Vermont Adventures - no smooching allowed

A few friends and I skipped work on Friday to head up to VT for a long weekend. It's been a bi-annual tradition for me the last few years and each time I go I seem to pull along a new friend making it doubly as fun! Maybe one of these times all my prior "dates" will make it back with me for a big old reunion party!

The last few visits have started two new traditions, the first being a yankee swap which always ends in fits of giggle (seriously who brought the woman's bust vase this year???), the second being an appetizer potluck for Friday night. This time around I brought a VERY garlicky hummus, while Val and Brian brought along a loaf of my rosemary bread (she subbed 3 tbs of fresh rosemary for the dried) for dipping in the hummus. Since there were so many rave reviews for both I had to get them up here to share.

Since I didn't take any shots of the hummus you'll just have to be entertained with these other pictures from the weekend... including one of me with my Sunday morning job... making the famous Blueberry Hill Inn chocolate chip cookies!! These things are to die for... and NOT healthy... kinda ironic it was my job to make them huh? The good news is they came out just as good as when the inn keeper makes them. Score one for me! ;)


Ever been to VT? Do you love it? I LOVE IT THERE! Do you like garlic? Does your significant other like it or do they say no smooching allowed when you eat some?

"Don't expect anyone to kiss you tonight" garlic hummus
1 can chick peas (drained but save the liquid)
1/3 cup drained liquid from chick peas (maybe a little more if you need it)
3 large cloves fresh garlic
1-2 Tbs tahinni
2 Tbs olive oil
4 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt

Place everything in a food processor and whirl for 3-5 minutes. That's it. Amazing right?

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Vermont

This weekend I snuck away to Vermont for a girls weekend with an old friend. A few highlights to tide you over...

wood was chopped

snow covered trails and streams were hiked

fires were made (both inside and out at the sauna)

and nights were spent cozy in the inn *wonderful*

Blueberry Hill Inn - Part 4

Ok I swear this is the last post about Blueberry Hill :) although I know you've been loving and drooling over all the pictures!

Sunday morning breakfast was a huge bowl of fresh cut fruit, cinnamon bun type things, blueberry cake, and muffins. I filled my plate up high and sat down with a glass of orange juice...


I then looked over to the right and noticed the other full table with the rest of breakfast.. whoops! The main course of breakfast was eggs and sausages wrapped in phyllo dough... I think I needed a larger pair of pants by the end of the trip haha


Lunch was quick so people who traveled far could get on the road and head home, Matt and I had a 6 hour drive ahead of us, Kendra a 5 hour, we decided to stick around a bit longer for one last hike though :)

final hike before we have to hit the road

Lunch was build your own sandwich style with lots of other goodies floating around. Dessert was more self saucing cake (for those of you who where wondering, it's a hybrid between cake and pudding, super moist and amazing) blueberry crisp, blueberry cake, rice crispy treats... Oh and did I mention Matt bought a sleeve of cookies for the road trip home... he ate a total of 7 cookies that day. CHOW MATT CHOW!!

Check out that huge wheel of cheese, mmmmmm cheese.

This Inn is so like home it's unreal. It just makes you want to curl up with a good book and never leave.

closed in greenhouse, it's feels like a nice summer day all winter long

Blueberry Hill Inn - Part 3

So you're back for more chow pictures are you! Saturday lunch was juicy meaty ribs, accompanied by a beautiful salad.


Everyone enjoyed the chow... :)


Dessert was a self saucing chocolate cake. It's almost a cross between a cake and a pudding, it was delicious and I definitely went back for seconds! And yes you read this correctly, we had dessert at both lunch AND dinner every day... now this is how to live :)


After an afternoon playing in the gardens and getting dirty it was time for a little shower and a nap. Then it was off to the cookie jar to hold us over until dinner. Dinner started with another wonderful cheese platter, then it was onto the appetizers. The crab stuffed mushrooms were my favorite!


For the main course there was beef stew with biscuits on top, steamed veggies, fresh rolls, and a veggie lasagna for the beef adverse. Yum!


Dessert was a lemon custard, very light and refreshing. Fran talked to Tim and managed to get the basics out of him, boil milk and sugar, add fresh lemon juice, refrigerate.... I'll have to play around to try and make this one!


