Blueberry Crisp

Heart Healthy, Taste Bud Happy Blueberry Crisp

There are many desserts and sweets out there that are healthy but have sacrificed flavor for a few less calories. Today, we are putting a ban on bland healthy desserts and sharing our trick to heart healthy treats that do not surrender good taste. Our Blueberry Crisp says, “heart healthy, taste bud happy” best. Made with Maine blueberries, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and butter. It is simple but will fulfill your sweet tooth cravings.

Did you know blueberries are low in fat, and one full cup is only 80 calories? Thanks to the US Highbush Blueberry Council we found more about how blueberries are good for us. Blueberries also are rich in dietary fiber. Fiber does a lot of good for our bodies. Fiber doesn’t just keeping our body’s regular but our hearts healthy and cholesterol in good shape. One cup of blueberries also contains 25% of our daily value of vitamin C. Another great thing blueberries do for our bodies is help bone development. They also help convert the proteins, carbohydrates and fats we consume into energy. This is due to the amount of manganese they contain. Click here to learn more about the great things blueberries do for our bodies.

 

160 calories per serving.

8 cups Blueberries

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

2 cups Rolled Oats

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 cup Butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place berries in 13x9 inch pan.

2. Combine brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon in bowl.

3. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles crumbs.

4. Sprinkle mixture evenly over berries.

5. Bake for 25 minutes or until berries are tender. Top with frozen yogurt if desired.

Makes: 15 servings.

Substitute blueberries with any of your favorite fruits. 
Try strawberry rhubarb, apple, raspberries or blackberries. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

 

 

Apple Crisp

Hot Cross Buns

Many restaurants serve all of their menu items year round. It is not just good consistency; it sets a standard for what is available at the restaurant any time of year. Although there are a few items some restaurants do not serve all year round. For example we only serve lobster in the summer. We use fresh lobster, right off the coast of Maine. Lobster season usually starts in April and last through August. Even though lobster fishing is done year round, the bulk of the catching is in the summer because of the better working conditions. (And the high demand from tourists). We do have one product that is only offered for a few days a year, hot cross buns, traditionally made for Easter. Learn how we make our homemade hot crossed buns below. 

Hot Cross Buns

2 packages yeast, active dry

2 cups of milk scalded and cooled (instructions below)

½ cup of butter or shortening

1 tsp. Salt

¾ cup sugar

3 eggs

½ to 1 tsp. Cinnamon, to taste

1 ½ cup raisins

8 cups flour (you may need less or more depending on the weather or other factors beyond your control)

In a small bowl soak your yeast in ½ cup of warm water. 

Scald milk and cool to about 90 degrees.

            Scalding milk: bring the milk nearly to a boil (185°F), preferably in a thick-bottomed pan, and stir actively. (Stirring helps keep a protein skin from forming on the surface and keeps the proteins and sugar from sticking to the bottom of the pan.) If you don’t scald your milk before using it, there is a chance that the volume of your bread will be affected and it may not rise as much as you would like.

Cream together butter, salt, and sugar. Add beaten eggs, cinnamon, raisins, yeast, and cooled milk. Work in enough flour to make a soft dough. Set dough in a bowl and cover so it does not dry out. Let rise until it doubles in size.

After they have risen, punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured board. We divide the dough into 2 oz. portions and roll into a ball. The experienced bakers can roll with both hands filling an 18 by 12 inch pan with 2 ½ dozen rolls in just over a minute. Home bakers can shape the dough as desired and bake until golden on top. 

Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, or until the bread is 195°F.

Icing

Mix together…

1 cup sifted confectioners sugar

1-2 tbsp. warm water, milk, or cream (use amount for desired thickness)

½ tsp. vanilla or lemon juice (use a bit of grated lemon rind with the lemon juice)

Spread or drizzle an X over each bun while slightly warm.

Each year we sell over 200 dozen hot cross buns during the week that they are offered!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Sometimes traditions get old and they need to be spiced up for all to enjoy better. You could get tired of going to your annual family party because the same boring events happen year after year… after year. Many times we change traditions, because it helps us grow and learn…or maybe because we never enjoyed the tradition in the first place. One way that we change our traditions is with food. We make a twist on our thanksgiving meal, or try a new dish during Easter that we have never tried before. There are also many traditions that are just too good to change. Or we know better not to change ;). One traditional meal we make at Dysart’s is our boiled dinner. As much as it is known as an Irish-American St. Patrick’s Day special, we stand by our Maine traditions and prepare our corned beef and cabbage from scratch and cook to perfection.

