a few more years shall roll

the yummy caramel creams made by Goetze’s Candy Company are the one candy i can’t resist. i have a tough time with toostie rolls too for some reason.

but those caramel creams, with caramel on the outside and a white blob of pretty much pure sugar in the middle. they’re soft and creamy goodness.

the real problem is that the candy dish at the front desk of our office (yes, i KNOW it’s supposed to be for the students!) stocks these babies day in and day out. how am i to resist them when every time i walk in and out, they are there, staring me in the face, begging to be eaten? i have to limit myself to a certain number each day. i think today’s number will be 4. (actually now that i think about it, the real problem is probably me).

they serve up an excellent breakfast. their sweet potato pancakes–with just a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg–are delightful. the general store is in the small town of adirondack, ny, near the campground where i spent the weekend with some good friends from choir. to be honest and forthright, i must admit that staying at the campground, meant staying in a lovely cabin overnight and spending the days in the lovely home of the campground owners!

the five of us went up last summer for a long weekend and had such a good time that we determined to make the trek annually. we take lots of food and cook some yummy dinners which we enjoy with a nice glass of wine. we hiked on friday, swam in the lake and watched the olympics. did you ever try to backstroke entrance into the water? it’s harder than it looks. my back was smarting after my failed attempt, but i get so inspired by the olympics that i have to at least give something new a try.

saturday it rained all day, but we didn’t mind. it was good just to spend time together with no deadlines overhead or other commitments to pull us away.

here’s a recipe i found online for sweet potato pancakes. i’ll have to give them a try.

Sweet Potato Pancakes
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by tablespoons onto hot greased griddle or skillet and fry, turning once, until browned on both sides.
Makes about 24 pancakes.

i got away for a three and a half day weekend in vermont, which was a lovely break from life in the city. i always wonder before i get up there if it’s worth all the travel for just a few days of rest. it is.

my great-grandfather built a cabin on a mountain in the early 30s, and i’ve visited most every summer that i can remember. memories of catching salamanders in the pond, or spending days searching for tiny sweet wild strawberries still are sharp in my mind. now, i tend to go up for the quiet and the lush greenness. and i love to take friends along so they can experience the fun of vermont.

my friend sharon came this time, and we travelled all over, eating ice cream as many times as possible, as is the rule for vermont. we also went to the north haverill fair one night, which was great fun. much fried food was available. we got to check out the 4H dairy fittings, the pony pull (now that’s fun!), and even caught jars of clay in concert. they were very good except the encore, which since the crowd was pretty quiet and was leaving and then all of the sudden there was a rush of applause from somewhere near the soundboard, i’m not so sure was completely unorchestrated. also, if you have something really important to say, like about the AIDS crisis in Africa, don’t save it for the encore cause then it really appears like you planned it. (ok, enough of my advice to jars of clay–oh, except, don’t expect a crowd at a country fair to know the words to the verses of your songs.)