We're in Vermont visiting our friends, Pauline and Jake Couture! They own a Maple Farm along with a Bed and Breakfast in Vermont! And it's Maple Sugaring season! It's the time of year where the temperature at night goes below freezing and then during the day things thaw back out. That only happens for about 6 weeks each year, so during that time, things are especially busy if you're a maple sugar farmer!
We spent our morning with Jake in the sugar house, learning the ins and outs of maple sugaring. Next, we hopped in the car for a brief excursion. Where are we going?
The Coutures are just a short 15 minute drive from the border, so why not take a trip and see if there's some fun things to try. We got a brief visit to Canada back in July when we walked across the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls. Now we're going in the winter when things are a little colder.
Goodbye United States.
Hello Canada!
Bonjour Québec!
Our map directions even know we're in Canada now, having switched over to kilometers for distance and kph for speed!
Though our temperature is still in Fahrenheit.
Let's have some lunch! Theresa found a place with good reviews that had one particular item I was looking for especially.
Inside we found a cozy spot right in the corner.
And I got to order my first real Canadian poutine! And since it's not unhealthy enough I added bacon to it.
French fries, squeaky cheese curds, and gravy. Yum yum.
It was especially rich and even sharing it, I could not finish my plate.
Our adventurous eater (kidding) Ian chose a pepperoni pizza. It was super cheesy and had pepperoni on top of the cheese as well as below.
Having a great trip so far!
Alli had to have a picture next to this cute deer.
Next, we drove a bit further north to what I was really hoping to find. A grocery store! I'm always on the lookout for interesting taste tests to do, and international taste tests usually offer something unique!
Cute to see a little library in the front.
As soon as you enter the store, you're greeted with a large display of maple products. Peanuts, Cotton Candy, Maple Sugar Candies, Lollipops, Sauces, and more!
And further back in the cold case, there's maple taffy, maple tarts, maple butter, and maple sugar.
But we don't need any of that. I know where to find all our maple treats.
And going down the snack aisle, we did find a couple unique things that we'll be sampling later.
Cadbury Mini Eggs are dangerous around me. Usually I have pretty good willpower and resist sweets, but if you put a bag of those in front of me, it won't be there much longer. Here in Canada Nabisco's Chips Ahoy has put Cadbury Mini Eggs directly into the cookies!
And Alli found a Pepsi Cola Cream Soda that was really tasty.
One of the favorites though might have been the fresh (and still warm) bread from the bakery! Theresa and I both thought it tasted very very similar to the bread we had in French Polynesia (Tahiti and Bora Bora). It's really good. We bought a stick of french butter as well (never could get it to soften in this weather) and that made it even better!
Anything else nearby? How about a French Bakery?
Chez DORA Bakery has some tasty looking treats.
Is that a donut cake I see? Hmm.
In the end, I got this interesting looking layered pastry. Theresa got an apple filled sugar donut.
Unfortunately I wasn't too impressed with mine. Those flaky layers were really crunchy, and it only got better when you got to the cream filling. Theresa's apple donut was also interesting. Instead of an apple filling, the inside had slices of apple, but no other filling. No cinnamon, sugar, or syrup. Just apple slices that happened to get baked.
We're doing dinner with the Coutures so we've got to be heading back into the US.
We actually had a funny story as we entered back. We went through the usual questions and when the agent asked where we were staying we said, "At a bed and breakfast with friends who own a maple farm."
Agent - Oh yeah? Who are they?
Joe - Jake and Pauline Couture.
Agent - Ah, the Coutures. Yes, they're good people.
Joe - You know the Coutures?
Agent - Everybody around here knows the Coutures. I was on a school board with him years ago. If more people were like Jake and Pauline, the world would be a better place.
After that, we chit-chatted for a few minutes, with him recommending a few other places to see in the area, like whale watching in New Brunswick. Cool!
Normally we'd cook a meal if we're staying with someone, but without the RV here, we instead treated Jake and Pauline to a meal at The Junction restaurant. It's changed names a few times over the years, but Jake said he remembers taking Pauline here for dates years and years ago.
When we ordered a meal for the kids, Alli asked for the chicken tenders and Ian was going to split it with her and have a hot dog as well. The waitress said the chicken tenders came with 3, did we want to add a 4th one so it'd be an even split? No, I think they're good with 3.
And a good thing we didn't get the extra one too! Look at these monster chicken tenders!
Those are more like chicken breasts instead of tenders. I've never seen a chicken tender so big. Alli only ate 1 and we saved the rest for lunch the next day.
