Eating Local

With our local Olive Garden closing, I have heard (and read) a lot of comments about eating local.  I do support the eat local movement.  I cringe every time I see someone with a jug of Canadian maple syrup in their cart at the grocery store. Most of the farmers' markets I attend require vendors to have grown, raised, or produced their wares themselves; which I think is important.  I think it is wonderful that some of our local farmers are supported by our local restaurants, where they regularly use their meats and produce in their kitchens.  Being a small business owner that is dependent upon the support from my community, I think it is important to support the local, non-chain restaurants that are around town. 
But, guess what? 
I also eat at the chain restaurants that are abundant in our area.  My family probably does eat out more than we should, and we are working on cutting back on that.  The few times a month we do eat out, chances are at least one of those times is going to be at a chain restaurant.  And I'm okay with that.  Yes, I realize that most of the food is frozen and reheated once ordered.  Yes, I know that I am contributing to whatever big corporation owns the chain. 
But, guess what? 
I am also supporting local.
How? you might ask.
The student who is working there trying to pay their tuition.  The recent college graduate who is working there while trying to find a job in the "real world" and still needs a way to pay their rent.  Those who are working there as their second (or third) job, income for some to pay their bills, and income for others as their Christmas or vacation funds.  These people, the staff at these chain restaurants, are local.  They are part of our community.  And for these local people who worked at our local Olive Garden?  Well, they are now out of a job.  So, for those of you who are bashing Olive Garden and chain restaurants, think about the people who work at these establishments. Because they are local.
I would like to thank the staff from our Olive Garden.  Thank you for riding it out as long as you did with our changing economy.  Thank you for the delicious lunches and dinners over the years.  Thank you for bottles and bottles of that addicting salad dressing.  Thank you for service with a smile, even after I have asked for my umpteenth basket of breadsticks and bowl of salad.  I wish all of the staff the best of luck.  They, as staff at Olive Garden, will be missed in our community.

Oh, Deer!

It was a nice, sunny day.  A perfect farmer's market day.  Until the sky turned black and the downpours stared.  Then it was mass panic and chaos as us vendors tried to quickly pack up our products before they were ruined and take down tables and tents, knowing full well that getting soaked was inevitable.  My 45 minute drive home seemed to take forever, but I was glad it was cool enough outside that I could leave all the product in the car until the next morning.  Luckily, it had stopped raining overnight, and the next morning was sunny and beautiful.  I went out to the car to start unloading the maple products.  I started to head back to the house when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.  I turned slowly and saw a deer standing about 10 feet or so in front of my car.  How cute, I thought as I gently put down the box of candy and slowly pulled out my phone to snap a picture. The deer, with its head up high looking straight at me, snorted.  I backed up a few feet and picked up my box of maple candy.  The deer continued to eat, so I started back to the house.  Then the deer snorted again.  I turned quickly and saw the deer coming towards me.  I traded the box of candy for two half gallons, one in each hand (for self defense in case the deer decided to charge - a half gallon could hurt, right?), and ran like a girl back to the house.  I slammed the door shut and ran to the window, peering out between the curtains, watching the deer's every move.  The deer circled my car a few times before heading down the driveway towards the road.  I went back to the door and opened it ever so slightly, making sure the killer deer was nowhere in sight.  I ran as fast as I could to my car, grabbed a box of maple candy, and sprinted back to the house.  Then I ran to the window, on the lookout for that monstrous deer.  Coast was clear so the process started over again: opening the door just a crack to scan the yard for the vicious wild animal, dashing to the car to grab the next box of maple products, and rushing back to the house before the ferocious deer returned.  It should have taken about 30 minutes to unload my car, but that day it took me two hours.  Two hours of panicking, worried for my life if that vile deer returned.  I was glad my husband was working and not home to watch the spectacle.  He would have teased me for being scared over a silly little deer.  But, thanks to that deer, I am a lot more cautious before just running out to my car and am aware of the animals that could be around.  And now that we have a dog, our yard, at least, seems to have a lot less wild life in it.  Too bad we didn't get her a few months earlier!

Maple Cream Vinaigrette

I like to cook.  And I love to grill.  But when it is hot and humid I want nothing to do with either of those.  Salad tends to be my go to meal on those unbearably sticky days. I consider myself lucky to be at five different farmers' markets a week - I'm usually able to procure a bag of salad mix, lettuce, or spinach before it is all sold out.  And now that carrots, cucumbers, and radishes are readily available at all of the markets I attend, my salads not only taste amazing, they also look pretty.  I can even score some tasty croutons from Houghton Farm at a few of the farmers markets. This time of year my salads are mouthwatering (how many people can actually say that about salad!).  I am, though, somewhat picky about the dressing.  I am not a fan of heavier dressings and I do not want something that will overpower the garden fresh tastes.  I had often contemplated making my own dressing, but I thought it would be so time consuming and thus never tried.  My dear friend Rebecca, of Holland Homestead Farm (http://hollandhomestead.com/), came up with this fantastic vinaigrette recipe that is both delicious and easy to make. 

