Buttonwood Maple Trees are Yielding Maple Syrup

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On our 5+ acres at The Buttonwood Inn, we have sugar maple trees that Bill tapped for the past two weeks. After noticing that many of our neighbors collected sap from their sugar maples during March and April, we also wanted to make it ourselves.

There are several ways to collect the sap.  Some folks hook up the traditional metal  buckets attached to the spiles inserted into the tree trunk draining the sap.  Others connect plastic lines to the spiles running from tree to tree accumulating sap in a 50-gallon container.  Bill followed a neighbor's technique of hooking up plastic gallon milk cartons to homemade spiles draining our maple sap.

Depending on how much sap is collected at one time, it can be boiled on the kitchen stove, or some neighbors boil large amounts outside on woodburning stoves.  Since we tapped five of our sugar maples, we've been boiling it on our kitchen stove.

When the cartons are half full, Bill collects the sap and boils it down in a 3-gallon pot on our stove.  It takes about one to two days to boil the sap down into maple syrup.  We've boiled 15 gallons of maple sap, so far, to yield about 1.5 quarts of maple syrup.  Bill and I will use our homemade maple syrup for our own personal consumption. 

We will continue serving maple syrup to our guests from the 4th Place Winner in Yankee Magazine's contest of top maple producers in New England--Fullers Sugarhouse.

If you would like to learn more about maple sugaring techniques, you can explore these links:  http://umaine.edu/publications/7036e/  and  http://www.tapmytrees.com/coprsap.html

Luxuriate in Mt. Washington Valley Spa Treatments

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When you come to The Buttonwood Inn for our Romance Package, you can add a body massage spa treatment.  Even if you don't book a Romance Package, you can still opt for a one-hour massage in-house with Moondance Massage, for an additional charge, their therapists set up in your guest room.

If you choose to go off-premises, the massage therapists at Debony Salon in Jackson provide wonderful body relaxation treatments at their salon.  The massage therapists at both salons are experienced and considerate offering various types of massage therapies to suit your individual needs.  Debony Salon is a full-service salon offering facials, hair, and nail care services and also provides services to bridal parties.

Either way, you'll luxuriate during a one-hour body massage releasing all your muscle tensions and stresses.  I've experienced massages at both of these salons and always come away feeling totally relaxed and rejuvenated.  I highly recommend that you treat yourself to this delightful, relaxing experience!

To reserve at The Buttonwood Inn for our Romance Package or just stay with us, you can book on-line or call us at 1-800-258-2625.

Valentine's Yuuuummmy Dessert Recipe!

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This Valentine's weekend, I'll be serving our guests red velvet cake.  It's a popular dessert and shows up in many bakeries and restaurants.   Here's a recipe to make for your sweetie this Valentine's Day.

Oh, and if you haven't booked your Valentine's Lover Package yet, check out our special and call us at 1-800-258-2625 or reserve on-line today!

Red Velvet-Cherry Cake Roll

Cake:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cherry-flavored cola
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 11" x 17" rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust with flour.

Bring the cola to a simmer in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cool.

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  In a separate large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, almond and vanilla extracts, and the cola syrup.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.  Spread the batter on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. 

Dust a clean kitchen towel, not terry cloth, with confectioners' sugar.  Invert the cake onto the towel and peel off the parchment.  Trim the cake edges.  Begin rolling the short end of the cake around the towel and let cool completely on a rack.

In a large bowl, make the filling by whisking the cream cheese, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and the almond extract until well combined.  In a stand mixer, whisk the remaining 1 cup of cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form.  Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.  Chill until ready to use.

Unroll the cooled cake and spread the filling on it.  Gently reroll the cake and transfer it to a platter.  Dust with confectioners' sugar.

North Conway Named 1 of 25 World's Best Ski Towns by National Geographic

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Folks in the Northeast U.S. do not have to travel far to stay and ski in 1 of 25 world's best ski towns recently named by National Geographic.  They can visit North Conway, NH in the heart of The Presidential Range of the White Mountains.  Mt. Washington is the highest peak at 6,288 feet on the East Coast.  There are seven alpine ski mountains in Mt. Washington Valley and six cross-country ski trails all within a half-hour of North Conway.  The first purpose-cut ski runs and ski schools in North America were established here in the 1930s.

