comfort food thursday: sweet potato pie.

it's maple sugar season here in vermont. and believe it or not, all this crummy, snowy weather has made maple syrup producers happier (atleast someone is excited about the blizzard expected tomorrow!) and apparently, temperatures hovering right around freezing may be bad for travel, but good for rising sap. also, according to farmplate.com, "the plentiful rainfall this past fall and record-breaking snowfall this winter are two predictors for a good syrup season." who knew!?

so, with all this syrup (1 in every 4 trees in the state is a maple!) it seems only necessary that we take advantage of our little state's big business. so, here is my first attempt of taking syrup off the breakfast plate and on to....well pretty much the anytime-of-day plate. plus, any recipe with gingersnaps makes me weak in the knees.

maple sweet potato pie from FarmPlate

what you need:

• 2 cups (8 ounces) gingersnap cookie crumbs


• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


• 2 tablespoons demerara or raw cane sugar


• 2 generous cups cooked and mashed sweet potato


• 3 large eggs


• ¾ cup maple syrup, preferably dark amber


• 1 cup half-and-half


• 1 tablespoon bourbon or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


• 2 teaspoons ground ginger


• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg


• A big pinch ground cloves


• 1 /8 teaspoon salt

what you do: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Press into a deep 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 425ºF. In a mixing bowl, beat the sweet potatoes and eggs until blended. Mix in the maple syrup, half-and-half, bourbon or vanilla, spices and salt. Pour into the pie shell. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake until set, about 25 minutes more. Serves 8.

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home.

my parents just sold the house that i grew up in. 25 years we lived there. 25 years of fights and laughter. 9,125 breakfasts and 9,125 dinners. 10 years spent while there was a teenager in the house, and 3 years when "the kids came back home." it was a great house, for an even greater family.

and i have to say, after all the memories and all the time spent at a great grey house at the end of a long, muddy road, i didn't shed a tear. not a single one. it's not that i wasn't sad, because i was, i am. it certainly is the end of an era. but what i realized, and i think i speak for the rest of the fam as well, is that weather or not we still have that place, we will always have the memories we created there. memories like sitting on the stairs christmas morning waiting for dad to let us scamper in and see what santa left (and giving him time to eat all the cookies), building easter snow-bunnies in the front lawn, eating turkey tetrazzini for a week straight after thanksgiving, walking down the street to the best halloween party ever (right, mom?), coming home one night in april and hearing the peepers for the first time, watching all sorts of wildlife do all sorts of things, listening to the laughter (from the bathroom) of all the people i love most in the world...

and we created our last memory at 29 partridge last night. the 4 of us huddled in the kitchen and ate a fridge full of leftovers, them moved the party upstairs where we sta on the floor drinking cafe patron out of a plastic cup before we all curled up in sleeping bags and passed out on the floor of my parent's bedroom...

so, more than anything, the last night in our empty, sad looking house, reaffirmed the fact that a home has nothing to do with the style of furniture, or the color of your drapes, but rather it is all about the memories you create there and the people with whom you share them. long story short, i love you guys. xoxo

"home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”

- robert frost

{image via pinterest}

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tuesday shoesday: forcing spring

so friends, as you may know, yesterday was the first day of spring. yes, believe it or not, it was! here in vermont the snow and sleet came down with reckless abdanon and made us use every bit of inner sunshine to get through the day. you know what else helped? these summery little numbers from the queen of all things summer - lilly pulitzer. you know what else helped? staying up until all hours of the night riding my closet of all grey and black, wool and velvet and any shoe that dares cover my ankles. until this morning when i had nothing to wear. whoops.

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tuesday shoesday: party shoes

a bridal shower inspired by champagne and cute shoes? hmm...what a clever little idea.{via green wedding shoes}

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field of dreams.

happy monday, friends! i hope you all had a yummy weekend and are as excited as i am for the longer days of spring ahead. 5:13 and the sun is still shining bright...what's not to love about that!? pretty soon it will be time for picnics and sunset walks, right...? right...?!

well, just when i thought i couldn't be more excited for summer, the roaming culinary experience known as outstanding in the field just announced their 2011 tour schedule - and once again, they are blessing vermont with what is sure to be a night unlike any other.

what do you get when you combine fresh food, local ingredients, a long simple table and a super cool vintage bus...um, pretty much the best night ever.

so friends, what do you think? august 11th, craftsbury, vermont - who's with me?!
click here for the full tour schedule.

