Green Mountains and Flowers: Wordless Wednesday

Path to Vermont

Isn’t it amazing how everything is greener in Vermont?  No wonder they call it the Green Mountain State!  Although it’s beautiful in winter, I can’t wait for spring to get here!

If you ever get a chance to vacation in Vermont and drive north up Interstate 91, make sure you stop at the Vermont Visitor’s Center – there are beautiful displays of all the artisan crafts – Bennington Pottery, woodworking, handwoven yarns and more!  You can walk the dog, or picnic on the lawn or tables that are provided.

This photo is from one of Vermont’s lovely rest area stops along Interstate 89.

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Vermont Snow Covered Walkway Bridge and Stream-Wordless Wednesday

New England Treasures

Everywhere I go in Vermont, no matter what season – there’s always a photo opportunity waiting for me!

The state recently received over 30 inches of snow from the monstrous blizzard last week that affected the East Coast.

My BFF from kindergarten lives in Enfield, New Hampshire. She owns Bearly Used Books, a really cute used book store, complete with pellet stoves, and recently sent me a book on how to shoot scenic photography.

This scenic picture was taken on the way to Northfield, Vermont – home to Norwich University.

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Vermont Snow Covered Mountains: Wordless Wednesday

Green Mountains

Before I met my son-in-law, I think I’d only been up to Vermont once to go skiing when I was in high school.  My husband and I would travel up Interstate 91 to go to New Hampshire for vacations, but we never really left the highway to see this beautiful state.

My oldest daughter’s husband is a Vermonter.  I’m so excited that I can now experience the beauty of the Green Mountain state’s four seasons through the eyes of locals, and not as a tourist!  My daughter’s in-laws know all the back roads with magnificent views!

This photo was taken on our way to a birthday party outside Montpelier, Vermont’s capitol.  My charming son-in-law’s cousins live atop this spectacular mountain!  The view will take your breath away!

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Connecticut Farm Barn and Pasture – Wordless Wednesday

Off The Beaten Path

Earlier this month there was a tragedy at a clean energy power plant being built in Connecticut along the Connecticut River.  My husband and I were out for a ride in Portland, just across the narrowest part of the river from Middletown, where the plant was located.   We were able to see the remains of the plant from the road.

Along the way with nothing in site except a small baby eagle, soaring overhead looking for dinner, we passed this quaint farm barn.

I didn’t have my digital camera with me, so this was the best I could do with my cell phone.

Next month I’m giving away a ticket to BlogHer10 in New York City. If you win, you might want to stop by and visit New England and see my neck of the woods! Check out my post for more info!

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Culinary Arts Career Opportunities

Career Opportunities

Turn Your WAHM Talents Into a Full-Time Business

I have yet to see the new movie that came out about Julia Child, “Julie and Julia” – but it’s on my list of top things to do.

I’ve posted here in the past that in hindsight, I should have gone to culinary school since the Culinary Institute of America used to be located almost in my backyard.

Cooking has always intrigued me, and those with specific talents can turn their passion into a catering work-at-home business and in turn expand their work-at-home business into a full-time restaurant business!  Some of my favorite places to eat are locally owned, mom and pop restaurants.

Many believe that food preparation or cooking is an art. Restaurants and catering services anchor their success on the expertise and skills of their kitchen crew. As the cliche goes, “a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Restaurants and the food industry keep their customers loyal though unique and delectable recipes using both innovative and traditional ingredients.

The Culinary Arts have become an academic pursuit as well. Large food manufacturers look to culinary artists to create ready-to-eat, name brand food products that feature the same quality as those of homemade and restaurant-prepared food. Several culinary arts schools offer graduate studies in Hotel and Restaurant Management for students.  Many schools here in New England offer such opportunities.

There’s also more traditional, classical institutions that cater to students who are employed in luxury hotels, cruise ships, resorts and restaurants or those employed as personal chefs to the rich and famous.

When we were visiting Hilton Head, many of the students of such schools were doing their Internships in the resorts down there for the summer.

Famed chefs open up their own schools to train protégés.  A few culinary arts schools cater to hobbyists. The King Arthur Flour Company in Vermont is one that offers courses.  Good schools provide intensive, hands-on training in everything as well as the real environment simulation to prepare their students well.

Culinary art’s courses quite frequently touch on cooking science or the standard ingredients that go into most food products, food decoration and preservation.  The courses also segregate trainings into stocks, sauces, soups, meat, fish and poultry cookery, breads and pastries, etc. Several schools also offer courses on exotic and traditional cooking. Students are also trained on food service safety and sanitation, commercial kitchen parts, management and finance.

As it is with other specialized professions, culinary arts graduates may often have to start at the bottom when they do find a position. But extremely talented students need not wait too long to establish their own reputation and following.

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Little Old School House Connecticut – Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

In New England, you can drive to almost any town and find little old school houses.  Some are one or two-room buildings.  The children would each have their own rooms, with boys taught in one room, and girls in the other.  Many have been preserved as museums, or converted into community buildings for use such as art leagues.  Some are on the National Historic Register.

This historic schoolhouse is in Windsor, Connecticut.

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Connecticut Shade Tobacco Farm Barns – Wordless Wednesday

Windsor

Shade Tobacco Farm Barns - Windsor, Connecticut

More scenes from our weekend drives.  During the summer months, coverings are placed over the poles to shade the tobacco leaves from the sun.

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Farm Fence and Pine Trees: Connecticut Winter – Wordless Wednesday

Connecticut Countryside

This photo was taken in Windsor, Connecticut – the oldest town in the state.  It reminds me of the poem by Robert Frost - “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”

Where do you think the path leads?

