Vermont Vibes Field Trip!

Yes, it's time!!! This will be the first time Vermont Vibers can get together and meet for an actual group Vermont Vibes adventure! Come join Vermont Vibes creator, The Mitch, The Face, and other characters who love Vermont Vibing! Maybe there'll be a few, maybe a whole lot, whatever the case it will be fun!!!

The first ever Vermont Vibes Field Trip will be to one of the first ever Vermont Vibes destinations - the South Hero Apple Fest!!!!!! This is Vermont's biggest apple festival and is so awesome with stuff to do and people to spread positive vibes too that I don't even pick apples anymore! I buy stuff and eat food and chat away with all sorts of folks. I invite all Vermont Vibers and fans to come join us for a day of fun in South Hero. Here are the details:

When: Saturday, October 11
Where: Vibers will meet in the parking lot to Shaw's on Route 7 in Colchester at 11 am (we will be in the first part of the parking lot when you drive in, not up by the store and will have a sign or two to identify ourselves - and of course the Vibe will be there!) Our plan is to leave at 11:30 so people have a chance to get coffee, etc. in Shaw's.
Drivers: Our goal is to pack up the cars and have a few folks volunteer to drive, stopping at a gas station so everyone can pitch in of course
Costs: Bring some cash to share with the driver (or offer to drive) and cash for the event - credit/debit cards aren't exactly appreciated or excepted at all parts of the festival.




Come Vibe with us!!!!!!!

Car Crushes and Love

Do you ever drive along (either while vibing or just driving somewhere) and realize your car has a crush on another car? This often happens to me when I am off to a meeting or destination or while vibing and a car in front of me is going along at the perfect pace. You know - they aren't slowing you down but are also keeping a good pace and distance in front of you? I always feel some sort of affinity for such cars. Not the driver, but the actual car. Just wondering if others feel this ever or ave other forms of car crushes?

I also enjoy giving my car love. Unfortunately living at the Charlotte farmhouse doesn't give me the wonderful access I had to a strong hose, driveway, and shop vac I had when living in Burlington (with eco-friendly car wash of course) so the Vibe has seen better days. It's on the to-do list this week to give the catalyst in Vermont Vibing a detailed bath. But, the Vibe has gotten some other love recently - like at a recent music festival where The Healthy Hippie and I held a White Snake hippie photo shoot and promoted The Healthy Hippie Magazine. Such fun!

A Summer Photo Review

I am never sad to see summer go. I admit it is bitter sweet and of all the Vermont seasons, fall has usually been my least favorite because of the death (see posts from last year). But, this year is different. My love affair with Charlotte and my garden have me greatly anticipating the end of my monstrous garden. I love it dearly, but every ounce of extra time right now is consumed with putting up my veggies. This is also my first winter in Charlotte (new readers - it will be my 8th in Vermont, my 30th in the Northeast at a high elevation - I only spent two away - in Nashville where the lack of winter is just stupid).

Anyway (I love digressing) I also love winter and am so so so so so so so so so excited to see winter in the country again!!!! I grew up in the woods where winter was pure heaven. Then four years in Poughkeepsie, New York for college (ok, minus four years off the high elevation statement, although I was home for winter break), two years in Nashville, and eight years in Burlington, I can't wait to experience winter in the country. Woods and farm country are very different landscapes for my city mice readers. The woods offer fantastic shadows and contrasts of light and darkness which I will always hold closest to my heart. But out here, the vast open spaces and the huge sky are going to be amazing. Mind you I've never bounced around out west - so this is huge for me. I'm an East Coast Mama!!!

But, this post is a recap of my magical, life changing, romantic, beautiful summer in, at, and around the Charlotte Farmhouse. Here are my faves:

Citrus & Herb Salmon - one of Mitch's sneaky chef dishes

The one time I caught one of the numerous rainbows on camera, view directly from my back porch

The Mitch and The Face - neighbors and BFFs!

The making of Stuffed Pork Chops with the sneaky ingredient of garden carrots

Slaving over those pork chops with a Garden Mint Mohito

The pork chops on their way into the oven - Mitch and I both agree - this meal was a $30 plate - it was THAT good

Mitch happily sitting down to my candlelit dinner of Stuffed Pork Chops and Garden Greens with a Garden Herb Homemade Salad Dressing (NOTE TO LADIES - two months later he proposed)

View of the garden as August progressed

Canoe Guitar!!!

Mitch posing for me amongst the Charlotte sunflowers

My attempts at sunflower art

My attempts at cat photography

Some of the garden and farmer's market ingredients I used for one of my entirely localvore meals!

Mitch napping during one of our lazy (no working in the garden) lawn afternoons


For those who miss my traditional Vibe posts - would you be able to leave this paradise either? Let's see what kind of Vibes I can create and spread this fall - LOVE and LIGHT!!!!

Love is in the Air......

My vibes are vibratious - can you feel them? This is because, Mitch is no longer only my lover, sidekick, best friend, and soulmate - he is now MY FIANCE!


