snow day excitement.

i know there are a few of you out there who are thrilled that there is already snow on the mountains out there, thanks to last weekend's nor-easter. i, unfortunately, am not one of them. snow is great, but i prefer mine in december and january! although this video, filmed atop stowe's gondola, got me just a little bit excited about the first snow day of the season. i mean, seriously, how happy do they look?

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comfort food thursday {beef stew with pumpkin ale}

well folks, looks like i have food on the brain this week. and today is no exception. but can you blame me? just look at how tasty this beef stew looks! and it just so happens that i have a beverage fridge full of wolavers* pumpkin ale...lucky lucky me.

beef stew with wolaver's pumpkin ale - via feel good eats**

• 4 strips of bacon, thinly sliced
• 2 pounds chuck or stewing beef, trimmed and cut into chunks (i think venison or bison would work too!)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• flour for dredging
• 5 carrots, peeled and chopped (1-inch pieces)
• 2lb red or fingerling potatoes
• 1 bottle wolaver's pumpkin ale (or other ale or stout)
• sea salt & fresh ground pepper

what you do: set a large frying pan over medium high heat and add the bacon slices. Cook until the bacon begins to get crispy. While the bacon cooks, pat the beef dry with a paper towel and season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the bacon, onions and garlic to the crock-pot, keeping the drippings in the pan. Dredge the beef in the flour, then shake off the excess and add the beef to the pan. Turn the beef so it is nicely browned on all sides and then transfer it to the crock-pot.

Arrange the carrots and potatoes along the exterior side of the crock-pot. Pour in the bottle of ale until it covers about 3/4 of the beef. Set on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the potatoes to a bowl before serving and roughly mash. Transfer the mashed potatoes back to the crock-pot and stir. Taste and adjust any seasonings. Serve with toasted bread and thick slices of cheddar cheese. serves 4-6

*wolaver's is otter creek's organic sibling. their IPA reigns supreme at my house, but you can't go wrong with any of their products.

**feel good eats is a great vermont blog by a fabulous local chef & food writer. site has been dormant for awhile, but the archives are worth exploring!

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adventures in baking: apple pie

i was missing in action yesterday for a very very good reason. what might that have been? i was baking an apple pie. (seriously, i was)

and, no, to answer your next question, i was not playing hookie. it was actually a work outing - apple picking included. seriously, not to be boastful, but how cool is that?

well, i suppose it would have been even cooler had i not been so dreadful a pie baker. let me let you in on a little secret....it's tricky, really tricky, especially the part with the rolling pin.

so, i dare you, cyberfriends - give it a try and let me know how it goes. sadly, i was sworn to secrecy by my talented coworkers and can not share with you the secret recipe we used, so i bring you this classic option from our friends at shelburne orchards. trust me, they know apples. also, trust me that even the ugliest apple pie tastes pretty darn good, just ask mr. frederickson.

shelburne orchard's not-so-secret apple pie recipe

what you need:

Crust for one pie, 2 crusts

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter (yes, I use butter!)
• 1/3 cup ice cold water
• pinch of salt

In a food processor - Add the flour, butter (cut into 1/2 inch chucks), water and salt. Mix until the mixture starts to thump around, less than a minute. If you don't have a food processor then put the flour on a cutting surface and make a pond in the middle of it for the water. Add the cut up butter and salt. With a large knife, chop the butter into the flour, using the knife to keep the water from running off. Chop until mixed, knead into ball, cover and cool.

Filling

• 8 good size apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch pieces.
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to taste
• 1 tablespoon instant tapioca

Simmer apples in large skillet with brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and instant tapioca. Simmer until apples have softened. Let cool.

Directions Preheat over to 350 degrees. Take the ball of crust dough and cut in half. There should be enough in each half for a bottom crust and a top crust. Role the first one out using plenty of extra flower on the rolling pin, and on the dough. When the size is right, (10’ circle for a 9’ pie.) brush off extra flower and set in the pie plate. Add the apple mix, slightly wet the top edge of the bottom crust, pop on the top crust , pinch and trim. Then with thumb and first finger of right hand and thumb of left hand, work your way around the crust pushing the edge between your fingers making a ruffled edge. Slice 2 holes in the top of the crust for air to escape. ( every body has there own design for this.) OK, now into the oven. 35 to 40 minutes. I check for doneness by poking a fork through one of the holes in the top into an apple piece inside to see if it is soft but not sauce.

