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Grunberg Haus Applesauce Pancakes
2011-05-06 03:01:00
We're always very happy to share our recipes here at the Grunberg Haus. In fact, some of our recipes were handed down by the previous owners 11 years ago when we bought the inn, others we brought with us, and still others we've come across while searching for new ideas to offer our guests. So we don't jealously guard our recipes and instead freely pass them along for others to enjoy.One person we shared a recipe with has written about it on her blog called A Mom Named Mindy. The recipe is very easy so give it a whirl and perhaps you will fall in love with applesauce pancakes as much as Mindy has!Two quick notes: the lemon juice may not seem important but the acidity is what gives the pancakes their "body" and helps them brown properly. Another trick we use here is full flavored Grade A Dark Amber Vermont maple syrup.Thanks Mindy! We hope to see you again some day.Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Advice , Food

Vermont Is Giving Away Gas Money!
2011-05-01 01:30:00
The Vermont Department of Tourism is giving away $100 in a weekly drawing that you can enter online. It only takes a minute to answer about 12 survey questions and you're entered to win a $100 gas card. Nowhere else will pay you anything let alone a hundred dollars a minute! [But wait, there's more! We'll even throw in beautiful scenery like the one above!]Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Advice , Money , Giving

Vermont Restaurant Week
2011-04-30 04:12:00
Vermont Restaurant Week starts today, April 29, and runs through May 5, 2011Vermont's annual restaurant week is a great way to eat at some of the state's best restaurants at a deep discount. The event, organized by Seven Days newspaper, includes dozens of restaurants with prix-fixe menus showcasing their chefs’ greatest dishes. Each meal(appetizer, entree´ and dessert) is priced at $15, $25 or $35 per person. Moreover, ten percent of the proceeds from event will be donated to the Vermont Food bank. This is a very popular event featuring very popular restaurants, so reservations are a good idea. To find participating restaurants, go to the Seven Days Restaurant Week web page and find the red box with the "Choose a Restaurant" headline on the right side of the web page. I did not count all the restaurants but it looks like more than 75 are participating and they range in location from Middlebury to St. Albans. You can find the list here. The event has a Facebook page too if you...
More About: Advice , Events

Three Vermont Chefs Named as Semifinalists in the James Beard Awards
2011-02-28 02:40:00
Eric WarnstedtEveryone has heard of the Oscar Awards for the movies but far fewer have heard of the James Beard Foundation Award, an equally prestigious award for people in the restaurant industry. Like the Oscar's, The James Beard Foundation Award has numerous categories even though the most publicized are the awards for chefs. However, there are also awards for food journalists, broadcast media, food and beverage professionals, even restaurant architects and designers. Three Vermont chefs are semi-finalists in the Best Chef Northeast category. This is the third year in a row that Eric Warnstedt, Hen of the Wood restaurant, Waterbury VT has been nominated. A few years ago, Eric was also named one of the Top Ten New Chefs in the USA by Food and Wine Magazine. Jason Gulisano of The Green Cup Cafe, Waitsfield VT and Nathaniel Wade, iDuino! (Duende) restaurant, Burlington VT have also been nominated. Only one of the 21 semifinalists will be named the winner at the awards cere...

Okemo's New "Timber Ripper" Mountain Coaster Opens Dec 23
2010-12-22 23:07:00
Okemo's "Timber Ripper" coaster is a few weeks late in opening because it was so complicated to build but it's completed now and scheduled to open tomorrow, Dec 23. The fastest $13 you'll ever spend! . . . Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Advice , Attractions

Sugarbush Trail Grooming With Dogs
2010-12-21 05:29:00
The next time you are at Sugarbush, see if you can tell which trails are groomed by these two guys. Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Dogs , General

Santa Goes Skiing at Bolton Valley
2010-12-19 18:46:00
I saw this photo on Bolton Valley Resort's Facebook page and had to share it. Today is "Santa Skis or Rides Free Day" at Bolton - everyone who wore a Santa costume got a free pass for the day. And it's a beautiful day here with sunshine and temperatures in the mid 20's. Last week we had light to medium snowfalls every day adding several inches each time. I think all the local ski areas, with the exception of Mad River Glen, have been operating for a while and it seems like each day they announce more trail openings. The two best websites for information on Vermont skiing and snow boarding are Ski Vermont and the Ski Maven blog. Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Advice , Events

