Posts Tagged ‘Vermont products’

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Alison’s favorite things (vol. 17)

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

It’s been over a month since I’ve given a shout out to one of my favorite things and since my husband discovered something super delicious this week at Marvin’s Country Store in Johnson (something I happened to discover a few weeks ago at Sweet Clover Market in Essex!) it feels like a perfect time to spread the word about Effie’s Homemade Oatcakes and Corncakes.  The owners, Joan & Irene, say “great flavor comes from quality ingredients, simply prepared” and the proof is in the pudding…or biscuit as the case may be!

They are simply delicious and make any cup of tea or coffee a little bit sweeter.  I think they’d be a great wedding favor or gift basket addition–especially if anyone has a Scottish or English heritage that deserves a nod!

They are ooh sooo yummy.  Try them!  Find a store near you here!

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Beautiful Day at Burlington Farmer’s Market

Monday, June 21st, 2010

After we took a flower delivery to a beautiful private home at Shelburne Farms on Saturday, where Kate Hays of Dish Catering was no doubt about to cook up a storm!, Dave & I headed over to the Burlington Farmers’ Market to find ourselves a bite to eat.  It was a perfect day for the market and City Hall Park was booming. 

It was fun to run into several people we haven’t seen in years and check out what goodies were ripe for the picking.  We almost never get to enjoy the Burlington market because we are always off setting up a wedding–but don’t feel too badly for us, we are lucky enough to have a Jericho Farmers’ Market just up the street from us on Thursday afternoons!  I snapped a few shots of the bustling market while we grabbed up some basil plants, fresh asparagus from Pomykala Farms and waaaayyummy Jamaican patties from Island D’Lites.

  Katharine Monstream’s work on display.

Another flower lover snaps a shot at Stray Cat Flower Farm’s stand.

Every farmers’ market needs a good maple syrup stand!  This guy says he has “the best”.

The Nutty Vermonter has a way of making nuts oh so delicious!  If you haven’t tried their nut butters you simply must!  I often buy a few jars for wedding gifts…1 for me, 2 for them!

Campanula (balloon flowers) grown by The Painted Tulip.

There is always a line for samosas from SamosaMan!  He’s at the Jericho Market, too.

Dave appreciates the finer things in life. 

I love the stained glass from Burlington Community Glass Studio.  We are remodelling our kitchen this summer and I dream of a beautiful stained glass window above the sink!

Super sweet sidewalk-chalk-art by a young girl who was hard at work on her masterpiece.  She told me the last step was to draw the fire the woman will be holding her hands over! 

Old friends, good eats, beautiful artwork…What do you love about a good farmers’ market?

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Alison’s favorite things (vol. 12)

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

This is a new-found favorite for me since I tried them for the first time last week, but Whitney’s Castleton Crackers are now on my list!  Not only would these Vermont Artisan Crackers be a great addition to a Vermont Welcome Basket, but they could make a truly tasty wedding favor as well.  I tried the Middlebury Maple crackers and while there are suggestions for pairings on the website, I personally enjoyed them on their own for a snack and then dipped them in some chocolate for dessert!  Give them a try and I am sure they’ll make your favorites list, too! 

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Ben & Jerry’s Fond Farewell to Walt

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

I have delivered a lot of flowers in my day, but it is always extra sweet when I know that flowers genuinely brightened someone’s mood.  I have had the pleasure of working with the crew at the Ben & Jerry’s offices and delivered flowers to Walt Freese–essential to the feng shui of his office–for a few years.  As Walt departed as CEO this week I was especially pleased to create a few “Ben & Jerry’s inspired” designs for his farewell party last night.

These blue hydrangea remind me of the cloud motiff that Ben & Jerry’s has made so famous!

 ’Circus’ roses along with the red striped yellow double tulips give the blue a little punch.

I hope that the new CEO, Jostein Solheim, who the public gladly met dishing out scoops on Free Cone Day last week, finds that his office could use some floral feng shui, too!

