Weekend in the Woods: Apples and Mushrooms, Oh My!

 For the first time all winter, we had a sunny day. It all started when a mysterious package showed up on the front doorstep. Inside was a late Christmas present from an old friend: a DVD of the Archie cartoons from the 1960s, a Hayley Mills record and a vintage mushroom cookbook pamphlet! It was a wonderful surprise.

We set off in my car for a big day out. Breakfast at the local country cafe where I had a caramel apple pancake breakfast, then to Cromwell Valley Park for a bit of hiking. I wore an outfit inspired by the cookbook- a cute little cardigan with mushroom appliques from local vintage shop JoRetro, and a skirt with a light woodgrain pattern my friend Emily gifted me years ago. 

On the way to the woods, we found an antique store off the beaten path and pulled over to check it out. Inside, there was mostly high end antique furniture, no trippy toys or trinkets for me. Until I spied a small box of records with the album Birthday by The Association. I asked a granny inside the store if they had any grandfather clocks. She told me stories of her clock and antique road trips in a truck...

We arrived at  the park and pet some chickens then walked around for a bit. We passed a small farm and an out-of-season apple orchard. Over a bridge and into a small cave, then finally...a small house with a nature museum inside. I will have to come back in the fall.

On the way home, we stopped at Tabitha's Thrift, which I had never been to before. We found rare treasures inside- a vintage 1970s Hallmark puzzle of forest critters harvesting sunflower seeds and then Tom found a Brady Bunch album on vinyl. I collect Brady Bunch records, and did not have this one yet. It is their first album and my favorite. The best song on it is a cover of Badfinger's Day After Day. 

A pleasant evening at home was had whole I listened to my new records and worked on the puzzle. For dinner, I made a recipe from my Mushrooms at Home cookbook- Annapolis Valley Chicken! Now, hold your horses, because this recipe has nothing to do with Maryland's capital cooking. The recipe pamphlet was published in Canada, and this recipe is a French Canadian version of the classic French dish Poulet Vallée d'Auge. This chicken dinner features apples and mushrooms, shallots and garlic all simmered in a creamy apple juice sauce. It was absolutely delicious and I am going to make it next year during apple season.