Our sponsor of the month:

The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps:

This wonderful VT organization is hosting their equally wonderful annual event, Bolton To the Barns, on Saturday, March 5th: “The Bolton to the Barns ski tour is a mid-winter Nordic event for experienced backcountry ski enthusiasts where skiers will have a great opportunity to spend a day in the hills of Vermont and help the VYCC create opportunities for young Vermonters wishing to play an active role in conserving the Vermont landscape.” More info on the event can be found here: www.vycc.org/home/ski.html.

More on the VYCC: “The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps is a non-profit youth, leadership, service, conservation, and education organization that instills in individuals the values of personal responsibility, hard work, education, and respect for the environment. This is accomplished by using conservation projects as the vehicle for learning in an intense environment.“

And, of course, we couldn’t keep Green Drinks crankin’ like we do without the help of our friends at Seven Days newspaper! Seven Days brings you the Daily 7 – Vermont’s top stories, delivered to your inbox.  Get the day’s most compelling stories across all media – print, radio, TV and web.  Sign up today:  http://www.7dvt.com/daily7

The Hearty Winter (Montpelier): Roasted Winding Brook Farm Lamb Shoulder, Cider Jus, Taylor Farm Gouda and pickled red onions. $11.95

Burlington: we are featuring a 4-course prix fix Valentine’s menu Friday through Monday nights for $65. Please visit our website for details!

NOFA-VT Annual Winter Conference
nofavt.org/annual-events/winter-conference
Saturday, February 12 – Monday, February 14
$50 – $60 per day or $95 – $115 for all days.

“Farmers, gardeners, localvores and other players in the state’s local food community gain momentum for the movement through keynote speeches and more than 70 workshops. Visit nofavt.org for schedule and locations.” – Seven Days

First, some fun facts on the winter solstice:

• The earliest sunset of the year is 4:13 pm. This sunset time starts on December 5th continues through this past Tuesday, December 16th. As of yesterday, it is officially not the earliest sunset of the year!!! Sunset today: 4:14!!!!
• The latest sunrise of the year is 7:29 am. This sunrise time starts on December 28th and continues through  January 8th.
• The shortest overall day of the year–the winter solstice–is this coming Tuesday, December 21st.

Next: a tip I picked up from Seven Days writer Andy Bromage through their weekly newsletter ‘NOW’:

You can cut your own Christmas tree in the Green Mountain National Forest.

Pardon the hippy in me, but: dude, that’s rad!
Here’s the scoop: “The $5 permit — along with a map of where you’re allowed to chop — is available at Forest Service district offices in Rutland, Middlebury, Manchester Center and Rochester.” More info can be found here.

The Shop ‘N Dine Discount:

In the spirit of shopping locally this holiday season, drop into any of these lovely locales and pickup a coupon for 15% your next order of crepes at the Skinny Pancake:

Montpelier: Onion River Sports, Salaam, Capitol Kitchen, The Men’s Store, The Book Garden
Burlington: Outdoor Gear Exchange, Salaam, Dedalus, Bennington Potters, Common Threads, Sweet Lady Jane & Whim

Thanks so much to our pals at all these great shops

for joining us in this cross promotion!

Come into the Chubby Muffin, buy two $10 gift certificates and get a free Quickie & Coffee or 100% Local Beef Hamburger!

$25 Prix-Fixe Dinner for Two:

Two soups or any choice of 1 group munchie
Your choice of two savory classics*
Your choice of one of a selection of dessert crepes.
Available Sunday – Wednesday 3 pm – Closing
*excluding Localvore’s Dream
**Not combinable with other offers

And finally…

Starting soon, the Chubby Muffin will be displaying crafts, clothing & art from local makers, movers & shakers with a specfically affordable bent.  The roster is still growing, but we so far we know we’ve got New Duds & Wink Apparel’s “Love My Muffin Top” American Apparel Organic Undies! More to come…drop in and check it out!

Reefer Madness, the Musical
December 2 – 4, Waitsfield

Consider Reefer Madness, the Musical in Waitsfield. This is the last of their three weekend run!!! I had the great fortune of watching a sibling perform in this masterpiece two years ago. It is outrageously funny!!! More info here: www.valleyplayers.com/

Got local food?
Remember…the Burlington & Montpelier winter farmer’s markets happen every two weeks…

Saturday, 12.04.10
The Capital City Farmer’s Market
10 am – 2 pm in the Montpelier Highschool Gym
www.montpelierfarmersmarket.com/

Winter’s Farmer’s Market (Burlington)
10 am – 2 pm, Memorial Auditorium
www.burlingtonfarmersmarket.org/

Got local gifts?

