Tag Archives: New England

Charming New England Christmas Traditions

Posted on December 16, 2024 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

Merry, Merry, Readers! It’s Christmas! It’s my favorite time of year, and there is Christmas charm by the bucketful here in New England. We shouldn’t stress about the holidays; it’s not what Christmas is really about. Come make a cup of something hot, and enjoy – for me, when it comes to the holidays, it’s all about family, friends, good food and charm! Let me share with you some of the best traditions of the season!

Having four seasons in New England is wonderful. Each season has it’s charm, but Christmastime is extra-special. I REALLY love Christmas. One thing I love about the holidays is having something to look forward to. Activities don’t have to cost a lot; many of the fun things around Connecticut are either low cost, free, or by donation.

Almost every town or hamlet in Connecticut has a “town green”, and a tree lighting. Our town actually has two.

My daughter and I love going together. We see friends, there are families and people of all ages sharing cheer, and carols are sung. It almost feels like we are “extras” in a special episode of the old “Gilmore Girls” show (also based in Connecticut).

There are so many wonderful, old churches all over the state. They are all so beautiful. The South Britain Congregational Church hosts a Victorian Tea, open to the public, each holiday. My friend, Linda, and I have been attending each year together for so long, we now know the ladies who work so hard to make it happen by name, and have even gotten to know some of the other attendees!

*This year’s desserts were all so fantastic!*

It is a wonderful, festive luncheon, with good food, good cheer, and a lovely area of handmade gifts for sale, as well.

Another wonderful tradition, the Annual Gingerbread Village and Christmas Bazaar at St. George’s Episcopal Church, in Middlebury, Connecticut, is something my family and I won’t miss.

We’ve been attending since my daughter was a baby. This year marked the church’s 56th year for the annual tradition! Each time, I think I must have seen it all, and each year, they wow us again! This year was no exception. I am in awe at the detail (everything, except for the actual lighting, is made from edible material).

*Look at the details! These bakers are artists!*

My mind is blown by all their beautiful, hard work, as I am great at tedious tasks and details of all sorts, but have never been able to make a gingerbread house look so wonderful as these amazing bakers do.

Cranberries are such a big part of New England, and one of my favorite ingredients in so many foods this time of year. I also love homemade gifts. Homemade gifts are made with LOVE! I may not be able to make a good-looking gingerbread house, but I am a whiz in the kitchen. One of my favorite things to make and give, especially this time of year, is homemade jam. This year, I made “Christmas Jam”, and my family has declared it my best jam ever! After going over many recipes, I really found none I liked. They either had too many ingredients, too much sugar, or included butter (we have a family member with a dairy allergy, unfortunately). My version of “Christmas Jam” uses simple ingredients, similar to my other jam recipes, and only four cups of sugar. What’s also nice about canning jam is you can use the water bath method, and do not have to use a pressure canner. The naturally bright, red color of this jam makes it a stunning holiday gift. It’s delectable on fresh bread, or served as an appetizer atop a cracker and a nice cheese like a sharp cheddar or brie. Here is my gift to you, dear readers, my recipe for “Christmas Jam”. Enjoy!

Nicole’s Christmas Jam

1 and ½ 12-ounce bags of fresh cranberries
1 large container of fresh strawberries, hulled
1 mandarin or “cutie” seedless orange
4 cups of organic sugar
4 TBSP of low-sugar pectin
¼ heaping tsp. each of ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and a pinch of nutmeg
½ cup water

Wash and pat dry all fruit. Prepare six half-pint jars for canning.

Zest the mandarin orange. Peel, discarding the peeling. Set aside the fruit.

In a blender or food processor, coarsely chop the cranberries, and place in a large pot. Puree the strawberries (do not over-puree, I like lumps of strawberry). Add the zest and orange to the pot, and using a potato masher, smash the fruit a bit more and then stir together, along with the zest and spices.

*The fruit will look chunky at this point. The cranberries will soften up as they cook.*

Add the water, and place over low heat, stirring constantly.

In a separate bowl, mix the pectin with ¼ cup of the sugar. Stir into the pot with the fruit, bring to a rolling boil, and then add the rest of the sugar, stirring constantly.

Boil and stir for one solid minute, skimming any foam as needed. Remove from heat and let sit for five minutes. Ladle into hot prepared jars, leaving ¼” headspace. Process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, letting jars sit for five minutes before removing and cooling.

Enjoy!

*Me and my sweetheart – we love decorating for Christmas and picking a fresh tree.This is our 33rd Christmas together.*

There are so many wonderful, small, family farms in New England. One of our Christmas traditions in our family involves getting a fresh tree from Jones Family farm in Monroe.

*What a beautiful tree we got this year!*

Another tradition is enjoying a delicious ice cream sundae in the cozy, decorated room at Rich Farm, in Oxford, before they close up late in the month for a bit in winter.

