My family was among a
group of 25 representing Mount Vernon Baptist Church and the
N.C. Baptist Men on a “mission” to the historical
town of Bennington, Vt., where we participated in the reconstruction
and repair of one of the oldest and most elegant churches in
the area.
Capstone Baptist Church, built in 1835, had been abandoned and
fallen into disrepair in recent years and, unfortunately, received
little attention from local residents. As word began to spread
throughout hurricane relief teams that interest in its rebirth
had been noticed, N.C. Baptist Men took the project under its
wing and began sending construction teams to the tranquil New
England town, nestled between the Taconic and Green Mountains
in Southwestern Vermont, where unsurpassed natural beauty, unique
architecture, rich history and a vast supply of maple syrup
attract countless visitors each year, primarily, during the
autumn season.
We took off work a couple hours early on Thursday afternoon
to do the “tourist thing,” but discovered quickly
there was not enough time. We saw a couple of covered bridges,
lovely homes just like you see in the magazines, made quick
stops at the original site of Hemmings Motors (classic car lovers
take note!), the Bennington Battle Monument, the Old First Church
and cemetery where poet Robert Frost is buried. A return trip
to that location was quite necessary, especially after initially
driving away, we began reviewing our digital photographs of
some of the interesting tombstones. We were stunned by some
of the “graven” images that seemed to appear therein.
There is still much debate going on among our friends, but seeing
is, well, almost believing.
Bennington is also the hometown of Ethan Allen, despite my thinking
it was between Lenoir and Hickory – that’s where I’ve
always seen his name on every other storefront!
Anyway, we did not leave Vermont without some of that rich maple
syrup and a few recipes to go along with it. Not to mention,
the blessings of serving others – even if we did get a
few honks when we didn’t move through traffic fast enough,
a one-finger New England howdy and comments about our southern
drawls. Small world that it is, I met the parents of Banner
Elk’s John Carriere, owner of Stonewalls and had the pleasure
of serving them some N.C. barbecue from Woodlands. Great folks
they are, as most we met.
Now, back to the grind and, for me, a definite change of pace.
While this column will remain a part of the Mountain Times,
my byline will no longer be seen on other pages on a regular
basis. I have accepted the role of editor of All About Women
Magazine, teaming with publisher Nancy Morrison, with plans
to expand its coverage and readership to all of the High Country.
Look for me there – but know I’ll be missing you here,
as well.
Old-Fashioned Apple Bread
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1egg, beaten
2 cups peeled and diced apples, moistened with lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped nuts
½ cup chopped raisins or dates
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ up sour milk
Cream together butter and sugar and add beaten egg, stir in
fruit and nuts. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately
with milk. Place in a loaf pan; let stand for 10 minutes. Bake
at 350 degrees F until cooked, about 1 hour. Serve plain or
buttered.
Cupcakes
Fill lined muffin tins ¾ full with batter, bake at 400
degrees F approximately 30 minutes. Makes approximately 12 cupcakes.
Combine 4 tbsp. icing sugar with 1 tbsp. applesauce, brush mixture
over cupcakes.
Maple Bars
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
Add:
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
Spread mixture in a greased 9x13” pan. Cook at 350 degrees
about 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
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