New Dog Mountain Video and Burlington Exhibit
2010-11-16 06:37:00
There is a fun, new YouTube video about Dog Mountain's 2010 fall festival in Saint Johnsbury VT. Stephan Huneck, artist and founder of Dog Mountain and its famous Dog chapel, passed away earlier this year so all the events from now on are in part memorials to his life and work. Coincidentally, Frog Hollow gallery in Burlington is currently staging a Stephan Huneck exhibit through the end of this month. It features Huneck's prints, sculptures and books including a posthumously printed book entitles "Even Bad Dogs Go To Heaven" and even a replica of Dog Chapel. Frog Hollow is the Vermont State Craft Center and features works from 250 Vermont artisans. It's located at 85 Church Street in Burlington. Their summer hours are still listed on the website but it should be open most days during winter. You can call (802) 863-6458 for details. Both Dog Mountain and Frog Hollow also have Facebook pages. All dog lovers should plan a visit to Dog Mountain located just outside Sai...
More About: Video , Shopping , Advice , Events , Attractions

Shelburne Vineyard Wine and Food Festival Saturday
2010-11-12 21:08:00
Shelburne Vineyard 's Autumn Wine and Food Festival will be held tomorrow, Saturday, November 13 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. There will be free wine tastings, live jazz performances, and local food products from VT Smoke and Cure, Cavendish Game Birds, Olivia’s Croutons, VT Creamery, Shelburne Farms, Fat Toad Farms, Red Hen Bakery, Bread & Butter Farm, Daily Chocolate and Shelburne Kitchen. Wine tasting includes Shelburne Vineyard, Eden Ice Cider, Artesano Mead and East Shore Vineyards. This event is a benefit for the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. Visitors are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food donation and enter a raffle to win food and wine prizes.Shelburne Vineyards is located south of Burlington VT on Shelburne Road between Shelburne Museum and the VT Teddy Bear factory.Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Shopping , Events

Champlain Valley Quilt Guild Annual Show
2010-10-30 03:26:00
Shelburne Farms Coach Barn28th Annual Quilt Show : Homage to GrandmotherSaturday October 30, 2010 10 to 5Sunday October 31, 2010 10 to 4Shelburne Farms Coach BarnThe Champlain Valley Quilters will be hosting their 2010 quilt show in the Coach Barnat Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, Vermont, Harbor Road off Route 7. There will be quilt displays, merchants, a silent auction, quilt raffle, handmade crafts, and special exhibitsand demonstrations.Lunch and refreshments will be available. Free parking; admission is $6.Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Events , Guild

Annual Essex VT Fall Craft & Fine Art Show
2010-10-30 01:25:00
Fall Show 30th Annual Essex Fall Craft & Fine Art ShowOctober 29, 30 & 31, 2010Champlain Valley Exposition Essex Junction, VT Named one of the top shows in the country by Sunshine Artist Magazine, the Essex Fall Craft and Fine Art Show has become one of the largest. The merchandise is good quality and many of the craft makers and artists are in attendance. It's great indoor entertainment on a blustery day. "The show not to miss."Tip: there is a discount coupon on the show's website. Also, please bring non-perishable food item for The Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. Free parking. Admission: $7 / $6 with discount coupon. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult.On Sunday, a local radio station is sponsoring a garage sale at the same Champlain Valley Expo grounds. It's $3 to get in. Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Shopping , Events

Post Peak Beauty in Vermont
2010-10-29 04:25:00
Photo taken in Waterbury VT, October 27, 2010One of the great things about Vermont is its natural beauty even in seasons when you would least expect it. Right now is a good example. Most of the colorful leaves are not only past peak, they're lying on the ground. We're transitioning into Vermont's "stick season" where all the trees look like sticks. While it does not have the gaudy color of two weeks ago, the hillsides are still eye catching. At the lower elevations there are splashes of bright yellow and larger patches of rusty reds. It can be quite striking.Yesterday was a good example. I enjoy this time of year when the sun is low on the horizon in the morning and late afternoon. It makes for dramatic natural lighting and it's especially fun to observe when the sky is a cobalt blue or swirling gray with sunlit highlights. Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Beauty , Nature , Advice , Post

Stowe's First Snow Report of the Season!
2010-10-17 20:38:00
I got a chuckle today when Stowe's first Snow Report of the season arrived in my email inbox. But they had a good reason for sending it: over two feet of snow there yesterday. Of course, that's at the top but you can see in the report that they averaged a couple of inches elsewhere on the trails. Most of the ski areas in the northern half of Vermont will get their snow making operations started in a couple of weeks and they will try to open a few trails by Thanksgiving. Also, if you are considering a season pass, now is the time to get one. The sale prices will go up substantially November 1.Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Season

