Winter Ice Sculpture

I always love to see what the weather will do with the little creek that runs through our property. It comes up with the most amazing ice sculptures!

This is the latest creation. It was the result of temperatures that went from 50 degrees and raining to -8 degrees over night. The rushing water was frozen at ever increasing heights to form this magnificent icy waterfall. The photos just don't do it justice.



Another section of the creek had thick sheets of ice, that eventually cracked in the middle as the water levels fell below the ice.



Right now the creek is back to just swiftly flowing water, so the stage is clear and waiting for the next creation!

In the meantime, we are staying warm inside enjoying the heady scent of dark chocolate as we begin making Valentines chocolates!



Our wholesale customers are placing their orders already and our shop will soon switch from Christmas to Valentines.

However, now's your chance to take advantage of our 35% off sale on the Christmas chocolates. Solid chocolate Santa Faces and Figures in organic dark, milk, or vegan chocolate.

New Quilts for the Rooms In the Works

I love the snow and winter weather! Once reason is that snowy days are perfect for staying inside to work on quilts for the guest rooms! Every winter I try to get two to four more quilts finished.

I'm currently working on a Queen/Twin set for one of our rooms that have two beds. These quilts are composed of a 6-inch star that will be within a 12-inch blog. I finished all the stars (48 for the Twin and 72 for the Queen). Then I took them to Room 1 (which has enough space) to layout the stars in order to figure out the placement for all of them. I want to make sure that stars using the same fabric are not right next to each other.

So here is the layout of the stars for the two quilts.

The next step in the process will be to sew the borders on each star to make it into a 12-inch block.

Another task that heats up in the winter is chocolate making! Our Life By Chocolates shop is busy keeping up with the demand for luscious organic dark, milk, and vegan chocolates.

One of our seasonal chocolates, the Orange Cinnamon Truffle, has just been made and is available to order on our website or in our shop. These are melt in your mouth confections that we've brought back by popular demand. Get them while they last!

Gift Shop Update

Are you getting in the holiday shopping spirit yet? I tend to be one of those last minute shoppers who use that last-minute-panic feeling to get in the mood! However, I hate shopping in crowds, so I avoid the malls like the plague. Besides I like to support local shops - like ours at the inn!

Besides the yummy Life By Chocolate goodies, we also have gift items like hand-knit scarves (knit entirely by a local woman - me!) and unique quilted neckties.

We also carry supplies for artists and quilt artists, such as specialty (Aurifil & Superior Glitter) threads, paints, and inks. Our annual year-end sale on these supplies is going on until the end of December - all supplies 35% off!

All of our art quilting related books are 50% off. These make great gifts for the creative people on your list!

And don't forget the tremendously adorable Wee Forest Folk collectables!

Collectable Mouse Miniatures - Wee Forest Folk

Wee Forest Folk are the fanciful creations of the Petersen family of Massachusetts. 2013 found this family business celebrating 40 years of handcrafting mouse miniatures. Each figure is all U.S.A. made, employing skilled artists in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island to paint all the tiny and many layered details on these tiny works of art.

Each mini sculpture starts with an idea and a lump of clay. The finished sculpture is then cast in whiteware and hand painted using tiny paint brushes. The painting involves many colors, layers and techniques to get just the right looks for these adorable mice.

Each mouse is marked on the base with the designers initials - either Annette Petersen (the founder) or Willy or Donna Petersen (the son and daughter).

Unlike most collectables that are made by the millions overseas, only a few hundred of each Wee Forest Folk figure is made, which is why these pieces very often increase in value. There are even several collectors clubs that host yearly conferences (such as Mouse Expo in California) and keep a master list of current prices of retired pieces.

We carry a large selection of Wee Forest Folk in our retail shop and it always makes me smile to look at them. They are great gifts, even for non-collectors. We have a wonderful array of figures for holidays, professions, sports, and fun.

When you purchase a mouse from us you are automatically enrolled in our 5/6 program, which means that every 6th mouse figure you purchase from us is 50% off! We also offer free shipping on all mouse purchases.

Follow us on FaceBook at Wee Forest Folk at the Greenville Arms

Maple-Brined Turkey

It is always a lovely quiet time at the inn for Thanksgiving. We don't serve a Thanksgiving dinner for our guests, who are usually staying here while they visit their families anyway, but Mark and I have always loved to do a full up turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

Our traditional prep for the turkey (a local farm free-range bird) is a maple-brine. When we lived in California, we would smoke-roast the turkey on the BBQ, but now that we live in a slightly cooler climate, outdoor cooking in November is not quite the same!

Maple-Brined Turkey

You need to start this dish 1 - 2 days in advance by brining the turkey. You'll also need a stockpot that can hold a 12 - 14-lb turkey and a clear space in the fridge to hold the pot.

For the Brine:

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup coarse salt

3 whole heads of garlic, cloves separated (but not peeled) and bruised

6 large bay leaves

1 1/2 cups fresh ginger, coarsely chopped, unpeeled

2 teaspoons dried chile flakes

1 1/2 cups soy sauce

3 quarts water

Handful of fresh thyme sprigs

For the turkey:

Olive oil for brushing

12- to 14-lb fresh turkey

4 - 6 large bay leaves

To brine the turkey: Combine all the brine ingredients in an enamel or stainless steel pot big enough to hold the brine and the turkey. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and let it cool completely.

When the brine is cool, prep the turkey by removing the neck and giblets, rinse the turkey well, and then put it in the cold brine. Add more water, if needed, to make sure the brine complete covers the bird. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 days, turning the bird in the pot twice a day.

To cook the turkey: Preheat the oven to 450°. Remove the bird from the brine and pat it dry. Carefully pull the breast skin loose but not off, so that you can slip the bay leaves under the skin over both breasts.

Place the turkey in an uncovered roasting pan. Brush with olive oil (or we sometimes just put multiple chunks of butter on top). Put the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°. After the first half hour of cooking, baste frequently with the pan drippings.

Cooking time involves many factors, but generally for a 12- to 14-lb turkey, you'll allow 15 to 20 minutes per pound. For example, a 12-lb turkey will need to cook for about 3 hours. If you stuff the turkey, it will need more time. It is best to judge the doneness of your turkey with a meat thermometer. The internal temp, usually taken in the center of the inner thigh muscle, must reach 180° to 185°. The center of the stuffing should reach at least 165°.

Sweet Potato and Pepper Hash

I love experimenting with new recipes and I've found another winner - Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Hash.

This is a yummy blend of sweet potato, sweet red peppers, and onions. We top it off with a fried egg on top.

Breakfast always includes a selection of fresh fruit for you to choose from on our breakfast buffet, in addition to your order from our menu.

Fall Fancies

All around us in Greenville the trees are colored up and leaves are falling, but the trees on the inn grounds are just starting to get in the spirit of Fall.

There was a beautiful sunrise this morning that gave everything the most wonderful glow, so I went outside to snap these photos.

The reflected color of the sky made the inn look pink!

With cooler weather and colorful leaves, I got a wild hair idea to make festive pillowcases for the guest rooms. So if you stay at the inn between November 29th and January 16, 2014, you'll have these on the pillows to rest you head on at night! Mistress Rabbit approves.