We spent the long weekend in Vermont and it was beyond restful. The friends we stayed with when we first moved to Boston, Peter and Phil, grew up in North Pomfret, Vermont and their parents have a beautiful home and property about 20 minutes outside of Woodstock. Every year Deb and Roger host everyone for a long weekend. I missed last year because I was traveling with my mom, which was well worth the miss, but I was excited to make it this year.
And I was excited because some of our New York friends were driving up for the weekend as well! It ended up being a group of 11 of us. Friday night the 2 hour drive turned into 4 hours due to Boston Friday evening traffic and then there was insane fog. Because it was almost 60 degrees, the snow melting and warm heat was causing the roads to be so foggy you couldn’t see past five feet. But we eventually made it around 10pm, ate takeout from Tuckerbox, drank some wine and stayed up until midnight when everyone else from New York arrived. By 1am I crashed into bed.
The next morning we sat around the fire drinking coffee. And then ate breakfast – blueberry pancakes, bacon and eggs. Plus more coffee.
Then we got on the conversation of barre classes and some of the girls had never done barre3 so we decided to do a 30 minute video. The bedroom was turned into a mini barre studio while some of the boys took the snowmobiles outside.
Afterward we ate some snacks, hung out for a bit and then headed outside to snowshoe.
It was cold but not too cold and so quiet and peaceful outside on the trail. I could have been out there forever. The views were gorgeous from the top of the hill.
We took a break at the top and then came back down.
When we got back down, Nicole and I decided we wanted to sled down the hill behind the house. I haven’t been sledding in years – probably since I was 14 – and this hill was huge so we had to go. We got the sleds out of the shed…
And then we made our way to the top of the hill. The views of the house from the top were stunning too. I kept thinking about how cool it is that there are so many different ways to live. That sounds kind of silly, but the way the boys grew up in remote, small town Vermont is so different than my childhood in the Indianapolis suburbs. And then so different from the kids you see walking around the Upper West Side of New York. Everything is so different and unique in its own way. I think that’s cool.
After sledding we came back in for a late lunch. Deb is an incredible cook and made a huge pot of southwest soup for lunch with bread she picked up from the farmer’s market. We were well fed all weekend. I topped my soup with tortilla chips, cheese and avocado and paired it with a beer. I’m not a huge beer fan, but after being outside all morning this tasted so good.
We sat inside for a little after lunch, but before sunset we took the snowmobiles out for a little bit. I get nervous being in control of things like this. Same thing with jet skis …I love being the passenger but being the driver makes me nervous. But I figured I needed to hop on and give it a try. There is a first time for everything.
After two loops up and down the hill (we didn’t go on the trails since it was getting dark) I was like “I’m done!” But Phil gave me a pep talk and was like, “One more loop!” so I kept going and did end up getting a lot more confident after a few more loops. Thanks Phil. But I still think I prefer being the passenger 🙂
We spent the evening in the hot tub. This photo below is the view from the hot tub that’s built into the ground and I thought is was so pretty with the creek running through the snow.
Then I showered. And before dinner we all hung around the fire. I read this book while others worked on the puzzle. I cannot wait to keep reading this book. I’m only a handful of pages in but highly recommend it already.
Deb put together a fab charcuterie board with some local Vermont cheese – the goat cheese with ash on the right was my favorite. SO GOOD. I could eat charcuterie for every meal.
And then we sat down to an Italian feast. The Amatos are half Italian and do not mess around in the kitchen. Deb and Roger taught us how to make traditional red sauce and what I now know….it’s all about the olive oil.
Salad + pasta with the red sauce + Vermont sausage + fresh olive bread with butter and red wine. So good. Happy belly.
We watched the NE vs TN football game after dinner and by 11pm I was fading fast and put myself into bed. It was such a fun day but also exhausting. Bed felt so good. I slept a solid 9 hours which felt amazing.
Sunday morning started with some reading and lots of coffee. And then I started on this blog post. Deb made a big batch of oatmeal for breakfast with all kinds of add ins. I think I’m going to try this at home – making a big batch with flax, chia, dried fruit and vanilla and then reheat throughout the week. I topped my bowl with almond butter, banana and raspberries (that they grew —> dream to grow my own raspberries)
Our original plan for the day was to ski, but unfortunately the top of Killington Mountain had a windchill of -17… so we nixed the skiing and instead decided to spend the day in Woodstock.
I have never been to Woodstock and fell in love with this dreamy, quaint New England town. Cue all the cozy vibes. I could have strolled around ALL DAY.