See you back here tomorrow for Sunday's breakfast and lunch! :)

Blueberry Hill Inn - Part 2

Now I know you all came back to see all the glorious food pictures from our weekend in Vermont at Blueberry Hill Inn. Tim is an amazing chef and I guarantee these pictures will leave you drooling... so you probably should cover your keyboard in plastic wrap!

We arrived Friday right on time for dinner. We started with a glorious cheese platter that was demolished before I could get a good picture. We all hunkered down with our various wines and awaited for dinner while munching on a wonderful assortment of sharp cheddar, brie, blue, and other cheeses. Soon after we found ourselves with beautiful bowlfuls of butternut squash soup with hot fresh rolls from the oven.

warm soup and crusty bread on a cold night... nothing better

Next came a chicken pot pie with the flakiest buttery crust accompanied by broccoli and baked potatoes.

For dessert blueberry crisp made from none other than blueberry hill blueberries. MMMMM

blueberry crisp, ice cream, a glass of red wine... it's a good end to a day!

We spent the night chatting with the other people staying at the Inn, some faces were familiar from last year, others were new. It was great to catch up with old friends and to learn about some new interesting people. After all the wine was gone everyone headed to their rooms for a peaceful nights sleep.


Matthew Kendra and I woke up early to get a hike in before the day began, we arrived back to the Inn with the smell of apple wood smoked bacon wafting up the trail... our pace quickened a bit to make it in time for breakfast!


Awaiting us was a glorious spread of fresh fruit, hot croissants, french toast with a fresh blueberry compote, bacon, and hot coffee.

Kendra's spread of chow... she should have taken more bacon it was delicious!

Come back tomorrow to hear about Saturday's lunch and dinner!

Blueberry Hill Inn - Part 1

Blueberry Hill Inn, taken from the sauna, looking across the pond.

Hey guys! Matthew Kendra and I had a great time at Blueberry Hill Inn this weekend. Blueberry Hill is a bed and breakfast tucked in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area in Goshen Vermont (a little north of Rutland). The views are breathtaking, surrounded by mountains and miles of hiking trails, cross country ski trails, and peace and quiet... this place is pure relaxation. The air is so fresh and crisp and you will always smell something delicious wafting invitingly from the kitchen. Tim is the chef of the house and is a transplant from England, his style of food always has a unique flare and never disappoints.

The Inn is known for its chocolate chip cookies, you can order them here. As a guest of the Inn you have full access to the bottomless cookie jar, located conveniently next to the never ending coffee pot and the drawer fulls of every type of tea you could imagine. I found myself visiting this spot many times over the weekend. Although the best time to visit it, is as the cookies are coming out of the oven, there's nothing better then a big warm melty cookie!

If you live in Vermont or want to go on a wonderful vacation you should 100% go to Blueberry Hill. Tony the owner is fantastic and has a wonderful sense of humor. Paige the inn keeper is always around to help and enjoy in a good story over a glass of wine or cup of coffee.

There are rooms of all types and sizes. Paige put us in the little cabin to the side of the house which has a little sitting area, a loft with 2 twin beds upstairs, and a queen downstairs. Lots of room! There are loft style rooms (great for a family with kids) in the house as well, along with rooms for couples and rooms with two twin beds, perfect for friends traveling together.

Matthew doing his best Vanna White impression :)

The house also has a great watch dog Griffin (not sure if that's spelled correctly) He is the biggest teddy bear!

Kendra giving Griff a little bit of love

There were lots of good hikes and shananigans going on about the weekend, here is a sampling of some of the pictures. Stories of all the amazing food to come later in the week!

Kendra and myself out on the trails for a morning walk

Kendra asked Matthew nicely to move out of the way... he didn't listen...so sad

Breakfast sunday morning

More of the weekend crew!

I don't know what you are talking about... I definitely didn't push Matthew off the bridge...

Well once Matthew was off the bridge we had to take a picture... yeah a 10 second timer isn't enough for me to click it and then run off the bridge down the embankment and then pose with Matthew... I'm the red blur to the left hahahaha.

More stories, chow and pictures to come tomorrow!!