The Moretown Artisans’ Fair
December 11th (10 – 4) & 12th (11 -4)
http://moretownartisan.com/

“Brought to you by the same cool kids behind SIPtemberfest, the Best Local Holiday Sale around is back! December 11 & 12 at the Moretown Town Hall. Get quality crafts that make awesome holiday gifts for abosolutely everyone you know AND support your local artisans AND tell SANTA how good you’ve been this year! Win/Win/Win!” More info here: http://moretownartisan.com/

and…HAPPY EARTH DAY!!! There’s a bunch of good stuff going on, so I’m just going to launch into it:

First: in the name of Earth Day, please mark your calendar for the 40th Annual Green-Up Day, Saturday May 1st. This statewide effort is a beautiful example of civic participation…come join the fun!!! Much more info at www.greenupvermont.org/.

Now, on to a number of great events happening this week:

1. Earth Day Celebration (Montpelier): Hunger Mountain Co-op hosts their annual Earth Day celebration today. Meet the people who make your environmentally friendly products, Take away free samples, Raffles, Great food demos, Coop canvas bag giveaways! Kids will get a chance to plant their own seedlings at the kids gardening table. For more information, please contact Krystal 223-8004 x 202.

2. Take a Walk on the Wild Side: Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants of the Intervale (Burlington): City Market invites you to join naturalist, herbalist, and registered dietitian Melanie Putz Brotz for a Wild Plant Treasure Hunt in the Intervale. There are so many amazing edible and medicinal plants growing in this region; come join the adventure. Participants in this workshop traditionally uncover many delectable surprises, from Wild Pheasant Back mushrooms to Stinging Nettles, Burdock Root, Lambs Quarters, and invasively prolific and delicious Garlic Mustard Greens. Meet at the small parking lot on the right after the dirt road begins, by the entrance to the Rena Caulkins trail. Sign up at the Customer Service desk. Free.

3. Art Walk (Montpelier): Montpelier hosts the annual spring Art Walk on Friday, April 23rd from 4 to 8 pm. Pick up a guide (available at the Skinny Pancake and other participating venues) for a list of exhibits, free artist receptions, and events. The Skinny Pancake hosts artist Christa Manns exhibit “She Falls to Pieces”, a mixed media display of collage, black and white photography and oil paintings.

4. Tree Planting (Burlington): this Sunday, the Skinny Pancake will join forces with Grow Team ONE and Shelburne Orchards to plant two apple trees at the Riverside Community Garden. We will be planting a Cortland and a McIntosh, both about three years old.

A bit about these trees: Every McIntosh apple has a direct lineage to a single tree discovered in 1811 by John McIntosh on his farm in Dundela, a hamlet in Dundas County, Ontario, Canada. He discovered the tree as one of several apple seedlings while clearing a farm which he had just purchased. The Cortland is red with some yellow spots.  This all-purpose apple was developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York in 1898. The apple was named after nearby Cortland County, New York.  As a result of crossing a McIntosh and a Ben Davis apple, the flavor is a bit sweeter than McIntosh and it’s considered to be a wonderful dessert apple.

Folks…we’re in the heart of foraged fiddlehead & ramp season…get ‘em while you can, ‘cuz supplies won’t last!!!

Ramp It Up Lasagna (Burlington): Lasagna inspired layering of locally foraged Fiddleheads and Native Wild Mushrooms blended with a house made Ramp Pesto Ricotta and tied together with a béchamel sauce. Served with our classic side salad. $10.50

Music this week at the Skinny Pancake:

First, a quick plug for a hot show tonight in Montpelier:

The Low Anthem on TODAY at the Bethany Church. Doors open 6:30 p.m and show begins at 7:30p.m. The show is open to all ages and is $13 in advance or $15 for the day of the show. Order tickets online or by calling 510-888-7409.  Tickets on sale now at Burlington Records or at http://nekmf.frontgatetickets.com.

The Low Anthem are one of the most dynamic, up and coming new-folk bands worldwide, coming off sold out shows across Europe, The Newport Folk Festival, Bonnaroo, and a recent appearance on the David Letterman Show. The church sanctuary where the show will take place has excellent acoustics and an austere atmosphere that is perfect for The Low Anthem’s exquisite music.

Now, onto music at the SP in Burlington:

Thursday, 04.22.10
The Sleepwells (Indi-Folk-Rock)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/thesleepwellsmusic

Friday, 04.23.10
The Points North (folk)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/thepointsnorth

Boston-based band The Points North www.myspace.com/thepointsnorth bring their creative acoustic folk to Vermont. Soulful vocals meld beautifully with flute, strings, accordion, tamborine. The Points North compose hushed minimalist New England-inspired folk songs, delivering a twenty-first century take on traditionalist country folk songs.