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i can see clearly now...

i have made a decision. the decision is, that as of right now, this very moment. my winter funk is over. why? just because i can't stand it anymore, and really there is a whole lot to be happy about.
here are just a few of the reasons why i'm (forcing) a smile today...

1. this picture of mr. frederickson: it will make me smile today and i have a feeling, for the rest of my life.

2. patent leather shoes: especially when they are tiffany blue and cost $19.99. hurry - head to your local tjmaxx! they have zillions of these talbot's ballet flats in all sorts of punchy colors that are sure to add a little hop to your step.

3. flowers: on my to do list this weekend is to puruse blog land for some floral inspiration. it's off to a pretty lovely start thanks to these beauties.

4. daylight savings time: turning your clocks back one hour might mean we loose an hour of sleep, but it also means we gain an hour of evening daylight. heaven.

5. our wedding photographer: she was just featured in the new issue of wellwed (sister publication to vt vows) and her images are just stunning. i am so honored she is going to be part of our day!

6. the weekend: and one with mr. frederickson all to myself. it also helps that we are going here for breakfast and just made a snowshoeing date with some of our fave friends!

...and there, just like that, the funk is over...so what about you? what are some of your favorite things these days?

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an invincible summer: vermont style.

well friends, let me tell you. we had the snow day of all snow days yesterday. a record snowfall here in burlington (25.8 inches!) that dumped on us for what felt like days and came with a howling wind and white out conditions.

so, as a delightful silver lining to this spring blizzard, mr. frederickson and i were cooped up all day long. we enjoyed some tasty leftovers, some really bad tv and some much needed time in our leisure gear. but, i have to say, the highlight of the day was when we finally ventured out at sunset last night. the sun peeked out of the clouds for just long enough to say goodnight and the snowdrifts towered over us both. it was nothing short of magical. the streets were silent and for a brief moment, we weren't even mad about the 2 feet of snow that might very well last through june....
and after all that, the sun really did shine again this morning. it goes to show, you just never know what the day might bring...or where you might find that little bit of sunshine. just in the nick of time.

“In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer”.

-Albert Camus

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daydreaming...

well folks, another epic winter storm here. to top of the most epic winter ever. another 2 feet of snow was dumped on us today. and it was coupled with howling winds. now, i love a good snow day (especially when mr. frederickson gets to stay home too!) but really? aren't we about done??

so, instead of focusing on the winter wonderland that awaits us outside, i am staying inside and doing a lot of daydreaming. dreaming about bare feet and late afternoon swims. drives with the windows down and walks at sunset. sunburned cheeks and daylight happy hours. while here in vermont, we work hard to find the best in all seasons, sometimes the best part is looking ahead to the next. and i have a feeling this next one, is going to be pretty epic as well (-:

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wedding wednesday: the light.

there is nothing prettier than the light just before the sun sets. especially over lake champlain, and especially after the long dark winter we have had. and yesterday, for the first time since i can't remember when, i was aware of that brilliant and romantic light at the end of the day. (spring is in the air, i can feel it!)

furthermore, i have to admit, that i love when this light is captured on film. the warm and dreamy colors are just to die for. especially on a wedding day in september, don't you think?*

* please note that the heavy sell on this concept is because mr. frederickson just about passed out when i told him we might have to leave our wedding party for a few minutes for a cocktail hour photo shoot. (miss a party!? him? never) but i am hoping that maybe these lovely images will sway him...

{sunset via, weddings via}

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tuesday shoesday: mud season prep.

wooo hooo! we did it. we made it through the long dark tunnel. and to celebrate the arrival of march - the muddiest of months, i bring you some colorful - and puddle friendly - footwear. i don't know about you, but my feet are sick and tired of being cooped up in winter boots. so baring my pasty little ankles for the first time this spring will be a very welcome change! what about you? besides shoes, what do you look most forward to in march?

{via jcrew & jcrew}

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