"I'm staying all night till I get my kicks 'Cause you know,…read morepretty babe, you got honey in your hips" (The Yardbirds) I serve on the board of a charitable organization who's officers are spread all over North America -Vancouver, Milwaukee, Dallas, Detroit, Halifax, etc. Every year, we all chip in to buy a gift for the officer who has gone through the chairs and is leaving the board. We found out that the officer in question enjoys making charcuterie platters, so we all agreed to buy her local things from our respective home areas that she can combine for a massive charcuterie basket. Neat idea huh? I told everyone I'd get local jams and honeys from Connecticut and Massachusetts, which explains why I visited Jones Apiaries in Farmington today. They sell honey bee colonies, beekeeping supplies, and house made honey. But don't think there is a store here, because there isn't. Their jars of honey are stacked on a table inside a sun porch at a residential home in a Hartford suburb. One pound jars are $9, 2-lb jars are $17, 5-lb jars are $34 and a gallon jug is $70. You leave your money in a plastic box on the table. You need exact change, because thanks to COVID there is no interaction between buyer and seller. We picked up a one pound jar of pure honey with the Jones logo and labeling, It will make a very nice addition to that charcuterie basket.

I bought both cranberry-pepper and raspberry-pepper at the Garlic Festival this year. I loved them…read moreboth. We enjoyed the cran--pepper in San Diego for Thanksgiving. Hope to get more in the new year. Happy Holidays to all. Karen D.

We're jammin' I want to jam it with you…read moreWe're jammin', jammin' And I hope you like jammin' too (Bob Marley - Jamming) One of the nicest moments we had at the Goshen Stampede was our visit to the Simply Jam booth where we chatted with the host, tried some samples, and bought a jar of their "Hot" Jalapeno Jam. They operate their business out of a household in Barkhamstead, CT where they hand craft six varieties of jalapeno jams. The basic jalapeno jams comes in three heat levels - mild, hot, and extra hot. Or you can go the flavored route and add garlic, mint or cranberry to the jalapeno. An 8 ounce jar costs $7, and their website says the jams are available at a dozen stores clustered to the northwest of Hartford and along the CT-NY border down to the Bronx. They also have a website for mail orders. I love seeing successful small businesses that put out great products. Try one of their jars, and I bet you'll like jammin' too.

When I think of summer, I think of ladies nights and charcuterie boards!! Charcuterie boards are…read moreone of my favorite things (to make too). When I heard Char-cu-te-rie opened up at blue rock square in West Hartford I knew I had to check it out. There was nobody there when I walked in and it took a minute for someone to come out from the back. They gave me a quick rundown. The space is beautiful with lots of room to hang out. You can gather friends or family and hang out in the lounge. They have different option boards you can choose from and you can either have it there or take it to go. I loved their cute little meat and cheese in cups that were in the coolers. There is parking close by with other shops around. I did not see seating outside.

"Oh you know I like to do just like the rest you know I…read morelike my sugar sweet But jumping fumes and making haste you know it ain't my cup of meat" (Bob Dylan) Yes, you really can get a cup of meat here, but in the spirit of transparency your single-serve cup will also include two curated cheeses, crackers, and a mix of fresh fruits and roasted nuts. Char-cu-te-rie sells a variety of beautiful hand-made charcuterie boards. Their product line ranges from a $12 Kid-friendly snackable with mild cheese cubes, turkey or ham roll-ups, apple slices, berries, and crackers all the way up to a 10-20 person monster sized $275 feast with 6-8 artisan meats and 5-6 curated cheeses, plus all the trimmings. We stopped in today and picked up an Amuse Board ($20 base) to bring home for lunch. The base price included "two artisan meats and 3 curated cheeses, paired with bread or crackers. Choose one or two from: seasonal fruits, nuts, or dried fruits, plus a dip or jam, and either olives or pickles". We added on a few things with $3 upcharges -prosciutto, pate, Manchego and blue cheeses, so that brought our total to $32. When we got home and opened up the box of goodies we were struck at what a beautiful job they did in packaging and presentation. The board was gorgeous and everything on it was as delicious as they were gorgeous. Since the boards are assembled by hand, it does take a while to put together all of the ingredients. Ours took around 20 minutes to build, but we were more than satisfied with the result. There is a counter where you can sit and enjoy your food there. They also have a lounge you can reserve for date night or a group. We were very impressed with our first visit to Char-cu-te-rie.