Another thing I love about New England is how everyone decorates. Stores, streets, and homes – inside and out, are all dressed up in twinkling lights and decorations.

My personal favorite decorations are all old, vintage, or vintage-inspired, and I love to incorporate decor that I already have, making it more “Christmas-y”.

*Everything on this table has been gifted to me through the years. Warms my heart!*

*My daughter’s childhood skates are now part of Christmas decor.*

We have had two “Christmas Snows” blanket us already, which just add to the festive feel of the season here in New England.

*Trooper disagrees. “Who ordered this? I did not!”*

Someone said to me recently, “No one sends Christmas cards anymore!” I beg to disagree. Yes, the price of stamps has gone up. But sending cards at Christmas should not be looked at as a chore!

*This year’s cards so far – the holder is one I bought over 30 years ago.*

I love to send cards, and work on mine gradually, while drinking my morning coffee or watching television at night with my family. We’ve already received quite a few, in the mail, and at my doll club meeting, and it is a tradition I love! I cherish handwritten cards I have kept through the years, from special friends and family that are no longer with us.

This is me at four. My face shows how I felt about Christmas.

Honestly, it is how I feel about it now, and think I am actually part elf. In all seriousness, though, I think we adults sometimes forget that childlike wonder. Letting ourselves enjoy the magic of the season is what brings the true joy and meaning of the holidays. It’s been a rough year for so many. Personally, this has been an awful year, with the passing of more friends and loved ones than any other before. My Christmas card list has sadly gotten smaller, and I truly miss those who have departed. I hold them close in my heart as I embrace the joy of this wonderful season.

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and have a Wonderful Holiday Season. Holidays are what you make of them. May the next few weeks be full to the top with joy, happiness, love, and wonder! Please drop me a comment so I know you have visited! See you all in January!

What A Difference A Month Makes!

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

Happy Summer! The season is officially here, and I am so happy! What a difference a month makes, especially in an area where there are four distinct seasons. It’s been a busy couple of weeks!

Remember the beautiful trails, the Audubon’s Bent-of-the-River, from last month’s blog? Well, a month later, look at it now! We have been hiking several more times over the last month, and it looks different and even more beautiful, each time!

*This is an overlook from the birdwatching tower, that we did not go in before. Look how alive the area looks now – so green and blooming!* I took this photo on a late afternoon, no filter.

*So peaceful and green, the riverbank looks so different from a month ago. I wish you could hear all the birds singing!*

*Last weekend, my daughter and I were so excited to notice several ebony jewelwing damselflies! They are so pretty, that they look like something out of a fairy tale!*

At home, I have also noticed more birds have returned, as well, including my beloved hummingbirds. We were worried when they showed up, but inexplicably disappeared suddenly (several of my friends noticed this, too). Fortunately, they seem to be back! This little guy had “breakfast” with us one morning.

*Just an FYI, the bottle is red, not the contents, and the food is changed frequently.*

*This little guy comes daily, and perches on my trellis. Sometimes I think he is watching us!*

*Everything’s coming up rosie! My flower beds are alive with color.*

The season started out really rainy! We had so much rain at the beginning of the month, that water began to puddle in the front of the yard. Frogs moved in, thinking we had a new pond! In addition to green frogs, we also have peepers, toads, and tree frogs. The sound they make is like a little symphony!

I’m looking forward to seeing fireflies dancing in the woods and yard. We should see them in a few weeks. Did you know the reason for their decline is because of the chemicals many people put on their lawns? This is a photo from late last June.

Fireflies use the soil, duff, and leaf litter to overwinter and lay their eggs, and their larvae eat snails, slugs and caterpillars. Putting chemicals on the lawn and using insecticides results in a decline in these sweet little insects. Too much outdoor lighting can also affect their numbers, so turn your porch lights off during firefly season!

I recently also got my vegetable garden planted. I was worried at first, since the weather has been warm during the day, cool at night. Putting vegetables into cold soil is a problem, since cold soil can bring on issues like blossom end rot in tomatoes later in the season. Remember to water early in the day, avoiding overhead watering, to keep down plant diseases that occur when water is left on leaves overnight.

*PEAS, PLEASE! Aren’t those little markers the cutest? They were made by a local artisan.*

This looks to be a great season! Every day I am harvesting peas, which were planted in March as soon as the ground was thawed. I’ve got several types of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, snowpeas, arugula, carrots, squash, cucumbers, swiss chard, radishes, and watermelon planted.

Garlic will be harvested in a few weeks, though I really do plant it more for the scapes than the actual garlic. MaryJane first introduced me to garlic scapes in her first book, so many years ago, and I have been hooked ever since! On the other side of the property, corn is coming up, and we’ve got blue potatoes to look forward to harvesting. Everything is planted from seed. Planting a garden from seed is not only economical, but you also know exactly how your food was planted (I do everything organically). I also feel such a great sense of pride when harvesting food for my family that I planted, beginning with seed. I think this is going to be a great season, much better than last year, when we had all the smoke coverage from the horrible Canadian wildfires!

