Peggy Smith

If you are interested in finding sugarhouses in Vermont go to this website:

http://www.vermontmaple.org/

If you would like to try another great maple syrup recipe, try this one:

SUGARBUSH MOUNTAIN MAPLE MOUSSE
1 envelope plus 2 tsp. unflavored
gelatin
1/2 c. cold water
4 egg yolks, well beaten
1 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 c. light brown sugar
4 egg whites
2 c. whipping cream, chilled
Sprinkle gelatin on water; let soften 5 minutes, then set cup in pan of hot water. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Add gelatin to beaten egg yolks, mix into maple syrup and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats spoon. Do not let mixture boil. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, blending well. Transfer to a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Whip cream only until stiff enough to hold its shape. With rubber spatula, fold cream gently into maple syrup mixture. Then fold in egg whites until whites no longer show. Spoon mousse mixture into a 1 1/2 quart mold that has been rinsed in cold water. Cover top with plastic and chill at least 4 hours or until firm.

If you love this recipe, pass it on to a friend to try. Here is a way to win a jug of maple syrup:

Tell your friend to make a comment on my blog and you both might win a jug of maple syrup. Your friend has to mention your name and you have to make a comment on my blog also. Oh and you have to try the recipe.

I am sitting here watching it pour rain and thinking that March is one of the most maddening months in Vermont. It can be absolutely the best skiing of the year with the most spectacular sunshine and warm days on the mountain that you have ever experienced, or it can be like it is today - pouring rain. But despite the change in weather almost daily, it is one of my favorite months.

Why? Because it is maple sugaring time. The sap has begun to run in the trees, you drive down one of the roads in Stowe and you see a trail of blue lines decorating the maple trees. When I am showing people real estate they ask me what the process is to make maple syrup. Most of them know the syrup comes from trees and that it taste good.

Back in the day, as they say, the maple trees were tapped with a spigot from which a bucket was hung. Sometimes a tree could have three buckets on it at once. Oh, I forgot to mention that there are various types of maple trees but the ones that produce the syrup are sugar maples. Makes sense doesn’t it? Anyway, collecting the syrup from a full bucket meant that you had to team up the horses or start up the tractor , then with a holding tank on the back of a sled, you dump each bucket into the holding tank. Taking the holding tank full of sap back to the sugar house, it is siphoned into a larger holding tank, that feeds into the evaporator. From there it goes into the back pan where it boils over chambers to the front pan where it boils through a series of chambers until it becomes syrup.

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Food is in the news everyday. If it is not an article on low fat or diets, it is how and what is bad for us. Obesity is a major problem in the United States especially in children. Yet so many parents opt out on nutritional meals for their children.

Kids eat nothing but starch, sugar and salt. Chicken nuggets, what do you really think is in that, real chicken? Hot dogs, macaroni and cheese from a box with fake cheese and lots of sugar. It is frightening to think that kids never sit down to a family dinner, never actually eat a meal that has been prepared from natural products and grow up never how to eat nutritionally. There has never been a better time to learn how food impacts our environment, our community and our culture.

If you are in Stowe mid-February you should check in on this free lecture:

The social and political issues of eating local with Abbie Nelson of NOFA-VT and VT FEED
How do the choices we make with food impact our community, our environment, our culture, and our politics? Come hear Abbie Nelson of the Northeast Organic Farming Association speak to the many ways food is about so much more than what we put in our mouths.

February 12, 2008
Time: 7pm
Location: Stowe Free Library
Admission: Free
More Info: 802-253-6145

The Stowe Winter Carnival is about to take place in Stowe, Vermont. This is an event that is full of entertainment and fun for the whole family. Back in the late 70’s, Stowe decided that it needed to beef up the tourist trade in January. Usually January can be a slow month for Stowe because we either have 20 below zero weather or a warm spell. To attract people to Stowe, the Stowe Area Association created Stowe Winter Carnival. From races at the mountain to snow golf to village night filled with cartoon characters, to ice sculpture contests, and casino night, Stowe was a whirlwind of activity.

That first year, volunteers sewed costumes for “Village Night.” There was Dorothy and Toto, Spiderman, the seven dwarfs and Snow White, many many more characters including the stars of the show “Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog!’ I had already volunteered to deal Black Jack for casino night and had hosted several “practice nights” at my house, but I was totally unprepared for the “Miss Piggy” call;”Would my ex-husband and I be, Miss Piggy and Kermit? ” I was not sure if this was because they thought I had the build of Miss Piggy and Bill (my ex) looked like a frog or they just thought we would be game for a night of fun. We decided the later was the reason and so we said, yes.

Little did I know what I was getting in for. First of all my children, Maggie and McKee, were very little at the time, but still wanted to join in on the fun. A phone call to the grandparents got them on board to take them to village night. The big night came, it was 20 below. We all gathered at the town hall to dress; this was the first time I saw my outfit. There it was laid out on a chair - a purple silk evening dress, purple gloves, strappy high heels and of course the mask. Now you tell me how in 20 below weather one can be comfortable in that outfit? I managed to get it on over my long underwear, but there was no question-I looked stuffed. The head and the glamourous attached blonde hair came next. Now here was something that I knew would keep me warm, as it was full of stuffing making my head three times a normal size head. With a quick slip over my head and it was on. Suddenly the world turned black! The eyes did not match my eyes, and even if they had, the eyes were so small you could barely see a thing, even in a brightly lit room.

