This was the last full day of our Northeast road trip.
We spent the night at a wonderful bed & breakfast, called the Willard Street Inn
Each road trip that we have gone on, we splurge for one night and stay at a fun bed & breakfast. (Our other nights have been spent at Hampton Inn’s across the Northeast and we really like them as well).
Willard Street Inn
This house was built in 1881 and was the home of a Vermont senator (I forget his name).
It was beautiful inside…
The breakfast room overlooked the gardens…
There was also fresh-baked Parker cookies and fresh lemonade…
The staff was fabulous and even carried our luggage up three flights of stairs to our room.
This is the view from our window that overlooks Lake Champlain…
Before we left Burlington, VT for New Hampshire, we had to eat our breakfast first…
I had strawberry-banana pancakes, applewood smoked bacon and fresh fruit. It was delicious!
Before leaving, I took pictures of the garden…
Bachelor’s Button
Allium
White Dicentra
Yellow Bearded Iris
Iris
Don’t you just want to sit in the garden?
After we left our bed and breakfast, we headed for Sugar Creek Maple Farm in Woodstock, VT.
On our way, we passed by many picturesque farms.
It was fun traveling the road through the green mountains and see what was around the corner…
We arrived at the farm and were greeted by some new friends…
At first, I thought this little goat wanted to be friends, but I think he really was hungry…
Thankfully, there was some goat food for me to feed them.
After we visited with the goats, our attention was drawn to this adorable little calf…
She was so friendly…
And she like to lick our arms. Her tongue was a little rough, but she was so sweet!
Quite honestly, meeting her was the highlight of our entire day 🙂
After we visited with the animals, we saw a trail leading to a little chapel on the farm.
Inside was a pulpit that had an old Bible open to 1st Psalms.
They had pictures of the beautiful weddings that they have here sometimes.
We passed a post with little signs on it. As I looked closer, I saw that it showed the annual amount of snow that they have received in different years.
It is hard to believe that so much snow can fall in one place.
Now, it was time to see where they made the cheese and maple syrup…
We passed by one of the draft horses that they use to haul the sap from maple trees in early spring. I said “Hi”, but he mostly ignored me.
Because this is a working farm, when we entered the building, we saw them wrapping the cheese in foil and then dipping it in wax.
Because they package their cheeses this way, it can remain unrefrigerated for a few days.
We were invited to taste the different varieties of cheese. They were delicious, but I narrowed it down to three – Vermont Light, Mellow Cheddar and Cheddar Sage. I know my husband will enjoy them as much as I will.
Then we tasted the different grades of maple syrup. Did you know that there are different grades? It’s not that one is better then the other – but they are different colors and are harvested at different times.
I chose a 16 oz. container of ‘Fancy’ maple syrup and I was able to fit into my suitcase.
I think I will make french toast later this week 🙂
We left the farm and continued our journey to New Hampshire.
I wish that I could say that we explored New Hampshire and did some shopping, but we decided not to because….
It started to rain very hard and continued the entire day.
We did however, find a yarn store and bought some yarn for future projects.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US FOR OUR ROAD TRIP ADVENTURE.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING HOME AND SEEING MY HUSBAND, KIDS AND TOBEY (MY LITTLE DOG).
How to Grow and Dry Your Own Herbs
DIY, herb gardeningDo you love using herbs when you cook? I do – especially basil and oregano. I also appreciate how easy they are to grow.
I grow basil, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme in my garden. To be honest, I don’t use a lot of fresh herbs and I really should. I tend to use dried herbs instead.
While I do like to use dried herbs when I cook – I don’t like to pay $3+ dollars for a tiny container. So, instead of buying dried herbs
at the grocery store – I make my own.
It is very easy to dry herbs and they make great and inexpensive gifts. Herbs are best when they are air-dried – which is the method that retains their flavor best.
Here is how I do it:
– I harvest my herbs, usually before they flower, for best flavor. In my herb container, there is basil, dill, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme growing.
– Pick your herbs in the morning and wash and dry them. Discard any discolored leaves.
– Using string or twine, tie your herbs into small bundles (this is especially important for basil, which as lots of moisture in its leaves). Wrap the string a few times around each bundle to keep them from falling out as they dry.