Cranmore Mountain Resort located just outside of the village attracts families because of its excellent ski school.  It also has non-skiing attractions like snow tubing, a mountain coaster, climbing walls, and indoor tennis.

We're hoping that March will go out like a LION with more snow accumulation for skiing and snowshoeing opportunities for everyone. 

The Buttonwood Inn has a lot to offer everyone and we're just 5 mintues from the village.  We also have access to snowshoe trails out our back door.

We also have discounted ski tickets for our guests.  So check out our ski packages and book on-line or call us at 1-800-258-2625 today!

Group Gatherings Mother's Day Weekend

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We had several lovely families stay at The Buttonwood Inn this past Mother's Day Weekend.  Our inn is large enough for families and group gatherings because we can seat about a dozen people in our Living Room and in the Mt. Surprise Room.  Our front porch is a popular spot for guests to enjoy their morning coffee or afternoon tea watching the hummingbirds and birds.  We have several double-seat Adirondack chairs on the lawn for those who want solitude just staring at the mountains and forest.  The in-ground heated pool is fun for anyone who likes to swim or float on a tube.  Families with children can play and rejuvenate before heading off for dinner.

The daughter and son-in-law who reside in Boston arranged the Mother's Day weekend for her mother, father, and sister who flew up from Louisiana. It was the perfect getaway because they were able to reconnect and relax at our inn, and yet shop, hike the trails on Bartlett Mountain, and go on a fly fishing excursion.  On the first day of their arrival, they headed downtown to shop in Settlers Green Outlets and local curiosity shops, had dinner at a local restaurant, then came back and relaxed in the hot tub.  The daughter also reserved an hour-long in-room massage for her mother on Mother's Day morning, which she thoroughly enjoyed.  Bill booked a half-day fly fishing excursion for the father and son-in-law with North Country Angler.  They were thrilled to have caught four brook trout (caught and released).  While the men were fishing, the women hiked the Mt. Surprise and Buttonwood Inn Trails to get up to the Bartlett Ledges.  At the end of Mother's Day, the entire family had pizza and watched movies in the Mt. Surprise Room. 

I made a lime cake frosted with lime cream cheese icing for Mother's Day afternoon tea service.  Here's the recipe.

Lime Cake with Cream Cheese Icing



Cake:


Butter, for greasing pan
Flour, for dusting pan


One 3-ounce package lime flavored gelatin
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs, slightly beaten


Glaze:


1/2 cup lime juice (from 3-4 large limes)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar


Icing:


1/2 cup (1 stick butter), room temperature
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
One 1 pound box confectioners' sugar
Zest of one lime


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 9”x13” cake pan.


In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin, granulated sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir to mix well. Add the oil, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until well combined. Pour the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness inserting a toothpick. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes.


For the glaze: While the cake is still hot, mix the lime juice and confectioners' sugar together well. Pierce the cake with a skewer to allow the glaze to soak in better and pour it over the cake. Allow cake to cool completely as you prepare the icing.


For the icing: Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Add the lime zest until combined. Spread the icing on the top and sides of the cake.

Vegan Breakfasts at The Buttonwood Inn

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Recently, a return guest brought his daughter to stay at The Buttonwood Inn.  He thought he was dropping the bomb on me by stating that she prefers a vegan diet and that she would be satisfied with cereal and fruit for breakfast.  I know that when I go on vacation, I would appreciate being served a special breakfast at a B&B, whether or not I was a vegan. 

Admittedly, I was challenged with the task of creating a vegan breakfast for his daughter.  But the internet always turns out to be my friend and I was able to find recipes with ingredient substitutions.  So I ran off to the supermarket and bought most of what I needed in the health food section.  The more mysterious ingredients were available in The Local Grocer health food store.

