I hope everyone had a great holiday season! My family was pretty busy and everyone got pretty much what they wanted. So now it’s the new year of 2012 and I’m looking forward to it.

I’m sure most people are, what with the bad economy and so on. Things will hopefully pick up a bit for everyone, it sure can’t get much worst! So I’m happy to see 2011 go away and look forward to 2012.

From now until spring I’ll be busy getting my sugaring lines and equipment ready for the 2012 maple syrup season. I hope to tap a lot more trees this year, but we will see how it goes.

It’s getting hard to tell just what kind of winter we will have, what with the crazy weather we’ve been having the past few years. Hopefully it will not be too bad with not too much snow or cold.

Anyways I just wanted to wish everyone a great new year and hope everyone has a better year in 2012. Keep warm, have fun, enjoy your family and try not to go off the roads this winter!

Hi everyone, hope your fall is going well. Sorry I have not posted on here for a bit but life keeps you busy! However I wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving and hope you all have a great holiday weekend.

Times are tough for a lot of folks and this year the holidays are not going to be all that great for many. But we could always be worst off, no matter how hard we think we have it.

So this Thanksgiving day we should be thankful for all the little things we have, plus our family and friends of course. In fact that is really what matters most in life when you get down to it.

It’s getting cold out and snow will soon be here in Vermont. But Thanksgiving is one more holiday we can enjoy before it gets really nasty weather out there!

So from me and my family at Vt. Maple Products I wish you a happy Thanksgiving day and lots of food to enjoy. Be safe on the roads, and try not to start any old family fights when you see all the in-laws!

Click here for the Mount Mansfield in Stowe, Vermont picture gallery page

Hi everyone, hope your summer is going well. Recently I drove up to Stowe, or rather I drove up the toll road on Mount Mansfield. If you do that, which cost $26.00 bucks, you get to the top of the mountain.

Or at least one area of the top. You can then hike 1.4 miles to the highest point on the mountain, which is the highest peak in Vermont. Mount Mansfield is in Stowe, Vermont.

The long trail hiking trail also goes up there and there are several branches you can take. Anyways I took a lot of pictures and also a video using my 70X zoom camcorder.

I made a picture gallery page of the pictures, along with the video. So check it out and see all the great pictures I took plus the video. You can see the big Stowe Mountain Lodge down below.

I highly recommend going up the toll road and seeing the scenery up there. You get a great view right where you park, you don’t have to hike at all if you don’t want to. But many want to say they got to the highest point and hike to the summit. Hope you like the pictures!

Click here for the Mount Mansfield in Stowe, Vermont picture gallery page

If you love biking in the mountains, late spring in Vermont is a great time for it. One of the best Vermont biking companies around is Stowe Bike Tours.

You might be familiar with Stowe, Vermont – a charming village located at the base of Vermont’s tallest mountain. Stowe is famous for its snow skiing and other winter activities, but it’s also great during seasons other than winter.

In fact, Stowe is a wonderful vacation destination any time of year! One of the amazing activities offered is the Stowe Bike Tours.
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Check out Sugarbush ski resort hotels today!

Dreaming of a winter wonderland or a great summer getaway? You’ll find both at Sugarbush! No matter what time of year you visit this famous Vermont resort, there’s always something exciting going on.

There’s also plenty of down time when you’re ready to relax and unwind – select one of the great massages offered, have a delicious meal in front of a roaring fire, swim in a heated pool, or chill out in a hot tub. Afterwards, nestle into a comfy bed at one of the resort lodgings and recharge your battery so you can do it all over again the next day!

Winter brings the snow and all the snow and ice-related activities. At Sugarbush, this means downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing adventures, ice skating, and snowboarding. For a really unique experience, guests can ride a cat limo up the mountain, enjoy a gourmet meal at Allyn’s Lodge, and then ski back down the mountain in the dark.
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Once again it’s time to share another great recipe that uses my pure Vermont maple syrup! This one is not a desert but a main course of any meal, the potatoes. Hope you like it!

Maple sweet potatoes

This recipe is an improvement on the traditional sweet potato casserole that many Americans enjoy at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The main difference is the inclusion of pure Vermont maple syrup. The maple syrup adds another dimension of flavor to the concoction.
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It’s time to share another Vermont maple syrup recipe! This one is fantastic and very tasty.

Maple-peach glazed scallops

Ever tried Vermont pure maple syrup with seafood? Try it – you’ll like it! You might want to start with this quick and easy recipe for grilled scallops. The sweet glaze is an excellent compliment to the salty bacon, and together they add a wonderful flavor to the succulent shellfish.

This recipe works much better if you use large sea scallops, as opposed to smaller bay scallops or calico scallops. If you can’t find the larger scallops and are forced to use the smaller ones, leave off the bacon completely. It would take you forever to wrap each little piece of flesh with bacon.
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Vermont Castings is a leading manufacturer and distributor of handcrafted cast iron stoves and fireplaces. With over 25 years of experience, the company offers premium quality gas grills, technologically advanced stoves and other products made from 100% recycled cast iron.

Whether you are looking for built in grills, wood burning fireplaces or convertible stoves, Vermont Castings has the solution. The products manufactured by this company are based on the newest technologies, featuring unique details and environmentally friendly materials.

By using these energy- efficient products, customers can save money and protect the environment. The materials used for each product ensure that the goods you purchase will pass the test of time.
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Enjoy springtime in Vermont at the 45th Annual Vermont Maple Festival in St. Albans. This year’s festivities will be held on April 15, 16, and 17 and will feature music, great food, antiques, crafts, cooking demonstrations, a parade, a foot race, exhibits, and rides. There’ll be something for all ages.

Of course as the name implies, The Vermont maple festival celebrates the art of making pure Vermont maple syrup. Vermont is one of the top states of producing great real maple syrup.

Kids will love getting in on the face painting, riding a real pony or a carousel horse, shooting down a giant slide, and enjoying other carnival rides. Older kids and grownups can experience the excitement of thrill rides, and everyone can test their skills at the midway games.
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It’s time for another maple syrup recipe! This one is called maple spare ribs, and it taste as good as it sounds! Ribs with a maple syrup coating for taste, what could be better than that?

Maple spare ribs

The real key to great ribs is to have them tender on the inside and brown and crunchy on the outside. The best way to achieve this is to cook them at a low temperature until they’re done, and to then cook them for a short period at high heat.
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