We wish you a happy and prosperous New Year and hope to see you at the Inn!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas Sunrise
Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family, and to everyone who has been our guest at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn.
We wish you a happy and prosperous New Year and hope to see you at the Inn!
We wish you a happy and prosperous New Year and hope to see you at the Inn!
Christmas Eve Tradition
In my family it is tradition to wait until Christmas Eve to decorate the tree. Christmas Eve is all about decorating the tree with family and eating holiday treats!
My mom use to make a "normal" Christmas Eve dinner, but everyone would be so stuffed with cookies and ring-a-lings (a frosted raisin and cinnamon roll) that we hardly ever ate dinner.
So last night Mark and I decorated the tree.
It started with bringing in the tree. You can see that we have only a dusting of snow and the sun is brightly shining, but at least it is cold enough to feel like Christmas.
The first step in the decorating is putting on the lights. When I was little, I started out as a "light hanging assistant" with my Dad, then later with my older brother, but then it wasn't long until I was light hanging "master" - or the only one left happy to do this task!
Now it is completely left up to me. Everyone thinks that hanging the ornaments is more fun, but I love sparkling lights. We now use the new energy-efficient LCD light strings and they are great!
The finished tree! We have a very eclectic collection of ornaments - some purchased and some handmade.
Because we put the tree up so late, we also traditionally keep it up until around January 16th (my brother's birthday). So you have plenty of time to stop for a visit or a stay at the inn while the tree is on display in the front dinning room.
Our chocolate shop, Life By Chocolates, will also have all of the Christmas chocolates on sale -- making a visit even sweeter!
My mom use to make a "normal" Christmas Eve dinner, but everyone would be so stuffed with cookies and ring-a-lings (a frosted raisin and cinnamon roll) that we hardly ever ate dinner.
So last night Mark and I decorated the tree.
It started with bringing in the tree. You can see that we have only a dusting of snow and the sun is brightly shining, but at least it is cold enough to feel like Christmas.
The first step in the decorating is putting on the lights. When I was little, I started out as a "light hanging assistant" with my Dad, then later with my older brother, but then it wasn't long until I was light hanging "master" - or the only one left happy to do this task!
Now it is completely left up to me. Everyone thinks that hanging the ornaments is more fun, but I love sparkling lights. We now use the new energy-efficient LCD light strings and they are great!
The finished tree! We have a very eclectic collection of ornaments - some purchased and some handmade.
Because we put the tree up so late, we also traditionally keep it up until around January 16th (my brother's birthday). So you have plenty of time to stop for a visit or a stay at the inn while the tree is on display in the front dinning room.
Our chocolate shop, Life By Chocolates, will also have all of the Christmas chocolates on sale -- making a visit even sweeter!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Newest Wee Forest Folk
We are very happy to carry Wee Forest Folk in our gift shop at the inn. These are addictively collectable little mouse figures! I started collecting them myself in the 1980's.
We have all of the new Christmas figures available for sale and just received the specially designed piece by the founder of Wee Forest Folk - Annette Petersen, who is still design at the age of 91 years young.
It is called "The Elegant Hostess" (M-423).
We have all of the new Christmas figures available for sale and just received the specially designed piece by the founder of Wee Forest Folk - Annette Petersen, who is still design at the age of 91 years young.
It is called "The Elegant Hostess" (M-423).
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Thanksgiving at the Greenville Arms
While we don't serve a Thanksgiving dinner to guests (they are usually staying with us while visiting family), Mark and I always enjoy making our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
It was just the two of us this year, so the menu was limited to just our favorites. We started out with roasted chestnuts and a wonderful, buttery and earthy Saint Agur, a blue cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk from the village of Beauzac in the Monts du Velay, part of the mountainous Auvergne region of central France.
Paired with this was a luscious 1984 Domaine De Caplane sauternes.
Then came the main event - an organic free-range turkey with stuffing! The turkey was set in a Maple-Soy-Ginger brine the day before, and then stuffed and roasted. The stuffing was a bread (I use chewy-crusted baguettes), sausage, pine nut, mushroom, celery, onion, and parsley mix.)
I carve the turkey while Mark makes the gravy.
Just enough not to feel as stuffed as the turkey at the end!
