24 hours.

Costa Rica

Tickets purchased for May 13-18! Iceland, we'll see you when you're not so moody.

Bikes, Drives, Hikes...

Friday was the bike brigade we have annually in celebration of Nelia and Jay's birthday. It's always a great time. Riding a bike with a large group of people is something everyone should do at least once. It's an amazing feeling to be part of the group and it's also interesting to see how others respond to it.

Saturday was a local road trip. More to come on that soon.

Today was an early morning of foraging with Allison and Max! It was cool in the shade and just perfect in the sunshine. I heard the birds and the water. We picked from the endless fiddleheads for about 2 1/2 hours. Sometimes we talked. Other times we didn't. We left with more fiddleheads than we could ever eat. Oh, and I dug up my first ramps too. Here they are!

Look at them all, their little heads popping up out of the earth...

Here's AB on our hike in. So pretty.

Once we finished picking, we decided to go for Dim Sum at Single Pebble. Yum! What a great way to spend the early afternoon. My day started off strong but, (what I think are) my allergies kicked in as the day progressed. My nose was running, my head felt heavy, my eyes felt puffy and my cough started to rear it's ugly head. I rested for a little while until Steve invited me to go for a cremee. We walked down to pick up our ice cream. On the way back, as I was trying to tell Steve a story about a house we were walking by, I tripped! My melted ice cream went flying all over my hand and my glasses flew off and fell in the grass. It seemed awfully dramatic for a small trip. We laughed. I need to get my glasses adjusted. Now, I'm at home with a stomach ache from the ice cream.*Sigh*

Night.

Artichoke Ravioli

It rained all day yesterday and the skies looked threatening for most of the day today. That always makes it easier to stay inside and catch up on whatever...I woke up late today, (10:15 or so) because I didn't get to sleep until very late last night. My friend Penelope turned 30 so, a bunch of us went over to she and her hubby's place to toast Penelope and watch her blow out her candles. There was lots of great conversation, yummy prosecco cocktails with elderflower and of course late night dancing to the birthday girl's favorite Lady Gaga song. Hannah whipped up some creative concoctions for us to try. Hmm...one of the shots featured cilantro and was actually quite tasty! Needless to say, I woke up with a slight headache. So, I took a shower, headed out for a walk in search of ice coffee and then returned home to cook a large breakfast with Steve. It was the perfect cure. Later in the day I decided I was going to try a new recipe for dinner. Artichoke Ravioli. It tasted pretty good despite it being my first attempt. Ahh...rainy Sundays. Thanks for a good time.

Ingredients:

1 small leek (thinly sliced)

8 small Italian artichokes

3 tablespoons butter (melted)

salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 whole eggs

3/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese (finely grated)

3 slices cooked bacon

3 tablespoons butter

pinch of thyme leaves garlic powder

For Filling:

Wash and trim the artichokes.

Cut each artichoke into 4 wedges.

In a skillet, combine the artichokes, sliced leeks, 1 ½ tablespoons of the butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Cook slowly for about 15 minutes.

Puree the mixture in a food processor or a blender, either one.

Stir in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 whole eggs and ¾ cup Parmesan cheese.

For Ravioli:

I used won ton wrappers.

Use eggs whites to seal the wrappers and press down gently around each mound of filling.

Cook them in plenty of boiling salted water until they rise to the surface.

Drain in a colander.

Serve dressed with melted butter flavored with the thyme.

Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder to taste.

Welcome...to another season (of kickball).

Can you smell the fresh cut grass, the bug spray, the smell of cheap canned beer, and of course the smell of a new rubber kickball? I'm so excited I can barely type. Yes my friends, it's time once again for kickball season. And of course the Toki-Yo Go-Go's will be back. (Darren, if you could write some cool inspirational and reflective email on our heritage, yet looking forward to this season, that would be awesome).
Go team.
-Jay

----------------------
Reflection by: Darren Higgins

In, but part-time.
No to new T-shirts.

Per Jay's request, a brief but moving reflection on our team:

The Go-Go's are nice. We wear purple and purple is a nice color. Like the sky at the end of another victory. Yes, the sky is the same color if we lose, so that wasn't the best analogy. OK. Moving on: We won the title once, almost won it twice. I liked winning the title better than not winning it. So, I don't know, I guess let's win it this year. Because winning is fun. And we like to have fun. Shit. This isn't working out. Sorry, Jay.

DH

Fiddleheads!

One of Allison Bannister's hobbies is foraging for food. She and her fiance Max are really good at it! They seem to find all of the right spots at just the right time of year that yield the most food. Allison and I had a quick visit on my way home from work yesterday. She was in the midst of cutting up a bunch of ramps, (which I learned are a type of wild leek) that she planned to pickle. She had a giant paper bag filled with fiddleheads as well. She will pickle some and share/eat the rest immediately. I left with my own paper bag filled with fiddleheads. When I got home, I rinsed them twice and prepped them to be cooked. After 6 or 7 minutes on the stove they were ready to be eaten. I added a bit of butter, salt and pepper and served them with some fish. It was such a yummy spring meal! Who doesn't love free food straight from the ground. Cool. Thanks AB.

In other news, my potted green beans are well on their way! I can see the tippy top of the basil and the slightest hint of growth from my cherry tomato seeds. The rest of the pots are still sleeping. I'm patient though. It will be warmer soon. I trust I'll have lots of food to share this summer.

The Everglades (video)

snark, snark, snark.

Easter Sunrise at 4,300 feet!