Before we went to bed, I wanted to get a look at the rest of the house. After the kids moved out, Pauline turned their rooms into a bed and breakfast, and there's a chance that we'll be back again, possibly with more family members in tow.
I knew that Pauline liked to quilt, but I had no idea how much! Lining the walls are different examples of quilts she's made.
The blue room.
The maroon room.
I had seen a few awards in the maple shop for their syrup, but I also noticed a 1st place ribbon for a quilt competition. Pauline said this is the quilt that took first place. Look at all those different size cuts. Wow.
And the green room.
In one of the rooms, there's a magazine with an article written about them from back in 2007.
The next morning, after another great night of sleep, we woke to the smell of sausage coming from the kitchen. Pauline made sausage, egg, and cheese muffins for everyone with a big hunk of Cabot seriously sharp cheddar cheese on each one. Years ago, they also operated a dairy farm here, supplying milk to Cabot.
Breakfast was delicious again. I got extra eggs from Ian who is a bit picky.
I've been promising Ian a snowball fight since we arrived. It's starting to warm up here and the snow is starting to disappear. Nevertheless, we went outside (without gloves because who needs gloves in Florida).
We didn't see too much snow, but as we explored the farm, we did see a few heifers that are hanging out in the barn. A nearby farmer is renting the barn for the winter.
The cows were all very curious, coming out to say high and give us a sniff.
It's starting to rain now, so it's time to go back inside. Why is Ian running up ahead of me though?
Aha! The rascal! He's got a pile of snowballs just waiting for me!
I'm glad he's having fun.
After getting the room packed up, getting the beds stripped and into the wash, we were looking for something to do to help out. What about those almonds Jake made?
After washing our hands very thoroughly, we got the run-down from Pauline regarding how to weigh and pack them.
We had a good assembly line going with Alli applying the stickers and opening the bags, Ian scooping nuts into the bags, and me working the scale and making sure every bag had exactly the right amount.
And don't worry about losing any of that maple sugar in the pan. Pauline scooped it into a container to use for baking later.
And there's one other candy that we just love. We're getting a few to take home too, and there's not enough on the shelves right now. T and I offered to pack up a batch that Jake made earlier since we'd be cleaning them out!
Jake has been busy all morning up at the sugar house. When we saw him briefly for lunch, he said that he had already filled 2.5 barrels this morning. That's a good day! The weather has been great and the sap is flowing!
Pauline has a special treat for us (and others later).
Pauline - Have you ever had sugar on snow?
Theresa - I don't even know what that is.
Jake piled some fresh snow into a trough that he keeps in the sugar house. Earlier today, Pauline boiled some maple syrup until it reached 235 degrees.
Next, she ladeled it onto the cold snow where it cooled down immediately, forming a sort of maple taffy. With a fork, you stab one end then start rolling it up until you feel you've gotten enough. There you have it! Your very own maple lollipop! And let me tell you, this lollipop is so much better than the premade ones that add glucose to stabilize it. This is heaven on a stick.
Pauline - You have to have a pickle!
Joe - A pickle?
Pauline - The maple syrup is extra sweet and a little alkaline. The sour pickle is acidic and cuts the sweetness. So you eat the sugar on snow, then you eat a bite of pickle. Then you have a little more sugar on snow, then more pickle. You keep going back and forth.
Personally, I don't like the crunch of pickles, but I tried it anyway. I think I still would want more sugar on snow without a pickle getting involved.
Thank you Pauline and Jake for sharing this Vermont tradition with us!
Look who is here! A homeschool co-op! We're homeschoolers too, so we fit right in!
Along with being maple farmers, Jake and Pauline are also maple ambassadors to the community! A whole group of kids and their parents showed up to see where maple syrup really comes from.
Before we left Florida, we told everyone to wear real shoes. Not Crocs. Maybe it was just too early in the morning, but Alli came with her pink crocs and fuzzy socks with no other shoes to change into.
Theresa - Look at everyone's shoes. Every person here is wearing boots of some kind.
After getting the tour, the pièce de résistance is getting to try the sugar on snow, and tasting the delicious maple syrup that they saw being made.
If you are in the need for real Vermont Maple Syrup, consider ordering it from Jake and Pauline Couture. They have a booming mail order business and are especially busy during the holidays. Or, if you want to visit northern Vermont, consider staying at their Bed and Breakfast. You won't be disappointed.
The maple products as well as the Bed and Breakfast can be found here at:
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