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Alison’s favorite things (vol. 10)

Friday, March 19th, 2010

It’s Arthur’s Fault!  I found out that Arthur actually lives up the street from me when I met his wife on a walk with my husband one lovely summer day so this “local love” is about as local as it gets!  When I bought his black bean & garlic sauce at the Jericho Farmer’s Market and tried the peanut sate sauce I knew I hit the jackpot!  All summer the veggies from my garden are covered in these delicious sauces and voila, dinner is served.  He makes marinades, BBQ and dessert sauces that are really yummy.  Enjoy!  And remember, It’s Arthur’s Fault so you can blame him for your future addictions–not me!

Taste some of Arthur’s yummy sauces and marinades TODAY at Sweet Clover Market in Essex from 4-6pm!  You can find his products at these stores in Vermont (according to their facebook page):

Cabot Creamery – Cabot, Quechee and Waterbury
Gourmet Provence – Brandon
Cheese House – Arlington
Clover Gift Shop – Woodstock
Earth and Sea Market – Manchester
Healthy Living Natural Foods Market – So. Burlington
Henry’s Market – Bennington
Irish Family Farm – Jericho
Jeffersonville Country Store – Jeffersonville
Mountain Cheese and Wine – Stowe
Mountain Greens – Bristol
Sam Mazza’s Farm Stand – Colchester
Shelburne Country Store – Shelburne
Sweet Clover Market – Essex
Winhall Market – Bondville/Winhall

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Vermont Maple Syrup Season is On!

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Maple is the official flavor of Vermont and with the warm temperatures we’ve been having the past few weeks the sap is flowing like crazy and sugarmakers are hard at work.  Since my husband works for Butternut Mountain Farm when the sap is and isn’t flowing is a big part of our lives.  Dave wakes up around 4:00am to get an early start on these busy days and when he hits the alarm I often say, “Time to make the syrup” which admittedly is probably funnier to me than it is to him.  He really is like that guy in the old Dunkin’ Donuts commercials though–he pulls himself out of bed even though he is tired because he really loves that sweet, sweet syrup!

There’s a good chance we’ll have a short sugaring season this year if the nighttime temps don’t get cold enough to slow down the flow of sap, but from what I’ve heard (from my husband of course!) this year’s crop has been delicious!  The 2010 annual Vermont Maple Open House Weekend will be held at sugarhouses throughout Vermont from March 26-28th so mark your calendar and make a date to experience pure maple at its finest.  To learn more about how maple syrup is made click here.

After the sap stopped flowing from our maple tree last year I put a bouquet in the bucket!

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Invitation tips from Kate Youlen of That’s Inviting

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Kate Youlen of That’s Inviting thinks invitations are so much fun and she tells couples to think about the style of the invitation as it relates to the mood they are trying to set with their event.  “I love sitting with brides/couples and pouring through paper and ribbon samples, putting together the perfect combination for that couple,” she said.  Working with brides who are not local to Vermont is also fun, although it may take a bit more time as swatches are sent back and forth to get the perfect combination.  

Since your invitation can set the tone for your event it deserves a little attention.  According to Kate some couples don’t think about their invitation as really being an extension of their wedding because they are created so far in advance of the event.  She believes that invitation suites do not have to break the bank, but a quality invitation helps your guests get excited about the event you are planning.  Invitation suites often include additional enclosures informing guests of activities in the area, weekend events that may be associated with the wedding itself, directions, and accommodation & dining suggestions.  Kate finds couples sending out invitations as early as six or more months before their wedding, depending on how far their guests have to travel, whether it’s a holiday weekend, and the size of their reception venue.

As opposed to the very formal, black & white engraved invitations of the past, invitations are now very colorful and very unique.  Couples are not afraid to choose bold colors and make a statement with their invitations.  As a graphic designer Kate can assist with all of your invitation needs including menus, favor tags and signage (like the Candy Bar sign below)!  Visit Kate’s website to find out more about how That’s Inviting can help make your wedding more inviting!  Here are a few sample photos of her creations…I love the Wildflower Seed Packet favors in the bottom left hand picture (I did the flowers for that wedding so I may be biased, but I LOVE them!).