Boston Globe- “By turns somber and joyous, sturdy and delicate, this debut was a folk feast fashioned by the campfire and drawn from hearth-warmed living rooms. A tapestry of piano, mandolin, and wintry atmospheres made this one of ’09’s most enigmatic local releases.”

Call it Folk- “[The Points North] isn’t folk pop, or twangy sounding acoustic guitars with soundhole pickups, played unknowingly, by singer-songwriters singing banal little nothings about themselves. These songs are socially relevant to our times and speak to issues not often tackled by the progressive arts community…contrary to what the old timers think of as in-your-face protest music. This is more musically satisfying…a hauntingly brilliant performance.”

Performer Magazine- “[The Points North's] sound is cohesive and their vision of creating pure, traditional folk music is apparent. Light, beautiful vocals by Regina Peterson are grounded by Chris Alspach’s and Dylan Clark’s steady leads. Their instrumental arrangements – haunting mandolin, resonating bass drum, tambourine, occasional foot stomping and ethereal flute – flow together, weaving an intricate pattern of phonetic and auditory story telling.”

Saturday, 04.24.10
Birch Bones (acoustic/folk)
David Rhynhart (modern folk/americana)
***$5 suggested donation
http://www.davidrynhart.com
http://www.myspace.com/birchbonesband

Former Burlington resident (and short-term housemate of mine), David Rynhart returns!!! It’s been a few years since David departed for the West. But from ’06-’08, he was a jewel of talent for the Burlington music scene….David was a regular at open mics, coffee shops & stages. A uniquely talented instrumentalist, I often felt David was in a league by himself. Come & help us fill the room & welcome him back to VT this Saturday.

In the pipeline…

Thursday, 04.29.10
Mandarax (formerly known as the Harrison Shulman Quintet) (jazz)
***$5 suggested donation

Friday, 04.30.10
Slick Martha’s Hot Club (gypsy jazz)
***$5 suggested donation
www.facebook.com/video/video.php

Saturday, 05.01.10
Patrick Coman (singer/songwriter)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/patrickcoman

Montpelier ‘Cake springs into the season with a farm fresh Brunch Menu!

Beginning April 10th, our cozy Main Street Crêperie will offer a new brunch menu featuring local egg dishes, meats and cheeses, as well as seasonal side salads.

The Brunch Menu is “Local, Really” as its wholly inspired by Vermont seasons, local foods and producers.

There will be a Brunch Special of the day in addition to staple selections such as the Crepe Quiche made with seasonal local veggies, baked in a crepe shell and served with a salad of local greens as well as Crepes Benedict featuring Winding Brook Farm Canadian Bacon, two sunny side up eggs, served over two savory crepes with hollandaise sauce and a salad of local greens. More than a side, poutine fans will love this variation on the Quebecois fare–Brunch Poutine: A plate of fresh cut fries with Maple Brook Farm Cheddar cheese curds, served with delicious chicken and bacon gravy and a Sunny Side up egg. YUM!!

Pair your brunch dish with Farnham Hill Hard Cider or go for a coffee creation from the full espresso bar brewed with Vermont Coffee Company Roasts. A cup of green, black, or herbal tea from the extension Vermont Love & Tea selection is always recommended!

While one can still order “Breakfast All Day”, Montpelier General Manager Jeremy Silansky finds Brunch to be a hardier meal and suggests, “While adding variety, the new brunch menu is a playful breakfast take on items that may cross categories as a breakfast and lunch items.”

The Brunch Menu will be available Saturdays & Sundays from 11am-2pm beginning Saturday April 10, 2010. Of course, ya’ll can still order your favorites from the full menu.

The Skinny Pancake, Montpelier is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, dessert and now BRUNCH! Located at 89 Main Street in Montpelier, Vermont, in the center of town. The patio is now open & ready for the sun!

The competition organizers approached individuals involved in the growing farm-to-school movement to judge the competition.  Most Judges are involved in school food and Vermont agriculture as farmers, chefs, legislators, students, state employees, and community advocates. The Skinny Pancake & Jeremy Silansky are pleased & honored to participate in this event! For more information on  the Jr. Iron Chef Vermont, check out their website www.jrironchefvt.org.

Howdy folks,

we’ve got even more big news to announce this week:

The Skinny Pancake on the Burlington Waterfront will be CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS for 12 days starting Monday, March 22nd.

