Sweet Corn and Maple Peanut Butter

What a great weekend! Good friends, good food and lots of fun.

We went to the Great Vermont Maze in Danville, Vermont for our annual hike through the corn. We figured it out in just under an hour which was a record breaking time for us.

This year they were celebrating 100 years of the Long Trail which is my favorite trail to hike in Vermont, especially the section along the ridge of Mt. Mansfield where the views are spectacular. We're planning a hike out to the highest peak (the chin) sometime in the fall so we can check out the foliage with the rest of the leaf peepers.

Not only did I have a blast running through the corn and figuring out the maze but I got to stock up on the most amazing maple peanut butter. The Curtis Vance Memorial Orchard always has a farm stand at the entrance to the maze where you can sample their jellies, jams, dilly beans, zany zucchini, maple peanut butter and other freshly made goodies.

I look forward to getting this maple peanut butter every year and every year they tell me they will ship it anywhere but that could be dangerous for me. I did make a point to buy it before we got lost in the maze because they sold out of it last year by the time we got out. I was so disappointed I didn't get my fix last year so I made up for it this year. We got three (small) jars and two of them have already disappeared. Damn, I'm not even a huge peanut butter fan but this stuff is amazing. I spent way too much money on peanut butter, blueberry jam, apple butter and salsa but not only is it all delicious, it was for a good cause.

The Vance family has a dream. Their dream is to find a cure for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and to help others celebrate life and to remember their loved ones - by visiting the orchard, basking in the scenic views and getting lost in solitude, while being surrounded by "the fruits of life." Many members of the Vance family have suffered with this disease and I couldn't help but think of my dear friend Lisa who lost her battle with ALS last December after suffering for over 6+ years so this fund raiser is close to my heart.

If you live in the area or plan to be in Vermont in the next month or two you should definitely take a trip and get lost in the Great Vermont Corn Maze. Don't forget to stock up on peanut butter. MMMmmmmm.....

After working up our appetites in the maze we stopped at Marty's 1st Stop for steaks that we cooked on the open fire along with sweet fresh picked corn and potatoes. This piece looked a little funky with another cob growing out of it but it tasted just as sweet as the normal looking ears.

Now who wants to try some maple peanut butter?