Vegans elect to avoid animal protein and dairy products. So I was able to find an egg replacer (soy based) and substituted soy milk for cow's milk.  Vegetable oil can replace butter.  So with a little research and extra effort, I was able to serve our guests the same breakfast items which turned out to be delicious!

Here's a recipe for Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

MAGRR New England - Canine Adoptions

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Bill and I have two adopted dogs that reside with us in our owners' quarters at The Buttonwood Inn.  We adopted Clyde, our Black Labrador Retriever/Doberman Mix, in New Jersey five years ago.  His former owner kept him in the basement and one day he escaped.  Unfortunately, he was hit by a car on a busy highway and suffered a severe injury to his back right leg.  Fortunately, a person from the area shelter drove by and rescued him, then arranged emergency surgery at the Raritan Animal Hospital to save his leg.  Clyde healed fairly quickly and now goes on hikes with us.


When we moved to The Buttonwood Inn the Summer of 2007, Clyde had a canine brother from NJ, Gus, a Golden Retriever.  He was rescued by our son, Tom, when he jumped up and down in the dog pound expressing adopt me!  Tom informed me immediately since we lost our beloved Golden to cancer and knew I wanted to get another dog.  When Gus turned nine years old, he contracted mast cell tumor cancer.  At Raritan Animal Hospital, the tumor was removed and he underwent chemotherapy, which put him in remission for a year.


After we moved to NH, Gus was enjoying life roaming the 6 acres around the inn until he developed another mast cell tumor.  Six weeks later he passed on.  Finding it difficult to live without our good-natured Golden Retriever, we decided to adopt another one as a new companion for Clyde who also missed his buddy, Gus. 


In searching PetFinder.com, we found Britt, a Golden Retriever/Collie Mix, at MAGRR (Memphis Area Golden Retriever Rescue).  This is a non-profit rescue organization located in Tennessee fostering and adopting out Golden Retrievers from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas to folks in the Northeast.  They strive to match up dogs with suitable owners by having you fill out a detailed form about yourself and your home environment.  Bill and I recently made a home visit with Britt to a home in Maine to determine if the future Golden Retriever owners would be suitable.  They are and will be matched up with a Golden Retriever that will come up to NH in the next few weeks.  Volunteers from Tennessee drive about 40 dogs in enclosed pens outfitted with beds in a renovated horse carrier.  They make stops in each state over a few days to unite them with their new owners.

Valentine's Yuuuummmy Dessert Recipe!

To contact us Click HERE
This Valentine's weekend, I'll be serving our guests red velvet cake.  It's a popular dessert and shows up in many bakeries and restaurants.   Here's a recipe to make for your sweetie this Valentine's Day.

Oh, and if you haven't booked your Valentine's Lover Package yet, check out our special and call us at 1-800-258-2625 or reserve on-line today!

Red Velvet-Cherry Cake Roll

Cake:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cherry-flavored cola
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 11" x 17" rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust with flour.

Bring the cola to a simmer in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cool.

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  In a separate large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, almond and vanilla extracts, and the cola syrup.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.  Spread the batter on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. 

Dust a clean kitchen towel, not terry cloth, with confectioners' sugar.  Invert the cake onto the towel and peel off the parchment.  Trim the cake edges.  Begin rolling the short end of the cake around the towel and let cool completely on a rack.

In a large bowl, make the filling by whisking the cream cheese, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and the almond extract until well combined.  In a stand mixer, whisk the remaining 1 cup of cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form.  Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.  Chill until ready to use.

Unroll the cooled cake and spread the filling on it.  Gently reroll the cake and transfer it to a platter.  Dust with confectioners' sugar.

North Conway Named 1 of 25 World's Best Ski Towns by National Geographic

To contact us Click HERE
Folks in the Northeast U.S. do not have to travel far to stay and ski in 1 of 25 world's best ski towns recently named by National Geographic.  They can visit North Conway, NH in the heart of The Presidential Range of the White Mountains.  Mt. Washington is the highest peak at 6,288 feet on the East Coast.  There are seven alpine ski mountains in Mt. Washington Valley and six cross-country ski trails all within a half-hour of North Conway.  The first purpose-cut ski runs and ski schools in North America were established here in the 1930s.

