Grandma Miller’s and the Answer – South Londonderry VT

Saturday August 20, 2016                                                 Most Recent Posts:                                                    
Winhall Brook Campground                                                 Loons & Carnivorous Plants – Lowell Lake Vermont 
South Londonderry, Vermont                                              Down By the Riverside – South Londonderry, VT

 

 

First off, remember this picture? I promised to reveal what is going on here and so I will.  This is David in 7th heaven with his real licorice root.  He bought a few at The Vermont Country Store the other day and is really enjoying them.  I’d never even seen a real licorice root.  I tried it too but no thanks.  He however loves it.  Anyone else ever tried one?  Leave it to VCS to have everything your grandaddy and grandma used to have, do or use.  

There weren’t many comments on this post and few people made guesses but thanks to those who did.  No one got it exactly but Laurie Owen said chewing on bark and that’s really it.  It’s a licorice root.  Mona Liza Lowe said chewing a wooden stick and that’s true too. 

 

If you read my post on Down By the Riverside (link above), you’ll remember I said there were no businesses in South Londonderry.  That’s true and it’s not true I discover.  There are no businesses in the “town” itself, but there are a few outside of town on the road to Londonderry.  David discovers his favorite on our way home.

Friday we spent the morning and early afternoon at Lowell Lake.  It was a wonderful time with fantastic sights.  If you weren’t along, the link to it in blue is above.   That post was long enough so I  saved Grandma for this one.

On the way home David insists we have to stop at Grandma Miller’s.  Those of you who know him can guess what Grandma Miller does.  Be mindful of the fact that he’s on his way home for lunch.  Very bad idea but I could not talk him out of it.

 

 

 

By now I’m sure you have guessed that Grandma Miller’s is a bakery.  Her specialty is pies but she has so many other things it takes nearly an hour just to see them all.  Of course the decision making process takes up a lot of that time 

Clearly people come from all over the country and the world to enjoy Grandma Miller’s treats.   Love the Warning sign.

 

 

 

Her collection of pie tins surrounding her maps is pretty remarkable.  When did they stop selling pies in these wonderful tins?  Apparently they are quite collectable now although I don’t know what you’d do with them other than this.  You can get them for between $8 and $20 on Etsy.   I do remember that a pie company in Connecticut called the Frisbie Pie Company sold their pies in tins and Wiki has the story of how what we know as the Frisbee began.

If I had to have one, I’d take the Blue Bird at the bottom center.

 

It’s a cute shop in what looks like an old barn.  Shop in the front and I assume the “kitchen” is in the back.

 

Notice that David has his hands full and hasn’t really been to the bakery case yet. He’s holding a Blueberry Pie from the day old half price rack with wheels above and a pint of home made Clam Chowder from the cold case.   You can buy an entire meal from the cold case as well as unbaked pies. 

 

 

Time to look at the smaller sweet treats.  It’s afternoon so we aren’t surprised that the selection has been thinned out.    They are out of danish and croissants but there are still plenty of choices.

 

 

 

If you want to dine in, they have a spot for you.  For sale on the pie baking kitchen cupboard are various products all made in Vermont, honey, maple syrup, crackers, jams, jellys and more.

 

Finally he’s ready to check out.  To the pie and chowder we’ve added, 6 pastries.  There will have to be some serious hiking in our future to work off all those calories.

 

 

 

Oh Dear!  They are even open on Sundays.

 

 

Here’s what the pie looked like before we cut it for our dinner dessert.  It was wonderful.  He’s already talking about trying her cherry pie and he hasn’t finished this one though I did hear something about pie for breakfast.

 

 

 

SATURDAY

In keeping with the food theme, we are up and out early to head to the farmer’s market in Londonderry.  Grandma Miller’s is on the way.  Ruby passes right by.  we’re on a vegetables mission this morning.

The Londonderry Farmer’s Market is only about 10 minutes away but lots of folks are already there when we arrive.  The music has started in the tent in the middle and folks are having their breakfast at the picnic tables nearby.

 

 

This breakfast looks yummy complete with edible flowers.

 

We’re looking for tomatoes among other things.  Nearly every vender has them.  How to choose is the problem.

 

 

 

 

Yup, we can use some carrots and leeks too.

 

You just never know what you might find at a farmer’s market even a small on like this.  The owner of Panlatin is a caterer of gourmet “latin” foods.  Somehow finding her in small town Vermont surprises me.

 

 

Love this sign.  The girls who provide the raw ingredients for the yogurt at cheeses at Big Picture Farm have their pictures on display.  Complete with names.

 

 

How about the names?   Every goat has a name and can clearly be recognized.

 

Even the house pets get into the picture.   I love it!  Really made me want to buy some of her dairy products even though I no longer eat them.  

The downside to this is that the goats, like cows, have to be kept pregnant to give milk. What happens to the offspring of all these goats. There are too many answers that might upset me so I didn’t ask.

 

I love Susan Leader’s nature inspired pottery.  Hope my wonderful potter friend Maggie is reading this post.  Of course I buy no pottery, not even from Maggie, since there is no room for such fragile beauty in a motorhome.  But it’s still fun to look at.

 

Blue Herons, dragonflies, loons, fish, starts, tree leaves.  Clearly Susan is inspired by her surroundings.

 

 

 

 

For such a small market, the variety is marvelous.

 

One thing I really love here at the Londonderry Farmer’s Market is that every single one of these folks is the grower or the artist.  Too many farmer’s markets these days don’t restrict to keep the middle men out and only the farmers in.

We buy our quart of Maple Syrup from this young man who proudly told me he is the 3rd generation of his family to tap the trees and boil the syrup.  He introducted me to the 4th generation who wouldn’t stand still long enough for his picture.  He’s there on the left.

 

Time to get the veggies home.  We’ll be back next week.

As we leave we see the lines are getting longer at the breakfast food venders. Hope there are spots at the table for eveyrone.