a blog post! a blog post!

Well hello there neglected little blog...readers? (Is anybody out there?) No matter, I can let you in on a little secret that it has to be a high percentage of bloggers out there that mainly blog, um, just to hear (see) themselves think. It's thearaputic. And therapy is a good thing, so carry on all my fellow disenfranchised and/or disillusioned blogger-mates!

Anyhow, back to the subject of neglecting blogs. Plural. I have more than one. But the point is (and you will hear me say it here for the first, and maybe the only time) that it seems that I may have spread myself too thin. Indeed. And blogging is an easy casualty.

The Sugar Tree Cafe itself has melded into the Sugar Tree Cottage, which I'm more inclined to throw out a line or two about on facebook...  and even that form of social media I do not give the amount of attention I belive is probably expected of me.

I have meant well, I assure you. Blogs and free websites (and a few paid one's too) track my interests, personal and professional, designed to keep folks who may be interested informed.

However, for me, much like for most people over the age of three on planet earth today, the last couple of years have been long ones. Not all bad I must absolutely say... some of my most treasured experiances have happened during this time.. but long, and thought provoking. Priorities realized. So, I am going to continue to neglect some blogs (and a few free as well as paid websites, and one or two extra facebook pages, and facebook groups...) and concentrate more just on my current favorite project:  Olive Street. 

That project, dear blog reader, lucky you, actually happens to be indeed related to the old Sugar Tree Cafe turned Sugar Tree Cottage...  which is on Olive Street. 

So you can find me here:  https://onolivestreet.blogspot.com/

 

best chocolate ever

Really. Give it a try. If I was making chocolates to sell. I'd wish these were it.

Elements Truffles

Holiday Treat w/Cider and....

You have all heard me rave, often, about the loose leaf teas from Tea Queens, and I am known to get very excited about Seasonal Teas!  Lately I have been enjoying "Holiday Treat", which is a blend of selected black tea, apple pieces, cinnamon bits, coriander, flavoring, cardamom pods, orange slices, pink peppercorns, and cloves... and I absolutely love it. I will be stocking up on this blend! 

Yesterday my son was home from school, so we tucked in and enjoyed a hot cup or two of this tasty tea while watching the snow quietly fall outside the window, cats curled up beside the woodstove as the Maine Winter officially began. 

Today, following a romp through the woods with the cats and a few attempts of sliding down hills on old wooden sleds, I steeped a special cup in hot apple cider* from North Star Orchards in Madison just for me, added a jigger of Organic Bourbon Whiskey from Split Rock Distilling Company in Newcastle, and a tea spoon of maple syrup from my own trees here in Freedom.

Holiday Treat Tea?  Indeed, I hereby mark today the holiday called  "Day After Snow Day in Maine"

*Tea can be hot or cold steeped in apple cider, cranberry juice, wine, grain alcohols... the choices can be endless! Ask me for suggestions

Autumn Tea

September in Maine: Cooler weather, warm tea, richer flavors... it's my favorite time of year for tea!

Spiced tea is good in any season (think chai!) but let's face it, when the cooler winds blow, the leaves start to fall, frost on the pumpkin, we wrap ourselves in our favorite sweaters and settle down with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice in our cups. These spices are comforting.

Have comfort.   

- Dawnella Sutton, Tea Queen

Cheese, Brews & Bread

The Sugar Tree will be having a booth at this festival!

When: June 24, 2018

Where: Bigelow Brewing Company

Time: 12p.m. to 4 p.m. 

Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door

Come enjoy an afternoon filled with samples from some of Maine's local cheesemakers, bread makers, and one of Skowhegan's local breweries, Bigelow Brewing Company. Demonstrations of bread making will be going on throughout the day as well as special cheese, wine, and beer pairings! Cheese, bread, and beer will all be available for purchase. This is a great opportunity to learn more about how your local cheese and bread are made. 

​

All proceeds of the event benefit projects of the Somerset County Rural Cultural Plan, the strategic cultural plan of Wesserunsett Arts Council.

Peace Tea

Enjoying some Peace Tea left over from yesterday... a beautiful blend of organic Chamomile flowers, organic Spearmint, organic Lavender flowers, organic Cinnamon bark, organic Passionflower, and organic Rose petals. I place an extra cinnamon stick in my cup for a bit of an extra zing!