Cranmore Mountain Resort located just outside of the village attracts families because of its excellent ski school.  It also has non-skiing attractions like snow tubing, a mountain coaster, climbing walls, and indoor tennis.

We're hoping that March will go out like a LION with more snow accumulation for skiing and snowshoeing opportunities for everyone. 

The Buttonwood Inn has a lot to offer everyone and we're just 5 mintues from the village.  We also have access to snowshoe trails out our back door.

We also have discounted ski tickets for our guests.  So check out our ski packages and book on-line or call us at 1-800-258-2625 today!

Group Gatherings Mother's Day Weekend

To contact us Click HERE
We had several lovely families stay at The Buttonwood Inn this past Mother's Day Weekend.  Our inn is large enough for families and group gatherings because we can seat about a dozen people in our Living Room and in the Mt. Surprise Room.  Our front porch is a popular spot for guests to enjoy their morning coffee or afternoon tea watching the hummingbirds and birds.  We have several double-seat Adirondack chairs on the lawn for those who want solitude just staring at the mountains and forest.  The in-ground heated pool is fun for anyone who likes to swim or float on a tube.  Families with children can play and rejuvenate before heading off for dinner.

The daughter and son-in-law who reside in Boston arranged the Mother's Day weekend for her mother, father, and sister who flew up from Louisiana. It was the perfect getaway because they were able to reconnect and relax at our inn, and yet shop, hike the trails on Bartlett Mountain, and go on a fly fishing excursion.  On the first day of their arrival, they headed downtown to shop in Settlers Green Outlets and local curiosity shops, had dinner at a local restaurant, then came back and relaxed in the hot tub.  The daughter also reserved an hour-long in-room massage for her mother on Mother's Day morning, which she thoroughly enjoyed.  Bill booked a half-day fly fishing excursion for the father and son-in-law with North Country Angler.  They were thrilled to have caught four brook trout (caught and released).  While the men were fishing, the women hiked the Mt. Surprise and Buttonwood Inn Trails to get up to the Bartlett Ledges.  At the end of Mother's Day, the entire family had pizza and watched movies in the Mt. Surprise Room. 

I made a lime cake frosted with lime cream cheese icing for Mother's Day afternoon tea service.  Here's the recipe.

Lime Cake with Cream Cheese Icing



Cake:


Butter, for greasing pan
Flour, for dusting pan


One 3-ounce package lime flavored gelatin
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs, slightly beaten


Glaze:


1/2 cup lime juice (from 3-4 large limes)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar


Icing:


1/2 cup (1 stick butter), room temperature
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
One 1 pound box confectioners' sugar
Zest of one lime


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 9”x13” cake pan.


In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin, granulated sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir to mix well. Add the oil, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until well combined. Pour the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness inserting a toothpick. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes.


For the glaze: While the cake is still hot, mix the lime juice and confectioners' sugar together well. Pierce the cake with a skewer to allow the glaze to soak in better and pour it over the cake. Allow cake to cool completely as you prepare the icing.


For the icing: Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Add the lime zest until combined. Spread the icing on the top and sides of the cake.

Meadowlark with Grandma

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The kids and I went to Meadowlark with my mom.  The park now has adventure backpacks that the kids can check out for the visit.  We got the bird backpack.  It had identification cards for different types of birds and a pair of binoculars.  Brayden kept the binoculars on for the whole trip in case he needed to use them.  We spent most of our trip in the Children's Garden.  

The garden has fun little benches and a pretend tea set with giant metal tea cups.


It is so much fun watching Taylor move around all these places that a few short months ago she was only enjoying from her stroller.  She loved trying to pick up the giant tea cups.


