My bread is Green!

I can't believe I haven't written about this yet! This green change is practically eons old, but only last night when I was counting loaves of bread did I suddenly realize it.

This is our delicious "new" bread from Berkshire Mountain Bakery. From left to right you are looking at San Francisco Sourdough, Multigrain, and Raisin. We've had it since about early December (the type of bread, not these particular slices), and let me tell you, this bread is good!

I've always dreamed of living off the classic European diet: freshly baked breads, cheeses, wine, butter, fresh veggies... And my own personal twist: fish. No chicken, no red meat. Just fish. And crustaceans. Mmmm. I'm going off on a tangent now, aren't I?

Anyway, this bread is so very, very good that it makes me feel like living that dream is not only possible, but good for me. As in healthy and encourageable in spite of the carb fever that occasionally strikes the nation.


Why do I think it's so healthy?

Firstly: Berkshire Mountain Bakery uses organic flours. Good for me and good for the environment. And considering that their bread is only comprised of flour, water, and a sourdough culture that is made of flour and water, I might as well just say that the whole bread is organic!

Secondly: They use a traditional fermentation process when making the bread. Now, I'm no food scientist, but Richard, the owner, appears to be and there's a breakdown of the process and health benefits on their website that makes for some pretty interesting reading. In short, the process renders the bread more easily digestible, which means that you absorb more of its nutrients. Oh yeah, and that process makes it tastier. Don't you just love when something is good for you but doesn't taste like cardboard?

Thirdly: They mill all of their grain fresh. Essentially, the vitamins and nutrients in any fresh food oxidize and break down when exposed to oxygen. By milling fresh, there is less time for nutrients to break down and therefore more goodness in the bread. When I describe the bread to guests here, I usually tell them that Berkshire Mountain Bakery has pretty much mastered the science of bread making.

Lastly: It's locally baked in Housatonic, Ma. And I know that anything that's good for the environment is also good for me in the long run.

If you happen to be visiting us, they have a store front as well where you can purchase any of their breads, and let me tell you, they have some incredible bread varieties.

Until next time, I'm off to go have lunch. Which will probably involve a grilled cheese on San Francisco sourdough. Mmmm!

With Love,
~Brande N.

The Grind in Lee Ma, Part I

Earlier this week, Dan and I had made big plans to: go to Northampton, have an obscenely large and very delicious breakfast at Sylvester's, shop around at Holyoke Mall, go to a movie, get groceries, and then eat a slightly less large but equally delicious dinner at Rendezvous in Turner's Falls.

And then a pipe burst. Water, water, everywhere, all coming from the sink. So while we had originally planned to be out of the house by 8:30am, we ended up walking out the door at 11. I was in a bad mood. It felt like our beautiful, wonderful, perfectly planned and scripted day had been ruined. Worst of all, I hadn't eaten breakfast yet. I try not to eat dinner after 8pm, either, so I was at about 15 hours without food. (I imagine low blood sugar contributed to the bad mood.) Being 11 o'clock, none of the places Dan and I frequent were still serving breakfast. Drat!

So we decided to settle, miserably, for lunch and began driving down Rte 20 in Lee, towards the thruway. Then we saw the sign for The Grind. We'd passed by it many times, but had never stopped in for I don't know what reason. That particular morning Dan and I wanted cafe food. Nothing else would suffice. So we stopped. And might I say what a pleasant surprise The Grind was? This place had been hiding not even 10 minutes from us this whole time!


Bill, the owner, was incredibly kind and helpful. Remember my low blood sugar? Physically it translates into me being involuntarily snippy. I have the patience of a toddler, my head hurts, my body is devoid of energy, and I want food NOW. But he saw right past my insulin level and, at the mention that we were seeking breakfast, offered to make me a egg, cheese, bacon, and tomato breakfast sandwich even though they only serve breakfast on the weekends. It was a Wednesday.

This was my sandwich.

See how lean and crisp that bacon was? How perfectly melty the cheese was? The crisp, lovely bread? This was exactly what I needed.

Dan on the other hand, was convinced by their menu that lunch was exactly what he needed.

This was his sandwich. Er... wrap, rather. It's like a sandwich. Except cylindrical and with less bread.

Anyway! This was a turkey and bruschetta wrap with a lightly dressed Italian pasta salad on the side. The turkey, we found out, is roasted and sliced in house, and the bruschetta is also homemade with just a touch of balsamic vinegar. This wrap (I stole a bite) was juicy, flavorful, and perfectly balanced.

Unfortunately, his coffee machine had broken the day before we came in, so we weren't able to try a latte or any other fun drinks with our meal. But Bill assured us that a whole new system that will be able to make frozen drinks, espresso drinks, and Italian sodas was on order. How exciting! He also let us know that in the summer they have a patio, beautiful and spacious lawn, and live entertainment. They cater, too!

So, in response to the fact that our food was great, service was beyond exceptional, and Italian sodas (my favorite) are on the way, I'll be doing an updated post this spring that highlights the new updates at The Grind. In the meantime, if you happen to be in the area and are in the mood for some good ol' Italian cafe food, check them out at 62 W Center St in Lee, MA!

With Love,
~ Brande N.