We recently attended an outdoor college graduation party in picturesque Bethlehem, for a dear friend’s daughter, who is also one of my daughter’s friends.

Our girls met when they were little, as Daisy Girl Scouts, so long ago. The party was held on a working farm. In addition to running a CSA, a farm store, and Pick-Your-Own, March Farm also rents out beautiful landscape areas for events.

It was a picture-perfect day, and the party was held under the shade of large, beautiful trees, including a weeping willow, and next to a large pond where guests could take paddle boats out into the water. A pizza truck provided a scrumptious lunch for everyone, and my friend, who threw the amazing party for her daughter, baked dozens upon dozens of homemade cupcakes, (that looked like works of art and tasted like cups from Heaven) for dessert. My friend Erin always amazes me at all she does, and is the best baker I have ever met (her daughter is just as wonderful). I think when we are able to witness friends or family grow from a child to an adult, and see what great things they do, it is such a blessing!

My daughter’s boss recently gave us a handful of rhubarb from her garden. I have to admit, despite being an Advanced Master Gardener, my interaction with rhubarb has been very little, but I have always loved anything made with it because I love its tartness, especially when paired with sweet. While the leaves are toxic, the rhubarb stalks can be green or red, depending on the maturity of the plant. I had strawberries on hand, but not enough of either to make a pie, and any recipes I found sounded too sticky or sweet, or full of dairy such as buttermilk, including quick breads (my daughter is allergic to cow’s milk).

Y’all know I love a good quick bread, so I made this, working off of my recipe last year that I created for my cherry bread. The result was delicious (and quickly disappeared)! My version is moist, not too sweet, and perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee.

Suburban Farmgirl Strawberry-Rhubarb Quick Bread

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp Himilayan pink salt

¾ cup organic sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.

Cut 4 stalks of rhubarb into pea-sized pieces, equal to one cup, and combine with one cup of fresh strawberries, cut into pea-sized pieces, tossed with 2 additional TBSP of flour. Set aside.

Whisk together 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ cup of oat milk, and ¼ cup of organic coconut oil, or other oil of your choice. Fold into the dry ingredients, and mix together until all is moistened. Lastly, fold in the rhubarb and strawberries.

Fold into a greased loaf pan. (I prefer glass, like Pyrex).

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool quick bread completely before removing from the loaf pan and slicing. ENJOY!

I also know it’s officially summer when we can sneak off to the beach! It was a balmy, breezy day recently – just perfect!

Such a treat after all the cool, wet weather! The humidity was low, the sun was high, and the water was cool, but not too cold to dip into. I adored being at my “happy place”! I love the ocean sounds, and walking up and down the shoreline. Walking in the sand is great exercise!

At home, on the porch, my potted herbs and flowers greet us every morning. I love geraniums, because of their classic, “it’s summer” look (they remind me of my childhood) and ease of care, but I am also IN LOVE with the beautiful pot of Osteospermum flowers that my daughter bought for me.

Also known as African daisies, these stunning flowers have only been available here in the states since the nineties. I love this specimen’s gorgeous, purple and orange buds!

In the front herb garden, herbs such as thyme, sage, mint and oregano are doing very well this year. I have an abundance of herb plants, so each morning I am picking a bit and flash-drying them in my dehydrator, to use in winter when fresh herbs are done. Picking herbs early in the day ensures the best flavor, and dehydrating them is economical (have you seen the prices on spices and herbs these days? Yikes!) but also keeps fresh, great taste. Some cooks prefer to freeze fresh herbs but I find dehydration tastes just as good and preserves the wonderful aroma and color. Once dehydrated, which only takes a few hours, I crush the leaves and store in an airtight container or jar. I can also put my dehydrated herbs in pretty jars to give to friends at the holidays.

My “girls” are laying more eggs with the longer, sunnier days, as well.

*My favorite pet hen, “Baby” loves to snack on clover blossoms.*

Inside, I also always look forward to a few summer crafts, as well as summer knitting and sewing projects. This summer, I am going to finish as many “WIP”s” (works-in-progress) as I can. I have several knitting projects I want to finish, and I’m sewing up a cute, quilted patchwork table runner in summer colors for my coffee table. Sewing clips are a game changer!

My friend, Linda, gave me a tin of these wonderful clips! My sewing is so much more enjoyable without struggling with pinning! They hold fabric together better than pins, and are so fast and easy to use.

Linda says these clips from wawak.com are the best ones, and are at a great price, to boot. I wish I had known about them a long time ago!

I’m ready to embrace the summer season, how about you?

Tell me, what’s going on with you? What projects are you working on, and what’s growing in your garden? I love hearing from my fellow farmgirl friends and readers! Leave me a comment and let me know you stopped by!