Where to Find VT Foliage
2010-10-15 22:09:00
Our weather today was not conducive to foliage viewing but it's predicted to be better tomorrow and fairly good on Sunday. Many areas are past peak now plus the wind and rain has knocked off many of the leaves that changed colors. However, there are still some areas coming into good color.As I've mentioned previously, the Vermont foliage report I think does the best job is on vermontvacation.com where you can find observations by VT forest rangers who know what they're talking about and are not hyping travel to Vermont. Here is a link to the October 14 Foliage Report. If you plan to tour VT in the next few days, I recommend that you line up lodging reservations in advance. We are nearly full tonight and full Saturday night for example. However, we have many rooms available Sunday night. That is likely the same situation for most Vermont lodging properties but not all. Click this VT Lodging Forecaster link for a useful guide to how busy inns and motels around the state are. It...
More About: Find

Vermont Marshmallow Farm
2010-10-11 03:06:00
While organizing this year's photos, I came across this summer photograph of plastic wrapped, round hay bales on a Route 100 farm a little north of Waitsfield. Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Marshmallow , Vermont

Update on Quilt Auction
2010-10-10 03:42:00
The quilt auction website mentioned below says more than 75 quilts will be auctioned tomorrow (probably written months ago) but the word "more" understates it by a wide margin. According to their Facebook page they now have 180 donated quilts for auction. Considering the amount of work that goes into making a quilt, that is an staggering number. It shows the great generosity you find around here. I didn't see any information about payment methods but I imagine you can polish up the credit card and bring along the check book for back up. Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Auction , Update , Quilt

Vermont Quilt Auction and Tractor Parade Oct 10
2010-10-09 23:48:00
Quilt Auction Saturday October 10Vermont is a rural state and I suppose nothing says rural like quilts and tractors. If you would like to see to some of the local rural flavor, here are two good Vermont events you can attend, one featuring quilts and the other parading tractors. Cabin Fever Quilts in Waitsfield Vt is sponsoring a benefit auction of 75 hand made quilts to raise funds for the local Food Bank, Humane Society, Battered Women's Shelter, and Seedbank for Haiti. The auction will be held at the Waitsfield Elementary School with a preview 9:00 am and the auction at 11:00 am. The quilts are craft made in the local area. You can see a slide show of some of the quilts to be auctioned here. But be warned, once you see them, you are going to want them! Charlotte Tractor Parade October 10 Don't worry about the line through the date on the Charlotte Tractor Parade home page. It's just some html that's gone wacky. The event is still this Sunday, October 10. Event time 11:0...
More About: Quilt

Vermont Fall Foliage 2010
2010-10-09 02:20:00
We got off to an early fall foliage here in Vermont but the colors are still changing and we have many days left before we're past peak everywhere. I was looking at the hillside across the street yesterday and was pleased to see so much bright red and orange has shown up. As usual, some hillsides are further along than others. Looking closely at the trees here at the inn, I see some trees that have few leaves left holding on and other trees that have only just begun changing and are still mostly green. The tree above is in front our inn and always looks spectacular for a week or so every year. It doesn't look very good the rest of the year and I hardly pay attention to it. But when fall rolls around, this tree is one of the first to blossom with a bright color that makes up for the other weeks of the year. When the lighting is just right, this maple has a day-glo orange color that is sometimes so bright, it almost looks fake - as though someone painted it a color that you would on...

Short Term 35% Discount at Killington Ski Resort
2010-10-07 03:38:00
Vermont's Killington resort has a "K55" deal available for a short time that you should take a look at if you are thinking of skiing there a few times this year. The K55 is a one day lift ticket that costs "just" $55 which is almost a 35% discount from the weekendwindow rate of $85. The offer expires October 15. The K55 is not good during the usual peak periods of late Dec-Jan, mid Jan MLK weekend, and Presidents' Day week in late Feb. You are limited to ten tickets but if you are going to buy that many, you should take a look at some of the other discount programs Killington offers such as the Express Card or the On-line Etickets. Of course the best deal is a season pass. You can see some details and analysis on this Alpine Zone page. Known as "The Best of the East," Killington is the largest ski area in the East. It has 200 runs and 33 lifts spread out over seven mountains. But a contender has mounted a challenge to that claim, Sugarloaf in Maine is adding more acreage and ...
More About: Short-term

