Tea party and aprons

Patti and I worked on making reversible aprons and then hosting a tea party for family and friends. This morning we all went blueberry picking.  Molly and Bird left after BLTs.  Earlier in the week Patti and i went to Hanover for breakfast then on to the King Arthur Flour store.  I bought some ancient grains that can substitute for up to 20% of all purpose flour.  I also got some blue and gold sugar to go on the WV state cookies (using an old cookie cutter in the shape of the state that belonged to Jeff's Aunt Trudy).  Below are pics from this week.  The good dog pics were taken by Birdie.

Anna Bird and Molly

Molly, Bird, Marcia, Jane, and Debby

Treats for all

Patti and Molly

Maddy and Duckie

Rosey after a swim

Salade Nicoise for Molly and Bird

Zelda

Zelda

Molly and Bird blueberry picking

Zoe

Cooler and Less Humid

The weather has improved with less heat and humidity, thankfully.  I went to the Mountaineer Inn this weekend to visit Ned and Royal and to hear the concert by the Village Light Opera Group. It was fabulous with about 40 singers half of which were leads.  They sang show tunes including Gilbert and Sullivan, Rogers and Hammerstein, Kern, etc. I returned to Sunapee and had a delightful lobstah dinnah at the yacht club with Patti and Marcia.

Patti had finished her slip covers. Before I left for VT, Patti had almost finished the tie tuffet made with ties from Moody and my neighbors. 

Tie tuffet

Back in Sunapee

I returned to Sunapee Tuesday and enjoyed a dinner cruise on the lake with Patti and her friend, Susan. We taught Zoe how to swim in the lake but Zelda refused to even come with us to the lake. Game night on. Thursday included Mexican Train Dominoes with Patti, Jim, and Ellen.  Below are some pics.

Susan and Patti getting ready to board

 

Susan and me

Wet dog

Zoe swimming for fish

Zoe and me having a little rest

Floating with Rosey and ducks

Ides of July

I cannot believe it is mid-July already.  Had a great time visiting with Sim's family and friends for the last several days. Really super folks and super food!

Clarissa and Sergei had us over for brunch last Friday in their mountaintop house.  She made all kinds of wonderful food and we ate on the porch overlooking the Brookfield Pond.  The take home food was a delightful silver dollar size pancake made with crushed pineapple in place of any oil. It was fried in olive oil and was delisheroony.  Something like-- http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pancakes-waffles/pineapple-pancakes/ but she used Aunt Jemima mix.

We had several wonderful meals at Ariel's that included a fresh pea soup with aioli panne cotta in the middle. Also was fabulous Brussels sprouts deep-fried. Garlic scapes was the go to veggie not only at Ariel's but also from Ed's garden in South Hero.  The roast chicken at Lee's was terrific as well as the leg of lamb with farro. http://www.arielsrestaurant.com/

Last night several of the Brookfield neighbors gathered at Rob and Andrew's gorgeous house on the pond for some ribs and entertainment (I played fiddle).  The sweet potato salad was Andrew's specialty  and I hope to try to make it soon. In addition to the ribs, Lee brought dessert wich included great pistachio ice cream.  She used "Jeni's"  recipe that does not contain any eggs and soaked the pistachios before straining them out. So there were no crunchy bits in the ice cream.  Makes me want to buy an ice cream maker. http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Jenis-Ice-Cream-Base

I headed back to NH and Sim went to Montreal for the day with Lee and Richard.  He only had a picture of his passport so I hope they let him back in the country.  He returns to NC tomorrow.

Below are some pics,

Sim on the floating bridge in Brookfield

Sim with his 3 children some grandchildren and 2 great grandbabies

Dinner at Rob and Andrew's house in  Brookfield on the pond

Richard, Noah, Lee, and Sim

Sim and me at the VT capitol in Montpelier 

Sim, Nicole, and Aliana at the farmer's market in Montpelier

Eric and  great niece, Aliana

Lee with her finished pizzas, yum

Pizza oven in Lee and Richard's backyard

Bread baking in the oven, a daily routine for Ariel's

Brookfield VT

I picked up Sim from the Burlington airport and we drove to Brookfield VT where his daughter, Lee has a chef-owned and run restaurant, Ariel's.  It's quite wonderful.  The next day, Sim and I together with Lee and her husband, Richard, met Patti and Jeff at Simon Pearce Restaurant for lunch. It's on the Vermont side of the Conn. River.

Last night Sim and I went to Monpelier to see the "Lone Ranger" then had some sushi before driving back to our mountaintop house.  Today we just returned from brunch with Lee's neighbors, Clarissa and Sergei.  She made marvelous pancakes and shared  the recipe.  We'll be seeing more of Sim's family this weekend and this evening we'll visit Brucie in Northfield.

South Hero VT

I have spent 3 wonderful days visiting Ed and Mary at their farm in the middle of Lake Champlain. I saw their new winter house at Wake Robin in Shelbourne, and ate in many lovely restaurants as well as lobster dinner at home.  We played a rousing game of Hearts with Suzie and Bill whose scoresheet is now posted on the icebox door.