Bundles of Oregano
Tie each bundle to a coat hanger.
Bundles of Oregano and Sage
Herbs need to hung indoors to dry. Hang them in an area out of the sun in an area with good air circulation – I used our garage.
You can hang them from a clothes rack that you use for drying your clothes, or you can tie them from almost anything. Laying herbs on paper towels and placing them by a de-humidifier to dry is another method to dry herbs.
**To protect your herbs from dust, you can place paper lunch bags over each bundle – to do this make a hole in the bottom of each lunch bag and thread the cotton string through it before attaching the string to whatever you are hanging your herbs from. It is okay if the herbs stick out the bottom of the bag – it’s the top which need protection from dust.
Depending on where you live, drying herbs can take as little as a week in a dry climate up to 4 weeks in more humid climates.
Come back for “Part Two” to see how I how to crush and store dried herbs.
*If you are interested in growing herbs, learn how I planted my herb container here.
Harvest, Canning and a Flight
AZ Plant LadyI always think of the week of Memorial Day as the first ‘unofficial’ week of summer. The weather is getting hot, the kids have their last day of school and it is also a time of harvest.
For the past few weeks, my tomato and bush bean plants have been fruitful.
Every week, I blanch my tomatoes by putting them in boiling water for 45 seconds, which makes peeling them easier.
Then I remove the green part of the stem and then ‘squish’ the tomatoes to get rid of the seeds and excess liquid.
What remains the tomato, is the delicious part and I put it in a plastic freezer bag (making sure to get all the air out). Then I freeze it until I am ready to use them to make sauce.
*My tomatoes aren’t flowering any longer, because of the hot weather – but the tomatoes are ripening. By mid-May, you should put some sort of shade cloth protection for your tomatoes.
I am thrilled with how well my bush beans are producing. I have six plants and they produce enough for us to eat for dinner once a week. I take the extra and blanch them for 3 minutes and then place them in ice water before freezing them as well.
The end of May is also time that I start canning.
The peaches at Double S Farms (my mother & sister’s family residence) are heavy with sweet fruit.
The trees are so generous that my other sister and I have plenty to make into jam, even after my mother has made hers.
I made three batches so far and have also tried my hand at making ‘Peach Cider Vinegar’, which I will share later.
Soon, the plums at Double S Farms will ripen and then the apples, which I will can as well 🙂
Last Sunday was my son, Kai’s 10th birthday. We had a family celebration with his grandmothers, aunts, uncles and cousins present along with his best friend.
Monday morning, Kai went on a flight in a two-seat airplane based at our local airport.
Kai was excited, but also a little nervous.
His best-friend’s father was the pilot.
Kai was strapped in and all ready to go.
Up in the air and having a great time!
After his flight, we headed to Target with along with his best friend so he could use his gift cards.
Not surprisingly, he used them all to buy more Pokemon cards….his friend also bought some too.
Kai had the best day organizing his cards and trading with his friends.
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I hope you all are having a great week!
Snapshot of a Summer Week in the Garden
Road Trip: New Friends
Road TripThis was the last full day of our Northeast road trip.
We spent the night at a wonderful bed & breakfast, called the Willard Street Inn
Each road trip that we have gone on, we splurge for one night and stay at a fun bed & breakfast. (Our other nights have been spent at Hampton Inn’s across the Northeast and we really like them as well).
Willard Street Inn
This house was built in 1881 and was the home of a Vermont senator (I forget his name).
It was beautiful inside…
The breakfast room overlooked the gardens…
There was also fresh-baked Parker cookies and fresh lemonade…
The staff was fabulous and even carried our luggage up three flights of stairs to our room.
This is the view from our window that overlooks Lake Champlain…
Before we left Burlington, VT for New Hampshire, we had to eat our breakfast first…
I had strawberry-banana pancakes, applewood smoked bacon and fresh fruit. It was delicious!
Before leaving, I took pictures of the garden…
Bachelor’s Button
Allium
White Dicentra
Yellow Bearded Iris
Iris
Don’t you just want to sit in the garden?
After we left our bed and breakfast, we headed for Sugar Creek Maple Farm in Woodstock, VT.