Special Crust Treatment Soften 3 table spoons of butter. mix with 1 egg white. This mixture if the butter is soft enough can be brushed right on the crust while the crust is hot, Brush it right on the ruffles and all over the top after 15 to 20 minutes of cooking. Sprinkle sugar over this and slap that baby right back into the oven. When the pie is done the crust will be slightly golden brown and the filling will bubble and ooz a little. Let cool...and wait...and hope...

{image via bake or break: confessions of an amateur baker}

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only in vermont...

...do you have trees this colorful and mountains this white. just a reminder that - ready or not -winter is just around the corner.

so what do you think - are YOU ready?

{image of mt. ellen via @sugarbush_vt}

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have a dreamy weekend!

i need pretty things in my life today. the wind is howling outside and the rain is pounding at the windows. thus, all i want to do is curl up in my sweats with a steamy cup of hot chocolate and look at pretty things. lucky for us, it was an exceptionally beautiful and romantic week in cyberland so there is lots to help keep my dreamy eyes open...even this pumpkin looks so simple and stunning, don't you think?

this doilie wreath took my breath away - and then to learn that this beauty was a do-it-yourself project, simply heavenly. how much more romantic would life be with something like this hanging in your bedroom?

i've been researching cooking classes lately (and thanks to my twitter friends have found some great ones!) and in that search i discovered this recipe for pumpkin whoopie pies from the brilliant folks at king arthur flour. i will be signing up for that class immediately.

lox papers (aka my most recent blog crush) makes the prettiest to do lists i have ever seen! never has a rainy day or a hay bail looked so good!

the daily emails from etsy always make my day - but today the talented shoppers over there must have known i needed some extra love, as it featured three of my favorite things - bunting, birch bark and mason jars. thanks ladies...off to etsy shopping land i go! i have a feeling my virtual shopping cart will be full in no time!

and you know i have a thing for wedding photos, and this one captured on church street (my current home turf) is just breathtaking. so, is all else fails, this image of the happy couple enjoying their moment while the rest of the world rushes by will fulfill my dreamy needs on this gloomy afternoon...

so, on that note, i am off! i hope you all have a dreamy and relaxing weekend! xoxo

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a pumpkin road trip.

i have a soft spot for jack-o-lanterns that dates back to the fall of 2006 when i surrounded myself with 30,128 of them (see life is good pumpkin festival) since then, my love has only intensified, so you can imagine the panic attack i had when i realized that there was a giant pumpkin event happening in vermont that i did not know about! luckily, i discovered it just in the nick of time as the vermont state pumpkin carving day happens THIS saturday in manchester, vt.

so, who is in? any one up for a last minute road trip? fyi, a quick stop at the outlets included.

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comfort food thursday - it's baaack.

it's here. comfort food/crock pot season that is, and i for one could not be happier. this is not only the time of year that my neck disappears, but also the time when i start eating soup for atleast 2 meals a day...so in honor of that season, and in an effort to mix up my dining routine, i am going to set a goal of trying a new recipe every week and sharing it with you on the reenergized version of comfort food thursday.*

so in my first attempt - i bring you from our friends at eating well - squash, chickpea & red lentil stew. it's in the crock pot as we speak, so check back (or follow me on twitter) and i will let you know how it goes!

squash, chickpea & red lentil stew

what you need:

• 3/4 cup dried chickpeas
• 2 1/2 pounds kabocha squash, or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup red lentils
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  

what you do: soak chickpeas in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches for 6 hours or overnight. (alternatively, use the quick-soak method: place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. bring to a boil over high heat. remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.) drain when ready to use.

combine the soaked chickpeas, squash, carrots, onion, lentils, broth, tomato paste, ginger, cumin, salt, saffron and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker. put on the lid and cook on low until the chickpeas are tender and the lentils have begun to break down, 5 to 6 1/2 hours. stir in lime juice. serve sprinkled with peanuts and cilantro.

*please keep in mind this is a long season here in vermont, so i am certainly going to need your help and suggestions on dishes to try. comment or email me with ideas - i beg you!

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