Whether you eat corned beef and cabbage as a traditional home cooked meal during the week or you only enjoy this delectable meal once a year on St. Patrick’s Day, we thought we would share how we make it! Our customers have called it the best around town. 

2lbs. Well-trimmed corned beef brisket

3 cups baby carrots

6 small onions

1 turnip, cubed

3 potatoes, cut in half

1 small head of cabbage, quartered

1 small can whole beets

1 tbsp. pickling spice

Place corned beef in Dutch oven (or large heavy pot) and cover with water.

Add pickling spices. Simmer for 3 hours.

Add all the vegetables and simmer for another 60 minutes.

Remove beef to warm platter, and keep warm.

This can also be cooked in a crock-pot. Add all the ingredients and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Traditional boiled dinners are served with a side of beets.

For all those “tradition changers” we’ve got a couple ways to spice it up. Try a Reuben, with thick corned beef slices, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese with Russian or Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. Simplify it with just corned beef and Swiss cheese. Or take different route and make it into a club sandwich!

Buttery Flaky Crust

Baked in a buttery crispy flaky flavored crust?!?! 

John (aka Jack) and Sonja Palmer might have had a little trouble saying baked in a buttery flaky crust to explain our signature chicken pot pie during filming for our new commercial, but who would have said that right in one take?

Sonja and Jack Palmer are regular customers that we all know pretty well at Dysart’s. They have been married for 53 years and have been stopping at our restaurant for many of those years. They stop by almost everyday. Because they are such loyal customers to us we have asked them a few times to take part in our commercials. This year was not their first rodeo. They have been in a few of our commercials throughout the years. Whether they are talking about chicken pot pie, breakfast, or what “real Main-ahs” are like they are more than willing to take part. This years commercials were set up a lot like past years.  Switching from person to person with each line consisting of 7 words or less. The less words the less pressure right? Unless you have this line, “baked in a buttery flaky crust.” I’m sure you read that fine. Now say it out loud. Did you say that correctly? Ok, say it five times in a row. Still got it? Now say it with a camera, lights and a microphone on you with no cue cards, after you have said it a bunch of times. It just might take you a few times to get it right. 

Sonja Palmer, Ric Tyler (Commercial Director) and Jack Palmer at Dysart's

Jack explains why he couldn’t get his line right. “Well, I was concentrating so hard! I’m a little hard of hearing. I mean, I’m 74 years old! It’s like I told Ric (Commercial Director), I really only know how to say two words and that’s ‘yes dear’.”  

Meet the Palmers

We finally got the line and finished the commercials! But we couldn’t forget about Jack and Sonja’s attempts to say that one line. Thanks to Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, we aired a part of the bloopers as another commercial. YES, it really is one of the three commercials we are using. There was no way we could keep this to ourselves. We had to share! If you haven’t seen the bloopers check it out below. (Or click here)

The last thing we wanted to share is our recipe for our Chicken Pot Pie! …And most of all our buttery flaky crust! Try it at home! But don’t forget your line, “Baked in a buttery flaky crust!” 

Get your Dysart's Buttery Flaky Crust T-shirt today! Order Online.



Buttery Flaky Crust 
Betty Feney’s Pie Crust
(From Cooking With Dysart's Cookbook)


3 ½ cups Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 ½ cup Crisco
approx. 1 cup cold Milk

Combine flour and salt together.
Add in the Crisco, and mix using a pastry blender until the mixture looks like small peas (this makes for flakiness).

Stir in cold milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the flour is moistened. Be careful not to add too much or the crust will be very hard to work with.

Divide the dough in half and place each on separate sheets of plastic wrap. Roll and flatten into 5-inch disks. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (up to 2 days, or frozen up to 1 month). Remove and let sit at room temperature before rolling it out to desired thickness. 

Chicken Pot Pie Filling

1 lb. Turkey or Chicken (diced)

4 Cups Peas

4 Cups Carrots (peeled and sliced)

Add Onions if desired

4 Cups of Chicken Gravy

Chicken Gravy- 

Make a roux-1 lb of butter and 1 lb of flour. Bring butter to a boil and add flour slowly. In another saucepan use left over Turkey stock from your holiday cooking (or chicken bouillon cubes) and bring to a boil. Once broth boils mix in the roux.

Place bottom crust in a 9-inch pie plate. 

Mix chicken gravy, vegetables and meat in a bowl then pour into the pie crust. Place top crust over the top and press down on edges to bond the 2 crusts. 