It was just the two of us this year, so the menu was limited to just our favorites. We started out with roasted chestnuts and a wonderful, buttery and earthy Saint Agur, a blue cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk from the village of Beauzac in the Monts du Velay, part of the mountainous Auvergne region of central France.
Paired with this was a luscious 1984 Domaine De Caplane sauternes.
Then came the main event - an organic free-range turkey with stuffing! The turkey was set in a Maple-Soy-Ginger brine the day before, and then stuffed and roasted. The stuffing was a bread (I use chewy-crusted baguettes), sausage, pine nut, mushroom, celery, onion, and parsley mix.)
I carve the turkey while Mark makes the gravy.
Just enough not to feel as stuffed as the turkey at the end!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Bonus December Retreat
Come to our Bonus Retreat in December.
Our Retreats are a time for people to get together and work on their own projects with no set program. If you're self-motivated and could use time to concentrate without instruction, or if you have a friend you want to spend time with, or you just want a relaxing art vacation, the Retreat package is for you.
Take advantage of this uninterrupted time to finish your holiday projects!
As a bonus for this retreat, Kim LaPolla, workshop director and fiber artist, will be joining you in the studio and will provide informal lessons on how she designs and creates the rabbits for her quilts. Kim will explain how to create a pattern and templates starting with a photo or illustration. Kim uses both a turned-under applique method and a fused method. Other techniques and processes will be covered, such as the crazy-pieced background.
Come join us for this fun week. Enjoy the 24-hour access for the studio, full country breakfast, afternoon cookies and fruit, and delicious 3-course dinner. Also unlimited coffee, tea, and hot chocolate!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Dutch Baby Breakfast Dish
Everyone has been asking for the recipe for the "Dutch Baby", a breakfast dish that is sort of like a large puffed pancake that is baked in oven. It is one of my favorite dishes and I don't get to make it that often, mainly because I usually only make it for small groups, as it does take a little longer to prepare and I only have so many small skillets!
So here is the recipe:
Dutch Babies (or German Pancakes)
For four servings,
Preheat oven to 425 while you are blending the the egg mixture. Crack the eggs into a blender and whirl at high speed for about a minute. With the motor running, gradually add the milk, and then the flour. Continue whirling for 30 seconds.
Portion the butter into one large oven-safe non-stick skillet (3 - 4 quart size) or 4 small oven safe non-stick skillets (1 quart size) (I use a 8" teflon oven-safe skillet to make individual servings), then put in the oven to melt. If you are using 4 skillets, divide the butter equally between them. I also spray the pan with non-stick coating to make sure the Dutch Babies don't stick to the pans, which would spoil the presentation!
When the butter is melted, pour the egg mixture into the skillet/skillets and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. It is done when edges are browned and the center is firm.
Serve immediately. May be served plain, sprinkled with powdered sugar, syrup, lemon wedges, or fruit.
So here is the recipe:
Dutch Babies (or German Pancakes)
For four servings,
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Cup Flour
- approx. 6 - 8 Tablespoons of butter/margerine
Preheat oven to 425 while you are blending the the egg mixture. Crack the eggs into a blender and whirl at high speed for about a minute. With the motor running, gradually add the milk, and then the flour. Continue whirling for 30 seconds.
Portion the butter into one large oven-safe non-stick skillet (3 - 4 quart size) or 4 small oven safe non-stick skillets (1 quart size) (I use a 8" teflon oven-safe skillet to make individual servings), then put in the oven to melt. If you are using 4 skillets, divide the butter equally between them. I also spray the pan with non-stick coating to make sure the Dutch Babies don't stick to the pans, which would spoil the presentation!
When the butter is melted, pour the egg mixture into the skillet/skillets and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. It is done when edges are browned and the center is firm.
Serve immediately. May be served plain, sprinkled with powdered sugar, syrup, lemon wedges, or fruit.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Hula Hooping at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn
We have a belly dancer here at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn and she was talking about Hula Hooping and offered me a challenge, Do the Hula-Hoop for 20 minutes or give her a box of chocolates. What's in it for me?
Here are the pictures of us doing the Hula. Loads for fun here at the Hudson River Valley Fiber Art Workshops.
Let's get this party started.
Hula Hula Hula Hoop.
And here Lola, the pro. Look at the smile.
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