Our first stop was the Vermont Flannel Company. This store was the coolest. The story behind the brand was cool, the people working there were cool, and everything was so well made. We bought some flannels and I now I want to buy several more because they are so comfortable.
Then we strolled some more.
And stopped in a coffee shop for some warm drinks + snacks at Mon Vert Cafe. Also could have stayed here all day…upstairs had the best work environment with old wooden furniture, cozy chairs and lots of natural sunlight.
I ordered a chai tea with foamed milk on top and Nick and I split a cranberry orange muffin to hold us over.
We walked around some more, visited the boys aunt – Jeanne Amato – who is very talented printmaker, and then decided to head over to Worthy Kitchen for a late lunch.
It’s a farm to table diner and this place did. not. disappoint. I am the worst at describing food when I love it….so all I can say was it was amazing. I did speak for a good portion of lunch.
I went with a dark and stormy to drink since I wasn’t feeling beer. And decided on the burger after going back and forth between the burger and the fried chicken sandwich. Per the menu, “Worthy bun with smashed Almanack farm waygu beef patties, cheese, lettuce, red onion, fancy sauce, bread and butter pickles. Plus a side of the broccoli that I shared with Nick since I was craving some veg that was topped with goat cheese and sesame oil. DEAD. It was an experience for my tastebuds.
We came home and spent the evening in the hot tub. Showered and put on the flannels.
Then ordered pizza and the boys picked it up, watch re-runs of This is Us and sat in front of the fire soaking up this last night.
This morning we’re actually going to try to get out to the mountain at 8am to ski for a few hours before heading back to Boston. I’m leaving here feeling so rested and refreshed. And really thankful for the Amatos and their generous hospitality this weekend. Thank you SO MUCH!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Share your recap or the best thing you ate in the comments!
I read Hillbilly Elegy around Christmas and absolutely loved it. I grew up in suburban Columbus, so I don’t relate a lot personally, but I have extended family from Appalachia, and part of the magic is that it helps me understand something I’ve seen from the outside but never experienced.
This weekend has been fully of doing puzzles and watching Big Little Lies (so, so good) and Game of Thrones (way late on this one, but I’m surprisingly enjoying it). Best thing I ate was boneless wings with a ton of barbecue sauce at a family party, closely followed by homemade chili and tortilla chips. Happy Monday!
My brother lives in Columbus 🙂
I’m glad you loved it – I’ve heard amazing things so I can’t wait to finish.
Your weekend sounds fab!
Sounds like an dream of a weekend Robyn! Snowshoeing is so much fun – I have been going the past few days and will head out this afternoon for a bit as well. It is even more fun with friends though…and followed by yummy warm food 🙂
I LOVE Woodstock – so cute and we often stop at Mon Vert on our way thru. Hubby and I often talk about spending a weekend there but have yet to do that . That book looks good – will have to check it out as I especially love reading in the cold of winter!
I loved it! I told Nick if we lived in the woods I would do this as movement – just go outside for a bit and enjoy the fresh air and quiet stillness.
I hope you get a weekend in Woodstock soon!
I read Hillbilly Elegy last year and enjoyed it. I thought it was pretty interesting. It relates to that idea you mentioned about how everyone grows up in such different environments and that impact that it has on them.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it too – I can’t wait to keep reading!
Such fun and coziness. Basically living an Ed Sheeran music video 🙂 I too enjoyed Hillbilly Elegy. I loved that his grandparents were such a source of resilience.
haha great analogy. I can’t wait to keep reading the book!
Wow! That is one dreamy weekend! So much good food + fun!
It was tasty 🙂 Hope you had a great weekend too Katie!
Ive never been to Vermont, the views are so stunning! This weekend my husband and I spent time hanging out with friends all weekend too and it was amazing!we had the best BBQ this weekend as well!
you must live south to be BBQing 🙂 So glad you had a great weekend!
I have never commented here before but I just have to say I love your blog. I really enjoy reading about your life and your relationship with food! 🙂
Thank you Neila! Welcome and thank you for commenting and reading! 🙂
This weekend looks AMAZING Robyn; I’m so glad you tried out driving the snowmobile. I love snowmobiling, but I haven’t done it in years. It looks like there was so much snow there, and you got to enjoy it in so many different ways including sledding, snowshoeing, and just enjoying being in a cozy place in the middle of all of it. The weekend looks SOOOO restful and gorgeous and soul filling. And that idea of making a huge batch of oatmeal is a really good one too! I love how you topped yours.
