Lamothe's Sugar House Watch Maple Syrup Being Made

The Lamothe family started farming in 1971 with a few pigs, a vegetable garden and seven taps for maple syrup. As requests grew for this amber elixir so did the number of taps and the size of the operation. Today, Lamothe’s Sugar House is the largest maple sugar producer in Connecticut with more than 4,000 taps and a state of the art sugar house located in Burlington Connecticut.

More than 15 miles of plastic tubing installed and cared for by the Lamothe family help to gather the sap. From there the sap is pumped into a tank onto their truck and brought back to the sugar house to be boiled and processed into maple syrup.

A new showroom offers not only amazing syrup but a multitude of products made from the sap from spice rubs and candy to kettle corn and maple-coated nuts. There are so many intriguing items to purchase both sweet and savory and farm fresh. Items can also be purchased online, but a visit to the store is a rewardingly sweet day out!

Lamothe’s Sugar House offers tours and demonstrations to show people how Maple Syrup is made on Saturdays and Sundays during February and March. Tours are from 1 to 4:30 PM and last about 20 to 30 minutes. The showroom is open year-round, Monday – Thursday 10 am – 6 pm, Frid. – Sat. 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday 12 noon – 5 pm.

A Sweet Temptation - Hardcore Sweet Bakery

If you are looking to escape the sweet experience this winter, you might want to head to the Hardcore Sweet Bakery in Watertown. It is a little tricky to find because it is located in an office park in a stark brick building filled with offices. You have to take an elevator to the second floor to find them -- just let your nose guide you to this fabulous bakery that is as quirky as it is delightful.  When you do, you will think that you have struck delicious gold!

courtesy hardcore sweet bakery

If you are looking for a snack, look no further than the Hardcore Sweet Bakery in Siemon Business Park in Watertown. Located in an old factory building this upbeat and funky bakery offers cupcakes, cupcake pops, cakes, cookies, cookie bars, and donuts. They are also the proud winners of Cupcake Wars! Their mouth-watering menu of cupcakes includes everything from an infused Sugar Mama made from chocolate cake with cheesecake bites baked in and embellished with Tequila Rose mousse fill and topped with strawberry and vanilla swirled buttercream frosting to the Coconut Canoili that is made from coconut cake and filled with cannoli filling and frosted with vanilla buttercream then rolled in toasted coconut and crowned with a mini cannoli.

Courtesy hardcore sweet bakery

In addition, to all the sweetness this bakery offers up, they also have a "Party Room" that can be rented out. This is perfect for kids and families to get out and get creative. You can rent the party room for two to three hours and get a supply of aprons, cupcakes, and frosting plus pizza and juice for up to twenty people.

Courtesy hardcore sweet bakery

The Hardcore Sweet Bakery also offers a series of cooking classes as well as a book club and spiritual medium event. They are offering a buttercream and booze cooking class on March 17th where participants will learn how to decorate six cupcakes while drinking beer from Witchdoctor. Another highlight this bakery offers is a tasting session where you can sample a variety of their baked products...a sweet experience any time of year!

For more information visit their website.

In-Person or Zoom-In @ Weekend in Norfolk, Sat. Feb. 26 and, Sun.Feb. 27

The little village of Norfolk, Connecticut has organized Winter Weekend in Norfolk, consisting of a series of in-person and Zoom events taking place on Saturday, February 26 through Sunday, February 27 that are sure to chase the winter blues away.

If your kids are bored and like sports, take them skating at the Norfolk Skating Rink on Mountain Road where kids can warm up next to a roaring bonfire while enjoying steaming hot chocolate and s'mores on Saturday afternoon. A highlight at the rink will be a demonstration of an ancient Scottish game, curling, by the Norfolk Curling Club. Best of all, visitors are welcome to try their hand at learning this skill with experts.

Learn How to Curl!

Norfolk is an art lover's dream that comes alive during the Winter Weekend in Norfolk. Visitors will have the chance to tour Tiffany Stained Glass Windows at the Battell Chapel as well as windows designed by one of the most prestigious firms named by Pope Leo XII as a Pontifical Institute of Christian Art at the Immaculate Conception Church. Other stops for art lovers are the Norfolk Libary that is hosting "Hidden Doorways," photographs by Angus Mudge, and a photography display, "In the Woods," of Norfolk's Land Trust Properties at The Hub @ 2 Station Place where maps and event information is also available.

Marvel at windows made by Tiffany

To experience the natural beauty of Norfolk's great outdoors, don't miss the Wildlife Walk at 10 a.m. on Saturday or the Photography Safari beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Both of these in-person outdoor events will lead you through some of Norfolk's unspoiled scenery that it is famous for.

Look for Wildlife and go on a photo safari

If you can't make it to town, no worries, the Winter WIN organizers have that covered with a series of fascinating programs. If you like to cook don't miss the cooking demonstration with Martiña Gago, which will transport you to sunny Spain, where the culinary culture is as rich and varied as the country itself. Paella, Spain's National dish is on the menu today. This video will be available on-demand throughout the Winter WIN Weekend along with concerts by the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in addition to several other virtual programs.  For links visit the WIN website.