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As I watched the snow fall yesterday it brought me back to the afternoon I spent on New Years day with my daughter and husband. We rolled out of bed and found the snow had picked up again from the day before. Seeing this we decided to forgo the couch and head to Trapp’s Family Lodge for a ski.They have miles of the best cross country trails and the best views in Vermont.

It had been so beautiful the day before, even my tired 30 year old Maggie, was convinced to come along. She moved back from California last year and I still love the idea of having her in Burlington; easily accessible for something as simple as a xc ski and latte.

It is days like yesterday and over the New Year that I am reminded why I moved to Vermont all those years ago and why she decided to move back East. With the snow clinging to the trees ,deep in the woods at Trapp’s ,it is hard to miss the beauty of this place.

We skied for a few hours and grabbed a bite at the Stowe Coffee House. A cup of soup, panini and latte satisfied our hunger. We drove up Taber Hill, content, happy and ready to do some couch time. So, yesterday as I watched the snow drift down to cover our nearly bare lawn, I smiled and remembered, life is pretty good in Stowe, Vermont.

Hmmm. Fall is in the air in Vermont. The nights are cool, the down comforter is out and the air is crisp. The mornings bring fog in the valley and for those of us that live in the hills we are treated to an amazing view. There is nothing more exciting than to be out for a morning walk and see the top of the mountains crystal clear and the clouds floating below creating an ocean of clouds.

We were treated to a meteorite shower this week. Nothing could possibly be more beautiful than the bright starry sky showering us with its own form of fireworks. Of course it requires one to be awake after midnight or like me, set the alarm for 1 am. The dogs and I stumbled out of the house to sit on a lawn chair and gaze upward upon a catherdral of lights. I felt as if I was watching a symphony orchestrated for me and only me, (the dogs seemed less interested in lifting their heads). After awhile they decided to head back to the house for a more cozy bed, leaving me still entralled at the sight.

The night sounds came back into focus once the dogs left. Seldom do I get to experience the night in such detail. The forest around me came alive and I could hear in the distance an owl announcing his presence. Minutes later I was treated to a chorus of coyotes with the sopranos and altos blending into song. It was a glorious eery sound, sending chills through me. What a priviledge to be showered with falling stars and the chorus of coyotes.

Sometime when your day is going downhill quickly and you feel the world spinning out of control, if you are fortunate enough to be in a place where you can observe the night sky…. Get Up, Go Out and rejoice. Despite all the terror, destruction and horror of this world remember there is beauty, love and joy in something as simple as coyotes serenading the night sky.

We are excited to announce that as of August 2, 2007 Carlson Real Estate is affiliated with Coldwell Banker.

We are still an independently owned office with all of the advantages that Coldwell Banker has to offer. It is the leading nation real estate franchise and is recognized as “the name” in real estate. There are many advantages for our clients and customers. In this day of technology it is difficult for the small agency to compete. It is important for us to offer to our clients the latest in technology and to get national and international exposure for our listings. The referral system is a global network which is available through Coldwellbanker.com.

One of the main features that is important to us is the Previews program. Previews offers marketing for the luxury properties and reaches a global audience. Coldwell Banker participated in over 50% of all luxury sales in the United States. As a certified Preview agent I am able to have access to the top luxury buyers and am able to get more exposure for my clients.

Other programs that are offered through Coldwell Banker are the Home Protection plan. This is an insurance policy that a Seller can take out on their home to cover appliances, and systems that may break in the period of the year that the house on the market. This policy can be passed on to the Buyer. Another feature of this plan is that the payment for it is not due until the closing on the house. This protection costs approximately $500.

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I was coming back from Elmore into Stowe on the Elmore Mt. Road in the middle of a pounding rain storm with my windshield wipers on high when from out of the woods ,on the left hand side of the car, ran a moose! I missed hitting him by about a foot.

It has been many years since I have had a moose sighting. The other times I was walking in the woods. This is a bit scary because you don’t know if they might have a calf with them, they are sick, or aggressive. The size of a moose is very impressive. This moose being so close to my car, gave me a first hand comparison. The moose which was a young male was almost taller than my BMW station wagon.

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Two days ago for the 33rd year I witnessed the Moscow Parade. I watched as the Women’s Lawn Chair Brigade clapped their lawn chairs together with precision, while thinking of my three friends that lost their battle to cancer. They participated until they could march no longer. Next came the Men’s Marching Band and what a joy to see the grandson of another friend on his shoulders. Other evidence of the next generation came marching by and I thought how wonderful to see the generations participate. (more…)

We won, we aced the competition out and we are having the Fed Cup here at Topnotch Resort in STowe, Vermont. The Fed Cup is like the World Cup of soccer. This is happening on July 14-15,2007, The Fed Cup was established in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Tennis Federation. Eighty-nine countries compete in the Fed Cup. (more…)