The long way home

Besides the lovely visit with my mom,



I look forward to the drive, through the mountains up North.



Exploring and getting lost in the beauty there.



The long ride home is made short...



when I plan my trip with a map of coffee stops.



and a meander down scenic country roads.



I always go to Stowe and visit the Von Trapp Lodge. I love being on top of the mountain.



The gardens are spectacular, and now Trapp Family Lodge has a new blog. This is the family that The Sound of Music was created about.



Then after capturing some eye candy to take home,




A visit to the Austrian Tea House is in order,



to have a piece of the best apple strudel



with a great cup of coffee,



and sit outside to enjoy the view of the mountains.



Stopping by to say hello to the girls is always on my "to do" list before getting back on the highway.



There are so many lovely places along the way,



it's hard to choose where to visit.



One thing is for sure,



I find an escape and rest,



when I head up North.



The song for this post is the Going North.

My oldest daughter watched this movie hundreds of time when she was little.  I can almost recite the script from memory...and I love photographing reminders of the memories that live in my heart.

What memories does The Sound of Music create for you today?



Here's the Trapp family Lodge recipe for Apfelstrudel

Apfelstrudel

Ingredients:

8 Sheets Philo Dough (4 for small version) ¼ Cup Sugar
¾ Cup melted Butter ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
½ Cup Bread Crumbs 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
2 Cups tart Apples, sliced Pinch of ginger
½ Cup Raisins 1 Egg, beaten
¼ Cup Almonds or Walnuts sliced Confectioners’ sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease one cookie sheet.
2. Put three layers of philo dough on a damp towel. Sprinkle with some of the butter and then sprinkle ¼ of the breadcrumbs over all. Place 4th sheet of dough over and repeat with butter and crumbs to make a second layer. (Repeat for second strudel. If you are making the large version, overlap the 2 sections of the philo dough).
3. Spread with apples, raisins and almonds.
4. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger together. Pour over apples and raisins.
5. Roll up as you would a jellyroll, using the towel to guide you. Transfer to greased cookie sheet, seam down. (The towel works as a siding to transfer the roll).
6. Brush with beaten egg and the remaining butter.
7. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Instead of apples you can use the following variations:
Rhubarb (Rhubarbstrudel), substitute 2 Cups Rhubarb, cut in ¼ inch pieces.
Cherry (Kirschenstrudel), one 16oz can, or fresh, pitted cherries. Omit raisins, almonds and cinnamon.