Stein Eriksen Lodge | Deer Valley

Another gorgeous bluebird day was spent cruising the slopes at Deer Valley. This majestic mountain is skiers only and quite a refined skiing experience if I do say so myself. We lunched at Stein Eriksen Lodge's Giltretind inside next to a crackling fire. (Although the outdoor dining with tables surrounding fire pits looked equally as inviting!) Timing wise our food service left much to be desired - our appetizers and meals came out together and took for-ev-er. It was incredibly busy. The food was still excellent. 

We shared Green Deviled Avocado Eggs & Ham ($15), I drank a Wasatch Brewing GhostRider White IPA, plus a glass of Rosé. I had an outstanding sandwich: Iberico Pork, Serrano Ham & Egg ($21) layered with grilled shoulder, shaved ham, herbs and pickled mustard seed on ciabatta with an arugula pesto and pumpkin seed quinoa salad. 

The #SafeAsKittens #JonsWapiti Utah 2017 crew! The Treats is not pictured here / taking the photo.

Lord Jeffrey Inn | Amherst

Majestically nestled on the maple-lined Amherst Common and the campus of Amherst College, the Lord Jeffery Inn and their handsome restaurant and bar 30Boltwood warmly welcome guests to the heart of New England. The landscape embraces springtime with well manicured hedges, a crisp green lawn and cheerful gardens of bright yellow daffodils and vivid fuchsia and orange tulips. Original architecture and classic style offer historic charms while featuring modern amenities in 49 stylish guest rooms. This is the place to stay and/or dine if you're visiting the area. 

After we spent the day biking in the neighboring towns of Northampton and Easthampton along the Norwattuck and Manhan Branches of the Western Massachusetts Rail Trail, I was absolutely beat. It took all my energy to shower up for dinner, and I was so grateful we only had to venture downstairs to reach 30Boltwood. We were seated in a cozy brown leather booth with a copper top table lending an exclusive feel; sinking into that tall circular booth it felt like we had the place to ourselves! We were greeted by a jovial and engaging waiter who informed us that all wines by the bottle are $35 each. And with an extensive, expertly labeled list - whites are broken down as either: crisp, aromatic, full-bodied or bubbles, and reds: earthy, rustic or powerful - this proves an incredible deal. 

We enjoyed a Cabernet / Merlot blend from South Africa, Ken Forrester "Petit", alongside Maplebrook Farms Burrata ($12) with smoked red pepper and preserved lemon. The Pan Roasted Duck Breast ($35) was accompanied by a foie gras torchon, polenta, wild mushrooms and swiss chard. A flawlessly prepared al dente House Tagliatelle ($26) arrives with smoked pork shoulder, goat cheese and roasted tomatoes. A bonus round included a sample of the Monkfish over English pea puree, pickled rhubarb, spinach greens and radish. Dessert offered a creative Espresso Crème Brulee Tart ($12) with bourbon whipped cream and pistachio plus a scoop of Sweet Corn and Blueberry ice creams. 

Locally sourced ingredients prepared simply but with attention to detail coupled with intimate dining booths and inexpensive bottles of good wine, 30Boltwood served to impress. Retreating upstairs and sinking my tired and sore limbs into Lord Jeffrey's comfy pillow top mattress and high thread count linens rounded out a perfect Amherst getaway. 

Lord Jeffrey Inn + 30Boltwood
30 Boltwood Avenue
Amherst, Massachusetts, 01002 

*Our stay and our meal were provided thanks to Hampshire County Regional Tourism + Massachusetts Office of Travel + Tourism.