On our way, we passed by many picturesque farms.
It was fun traveling the road through the green mountains and see what was around the corner…
We arrived at the farm and were greeted by some new friends…
At first, I thought this little goat wanted to be friends, but I think he really was hungry…
Thankfully, there was some goat food for me to feed them.
After we visited with the goats, our attention was drawn to this adorable little calf…
She was so friendly…
And she like to lick our arms. Her tongue was a little rough, but she was so sweet!
Quite honestly, meeting her was the highlight of our entire day 🙂
After we visited with the animals, we saw a trail leading to a little chapel on the farm.
Inside was a pulpit that had an old Bible open to 1st Psalms.
They had pictures of the beautiful weddings that they have here sometimes.
We passed a post with little signs on it. As I looked closer, I saw that it showed the annual amount of snow that they have received in different years.
It is hard to believe that so much snow can fall in one place.
Now, it was time to see where they made the cheese and maple syrup…
We passed by one of the draft horses that they use to haul the sap from maple trees in early spring. I said “Hi”, but he mostly ignored me.
Because this is a working farm, when we entered the building, we saw them wrapping the cheese in foil and then dipping it in wax.
Because they package their cheeses this way, it can remain unrefrigerated for a few days.
We were invited to taste the different varieties of cheese. They were delicious, but I narrowed it down to three – Vermont Light, Mellow Cheddar and Cheddar Sage. I know my husband will enjoy them as much as I will.
Then we tasted the different grades of maple syrup. Did you know that there are different grades? It’s not that one is better then the other – but they are different colors and are harvested at different times.
I chose a 16 oz. container of ‘Fancy’ maple syrup and I was able to fit into my suitcase.
I think I will make french toast later this week 🙂
We left the farm and continued our journey to New Hampshire.
I wish that I could say that we explored New Hampshire and did some shopping, but we decided not to because….
It started to rain very hard and continued the entire day.
We did however, find a yarn store and bought some yarn for future projects.
******************************
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US FOR OUR ROAD TRIP ADVENTURE.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING HOME AND SEEING MY HUSBAND, KIDS AND TOBEY (MY LITTLE DOG).
Road Trip: World’s Best French Fries, Ice Cream & Apple Cider
Road TripYesterday was a day we devoted to food in Vermont.
One of the many fun things to do on a road trip is to sample the local fare.
Of course, my mother and I are happy to participate in this.
We had heard that Al’s Famous French Fries had the world’s best fries, so we decided to try them for ourselves…
They sell them by the quart, but we decided to settle for 1 cup of fries each. This was our lunch.
We then headed up the road to our next destination.
Guess where this path leads to?
In our pursuit to taste the local fare, we felt it was our responsibility to visit Ben & Jerry’s factory.
Have you ever wondered what the most popular flavors are?
We both decided to try ‘Bonnaroo Buzz’ which is coffee and malt ice cream mixed with whiskey caramel and chocolate toffee pieces that were huge.
Our verdict?
Delicious!!!
Now, it was time for our next destination…
Cold Hollow Cider Mill
We learned how apple cider was made and then we sampled some for ourselves.
Then we noticed the apple cider donuts…
They even ship their donuts straight to your address.
Believe it or not, we didn’t buy any.
We were too full after eating french fries, ice cream and apple cider.
Just in case you thought all we did was eat yesterday, we did squeeze some other activities in…
We visited the village of Waitsfield and found some great shopping.
We crossed the covered bridge that was built in 1833.
Then we stopped by a shop, owned by a very wonderful, unique and eccentric woman.
As we entered the store, we saw her painting some of the items that she sold.
She took us around the shop personally and showed us the hand-painted Christmas ornaments.
She had all kinds of ornaments, but her favorite were those of the local birds that she made.
I must admit that when I first saw them, I wasn’t crazy about them. But after spending some time with her and hearing her passion, I couldn’t wait to buy one.
She signed the back and boxed it so nicely. I will always remember her wonderful smile and my visit to her store whenever I hang it from our Christmas tree.
While visiting with her, we noticed the shop cat…
I think that ‘shop cats’ give a store more personality.
We learned that this cat’s name was “Maude” and she had an interesting story…
She was found at the doorstep of the store a few years ago on December 26th on a morning when it was -13 degrees.
The cat was not doing well and the owner posted notices around town about the cat to see if the owner could be found.
However, no one came forward and after $256 in vet bills, she decided the cat belonged to the store.
“Maude” made herself at home, sitting on top of the painted bird ornaments.
She was really a very beautiful and friendly cat.
As we left the store, the owner sat outside on the porch and bade us “goodbye”.
We spent our evening walking up and down Burlington’s Church Avenue and all it’s restaurants and shops.
We had a fabulous day!
Come back for our last stop and see what special friends we made.
Road Trip: American History, Garden Rooms and Sprinkles
Road TripWe are nearing the end of our road trip and are having a fabulous time!
Here is summary of what we did yesterday….
Seneca Falls, New York
We visited the place where the Women’s Rights movement began in Seneca Falls, New York.
It is a national park and the tour and displays were very interesting. It is hard to believe that women didn’t have the right to vote 100 years ago.
In the nearby town of Auburn, NY – we visited the grave of Harriet Tubman.
Harriet was a former slave who founded the Underground Railroad and led many slaves to their freedom.
Shopping was then in order. The town of Skaneateles fit the bill perfectly. Unique shops and historical buildings lined the main street.
This store is a must see for any ‘francophile’.
Some of the stores backed out onto the lake.
In one of the many containers of flowers along the street, I saw these pansies. Look carefully, and you can see that their edges are ruffled. I haven’t seen this kind before. Have you?
In one of the shops I entered, I saw a ‘garden room’.
Needless to say, I headed straight for the back without looking at what was being sold in the front of the store.
They had one of my favorite gardening books “Carrots Love Tomatoes”. It is a must-have for those who want to grow vegetables.
It was 90 degrees, but the lake and countryside were beautiful.
We then traveled further to our next destination in upstate New York.
On the way, we traveled through many small towns and came upon a ice-cream stand.
I have discovered that ice-cream is hugely popular in the Northeast. Everywhere you go, there are independent ice-cream stands all over.
I also found out that putting sprinkles over vanilla ice cream is common. I tried it and loved it!
We have two more full days of our trip.
Next stop – Vermont!
Road Trip: A Wet Morning, Fattening Food and Wine Country,
Road TripOur road trip is going very well. We encounter both the expected and unexpected each day, which is part of the adventure.
We spent a very wet morning, visiting Niagara Falls.
The falls are truly magnificent and pictures do not adequately describe the beauty and power of the falls.
And, no – we didn’t fall in 😉
We visited the Canadian side, which has a better view of the falls.
The ground was so wet from the mist generated from the falls.
These tulips didn’t have a chance with the sopping wet soil.
I also had to be careful with my camera because of the mist. I would take a photo quickly and then cover up my camera.
After spending the morning at Niagara Falls, we headed toward the Finger Lakes region of New York, which is in the central part of the state.
On our way, we saw a sign for an Amish swap meet.
So of course, we had to stop by.
There were many different vendors and we saw some very nice items along with the more ‘traditional’ flea market stuff.
I had fun seeing all the food choices there. It reminded me of ‘fair food’. Here is a sampling of what we saw…
“Gramma’s Butterflied Potatoes” are basically a huge mound of freshly-fried potato chips covered with cheese.
My favorite food in the whole world is bread and when I saw this sign, I must admit that I was sorely tempted…
But, I resisted the temptation.
The Belgian waffle also looked good.
Next, we headed to the plant section…
Spring is in full swing and there are beautiful container combinations everywhere you looked…
It was a hot day…about 89 degrees and a bit humid, so I took the opportunity to sit for a few minutes on an ‘Adirondack’ chair.
I admired the fresh vegetables…
Before leaving, we stopped to buy fresh bread from an Amish woman and her little brother….
We bought a inexpensive foam cooler for the car where we keep some fresh Amish cheese, fruit and bread for snacking on.
We arrived in Geneva, which is in New York’s wine country. Geneva is located right on the shore of Seneca lake.
Because there were many different wineries, we stopped by one to buy some wine for my youngest sister and her husband.
While my mother tasted the wine and made her selection, I headed out to a small garden I saw next to the store…
Wine Country
Wine Country
Did you know that there is a species of Prickly Pear that is native to New York? According to the sign above, there is.
I just loved seeing succulents planted in an old pair of boots.
I love Dicentra, don’t you?
The poppies were huge…
Wine Country
Grapevines and the beginnings of grapes…
The water from the lake helps to keep the vineyards warm enough to grow grapes.
As we left the winery, we spotted a red fox trotting by the roadside.
He was awfully cute and since we don’t have foxes where I live, we stopped by the road to watch him.
He didn’t care that we were nearby – he was concentrating on catching dinner…
He did catch dinner while we watched and swallowed it in one gulp.
We had a fabulous day 🙂
Our next stop is to the historical places and picturesque towns of upstate New York.
Road Trip…College, Tiny Town and Containers
Road TripWe are more then half-way through our road trip and are having a fabulous time.
We have encountered great food, not so great food, interesting tourist destinations, beautiful plants as well as some over-hyped destinations.
Our typical road trip day begins with breakfast at the hotel and then we head to our car, turn on the GPS and get on the highway. We have brought some audio book CD’s which are fun to listen too.
We try to stay off of major highways because you cannot see much besides trees on either side of the road. To experience more of each area we visit, we travel on minor highways. BUT, our GPS is always trying to get us back onto the major highways.
We visited Washington Jefferson College in Washington, PA – the second oldest college in the US, after Harvard.
interesting tourist destinations
Both my grandfather and great-father attended this college.
After visiting the college, we walked up and down the main street of Washington.
interesting tourist destinations
There was some pretty Clematis growing underneath a Gingko tree…
Roses were in full bloom as well….
Before we left Washington, we drove up to my great-great-great-grandfathers farm. Or, where it used to be. It is now filled with beautiful homes. I tried to imagine what it used to look like and felt a connection to standing on land he used to farm.
Later, we headed up to New York state. On our way, we stopped by the tiny town of Volant, which is located in Amish country in New York.
Don’t you just want to sit on this porch?
I found an antique colander, which I will turn into a planter.
The weather has been warm….in the 80’s. I must admit that it is a bit too warm for me. I know, I know….I live in the desert. How can it be too warm for me?
Well, I am a wimp when it comes to humidity – I like dry heat 😉
This tiny town was hosting a progressive tea party. Each store was hosting part of the meal. Over a thousand people were expected. Thankfully, we came the day before.
Blue Lobelia, White Bacopa, Sweet Potato Vine, Geraniums and Marigold.
Spring has arrived and colorful containers are filled with beautiful flowers.
Lupine
I fell in love with the Lupine, above.
Guess where we went the next day?
We visited Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side, which has a better view.
Tomorrow, I’ll share with you our visit to the falls and then our travels to the Finger Lakes region with its wineries and hidden garden I found.
Roadtrip – Three States in One Day
Road TripWe woke up this morning in Amish country and couldn’t wait to get started exploring some more. As we drove through the countryside, we noticed an unusual amount of Amish buggies out on the road.
Amish country
As we passed some of the farms, we noticed a huge gathering of buggies and horses…
Amish country
Horses gathered together while their buggies were parked in a row.
Horses play a huge part in Amish life.
As we drove into one of the small towns, I was on the lookout for the one Amish delicacy that I love…
You have not lived until you have tasted an Amish soft pretzel. They make them from fresh dough and bake them in a convection oven.
As I sat in the sunshine eating my pretzel, it was just a small piece of heaven.
There are also other Amish delicacies….
Some of which, I have no desire to try….
I forgot to mention an incident from yesterday…
We were in the parking lot of Target, having picked up some essentials, when we heard a long siren go off, warning the city about ???. We didn’t know what the signal meant. There were clouds off in the distance, but they didn’t look too threatening.
My mom went and asked the lady who worked at Target what told us that it was the tornado siren that is tested every Wednesday afternoon.
So, we obviously stuck out as tourists – but seriously, we don’t get huge tornadoes in Arizona.
For lunch today, we ate slices of fresh Amish wheat bread and some of our Amish butter. It was delicious.
McDonald’s has designated parking for trucks, buses, Amish buggies and RV’s.
Fairy Gardening is quite popular in this area. I like to imagine tiny fairies living in the garden.
The Amish countryside is so beautiful – I had so much fun taking pictures…
As we left Ohio for Pennsylvania, we had to drive through a small part of West Viriginia.
Super cute town.
Our goal this afternoon was to visit the grave of my grandfather along with my great-grandparents.
My mother sprinkled some of her mother’s ashes on her father’s grave.
Then it was time to visit another cemetery where my 3rd great-grandparents were buried.
We had a hard time finding this cemetery. First of all, it is small and has not had any new burials for years. As a result, there was no address for this cemetery. I did follow the directions, but they made no sense.. My mother and I were ready to give up and drove into a parking lot to explore our options.
As we got ready to leave, I looked u AND there it was! Right across the street!
It is always quite humbling to me to walk through a cemetery and see how long ago someone passed away. I imagine what kind of life that they had.
Both of my 3rd great-parents are buried underneath this marker. The dates are beginning to fade.
Many of the grave stones showed that death occurred for many in the 1800’s.
You will be proud to note that the trunk of our rental car is quite neat and clean, except for my Diet Dr. Pepper.
The same cannot be said for the interior of the car, however…
The backseat is filled with our cooler that containers our fruit and Amish butter cheese. Bags are filled with homemade Amish wheat bread and of course, we had some leftover pizza from tonight’s dinner. The remaining bags are full of the results of our shopping.
We are having a fabulous time.
Tomorrow, we are off Niagara Falls!
Road Trip: Day 2 – Ohio
Road TripIt is hard to believe that we have only been on our road trip for a single day.
We have done so much already….
First, we headed for German Village in Columbus, Ohio to visit my friend.
The homes here are over 100 years old…
Beautiful hosta fill their front garden.
My friend and her husband completely renovated their historic home along with the back garden.
Tracie and I used to work together, years ago in Arizona.She quickly became a special friend.
I have been fortunate to have been able to see her in three different locations over 3 years.
Two years ago, we met in Durham, NC when I was passing through.
Last year, she and her husband visited Scottsdale and we met for dinner.
This year, I was so happy to be coming to Columbus, where she now lives.
Another bonus is that I got to meet her new baby girl, Avery, who is just 6 weeks old.
I’m not sure why we took a picture behind the faucet 😉
We had a great visit and soon it was time to get back on the road.
As we walked back to our car, we admired the beauty of this historical neighborhood…
We got in our rental car and started on our journey to Amish country.
On our way, we happened upon a ice cream factory as we were driving through Utica.
We learned that Velvet Ice Cream has been making delicious ice cream for over 100 years.
So, we decided to check it out…
Once inside, we were faced with a problem….
There were over 60 flavors to choose from.
So, we decided to share the sampler plate, which had five different flavors…
We selected caramel honey, waffle cone, praline pecan, moose tracks and strawberry cheesecake.
The ice cream ended up being our lunch 😉
Then we continued on our trip to Amish country.
Amish farmers were busy in their fields…
Many Amish buggies share the road, but this Amish “pick-up” caught our eye…
We took time to stop by and check out one of the many cheese factories. We picked up some “Amish Butter Cheese” along with fresh-baked bread. They will make a good lunch for tomorrow.
After eating ice cream for lunch, we felt that we needed a regular dinner, so we headed to Wooster and ate at a fabulous, local restaurant.
We have enjoyed our first full day of our road trip.
Tomorrow, we head to our next stop…
Thank you for joining my mother and I on our journey 🙂
Road Trip: Day 1
Road TripWell, after planning our Northeast road trip for a few months – we are finally on our way.
Not much to show yet, but this shot of our plane descending into Columbus, Ohio.
We are staying at a hotel by the airport and will get our rental car tomorrow and will travel to Amish country.
I have visited Amish country in Pennsylvania and Indiana and can’t wait to see the Amish in Ohio.
**Besides the picturesque farms, the homemade items and the Amish people themselves – the thing I am most looking forward to are homemade pretzels.
Seriously – they are incredible!
I hope you join my mother and I as I blog about our road trip adventures. *Update – click here to read about our next stop.