Lakewood Inn Restaurant

Sugar Tree Cafe wares! — at Lakewood Inn Restaurant.  Such a wonderful day, such a wonderful location. You should visit whenever you can! And OH!! the menu! And such friendly staff!

Rose Hip Jam

I love gathering wild rosehips for tea, and for jams! There are a lot of recipes out there for Rosehip Jam (which differs from Rosehip Jelly) but I like this rather simple one

Ingredients

• rosehips  (I recommend at least two cups)
• equal amount of clean filtered water
• half as much organic cane sugar
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. fresh squeezed organic lemon juice

Directions

1. Cut black tips off rosehips, slice a scrape out seeds. Also be sure not including any green leaf remnants.
2. Combine rosehips and water in a pot and cook on medium heat.
3. Allow to simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes and then remove from heat.
4. Add sugar and continue stirring until rosehips are completely soft and sugar is fully incorporated.
5. Remove from heat and use an immersion or standard blender to mix into an even texture.
6. Add lemon juice and mix well.
7. Use the typical canning process: Fill sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch of room on the top.
8. Wipe rims and place new sterilized lids on, being sure not to tighten the ring too much.
9. Water bath jars.
10. Remove from water and let sit undisturbed overnight.
11. Check each jar to ensure proper seal. If sealed, store jars in a cold, dry space. If not sealed, your jar is considered open and should be refrigerated and used within 2 weeks. 

Apples

Our apple tree!

It has long been debated, where the name "Sugar Tree" came from...is it for the Sugar Maple trees that surround our property on Freedom Pond? Much of the wooden items I craft come from it's wood, and if we ever get more trees tapped I'd use much more Maple Syrup in the cooking! In fact, the sugar in our Sugar Tree is the thought of the sweetness of apples, and a symbol of my favorite time of year.

HOPE Festival: 2015

The Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine holds its annual organizational fair upon the University of Maine campus each April, with more than sixty organizations showcasing their work for a better world, an interactive children’s space, and delicious food - if I do say so myself! - from local vendors.

Kids Kitchen

Kids' Kitchen Activity with Sugar Tree Felted Veggies, and Bamboo Cheese Board

When you can't catch The Sugar Tree on the road, the Kids' Kitchen Activity Card Deck is available to purchase online through  The Storyteller's Books, the felt veggies & the cheese board* online through the  Sugar Tree Cafe etsy shop

*Bamboo cheeseboards are available by special order, wooden ones are usually in stock

Maine Artisan Bread Fair: 2014

Booth

Small table of goods

Table

Lemonade

Skowhegan River Fest: 2014

Kids' Garden Program

Potato Friend made during Carver Memorial Library Summer Gardening Program

 

The Sugar Tree  very proudly supports the Kids’ Garden program for schools, libraries, and communities. The program in its entirety is a forty weeks, but is also available in seasonal sections, or individualized classes.  Other supporting activities are also available upon request, including an entire companion program, Kids’ Kitchen  which is based upon fun and healthy recipes (all suitable for vegetarian diets, and none with added salt) Session topics include: Exploring the Garden; Planting and Growing; Fun with Plants; Discovering Creatures; Creating Garden Art.  For more information, please contact me at sugartreecafe@gmail.com

Cream Puffs

Put together a sampling plate of cream puffs for the Recycled Shakespeare Company to test for their performance night of  'Midsummer Night's Dream' on June 21st. Vanilla cream filling, a bit of chocolate drizzle, and candied white violets and mint leaves.

Mushroom...earrings!

Just for fun!

Winter Herbs

Herbs grow all year round here...even in the Maine Winters they are inside looking out enjoying the sun. Sage, parsley, oregano, basil, chives, and mint are just a few. I put some away throughout the year, in oils, frozen, or dried...but fresh is always best.

Hope Orchards: 2013

I couldn't be much happier than this, selling my art on a beautiful day in an apple orchard!

Harvest Soup Blend

When I can't decide, I have both... Creamy Potato Garlic Soup, and Ginger Squash/Carrot, garnished with fresh sage leaves.

Cranberries

Today's Harvest