Snowmobiling is not my strength! It was a really fun and restful weekend – I hope yours was too!
Looks so fun! That hill you sledded down looks veryyyy high and steep!
hahah. it was. I didn’t make it down smoothly…
Hi Robyn,
What a refreshing, soothing and yet exciting weekend! I can’t even describe you how much I crave a weekend like that, with great food, lots of rest and adventure since my 14 months daughter was born… I keep telling myself that’s a matter of time and keep reading about your weekends in the meanwhile 😉
A thousand kisses from the Azores, Portugal
It is a matter of time I hope for you Ines! I know babies change everything in life, but hoping you get relaxing weekend soon 🙂
“I kept thinking about how cool it is that there are so many different ways to live. That sounds kind of silly, but the way the boys grew up in remote, small different Vermont is so different than my childhood in the Indianapolis suburbs. And then so different than the kids you see walking around the Upper West Side of New York. Everything is so different and unique in its own way. I think that’s cool.”
I think about this all the time! And those three places you mentioned are in America… imagine so much diversity in every single country. The world is so big!!!
One delicious thing I ate this weekend was dinner at Siggy’s good food in NYC– I had carrot ginger soup and then the vegetable bowl with quinoa and chickpeas and tomato sauce and lots of sauteed artichokes and cauliflower and broccoli. so warming!
Glad you had a nice weekend.
Yes! I should have added that – you completed my thought. The same country! And the same half of the country!
Love Siggi’s in Soho. Glad you went and enjoyed 🙂
gah now i’m dying to go to vermont! looks like a lovely weekend! and so many yummy eats! and all the cozy!!
highly recommend 🙂
Friendcations sound so fun! I definitely wanna go on some now. All that gorgeous snow too! This weekend I also spent a lot of time with my friends. A group of my girl friends and I went to a Thai restaurant for lunch, then went to this huge thrift store. I got Pad Thai for lunch and scored a mini donut maker for like $6. It was a successful girls’ adventure 😉 . That evening, I also had some of my guy friends over and we tried out my new air fryer. We made grilled cheeses with rosemary Italian bread spread with Fourth & Heart White Truffle Salt Ghee and filled with a mix of gruyere and white cheddar cheese and Trader Joe’s Thick Cut Maple Brown Sugar Bacon (<- this stuff…swoon). We felt pretty fancy 😉 . The air fryer made for SUCH a nice crunch on the bread. Hope you have an amazing week 🙂 !
xxMeah
love that word – friendcations 🙂
I need a mini donut maker! And those grilled cheeses sound like a dream – the bacon!
I love the matching bean boots – that’s how you know you’re a true Bostonian! I’ve only ever been to Burlington VT, and we once made a quick pit-stop in Woodstock, but it’s just sooo relaxing there. Such a different pace from the city and I love love love it. Hope you had an easier drive back home than on the way out!
haha. it was funny we were at our friends the other day and there were about 5 pairs of bean boots lined up. I feel you on a slower pace and the CHARM! hope you had a wonderful weekend Meghan!
This makes me so happy!!! Vermont was a beautiful place to grow up and I miss it so much now that I live in an urban environment. I’m so glad you got to experience a relaxing winter weekend up there. All of the food looks so good!! And I love that you and your friends did a b3 video… I did that once with one of my friends when we were traveling. She didn’t like it, which upset me because I want everyone to love it as much as I do!
It was GORGEOUS!!! HAHA b3 isn’t for everyone but I was glad they did enjoy it. Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
BABE YOU WERE LITERALLY SO CLOSE TO ME!!! 30 MINUTES over the border in NH! I LOVE love love Woodstock, and know all those places! So happy you enjoyed your time here. Would love to meet up sometime if you are back in the Upper Valley area. 🙂
I loved seeing this post! I grew up in the Woodstock area and my best friend lived in Pomfret, so it was fun to see all your photos of the area! I am actually up in VT now for a while visiting family, so I might have even passed you on the street in town this weekend 🙂 Looks like you hit a lot of the wonderful places we have up here!
I love your blog so much – your genuineness and wisdom comes across in every post you write, and your guidance is a constant reminder of what true health and happiness is. Thank you!
Woodstock is adorable!! Thank you for reading and for your kind words Jenna <3
Oh my gosh! This looks like the BEST little weekend! I have never been to Vermont, but after reading this I definitely think it sounds like my kind of place. I’m all about Winter weather, slow living and cozying up by a fire. This would be my perfect lifestyle and definitely how I might consider retiring one day. Thanks for sharing!
It was a perfect winter weekend!!
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