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One Hundred Dollars a Month

I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

Search Results for: vermont sandwich

Woodstock, Vermont – The Cutest Downtown Ever, Beautiful Homes, and the $14.50 Sandwich

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By Mavis Butterfield on · 30 Comments

A few weeks ago the HH and I were in Woodstock, Vermont and I must admit, the town of Woodstock ranks pretty high up there on our list of quintessential New England towns.

The town has EVERYTHING.  A covered bridge, a white church with a steeple, a village green, a gorgeous library, an enormous amount of small shops, an old general store, and so much more. I think we must have spent an hour just walking down side streets and admiring the old buildings.

And well you know, all that walking can make a person hungry. So we stopped to grab a bite to eat at a highly rated local cafe for lunch.

I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and avocado, and it came with a hefty price tag of $14.50. I was expecting fireworks. Yes, you read that right, I paid $14.50 for a sandwich. In a cafe type setting.

The sandwich was just okay. Not spectacular, not bad, but not worth $14.50. Not even in the hippest of towns in an establishment with a nice cheerful environment.

I think if you’re going to pay $14.50 for a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and avocado, first of all, it should come with bacon and avocado. But hey, mistakes happen, I totally get that, and after nicely bringing it to the attention of the staff, and then standing there for 3 minutes waiting for them to decide {in a very calm and therapeutic tone} if they were going to just put the bacon and avocado on my sandwich or if they needed to remake the sandwich altogether, I was pretty much at the eye rolling stage.

I seriously thought I was in an episode of Portlandia there for a minute. And my husband has STILL NOT stopped talking about it, and now every time we’ve eaten out since, every meal is compared to the $14.50 sandwich.

Basically, enough with the fluff. He’s tired of the “hipster coffee house vibe” that has seem to have taken over eating establishments lately. I don’t mind the hipster vibe so much as long as the food is good and the price is right, but I have ABSOLUTELY noticed a shift in the last year or so. Have you? It used to be about the food. Now it’s about the “experience” and it makes him crazy.

But hey, the bathrooms were really cool. So there was that.

Isn’t this house lovely? One of my favorite parts about downtown Woodstock was how the stores and old homes seem to fit in so well with each other. If I was going to live in a city, I think it would be so much fun to be able to walk right out my door and down the street to get my morning cuppa, or take a stroll to the market or the library.

One of the really neat stores in Woodstock we visited was F. H. Gillingham and Son’s which has been is business since 1886. I LOVE old general stores and this one seemed to go on for ages.

Look at the old wood floors.

And the worn staircase towards the back of the store. Imagine how many generations of shop clerks have walked up and down those steps. F. H. Gillingham and Son’s is reason enough to visit Woodstock, Vermont and so far it has been the largest and best stocked general store we’ve been to on our many day trips around New England.

Maybe most people around these parts stay home during the winter months because of the weather, but I’m looking forward to more road trips and adventures. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone, enjoy the day!

~Mavis

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King Arthur Flour’s Vermont Campus in Norwich, Vermont

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By Mavis Butterfield on · 34 Comments

Yesterday I stopped by King Arthur Flour’s Vermont campus in Norwich, Vermont to pick up some specialty flours for a few bread recipes I want to try out. The goal is to hone in on my bread baking skills before winter sets in so I can get a routine down before the weather turns bad, and I’ll be inside working on my “secret holiday” project 24/7.

If you’ve never been to King Arthur Flour’s Vermont campus in Norwich, Vermont it’s quite a treat. The bakery/cafe is enormous, and a hot spot for locals and bakers alike. The layout and the design of the building is pretty awesome too.

The menu at the cafe is a pretty good size, and serves up a nice assorted fair of soups and sandwiches, salads and of course pastries.

This time around, I ordered the roast turkey, tart apple and smoked gouda sandwich for lunch, and it was delicious. Once I get a good sandwich bread recipe down, I think I’ll be making this sandwich VERY often for lunch.

I also ordered a deep-dark chocolate brownie and a blueberry scone for the next day. Note to self: Look up the brownie recipe and make a double batch and send one batch to Monkey Boy.

Not only is the gift shop filled with specialty flours and baking mixes, but there are a ton of baking supplies, books and as well. And if you need help, there is plenty of staff on hand to help you find the items on your list. {I needed help!} 😉

It was a good trip. I filled my belly and my cart and went home happy. What more could a girl ask for? If you do find yourself planning a trip to the store though, be sure and check the King Arthur Flour events page before you leave because several times a month, they offer discounts on their products. I made sure to go on a day when they were offering 20%.  Plus, I hear that if you are shopping at the store on Mother’s day, they are handing out a few box of their chocolate cupcake mix at the registers.