Harvest Weekend at Billings Farm, Woodstock VT
2010-10-05 03:42:00
Photo copyright Billings Farm and MuseumOne of my favorite towns in Vermont is Woodstock and one of my favorite places inWoodstock is the Billings Farm and Museum. In your travels around central Vermont,Billings is one place I think should be at the top of your list of places to visit. This coming weekend, October 9 and 10, Billings is hosting its annual Harvest Weekend . Each day there will be an old time husking bee, barn dance, hand pressingcider, preserving apples, making butter and ice cream, harvesting the heirloom vegetable garden, "putting them up” for winter, shelling corn and beans, fencebuilding, Saturday rug hooking demonstration, apples-on-a-string, and 19th century games. Hot-spiced cider and homemade doughnuts will be available.Harvest Weekend is a Vermont Top Ten Fall Event as selected by the VermontChamber of Commerce. Billings Farm is a beautiful operating dairy farm with an excellent educational building. It is open everyday until the end of October and then wee...

Smashing Pumpkins. Not the Band; This is the Real Thing
2010-10-03 03:44:00
The 2nd Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival is being held at The Boyden Family Farm in Cambridge VT on Sunday, October 3, 2010. There will be catapults and trebuchets in action throwing pumpkins hundreds of feet. Competition matches start at 1:00 in the afternoon. Also, the American Chunker Air Cannon team from Merrimack, NH will be there early to launch its first public appearance. This incredible air cannon was recently completed after nearly a year's work and a $100,000 investment. The cannon has a barrel over 100 feet long and is expected to hurl a pumpkin nearly a mile. "Prepare yourself to be amazed at the latest and greatest in pumpkin smashing technology."More information about this amazing device (big, expensive toy) is on the American Chunker website and their Facebook page. To get to the Boyden Family Farm, you can plug this into your GPS: 44 Vermont Route 104, Cambridge, VT 05444Or use this Google map.. The farm is Located in Cambridge at the intersection ...
More About: Band , Real , Smashing Pumpkins

Where to Get Updated Vermont Fall Foliage Information
2010-10-02 03:23:00
I've watched Vermont fall foliage reports for a decade and the one I put the most faith in comes from Vermont Department of Forestry rangers. They are out in the field and they know what they're talking about. Heck, they even studied it in college. For years. At great expense. Their report is available at the Fall Foliage page on the Vermont Dept. of Tourism page. You will find reports on other websites but if you look closely you will see that they base their reports on the foresters' reports. In other words, they go to the website I mentioned above and rewrite it a bit. Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Information

Vermont Fall Foliage Starting
2010-09-24 21:37:00
Fall foliage in Vermont is off to a good start. Small spots of color have been visible for about a week and now they are gradually becoming larger spots. No bright reds yet, mostly yellows showing. It seems a little early to me but I think the foliage should last well into the second half of October because we've had good rain the past few weeks to help the trees avoid stress and thereby not shed their leafs faster. The photo above is from a newsletter I got from Jay Peak, about an hour's drive north of us nearly on the border with Canada. Their leaves are roughly a week ahead of ours here in the Waterbury area. So, is it leaves or leafs? Click here. Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus

The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of ...
2010-09-18 03:57:00
... internal combustion engines. Two big car shows are going on this weekend here in northern Vermont:the British Invasion in Stowe and the Northeast Street Rods Nationals near Burlington. The British Invasion is open to any British made car or motorcycle from old classics to modern cars. It's a concours event so you will see the best original or restored vehicles - there's not a rust spot or dent in this crowd. You can find the British Invasion at the Stowe Events Field on Weeks Hill Road across the street from the Swimming Hole indoor pool. The National Street Rod Association meet is being held at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction VT. I've been to both events and I am happy to report that they attract manyhundreds of cars and they're both top quality shows.The weather forecast is for great weather so put the top down and driveon over.Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Sound , The Hills

Vermont Route 100 Glassblowers Open Studios Weekend
2010-09-16 03:25:00
Glenn Ziemke On September 18 and 19, Waterbury's Ziemke GlassblowingStudio will be part of an Open Studio Weekend at five glassblowing studios up and down scenic Route 100 fromGranville to Hyde Park, Vermont . The event will featureglassblowing demonstrations, prize drawings, sale pricing, and a chance to win a glassblowing lesson if you visit all five studios.More information and a printable map are available at the Vermont Glassblowers website. The five participating studios are:Ziemke Glassblowing Studio, Waterbury Center, VTArtist: Glenn Ziemke, 802-244-4126 www.zglassblowing.com Map Green Mountain Glassworks, Granville, VTArtist: Michael Egan, 802-767-4547 www.eganglass.com Map Mad River Glass, Waitsfield, VTArtists: David & Melanie Leppla, 802-496-9388 www.madriverglassgallery.com Map Little River Hotglass Studio, Moscow (Stowe) VTArtist: Michael Trimpol, 802-253-0889 www.littleriverhotglass.com (1/2 mile off Route 100) Map Seasholtz Glass, Hyde Park, V...

