As the end of the year approaches and a new one begins, I reflect on the disappointments, hardships, dreams, and accomplishments that have past in the last 12 months. The past few years have been tough ones. The recession has been hard on us all. Millions on unemployment and watching their bank accounts dwindle away, and still, at the end of 2010, without much hope for change. I miss the “golden days” where my life as a blossoming adult was not dragged down by economic hardship and didn’t revolve around money . . . the next job, the next paycheck. It’s a good time to be in grad school they say. I’m not sure yet if it’s a good time to be graduating from grad school this spring, but we’ll see what 2011 will bring. It’s what the celebration of a new year is all about: renewed hope in the future and in our own potential.

Though I am more than ready to put 2010 behind me, it wasn’t without it’s small moments of glory.

I enjoyed New Year’s Eve among old high school friends I hadn’t seen in years (January) when a friend, now living in San Francisco, threw a subdued bash at her mother’s house in my hometown of Lanesborough. Then, although I spent another cumulative 6 months sans husband in 2010, we’ll always have Paris (February). Even cold and gray, Paris still stole our hearts (for the second time). So did the Louvre, the Mona Lisa, and the lovely ladies at The Crazy Horse cabaret.

La Tour Eiffel Illuminee

March and April brought an infuriating and completely unnecessary battle with my landlord over a leaky roof and lack of heat that landed in court (the sensation of fury running up my spine as I write this). Nonetheless, by the time Tony returned in May we settled and enjoyed a newly reconstructed bedroom. By June we were basking in the sun on the porch and reveling in warm summer nights and relaxing times with friends.

The laze of summer ended too soon though and I was right back into my grad school work, staying in New Hampshire 3 to 4 days a week to run around in the woods alone on hot, sweaty afternoons. Looking back on a busy and difficult summer, I have to remind myself that I climbed a 4,800 foot mountain in the Whites (July) and in August succeeded in completing my solo field work, even coming to enjoy the last few weeks of my accomplishments. We stole a few days of R&R at a quaint B&B in Vermont run by an elderly couple before I started classes (September) and was lost in a flurry of readings and endless homework.

It also became a stressful autumn as we approached the difficult decision for Tony to leave the country again. But I did the best I could. Fall is my favorite time of year, after all. I even bought a devil’s costume and decorated the porch (of our new apartment) for Halloween (October). By November Tony had gone again and I lost myself amongst group projects, papers, and field trips. A stroke of luck at last when I landed an internship with the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, a local land conservation organization. I completed my semester, and began preparing for Christmas just in time for our first New England winter Nor’easter that dumped 16 inches on North Adams (December)! Christmas brought in my uncle from Chandler, Arizona and my aunt and cousins from the MA coast, gathering at my grandparent’s home in Richmond for one of the largest Christmas dinners we’ve had in years.

And here we are . . . 2011! I have so many wishes, dreams and hopes for this year. But what I know now is to take the lessons of 2010 to heart and move forward. Through trials and tribulations we persevere to authenticate ourselves.

May your 2011 be blessed with insight and triumph! Happy New Year!

My mom and I hiked this trail on a glorious autumn day and it is now our favorite hiking spot! Located on the Mount Hope Farm property off Rt 43 in Williamstown, MA, Mount Hope Farm is the site of several trail heads to the Mt. Greylock Reservation. Follow the old farm road lined with trees past the fields and follow signs to your destination. Don’t forget to grab a trail map on your way in! We have found the Money Brook Trail to be the most enjoyable and picturesque. It follows a babbling stream and is an easy hike. But you can enjoy longer hikes up the mountain like the Stony Ledge hike that ends at a look out point in the Mt. Greylock campground area. There are many options for hour long or day hikes.

Hiking is a wonderful way to get exercise and enjoy the outdoors no matter what the season. So, get out there and hike this summer!

Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Christmas 2009 issue

Every Christmas tradition has a beginning. Over the years, that ritual, whether it is a favorite family recipe, homemade gift, or fun Christmas craft, becomes a cherished holiday experience, whether performed alone or with family or friends. When I first saw this beautiful braided nut and fruit bread in Martha Stewart Living magazine it looked like the perfect recipe to bring to Christmas dinner.

Spending another Christmas without my husband, I still needed to feel like I was part of a Christmas tradition. So I set out to make this German Stollen alone hoping it would be as enjoyable around the dinner table with family as it was to create and I was not disappointed! Dense, flavorful, and sweet, it’s the perfect Christmas pairing with coffee after the meal. Celebrate and enjoy!