From flowers to soaps, vegetables to donuts, fruit to teas, knives to artisan creations, tie-dye…read moret-shirts to smoothies and chili dogs, the South Windsor Farmers Market has it all!! Set in the open Nevers Road Park, this market offers a variety local goods and a fun morning. When my friends and I walked over from nearby parking areas (which were plentiful and easy to get to), the smells of freshly cooked donuts from Faddy's Donut Shop and the sounds of a Grateful Dead tribute band met us. After grabbing some donuts, instead of sitting in the nice rest area set up near the band, we began down the line of stands. We found a little of everything we wanted and more!! We grabbed a couple slices of pie from Granny's Pie Factory, a brown butter dark chocolate chip cookie from LaBrioche Bakery, a couple of jars of homemade artisan teas from Whole Harmony, and a bouquet of freshly picked flowers from the Syme Family Farm. Shopping here can get a bit pricey, for example, a South Windsor Farmers Market tote bag was $5; however, you're supporting local businesses, many of which don't have storefronts. It's well worth chipping in a few extra bucks with the quality of the goods and the personal attention you receive at the stands. I would rather save my money and spend it here than at big chain stores that don't need it. Every vendor we went to, especially the individuals at the Syme Family Farm and the Whole Harmony stands, were extremely kind and helpful. The vendor of Whole Harmony allowed us to try a couple of teas he had out as well as the lavender lemonade (all of which were extremely delicious); he also told me how to properly steep the teas and gave me a loyalty card that offers a free jar after ten purchases. The vendors at the Syme Family Farm stand told me how they handpicked each flower, and wrapped up my bouquet--which was thoughtfully put together with care--and put it in a plastic baggie with wet paper towels around the stems to keep the flowers hydrated after I asked if they would be all right since we were not going directly home. I was very impressed by these two vendors' professionalism and kindness. The South Windsor Farmers Market is definitely a farmers market you need to check out!! It's open every Saturday in the morning (which is an extremely convenient and great time) from the middle of June until the middle of October. The organization running also has a list of what vendors will be there each week on a document on the website. You'll really enjoy every minute of being at this market, and you will undoubtedly find spectacular goods!!

Best, freshest vegetables, fruit, cheeses, meat and amazing artisanal local bread. Great fun for…read morekids as well with different activities every week. Highly recommended for the whole family

"You're my blue sky, you're my sunny day Lord, you know it…read moremakes me high When you turn your love my way" (Allman Brothers Band) When the Blue Back Farmer's Market opened in June, they didn't celebrate the occasion by cutting a ribbon. Oh no, that would have been too ordinary. Instead, they kicked off the market with a baguette slicing ceremony! They are brand new and are opened from June 19 to October 23, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. You'll find them in the Town Hall parking lot. Vendors listed on the website include a Wellness booth, farm and bakery stands, Italian Ice, seafood, mushrooms, sustainable animal products, Vodka sauce (fantastic), cheese, salsa, coffee, I'm not sure I saw all of them there in the heat yesterday, so maybe there will be more as we move away from summer into the fall. We picked up two ears of corn from Halls Farm in Simsbury and had them last night with dinner, and yes, they were very good. Parking is free and super easy in the massive town hall parking lot.

West Hartford Farmers Market has so much variety. And the live music is always amazing!read more

I've driven past this market in the center of Windsor for years on my way home from work and today…read moreI finally stopped to check it out. There are about 15 stands set up fairly close to each other. Quite a bit of fresh produce was being sold- corn, squash, beans, carrots, etc. Also saw some vendors selling salsa and honey. I ended up stopping at a stand for Beldotti Bakeries of Stamford. Well, their big samples of fresh bread with mozzarella and pesto may have had something to do with me stopping. The freshness of eveything was amazing. The cranberry walnut bread was fresh as can be, soft and chewy with a nice crunchy crust, I was instantly a fan, and took home a beautiful and large loaf for just $6. I enjoyed this Farmers Market, and prefer it to the Simsbury Farmers Market.

Great local fare from veggies to vegan Jamaican Patties to hand crafted soaps! Friendly market…read moresponsored by local non-profit.

"So take a hit now Take a sip now…read more Gonna be alright Stay in tune Make the music go boom" (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts) The cottage bakery scene in the Farmington Valley is absolutely booming. We've already enjoyed stops at Kenmont Bread in Collinsville, Honey Bear Bread in Simsbury, and today we visited Knead & Crumbs in Simsbury. All three are run right out of the baker's home. Knead and Crumbs' menu tempts you with home-made cinnamon buns, seven kinds of bagels, mocha or blueberry muffins, and chocolate chip cookies. They rolled out a Valentine's Day Special this week, and of course we scooped it right up. I mean, who on earth can pass up something as adorably named as an 'I Love You a Brunch Box'? For just $20, we got a sweet little haul: our choice of two bagels of our choice, our choice of two muffins, two cinnamon rolls, and two chocolate chip cookies. We dove into the bagels this morning and I have to tell you they were as good as anything I've ever had at a bagel shop. They were everything you want in a bagel -a crunchy crust, a soft inside, a nice "chew", and awesome toppings. My garlic bagel was absolutely loaded with toasted garlic bits. And the size!! Their bagels are jumbo sized. I have zero doubt that the rest of our Valentine's Day Special Box will be as amazing as the bagels were. PRO TIP We ordered and paid via their website and chose personal pick-up as opposed to delivery. We had a confirmation text this morning with pick-up details. When we arrived at the residence, we texted to announce our arrival and our bag of goodies was hand delivered to us. It was a pretty easy and seamless system!

What a beautiful Autumn Day [seemed like Summer] so we went out for a drive through Hartford…read more Remembered that neighborhood ice cream place on Maple Avenue. Is it still there aftre all these years? Yes and the same owner. The best selection of Hershey ice cream. I had Grapenut and she had Strawberry. I finished mine and she didn't and when I went for a cover for hers, he filled it up again to the brim. That's service with a smile! What wonderful memories and now another perfect one. Cash only and they serve milkshakes and sundaes, too.