Megapickles Vermont Photo Blog
2010-09-12 03:43:00
I've written previously about how much I enjoy Megapickles, a daily photo blog by John Hughes, a professor at Saint Michael's. The Vermont landscapes and architectural photographs are well done and fortunately they make up the bulk of John's work. If you want to see what Vermont look like to a superb photographer, this is where you can find what you're looking for. The photo shown in the screen capture above is a good example. The reduced size here takes much away from how striking this photo is so please click the link and see the original. In fact, I suggest you go to the Megapickles website and see especially the photos posted between Sept 4 and Sept 11. When I visit John's photo blog I'm reminded that there are many beautiful places all around the world and I'm fortunate to live in one of them. Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Photo , Blog

Country Singer Jamie Lee Thurston at Ben & Jerry's
2010-09-10 05:08:00
Country singer and Vermont native Jamie Lee Thurston will hold a free concert at Ben & Jerry's factory on Route 100 in Waterbury VT on Saturday, September 11, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.Free ice cream and a free politician too! (Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.) Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus
More About: Country , Singer

Book Review: "How To Survive the Recession, A Vermont Perspective&
2010-09-03 01:20:00
"How to Survive the Recession - A Vermont Perspective" by Bob Stannard: A fun read by Manchester Vermont resident Bob Stannard made up from some newspaper columns he wrote in recent years plus new material especially for this book. Bob figured he could help his country in this time of trial and tribulation by explaining how Vermonters get up every morning (well, most mornings), pull on their boots, and go about the task of wrestling with the bear (i.e., living).Bob sketches the characters (and I mean characters in every sense of the word) he has met and events he has witnessed or instigated, and uses these vignettes to show how Vermonters deal with the challenges and rewards of life.The book in written in a conversational voice thankfully lacking in pretense. If you stopped by Bob's house, sat down with him in front of his fireplace and asked him what it's like to live in Vermont, this book would be his response. It's a very easy and quick read. For the most part he does not stra...
More About: Book Review , Review , Book

Vermont Waterfalls Website
2010-08-23 03:31:00
www.vtfalls.com websiteI don't know why we all love waterfalls. Perhaps we've never seen a bad one. We've seen other bodies of water look bad such as muddy streams, filthy rivers, scummy ponds, and polluted lakes. But not a waterfall. If somebody did something to pollute one, it would get flushed out quickly. Perhaps it's "The Sound and The Fury" as Faulkner would describe a big waterfall. Or the speed. Some of them are like roller coasters after all and many of us would like the exhilaration of riding one like that. Waterfalls look like fun!Whatever the reason, it's always to thrill to see one, especially a big one. Vermont has many waterfalls due to our steep terrain and frequent precipitation year around. A good source of information on waterfalls is www.vtfalls.com, a website run by photographer Chris Hungerford. Chris is a full time science teacher and part time photographer living in St. Albans VT who specializes in outdoor photography. He has photographed and filmed man...
More About: Website

Slate: "The Only Luggage You'll Ever Need"
2010-08-20 04:59:00
Starting a positive review with a criticism is probably the wrong way to go about it, but I'll do it anyway because I won't be able to continue writing unless I get it off my chest. A recent Slate magazine headline, "The Only Luggage You'll Ever Need" is wrong. The article is about the Patagonia Maximum Legal Carry-on (MLC), which looks like a great travel product and has many positive user reviews on Patagonia's website. It's sized to fit in airline overhead bins or under the seat in front of you. How that qualifies as the only luggage you will ever need, I don't know. There may be times when you need to travel with a suit or dress for instance. They won't fit in this bag and even if you managed to fold them up enough to get in, they wouldn't look too good at the other end of your journey. I will admit this bag would probably be my go-to bag most of the time. I'm a big fan of Patagonia products and have owned a few including a great fly-fishing rain jacket I'm still usin...