One of Taylor's favorite things to do at home is find different things to climb up on and sit on.  These things don't actually have to be chairs.  She climbs up on boxes, tables, and toys and just sits and smiles very proud of herself.  The garden was perfect for her, because there were all these cute little benches.  Her big brother even slowed down for a minute to sit with her.



Taylor is walking short distances now.  She would hold on to something and then take a few steps to something else.  She is brave and fearless.  She see something she wants and just goes for it!


It was a really hot day, so Brayden found some shade to sit back and relax.  We watched the geese swimming in the lake and played pretend restaurant.


 Our big adventurer had fun leading us around the park!

Frying Pan Fair

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We went to the Frying Pan Park carnival with our friends the Cooksons.  The first thing Brayden saw when we arrived was the fishing game.  He loves the fishing game.  We have many carnival stuffed animals that he has won at different fishing games.  This time he won a green frog, which has become one of his favorite stuffed animals.

After the fishing game, it was time to hit the rides!  Brayden had a great time going on the rides.  He rode several of them multiple times.


Taylor was too small for the rides, so had to settle for people watching.  She seemed okay with it. but we could tell she really wanted to go on the rides!


Kylee, Brayden, and the daddies rode the little roller coaster.


Taylor watched longingly from the fence.  She was clutching the fence plotting her way in and got all excited when the roller coaster zoomed past.

Brayden and Kylee rode the little jeeps together.  The funny thing was that this was the first ride they rode together at the carnival when they were two!  It was actually the first ride Brayden ever rode by himself.  We put him on the inside, when he was two, in the hopes that he wouldn't climb out!



Becky made a cute comparison photo collage of the kids on the ride then and now!  

Taylor Turns One

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Our baby girl turned one!  This year has gone by way too fast!  We are so lucky to have such a wonderful, beautiful, happy, fearless, curious little girl in our lives.  She brightens up every day with her huge smile and all her hugs and snuggles.  On her birthday, we went out to eat with Grandma, Papa, and Grandma Schlegel.  Then we went home for presents and cupcakes.


My mom got Taylor a fuzzy white chair.  Taylor climbed right in it.  Taylor has always loved chairs and finding places to sit.  She is always so proud of herself when she climbs up on boxes and sits on them or if she climbs all the way up into a big chair.  This chair is perfect Taylor size!  Tanner also found the chair to be the perfect size and made sure to test  it out.  We managed to get him down from the chair, because he wanted to check out Taylor's presents.


Taylor loves Weebles and got a whole bunch of new Weeble sets.


She was a pro at ripping open all the paper.


Brayden, of course, was more than willing to help her break in her new toys.  That is what big brothers are for!


After presents, it was time to sing to the birthday girl!


She took her time tasting the cupcake.


She started off with small little nibbles.


Then, went right to picking up the whole cupcake!



We took her in for her one year check up a few days after her birthday.   Her height was 29.5 inches (50%) and her weight was 23 pounds 1 ounce (90%).  She checked out happy and healthy!  Although she wouldn't smile at any of the doctors or nurses no matter how hard they tried.  If she doesn't know a person now, she gives them the stare down.  It is so funny to see her get all serious, because at home she never stops smiling!

Truck Night and Cars 2

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The farm had a special outdoor movie showing of Cars 2. We met the Cooksons over at the farm for a picnic and to grab a great spot for the movie.  After the picnic, the kids decided to get up and dance to the music that was playing.  Brayden loves dancing!


Ryland was also really excited to run around and dance!


Kylee tried showing the boys some moves, but soon realized the boys were in their own little crazy world.

The two boys had a blast trying to do some crazy spin, kick move.


Along with the special movie, the farm also had a bunch of trucks for the kids to test out.  Taylor really liked sitting in the big tractors!


She would grab on to the steering wheel and pretend to drive.


She looked like such a big kid!


Brayden loved all the trucks.  He made sure he tested out each truck.


Even the giant old tractor.


When it got dark, the kids settled in for the movie.  The farm had a big inflatable screen up to show the movie.  Brayden thought it was great sitting in his chair outside with a box of popcorn watching a movie.  He was the only kid that stayed awake through the movie!