When most people think of green baby food, pureed peas or string beans come to mind. But Kate Yerxa, the statewide educator for nutrition and physical activity at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has a different perspective. The green she sees isn’t beans. It’s dollar bills. “Over six months, you can save $60 if you just make your own green beans, but the greatest cost saving came from meat and baby food.”

To help Maine parents save money and offer safe, healthy alternatives to store-bought baby food, Yerxa will lead a series of “Make Your Own Baby Food” classes starting Sept. 8 in Bangor.

Yerxa’s classes and UMaine Extension’s “Making Your Own Baby Food” publication provide nutritious recipes, discuss storage techniques and review when it’s appropriate to introduce new foods to babies and infants, including pureed versions of the same meals their parents are eating.

For information or to register for the classes, which will take place from Sept. 8 to Nov. 18 at 103 Texas Ave. in Bangor, call Nannette Marcinkowski at 581-3445. Class size is limited to 10 participants. The “Making Your Own Baby Food” publication is available for download at http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4309.htm.

Four new restaurants are either now open or about to open here in Portland, showing once again the indomitable spirit that drives our economy.

• Grace–located in the Chestnut St Church next to City Hall
• The Corner Room–in the former Salt space on Exchange and Federal St.
• The Salt Exchange–245 Commercial
• El Rayo–York St

The Boulos Company announces five leases totaling 12,000± sq ft completed at 245 Commercial Street, Portland!

• C&S Restaurant
• MaineHealth Information Center (MHIC)
• MaineHealth Management Coalition (MHMC)
• Color Me Mine of Southern Maine
• Stanford Management

Harbor’s Edge, at the site of the former Boone’s Restaurant at 6 Custom House Wharf, is now open and booking functions at its newly renovated meeting facility.  The Harbour’s Edge meeting room shares a spacious deck on Custom House Wharf with the Comedy Connection and the Porthole Restaurant. Event Director, Beth Poitras, can be reached at 207-632-4192.

Rob Evans, the chef and owner of Hugo’s restaurant at 88 Middle Street, received the award as the Northeast region’s best chef at the James Beard Foundation Award ceremony in New York City. Evans beat out three chefs from Greater Boston, reinforcing Portland’s standing as a phenomenal food town.

One of Portland’s favorite outdoor night spots, the Port Hole, not only opened a month early, it opened to close to 200 eager fans on April 17!  That’s a record according to the management.

There’s a new website in Portland called www.whatsthesoup.net This site lists daily soup specials at local restaurants in Portland. For customers visiting the site it allows quick daily access to updated information about available soups in the area. For restaurants, if deflects unnecessary phone traffic, generates visibility and leads to more business.

DiMillo’s Marina reports that it currently has 16 NEW tenants, the most in over 13 years, and they are anticipating there will be a wait list.
According to manager, Sarah Foshay, this summer is looking great, with more transient reservations than last year at this time. She also says DiMillo’s has the largest yacht club reservation ever (the Boston Yacht Club) staying with them for two nights in July.

This May, Sea Dog Brewing Company will open a new restaurant at 125 Western Avenue, South Portland in the former Eggspectation building.

Sea Dog Brewing Company is a locally owned Maine business with brew pubs in Topsham and Bangor. Both these locations serve lunch and dinner daily. The new South Portland location will be open for breakfast (served all day) as well as lunch and dinner.

Job applicants are invited to come to the restaurant on Tuesday mornings from 9-11am and Thursday afternoons from 1-3pm to fill out an application.

Portland’s easygoing quality of life is praised in the April 1st feature. The list was compiled based on a leisure index, crime data and 5-year cost of living average and unemployment figures. Kudos for local highlights go to Grittys, Cinque Terre, Blackpoint Inn and Cold River Vodka!