 

DIY Tips from Kate:  Be unique…Search for high quality/thick paper for your invitations. If you can’t print on the thick paper, print on a lighter sheet and layer them. Layers can add a pop of color, or simply frame your invitation.  Keep in mind that making your wedding invitations may seem fun at first, but be very realistic about your abilities and your time.

I’d like to thank Kate for sharing her advice!  Do you have any invitation questions or issues you need help with?

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Alison’s favorite things (vol. 7)

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Flashbags are one of my weaknesses and since they are having a 20% Off SALE until Sunday, 2/28 and re-introducing one of my favorite artists it’s as good a time as any to give them a shout out as one of my favorite things.  If you’re not familiar with Flashbags they basically take recycled newspaper and transform it into fun art that you can carry around and put your wallet & cell phone in.  I wish I had a different Flashbag for every day of the week, but so far I only have three!  My first bag, a large tote, features a design by Local Wisdom, which I use as my “briefcase”.  It’s a picture of a woman with flowers for hair and the quote, “every woman has a season to be in bloom,” so it seems appropriate enough to me!  Kathleen of Local Wisdom consistently creates charming & unique images with her collages and quotations that I find pretty irresistible.  (Aside from the beautiful bags I buy her cards all the time.  Greeting cards are another weakness of mine!)  Check out a selection of Local Wisdom  Flashbags here and get yourself something pretty.  Ali and Laura will take good care of your order!  You can also create a custom Flashbag with your own artwork or photography or surprise someone with their very own piece of wearable art!   (P.S.  To see a selection of cards by Local Wisdom on etsy click here.)  

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Community Supported Agriculture. Let’s do it again!

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

We were so psyched about our first CSA share this winter that we decided to do it again so we signed up for a Spring share with Pete’s Greens.  Our first pick-up was yesterday and the good eats just keep on coming.  This week we received creme fraiche from Vermont butter and cheese, Cyrus Pringle bread from Red Hen Bakery, apples from Champlain Orchards, Butterworks whole wheat flour, frozen peppers, mixed salad shoots, potatoes, onions, garlic, celeriac and who’d have predicted I would so be glad to get 2 lbs. of parsnips!  Seriously, we are all about parsnips in our house.

Try this recipe for parsnip chips/fries from Veganomicon:  The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook…

Preheat the oven to 400oF.  Peel the parsnips and slice lengthwise into 1/8″ strips for chips and 1/4″ strips for fries.  (If you are serving 1-2 people then 2-4 parsnips will probably do depending on their size, but this is good enough to make for a crowd so don’t be shy.)  Coat with 2 tsp. of peanut oil (I toss them in a bowl) and arrange on a baking sheet.  You can add more oil if you need to.  Bake for 10-15 min. on each side (flipping with tongs mid-way) until slightly speckled with brown and black spots.  If making fries you will cook for 5-10 min. longer.  Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!  I like to dip them in goat cheese, but they are great on their own, too.

 Here are some pics of our plethora of goodies.  The pic on the right is a close-up of celeriac!

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Love it/Hate it: favors

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

I know some people really object to the word hate and I suppose I could call this a “do” and “don’t” list, but sometimes there is no in-between and you have to just love or hate something.  We’ve seen a lot of favors in our wedding travels…from the mundane to the most heartfelt and I think it probably goes without saying that I prefer the latter.  Here are some of my faves and a few of my pet peeves!

Love List 

  • Seating cards that double as favors.
  • Personalized tags to match your invitations, menu or monogram–a must-have detail!
  • Altruistic or family-made favors like homemade cookies, family recipes & charitable donations.
  • Edible favors of locally made goodies you just know your guests will love (think maple syrup, honey, spicy mustard, apple butter or chocolates!).
  • Welcome baskets for out-of-town guests in addition to (or instead of) favors at the reception.    

Hate it (Sorry, No Love) 

  • Large-sized favors that take over the look of the centerpieces/tablescape and clutter it up.
  • Items that are childish or garbagey (like beer coozies, bubbles and tiny bells)!
  • Mints or chocolate-coated almonds in little tulle bags!
  • Using the term “in lieu of favors” on donation cards.  The donation IS the favor, it’s not in lieu of one.

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