German Stollen

(Makes 2 braided loaves)

5 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour plus more for surface or if dough is sticky

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground mace

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup whole milk, warmed

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted

1 tbsp plus 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (from 2 1/4 oz envelopes), dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups golden raisins soaked in 1/4 – 1/2 cup orange juice overnight

1 cup dried currants soaked in 1/4 cup spiced rum or Cognac overnight

1 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

vegetable oil for bowl

1. Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, salt, mace, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Stir in warm milk and melted butter with a wooden mixing spoon. Add dissolved yeast and eggs until dough starts forming a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

2. Drain raisins and currants. Add raisins, currants, almonds, and chopped apricots by handfuls to dough, kneading until all are incorporated, about 10 minutes. Add a little flour if dough is sticky.

3. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours. (I kept mine on the radiator).

Punch down dough. Form an evenly shaped loaf and cut in half. Divide each half into even thirds. Roll each piece into a 15-inch log of even width. Braid 3 logs together and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining 3 logs. Cover with plastic and towel and let rise about 1-2 hours more.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Bake loaves one at a time until golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely before wrapping and storing. Keep Stollen at room temperature. When ready to serve, slice and drizzle Stollen pieces with almond glaze.

Almond Glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 1/2  tbsp (7 1/2 tsp) whole milk

1/2 tsp almond extract

Beat ingredients together. Warm slightly before drizzling over Stollen. Store at room temperature.

You’ll need: (all measurements are approximate. Don’t be afraid to experiment!)

1/2 lb pasta of choice, cooked aldente

1 large red bell pepper, seeded, reserve all flesh

1/4 large purple onion, sliced

1 ripe tomato, coarsely chopped (or 3/4 cup cherry tomatos, halved)

1/2 small log plain goat cheese, crumbled

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 clove garlic chopped (1 tsp minced)

olive oil for roasting and sauteing

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling pasta

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees farenheit. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the red pepper in half and score it so that it more or less lays flat. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast in oven until tender and skin begins to char and bubble, approx. 10-15 minutes, turning half way and basting with oil.

2. Meanwhile, saute onions in 1 tbsp oil. Sprinkle with salt and cook until tender and beginning to brown.

3. When peppers are done, keep oven on and set peppers aside to cool. Drizzle tomoatos with a little oil and toss with garlic and salt. Spread on baking sheet and roast in oven until edges begin to brown or until juices start to dry up and tomatos are tender(depending on which type of tomatos you are using your situation may vary), stir a few times to roast evenly, appox. 5-10 minutes.

4. When peppers are cool enough to handle, peel skin off as much as possible. Chop into 1/2 inch strips.

5. Add freshly cooked pasta to a large pasta bowl. Toss with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, peppers, tomatos, onions and basil. Add crumbled goat cheese, a generous amount of salt and pepper and mix well. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

It’s amazing how four days in another country can affect your outlook. Has it been the long New England winter that has darkened my perspective? Or the growing list of daily demands on my life? In any case what is usually described as “cold, dreary, conservative” England was my beacon of sunshine into a clouded mind the four days I spent there amoung my friends, the Cohen’s, who moved there last fall.

My travels throughout Marlow, Windsor, and London weren’t cold or dreary at all compared to the weather we’ve endured in the Berkshires of late. The sun was shining, the temperture warmed to a comfortable mid-50′s at times, and it only rained once. And the best part was that I had friends to show me around and explore along my side.

What touched me the most about England was the depth of the history there. Not only in all of the ancient towns, buidings, and churches around me, but in my own history: my childhood. Before leaving on my trip, my tidbits of knowledge on England were vague. But the longer I thought on it, and the longer I was there, the more memories were revealed to me. All of my romantisized preconceptions of England and London have been established through children’s stories: Peter Pan, Paddington Bear, Peter Rabbit of Beatrix Potter,  The Secret Garden, Mary Poppins. These stories have built my notion of England since I was a girl: Big Ben bell and clock tower standing tall and bright in the night, English robins who show you secret doors to wild gardens that awaken the soul, mischievous rabbits tearing through neatly kept vegetable gardens of humble farmers. The mystery and magic of these stories enlivened my imagination once more and I felt renewed. 

England is full of a quaint and ancient charm of a bygone era. I saw villages full of brick Tudor houses still inhabited with gardens of English Ivy and weeping ornamental trees closed in by red brick walls and streets leading out lined with dense manicured hedging. Flocks of sheep quietly clustered together on a green hillside next to a windmill said to be featured in Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. An English robin once graced us with his presence and perched happily chirping away at us. It was magical.

I highly recommend a visit to England. But be sure to spend time in the quiet of the countryside as well as the hustle and bustle of the city when exploring England’s glorious history.

And I also recommend watching The Secret Garden if you weren’t lucky enough as a child to see it. It will make for a great family movie night.

Cheers!

To view my complete collection of photos visit: http://flickr.com/gp/authenticaimee/4z95JY