Archive for September, 2010

Vermont is one of the best places to watch the autumn leaves change color. The season starts with colors changing in the higher elevations where temperatures are known to be cooler.

This weekend is the beginning of the “Leaf Peeping” season. Vermonters and tourists hit the country roads to take in the beautiful variations of colors. According to the Fall Foliage map found at the Yankee Foliage website, the Northeast Kingdom is already at it’s peak. This means that the colors are at their brightest.

When the leaves begin to change color, most first turn yellow. The yellow pigment becomes visible as temperatures drop because the tree’s leaves are no longer producing chlorophyl which is the chemical that gives them their bright green color. As the days grow colder and the nights grow longer another chemical sets in which starts the leaves to change from yellow to red. During the transition, beautiful hues of orange are visible as the red mixes with the yellow.

But enough with the science! Below is a link from the “Vermont Living” magazine website. Here you can find suggestions of driving tours that will take you to some of the best leaf peeping areas in Vermont.

Have fun, drive safe and don’t forget to bring your camera!

New England is widely known for it’s changing seasons. July sits in stark contrast to January. With these changing seasons comes a variety of new activities. In the winter there is skiing, ice-fishing, snow boarding and snow shoeing. In the spring the sap starts to flow from the Maple trees. In the summer, you can swim and boat in the lakes, rivers and ponds. And in the autumn, the apple orchards open and welcome visitors to pick there own apples. Soon after, the leaves begin to change color and the cycle starts over again. As a Vermonter, you learn to appreciate what nature is giving you because you know that soon the temperatures will shift and a new season is about to begin. This is what makes Vermont an interesting and fun place to live!

Can you believe that it is Mid-September already? Time sure does fly. Before you know it we’ll all be ringing in the new year. But before we gather and sing ‘Old Long Ago’ lets embrace one of my favorite things about the quickly approaching autumn – APPLES! Apple Orchards have been a functioning staple of Vermont since the 19th century. Visit Vermont Apples to learn about Vermont Apple orchards and to find a list of orchards near you. If apple picking is not your thing, don’t worry. Most orchards have apples that have already been picked for you. Just call ahead to check if your closest orchard does this. Then simply drop by to pick-up a peck or a bushel!

This brings me to the reason why I made today’s post. I want to share with you my very own recipe for sugar-free Apple crisp.

Karen’s Apple Crisp
Ingredients
8-9 medium sized Apples (cored and sliced)
1 orange
Cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
1 cup Oatmeal
¾ cup flour
1 cup crushed pecans

Directions
Place the cored and sliced apples into a glass baking dish. Add cinnamon to taste and zest the rind of an entire orange. Mix in the zest with the apples. In a separate bowl, add in the oatmeal, pecans, flour, a tsp. of cinnamon and the butter. Mix together. Pour mixture on-top of the apples.

Bake at 350 degrees. Crisp is done when the apples are easily pierced with a fork.

Enjoy!

Harvest time is upon us! What better time of the year than to visit one of the many Farmer’s Market’s in Vermont. Did you know that many of the markets in this area are held year round? Sure, we can’t keep them outside like to we do in the spring and summer, but a lot of the towns have found venues to hold the markets indoors during the cold months. Burlington’s Farmer’s Market is held outdoors every Saturday at City Hall Park through October 30th. After that it moves into the Memorial Auditorium and is held every 3rd Sunday of the month. Check out: Burlington Farmer’s Market for more details. If a trip to the Queen City is not in your plans, there are still many wonderful markets around Vermont for you to visit. Go to the VT Agriculture website to find a Farmers Market in your region.

Next weeks blog entry – Apple Orchards and the BEST apple Crisp recipe you will ever find.