New England

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Magical Stowe

Vermont is open for business! It  felt like a bit of a secret this past weekend in Stowe, as every restaurant had openings, we found parking no problem, and shops were pretty empty. Not that I am complaining that we had the place to ourselves, but after talking to many business owners, we learned that many people are staying away because of tropical storm Irene’s after effects.

And while Irene’s ugly wrath is still evident near Killington and the like, the large majority of businesses survived and are opened. And they want people to visit!

The whole thing frustrated me a little. The damage we saw was serious, and yet on a national level we seemed to hear nothing about it. The people of Vermont were incredibly resourceful in helping themselves and each other after the storm. Listening to my aunt tell stories about people jumping up and volunteering to build makeshift bridges, help feed and house neighbors, well, it’s a story worth hearing.

And Stowe around Christmas is definitely a place worth visiting. We are hoping to make this visit an annual tradition.

Stowe Covered Bridge

We were led to Stowe by an Eversave deal for Stowe Meadows. Neither of us had ever been, so we jumped at the chance.

stowe meadows

What an amazing place to stay! Stowe Meadows, a giant, well-appointed and luxurious lodge-style home, was comfortable, relaxing, and romantic. We were the only guests and received an upgrade to a larger room than I had booked months ago. The sprawling house offered a couple of common areas for relaxing, in addition to the large guest rooms.

stowe meadows

After a night in a big comfy bed, we woke up to this outside our window.

stowe

image

And after a beautiful, gourmet breakfast (which sadly I didn’t photograph!), we took Stowe Meadows’ owners’ advice and headed to Moss Glen Falls for a little hike to get the blood flowing. A short and chilly jaunt through some woods and up a hill, and we were rewarded with this view. Being surrounded by the smell of pine, cold air, and the sound of rushing waterfalls? Magical.

Moss Glen Falls

After our little hike, we wandered the festive downtown Stowe, looking at all of the decorations and really getting in the Christmas spirit.

stowe

And before our incredible dinner at Michael’s on the Hill, we took a long walk on the 5.5 mile recreational trail that starts in the town of Stowe, right behind the church. If you visit Stowe, the trail is perfect for biking, walking, or jogging. There were lots of dogs, which always makes me happy!

stowe

stowe

A day in Stowe, followed by a great meal, made for two very tired people. Luckily we had Stowe Meadows as our home base! I can not wait to go back. I may have even promised my husband I would try to learn to ski. Gulp!

Are you a skier? When it comes to travel, do you go toward the snow or away from it?

Tags: New England, outdoors, Stowe, Stowe Meadows, Travel, Vermont, winter

It seems New England has a never ending supply of cute little towns dotted with cozy shops, cafes, and restaurants with local flair. There are so many great places to visit, that up until yesterday I had never been to Portsmouth, NH before. Luckily a group of bloggers and friends got together and made a Portsmouth trip happen, complete with lots of foodie stops. This small town is big on flavor and can be seen on foot. All of the walking we did was a needed break between beer tasting, dessert eating, and a multi-course dinner.

Stonewall Kitchen

We made a stop at Stonewall Kitchen, one of those stores you could spend all day in, sampling and wishing you could buy every sauce and condiment in the store. It’s almost an overwhelming place to visit when you have no specific need. Unless you consider multiple types of pepper jelly to be a need, which I kind of do. Winking smile

Portsmouth

I was charmed by all of the brick buildings and architecture that is just so characteristic of New England. And like many of my favorite New England spots, Portland, Newburyport, and Newport, Portsmouth has a waterfront that I would imagine to be bustling with boats in warmer weather. Living far from the coast is not an option for me; even standing near the water made me long for spring and boating season. It can’t come quickly enough!

Portsmouth

We browsed kitchen accessories and nibbled on some more food samples at Attrezzi, many of us falling in love with pickled garlic. I didn’t buy it because I could probably eat the whole jar in a couple of days, great for my health and keeping the vampires away but probably not so fun for the people around me.

And since we hadn’t done enough food sampling and browsing at Attrezzi, we then moved on to Leroux Kitchen for more drool-worthy kitchen items, cutlery, cookbooks, a magical rainbow of Le Creuset, and a smattering of gourmet olive oils and vinegars. This place is a home cook’s heaven. When can we get one in Boston?

Le Roux

Le Creuset

I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around Portsmouth; with a chill in the air and the most perfect pink sunset, it was a brilliant fall day in New England with a group of really fun people. More recaps to come this week, including our takeover of Red Hook Brewery!

Portsmouth

Have you gone on any new and fantastic day trips recently?

Tags: Food, New England, Portsmouth, Stonewall Kitchen, Travel

There is nothing better after a day in the sun than a leisurely dinner. Inspired by the sea that we spend our weekend days on, this past Sunday we enjoyed a picnic dinner of New England favorites.

The first course was a mix of mesclun greens topped with fresh local peaches, goat cheese, and drizzles of honey balsamic and blood orange olive oil, one of my favorite additions to recipes ever. It was a light, simple  yet totally elegant starter and tided us over until we got the rest of the meal cookin’.

 

Peach and mesclun greens salad

Our next course was lobster, two perfect Maine lobsters boiled and dipped in Kate’s butter with sea salt. Eaten while sitting on the floor, barefoot of course. I love sitting on the floor.

lobster

After salads and lobsters, we were full, so we decided to spend some time cleaning up and hanging out on the deck listening to Spotify. Do you guys have it yet? It’s pretty awesome. I could spend hours searching for songs.

Our third course was another simple one, steamers, lemony butter, and a giant soft baguette.

clams

butter and bread

Lots of butter and bread and a couple of Harpoon summer beers later, we were stuffed. . . but not too stuffed for Magnum ice cream bars. Is there any other way to end a summer meal than with ice cream?

It might seem that I am obsessed with summer, and I would say that is perfectly okay.

Ready for the weekend yet?

Tags: clams, dinner, Food, lobster, New England, salad, summer

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