For the last few years, a couple of us have gone up to the top of Mount Mansfield for a sunrise Easter Service. Once the sun comes up and the service has ended, Stowe drops the line and allows anyone to ski, ride, run, sled or hike down the mountain for free! It's an early morning but, well worth it.

Wake up time: 4:10 am

Arrive at Jay and Maegen's: 4:25 am

Gondola ride up Mt. Mansfield: 5:40 am

Sunrise: 6:28 am

Vin, Maegen and Jay below with no outer layer! Milder temps this year made the top of the mountain more reasonable.

Our favorite Easter hymn!

The Operation.

This year, I'm going to grow some food! I kicked off the operation on Saturday with seeds purchased from Lowe's, (Jayne-at the S. Burlington store-was SUPER helpful). I've got basil, lavender, rosemary, hot peppers, sweet peppers, green beans and cherry tomatoes in the mix. I'll keep you posted.

Venting...

I went out to dinner, (again) last night. Tsk, tsk. There were a few restaurant options on the table but, the three of us decided upon Leunigs. It's one of my Burlington favorites! Leunigs always has a great atmosphere, pretty good food and of course outside seating during the warmer months. We sat down and started to review what looked like a new menu. All of the menu options appeared on one larger piece of paper that was covered in plastic. I asked the host if it was a new menu. He said, "no but, we really wanted to present in the traditional bistro style." As I perused the menu I realized everything had gone up in price, WAY up. I actually questioned staying there to eat. Some of the appetizers were $18!! Entrees had gone up to $24-$29 for items that used to be in the $18 range! I was shocked. The food is good but, not good enough to justify the higher prices. Here's what the three of us ordered: 1 glass of wine, 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. Total cost: $94 AND Total with tip: $118. I'm getting angry just writing this post! This meal would have cost just under $200 if we all had 1 glass of wine, 1 app and 1 entree. I'm sad to report that I won't go back there for some time. I did mail them a comment card expressing how loyal I've been and how disappointed I was last night. Hopefully, they will come down in price and keep their customers who have been going there for so long. Like they say on their website, "It's about the people, sharing good times and good food with good friends." They are right. The food is just good. Leunigs is not a fine dining experience, it shouldn't be priced as such.

If/When you go, don't get the sliders. They are served on a cold, store bought sweet roll and last night, the burgers were over cooked and dry.

Sir Loin, Buttercup, Violet, Electra...

...what's will Sage Tucker-Ketcham's cow be named?

My good friend Sage shared some of her artwork as well as her work-in-progress cow at the Shelburne Art Center last night.

"By the time she's done, artist Sage Tucker-Ketcham will have volunteered 50 hours applying acrylic paint to one bovine temporarily residing at the Shelburne Art Center. The pink-and-bright-blue-swirl-covered cow will pasture in the village green starting May 1. Cows like this one are sponsored by business owners and individuals as part of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce's "Cows Come Home to Burlington." Two weeks ago, the gray-primed, fiberglass cows arrived as blank 3D canvases in 35 locations to be painted by local artists. They will be on display from May to September and be put up for auction at the end of the season. Partial proceeds will benefit local programs of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger. Chamber Regional Marketing and Tourism Director Matt McMahon said, "We were impressed by the number of responses and the ingenuity put into each submission. I think some of these cows are really going to surprise visitors and locals alike with their creativity." -Lynn Monty, Burlington Free Press

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100331/NEWS02/3310313/Vermont-cows-head-to-barn-for-art-charity

Miss Sage

Some of her smaller pieces:

Sage selected some bright colors and organic patterns to cover her cow.

April 1st

Why wait for a reason to celebrate?

Last night, a group of us piled into Jeff’s van and headed down to Waterbury, Vermont for a late dinner at Hen of the Wood to celebrate...well, nothing in particular. Everyone had been there before, except me. I knew it would be great food and company but, even my high expectations were surpassed. Jeff had managed to reserve the, “pit” table which requires some advanced planning and a larger group of people. There isn’t a bad seat in the house so, it didn’t really matter to me. It was nice to sit at one large table that could accommodate all 9 of us. We shared our appetizers so we could try a few different things and each ordered our own entrée. A few of our favorites from last night included calamari with breadcrumbs, lemon and chilies, sheep’s milk gnocchi, creamy, rich and cooked perfectly, lobster chowder, crispy fried oysters, endive salad and please don't forget the crispy maple flavored donuts with one scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for dessert! I'm ready to go back right now! Unfortunately, it's something I can only afford to do every once and awhile. Until next time...

What a delightful experience. We closed the place up at around 10:45PM after way too much laughing. Every plate was cleared, entirely. When does that happen? We did joke that the pork loin was more of a “Cheesecake Factory Portion” but, even that was devoured by the time the plates were cleared. We thanked our server for his patience and wonderful service (which included two extra desserts!!) and were on our way. When you come to Vermont, we’re definitely going there. Save those pennies!

Here’s a NY Times review of the restaurant that does a great job of explaining the atmosphere.

There was no question that Hen was good, really good, and also among the most beautiful little restaurants I know. Set in a former mill next to a rushing stream — the 15 or 20 outside seats, on fine summer nights, are downright Arcadian — it’s a near-perfect example of functional design meshing with intrinsic structure. A large lower-level table, no doubt where the grinding stones once did their work, is overlooked on three sides by a U-shaped balcony where the majority of diners sit; the brightly lit kitchen forms the fourth side. The remaining lighting is soft and gorgeous; the layered slate walls are graced by votive candles, and the main structural supports are century-old beams of a size one doesn’t see too often. (Try going to the lumberyard and asking for a 12-by-18.) Even the acoustics are superb. -written by Mark Bittman