Whew! I’ve been waiting a long time to make that announcement…

If all goes according to plan, we’ll be back open on Saturday, April 3rd.  The good folks at the Main Street Landing Company (our wonderful landlord) have consistently bolded and underlined their verbal statement of “if all goes according to plan.” Here’s to hoping…and to diligently trying.

What gives? Well…after last summer, we took a very serious stock of our performance with the ravenous determination to become a world-class semi-service establishment. We found that at peak volumes, the shortcomings of our physical space sometimes frustrated staff & patrons alike…so we very deliberately set out to fix those problems.

While we are not expanding our footprint, we will be improving our kitchen layout to help get the food out faster and altering the seating arrangement to remove some pesky bottlenecks. We will also be adding a 10′ bar, two more beer taps, a wine cooler and a customer water spigot!!!

Please note: if you or anyone you know experiences symptoms of withdrawal from your crepe addiction, we strongly encourage you to visit our Montpelier location.

---

This week’s specials:

The St Patty Fatty (Burlington): Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage on a Whole Wheat Crepe. $9.00.

Just Ducky (Montpelier): Labelle Farm Duck Confit with VT Cranberry Co. Chutney, Local Spinach from Screaming Ridge Farm and Candied Walnuts on a Gleasons Whole Wheat Crepe. 10.00

---

Saturday, 03.20.10
Lokum Trio (world/indi/roots)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/lokummusic

Burlington’s own Lokum performs as a three-piece poly-rhythmic Baltic percussion powerhouse. They joined us for jazzfest as a 9 piece and had people dancing in the streets.

The word lokum literally translates as a Turkish delight and this nine piece band is certainly sweet. Lokum performs music of the Balkans, Turkey and Armenia using authentic instruments and oriental modes (makams). The upbeat, dramatic tone of their music is driven by beautiful, complex melodies artistically woven through tight percussion. Lokum masterfully puts a fresh contemporary spin on traditional world music. Check ‘em here www.myspace.com/lokummusic and come on down, it will be sweet!

RENOVATIONS!!!!
At our 60 Lake St location in Burlington
Monday March 22nd through Friday, April 2nd
Planned re-opening: Saturday, April 3rd.

tomorrow (Thursday, 02.25.10) marks the start of a new tradition…the Farm to Fork Film Series debuts at 7 pm at the Montpelier Mini-Skinny, 89 Main St.

Here’s the scoop: there are a slew of great localvore films out there…but nobody is actively airing them and its not likely that you’re going to go out and buy them. SO…we thought we’d help spread the good word and generate conversation in the process. Thus, we will be showing one or more “Localvoriented” films on the final Thursday of each month starting tomorrow!!!

Locavore, Local Diet, Healthy Planet new documentary about the inevitable return to the local diet. Less than a generation ago human beings worldwide traveled less than 10 miles to obtain the majority of the food they ate. Today the average conventionally grown vegetable has traveled more than 1500 miles by the time it has reached your pantry. Our food today is over processed, stale, and lacks nutrition. This new film, featuring some of the neo-pioneers of the Locavore movement will educate, inspire, and revitalize bringing health to our bodies AND our communities.

February Thaw (Burlington): BBQ Misty Knoll Chicken, our new and improved Rookies Root beer BBQ Sauce, Cabot Cheddar, on a Butterworks Cornmeal Crepe. $9.00.

This week in music at the Skinny Pancake:

Thursday, 02.25.10
Mohanty-Krag Duo (Jazz)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/katemohantysax
www.myspace.com/peterkrag
http://www.myspace.com/themohantykragduo

Saturday, 02.27.10
Shane Hardiman Trio (Jazzin’ up Mardi-Gras)
***$5 suggested donation

Shane…friend of Burlington. Please accept my apologies for burying your plug beneath the art above. Well…at least it was for a good cause.

For the uninformed: Shane Hardiman is a staple in the Burlington jazz scene. He’s an eminently talented pianist and a very understated guy. Take, for example, the fact that he does not have a myspace page and this is the only photo I could find of him on the internet. Thanks for keeping it real, Shane.

Thursday, 03.04.10
Phineas Gage (acoustic/bluegrass)
***$5 suggested donation
www.reverbnation.com/phineasgage

Friday, 03.05.10
Jim Seem & Melissa Hyman (R&B/Soul/Acoustic/Bedroom Pop)
***$5 suggested donation
www.reverbnation.com/jimseemandmelissahyman

Saturday, 03.06.10
Holy Ghost Tent Revival (Dirty Jazz/Thrash-Grass/Roots)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/hgtr

well, the Skinny didn’t write itself last week. There were fits & starts, technical obstacles, unanticipated tasks and ultimately other priorities. The good news is that this publication is free.