Prohibition Pig | Vermont

Vermont. I grew up skiing here and it is the absolute best state. This was one of the worst winters on record due to lack of snowfall (I spent a lot more time skiing in Canada), but, on the few VT trips we had some noteworthy meals alongside delicious locally brewed beer. This week I am sharing three of my continual favorites! (1/3)

Prohibition Pig | Waterbury | exit 10 off I89
When: Lunch or Dinner on the trip to or from Stowe 

In 2012 the Boston Globe featured an article on Waterbury called "The Best Beer Town in New England". Prohibition Pig plays a large part in that as it was the only spot where you could find the iconic Heady Topper on draft, alongside coveted Hill Farmstead brews like the Susan IPA and the Dorothy Pale Ale, plus Lawson's Finest Sip of Sunshine and Maple Imperial Stout. Additionally, the Pig's own tasty drafts are brewed next door - try the Downtown Piggy Brown or the Spring Break Saison. They don't offer samplers but you can purchase individual half pints two at a time which works just as well. 

With a powerhouse line up of craft beer, classic cocktails, southern style small plates and hearty BBQ served in a sophisticated farmhouse setting heralded by an apothecary like bar, Prohibition Pig has become quite the legend in the small town of Waterbury. We were instantly impressed with the Panko Fried Pimento Cheese dipped in chili pepper jam and Fried Oysters with candied lemon. My Just a Burger in its simplest rendition with ketchup, mustard and pickles was fantastic and the boys loved their Chopped Pork BBQ plates - choose from sides like roasted brussels sprouts, shoestring fries, cheddar grits or maple baked beans. 

Prohibition Pig

23 South Main Street

Waterbury, VT 05676

last meal

Goodbye North End kitchen. I'll miss your dishwasher the most. I've moved to an apartment with an eat in kitchen, it is a bright and airy room all its own with big windows and a doorway. (Oh the little things you appreciate after your kitchen was literally a hallway.) The last meal we cooked in our old apartment (that I documented anyways) was Cuban Roast Pork. It was a hell of an effort, trimming the fat from that massive pork shoulder. Juicing the oranges and limes for the marinade and the Mojo Dipping Sauce. But the pork came out wonderfully crisp and juicy, I served it with a side of English Cucumber tossed in a spicy serrano chili and citrus dressing. This recipe came courtesy of my Bobby Flay Throwdown Cookbook. 

Slow Cooker | Pulled Pork

Hi guys! I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend so far. It's a wonder what 63 degrees and sunny can do for the spirit. My Friday night and Saturday day were spent dog-sitting Adam's parents Greyhound, Buddy. Buddy is a rescue dog who used to race. He's 11 years old, sheds like it's going out of style, loves long walks on the beach (actually, he much prefers the pavement over sand) and is docile as can be. I will share more on our weekend in Quincy a bit later. I still haven't had the chance to share this meal from last weekend with quite an inundation of restaurant reviews the last couple weeks, you probably think I eat out all the time! I don't though. Sometimes I go to cooking classes and sometimes I even cook for myself. If you count cooking as adding pork shoulder, chopped onion, coke-a-cola and BBQ sauce to a slow cooker and turning the dial up to "high" then yep, I've been a maverick in the kitchen. Literally, that's all it took for this recipe! Well that + 7 hours of cook time.

I got the recipe from Iowa Girl Eats. She tends to be my go-to gal for slow cooker recipes. I've definitely seen a few other blogs where this goes down and let me tell you, incredible! Here is a rough idea of what I used (listed in order of how I added it into the crock-pot):

-2 lbs. of pork shoulder

-1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ Sauce (we like Stubbs!)

-enough coke to cover the pork

- 1/2 a large onion, chopped

Stubb's knows his BBQ sauce.

I served the pork for dinner on fluffy bulky rolls with a side of beans two ways!

When's the last time you had baked beans? Or green beans from a can for that matter?

Honestly, IGE's sides looked so good I went all out and mimicked the entire meal.

For lunch the next day I added some pickles to liven up my sandwich. On the side we've got leftover beans, salt & vinegar chips and a Miller High Life. (Hey, it was a weekend lunch!) Tender, sweet, smoky and spicy, the pork definitely benefits from the juicy, salty crunch of a few pickles.

What's your favorite meal to make in a slow cooker? Recipe links appreciated!