Confession: I was skeptical about this at first. I had never made my own dressing. I thought mincing shallots and the prep to put this together would take forever.  I was wrong. It was simple and quick.
I am one for shortcuts - anything that will save time and make things easier.  I do usually "cheat" and purchase lemon infused olive oil from Your Kitchen Store (http://www.yourkitchenstore.com/) since I do not often use lemon juice for anything else and squeezing lemons is a step I would like to avoid. Luckily, I do know a few places where I can get my hands on some award winning pure maple cream (http://woodardssugarhouse.com/).
Still not convinced this is quick enough to make with your busy schedule? That's ok too.  We do sell the vinaigrette already made at our local farmers' markets! Find us at Fresh Chicks Local Outdoor Market in Peterborough, NH; The Farmers' Market of Keene in Keene, NH; Peterborough Farmer's Market in Peterborough, NH; and Hinsdale Farmer's Market in Hinsdale, NH.

The Breakup

It was a rainy Monday morning, and I was rushing around like every other morning trying to get the kiddo to school on time.  She beat the bell and I headed back home to start another batch of our yummy pure maple candy.  That's when I got the text that changed my life. "Video headquarters is closing." Can't be true, I thought.  I was just there the other day.  In fact, I had movies to return and the next disc of 'Bones' to get.  "It's online in the Sentinel," my husband texted when I questioned his source of information.  I was devestated.  How could this be?  What am I going to do now?  I was in a panic - how will I see the rest of 'Bones' and the other tv shows coming out in the fall?  Getting cable was out of the question.  I felt as if they were breaking up with me and I didn't know whether to be angry or sad.  I think I was, in fact, a little (ok, a lot) of both.  Why didn't anyone say anything to me?  I thought I was special.  Don't they care I don't have cable?  I went in on the first day of their sale and told them how I felt, as if I was their only heartbroken customer.  "It's not you, it's us," was the reply I got.  I understand why they are closing.  With digital streaming, Netflix, Red box, etc; it was really only a matter of time before this happened. My feelings are only selfish. I know what you are thinking - what are you so distraught over? It's just a video store.  But that's where you are wrong.  Video Headquarters is so much more than a video store.  In an age where just about everything is automated or done electronically, it was nice to be able to get my dvd rentals with some personal interaction.  Video headquarters was a place where you were greeted by name when you walked through the door.   A place where they gave you their undivided attention if you had a question or even just while checking out. A place where even though you were the only one (ok, one of five) who watched a particular tv show, they would order the next season so you wouldn't be left guessing at what would happen next. A place where they would hold the next disc in a tv series for you because they knew you would be coming in for it that day, whether or not you had asked them to.  A place where they would offer the perfect suggestions when you are bored by the unoriginal movies that seem to be the trend nowadays.  A place that will be truly missed by many in our community.  So, now that I've gotten my feelings off my chest, I think I'll do what happens after every other breakup.  I'll grab a pint of Ben & Jerry's and head off to their 50% off sale to claim what's mine (and maybe cry once more).
I would like to thank everyone at Video Headquarters for their great service over the years.  We will miss you all!

Season Recap

I would like to apologize for not keeping up with this blog.  It was a busy sugaring season, and while it would have been optimal to write about it as it was happening, there was just never enough time.  With classes, the kiddo and family, and the long days and nights of boiling all keeping me busy, any "spare" time was spent sleeping.  Now that I am somewhat caught up on sleep (and everything else) I suppose I should recall the highlights of our season.
I have had a lot of "firsts" in our sugar house.  My first "date" with my husband, my first time bottling syrup, and, this season, my first time boiling without the hubby home.  I never thought the day would come.  I had set up, run the evaporator, and shut down everything in the sugar house successfully many times without incident.  I have never burned pans, boiled over, or run out of sap.  The hubby is just really particular about how things are done and nervous about letting go of the reigns.  The slow start to the season didn't help.  Most of the sap we gathered had to be saved to boil on the weekends when we had our open sugar house, as the temperatures would drop and the sap wouldn't run when we had visitors.  In April that all changed.  We had added 150 or so taps on our vacuum line for this season and once mother nature finally started cooperating, we were inundated with sap.  Unable to keep up just boiling at night after the hubby was home from work, he finally gave in and let me boil during the day.  The first day was nerve wracking and liberating at the same time.  I was confident, yet worried, knowing how nervous my husband was.  He would text me every ten minutes or so to see how things were going.  Every siren he heard throughout the day put him in a panic and he would call to make sure the sugar house wasn't burning down.  I had it under control.  We run a pretty efficient operation and have many fail-safes in case something should go wrong.  Luckily, I never had to hit the emergency shut off switch.  Boiling is my favorite part of sugaring, so I was pretty excited to run the show all by myself.  There's something about the steam, the sweet smell, and the transformation from sap to syrup that makes boiling so fascinating.  There was no way I would screw up my chances of being able to do something I love so much.  I followed all of the hubby's rules to a t.  My husband became more and more comfortable with me boiling during the day as the season went on.  Which was great, because there would have been no way we would have kept up with the amount of sap we had otherwise. 
NH started adopting the new syrup grade changes this year.  Everything will now be considered grade A (no more grade B). This new system will be used throughout the maple industry, including Canada, Vermont, New York, and others. This season we produced a lot of light grade (or golden delicate) syrup, which is good for us since we use the light to make our yummy maple candy and maple cream with.  Luckily, we also made some medium (amber rich), dark (dark robust), and b (very dark strong) for all of our customers to enjoy!  Confused by the new grading system or not sure which grade you would like? Just ask! We are always happy to help others enjoy our pure maple syrup and maple products!
http://woodardssugarhouse.com/

