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!

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!

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,

• 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.

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.

Fall Colors hitting their stride at the Greenville Arms

The Fall Colors are just hitting their stride here at Life By Chocolate at the Greenville Arms. The surrounding country side may be past it's prime, though still very colorful and beautiful, but as you can see, we still have plenty of green leaves getting ready to change, as well as plenty of beautiful fall trees and bushes. Now's the time to come up and visit us.

Apple Picking Time

Fall is a glorious time to be in the Catskills. Not only our the tree leaves turning magnificent colors of yellow, orange, and red, but it it apple picking time!



There a number of pick-your-own apple farms in Greene county. Two of them are Schnare's Sunset Orchard and Boehm Farm.

You still have time to see some great Fall color. The trees around the Greenville Arms are just starting to turn and the ivy on the Main Inn is starting, too.



The pool may be closed, but it is a lovely spot to sit with a nice cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea - which is available anytime!

Prime Time Fall at Olana

This is the time of year I love the most - the brisk air, the falling leaves, colorful trees, and sunny skies!

There are many wonderful scenic routes to drive around our area to take in the glorious Fall colors. One of these destinations is Olana, the historic estate and home built by Frederick Church, who was one of the Hudson River painters of the turn of the previous century.

I recently enjoyed an afternoon up at Olana (located in the town of Hudson) when I delivered lunches to our group of painters taking a workshop with Hudson River Valley Art Workshops.



The views were tremendous - you could see the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains.

The house is pretty stunning, too!





One of my favorite places to walk at Olana is their perennial garden located on a lower slope near the house.



It seems like there is always something blooming.



And they have interesting varieties of flowers.