year, we start in Biddeford at the Growling Gourmet. They make handcrafted treats for dogs using organic ingredients, without sugar, salt, wheat, corn or preservatives. For purposes of the 12 Days of Blues, their crowning achievement is their Maine Blueberry Dog Treats, chosen for their high antioxidant content. Combining blues with rolled oats, molasses, and flax seed makes a satisfying treat. Fido may want to try Carrot Cinnamon or Sharp Cheddar treats as well.

We end at Barkwheats Bakehouse in Stockton Springs. Barkwheats is a B-Corp, a corporation whose mission is to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. They use buckwheat flour milled on a buckwheat-only mill, which means treats are guaranteed gluten free, and their ingredients include parsley, sea vegetables, pumpkin, blueberries, sage, chamomile, lavender & honey – all carefully chosen for their important nutritional properties. Our choice is Peace Berry, a flavor that uses wild blueberries to deliver powerful antioxidants to support your dog’s immune system.

Day 7 of 12 Wild Days of Blue – The Countdown Continues!

Books are favorite items for the holiday shopping list, and curling up with the right one is just another way to get a dose of blue this season. Day 7 of our countdown ushers in some of our favorites of the year, and adds a couple of literary wild cards for the person that has everything blue.

Day 7: Good Reads

First up, we revisit Meg Wolff’s A Life In Balance: Delicious, Plant-Based Recipes for Optimal Health (Down East Books 2010). Her latest book provides the map for starting a life of better health and nutrition based on a plant-based diet. Bright colors and a wealth of fruits and vegetable preparations will please the palate and make a major contribution to wellness and disease prevention.

Gail J. VanWart is a Maine writer who is currently the fourth generation to maintain her native wild blueberries farm in Maine. Life Raked In (Out Of The Blue, 2011) condenses such a life’s harvest into a selection of poems, recipes and thoughts on life inspired by this perspective from the fields, a unique take on the wild blueberry life.

You may know Maine writer and food aficionado Kathy Gunst from her blog or her recently published book of the same name, Notes from a Maine Kitchen from Down East Books. She takes on the seasonal bounties of Maine using the calendar as her guide. The book provides a wonderful opportunity to give the gift of regionally-inspired food made from locally-sourced ingredients.

For the person on your list who prides themselves on being just a little odd, Maine’s own humorist Tim Sample and writing partner Steve Bither reveal what’s wild and wacky about their state in this third edition of Maine Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities, and Other Offbeat Stuff (Globe Pequot, 2011). One highlight includes the largest blueberry in the country, or as we fondly know it, Wild Blueberry Land in Columbia Falls, the blue geodesic dome  that is part bakery and part theme-park and wholly a piece of Maine wild blueberry culture.

If putting local foods on your plate is your mission, Lisa Turner will help with Eat Local, published by Down East Books. She has collected over one hundred recipes from Maine’s top chefs, farmers, home cooks, and some from her own kitchen, including her mother-in-law’s own Blueberry Buckle – a gift of true blue.

Finally, for the last word on the contribution of this little blue fruit to our everyday lives, comes Virginia Wright’s Wild Blueberry Book from Down East Books. It’s a charming and comprehensive primer of blueberry knowledge that provides an insider look from farmers, growers, scientists, and festival workers, as well as the region’s best recipes.

12 Wild Days of Blues – Day 10

The holiday season means putting good health and nutrition on hold until January. But when you have delicious confections like those from Cranberry Island Kitchen, having a treat or two isn’t naughty. It’s very nice!

Cranberry Island Kitchen, located on Danforth Street in Portland, offers homemade gourmet baked goods with real, wholesome ingredients, including homemade butter, local eggs, and organic vanilla and spices. And, they are all wonderfully inspired by the sea.

For gifting, a stylish blue tin filled with scallop or clam shell-shaped homemade whoopee pies is a pure delight. Personalize yours by choosing your own filling – choices range from champagne to rich chocolate. Even their enchanting lobster shortbread sport a fashionable wreath during the holidays! A most satisfying catch.

Gourmet Blueberry Whoopie Pies.
Photo courtesy of Cranberry Island Kitchen.

Day 10: Gourmet Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Such exquisite Maine-inspired confections brings us to Day 10: Cranberry Island Kitchen Gourmet Blueberry Whoopie Pies.Yes, those are fresh Maine blueberries baked into the scallop-shaped butter cake and filled with a classic whoopie pie filling. Give them by the dozen – they are destined to be a Maine classic.