Snow much fun!

Last sugaring season we barely had any snow in the woods.  My husband and I both hoped for more snow for this year.  Well, we got it.  There are a lot of fun activities that come with the snow.  I would have loved to take advantage of the fresh powder and go snowboarding.  Or join my daughter when she went sledding down our hill.  However, when we are getting snowfall on a weekly basis, we really didn't have time for such activities.  Instead, we had activities like shoveling (and when I say we what I really mean is my husband sat in the nice warm truck and plowed while I was out in the cold and shoveled the walkways around the property).  After one such evening of plowing my husband went to start shoveling off the roof.  I had finished my shoveling and offered to help, hoping he would say no.  He said yes.  I bravely climbed my way up the ladder, shovel in hand.  He helped me onto the roof.  I shuffled my way back from the edge, terrified of falling off.  Then I got the tutorial on how to shovel the roof.  You start at one side, push off only at certain areas, make sure it's nice and smooth with no bumps, etc.  I think I heard the phrase 'work smarter, not harder' at least a dozen times.  I was thinking he should have just been grateful I got on the roof and if he didn't stop talking and just get to shoveling I was going to push him off with the snow. In retrospect I'm glad he had it all figured out as it made the next time all that much easier. We finally finished after about an hour.  He quickly climbed back down the ladder and I started having a panic attack.  What was I thinking climbing up here?  I threw my shovel and tried to climb on the ladder.  First attempt didn't go so well. I had sat on my butt and tried to scooch my way onto the ladder.  All I could see was myself falling what seemed like ten stories to the ground.  Second attempt I clung to the ladder rings for dear life.  I inched my feet from rung to rung; the longest ten inches I would travel for each step.  I reached the ground, thankful I made it down without breaking a limb.  Looking back, I could have easily jumped the few feet from the roof into the pile off snow we had just shoveled off.  But, at least now I'm not afraid to help shovel off the roof.  I just hope we don't get too much more snow so I don't have to venture up there again.

Those Pants

We all have that pair of pants. That pair of pants you only wear in the comfort of your own home.  No, I'm not talking about yoga pants or pajama pants (but, for the love of God, please only wear pajama pants in your home!).  I'm talking about that pair of pants that are, or were at some point in time, the favorite.  I actually have several pairs.  Over time they either become too loose or too tight, faded or torn; thus being designated to the home only.  Today, being a snow day and not having to go anywhere, was one of those glorious days in which I could slide (ok, it's more like jump up and down a few times to get them over my thighs and hips) into one of my most comfy pairs of jeans.  I was truly distressed when I tore a small hole in the crotch of them two years ago while working in the woods putting up mainline and tubing.  There are a few other small holes in the legs where they got caught on something, but that's what gives them their character.  They are so soft and, besides having to jump my way into them, have a comfy waist band.  Gap sure knows how to make a good pair of jeans.  Unfortunately, I'm not always the brightest when wearing these fragile pants.  I had already done my morning workout, showered, got into these comfy jeans, and was in the process of cooking syrup to make some of our famous maple cream.  I have no idea what came over me, but apparently I was still in workout mode and decided to do sumo squats in front of the stove while I was waiting for the syrup to boil.  I was mid squat when I heard the ominous sound.  I knew right away that squats were a bad idea when wearing jeans, never mind ones that already had a hole in them.  I quickly glanced at the thermometer to check the syrup, and then bent halfway over to check out the damage.  The "little" hole that was previously in my jeans was now about two inches in length and a half inch wide.  I stood in shock for a moment; gone were the far off hopes that these pants would one day magically repair themselves and make it back to the hangers in the closet.  I decided not to do any more "exercising" and pondered what possessed me to do that in the first place.  I stood still until the syrup reached the designated temperature, and then poured it into the bowls.  I figured what the heck, they can't get any better, so I wore them out for another round of shoveling with no further damage.  I will still keep and wear these pants, but only in my home when no one else is around.  Good thing I have a few pairs.