Keep calm and eat one,

~Mavis

See More Save the Bakery Tours

King Arthur Flour
135 US Route 5 South
Norwich, Vermont 05055

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My 22 Goals for 2019 – Week 45 of 52

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By Mavis Butterfield on · 3 Comments

My 22 Goals for 2019


Goal #1 — Spend More Time Doing What I Love

Little Miss Lucy Goose met her new vet this week and absolutely loves her. The fact that they give Lucy little treats while she’s getting her mani/pedi has something to do with it. Also, she is having a blast running around the yard now that it’s all fenced in. And just in time too! Three days after we finished, the ground froze.

Goal #2 — Garden, Garden, Garden

The day before the ground froze we planted a row of arborvitae trees along one side of the fence and moved 6 peony bushes to the side of the house. I would have liked to have gotten more done before the weather turned, but I am so very much ready for winter and all the calmness it brings to life here in New England.

Having 4 true seasons, rocks. And I am looking forward to a restful winter.

Goal #3 — Plant an Orchard {Calling it Quits on this one.}

We are almost there!!! The first harvest could be anyway now. I’m just waiting for the color to deepen a bit.

Goal #4 — Gussy Up the Potting Shed Done!

I gussied up the potting shed at our old house, but I would like to add some sort of “potting station” to the backyard here somewhere, but I’m not sure where I would put it yet.

Goal #5 — Grow Enough Extra Vegetables, Eggs and Flowers to Earn $1500 at my little roadside vegetable stand.

It was totally my intention to grow a ton of fruits and vegetables to sell at the farm-stand when I made my list of goals for 2019 last winter, but then we moved. So, that whole goal was sort of a bust.

Goal #6 — Finish Every Single Unfinished Rug Hooking Project in My Pattern Bin + 10 Things from back Issues of Magazines/Books I’ve Been Meaning to Make. 

This week I didn’t hook a single rug, but I did hand dye and put together about 100 bundles of wool for my Etsy shop. I still have a few more colors to do, but after that, my Etsy shop should be stocked well into next year and I’ll be able to start hooking in earnest again.

  • 73 rugs in my pattern bin {now down to 27}
  • 183 hooked flowers {finished 150, now down to 33}
  • 10 “things” from back issues of magazines {finished 0}

Goal #7 — Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns {with at least half of them being large ones} DONE!

So far this year I’ve added 12 new rug hooking patterns and 13 beginner rug hooking kits to my Etsy shop.

New rug hooking patterns I’ve created and added to My Etsy Shop this year:

Rug Hooking Kits

Goal #8 — Split and Stack 2 Cords of Wood for Next Winter 

All that firewood! We sold it. 😉

Goal #9 — Do Something with the 5,002 Photos on My Phone

Down to 2867.

Goal #10 –-Lose the Muffin Top Done!

I’m declaring Muffy gone. Thanks to the stress of moving and just getting outside and walking around more and working in the yard, Muffy has melted away.

Goal #11 — Run, Walk or Crawl a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon and Marathon

You are not going to believe this. The Girl had to work on Saturday, and so I asked my husband if he would do the 5K with me and he said YES. I couldn’t believe it. Luckily I had chosen a 5k with a run or walk option and so with it being a whopping 28 degrees outside, we weren’t the only ones there in jeans. 😉

The proceeds of the race went to Honor Flight Maine {a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s Veterans for all their service and sacrifices. Honor Flight Maine transport America’s heroes to Washington, D.C. to tour, experience and reflect at their memorials.}

Now all that’s left is the Pastry and Tea Half Marathon before I can check this goal off my list.

Goal #12 — Read or Listen to 26 New Books {21 down, 5 to go}

Still listening to Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan.

Books I’ve Read or Listened to So Far This Year:

Goal #13 — Try 52 New Recipes.

33 down, 19 recipes to go. Last week I shared a recipe for Turkey Salad. It’s the perfect recipe for using up those last pieces of turkey from Thanksgiving dinner.

Goal #14 — Clean Up 52 Old Recipes on the Blog

9 down, 44 to go. I should get moving… because at this rate, I’ll be in the kitchen cooking the entire month of December. The poor bakeries. They’re going to suffer because I won’t be able to leave the house.

Goal #15 — Fill 100 Canning Jars 48 down, 52 to go.