Having said that, let’s get right into it:

Main Street Landing Presents…

Green Drinks is TODAY, Tuesday, February 23rd from 6 pm to 8 pm in the Lake Lobby of Main Street Landing.

Please spread the word: bring your friends, relatives, neighbors, colleagues, connections, teammates, partners…the more the merrier!!! The Lake Lobby has a capacity of 220 people…that’s alot of connections to be made!!! Speaking of connections, you can join the Burlington Green Drinks facebook page here.

As always, there are 100 pints of Wolaver’s Organic Ale generously provided by the sponsors & awaiting your thirsty conversations. Of course, there is also free food.

This month’s sponsor: NOFA-VT (www.nofavt.org/): While they hardly requires a formal introduction, below is a bit of boilerplate about our buddies at NOFA-VT. We strongly encourage you to come out and meet them in person as their passion for VT agriculture is infectious and comes across even better in person than in print…

“NOFA Vermont was founded in Putney in 1971, making it one of the oldest organic farming associations in the United States. Today, we are proud to have over 1200 members throughout the state and to certify over 525 farms and processors to the USDA National Organic Program Standards. We are passionate about increasing the acreage of certified organic land in Vermont while also increasing the access of local organic food to all Vermonters. All our programs strives to meet these goals, whether it involves working with schools to bring local foods into the cafeteria or providing business planning services to farmers to ensure their businesses stay viable. Whether you are a Vermonter who gardens, farms, eats local food, or enjoys our rural communities, NOFA Vermont welcomes you.”

Appreciation is very due for our sustaining sponsors:

Green Drinks Burlington loves Seven Days (www.7dvt.com) for their sustaining support & help in getting the word out!!!

Wolaver’s Organic Ales (www.ottercreekbrewing.com/wolavers.html): One of the nation’s original certified organic breweries, Wolaver’s is committed to producing the best beer in the most ecologically sound way. Our craft ales are brewed using the finest organic malts, hops, our special house yeast and pure Vermont water.

The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce (www.vermont.org/): if it were not for the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, this monthly meet-up would be lucky to have half the turnout it has each month. Thanks to all the hard-workin’ folks over at LCRCOC!!!

February Thaw (Burlington): BBQ Misty Knoll Chicken, our new and improved Rookies Root beer BBQ Sauce, Cabot Cheddar, on a Butterworks Cornmeal Crepe. $9.00.

Locavore, Local Diet, Healthy Planet new documentary about the inevitable return to the local diet. Less than a generation ago human beings worldwide traveled less than 10 miles to obtain the majority of the food they ate. Today the average conventionally grown vegetable has traveled more than 1500 miles by the time it has reached your pantry. Our food today is over processed, stale, and lacks nutrition. This new film, featuring some of the neo-pioneers of the Locavore movement will educate, inspire, and revitalize bringing health to our bodies AND our communities.

This week in music at the Skinny Pancake:

Thursday, 02.25.10
Mohanty-Krag Duo (Jazz)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/katemohantysax
www.myspace.com/peterkrag
http://www.myspace.com/themohantykragduo

Saturday, 02.27.10
Shane Hardiman Trio (Jazzin’ up Mardi-Gras)
***$5 suggested donation

Shane…friend of Burlington. Please accept my apologies for burying your plug beneath the art above. Well…at least it was for a good cause.

For the uninformed: Shane Hardiman is a staple in the Burlington jazz scene. He’s an eminently talented pianist and a very understated guy. Take, for example, the fact that he does not have a myspace page and this is the only photo I could find of him on the internet. Thanks for keeping it real, Shane.

Thursday, 03.04.10
Phineas Gage (acoustic/bluegrass)
***$5 suggested donation
www.reverbnation.com/phineasgage

Friday, 03.05.10
Jim Seem & Melissa Hyman (R&B/Soul/Acoustic/Bedroom Pop)
***$5 suggested donation
www.reverbnation.com/jimseemandmelissahyman

Saturday, 03.06.10
Holy Ghost Tent Revival (Dirty Jazz/Thrash-Grass/Roots)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/hgtr

For the first event, we will be showing the following film:

Locavore, Local Diet, Healthy Planet new documentary about the inevitable return to the local diet. Less than a generation ago human beings worldwide traveled less than 10 miles to obtain the majority of the food they ate. Today the average conventionally grown vegetable has traveled more than 1500 miles by the time it has reached your pantry. Our food today is over processed, stale, and lacks nutrition. This new film, featuring some of the neo-pioneers of the Locavore movement will educate, inspire, and revitalize bringing health to our bodies AND our communities.