Yes, it has happened, Mitch proposed while an angus bull peed behind us. I accepted of course and now I got me some bling! And so it begins, the insane road to our wedding festival, which will be in 2011. I may be switching my blogs over to an all wedding blog, I may not. One thing is for sure - I can't believe this has all actually happened!

From years of being the wild and crazy single gal to the sometimes very lonely single gal to the totally angry and broken from nasty cheating and vibe depletion activities. This is when Mitch found me, and not a moment to soon or too late - I needed to experience all of these things to be able to fully integrate into a third person, concept, and energetic force - MitchaRachia.

I LOVE YOU MITCH AND EVERYONE WHO SENDS OUT THEIR LOVE TO US!!!!

Prepare for the wedding of all weddings - it will be ridiculous!

MitchaRachia Farmhouse Salsa

It's good. Real good. It definitely rivals any of these other salsa companies coming from Vermont gardens. And, as I love sharing my vibes, I will share with you! Check it!

Please note two items of importance in regards to MitchaRachia Farmhouse Salsa:

1.) Before you attempt - get your canning supplies and get someone who has canned before to give you a lesson in canning. Not me though, I charge $100 an hour.
2.) You can switch the veggie items around as you see fit and also also mix up the spices a bit for your taste, but the other ingredients must remain for the sake of how to preserve without chemicals.


# denotes directly from my garden! (this made about 4 quarts)

8 cups of chopped, seeded, peeled, and cored red and yellow tomatoes (this is MESSY!!!) #
2 cups of chopped, seeded, and peeled cucumbers #
3 cups of chopped and seeded green and yellow peppers #
1 cup chopped hot peppers (wear gloves so you don't get burned) #
1 cup chopped green onion #
1 cup chopped leeks #
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup minced cilantro #
1/4 cup chopped chives #
2 tablespoons marjoram
2 teaspoons of salt
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice

After you spend several hours chopping, peeling, de-seeding, etc., combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps (meaning lightly screw on just as the first bit of pressure can be applied). Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

YUM!!!!!!

Fried Green Tomatoes!

I have been meaning to get more posts up here regarding all of the fabulous food Mitch and I have been making directly from the garden. We are so localvoring it - pick and then plan the meal - it's so fun! For instance last night I had some big mushrooms in the fridge almost ready to go bad. So, I took the stems out and chopped 'em up. Then I picked some carrots, tomatoes, peppers, rosemary, thyme, parsley, chives, leeks and chopped them up. I did some veggie sauteing, binded them all together with some flour, cooking wine, and water, and topped it off with some mozzarella, Parmesan, and bread crumbs and stuffed those mushrooms right up. I also stuffed a few peppers as well. Then I baked 'em and have leftovers today for a lunch meeting with an old friend. How fab is that???

Today I wanted to share with my favorite Vermont Vibers about the fun of Fried Green Tomatoes. I actually didn't ever see that movie until a little over a year ago - sometimes I am not sure where I have been. It is a most excellent movie and I think I actually blogged about it last year as the best movie to watch after creating a spa night for oneself.

As I watched my garden grow this summer, I found while I was waiting for the veggies to show up (now I am swimming in them), there were an awful lot of green tomatoes and hot damn - what would I do with them all once they ripened? So, I looked to my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook I bought for my mom as a birthday gift when I was in the fourth grade and then stole when I left for college (although now is when it's really started to get a workout). Sure enough there was a recipe and with some tweaking - I offer you:

Farmhouse Friend Green Tomatoes:

~ Pick green tomatoes off vine
~ Cut into four slices
~ Place four bowls on counter and fill:
Bowl 1:
milk
Bowl 2:
Flour, salt, pepper, and garden herbs (I use parsley and thyme)
Bowl 3:
Beaten eggs
Bowl 4:
Bread crumbs
~ Dip tomatoes in each mixture in order above
~ Place tomatoes in heated veggie oil in frying pan
~ Fry 3-5 minutes per side, depending on heat level of oil

Fried Green Tomatoes are the one fried food approved by Vermont Vibes - and while it's traditionally a southern thang, I think they should be the official fried food of the Green Mountains! They're green and Vermonters grow lots of tomatoes!

Fish Emulsion and Veggies

Ha! Another sneaky chance for me to write something while Rachel is not around!!! I wanted to comment on the crazy and prosperous time we have had with our garden this summer. As a first time gardener, I have had to learn many tricks and deal with many annoying details (i.e. - weeding, pruning, tying up tomatoes, bugs, etc). I also have been able to experience the pure bliss of the "fruits" of my labor. For all of those vibers out there who have a garden or want one in the future, I have two words for you....FISH EMULSION!! Man, this stuff is crazy!! It is smelly and for the most part, well, gross. However, it is an all natural way to make your garden explode with hearty, sweet veggies that are just amazing to eat. Depending on the size of your garden, just mix 2 to 4 teaspoons into a 2 gallon watering can filled with water, and then water your plants as normal. You only need to do this once a month. Just to clarify, Fish Emulsion is a liquid made from fish parts. There is no actual chunks or anything nasty to deal with! Just prepare yourself, because you will be swimming in vegetables!! Uh Oh....I hear Rachel coming back, so I will be back at some point with some sort of sneaky vibe!! Peace, Mitch