Despite having been here for nearly four months, I still have trouble believing that any of this is real. It often feels like an extended vacation but I only have to look at the ring on my finger to realize that no, this is really where I am. And when Matt and I venture outside Sherbrooke, I see the rolling mountains, huge lakes and immense sky above and feel a little humbled. Having been a city girl for most of my life, proper Nature is rarely glimpsed.

Yesterday we ventured out to Stanstead, a town that famously straddles both sides of the border. Half of the place is in Quebec; the other in Vermont. It’s only a 30-minute drive and what a drive it was! Sunny, warm and the road we sped down was hilly, picturesque and again, startling.

It’s quite odd to be in a town where you can see the U.S./Canada border from where you’re sitting. But Stanstead folks—on both sides—have gotten so used to mingling over the years that English is spoken as well as French.

The LSC and I spent our time there taking a peek at the Musee’ Colby-Curtis and a Tasting of the Region. Really, all you had to do was mention regional food samples and I was on it.

For $5 apiece, you went into a large tent where local vendors had set up their wares for you to try. I mostly gravitated towards the cheeses and chocolate while the LSC made a beeline for maple syrup vendors so he could eat maple butter (think the consistency of peanut butter) and maple sugar pie.

Of course, that was only the tip of the iceberg. We tried an amazing caramelized onion/tomato tart, peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies, carrot loaf (which I thought had no raisins but was sadly mistaken), smoked salmon, olive bread and rose jelly. We sampled a beautifully dry oaky white wine that we eventually bought a bottle of.

And you know I made us get some more cheese.

When we wanted something a little more substantial, we decided to split a Polonaise sausage from a local boucherie. I actually acquiesced to sauerkraut, though I have never been a fan. I must say I was shocked that I liked this ultra-fresh version. We came away with some maple syrup and a loaf of that carrot bread to take home as well. If you’re ever in the area during the summer, Stanstead is an interesting place to check out. The drive alone is worth it.

Now I have a bunch of recipes that are going to get posted within the next few days. I haven’t even touched on the homemade pizza I made last night when we had Dale and Beth over, nor have I mentioned the buttermilk chive drop biscuits I made this morning (except for just now, I guess). I am just trying not to overload each blog entry. I gotta save some stuff. But rest assured, all in good time. This week there will also be homemade fruit popsicles, potato galettes and yet another variation on granola. Oh my, and then there’s all the food prep for the LSC and I’s Canadian reception this coming Saturday. Maybe I should take a nap!