No canning this past week and because I want to finish getting all that wool dyed, I won’t be canning anything this week either. Oddly enough though, I’m totally not even worried about reaching this goal. Peeps need their holiday jam, I’ll get it done. 🙂

So far this year I’ve I canned:

Goal #16 — Finish Furnishing Our House

I found a cadet blue vase at the thrift store this week {I found a pretty good one in town I like to pop in and check out every week} and brought it home. I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do with it yet, but I like it and didn’t want someone else to snatch it up.

We also hung a reproduction vintage map of Maine that was printed with the E.B. White quote “I would rather feel bad in Maine than feel good anywhere else” in a handmade barnwood frame on the wall in the family room. I am going for a coastal look in there and things are starting to come together. I still need to make the roman shades and find {create?} a few more things for the walls, but I’m on track to get the room completed by the end of the month.

Goal #17 – 52 Dates with the HH {38 down, 14 to go}

We went on a lunch date to The Cheese Iron and walked a 5k together. 🙂

Goal #18 — Take One Adult Education Class Done {I’ve taken 3!}

  1. Block Printing Class with my neighbor.
  2. Spoon Carving Class with Heather.
  3. Mini pottery lesson {I loved it! and now I want to sign up for a full class}

Goal #19 — Secret Holiday Project{s}

One of my secret holiday projects this year was block print towels and another was to make a few seed packet wreaths. I do have a couple more projects that would  be perfect for gift giving up my sleeve, and plan to share those on the blog soon.

Goal #20 — Create 12 Wowie Zowie Party Platters

6 down, 6 to go. I need to get my game on. Seriously, I am running out of time.

Goal #21 — Visit 12 General Stores

9 down 3 to go. The HH and I have plans to check out another one this week. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Goal #22 — Compete with Carole….. Get on My Front Door Game On

Much to the horror of my husband, I stood out on the front porch this morning in my pj’s wrapped in a blanket and puffy coat to take this photo. 🙂 🙂 🙂  The corn, along with the big pumpkins on the porch will stay until the day after Thanksgiving. Absolutely NO Christmas decorations until the day after Thanksgiving. Leg lamp included.

Front Door Bling I’ve Made So Far This Year to Compete with Carole:

  • Late January : Valentine Heart
  • Late February : Shamrock
  • Late March : Giant Carrot
  • May: White wave petunia hanging basket
  • June/July: Tin Star and Flag Bunting
  • August : Sunflower
  • September: Indian corn and pumpkins
  • October: Pumpkins and spinner do hickeys
  • November: Indian corn and big pumpkins

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How about YOU? What are your goals for 2019? If you told us about them HERE, check in! We want to know how you are doing. Because seriously, it’s so much easier to get those goals checked off your list when you have people rooting for you! 🙂

Have a great day everyone,

♥ Mavis

You can read more about my 22 goals for 2019 HERE.

Have a Great Day!

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

The Cheese Iron – Scarborough, Maine

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By Mavis Butterfield on · 7 Comments

Yesterday, for date day, the HH and I headed to the town of Scarborough, Maine to check out a shop called The Cheese Iron. And let me just say this… if you are even remotely interested in cheese or salami, you need to make a trip this place. Like pronto.

Specialty food store, doesn’t even begin to describe the place. Anything you could ever want for an amazing charcuterie board {or a pickety bits platter as I like to refer to them} can be found here. Meat, cheese, wine, crackers, spreads, sauces, marinated vegetables, candy, chocolate, pasta you name it, The Cheese Iron in Scarborough, Maine has it. Plus, word on the street is if you call ahead, they’ll put together a charcuterie board or a party platter for you.

The store was so overwhelming, we ended up just ordering lunch {ham and brie on focaccia bread with roasted peppers} and sitting at one the tables in the shop so we could begin to make a game plan for our next visit.  Seriously, this is the kind of store you need a game plan for.

I think we’ll be headed back there next week though because after all, according to my big list of goals for the year I still have 6 more wowie zowie party platters to make. That’s practically one a week until the end of the year! It will be a sprint to the finish line I know, but a tasty one at that. 🙂

And in case you were wondering, the sandwich was not only a PERFECT 10, but the price tag was only $8.95. And let me tell you Bob, it was a million and two times tastier than the $14.50 sandwich we had in Vermont last year that my husband is STILL comparing everything too. 😉

The Cheese Iron in Scarborough, Main… Check it out!

~Mavis

The Cheese Iron
200 US-1 ALT #300
Scarborough, ME 04074

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Mavis Butterfield Etsy