Spread butter over the top crust for the ultimate buttery flaky crust. 
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. 

Dysart's Bloopers

Wreaths Across America

Remember. Honor. Teach.

In 1992, Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, noticed an excess of wreaths and got the idea to honor fallen Veteran’s by placing wreaths at veteran cemeteries. Which is how Wreaths Across America began.

 

photo from wreathacrossamerica.org

Since then, Wreath Across America has been remembering, honoring and teaching others about veterans for over 20 years.  They do this by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies during their annual “Veterans Parade” in December. Many know about the ceremony held at the Arlington National Cemetery, but there are many other stops and ceremonies held during the escort to Arlington to honor fallen veterans.

 

Photo from wreathsacrossamerica.org 

 

The Veteran’s Parade starts in Maine and ends at the Arlington National Cemetery. Each year trucking companies and professional drivers donate many hours and resources to help deliver thousands of WAA remembrance wreaths. WAA mission is remembering fallen heroes, honoring those who serve and teaching others about the sacrifices veterans and their families have made to preserve our freedom.

This year WAA trucks will be stopping at our Truckstop. There will be an hour-long ceremony to remember, honor and teach others about veterans. Dysart’s is taking part to help raise money to support wreaths for fallen veterans. We are selling WAA stickers for your cars, windows, doors, computers, or wherever you like.

Last year WAA placed 90,000 remembrance wreaths. 2012 goal is to place a wreath on each 225,000 headstone at the cemetery. Donate to help support this year’s goal! You can donate by purchasing a WAA sticker at our Restaurant and many of our travel stops. Or Check out WAA website to learn more of how you can help!

Check out this article about a local father of a fallen veteran for more of an understanding of all that goes into WAA and why truckers donate their time driving for this great cause!

World War II Monument

Dedicated to over 110 Bangor Men

A monument to honor Bangor men killed in WWII was promised in 1945. Finally this November 12th a monument will be dedicated at The Cole Land Transportation Museum to the Bangor residents who served in World War II and sacrificed their lives.

Dysart’s is taking part to remember all who have sacrificed their lives in WWII by donating to

support the new monument that will be dedicated on November 12^th. Dave Dysart went to school with many of the Bangor men who lost their lives in WWII. It is our honor to be able to take part in giving recognition to these men Dave grew up with. Not only are we proud to be able to support the men who sacrificed their lives, we are also taking this opportunity to support the families who have lost loved ones.

Galen Cole (left), founder of Cole Land Transportation Museum who was
Bangor’s Mayor in 1958 and current Mayor Cary Weston (right). 
Photo from http://www.colemuseum.org/news.php?num=2&news_id=30

The Monument will be black granite engraved with over 110 Bangor Men who died in World War II.

Don’t forget to thank all Veterans who have sacrificed so much for us all and to remember all who have sacrificed their lives.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Mary Dysart Hartt and Alison Frazier spent countless hours preparing, writing, changing, adding and subtracting photos and recipes during the design of our second cookbook (“Cooking with Dysart’s”). Before we got too deep into the process of making a book, Mary and Alison took a class through Maine Media to help learn how to self publish a cookbook. Self publishing a book takes more than you think… and if they had attempted without this class, they probably would have been covered in flour like a newbie learning to bake! So first of all, here is a big thank you to Maine Media and Bruce for all the knowledge and help given to Dysart’s to self-publish this cookbook. With that being said, we have found that this was a great learning experience and that it’s never a bad idea to proof and proof and proof some more. We did our very best to make sure that everything was as perfect as could be, having many people at Dysart’s proof, but we did miss a few things. One mistake we just caught on to was misleading pictures. We had a photo of our lemon poppy seed muffin but there is no recipe to be found. A Facebook fan just recently noted this as they asked for the recipe. So for all of you who have our cookbook and maybe were wondering the same thing, or for those of you who just love lemon poppy seed muffin, the recipe is below!

Even though the cookbook took a lot of work and stress and maybe a missing recipe we are very pleased with the outcome and the support from all! We sell our cookbooks at all 9 locations and 100% of the profit goes to cancer. We have raised over $100,000 so far to help support local people, charities or research dealing with cancer.

Cooking With Dysart's

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 lemon, grated rind
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F Coat muffin tin with cooking spray.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs.

In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients and poppy seeds.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk, and lemon rind. Add lemon juice last.

Beat just until smooth.

Fill the muffin pan 3/4-full.

Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely.