Weekend in New England

For our big summer vacation this year, we are spending a week and a half driving throughout the New England region, and have just completed the first few days of our grand tour. And what a weekend it has been!

While Scott and I have not visited New England before, we had heard glowing descriptions about the place from people whose judgment we trust, not to mention from any travel guide ever written, and so our expectations going into this trip were very high. With a weekend in New England now under our belts (or tires, more accurately), I'm thrilled to say that those expectations have not only been met, but completely exceeded. We have thoroughly enjoyed the places and things we've seen so far, and cannot wait to experience more of the New England states.

Our journey began on Friday, when we drove six hours to Buffalo, New York. Buffalo was not only a convenient stopping point half way to Vermont from Ohio but, even better, the home of college friends of mine, with whom we had a great visit that evening over drinks and dinner. Saturday morning, we hopped back on the road and drove across New York state, arriving that afternoon in southern Vermont.


Our first night in New England was spent in Bennington, a wonderful small Vermont town with lots to see and do. We toured the area that evening and the following morning, and quickly fell in love with the sense of history about the place, the picture perfect clapboard-sided homes on the hilly, tree-lined streets, as well as all the cool little shops and restaurants around town. Most of all, we totally dug the custom painted fiberglass moose figures found here and there, all over Bennington.

Sunday morning, we spent an hour strolling through a delightful old cemetery, where we came across the grave of the poet Robert Frost. While "delightful" may be an atypical word to use in the description of a burial ground, the place was so pretty and tranquil and charming that the term just fits.

Upon leaving Bennington, we headed north to the Green Mountain region of Vermont, occasionally detouring off the beaten path in order to check out the covered bridges and antique shops along the way.

Of course, we had to pop in at a roadside stand to buy maple syrup, and we oohed and ahhed at the sight of every diner, bakery, candy store and pie shop we drove by. Once in the mountains, we cruised leisurely along, taking in the views and stopping to take advantage of some fun photo oppotunities that the Killington area presented.



We fortified ourselves that afternoon with delicious sandwiches and an awesome pale ale at the Long Trail Brewery and Pub, enjoying our late lunch all the more because it was eaten in the beautiful Vermont weather, on the brewery's outdoor deck that overlooked a cool mountain stream.



Our last stop in Vermont was at Sugarbush Farm, a small, family-run enterprise tucked way up off a curvy road on a picturesque hillside that was dotted with happily grazing cows. (Okay, while we didn't actually stop to inquire of the cows as to their mood, they sure looked content to us.) At Sugarbush Farm, we sampled several of the cheeses made on the premises, toured their fantastic gift shop and left with an armload of excellent Vermont cheddars to bring home.

Early evening on Sunday found us crossing into New Hampshire, where the natural scenery was just as lovely as that in Vermont.

We drove into the White Mountains, and spent last night in Lincoln at a great little roadside motel. The kind of motel that is basic but comfortable, cheap but immaculately clean, and which unfortunately seems to be a very rare breed of lodging in this day and age (except, as it turns out, in New England).

This morning dawned clear, sunny and warm, and we took full advantage of the great weather with an early hike at Franconia Notch State Park. We loved the wooded trail, which came complete with waterfalls and spectacular views.



From there, we drove a large loop through the rest of the White Mountain region, continuing to marvel at the scenery and then stopping for another quick hike in early afternoon.

By late afternoon, New Hampshire was in our rearview mirror, and we drove a couple of hours to Brunswick, Maine, where we will stay tonight. After checking into our hotel, the weather was still so incredibly beautiful that we mixed cocktails, broke out our camp chairs, and held an impromptu happy hour in the parking lot, next to the hotel courtyard. (And, happily, the super friendly Marriott employees did not seem to mind in the least, or find it at all unusual, that we were tailgating on the premises.)

We followed our party in the parking lot with an early dinner at a little Mexican joint down the street. Yes, Mexican, even though we are in Maine and should probably be feasting on lobster or some other form of seafood. But it is simply not within our power to resist a funky TexMex dive, particularly when the place comes with black and white checkered floors, has furniture and walls splashed with bright Caribbean colors, and serves food that is cheap and delicious.





We can't wait to explore the coast of Maine tomorrow, where we will definitely take advantage of the local seafood, before driving on to Boston for two days. After our Boston visit, we'll head south to Rhode Island, and then west from there through Connecticut and beyond.

It's been an incredible trip so far, and I have a strong hunch that the rest of our vacation will be just as wonderful. New England definitely deserves its reputation as a fabulous destination.

Yes, I can!

After our visit to the fabulous farmers' market in Madison, Wisonsin last weekend, visions of vegetables and fruits have been dancing in my head ever since. Probably because such beautiful bounty of summer will not be available for much longer, the result has been a strong urge to purchase every fresh fruit and vegetable I now come across. A trip to our local grocery a few days back found me grabbing up produce with reckless abandon. Which then begged the question of what to do with the current abundance of the season's wonderfully fresh produce before the quality goes down and the prices go up. The answer I came up with? Can it.

The canning idea first ran through my head when, on the the flight home from Wisconsin, I happened to read a lovely little magazine article about a recent surge in the popularity of pickled vegetables and condiments on restaurant menus across the country. The urge to can got stronger a couple days later, when a newspaper feature on canning fresh tomatoes caught my eye. Once I saw a hardware store flyer advertising a sale on canning items, I was hooked.

Never mind that aside from the standard hamburger dill chip we rarely eat anything that's pickled. Disregard the fact that I have never canned anything before in my life. Overlook that it's hot and muggy outside, that we have no central air, and that my kitchen is the size of a small walk-in closet. Forget about all of these practical matters, as I certainly did two days ago, when I decided that I was going to spend the weekend standing for endless hours over a hot stove, pickling and canning an assortment of fruits and vegetables.

And can I did! After teaching myself a few basics through some quick Internet research and then hitting Walmart for canning supplies, the project began with fresh green beans, which I canned in a brine infused with spicy cayenne pepper.


Because the local peaches were at the height of their summer glory, I could not resist making a batch of brandied spiced peaches (although prepping the fresh fruit was really the pits, bad pun totally intended).




Wanting something easier after the peaches, I next prepared a hot and sour pepper relish recipe that I found in one of my cookbooks, and then I ended my canning marathon by making dilled pickled baby carrots.

My initial canning experience now over, I can report that the process was far simpler than I had imagined, although some extra counter space and a friend to help out would have made it go much more efficiently. What I am not able to report on, at least not yet, is the actual taste of anything I preserved, as all the recipes I made need to sit at least a couple of weeks to let the flavors develop.

Until we crack open the first jar or two, I will just continue to take simple delight in gazing at the tidy rows of home canned goods now lining my cupboard shelves. Yes, just because I can.

Pucker up!

The August issue of Southern Living arrived about a month ago and, ever since, has been staring up at me from the top of the magazine stack on our family room coffee table. Or, perhaps more accurately, I have been staring down at it, because I cannot seem to take my eyes off of the luscious looking lemon pie featured on the cover.

Inside the magazine are actually two recipes for chilled lemon pie, one for a pie made from scratch and the other for a shortcut, no-bake version, both of which sound delicious. After drooling for days over the thought of a creamy and tart citrus filling in a sweetened graham cracker crust with a whipped cream topping, I finally decided last week that we simply had to have one of those pies, or something close to it. We had a get together planned with friends for Tuesday evening, and that seemed like the perfect excuse to make a dessert during the week.

Because our fridge already contained a couple fresh limes and a large bottle of lime juice, my next thought was that our pie would be a lime one, instead of lemon. Then, after reviewing the list of ingredients and reading that one of the pies had a cheesecake-like texture, I suddenly could not get the idea of cheesecake out of my head. I also began thinking about a fabulous piece of Key lime cheesecake that Scott and I had wolfed down a couple years back at the Cheesecake Factory. From there, it seemed rather obvious that what I really needed to make was a lime cheesecake.

I lacked a recipe for such a thing, but did possess my mother's tried and true recipe for regular cheesecake, which I hoped could be tweaked to result in the lime-flavored concoction I desired. After a quick trip to the store to gather the necessary ingredients, I set about attempting to create a new dessert. I followed the cheesecake recipe I had made so many times before, but substituted a healthy dose of lime juice for the small amount of lemon juice specified in the original recipe, and then also dribbled a little food coloring into the batter to achieve a pale green tint.

Sadly, once the cheesecake came out of the oven, it looked less than impressive. The center had fallen, the crust had cracked, and the color was a bit uneven.


However, a nice thick coat of whipped topping and a little lime garnish helped hide the cake's cosmetic flaws (and, thankfully, I was serving it to very, very dear friends - friends of the sort whom would never judge one by their culinary disasters, of which there have been more than a couple over the decades of our friendship).


When we dug into the cheesecake the following evening, it turned out that the new recipe was an overall success. The lime flavor was perhaps a tad too pronounced, and I have scaled back the quantity of lime juice in the recipe below. Upon making that small adjustment, this recipe should yield a truly wonderful cheesecake, with the slightly tart flavor of the creamy filling providing a deliciously balanced contrast to the sweet graham cracker crust and whipped cream topping.

That's the good news. The bad news is, lime cheesecake notwithstanding, I still cannot get those Southern Living lemon pies out of my mind.

Lime Cheesecake

1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar

Combine melted butter, crumbs and sugar, and then pat firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan.

16 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
green food coloring, if desired

2 to 3 cups sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping

Beat together the cream cheese, condensed milk, eggs, lime juice, and salt. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring until batter is a very pale green. Pour mixture into the prepared crust. Bake 45-50 minutes at 300 degrees, or until the cake springs back when touched. Cool to room temperature and remove from pan. Chill cake. Prior to serving, spread top of cake with sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping, garnish as desired.

Mad for Madison

A business matter required my presence in Madison, Wisconsin for a few hours last Friday. Having never been there, but having heard great things about the city, I rather easily convinced Scott to ditch work on Friday and to come along for a quick weekend visit. We flew up early on Friday and flew back Sunday morning, an itinerary which, after my meeting on Friday, did not leave us much time to explore the area.

While our stay there was brief, it was more than long enough to figure out that we absolutely adore Madison. I seriously cannot sing the praises of the place high enough. Madison is attractive and clean, easy to get around, and the people of that city are the friendliest group of local citzenry that we have ever encountered in our travels.

Sandwiched between two gorgeous lakes, the downtown area is situated on a skinny strip of land, which then widens as one drives further from the city's center. Madison, or "Mad City" as it is affectionately known, is big enough to be interesting but not so big as to be intimidating to first time visitors. The whole place gives off the welcoming vibe of a small midwestern town, but with the slightly artsy and totally funky-cool edge of a much larger city.

Once my business obligations were concluded, we wasted no time in getting to know the city. The highlight of Friday evening, and a must-do for any Madison visitor, was a stop at the Great Dane Pub downtown. This cozy brewery and restaurant offers about a dozen specialty beers on tap and a huge menu of dining options. For us, the food choice was simple, as we knew we had to try the brat and bacon pretzel burger. Aptly described as the flavors of Wisconsin in a sandwich, the giant burger consists of grilled patties of both beef and bratwurst, topped with caramelized onions, applewood smoked bacon, and cheddar cheese, served on a soft pretzel roll . The Food Network recently named it the best burger in Wisconsin and, after tasting one, we have no doubts why.


Come Saturday morning, we first hit the weekly farmers' market held downtown on the treelawns surrounding the capitol building. There, we strolled leisurely amongst the gathered crowd, oohing and awing over the items for sale at the various tents and stalls.

We quickly devloped farmers' market-envy, wishing our hometown summer market was something like Madison's. There were breads and other baked goods straight from local ovens...


and all sorts of fresh cut flowers and plants for sale.


As with most farmers' markets, the real highlight was the huge variety of vegetables, fresh from the dirt and displayed on each vendor's stand in mounded heaps of fabulous color.




Last, but far from least, was the selection of local Wisconsin cheeses.


After one full pass through this amazing market, we decided to ponder what to purchase for our lunch while we toured Wisconsin's historic and now beautifully restored capitol building. We had read that the capitol in Madison is one of the most lovely in the country and, while we have not seen them all, we certainly have to agree from our own experience.


The capitol is an imposing structure, built of gleaming white granite and topped with a massive dome on which stands a graceful bronze statue called "Wisconsin".


Inside, the capitol was even better. Painstakingly renovated over a fourteen year period and completed in 2002, the interior features gorgeous polished stone floors with intricate mosaic inlays, sleek green marble Corinthian columns accented with rich gold leaf, soaring vaulted ceilings and arches throughout, period lighting fixtures and other hardware, elegantly carved stone pediments and moldings, all crowned by beautiful painted murals and then the glorious sunlit dome.

The building is truly something to see, and we also loved that there is a rooftop terrace providing great views of downtown Madison and the surrounding lakes. All the more amazing (and a tribute to the spirit of the Wisconsin people) is the fact that, in this paranoid post-9/11 world, all doors to the building stand open all day, with no metal detectors, no need for visitors to present I.D. or otherwise be screened, and no appreciable security presence. The state of Wisconsin quite clearly takes "of the people, by the people, and for the people" to heart, and we thoroughly enjoyed our capitol tour.

Stomachs growling, we made another pass through the farmers' market, purchasing a small round loaf of onion dill rye bread from the Silly Yak Bakery and Bread Barn, and two kinds of cheese (a pungent pesto and sundried tomato Havarti and a mild Colby) from Forgotten Valley Cheese. Needing a place to sit and eat, we walked two blocks to the Monona Terrace and Convention Center. Perched right on the edge of Lake Monona, this modern white structure was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and has a wonderful rooftop garden and sitting area. From there, we took in the great views in all directions while we lunched on our delicious bread and cheese.





After spending that time downtown, we hopped in the car and drove just a couple miles northeast to the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. These gardens, which are free to visit, totally blew us away. Considering the price of admission, we did not exactly expect to be wowed, but it turned out that this botanical garden is one of the best we have ever seen. Sprawling over 15 acres of land, the gardens are beautifully planned out, impeccably maintained, and contain a huge variety of gorgeous trees, plants and flowers, garden structures and water features.

Once done at the botanical gardens, we were startled to realize that it was only mid-afternoon, after what already seemed like a full day. Not exactly sure what to do next, a quick check of our guide book and map led to the decision to drive thirty miles west of the city to Springreen, the heart of Wisconsin's "Frank Lloyd Wright country."

That decision resulted in a great little side excursion through the farmlands surrounding Madison, which are dotted with charming small towns every few miles. While we arrived at the Frank Lloyd Wright visitor center too late for a tour of the architect's nearby masterpiece, Taliesin, the drive there and back was wonderful. We took in the scenery, visited a couple of quirky antique shops and, on the way home, made a pitstop in the tiny town of Cross Plains. There, we ended our day by enjoying cold beers on the patio of a local tavern, served alongside a basket of deep fried white cheddar cheese curds, another madatory snack when visiting Wisconsin.



Our Sunday morning flight home to Ohio came all too quickly. We would love to go back to Madison for another visit, something I have been babbling about nonstop since we returned. The flight between Ohio and Madison is a super quick three hours airport to airport trip (the three hours even including a plane change in Chicago), which makes it easy to do in a long weekend. While Scott has vetoed my suggestion that we spend a weekend there every month (the veto being for rather obvious reasons but, still, what a killjoy), I am still quite certain we will return to Madison sooner rather than later. We are indeed mad about Mad City, and cannot wait to go back.