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It’s My SITS Day! Welcome to Moomettes Magnificents!

The Secret Is In the Sauce

The Secret To Success Is Support

Hi Everybody!  I’m so excited as today is my special SITS Day!

What perfect timing for a celebration as this past weekend was also my BIRTHDAY!  It’s great to celebrate with all my SITStas!

If you aren’t familiar with SITS – It’s a great group of gals from who believe that The Secret Is In Support by leaving comments on each other’s blogs and you can find out more at The Secret Is In the Sauce.

What’s a party without cake?  Since I have a recipe blog also at Moomettesgram’s Favorite Recipes, I’ve baked my favorite cake to share with you!

If you haven’t met me before, I’m Cindi, and also known around the blogosphere as “Moomettesgram.” You can find out more about my quirks on my Nav bar under 101 Random Things About Me.

I’m a Baby Boomer (+ one more year older now!) and I write offering tips about working from home.  I also offer Product Reviews and Giveaways from the perspective of a Baby Boomer Grandmom from New England, who’s “Been Around the Block.” I also like to share scenic photography pictures of New England on my Wordless Wednesday memes.

You’ll see I’ve been married for over 35 years.  I have 2 grown daughters – both college grads.  The oldest is married and a Marketing Director, and my youngest is currently in grad school studying Therapeutic Pediatric Disabilities.  I have two grandkiddos that I often speak about – ‘Lil Moomette who’ll be 4 this year, and Slugger who will be two.

Since this is my special day, I’d like to share some favorite posts.

Earlier last summer I did a 4-part series which was sort of a chronicle of “this is my life” – from when I was in my teens up until the kids arrived, at Woodstock: Part 1 – Talking About My Generation.

Another favorite was my fateful vacation trip to Bermuda.  We don’t get to travel too much and won a trip to Bermuda through a raffle when my oldest daughter played Lacrosse in college.  You can find out why I ended up with a souvenir Tetanus Shot Certificate for my scrapbook at Gas Crunch: Bermuda + Boomers + Scooters = A Souvenir Tetanus Shot.

Lastly, even though I’m a Baby Boomer, in my mind I still like to think I can walk into Victoria’s Secret and think I’ll look good in some of the things they sell.  Find out what really happens when someone my age walks into such a store – Lingerie:  Or What Do You Do With This Stuff?  A Baby Boomer Dilemma.

I hope you’ll also check out my Work-At-Home Tips section, along with my product reviews and general Humor and Curmudgeon commentary under “Veranda Chit Chat.” I also welcome people to Guest Post, and you can find all my current Guest Posts, Blogging Resource and Social Media informational tips on my sidebar under “Must Reads.”

Thanks for stopping by and helping me celebrate my SITs Day and Birthday Week!  (Yes, I’m beyond birthDAYS and make a whole week’s celebration out of it!)  You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Stumble Upon on my sidebar!

I look forward to meeting everyone and hope you’ll become regular visitors!

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Ice Wine And Early Bird Specials

Settling In To a New Year

Visions of Ski Lodges Dance In My Head

Happy New Year everybody!

Hopefully all my readers had a safe, enjoyable holiday.

I was supposed to babysit the grandkids last night, but my daughter and charming-son-in-law’s plans changed, so the Hubster and I went out to our favorite Italian restaurant for an “early bird” dinner.  Geesh, what’s become of us?

When we were younger, we used to go to New York City for New Years and party all night long; then the kids came along and we’d go out to our friends for a nice dinner and party and come home about 2 am.

Now, as Baby Boomer’s, it’s early-bird dinners, we stay home and the hubs turned in around 9 pm on New Years. Last night I blogged and tweeted and partied online doing the hashtag #lamenewyearseve.

I embibed a bit with sipped some Ice Wine on New Years eve.  There’s still some left from Christmas, and since it’s sort of officially still New Year’s Day, I’m finishing it I finished it.

You may ask what’s Ice Wine?  No, this isn’t a paid post, or anything of that sort.  I didn’t know what it was either until I went to Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York to visit my brother one year.  We toured some wineries, since it’s wine country up there.

Here’s the official Wikipedia definition of ice wine:

Ice wine (or icewine, as one word, or in German, Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape must to be pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine.

When my brother visited for Thanksgiving, he brought a house gift of Ice Wine from Hunt Country Vineyards for my daughter.

I would describe it as smooth and sweet – almost like a brandy. To me, it leaves a definite coating when you drink it, unlike a regular wine. It’s meant to be an apertif, or after-dinner wine. I serve it in my Waterford Crystal wine glasses. Perhaps it could also be served in cordial glasses.

I’ve tweeted about ice wine, and Renee Ross from Cutie Bootie Cakes asked what it was.  Speaking of Renee – she was my Secret Santa Pal this year when I participated in the T.J.Maxx and Marshall’s Secret Santa exchange.  More on that in another post!

Now, in my mind I’m sitting by a roaring fire or wood stove looking out the window at the snow-covered ground in New England here.  I don’t ski anymore, but would be content to curl up in a ski lodge that has Wifi or read a good book, and sip a nice vintage ice wine!

Actually, I tried to order the Hunt Country online, but Connecticut and their stringent laws, won’t allow purchases of wine online (so I was told when I went to place my order.)  I doubt I could even join a Wine of the Month Club here. In fact, even though Pennsylvania borders New York, they don’t allow it either!

I’ve found others locally at are equally as good – one has sweet flavors of pineapple and citrus while another has peach and honey flavors in it.

Have you tried Ice Wine?  What’s your favorite! If not, you might look into it for Valentine’s Day!

Don’t forget to check out my Best Posts of 2009! Happy Holidays!

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