You can learn how to make this @ WIN

Two Zoom programs are also scheduled. If you enjoy historic architecture, don't miss the program. Ladies, Legends, & Lakeside Dwellings - Alfredo Taylor in Norfolk presented by Ann Havemeyer and the Norfolk Library on Saturday, February 26 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Alfredo Taylor arrived in Norfolk in 1902 at the time when Norfolk was being transformed into the beautiful village that it is today.  For sports-minded historians, the Norfolk Historical Society has teamed up with author and coach, Ariel Picton Kobayashi on Sunday, February 27 at 4 p.m. This Zoom talk will highlight the popularity of ski jumping across the northeast including Norfolk, which was introduced by Norwegian immigrants. Learn how ski jumping became popular in the area and how and why it changed in the 1980s.

Experience Norfolk CT this winter! Photo Credit Savage Frieze

Winter WIN is one of Connecticut's most beloved winter traditions. The entire town of Norfolk has rolled out a "winter white carpet" for in-person and virtual events. This is the best way to warm up to winter! 

All these and more events are listed on the Weekend in Norfolk website (weekendinnorfolk.org), along with links for the virtual events and a downloadable copy of the schedule.

 

ABOUT THE WIN (WEEKEND IN NORFOLK) COMMITTEE

Now in its seventh year, the all-volunteer WIN Committee organizes two town-wide events annually: the Summer WIN and the Winter WIN. Norfolk’s town officials, the Economic Development Commission, and a multitude of local organizations, institutions, and individuals support the festivals.

Native American Winter Survival Skills and Winter Foraging February 26 @ Institute for American Indian Studies

 

Surviving and thriving during the cold New England winters requires a clear understanding of the environment that you live in and the knowledge of how to keep your body temperature up and ways to save heat. The Native Americans living in the Eastern Woodlands were experts at this. They were able to find shelter, stay warm, and forage for food regardless of the cold and snowy weather. Intimate knowledge of the landscape, the local resources, and how to use them are the keys to how Native Americans survived winter in New England. The Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington is hosting an in-person Winter Survival Program with IAIS educator, Griffin Kalin on Saturday, February 26 at 12 and 2 p.m. 

This intriguing program begins at the Institute’s replicated 16th century Algonkian Village to see how Native Americans lived in the Eastern Woodlands. They will learn about how Native Americans overcame the challenges of staying warm by using a variety of approaches to stay warm. Highlights include how to make a shelter out of things from the natural environment such as snow, rocks, and branches, how to make a fire in the snow, and what was worn to protect body heat. 

New this year, the Winter Survival program will focus on the basics of winter food preservation and material usage. One of the most interesting lessons of this program is that for Native Americans, the great outdoors, even in the winter, provided sustenance because they knew where to look, and how to plan ahead, prepare, and preserve resources throughout the year. Most of us only see a barren landscape in the winter, but as Griffin Kalin - Wigwam Escape Creative Director and Museum Educator - will demonstrate, people living in the Eastern Woodlands long ago were able to thrive throughout the harshest of seasons! 

The winter survival program is suitable for all ages. Make sure that you bundle up as this in-person program is outside. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. The cost of the program is $15 for non-members and $5 for members. To reserve your spot click here. If you have questions or would like additional information call 860-868-0518 or email events@iaismuseum.org. 

About The Institute for American Indian Studies 

 Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

Be Part of the Action @ JumpFest 2022 Registration is Open for the Human Dog Sled Team for Competition

 

Part of Salisbury Winter Sports Association’s Jumpfest February 11-13 is the Human Dog Sled Race. This unique race is being held on the evening of Friday, February 11th. This is the chance for you and five of your friends to get together and be creative with the added bonus of entertaining others. It is easy and fun to do and worth at least a year of bragging rights and Instagram photos! 

Participating is easy. All you have to do is to gather up a kennel of friends that are 18 and older and have a moderate level of fitness! The course is over .3 miles in the snow. The teams consist of six people including five pulling and one riding. Next, and this is when the fun really starts, you will design your own sled that can be as simple as an inner tube or as elaborate as an imitation fire truck. 

At the event on February 11, your team will compete for trophies in men's, women's, and mixed categories as well as a people's choice award for best costume/sled. This evening event is professionally announced and a crowd favorite. 

 If you want to be part of the action and have a lot of fun competing in the Human Dog Sled Race contact info@jumpfest.org and tell them that you want to register. The Association will respond with all the documentation and rules. Registration is just $25 per team and is used to help sustain the mission of SWSA. Also, keep in mind that Friday night of Jumpfest is a great time! An eighth of a mile of Luminaries guide you to the site, two roaring bonfires to keep you toasty, food and beverages are for sale and target ski jumping and the Human Dog Sled Races are all held under the lights!  

ABOUT SALISBURY WINTER SPORTS ASSOCIATION The mission of the Salisbury Winter Sports Association is to acquaint the public with Nordic ski-jumping, cross–country, and Alpine skiing, and to teach the skills necessary for their enjoyment. One way of fulfilling this mission is to host the annual Jumpfest Competition on Satre Hill to sustain and ski jumping in Salisbury, Connecticut, and the Eastern United States.